Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 83: The Beginning of Refining, the Trip to Yuelu (I)

Lin Fan, returning to the cave, immediately walked quickly towards the spot where the monster egg lay. He crouched down, his eyes focused, and carefully channeled his spiritual energy into the monster egg, carefully sensing any movement. Time ticked by, but no matter how carefully he sensed, he could detect no sign of hatching.

Lin Fan couldn't help but frown slightly, feeling somewhat helpless. Although he knew a little about how to hatch monsters, facing this completely clueless situation, he was truly at a loss. However, based on experience from his previous life's novels, monster eggs with such a long incubation period often gave rise to monsters with powerful bloodlines, most likely possessing some kind of True Spirit bloodline. After all, True Spirits were the most powerful beings in the universe. Monsters with True Spirit bloodlines were destined to be extraordinary from the very beginning, and the spiritual energy required to hatch them was naturally immense.

Sighing, Lin Fan stood up and headed towards the medicine garden. As soon as he entered, a rich, refreshing medicinal fragrance filled his face, and what greeted him was a vibrant, thriving scene. The garden was filled with lush greenery, its leaves gleaming in the dim light, as if each plant held an endless supply of vitality.

Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out the seedlings and seeds he'd bought at Wanbao Tower from his storage bag. The seedlings were tender and juicy, radiating a subtle spiritual energy. The seeds were of varying shapes, some emitting a gentle glow, while others faintly emitted strange vibrations. He knew these held the promise of a future surge in his magical power.

Lin Fan carefully planted the seedlings in the spiritual soil he had prepared, his movements gentle, fearing to damage these precious spiritual plants. When sowing the seeds, he was completely focused, strictly following the habits of the spiritual plants, controlling the spacing and depth of the seeds. He then cast a spell, drawing spiritual energy to nourish the spiritual soil, ensuring the seeds would take root and sprout in the optimal environment.

After completing all this, Lin Fan stood in the center of the medicine garden, looking at this medicine garden that carried hope, silently hoping that these spiritual plants would grow quickly and provide support for his path to cultivation.

Lin Fan then settled down in his cave and immersed himself in the study of the weapon refining texts. He knew that if he wanted to truly master the art of weapon refining, he must first study the texts and thoroughly learn the theoretical knowledge, thus laying a solid foundation for practical application.

He first carefully studied the properties of various materials. The text stated that different refining materials possessed unique properties. For example, black iron, while incredibly hard, was suitable for crafting the main body of a weapon, imparting exceptional hardness and toughness. Meanwhile, spiritual jade, rich in spiritual energy, could be incorporated into magical weapons to enhance their ability to conduct and store spiritual energy. Some materials became soft and malleable at high temperatures, while others required specific spells to process.

Besides material properties, Lin Fan also focused on learning how to engrave magic arrays. Magic arrays are the key to endowing magical weapons with special functions and immense power. A simple spirit-gathering array can gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, providing a constant supply of energy to a magical weapon; while an offensive array can enable a magical weapon to unleash powerful spell attacks. Engraving a magic array requires extreme concentration and precision; even the slightest deviation can render the array ineffective or even cause an explosion.

Lin Fan immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge on refining equipment, constantly flipping through classics and taking notes. Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he would ponder it over and over again, striving to understand every detail thoroughly and to be fully prepared for future refining practice.

From then on, every seven days became a special time in Lin Fan's life. Whenever this day came, whether he was absorbed in studying a weapon-refining text, deducing spell runes, or otherwise engaged in cultivation, he would without hesitation drop whatever he was doing and rush to the medicine garden.

Arriving at the herb garden, Lin Fan, his expression focused, carefully retrieved the Taiqing Jade Purity Bottle. The treasure felt soft and gentle to the touch, its body radiating a gentle sheen. He gently uncorked the bottle, poured out the Taiqing Immortal Liquid, mixed it with water, and sprinkled the liquid over the herbs that needed to be ripened.

Nourished by the Taiqing Immortal Fluid, the spiritual herbs instantly glowed with even greater vitality. Their previously slow-growing stems and leaves quickly unfurled, their colors becoming ever more vibrant, their fragrance growing richer and more mellow. Watching the spiritual herbs flourish under his accelerated ripening, Lin Fan's eyes filled with satisfaction and anticipation. Only after he had completed ripening all the spiritual herbs did he carefully store the Taiqing Jade Purifying Bottle, return to his previous location, and return to his unfinished business.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, six months had slipped by. During this time, Lin Fan, with unwavering perseverance and dedication to refining, had thoroughly studied several refining texts. The properties of every material, the techniques and precautions for engraving every magic circle, were deeply engraved in his mind. Furthermore, he had repeatedly simulated the entire refining process in his mind countless times, from the initial selection and fusion of materials to the carving of the magic circle and the formation of the magic weapon. Every step was memorized by heart.

Now, Lin Fan felt fully prepared, and it was time to take the first step. The alchemy room in Yellow Maple Valley held a profound allure for him. It contained the Earth Vein Fire, a powerful aid in refining artifacts. Compared to using his own alchemy fire, the Earth Vein Fire was not only more stable and powerful, but it also required Lin Fan to maintain it without expending his own mana, greatly reducing the burden of the refining process. After all, refining magical artifacts with alchemy fire consumed a significant amount of mana, and tapping into the Earth Lung Fire undoubtedly provided him with more convenient conditions for his refining journey.

So, Lin Fan gathered the necessary materials and tools, and with a heart full of anticipation and nervousness, he strode towards the alchemy room in Yellow Maple Valley. Every step seemed to bring him closer to his dream of refining weapons.

Lin Fan decisively strode from the cave, his spiritual energy instantly surging. He transformed into a dazzling streak of light, streaking like a meteor towards Yuelu Palace. Yuelu Palace was renowned throughout the Yellow Maple Valley as a hub for alchemy and weapon refining. It contained a stable and powerful Earth Lung Fire, undoubtedly a perfect aid for Lin Fan's weapon refining studies.

In the world of immortal cultivation, refining weapons is an extremely complex and laborious art, and the choice of flame is of paramount importance. Although the fire cultivated by the cultivator can be controlled with pinpoint precision, it requires a huge amount of mana to continuously maintain the intensity and stability of the fire, which is a huge burden for the long-term study of refining weapons.

Lin Fan knew full well that learning the art of weapon refining was not something that could be accomplished overnight; it would require at least several years of immersion. If he foolishly used Dan Fire throughout the entire process, not to mention whether his Mana would be able to sustain it, the sheer exhaustion and loss of energy involved would be enough to deter him.

Therefore, he headed straight for Yuelu Hall this time, seeking to harness the Earth Lung Fire. Originating from the depths of the earth, the Earth Lung Fire possesses boundless power and is stable and enduring. It requires no excessive mana from the cultivator to maintain, significantly reducing the burden of the artifact refining process. In a matter of moments, the escaping light had reached Yuelu Hall. The hall was majestic, exuding an ancient and profound aura, as if telling of the glorious history of the valley's ancestors who had refined elixirs and artifacts here.

Lin Fan stood still in front of Yuelu Hall and quickly pulled a sound transmission talisman from his storage bag. Made of a unique material, it glowed with a faint aura, and runes swirled across it, seemingly trembling slightly. With a gentle flick of his hand, the sound transmission talisman flew like a nimble bird, darting directly into the formation of Yuelu Hall.

In the blink of an eye, the formation shimmered, accompanied by a gentle fluctuation of spiritual energy. The hall door slowly opened, and two Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged. They wore uniform attire, their sleeves fluttering, and their expressions revealed a mixture of respect and caution. They recognized Lin Fan immediately, hurriedly bowing and saying in unison, "Greetings, Uncle Master!" It seemed they had indeed met Lin Fan at Elder Linghu's place, and they were filled with awe for this powerful cultivator who had recently reached the Core Formation stage.

Lin Fan nodded slightly, his expression calm, his tone unquestionable and steady: "I need to go in and refine the magic weapon, you lead the way."

"Yes, Uncle Master!" The two Foundation Establishment cultivators agreed, quickly turning around. One led the way, while the other followed behind Lin Fan, keeping a comfortable distance as they led him into the hall. Along the way, the hall was filled with a rich and complex aura of spiritual energy, intertwined with the fiery heat of various spiritual fires. Occasionally, the distant sound of metal clashing could be heard as refining techniques were being employed. Lin Fan followed behind the two, observing his surroundings with keen eyes, his mind already contemplating the refining journey that was about to begin.

Soon, they passed through a slightly dim underground passage. The sides of the passage were inlaid with moonstones emitting faint light, lighting their way forward.

"Uncle Master, the place ahead is where they refine weapons and pills. There are people guarding inside." The foundation-building cultivator who led the way said respectfully.

"Well, then you guys go ahead and do your work. I'll go by myself." Lin Fan waved his hand, signaling the two to leave.

Lin Fan walked steadily into a spacious hall. The hall was full of spiritual energy and the walls were engraved with mysterious runes, which seemed to maintain the stability of the spiritual energy here.

"I need a refining room with stable firepower. Any recommendations?" Lin Fan asked a middle-aged man in the hall. This man had reached the thirteenth level of Qi training and was considered a relatively outstanding low-level cultivator in Huangfeng Valley.

The middle-aged man heard the voice and quickly turned around. After seeing that it was Lin Fan, a trace of awe flashed in his eyes and he bowed hurriedly, "Greetings, Grandmaster! Refining Room No. 18 has the most stable firepower, and it happens to be vacant right now."

"Well! This one, then. Here are the spirit stones." Lin Fan finished speaking, reaching into his storage bag and pulling out five mid-level spirit stones, casually throwing them over. The spirit stones traced several arcs in the air, gleaming with a warm luster.

"These spirit stones should be enough for five years, right?" Lin Fan's voice was steady, with a hint of unquestionableness.

"Enough! Enough! Absolutely enough, Grandmaster." The middle-aged man hurriedly reached out to catch the spirit stone, a flattering smile on his face. Receiving a reward from a Jindan-level Grandmaster was a rare opportunity for him.

After saying that, he said: Master, I will take you there right away.

The middle-aged man led the way, and Lin Fan followed behind him at a leisurely pace. Along the way, Lin Fan noticed that in the surrounding refining rooms, some were flickering with blazing spiritual fire and emitting the clanging sounds of forging, while others were filled with spiritual energy, clearly carrying out the key refining steps.

Soon, the two arrived at Refining Room 18. The middle-aged man raised his hand and gently tapped the magic circle in the refining room. With a flash of light, the door slowly opened. "Master, this is Refining Room 18. Please enter," the middle-aged man said respectfully, leaning aside. Lin Fan nodded slightly and stepped into the refining room. A refining journey filled with challenges and expectations was about to begin.

(End of this chapter)