Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 88: Refining the Life-defining Magical Treasure (Part )

Three months flew by like a fleeting moment. During this time, he'd reviewed the ingredients and steps for refining his natal magic weapon over and over again in his mind, memorizing every nuance and key detail, etched them deep in his heart. Now, everything was ready, waiting only to begin this profoundly meaningful journey of refining.

At dawn, before the faint light of dawn had completely dispelled the lingering chill of night, Lin Fan was already on his feet. He wore a dark robe, the spiritual patterns traced by silver threads at the hem faintly visible in the dim light, as if quietly telling of the ups and downs of his past cultivation. He quickly and decisively tied up his long hair, his expression stern and resolute, emanating a fierce aura that commanded no one to underestimate, as if he were about to embark on a life-or-death battle.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Fan's spiritual energy surged, and a brilliant spiritual light instantly condensed beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, his figure transformed into a stream of light, soaring towards the refining room at lightning speed. Along the way, the wind whistled in his ears, and the scenery on both sides flashed by like phantoms, but Lin Fan's eyes remained focused and firm, unperturbed by the outside world. At this moment, he had only one unshakable belief in his heart: to refine his life-defining magic weapon.

Soon, he arrived at the underground refining room in the Yellow Maple Valley. The stone door of the refining room was tightly closed, and the surface was engraved with ancient and mysterious magic patterns, emitting a faint glow.

Lin Fan raised his hand and produced the jade token. The runes on the stone door resonated with the token, emitting a gentle humming sound. Then, the stone door slowly opened, and a scent ancient yet imbued with spiritual energy washed over him. This scent was complex and rich, a blend of the ancient charm of time and the unique aura of rare materials, as if silently recounting the countless legendary stories this refining room had borne.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and strode into the refining room. He knew that every refining was a profound dialogue with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and this time, refining his own life-defining magic weapon, there was no room for error. Upon entering, he activated the formation once again, blocking out all external interference. He arrived at the familiar refining area and sat down cross-legged. His aura instantly subsided, as if he had become one with his surroundings. Only the steady, powerful beat of his heart remained, as if pacing the rhythm for the impending refining process.

Ready, Lin Fan slapped his storage bag with a sharp, powerful slap of his right hand. Instantly, a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted. Immediately afterwards, a flood of items emerged: jade boxes, jade caskets, jade bottles, dozens of items in all. These containers were crafted from top-grade spiritual jade. In the dim light of the refining room, they radiated a warm, soft sheen, hinting at the extraordinary value of the items contained within.

Over the past few years, Lin Fan has cultivated the primary ingredients for his natal magic weapon within the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, nurturing them to the point where they are now ten thousand years old. These materials are incredibly precious, perfect for refining top-tier magic weapons. If released to the outside world, they would undoubtedly cause a furor, with powerful Nascent Soul cultivators vying for them. In today's immortal cultivation market, any material over ten thousand years old is worth over a hundred thousand spirit stones, demonstrating its rarity.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, his spiritual energy surging through his meridians like an awakened beast. He quickly formed hand seals with his hands, his fingers dancing nimbly. Complex and profound spiritual runes flowed from his fingertips, darting towards the cauldron. Instantly, the magic array within the cauldron activated, and the ancient runes illuminated, emitting a dazzling and mysterious light. Then, a low humming sound echoed, and a raging flame, like a dragon, rose from the bottom of the cauldron. The flame was a deep blue, with traces of golden lines dancing around its edges, a sign of high-level spiritual energy. Each surge of energy was accompanied by a tremendous amount of heat, instantly raising the temperature in the refining chamber.

Lin Fan's gaze fixed on the cauldron, a solemn expression on his face. He slowly raised his hand, and within his palm, a thousand-year-old iron hovered quietly. This thousand-year-old iron, precipitated by the passage of time, was coated with a layer of frost, emitting a chilling aura. Even from a distance of several feet, one could sense the bone-chilling chill. Its incomparably hard texture was the key ingredient in refining the Seven Star Sword, carrying the magical weapon's tenacious foundation.

With a low shout from Lin Fan, the ten-thousand-year-old cold iron was steadily lowered into the furnace. As the iron touched the flames, a sizzling sound emanated, and the frost instantly transformed into wisps of rising mist. The surface of the iron began to tinge slightly red, and under the intense heat, it gradually showed signs of melting. Lin Fan concentrated intently, channeling his spiritual energy precisely into the flames, adjusting the intensity and temperature. His eyes betrayed a focus and obsession, capturing every subtle change in the iron. Every flicker of the flames, every softening of the iron, was captured by his gaze. The only sounds in the refining chamber were the roaring flames and the subtle hum of melting iron. Lin Fan felt as if he had become one with the furnace, completely absorbed in this conversation with the material. He knew that the success of this first step would directly impact the entire refining of his natal magic weapon.

Time slipped quietly in the scorching heat of the refining room, and a month flew by in a flash. Throughout this long month, Lin Fan remained stationary beside the furnace, his eyes fixed on the thousand-year-old iron within, never relaxing for a moment. After a month of intense heat, the once imperishable iron gradually transformed into a pool of molten blue. Lin Fan rapidly formed hand seals, muttering a few words, and threads of spiritual energy shot out from his fingertips, precisely piercing the molten iron. These threads, like nimble probes, weaved through the molten iron, sensitively capturing every impurity. Upon detecting an impurity, the threads quickly wrapped around it, then detached it from the molten iron. Pulled by the threads, the impurity slowly rose to the surface, finally freed from the molten iron and enveloped by Lin Fan's magical power, ejecting it from the furnace. At this moment, the cold iron liquid within the furnace took on a deep, pure, dark blue hue, its surface shimmering with wisps of cold light, resembling a frozen, starry sky, emanating a chilling aura. Seeing this, Lin Fan quickly retrieved the jade box he had prepared nearby. Made of a special spiritual jade, it insulated the liquid from temperature fluctuations and spiritual energy, ensuring that the cold iron liquid would not change during storage. He carefully poured the cold iron liquid into the box. As the liquid slowly flowed in, a thick layer of white frost instantly formed on the jade box's surface, making a crackling sound as if it were bearing immense pressure.

After settling the cold iron liquid, Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. The prolonged intense concentration on controlling his spiritual energy had drained him considerably. He knew he still had many materials to refine, and he needed to recover his mana quickly. So, he sat cross-legged on the ground, formed hand seals, and entered a deep state of meditation. The refining room was completely silent, the only sound being the steady breathing of Lin Fan. Spiritual energy flowed in from all directions like a tide, flowing slowly through his meridians, filling the gaping hole in his mana.

Several hours later, Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light in them. His once slightly exhausted face had regained its spirit, and his mana had fully recovered. He stood up, his gaze settling on the Earth Core Flame Crystal beside him. This Earth Core Flame Crystal resembled a burning sun, its surface crisscrossed with fiery lava lines, emitting waves of heat.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and formed hand seals once again. The flames within the cauldron instantly surged, the temperature rising dramatically. With a wave of his hand, the Earth Core Fire Crystal fell into the cauldron like a meteor. Upon contact with the flames, the Earth Core Fire Crystal burst into flames, echoing with the flames within the cauldron, emitting a deafening roar. Concentrating on controlling the flames and adjusting the temperature, Lin Fan watched as the Earth Core Fire Crystal gradually softened and deformed under the intense heat, slowly transforming into a liquid. This long journey of refining the material had only just begun, and he was ready to face any challenge.

During this month-long period, the refining room was filled with a fiery aura. Lin Fan stared intently at the furnace. The Earth Core Flame Crystal, licked by the flames, was undergoing a complete transformation. The flames within the furnace, as if stimulated by the Earth Core Flame Crystal, burned even more fiercely. The flames, initially a faint blue, turned into a fiery crimson, tinged with strands of golden flame. The heat was so intense that the stone walls of the refining room shone slightly red.

The Earth Core Flame Crystal's previously rock-hard crystal structure gradually softened under the intense heat, and a magma-like liquid began to flow from its surface, emitting a terrifying heat capable of melting anything. Lin Fan's hands continuously shifted spells, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, but his gaze grew increasingly resolute. He constantly monitored the changes in the Earth Core Flame Crystal, precisely controlling the flame's temperature and the infusion of spiritual energy.

As time passed, the solid portion of the Earth Core Flame Crystal dwindled, eventually transforming completely into a pool of liquid emitting billowing waves of heat. At this point, Lin Fan once again unleashed his spiritual power. His palms danced rapidly, alternating between them, and vortices of spiritual power formed above the cauldron. These vortices, like invisible filters, slowly sank into the liquid Earth Core Flame Crystal. The vortices spun rapidly, generating a powerful suction force that gradually absorbed any impurities hidden within the liquid. The impurities were swept away by the vortexes, eventually converging at the edge of the cauldron, where they were easily removed by Lin Fan.

Seeing this, Lin Fan quickly picked up another jade box. This one, also crafted from high-grade spiritual jade, began to steam as soon as it approached the core fire crystal liquid. Lin Fan carefully guided the liquid into the box. The moment it came into contact with the liquid, it emitted a slight sizzling sound, as if resisting the powerful heat.

After properly placing the Earth Core Fire Crystal Liquid into the jade box, Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Two months of continuous refining had taken a toll on his energy and mana. But he knew there were still many crucial steps to successfully refining his life-defining magical weapon, the Seven Star Sword, and he couldn't afford to slack off. He placed the jade box containing the Earth Core Fire Crystal Liquid in its proper place, prepared to rest briefly, and then moved on to refining the next ingredient.

(End of this chapter)