I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 25 The Weapon Workshop
in the dark.

A glint of cold light suddenly appeared, piercing straight towards them.

Ying Chan had a thought and wanted to dodge, but no matter how he moved, the killing intent always followed him like a shadow.

Left with no other choice, he could only raise his sword to meet the attack, but it was precisely in that instant—

That glint of cold light, with a slight shift, seemed to multiply into countless forms, and in an instant, a chilling killing intent surged forth from all directions like a tidal wave.

……

Ying Chan suddenly opened his eyes and was greeted by the shimmering lake.

But his mind was still immersed in the feeling he had just experienced.

In that instant, Ying Chan felt as if all his changes had been frozen. No matter how he tried to change his tactics, he would only face a future where his weaknesses would be instantly exposed.

Of course, if one remains unchanged, one cannot escape it either.

"This is the Star-Pointing Sword Style..."

As Ying Chan pondered, his fingertips unconsciously tightened, but he only managed to grasp a handful of tiny fragments.

Looking down, he realized that the magic jade in his hand had turned to dust at some point.

The opportunity to comprehend the essence of swordsmanship has been exhausted.

Ying Chanlue let go, letting the lake breeze carry away the powder from the Dharma Jade, and then sat by the lake for a long time.

A gentle breeze rippled across the lake, yet for some reason, it would occasionally break the surface of the water, leaving marks that looked as if they had been carved by a knife or axe.

However, water benefits all things without contention, and it embraces them all.

……

At noon, Yingchan returned to the courtyard.

The courtyard was deserted and exceptionally quiet. He was not surprised and completed the Qian Yuan Foundation Building Technique, thus finishing his morning's lessons.

In the afternoon, as usual, I studied Taoist texts.

However, when Ying Chan returned to his study, he only read through the two books, "Divine Runes" and "Prohibitions," once before changing into a Taoist robe and going out.

Time in the mountains always seems to pass very slowly, but in the blink of an eye, a full ten days have passed.

In the past ten or twenty days, Ying Chan has certainly not stayed in the same place.

In terms of cultivation, he has opened another profound aperture, which can be considered as gradual progress; in terms of magic, his ability to summon wind and control qi has also become increasingly profound; in terms of swordsmanship, he has picked it up again and does not feel rusty at all, but rather has the momentum to make further progress...

This is not only because of the inspiration from the "Star Pointing Sword Technique", but also because as one's cultivation level improves, looking back at past skills reveals a completely different world.

Therefore, during this period, Ying Chan also sorted out what he had learned and indeed gained a lot of new understanding.

Besides that, there is the art of crafting.

Ying Chan had read and studied the books "Divine Runes" and "Prohibitions" countless times. He also frequently visited the Yunji Pavilion to seek out books on artifacts for reference, and felt that he had gained a great deal.

However, in the art of weapon crafting, it is clearly impossible to achieve anything by merely talking about it on paper.

Ying Chan left the gate and headed straight for the Ministry of State Affairs.

The Metropolitan Government Administration Council (MEAC) oversees many affairs, and naturally, it is extremely busy.

Every moment, Taoist priests and novice priests come and go in a hurry. When Ying Chan joins them, it is like a drop of water falling into a lake, without causing the slightest ripple.

He waited for a while before finding an opportunity to stop a young Taoist and ask, "May I ask, young boy?"

"I'd like to find a job in the courtyard, but I don't know who to ask?"

The boy patiently pointed in a direction: "Just look for Senior Brother Zheng."

Having said that, he left in a hurry without even hearing a thank you. Ying Chan had no choice but to follow the direction he was going and saw a Taoist priest buried behind a table, the tabletop piled high with thick books and scrolls, which completely obscured the priest's face.

At this time, there were still several people queuing in front of the table. Ying Chan was at the end of the line and waited for a long time before it was his turn to go forward.

"This junior brother."

Ying Chan finally saw clearly that the Taoist priest Zheng behind the desk was a handsome young man with regular features. He pointed to the booklet spread out on the desk: "The miscellaneous matters piled up by the various departments are all listed in this booklet."

"Junior brother, take a look for yourself. If you find one you like, tell me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Ying Chan glanced at the booklet. The first item was a job in the alchemy workshop. They needed to recruit four to six people to take care of the medicinal fields. They also required relevant knowledge or the ability to sense the changes in the vitality of spiritual herbs, such as the Green Wood Sensing Method.

This job has high requirements and is quite time-consuming, which can easily delay cultivation. However, the alchemy workshop is very generous, offering not only Daoist cultivation techniques but also spiritual pills as payment.

The second and third points, also issued by the Pill Workshop, encourage disciples to collect various spiritual herbs and medicines in the mountains, with the Pill Workshop providing funds to purchase them...

Ying Chan was quite tempted.

You should know that he still hasn't paid back the tuition fees he paid when he entered the Taoist academy. Although no one has ever mentioned it, it's not a reason for him to keep owing it without a clear conscience.

Moreover, Ying Chan was also very interested in Buddhist coins.

It is said that the method of casting Buddhist coins was passed down from ancient times. After they are cast, they are nurtured in a place rich in spiritual energy, which allows them to accumulate a special kind of vital energy.

This kind of vital energy is not beneficial to cultivation, but it can be used directly to restore magical power, and can also be used to supply restrictions, formations, magical artifacts, etc. It is very versatile, and therefore it is the most widely circulated currency in the cultivation world today.

Yingchan has been practicing Buddhism for so long, but he has never seen the true form of the Dharma Coin, so he is naturally curious.

Unfortunately, his purpose for this trip was clear, and it was not simply to take on a job and earn some Taoist merit or magic money.

Ying Chan flipped through the booklet again and quickly found his preferred choice among the miscellaneous tasks and duties of various departments.

"May I ask, senior brother?" He pointed to the booklet, "Am I qualified to take on this task?"

"Hmm?" Master Zheng looked up again and glanced at it: "The invoice from the equipment shop?"

"Since it's listed here, you can accept any of them. However, the job in the equipment workshop is the most arduous and demanding. Have you made up your mind?"

"Yes," Ying Chan said, "Then take on this task."

“Alright.” Zheng Daoren asked Ying Chan for the wooden talisman and made a record of it. Then he wrote a note for him and said, “Take this and report to the equipment shop.”

"Thank you, senior brother."

There were people waiting behind him. Ying Chan took the note, bowed, and turned to leave the Ministry of State Affairs.

The tool workshop is different from the alchemy workshop.

Its location is almost entirely away from the core area of ​​the Taoist temple, making it quite remote.

Therefore, although Ying Chan had inquired about the location beforehand, this was still his first time coming here.

The first thing you feel is the heat.

Looking around, there were rows of workshops and fire rooms, and even open-air furnaces that were four or five meters high, all running non-stop, with heat rising everywhere, and not a trace of autumn coolness could be accumulated.

Ying Chan even felt that the rocks and soil here were tinged with the color of flames.

Upon entering the workshop, he saw that everyone was in a hurry, so he couldn't stop them to ask questions. He could only continue inside until he came to a spacious hall. Finally, a young Taoist boy greeted him with a bow and asked, "Where do you come from, senior brother?"

Ying Chan hurriedly took out Zheng Daoren's note and replied, "I came here on a mission from the Ministry of State Affairs."

"Oh?" The young Taoist was somewhat surprised. He took the bag and examined it for a few moments before saying, "Senior brother, please follow me."

Ying Chan followed the path of goodness, turning left and right along the way, until finally stopping in front of a door.

The young Taoist gestured for Ying Chan to wait a moment, then went inside to announce his arrival. Soon after, a deep, resonant voice came from inside: "Please come in."

(End of this chapter)