Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 84: The Beginning of Refining, the Trip to Yuelu (Part )
The middle-aged man hurried along, as if afraid of losing him, and followed Lin Fan closely until they reached the round mound. With a fawning smile on his face, his expression hinted at flattery, he enthusiastically introduced the place, "Master, look, this is the underground fire vent in this room. The underground fire we need for alchemy is emitted from these eight dragon heads."

As he spoke, he extended his hand, pointing with exaggerated movements at each of the exquisitely carved dragon heads. The dragons bared their fangs and claws, their whiskers seemingly swaying in the wind, and each scale, meticulously carved and lifelike, seemed poised to burst forth from the walls and soar into the sky.

"Moreover, the size and height of the flame can be adjusted according to actual needs. The specific driving method is engraved on the outer wall of this stone pier." After saying that, he pointed his finger at the round pier again, leaning his head forward slightly, motioning Lin Fan to check.

Then, he swiftly turned around, extended his arm, and pointed at the four gourds hanging on the wall. He continued to speak incessantly, "These gourds are filled with Mars sand, which can temporarily enhance the power of the Earth Fire. If you, Master, feel that the temperature of the Earth Fire is not high enough, use this. It will instantly increase the power, but the duration will not be long."

Having said this, he paused for a moment, reached out to pick one of the gourds, and shook it gently. A rustling sound came from the gourd, as if silently endorsing his words.

"Also, Master, you must keep this jade token safe. Once this door is closed, it will be completely cut off from the outside world. This jade token can control everything inside..."

"Okay, I understand. You can leave now." Lin Fan looked calm, without a trace of emotion on his face, but his tone unconsciously carried a hint of unquestionable majesty.

"Yes, Master." The middle-aged man hurriedly bowed respectfully, bent his body, and slowly walked out of the weapon refining room. Before leaving, he carefully closed the door gently.

After the middle-aged man's figure completely disappeared outside the door, Lin Fan's expression changed. He raised his hand and waved it in the air. A stream of condensed spiritual power was accurately injected into the formation activation rune.

Instantly, the formation in the refining room activated, and a crystal-clear spiritual barrier slowly rose, like an invisible protective film, tightly enveloping the entire refining room. In a flash of light, the refining room was completely cut off from the outside world, perfectly shielding it from all external interference, ensuring that no unexpected interruptions would occur during the crucial moment of refining.

Lin Fan's gaze was fixed on the control method inscribed on the stone pillar, reading it word for word with rapt attention. The intricate runes and lines were deeply imprinted in his mind. Whether it was refining a weapon or refining an elixir, as long as it utilized the Earth Lung Fire, mastering this method was essential. It allowed for precise control of the fire and was the key to success.

Lin Fan frowned slightly, lost in thought, meticulously studying every detail of the spell, every thread of spiritual energy flowing through it. His fingertips gently traced the air, mimicking the movements of the spell, muttering to himself, organizing the flow of spiritual energy.

In a moment, Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxed, a glint of confidence in his eyes. At his Core Formation stage, this auxiliary technique wasn't too difficult. After repeated study, he had easily mastered the previously obscure content. From now on, wielding the Earth Lung Fire in this Earth Fire House would be effortlessly controlled.

Next, Lin Fan shifted his full attention to refining the weapon. His eyes narrowed, his expression focused with an almost reverent focus. With a gentle pat of his right hand, he tapped his storage bag. A gentle surge of spiritual energy, like a portal to a new dimension, appeared, and a pile of precious refining materials instantly appeared on the ground.

This pile of materials was incredibly diverse. The first thing that caught my eye was the chunks of dark iron, radiating a metallic sheen. Their texture was hard, and faint spiritual patterns flowed across their surface, as if revealing their extraordinary origins. Nearby, spiritual copper, with a warm hue and a mysterious aura, seemed to be brimming with spiritual energy. And then there was cold iron, with a chilling gleam and a cool feel, its hardness far exceeding that of ordinary metals.

Besides metal, there's also warm, emerald green jade, transparent and flawless, imbued with spiritual energy, which emanates a shimmering brilliance when gently swayed. Furthermore, there's sturdy, century-old ironwood, with its clear grain and exuding a rustic wood fragrance, the natural power within seemingly poised to burst forth at any moment.

The weight of each material was astonishing, weighing over a hundred kilograms. The material reserves here were plentiful, enough to sustain hundreds of weapon refining sessions. Most people wouldn't be so extravagant. These materials were worth tens of thousands of spirit stones. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't dare to lavishly purchase so much material just to learn the art of weapon refining.

Lin Fan possessed a golden finger, possessing an endless supply of spirit stones. Han Li in the original novel wasn't quite so lavish. But Lin Fan was different. For him, spirit stones were as plentiful as he could desire. In his quest to achieve great things in weapon refining, he spared no expense, preparing for all of this.

With everything ready, Lin Fan steadily approached the cauldron and sat cross-legged with a composed posture. His eyes closed slightly, his aura gradually withdrawing. Only his hands moved rapidly in front of him, forming hand seals. His movements were fluid, leaving traces of spiritual energy. As the incantations were unleashed, a blazing flame suddenly erupted from the cauldron. The flames were a pale blue, dancing like spirits, emitting an alluring, incandescent aura. Following the incantations he had just memorized, Lin Fan carefully manipulated his spiritual energy, experimenting with adjusting the flame's size and temperature. His gaze was fixed intently on the flames within the cauldron, not missing a single subtle shift.

At first, the size and temperature of the flames were somewhat difficult to control, but Lin Fan remained unfazed. He patiently adjusted the output of his spiritual power, experimenting repeatedly and carefully sensing the patterns within. Gradually, the flames, like a tamed beast, began to obey his commands, varying their size and temperature to his liking.

After thoroughly familiarizing himself with the control of the flames, Lin Fan reached for a small piece of black iron. The iron felt cool to the touch, and the spiritual patterns flowing on its surface shimmered faintly, as if proclaiming its extraordinary power. He took a deep breath and gently tossed the iron into the furnace. With a few soft sizzling sounds, the iron, upon contact with the flames, was engulfed by the intense heat, and a faint glow quickly appeared on its surface.

Time slipped quietly by, the flames in the furnace blazing, the scorching heat constantly licking the black iron. Under the flames' continued calcination, the black iron gradually changed, its once hard solid mass softening, a slight curve first appearing at the edges, then gradually flowing and deforming.

Not long after, the entire piece of black iron completely melted and turned into a pool of boiling hot iron liquid, which rolled and surged in the furnace, emitting a dazzling metallic luster.

Lin Fan stared intently at the furnace, his hands constantly shifting spells, attempting to precisely control the heat. But at that moment, the spiritual energy within the furnace suddenly showed an abnormality. His attention was distracted, and by the time he realized what was happening, the pool of iron liquid had transformed in the blink of an eye. Impurities began to rapidly gather and spread within the once pure liquid, turning it dull and gray.

In just a moment, the iron liquid was wasted, no longer usable for refining. Lin Fan sighed helplessly, a flicker of regret flashing across his face, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. After all, refining is a process of constant exploration and accumulation of experience. This failure also made him more cautious and thoughtful about his future refining.

Lin Fan frowned slightly, lost in a brief moment of contemplation. He reviewed every step in his mind, from the output of spiritual power, the operation of the incantation, to the subtle changes in the flame's temperature, not missing a single detail. Soon, he realized that a deviation in the conversion of spiritual power had caused the fire to lose control and the molten iron to be wasted.

Having figured out the crux of the matter, Lin Fan felt relieved, his tense nerves relaxing slightly. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and picked up another small piece of black iron. This piece of black iron was still heavy in his hand, and the spiritual patterns flowing on its surface seemed to silently remind him that he couldn't make any mistakes this time.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and steadily tossed the black iron into the furnace. With a soft "puff," the black iron once again came into contact with the blazing flames, and a new round of refining began. This time, Lin Fan's eyes were more determined. He stared intently at the furnace, concentrating on controlling his spiritual power, ready to make up for his previous mistake.

As the black iron entered the furnace, the temperature inside instantly climbed, and the flames grew increasingly vigorous, tightly enveloping the black iron. Lin Fan held his breath, quickly forming hand seals with his hands in front of him, and injected streams of spiritual energy into the furnace with precise, silken threads, carefully adjusting the heat.

This time, he paid particular attention to the transition points of his spiritual energy, timing each transfer perfectly. He stared intently at the black iron within the furnace, not missing a single subtle change. Under the continuous calcination of the flames, the black iron slowly softened, its edges beginning to curve slightly before gradually melting into a pool of liquid iron.

The molten iron surged and sizzled in the furnace, making a sizzling sound. Lin Fan didn't dare slack off, keeping a constant eye on the state of the molten iron. Suddenly, a thin layer of foam appeared on the surface of the molten iron, a sign that impurities were beginning to precipitate. He quickly adjusted his incantation, increasing his spiritual power output and making the flames more intense, accelerating the separation of the impurities.

However, just as the impurities were about to be completely removed, the spiritual energy within the cauldron began to fluctuate abnormally again. The previously stable flame began to waver, and the temperature of the molten iron fluctuated accordingly. Lin Fan's heart tightened, but he quickly calmed himself. With his powerful spiritual sense, he quickly chanted the incantation, rapidly adjusting the direction and intensity of the spiritual energy.

After some difficult manipulation, the flame finally stabilized, and the temperature of the molten iron returned to normal. Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief and continued to focus on refining the weapon. As time passed, the impurities in the molten iron were completely removed, becoming pure and translucent, emitting a dazzling metallic luster.

At this point, Lin Fan knew it was time for the crucial shaping phase. He rapidly shifted his hand gestures, manipulating his spiritual energy and slowly shaping the iron into the shape he envisioned. Guided by his spiritual energy, the iron gradually deformed, slowly taking the shape of a sword.

(End of this chapter)