Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

Three months after the foundation stone of the Weapon Refining Pavilion was laid, the valley was blessed with a rare spiritual rain. The raindrops were fine and delicate, yet they were mixed with fragments of spiritual light. Each drop that fell to the ground stirred up faint ripples of spiritual energy. The newly laid glazed tiles shimmered with iridescent light in the rain, and the raindrops hitting them made a crisp and melodious tinkling sound, like celestial music.

Fu Shaoping stood under the corridor, his plain white robe fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze. He squinted, gazing at the multicolored mist rising from the workshop area—the "artwork aura" produced by the simultaneous operation of the three hundred and sixty refining platforms. Normally, this mist should be a pure bluish-white, like the mountain fog of early spring, but at this moment it was mixed with wisps of black mist, like ink dripping into clear water, slowly spreading.

"Senior Brother!" Li Mubai rushed over, holding an oil-paper umbrella, his sleeves still damp with iron filings. The young weapon refiner's face was filled with anxiety. "The Xuan Iron furnace is acting strangely... Senior Brother Wang and the others..."

Before he finished speaking, a muffled rumble like thunder suddenly came from the northwest corner. The sound was deep and powerful, as if some enormous creature was struggling underground. Fu Shaoping's figure flashed and he was already ten zhang away, his plain white robe drawing a smooth arc in the rain. When he arrived at Workshop No. 3, the scene before him made him frown.

Wang Tieshan—the renowned weapon refiner known for his arm strength—stood before the furnace, his massive frame blocking its path, his arms, veins bulging, pressing down on the violently trembling lid. His face was flushed red, and the veins on his forehead bulged like writhing dragons, clearly indicating he had exerted all his strength. The furnace's surface was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and eerie purplish-red light flashed intermittently across its dark surface.

"Back off!" Twelve jade talismans flew from Fu Shaoping's sleeve, forming a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) array in the air. Before the talismans even hit the ground, they ignited with pale golden flames, forming a barrier separating Wang Tieshan from the furnace. He bit his fingertip and drew talismans in mid-air; the blood droplet condensed into crimson chains in the rain, wrapping around the furnace opening layer by layer. "It's the backlash of the earth's yin fire," he whispered to Nangong Wan, who had rushed over, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Someone is using the Nine Nether Forging Technique."

Nangong Wan's sleeves fluttered, and seven bronze lamps hovered around the furnace. As her fingertips brushed the wicks, the flames suddenly turned from red to blue, illuminating the eerie patterns appearing on the furnace's surface—clearly the Soul-Devouring Talismans commonly used by demonic weapon refiners. These runes writhed on the furnace like living creatures, sometimes disappearing and sometimes reappearing, emanating a chillingly malevolent aura.

"Investigate." Fu Shaoping's voice was colder than a deep pool in a valley. The ruler struck the stove heavily, and countless points of light spilled from the cracks, forming a blurry human figure in the air. Li Mubai suddenly widened his eyes: "It's that gray-robed man who came for the job the other day!"

Fu Shaoping's eyes narrowed. He remembered the gray-robed man—who had come to apply for the job without saying a word, only handing over a piece of iron covered in strange runes. At the time, he felt the runes seemed familiar, but couldn't recall their origin, so he refused the man, saying that "the Refining Pavilion is not currently short of people." Little did he expect that he had let a wolf into his house.

That night, the atmosphere on the top floor of the library was as heavy as iron. Before Nangong Wan lay an open, yellowed copy of "Tracing the Origins of Artifact Patterns," her fingertips suddenly pausing on a certain page: "The Soul-Devouring Talisman requires a thousand-year-old cold jade as a catalyst." She exchanged a glance with Fu Shaoping, and simultaneously blurted out: "The Cold Jade Pool!"

At the third quarter of midnight, two figures silently swept through the Spirit Plant Garden. The Cold Jade Pool, bathed in moonlight, shimmered with a ghostly blue light; its surface was as still as a mirror, reflecting the starry sky. Sure enough, a gray-robed figure knelt by the pool, sprinkling some kind of black powder into the water. The powder dissolved instantly upon contact with the water, creating eerie ripples that turned the pool's color from blue to black.

Fu Shaoping's ruler struck faster than sound, piercing the air with a sharp, phoenix-like cry. The gray-robed man seemed to have anticipated this, vanishing in a flash, leaving only an ice shield in his wake. The moment the ruler struck the ice shield, it erupted with blinding light, scattering shards of ice everywhere.

"Why is Instructor Fu so angry?" The gray-robed man turned around, revealing a face covered in tattoos that slithered across his skin like living snakes. "I'm just borrowing your esteemed place to raise some little trinkets." Dozens of ice needles flew out from his sleeve, each with a wriggling red thread attached to its end.

Nangong Wan's jade hairpin suddenly transformed into a three-foot-long green sword, its light weaving a dense net that shattered all the ice needles. But the red threads, upon touching the ground, grew back, instantly transforming into thorny brambles covered in barbs, lunging menacingly at the two. The barbs on the brambles gleamed with a ghostly blue light, clearly coated with a potent poison.

"A mere trick." Fu Shaoping sneered. He tapped the ruler on the ground, and a golden ripple spread outwards. Wherever it passed, thorns withered, revealing the stark white bones hidden within—it was some kind of evil puppet technique. The gray-robed man, seeing the situation was dire, was about to flee when suddenly a Bagua diagram appeared beneath his feet, and seventy-two chains of spiritual energy burst forth from the ground.

"You think this level of restraint can hold me back?" The gray-robed man laughed wildly, his body suddenly expanding, his tattoos materializing into black mist. The chains snapped inch by inch, tearing deep trenches into the ground. He formed hand seals, and the pool water suddenly boiled, countless black tentacles emerging from the water and sweeping towards the two of them.

Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan stood back to back. Fu Shaoping's ruler transformed into a three-foot-long sword, its blade engraved with suppressing runes; Nangong Wan's jade hairpin unfolded into a screen of light, blocking the black tentacles. The two worked together flawlessly, instantly neutralizing all the attacks from the demonic weapon refiner.

"The Nine Nether Forging Technique is indeed domineering," Fu Shaoping suddenly spoke, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the gray-robed man's ears, "but do you know why righteous weapon refiners disdain using it?"

The gray-robed man was taken aback, his attack faltering slightly. In that split second, Nangong Wan's sword had already pierced his chest. However, the expected blood did not gush out; the gray-robed man's body suddenly transformed into a cloud of black mist, easily avoiding the fatal blow.

"Because the price is too high." Fu Shaoping's ruler suddenly burst into a pure white flame, a flame that was not hot but cold, freezing even the air in its wake. "It will devour the user's soul!"

Pure white flames coalesced in the air, forming a fiery net that completely encircled the fleeing black mist. The grey-robed figure struggled and howled within the fire, his tattoos peeling away from his skin to reveal gruesome scars beneath. Finally, the black mist let out a defiant roar, transforming into specks of light and vanishing into the night sky.

As the morning light painted the archway of Lingxiao Valley crimson, the disciples saw the gray-robed figure bound by black iron chains in the plaza. He had regained his human form, but his face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with terror. Fu Shaoping's voice echoed through the valley: "In the way of weapon forging, the first priority is a righteous heart." Pure white flames rose from his palm, incinerating the captured Spirit-Devouring Talismans to ashes. "From this day forward, the 'Heart-Nourishing Mantra' will be added to your daily morning practice."

After the turmoil subsided, a string of bronze wind chimes appeared under the eaves of the Weapon Forging Pavilion. Whenever the mountain breeze blew, the chimes rang out in harmony with the hammering, as if reminding someone of something. Li Mubai stood under the eaves, watching Fu Shaoping's departing figure, lost in thought.

"Senior brother, what did that gray-robed man mean by 'raising some little trinkets'?" the boy couldn't help but ask.

Fu Shaoping paused slightly, without turning around: "What he's cultivating in the Cold Jade Pool is a kind of evil creature called the 'Spirit-Devouring Insect,' which specifically devours the soul power of weapon refiners." He paused for a moment, his voice suddenly softening, "But you don't need to worry, with us here, the Weapon Refining Pavilion will be fine."

Li Mubai nodded, but then saw Fu Shaoping suddenly turn around, his gaze falling on the enormous black iron cauldron in the center of the plaza. In the sunlight, the runes on the cauldron shone brightly; they were soul-suppressing talismans personally carved by Fu Shaoping. "Mubai," Fu Shaoping suddenly asked, "have you ever wondered why refining weapons requires a cultivation technique?"

The boy was taken aback, then began to think seriously: "Is it to control the spiritual fire? Or to stabilize my mind?"

"That's just the surface." Fu Shaoping stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze profound. "A true weapon refiner must not only master the spiritual fire of heaven and earth, but also constantly cultivate the 'Heart Cultivation Technique.' Because the way of the weapon is the way of the heart."

The bronze wind chimes tinkled softly in the breeze, as if echoing his words. Fu Shaoping turned and walked towards the library, his shadow stretching long in the sunlight. Li Mubai watched his retreating figure and suddenly understood a truth—the future of the Weapon Forging Pavilion might just hinge on those words.

The bronze wind chimes tinkled softly in the morning breeze. Fu Shaoping stood by the window of the library, watching the disciples practicing basic hammer techniques in the square. Their young faces still carried a hint of immaturity, yet they already controlled the spiritual fire with remarkable skill. His gaze finally settled on Li Mubai—the young man was intently forging a piece of black iron, each hammer blow precise and powerful, sparks flying as the shape of the weapon began to emerge.

"Senior Brother." A soft voice called from behind. Nangong Wan approached, carrying a scroll of bamboo slips. The jade hairpin in his hair shimmered with a warm luster in the morning light. "The revision of the *Nourishing the Heart Manual* is complete."

Fu Shaoping turned and took the bamboo scroll, his fingertips tracing the newly engraved runes on the cover. This cultivation manual was originally created by the founder of the Weapon Refining Pavilion, but after last night's events, he discovered that its discussion of "the connection between weapon and spirit" was still incomplete. "Regarding the Cold Jade Pool," he paused, "have you ascertained the origin of the Spirit-Devouring Insects?"

Nangong Wan frowned slightly: "According to the *Ten Thousand Gu Manual*, the Soul-Devouring Insects were originally evil creatures cultivated by the Southern Frontier Witch Clan, and they appeared three hundred years ago during the demonic invasion. But to control such a large number of Soul-Devouring Insects, the caster must be at least a master of demonic weapon crafting." She paused for a moment, "What's even stranger is that those insects seem to have a special affinity for the Cold Jade."

A thoughtful look flashed in Fu Shaoping's eyes. He walked to the window, gazing at the faint mist rising from the direction of the Cold Jade Pool in the distance. After last night's battle, he had specifically checked the pool water and discovered abnormal fluctuations in the underwater rock layers, as if something was slowly awakening. "Pass down the order: reinforce the area around the Cold Jade Pool with additional restrictions. No one is allowed to approach without my permission."

“Yes,” Nangong Wan replied, then suddenly remembered something, “Oh, right, Junior Brother Wang Tieshan came to see me early this morning, saying he found a strange metal fragment in the furnace ruins.”
-
On the ruins of Workshop No. 3, Wang Tieshan was using pliers to pick up a palm-sized piece of metal. The fragment was completely black, but its surface faintly showed purplish-red patterns, reflecting an eerie luster in the sunlight.

“This is it.” Wang Tieshan handed the fragment to Fu Shaoping, his rugged face filled with confusion. “I dug it out of the furnace ash. It’s ridiculously hard; a regular hammer can’t break it at all.”

Fu Shaoping took the fragment, and a stinging sensation immediately came from his fingertips. He circulated his spiritual energy to examine it closely, and his pupils suddenly contracted—there were wisps of black mist flowing inside the fragment, and upon closer inspection, the arrangement of those mists was extremely similar to the demonic patterns recorded in the "Nine Nether Forging Techniques".

“This is no ordinary object,” Nangong Wan suddenly spoke, her bronze lamp now hovering above the fragment. Illuminated by the azure flames, the patterns on the fragment's surface became even clearer. “This was forged using ‘Spirit-Devouring Iron,’ a unique material used by demonic weapon refiners. It can absorb spiritual energy and use it for its own purposes.”

Just as Fu Shaoping was about to examine it closely, the fragment suddenly began to tremble violently. He reacted extremely quickly, and the ruler instantly transformed into a sword-like light, pinning the fragment to the ground. With a "crack," a crack appeared on the surface of the fragment, and countless black, tentacle-like substances gushed out, instantly wrapping around Fu Shaoping's ruler.

"Step back!" Fu Shaoping shouted, and pure white flames rose from his palm. The flames, like living things, coiled around the ruler and intertwined with the black tentacles. However, strangely, the black substance was actually devouring the energy of the flames!
"This is..." Nangong Wan's expression changed drastically, "It's evolving!"

Just then, Li Mubai rushed in carrying a large gourd of spiritual liquid: "Senior brother! I brought Demon-Suppressing Spiritual Liquid!"

Fu Shaoping acted decisively, splashing all the spiritual liquid onto the still-expanding fragment. The moment the liquid touched the fragment, it burst forth with a blinding light. When the light dissipated, the fragment had returned to calm, but a deep burn mark appeared on its surface, and the black patterns had dimmed considerably.

"That was close." Wang Tieshan wiped away cold sweat. "That damn thing almost melted my pliers."

Fu Shaoping stared thoughtfully at the burn mark: "This isn't an ordinary defensive reaction; it's more like a sign of some kind of contract being broken." He looked up towards the distant Jade Pool, a knowing glint in his eyes. "It seems our opponent last night was merely a pawn in a much larger conspiracy."
-
On the edge of the Cold Jade Pool, Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan stood facing each other. After last night's battle, the area had been heavily fortified, but the ripples beneath the water's surface were even more intense than before.

"Look," Nangong Wan pointed to a spot at the bottom of the pool, where a huge, dark shadow could be vaguely seen moving slowly. "That thing didn't appear last night."

Fu Shaoping stared intently. The dark shadow resembled a giant python, but it possessed countless tiny tentacles. Most chillingly, the outline of a human face was faintly visible at its head. "A thousand-year-old jade essence," he murmured. "A legendary creature that takes ten thousand years to form by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. How could it be here?"

Nangong Wan suddenly remembered something: "The *Records of Spiritual Creatures* states that if the essence of Cold Jade is exposed to evil energy for a long time, it will degenerate into 'Soul-Devouring Jade,' which specifically devours the soul power of cultivators." She paused, "This is related to the Soul-Devouring Insects cultivated by the gray-robed man."

"It's the same principle." Fu Shaoping's expression was grave. "Someone is deliberately guiding the Cold Jade Essence to fall, then using it to cultivate evil beings." He suddenly turned around, "How's the progress on Mu Bai's side?" (End of Chapter)