Cultivation : I'm an Ancient Giant Bear-Chapter 420 - 398: Ninth-Grade Elder

If the construction diagram has no issues, let’s proceed. If there are problems, we’ll redo it.

With this Heaven-Supporting Pillar, we can definitely handle it.

Wang Wu felt anxious, so he comforted himself by thinking, it’s nothing serious, just a game!

Next, after memorizing the construction diagram, he began the long, unending construction task with the Companion Iron Essence.

Actually, it wasn’t that complicated. The Companion Iron Essence was extremely useful, sharp, and hard, much like a high-precision lathe with very minimal errors. After three days and nights of battle, Wang Wu tried to persuade it to rest, but it refused.

Finally, he hollowed out the entire Profound Iron Heaven-Supporting Pillar from top to bottom.

Yes, except for the outer layer, as it was inscribed with the Ninefold Tribulation Fire Array and couldn’t be disturbed. The rest of the interior was fully drilled with dense, orderly, continuous, and uniform holes.

Like a work of art.

The Four Clowns and Companion Iron Essence were greatly credited in this battle.

The latter simply flopped and played dead.

Wang Wu couldn’t bother comforting it and moved on to the most crucial step, the Inner Forging Technique. This step didn’t even require the Companion Iron Essence anymore because it was an upgrade, not a repair.

At this moment,

Wang Wu first blocked off all the external holes, leaving only one. Then, he transformed into a bean-sized figure, standing inside a hole with a diameter of merely one centimeter, and began to infuse Red Flame Spiritual Qi inward. A large amount of Red Flame Spiritual Qi, flowing like a sea, passed through those precisely calculated holes, directly connecting to the bottom.

In less than three seconds, the holes were filled, making further infusion impossible.

It was then that Wang Wu took out the Refined Profound Iron, continually chopping it with his Lifebound Demon Soldiers, as if mincing it into dumpling fillings, and sprinkled the fragments into the holes.

This process was unaffected by the saturation of Red Flame Spiritual Qi.

This was incomparable to the story of the crow drinking water.

Because water and stones are incompatible.

However, when vast amounts of Red Flame Spiritual Qi encounter Profound Iron fragments, they will instantly melt them into molten iron!

It might sound superfluous.

But actually, it’s not.

Because this was just the first stage.

Moments later, when Wang Wu added more Profound Iron fragments and the Red Flame Spiritual Qi couldn’t melt them, it indicated that the Red Flame Spiritual Qi within the Heaven-Supporting Pillar was nearly exhausted.

See, space opened up again.

So, he continued infusing more Red Flame Spiritual Qi inward.

And unsurprisingly, this time the amount of infused Red Flame Spiritual Qi was two-tenths less than the last time.

But this was not an issue at all.

Wang Wu decisively began a slow, orderly pressurization infusion.

Yes, pressurization!

This step was still quite achievable.

Because the Heaven-Supporting Pillar’s overall integrity was maintained, with the outer shell intact, while the holes drilled internally by the Four Clowns ensured even force and heat distribution.

That is to say, no matter how much the internal Red Flame Spiritual Qi was pressurized, the Pillar’s overall bearing capacity would not significantly decrease.

In fact, because of those holes, the pressure induced by internal pressurization would be evenly and effectively distributed.

The pressure wouldn’t just burst through the shell; it would instead apply a balanced pressure, directing it toward the molten liquid Profound Iron and the remaining inner structure of the Heaven-Supporting Pillar.

This was the true essence of Wang Wu’s Inner Forging Technique.

It’s equivalent to him needing only to pressurize from one end to apply even and comprehensive pressure throughout the entire Heaven-Supporting Pillar.

Rather than applying pressure to just one point.

This holds a fundamentally different significance.

If these internal holes weren’t drilled, even if Wang Wu transformed into a giant bear over three kilometers tall, unleashed his big move, and played around with the Heaven-Supporting Pillar like a toy, this power would still apply to the exterior.

Yet the Ninefold Celestial Array on the exterior must not be damaged.

Wang Wu did not have enough funds to purchase, nor the social connections or favors to request Celestial Grade materials.

He had no other choice but to do it this way.

Soon, when Wang Wu continued to pressurize it by 20%, he stopped, first using his Level 18 Spiritual Talent for detailed observation and simultaneously transferring the refined data to the Four Clowns for instantaneous calculation, allowing for fine adjustments.

As things currently stood, the pressure in the hollowed area and the solid area inside the Heaven-Supporting Pillar was maintained fairly evenly.

So he continued to add Profound Iron fragments, allowing them to react with the Red Flame Spiritual Qi, burning the Profound Iron into molten iron while consuming the Red Flame Spiritual Qi. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Once the Red Flame Spiritual Qi inside was nearly depleted, he’d proceed to the next round.

In any case, with each 20% increase in pressurization, the pressure would be evenly conveyed to each section. Because the Profound Iron fragments had all turned liquid, they were more readily conducted.

From top to bottom, there was no scenario where being closer to Wang Wu resulted in greater pressure. Even at the very base of the Heaven-Supporting Pillar, the pressure remained constant.

This is also why he wanted to create liquid Profound Iron; solid Profound Iron isn’t as flexible.

Moreover, when this pressure continues constantly, the liquid Profound Iron itself will accumulate a large amount of force, and they themselves become pressurized liquid forging hammers, thus forming the second stage of the Inner Forging Technique.

At this point, Wang Wu cannot enter it, and the Companion Iron Essence certainly can’t either. It relies on the Level 18 Spiritual Talent to monitor, control, and sense every part, obtaining detailed, solid data, which is then used by the Four Clowns for real-time deduction.

Anyway, this time, the Four Clowns became quiet, wholeheartedly convinced.

Because the Inner Forging Technique is indeed effective.

And its effects are excellent.

It’s one of those things that people with conditions look down on and find unnecessary.

But those without conditions can make do with it as a patchwork method!

Time slowly passed. After a day, Wang Wu had increased the internal pressure of the Heaven-Supporting Pillar by 300%, and the amount of Profound Iron fragments invested had exceeded five times what was previously excavated.

The inspiring effect finally appeared.

This Heaven-Supporting Pillar’s quality received an overall enhancement, and it was achieved internally without deforming or damaging the shell.

"Friendly reminder, you invested a total of ten million points of Red Flame Spiritual Qi in this Inner Forging Technique, totaling one-twentieth of your Profound Iron reserves. Although you successfully upgraded this Heaven-Supporting Pillar to Celestial Seventh Grade, in reality, this Heaven-Supporting Pillar does not belong to you."

"And next, you actually can’t upgrade all 108 Heaven-Supporting Pillars; you can only upgrade a maximum of twenty."

"It seems you’re engaging in a business deal doomed to make you lose everything; we cannot understand it, yet we wish you the best success."

"In any case, the Inner Forging Technique you created has broadened the horizons of us old folks."

——

The Four Clowns conceded and admired.

Wang Wu smiled slightly, too lazy to bother with them. Did he not gain anything?

How could that be possible!

At this moment, as he connected with the Ninefold Tribulation Fire Array, setting the entire Heaven-Supporting Pillar ablaze once more, the Hidden Origin Bell above immediately sensed it and successfully connected with the Heaven-Supporting Pillar. At that moment, a melodious bell sound resonated from within the Hidden Origin Bell.

Connection successful.

Immediately after, the Hidden Element Jade Talisman trembled slightly, and a multicolored radiance flew out from the Hidden Origin Bell, immersed within it, and yet radiated onto Wang Wu.

For just a moment, Wang Wu even felt that his distance from the Hidden Origin Bell, no, his compatibility with it, had taken another step forward.

Then, on the Jade Talisman, lines of information emerged.

"Incredible, as a Deputy Chief, you actively and proactively upgraded a Heaven-Supporting Pillar without any conditions, enhancing the carrying capacity of the Hidden Origin Bell significantly. You received a reward of ten thousand strands of the Five Qi of the Human World, and you also gained an equivalent amount of Hidden Origin Contribution Points."

"This indicates that Hidden Origin Contribution Points embody the core ideals of the Hidden Origin Association and are an essential path to becoming an Elder and a core member of the Hidden Origin Association."

"Congratulations, your compatibility with this Hidden Origin Bell has increased!"

"It’s suggested that if you wish to continue upgrading the Heaven-Supporting Pillars, you should do so according to the Wind and Fire—Wind and Fire method, so the Hidden Origin Bell can achieve better carrying effects."

——

This, indeed, is the biggest gain!

Subsequently, without delay, Wang Wu immediately selected a Heaven-Supporting Pillar inscribed with the Three Realms Spirit Wind Array, positioned it, disconnected the connection, then proceeded with drilling, and then injected the Red Flame Spiritual Qi for pressurization. The entire process had become extremely skilled.

In about five days, he could upgrade one.

Thus, back and forth, it took over a hundred days, nearly four months, and Wang Wu was left penniless, exhausting all Spiritual Qi, all Refined Profound Iron, and even the Companion Iron Essence’s snacks, but he succeeded in upgrading twenty Heaven-Supporting Pillars.

Ten inscribed with the Ninefold Tribulation Fire Array.

Ten inscribed with the Three Realms Spirit Wind Array.

The harvest was naturally extraordinary, with twenty thousand strands of the Five Qi of the Human World credited, along with twenty thousand points of Hidden Origin Contribution Points.

Thanks to these Hidden Origin Contribution Points, his status in the Hidden Origin Association successfully broke through once again.

"Your Hidden Origin Contribution Points have reached the standard, and your actions have alarmed the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters. According to the association’s rules, you have officially become a Ninth-Grade Elder of the Hidden Origin Association!"

"From now on, you will become a core member of the Hidden Origin Association."

"You can purchase materials with a fifty percent discount at the twelve sub-pavilions of the Hidden Origin Association."

"You will receive a Hidden Element Token. Based on this token, every three thousand years, you can make one request to the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters. As long as the Hidden Origin Association can fulfill it, and it doesn’t violate the core rules, the headquarters will meet your request."

"Based on your current performance and your compatibility with the Hidden Origin Bell, the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters has temporarily decided to promote you to the position of Second Chief Steward at the Dragon Head City sub-pavilion, possessing authority just below the Chief Steward, with three votes of approval and three votes of disapproval."

"Note that the Chief Steward has five votes of approval and five votes of disapproval."

"Friendly reminder: one of the foundational conditions for appointing a Sub-Pavilion Master at the Hidden Origin Association is the possession of Taiyi True Immortal’s strength. Although you have become a Ninth-Grade Elder, you cannot independently take charge."

"All other benefits are doubled based on that of a First-Grade Steward."

"Friendly reminder: the new Chief will arrive in three days; please prepare to welcome them."

"Congratulations, your compatibility with this Hidden Origin Bell has increased to the point where theoretically, you can engage in free activities within a fifteen-thousand-mile radius, enjoying comprehensive protection from the Hidden Origin Bell. This is a privilege even the new Chief cannot enjoy."