My construction materials are weird

"Transform!"

At the instant when the true meaning of the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill was branded onto the leg bone, about to be born.

Xuan Huang threw the leg bone into the Heaven and Earth Crucible again, entering the final stage of shaping.

Under the blessing of Heavenly Will, the leg bone, once again thrown into the Heaven and Earth Crucible and imbued with the true meaning and consciousness by the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill, began to change.

The leg bone began to swell, gradually shortening until a nine-layered bone pagoda of one, three, nine, twenty-seven centimeters appeared.

At this point, the bizarre refinement of the leg bone was officially completed.

Xuan Huang not only changed the eerie and chaotic consciousness but also altered its appearance.

From a terrifying, blood-stained leg bone, it transformed into a glittering white nine-layered bone pagoda.

Refining a blood-stained leg bone magical artifact didn't align with the behavior of a 'Mystic Master,' a figure of great stature.

It was better to refine it into a pagoda shape—a white bone pagoda.

"收 ！ (Receive!)"

Xuan Huang put away the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill and the Heaven and Earth Crucible, but held the white bone pagoda in his hand.

He sensed a profound extension of will. The 'body' of the white bone pagoda was forged by the Heaven and Earth Crucible, and its 'consciousness' was bestowed by the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill.

This was equivalent to Xuan Huang directly bestowing it, so the nascent pagoda was connected to Xuan Huang's mind.

Upon closer inspection, the white bone pagoda had a rough feel. Although the surface was smooth as jade, it couldn't hide the fact that it was only an embryonic magical artifact.

There were no carvings or ornaments on the pagoda body, only distinct edges and corners, possessing form but lacking spirit.

The 'spirit' here refers to many things: the accumulation of time, the refinement by cultivators, the experiences of the pagoda, and so on.

At this moment, it was like a newborn.

"From now on, you shall be called the White Bone Pagoda."

Xuan Huang gave it a very ordinary name.

After all, it was just for experimental use and might not even be used by him.

Therefore, the greatest gain this time was not the pagoda itself, but that Xuan Huang had truly realized the artifact refining method from his self-derived deductions.

Refining the form of the magical artifact through the Heaven and Earth Crucible, and imbuing it with consciousness through the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill. The eerie material itself was a treasure, possessing its own spiritual essence, without needing the Spirit Nurturing Tree to bestow it.

"In this way, as long as it doesn't exceed my capabilities, I can refine anything into a magical artifact controlled by the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill?"

"And these magical artifacts all have the ability to evolve on their own. It can be said that they are uniquely blessed. The eerie things are truly treasures, each one a condensation of rules."

Xuan Huang once again marveled at the special nature of the eerie.

Only in this world of colliding realms could such treasures of condensed rules be obtained; in other worlds, they could only be found at the beginning of the world's creation.

"Don't say this world has no treasures; it's just that people don't know how to use them."

As long as one has the ability to refine and control these eerie things, it is truly a path to the heavens.

For example, the White Bone Pagoda, although Xuan Huang didn't value it, if it were bestowed upon someone else, their control of the White Bone Pagoda would be equivalent to grasping the starting point of the White Bone Rules.

If used well, evolving through the pagoda and benefiting oneself, growing with the pagoda, one could at least reach a very high level.

"Let's see what abilities the pagoda has?"

Previously, the leg bone had the ability to devour bones to enhance itself; now, the pagoda retained this ability.

But Xuan Huang didn't know its other abilities, nor did the people at the martial hall.

Xuan Huang investigated.

"Hmm? Those living beings covered by its rules will experience the pain of ten thousand bones shattering. If their minds collapse, it will affect reality… Will the person covered really have their bones crushed into sand?"

"Just this ability? It's very weak. No wonder the people from the Town Evil Department didn't want it before."

Xuan Huang was somewhat disappointed.

He thought it had other abilities, but unexpectedly, besides devouring bones to grow, it only caused those covered by its rules to experience the pain of ten thousand bones shattering.

"Waste utilization. It can devour bones to grow, and the bone-shattering pain can be used to temper cultivators."

"Willpower, especially the willpower of low-level cultivators, is tempered through… nothing but suffering."

Thinking of this, Xuan Huang felt that this White Bone Pagoda could serve as a trial pagoda.

Entering requires points, and points are bones.

As long as one can collect bones or exchange them for points, one can enter the White Bone Pagoda… to suffer.

Suffering also requires paying a price?

It all seems a bit bizarre.

But it's really feasible.

Others temper their willpower nowhere near as quickly as Xuan Huang.

Other cultivators don't have so many conditions.

It's very difficult to temper willpower.

At least, one needs to precisely control one's own essence, qi, and spirit, which requires mental effort.

Whether it's using essence as firewood, or spirit as firewood, or qi as firewood, all require control.

And where does control come from?

Naturally, it needs to be exercised. Usually, control is very strong, but when tempering willpower, it's different; it requires even stronger control, and the slightest carelessness is not allowed.

After all, this is performing extreme operations within one's own essence, qi, and spirit.

Not one mistake, not one hair out of place, not even a tiny bit!

Therefore, go and experience inhuman suffering, go to the White Bone Pagoda to temper your willpower and exercise your control.

If one can maintain their willpower without losing it in the midst of the hardship of having their entire body's bones shattered, then their control and the cohesion of their willpower will naturally increase.

"It can be considered somewhat useful."

Xuan Huang made a decision, intending to use it in this way, to give the people on Azure Cloud Mountain a trial.

"Furthermore, because it is controlled by the Reversion to Nothingness Great Mill, it can be adjusted, and the one to nine layers can be used as the nine levels of Willpower Refinement."

The methods that Xuan Huang imparted were two: a Refinement Method and a Fusion Method.

Everyone knows about the Fusion Method. Although it's called the Fusion Method, it should actually be called the 'Borrowing Method'.

Xuan Huang divided the inscriptions of the 'Borrowing Method' into twelve parts.

Each time a cultivator engraves an inscription, it represents taking a step deeper into the Heaven and Earth Crucible.

The deeper they go, the stronger the abilities they can borrow.

But the Refinement Method is different. It is Xuan Huang's truly authentic method of refining the will, directly derived from his method of tempering his own will.

This is a grand path, and Xuan Huang has no reservations here.

This also determines the degree of difficulty.

As a result, all cultivators currently focus on the Fusion Method, supplementing it with the Refinement Method, hoping to make up for it after reaching a certain level.

Who wouldn't want to take a shortcut?

Moreover, the Refinement Method isn't as flashy as the twelve layers of the Fusion Method. The Refinement Method only has nine layers, and once you complete the nine layers, you can attempt to break through to Extraordinary Willpower.

Often, the great path is simple and unadorned, while crooked paths are flashy.

But the Refinement Method is too difficult.

Willpower strength, control ability, coordination of essence, qi, and spirit—these are just the basics.

To improve, one must temper oneself, through the tempering of time and self.

Insufficient accumulation of time won't do, uncoordinated essence, qi, and spirit won't do, and a lack of firm belief won't do.

Especially in terms of self-tempering… Cultivators of the Fusion Method borrow Xuan Huang's will, and once they determine which aspect of their own essence, qi, and spirit is lacking, they can supplement it. After all, it won't become unbalanced, as it's suppressed by the will borrowed from Xuan Huang.

Cultivators of the Refinement Method can't do that; they need to suppress it with their own will, which requires maintaining balance at all times.

Even taking medicine requires caution.

Will taking a qi-supplementing medicine cause the qi to become strong while the spirit and essence become weak?

Will taking an essence-supplementing medicine cause the essence to become too strong while the spirit and qi become weak and unbalanced?

And so on…

All require step-by-step cyclical progress.

The above is still about physical balance.

What about willpower tempering?

Even more difficult.

Therefore, the appearance of the White Bone Pagoda is a kind of hope, a way to temper willpower and exercise control.

Xuan Huang wouldn't be happy if everyone took the Fusion Method and few took the Refinement Method because it was too difficult.

What he wants are not puppets under his control.

What he wants are Dao companions who can reach great heights, even if they are followers.

……