Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 40 The Two Elements and Four Phases Sword is Forged

Fan Zhou, still unwilling to give up, asked again:

"I plan to buy my elixirs from you regularly from now on, could you offer me a discount?"

Qingju looked at him with some difficulty, and finally murmured softly:

"We don't even know how long our shop will be open."

"..."

Fan Zhou was truly speechless.

Just as he was about to give up bargaining, the girl in the light blue dress spoke up:

"Qingju, since this is your first time visiting our Baihualou, it's only right that we reduce the price a bit."

Holding a porcelain vase in her hands, she gracefully walked up to Fan Zhou and smiled gently:

"This Bone Tempering Pill, plus a century-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), contains a total of ninety spirit sands. How about we charge you eighty-five?"

"Alright."

Fan Zhou agreed, thinking that every little bit saved was a good thing.

"Please wait a moment, sir, I'll weigh the he shou wu right away." The girl handed the porcelain bottle to Qingju and went to get the scale.

Qingju's eyes lit up as she saw that she had closed another deal, and she became even more polite to Fan Zhou:

"Does the guest require any other elixirs?"

Fan Zhou remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the various elixirs and medicines on the counter.

He actually wanted to buy some aphrodisiacs to replace the blood centipede and blood chicken.

These two things are getting more and more expensive now, so why not try other pills instead?

Thinking of this, Fan Zhou whispered to Qingju:

"Do you have any elixirs that can enhance male potency and replenish essence and blood?"

Qingju's eyes widened instantly, and her hands, which were holding his arm, instinctively loosened, but she immediately tightened them again as if to hide her embarrassment, and whispered with a flushed face:

"We have a variety of elixirs here, such as Rejuvenation Pills, Indomitable Powder, and Yang-Boosting Pills, as well as some spiritual herbs that also have the effect of invigorating yang and replenishing blood."

The young girl led him to a row of display cases, which contained more than twenty kinds of aphrodisiacs, each with different effects.

Fan Zhou frowned deeply. Whether these medicines would be effective for him or not, he would only know after taking them.

But with so many medications, he didn't have the money to buy just one to try out the effects.

"Among these drugs, are there any with similar effects to blood centipede and blood chicken?" Fan Zhou asked Qingju.

Qingju thought for a moment, then pointed with her little finger to a plate of brownish-red dried mushrooms on the counter and said:

"This is Yunling fungus, which can promote the growth of essence and blood and nourish kidney essence. It is much milder than blood centipede and blood chicken. Long-term use can also strengthen muscles and bones."

Fan Zhou's eyes lit up; this thing looked pretty good.

He glanced at the price: one tael of Five Spirit Sand.

Just then, of the spirit stone that Tian Youliang had given him, only five grains of spirit sand remained.

"I'll also buy an ounce of this *Yunling* fungus."

"Okay, I'll wrap it up right away." Qingju visibly breathed a sigh of relief, quickly released Fan Zhou's arm, and began to prepare the medicine.

Soon, the Bone Tempering Pill, the Hundred-Year-Old Polygonum multiflorum, and the Spirit-Nourishing Fungus were all packaged up. Fan Zhou paid ninety spirit sands and walked out of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion with empty pockets.

He hadn't walked far when the girls behind him gathered together and started talking in hushed tones, followed by a burst of laughter.

Fan Zhou sighed inwardly, knowing that he was most likely to be stigmatized for having kidney deficiency.

But what does this little misunderstanding matter when it comes to cultivation and longevity?

He quickened his pace and returned home.

Fan Zhou put the things away and took out the Changchun Gong from his pocket to read it.

The Everlasting Spring Technique has nine levels, each corresponding to one of the nine realms of embryonic breathing, becoming increasingly profound and obscure as you progress.

It also records some minor spells, such as the Lightness Spell, Wind-Stepping Spell, Sprouting Spell, Fire-Starting Spell, Yang-Strengthening Spell, and so on.

Contrary to Fan Zhou's previous imagination, these spells were all cast by manipulating the internal energy within the body.

For example, the simplest lightness technique is to cultivate "pure qi" from the sixteen basic qi mechanisms, thereby lifting oneself up and becoming as light as a swallow, able to float on water without falling.

The Wind-Stepping Technique is based on the Lightness Technique, and then a new Qi mechanism is developed to combine with it. At first, it is like stepping on cotton, and the feet can lift three inches off the ground. Later, as the Qi mechanism becomes more refined, it is like stepping on the wind, and even cliffs can be climbed on flat ground.

All of this is traceable and not something mysterious.

Fan Zhou found it fascinating and became completely absorbed in it.

Before he knew it, it was May. Apart from going out on the first day of the month to collect his monthly allowance of fourteen spirit sands and ten essence-nourishing pills, Fan Zhou spent the rest of his time studying cultivation techniques and familiarizing himself with the meridians and acupoints of the human body.

Another half month passed quickly.

That morning, Fan Zhou arrived at the place where he practiced swordsmanship, as usual.

After finishing his daily morning lessons, he quietly waited, sword in hand.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Heavenly Craft Furnace finally sent a message:

[The Two Elements and Four Phases Sword is complete!]

The flames gradually subsided, and the ancient furnace lid was lifted again, revealing golden light that no one could see, illuminating every inch of Fan Zhou's flesh and blood.

His entire body was trembling, and his flesh was undergoing various subtle changes.

At the same time, a surge of experience regarding the cultivation of the Two Elements and Four Phases Sword flooded into his mind. Countless fragments seemed to flash before his eyes, as if he had been practicing the Two Elements and Two Phases Sword day and night, and after countless years, he finally had an epiphany on the transformation of hardness and softness, and the cycle of cold and heat, and integrated them all into the sword technique, which became known as the "Two Elements and Four Phases Sword".

Fan Zhou opened his eyes, drew his long sword, pointed it straight at the sky, and his inner energy surged out, making the long sword shine with a crystal-clear luster.

He gently swung his longsword, tracing a circular path. Before the sword light had even dissipated, a new sword light had already appeared. One sword after another, the sixty-four sword techniques flowed freely in his hands, from soft to hard, from cold to hot, from light to fierce, changing in countless ways at will.

It can become even stronger.

Fan Zhou's gaze sharpened, and a thin layer of frost appeared on his longsword. Wisps of cold air emanated from the sword. He repeatedly tapped the air with his sword, and his condensed energy instantly exploded, freezing the moisture in the air and causing it to burst into frost flowers.

With a thought, his aura shifted again, and a large amount of mist rose from the sword. The longsword pointed diagonally at the ground, and the tender grass on the ground turned visibly black. With a swing of the longsword, the wild grass within a radius of half a zhang instantly lay flat on the ground and withered.

Fan Zhou continued his sword dance without stopping, his sixty-four sword techniques were aggressive and imposing, and a thick heat wave condensed and did not dissipate. With a flick of his arm, he smashed the sword into the blue stone beside him, and dust and gravel flew everywhere.

But with a flick of his wrist, his movements became incredibly gentle, slow yet steady. The gleaming sword tip pierced a fallen leaf, and surprisingly, it gently pushed it away, as if it had no edge.

He has completely mastered the four types of qi changes—hardness, softness, coldness, and heat—and the four types of sword techniques.

Fan Zhou sheathed his sword and stood there, his internal energy flowing throughout his body like an invisible hand, kneading every muscle and bone in his body. His meridians and blood flowed freely, his joints moved flexibly, and his whole body was filled with explosive power.

"The dual-wielding sword, capable of tempering tendons and bones, has now been upgraded by the Heavenly Crafting Furnace, making its effects even stronger."

Fan Zhou could clearly foresee that, with the Two Elements Four Phases Sword at its perfect level, his cultivation level would increase by one point every time he practiced it.

This feeling is like going back to elementary school after high school; naturally, you'll learn faster and get higher scores than before.

"If one's cultivation level is an empty bucket, an ordinary person can only fill it to about 70-80% capacity, and then they won't know what to do next."

"But I have a divinely crafted furnace, which can not only fill the bucket to its full capacity, but also expand it!"

The improvements brought about by the two forging techniques filled Fan Zhou with confidence for the future.

"Next, it's time to forge the Everlasting Spring Technique."

Fan Zhou took out the manual for the Everlasting Spring Skill from his robes, and several lines of small red characters immediately appeared before his eyes:

"The Everlasting Spring Exercise was created by an ancient master, but as time passed and the text was lost to history. Later sages obtained fragments of it and recompiled it into a new method. Although it shares the same name, it is not comparable to the original."

There are two ways to forge it:

1——The Ancient Longevity Technique

2——《Longevity Technique》