Even though Thunder Drake is witnessing the process only once, he will be able to replicate it easily because the one doing most of the refining is the blood octopus.
No one in the sect has been able to wield the blood octopus, but the blood octopus has always been useful to the sect ever since it advanced to rank 6.
The main use of the blood octopus is to refine the nascent soul pills. It does this using a blood refinement method that its creator embedded within it. But the blood octopus can't refine the pills on its own.
The blood octopus still needs energy and some assistance. This is where the patriarchs of the Blood Skull sect come in.
The patriarchs of the Blood Skull sect assist the blood octopus. Their contribution is at most 10%, though. After all, it is the blood octopus that is doing most of the work.
However, that is changing now. Sword Flash is introducing a new technique, so the patriarchs of the sects have more work to do. This will improve the amount of contribution from 10% to at least 20%.
While they were working, Thunder Drake said to Sword Flash, "I'm glad that you were able to find your way to advance. How did you manage it?"
Sword Flash pointed to the mark on his head and said, "I was able to finish my vessel sigil technique and initiate the fusion of my body and my spirit."
Thunder Drake shook his head in awe and said, "Impressive. To be honest, I didn't think you could do it."
Sword Flash said solemnly, "I didn't think I could do it either. And when I was advancing, I was afraid that I had made a mistake."
Then he smiled and said with pride, "But I succeeded. So I am right to think I am a genius."
Thunder Drake asked enviously, "How's the power? What does it feel like?"
The question made Sword Flash stop smiling. He stopped to think.
He remained silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice was full of raw emotion.
He said, "I feel like I am becoming complete. But I also feel like I can easily die if I make a mistake."
Thunder Drake said, "Wow. So it is both good and bad."
Sword Flash nodded as he said, "It is both good and bad. It is like walking on an edge. The path leads to divinity, but I also run the risk of falling off into the abyss on both sides."
They chatted like this for the days that they were in the hall.
Normally, refining a nascent soul pill should only take a few hours. They should have been done in 8 hours. But the two of them spent a few days refining the pills.
They spent nearly five days refining the pills. This was because the new technique had doubled how much time they needed to refine one pill, and because they were refining seven pills, not one like usual.
After the seven nascent soul pills were refined, Sword Flash and Thunder Drake bid farewell to the rank 6 artifact. Then they closed the large door of the hall. In their absence, the blood octopus melted back into a large pool of blood that filled up the entire hall.
Sword Flash had to leave for the League of World Eaters again. This was because he had received a message telling him to come receive the reward for exterminating the Red and Blue Fire sect.
Apparently, the person who gave him the mission had discovered that the Red and Blue Fire sect was truly finished. Considering the power of this person who could cause the downfall and extermination of a sect that used to have many rank 7 beings, Sword Flash didn't dare to waste time after receiving the message.
He rushed to the League of World Eaters as fast as he could. When he got there, he didn't meet his employer. Instead, he met someone else who gave him his reward.
He was glad that he didn't have to meet his employer and even more glad with the reward that was given. He already knew what the reward would be since he was given half of it when he took the job to eliminate the Red and Blue Fire sect completely.
The original goal of the Blood Skull sect was to repel the Red and Blue Fire sect. But after receiving the offer of a great person and tasting part of the reward, they decided to eliminate the Red and Blue Fire sect at all costs.
The reward that he was given is a rank 6 material called living metal. It is a material with the potential to be upgraded to rank 7 and even rank 8. This is why it is more valuable than some rank 7 materials.
Another thing that makes the material special is that it can be used to upgrade any artifact to rank 6, no matter what the initial level of the artifact is.
This living metal can upgrade a rank 1 artifact to rank 6. This is something that other kinds of materials can't do.
The normal thing is that rank 6 materials are used to upgrade rank 5 artifacts to rank 6, and rank 5 materials are used to upgrade rank 4 artifacts to rank. Trying to use a rank 6 material to upgrade a rank 4 artifact will usually lead to the destruction of the rank 4 artifact because the rank 6 material is too powerful for it.
To top things off, only this living metal is needed to upgrade any artifact to rank 6. Usually, many kinds of materials are needed to upgrade any artifact, and different kinds of materials are needed to upgrade different kinds of artifacts, but only one living metal is enough to upgrade any kind of artifact.
This universal applicability of living metal is why it is so valuable. Not only can it grow stronger by feeding it mana, but it can also be used to upgrade anything.