Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 53 Rebirth Through Tempering

Early July marks the Lesser Heat solar term.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the sun shines like molten gold.

Fan Zhou arrived at the foot of the mountain as always.

Since he discovered that his mind was not focused and sincere enough, he placed a water tank here to use water for spiritual practice.

Fan Zhou approached the water vat, dipped his hand into the water, and slowly lifted it up. A water sword rose from the vat and was held in his palm.

Water has no inherent form, yet it can reflect all things.

He wanted to use water to observe his own heart.

The water sword in my hand is transparent and clear. It is not still, but flows slowly with the changes in my breath. Even the slightest change in my mind will affect it.

Fan Zhou focused intently, executing the Two Elements Four Phases Sword technique move by move, maintaining the water sword's shape while maximizing the power of his sword strikes.

His movements were not fast, but they were full of natural charm.

This feeling was almost like him holding a real sword.

After completing a set of sword moves, Fan Zhou had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, but the water sword in his hand remained steady.

I remember at the beginning, whenever he focused too much on the sword techniques, the water sword in his hand would instantly disintegrate because it couldn't withstand the changes in sword energy.

Now he can focus on the sword itself while performing sword techniques.

"When this water sword is indistinguishable from a real sword, I'll probably be close to achieving sword brilliance myself." Fan Zhou stroked the sword's edge with his fingers, feeling particularly satisfied.

Sword light is the ultimate sublimation of sword energy and mind, a breakthrough that transforms the intangible into the tangible.

The sword manual left by Huang Yi mentions that cultivators can refine a pill or a blade of grass into a flying sword, which is still incredibly sharp because it is enhanced by the sword's aura.

A real sword, if it has the power of a sword aura, can not only cut through steel and iron, but also withstand the blows of knives and axes, keeping the sword unharmed.

Therefore, one must cultivate sword aura to be considered a sword cultivator.

This is also the threshold for distinguishing whether a person has kendo talent.

Fan Zhou threw the water sword back into the water vat, sat on a rock, and began to practice the Longevity Technique.

He has now fully mastered the first level and cultivated a 'yang energy' in his dantian, significantly improving his skill.

The effects of the Longevity Technique in enhancing vitality and preserving energy have gradually become apparent.

This is also an important reason why he can still get up early to practice despite working himself to the bone in the training room every day. Otherwise, even with the help of medicinal pills, his body and mind would not be able to handle it.

It wasn't until the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), when the heat of the world rose, that Fan Zhou slowly finished his practice.

Looking at the Heavenly Crafting Furnace inside his body, he realized that there were still fourteen days left to forge the second level of the Longevity Technique.

"Soon."

Fan Zhou jumped off the bluestone.

At 1:15 AM, he arrived at the forging room on time.

Peng Yue had arrived early and was concentrating on forging a long sword.

He started forging this sword last month, and it's only nearly finished today.

Fan Zhou also took out a dagger and began to forge it.

During this time, he had begun to try to forge some things to improve his skills, but most of them failed. The best product he made was this dagger.

The main material of this dagger was wrought iron that he bought from the smelter, but the blade was a piece of 72-refined steel that Peng Yue cut off when he forged the sword.

The overall design can be described as Lü Bu riding a dog.

Even the older generation shook their heads when they saw it.

Fan Zhou was helpless; the materials that could be matched with 72-refined steel were too expensive, so he could only buy cheaper ones to match.

Like Peng Yue, his dagger was almost finished being forged, and he planned to have his senior brother Chen Sheng help him quench it at noon today.

Time flies by while working.

During the lunch break, Peng Yue led Fan Zhou to the sword-making room.

The structure of the sword-making room is similar to that of the forging room, mainly consisting of anvils and furnaces, plus various quenching water tanks.

Although it's rest time now, many people are still busy here.

Chen Sheng worked here.

He has already forged a hundred-times-refined steel, and his next goal is to pass the sword-making trial, so he spends all his free time in the sword-making room.

Upon seeing Fan Zhou and his companion approach, Chen Sheng waved to them.

"Senior Brother Chen."

Fan and Zhou bowed.

Chen Sheng nodded. "I've prepared everything for quenching. Leave the rest to me."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother," Peng Yue said sincerely.

The most crucial elements of quenching are fire and water.

To forge a good sword, both the fire and water must be of higher quality.

Chen Sheng used spiritual fire and spiritual water, which are very expensive even if they are not of high grade.

Peng Yue handed the forged sword blank to Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng first carefully inspected the sword blank to make sure there were no problems before throwing it into the furnace next to him.

The furnace in the sword-making workshop was larger, taller, and more sturdier. There were also a lot of talismans pasted on the outside, with very messy handwriting drawn in cinnabar. It was unclear whether they were for praying for blessings or something else.

Chen Sheng threw the sword blank into the furnace, and Peng Yue immediately began to pull the bellows. The flames in the furnace blazed brightly and quickly turned blue.

Chen Sheng's eyes gleamed with firelight as he stared intently at the sword blank in the furnace, completely oblivious to the blinding flames.

Fan Zhou had heard Chen Sheng say that he had cultivated a kind of pupil technique called "Crimson Flower Dharma Eye," which allowed him to absorb firelight with his eyes, see through fire, and not be afraid of thick smoke.

Chen Sheng stared at it for a long time until the sword blank was completely red and shone brightly. Only then did he take out the sword, carefully check it, and gently put the blade into the water tank next to him. Immediately, there was a sizzling sound, white smoke rose up, and the sword body immediately bent.

Chen Sheng remained calm, took out the bent sword, turned it around, and put it back into the water tank to quench it. The sword immediately returned to its original shape.

He carefully observed the condition of the sword and constantly adjusted the quenching parts according to the heating conditions. Sometimes he even scooped water with his hands and splashed it on the sword to make fine adjustments.

Fan Zhou and Peng Yue watched intently. Quenching was the most crucial step in forging swords; the slightest oversight would immediately lead to failure.

Fortunately, Chen Sheng was indeed experienced, and the sword was not damaged in the slightest by the quenching process.

As he completely immersed the sword blank in the water tank, Peng Yue finally felt relieved.

He has now reached the sixth level of the embryonic breathing stage and needs a bit of spiritual sand to break through to the seventh level.

Besides improving his forging skills, his main reason for forging this sword was to sell it for money. If the quenching failed, he would be devastated.

"Thank you very much for your help, Senior Brother Chen. I will definitely visit you another day to express my gratitude."

Peng Yue bowed deeply.

Chen Sheng, with a serious expression, took the fully quenched sword blank out of the water tank, checked it again to make sure there were no flaws, and then smiled and said to him:

"Sure thing, sure thing. Just treat me to a good drink at Happy Forest later."

"Don't worry, senior brother."

Peng Yue agreed without hesitation, took the sword blank and examined it from all angles, his mouth practically agape.

Next, this sword just needs to undergo low-temperature tempering, and then I'll ask the senior students in the sharpening room to help polish it.

"When the people from the Gumi tribe arrive, I'm going to give them a good thrashing."

Peng Yue's eyes lit up with a green light, revealing an almost lewd smile.

Chen Sheng shook his head with amusement, then looked at Fan Zhou and said:

"Bring over the dagger, Junior Brother Fan."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Chen." Fan Zhou respectfully handed over the dagger.

Chen Sheng took it and examined it carefully. Even though he already knew about the difference in forging materials, he still couldn't help but frown.

"Junior Brother Fan, there are no small matters in sword forging. Even if this is just a practice piece, you should still treat it with care. Your dagger is really too...unattractive."

Fan Zhou could only agree.

Chen Sheng sighed and put his dagger into the furnace to be heated.

Fan Zhou quickly went to operate the bellows.

Chen Sheng kept his eyes fixed on the dagger in the furnace, without the slightest lapse in attention.

After the dagger was forged, he followed the same method and successfully quenched it.

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother Chen!" Fan Zhou was overjoyed.

He was also short of money, just like Peng Yue. He was waiting for the people from the Gumi tribe to come so he could take the opportunity to sell the dagger and get some spirit sand.

"It's just that the price is a bit difficult to set."

Fan Zhou was somewhat troubled. The only good thing about his dagger was the material of the blade. How much should he sell it for?

Peng Yue said, "Junior brother, don't think too much about it. Just ask for the moon when the time comes. The people of the Gumi tribe are not short of money."

Fan Zhou asked curiously, "Are you really that rich?"

Chen Sheng laughed and said, "Of course, the Gumi tribe is also known as the Golden Tribe, they have gold mines."

"A gold mine!"

So it's a big spender, huh? Fan Zhou was relieved. "I'll sell it to him for two spirit stones, how about that?"

Chen Sheng was speechless. "Judging from the appearance of your dagger, that might be a bit difficult."

"That's easy," Peng Yue said.

"Junior Brother Fan, after you sharpen the dagger, put it in acid to reveal the pattern on the blade. Selling it for two spirit stones won't be a problem."

"That's a good idea."

Fan Zhou happily put the dagger away.

Next, we need to polish and sharpen the blade, which is a very time-consuming process.

Hopefully, the dagger can be sharpened before the Gumi tribe arrives.

If all else fails, I'll have to ask the senior students in the training room for help.

Those who work in the Sharpening Room have cultivated both smooth and rough energy, making them sharpen their knives faster and more effectively.

With the quenching process complete, everyone had their own things to do, so they said their goodbyes.

…………

at the same time.

Dozens of miles away from the market town, there is a large village with over a thousand people called Jinji Village.

The demon god worshipped in Jinji Village is a golden rooster as beautiful as a phoenix, which has been guarding the village for over a hundred years.

But now this golden rooster is being trampled underfoot, its head buried in the soil, its golden feathers scattered and in a sorry state.

The entire Golden Rooster Village was now a scene of ruins, with flames burning everywhere, and not a single living person remained.

Only a few dozen figures dressed in black robes stood around the golden rooster, their bodies as still as cast iron.

The young man standing on the golden rooster's head looked disdainful, grinding the rooster's crest feathers with his dark purple combat boots.

"That hairy beast actually feels sorry for mortals."

The golden rooster's head was buried in the earth, but it still did not yield, and roared in a low voice:

"I may be a beast, but you are even worse than beasts! What grudge do you have against the people here? Why must you exterminate them all!"

Konjac scoffed, "It's all your fault. If you had just eaten them willingly, why would I have bothered? Maybe a few of you would have survived."

"You beast, you deserve a terrible death!"

The golden rooster roared and flapped its wings, each feather radiating golden light, its entire body burning as if bathed in flames.

The young man didn't care at all; with a sudden burst of strength, he stopped the golden rooster from self-immolating.

"You medicinal plants have long been cursed; your lives are now in my hands."

The golden rooster's life force suddenly collapsed, its head buried even deeper into the earth, and it lay helplessly on the ground, its feathers dull and lifeless.

Konjac frowned slightly. "I can't explain myself looking like a drowned rat."

With a wave of his hand, the dark figures around him moved simultaneously, raising the blood clumps they held in their hands, which then floated in the air.

Suddenly, Konjac rose into the air, several chains of black energy emerging from her palm, piercing through the golden rooster's body and forcibly pulling it up.

He pried open the golden rooster's long beak and sent the wisps of blood into his mouth.

"This vital energy is incredibly nourishing; let me feed it to you!"

The golden rooster could no longer struggle and could only let the blood enter its belly, leaving two lines of hot tears in its golden eyes.

But as the blood energy continued to flow into his body, a fierce and malevolent aura gradually covered his eyes, and the feathers on his body regained their luster, actively consuming the blood energy.

Konjac clicked her tongue in admiration, "What a man-eating monster! I almost fell for your trick."

After the golden rooster absorbed the blood essence of over a thousand people, its powerful aura rose like smoke, its eyes filled with ferocity and savagery, and it flapped its wings and roared:

"Not enough, give me more blood food!"

"That's more like what a demon should look like." Konjac nodded in satisfaction.

He looked into the distance and whispered:

"Should we kill a few more people? After all, this is probably the last time. Rather than leaving them to Yue, I might as well..."

After hesitating for a moment, Konjac finally decided to give up.

"There's no need to offend them. Let the Gumi and Zhuqie tribes deal with this headache."

He flipped his hand and took out a small black triangular flag, which was embroidered with four kinds of demons: white tiger, blood centipede, green snake, and corpse monster.

When he waved the small flag at the golden rooster, the rooster's figure disappeared instantly, and a divine bird with golden feathers appeared on the flag.

Konjac stroked the flag, her eyes filled with greed and awe:

"This time we should be able to refine a batch of Five Insect Pills. I wonder if I could get one?"

He squinted, glanced at the black figures around him, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face:

"Let's forget about it, lest we end up in Master's furnace one day."

Konjac rose into the air, waved her hand to collect the ghost servants, and transformed into a streak of black light to escape into the distance.

…………

A few days later, Qin Zhiyuan went to the prison and released Bai Lusheng.

Bai Lusheng looked at the suddenly appearing burly man with surprise and uncertainty in his heart.

"Who are you?"

"I am Qin Zhiyuan, the owner of this place."

Bai Lusheng quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Master Qin. May I ask what business you have with me?"

Qin Zhiyuan said calmly, "I heard that you were originally from Owl Village, and that you studied under a cultivator from the Yue Kingdom for several years?"

Bai Lusheng didn't know how Qin Zhiyuan knew his identity and background, but he didn't dare to ask too many questions. He could only whisper:

"The Owl Village has long been destroyed, and that Yue Kingdom cultivator has also passed away. My current name is Bai Lusheng."

"Alright, Bai Lusheng, I have something I need you to do now," Qin Zhiyuan said.

Bai Lusheng was full of surprise. "I'm just a mortal. How can I work for the workshop owner?"

Qin Zhiyuan calmly said, "If you can work for that white deer, you can naturally work for me too."

Bai Lusheng was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"What does the neighborhood want me to do?"

"I want you to integrate all those villagers outside and build a small town nearby, so that they can all become citizens of Yue," Qin Zhiyuan said in a deep voice.

"What?"

Bai Lusheng raised his head in disbelief.