A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

Jin Dao Wu is located in the Cui Jin Mountain Range in the southwest of the Da Qian Kingdom, about 300 miles away from the Da Huang Mountain Range. Even with Chen Chuan's Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, he could travel there in half a day by affixing the Armor Horse Talisman and going all out.

After traveling for about three hours, a wisp of black smoke, as straight as a pillar, suddenly rose from the mountain valley ahead.

Chen Chuan felt a chill run down his spine and slowed his pace.

After rounding a mountain ridge, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Two precipitous peaks stood facing each other like a gate, with a wide canyon between them. At the mouth of the canyon, there was an iron wall about ten feet high, and every few dozen steps on the wall stood an arrow tower with banners fluttering and the words "Golden Knife" written on them. The iron strokes were bold and powerful, exuding a fierce and valiant air.

The mountain walls on both sides of the canyon are covered with dark holes of all sizes.

Chen Chuan paused and observed for a moment, thinking to himself: This Golden Knife Dock doesn't seem like a place for cultivation, but rather like a weapons workshop.

He walked along the mountain path to the stone wall at the valley entrance. Two disciples stood guard at the foot of the wall, dressed in ochre-colored short tunics with short swords at their waists. Upon seeing an outsider arrive, they immediately held their swords horizontally to their chests and shouted, "Who goes there?"

Chen Chuan cupped his hands and said loudly, "Chen Chuan, the sect leader of Songjian Sect, has come to pay a visit to your esteemed manor lord. Please announce my arrival."

The two disciples exchanged a glance, and one of them said, "Let's wait."

After saying that, he turned and entered the valley.

This wait lasted for more than half an hour.

The sun had moved from the east to its zenith, and Chen Chuan still wore a faint smile on his face, but he already had a plan in mind.

It seems that the master of Golden Knife Village is indeed not so easy to deal with, just as Lu Huaiyuan said.

After another incense stick's time, the disciple who went in to report came out unhurriedly, clasped his hands and said, "The Lord of the Fortress invites you to come with me."

Chen Chuan nodded and stepped into the valley.

Passing through the stone wall, the valley's scenery suddenly unfolds before your eyes.

On the mountain walls on both sides of the canyon, countless stone chambers were carved out layer upon layer, some with their doors wide open, revealing blazing furnaces and bare-chested craftsmen wielding hammers inside.

Some had their stone doors tightly shut, with intricate protective runes carved on them, suggesting that something important might be hidden inside.

The disciple who was guiding him led him through the main path to a tall stone hall at the end of the canyon.

The stone hall was built against the mountain, and a plaque made of ebony hung above the door with the three characters "Golden Knife Hall" written on it.

"Please." The disciple pushed open the door and stepped aside.

Chen Chuan straightened his clothes and stepped into the hall.

The hall was spacious, but the furnishings were extremely simple.

In the center was a stone table, behind which sat a burly man with a thick beard, about fifty years old, with broad shoulders and a strong waist, wearing a black brocade robe, and with a rugged appearance.

This man was none other than Lei Zhenshan, the master of Jin Dao Wu.

Chen Chuan stepped into the hall, where Lei Zhenshan was playing with a jade thumb ring in his hand, not even lifting his eyelids.

Chen Chuan didn't mind, cupped his hands and smiled, "Chen Chuan of Songjian Sect, I have long admired the name of Master Leiwu, and have come to pay my respects today."

Lei Zhenshan then slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Chen Chuan, looking him up and down.

After a moment, he finally spoke: "You're the newly established leader of the Songjian Sect?"

"Exactly." Chen Chuan nodded with a smile.

Lei Zhenshan's gaze sharpened, and a wisp of divine sense quietly swept over Chen Chuan. He then frowned slightly: "Fifth level of Qi Refining? With such a low level of cultivation, you dare to establish a sect?"

For a Qi Refining cultivator to dare to establish a sect without strong backing is nothing short of a pipe dream in this dog-eat-dog world of immortals.

Then Lei Zhenshan suddenly changed the subject: "I heard you used to be in the Qingyuan Sect?"

"Forty years," Chen Chuan said calmly.

"Forty years... So, what kind of relationship do you have with the peak masters and elders within the Qingyuan Sect?"

These words were clearly a test to see what Chen Chuan had up his sleeve.

Chen Chuan naturally understood the probing meaning in his words, and said unhurriedly, "Master Lei Wu is joking. I am just a rogue cultivator from the mountains. How dare I presume to associate with such an important figure in the sect?"

After saying that, he changed the subject: "I have come here today to discuss something with you."

Seeing that he didn't respond, Lei Zhenshan became even more curious, but he didn't press the matter further, so he simply followed up by asking, "What is it?"

Chen Chuan cupped his hands and said, "I have long heard that Jin Dao Wu is unparalleled in the world in the manufacture of weapons. My Songjian Sect is newly established and in need of rebuilding. I wish to purchase a batch of weapons from your esteemed sect for any eventuality."

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhenshan stroked his bushy beard, a smug look on his face: "You've come to the right person. I dare not say anything else about Golden Knife Dock, but when it comes to weapons, within the Qian Kingdom, if I claim to be second, no one dares to claim to be first."

He looked at Chen Chuan and asked, "But what do you need weapons for?"

Chen Chuan shook his head and said solemnly, "What I want is not magical artifacts for cultivators, but weapons for mortals."

"A mortal?" Lei Zhenshan raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

Chen Chuan said in a deep voice, "I wish to train a mortal army in the Five Towns to protect the mountain gate with bows, crossbows and armor. Although we cannot directly confront high-level cultivators, we will not be completely powerless."

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhenshan burst into laughter.

"Interesting! Interesting!"

He slapped the stone table, laughing so hard he almost fell over: "I've lived for over sixty years, and this is the first time I've ever heard of a celestial sect wanting to train mortal weapons! Sect Leader Chen, your approach is certainly quite unconventional!"

Chen Chuan remained expressionless, simply watching him smile.

Lei Zhenshan finished laughing, wiped his eyes, and suddenly his expression turned serious, his gaze becoming sharp: "However... you've come to the right person. If we're talking about weapons that mortals can use and that can harm cultivators, my Golden Blade Dock actually has a new one."

Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm and said, "Oh? I'd like to hear more."

Lei Zhenshan stood up, walked to a stone wall on the side of the hall, and pressed his hand on the wall. With a few clicks, the stone wall slowly slid open to both sides, revealing a deep passageway.

"Follow me." He strode into the passageway.

Chen Chuan got up and followed.

The passageway was not long, and at the end was a secret room, about two zhang square, with walls made of cast iron plates, making it airtight. On the stone platform in the center of the secret room, an object lay quietly, covered with a black cloth, so its shape could not be seen.

Lei Zhenshan walked to the stone platform and ripped off the black cloth.

Chen Chuan stared intently, his breath suddenly catching in his throat.

It was an iron pipe, about three feet long and about an inch in diameter, made entirely of refined iron. The pipe was polished smooth and shiny, and a wooden handle was inlaid at the end.

Below the iron pipe, there was a curved iron wire, with a flint attached to the end of the wire.

Chen Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

He recognizes this thing.

In his past life, when he was teaching in a mountainous area, he had seen similar objects in the county museum...

Matchlock gun!

Seeing Chen Chuan's unusual expression, Lei Zhenshan assumed he was amazed by the weapon's exquisite craftsmanship. He patted the iron pipe proudly and said, "This thing is called [Fire Thunder], a new product developed by my Golden Knife Dock in recent years."

The tube is filled with a secret medicine, iron sand. When ignited with a flint, the iron sand is ejected from the tube opening upon combustion.

He paused, then held up one finger: "I have personally tested it, and this item's power is comparable to the [Golden Light Technique] of a Qi Refining Level 1 cultivator."

Chen Chuan stepped forward and gently stroked the cold iron pipe.

The Golden Light Technique at the first level of Qi Refining... while not particularly powerful, if dozens or even hundreds of muskets were fired simultaneously, even cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining would have to avoid its edge.

Moreover, this thing doesn't require spiritual roots or cultivation. Any able-bodied mortal can master it with a little training.

"Lord Lei Wu." Chen Chuan withdrew his hand, turned to look at Lei Zhenshan, his gaze intense, "How many of these are there?"

Seeing his expression, Lei Zhenshan laughed heartily: "What's wrong, Sect Leader Chen, are you tempted?"

Chen Chuan nodded readily: "This item is just what I need. I wonder how much the lord would be willing to part with?"

Lei Zhenshan stroked his chin and pondered, "This thing isn't difficult to make, but we don't do business with ordinary people, so we made too few. We currently have over two hundred in our warehouse. If you want some, I'll give you fifty. How about that?"

Fifty poles... Chen Chuan quickly calculated in his mind, and after a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "Fifty poles are too few, may I take them all?"

Lei Zhenshan frowned and shook his head, saying, "I want to keep it for myself."

"Then one hundred rods it is," Chen Chuan said. "Plus some gunpowder and iron shot; the price is negotiable."

Lei Zhenshan stared at Chen Chuan for a long time. Seeing his firm gaze and unwavering resolve, he finally sighed and waved his hand, saying:

"Alright, alright, a hundred strokes it is. As for the price, I'll be a friend and give Sect Leader Chen fifteen second-tier spirit stones per stroke."

The two returned to the stone hall, took their seats as host and guest, and discussed the number, price, and delivery deadline for the muskets.

By the time everything was settled, the sun was already setting, and the afterglow streamed in through the windows of the stone hall, casting a warm golden glow on the ground.

Lei Zhenshan escorted Chen Chuan to the valley entrance, then suddenly stopped, turned to look at him, and spoke with a hint of seriousness in his voice:

"Sect Leader Chen, I'm speaking frankly today, please don't take offense. With your Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, you dare to establish a sect in this Great Wilderness Mountain, you've got quite the nerve. As for your relationship with the Qingyuan Sect, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "But there's something I must remind you... You need to be careful around the Xuan Yin Cave. Those people are no pushovers."