The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 218, page 233: A Strange New World! What a treasure trove!
Lu Chen found the sacred place to cultivate "Sword Five: Calamity Sword".

Cultivating the Calamity Sword requires Calamity Qi.

Humanitarian calamities are relatively easy to deal with. Although the Twin Dragons world is no longer easy to exploit, the Condor Heroes world still has Mongolia, and the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils world has the Jin Dynasty, which is still developing. These are all potential targets for exploitation.

Natural disasters and calamities are not so easy to find.

Among natural disasters, storms and thunderstorms are the easiest to identify. Floods and snowstorms are also relatively easy to find.

As for natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and meteorites, they are really too difficult to predict.

Even if we find records of such natural disasters in historical books, we still need to wait patiently.

Lu Chen originally thought that it would probably take many years to slowly collect enough tribulation energy to make the tribulation sword look decent.

Unexpectedly, he found a sacred cultivation ground where earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and thunderstorms occurred every moment, and every now and then, meteorites would fall from the sky!
……

During breakfast, they discussed the establishment of a sect. Afterwards, Wanwan and the others, in high spirits, accompanied Li Xiuning to compile a list of palace maids willing to learn martial arts.

Lu Chen was refining a burst of tribulation energy on his own when, during his rest, he suddenly had a whim to go and take a look at the new world.

It's not that we're going to travel and explore the new world.

He planned to refine all 70,000+ strands of tribulation energy first, and then go there to explore and travel after comprehensively improving his strength.

Today, on a whim, I just wanted to take a look at the new world and maybe check it out.

A few minutes later, he jumped back, looking disheveled.

He went to a strange space.

Orange-red lava flowed everywhere, the extreme temperature and pressure created a toxic atmosphere, dark clouds piled up like mountains, blood-red lightning rolled incessantly, and torrential acid rain, as hot as boiling water and extremely corrosive, poured down...

"What exactly is the New World? Is the whole world going to look like that? Or is it just a special area within the New World?"

now.

Lu Chen took off his tattered and scorched clothes, looking at the burn marks on his skin—some charred, some bright red—from the lava splattering—and pondered:

"Although it's not a place for humans to stay, it can indeed be called a sacred place for cultivation. Tribulation energy is everywhere and can be obtained at will, so there is no need to deliberately search for it!"

In just a few minutes, Lu Chen captured several wisps of calamity energy, including volcanoes, earthquakes, and thunderstorms.

He even saw a large number of meteorites falling from the sky.

Unfortunately, the small island he was on, surrounded by lava, had just been torn apart by a massive earthquake, and the already small foothold was completely swallowed by the lava.

Although Lu Chen had already completed the tempering of his heart and had a high fire resistance, he still felt that he was not yet able to swim in the lava, so he could only quickly jump back and failed to catch the aura of the meteorite bombardment.

"What a great place! The Sword Intent of Immortal Execution is as considerate as ever..."

Natural disaster energy is hard to find, and cultivating the "Calamity Sword" requires a large amount of natural disaster energy. If one waits for various natural disasters, who knows when that will take.

The "Sword Intent of Immortal Slaughter" with its exceptional execution capability satisfied Lu Chen's need for the aura of natural disasters, sending him to that "cultivation holy land," just as it had sent him to Rong'er's boat back then—its execution capability was off the charts.

Although that place was indeed not fit for human habitation, Lu Chen had been questioned more than once—was he even human?
With his current level of cultivation, he could hold his breath for an entire day using internal breathing without any problem.

He can withstand the high temperature and pressure in the air.

Even if he accidentally falls into lava, with his physique and force field protecting him, he can hold out for several dozen seconds without any problem.

This time was also enough for him to find a new place to stay, or to teleport back.

"Let's go take another look."

Once the burn marks on his body had healed, Lu Chen, wearing only a pair of shorts and bare-chested and barefoot, once again traveled to a new world.

Although the previous landing site has been swallowed by lava, after unlocking Sword 5, the freedom of travel is increased. If a "return point" is opened, you can freely choose a place you have been to as your landing point within a radius of 100 miles of the return point.

If no return point is established, you can choose to land anywhere within your line of sight.

Before the lava engulfed his original landing spot, Lu Chen had already seen a black stone mountain in the distance.

This time, we chose to settle on that black stone mountain.

After a familiar, slight disorientation, Lu Chen appeared on the pitch-black stone mountain.

The stone ground was scorching hot, probably not less than two or three hundred degrees Celsius.

However, Lu Chen can withstand this temperature.

The sword wind force field expanded outward by a foot, enveloping his body like an invisible shield, isolating him from the air, which was also over two hundred degrees Celsius and filled with poisonous gas.

The surrounding area was filled with the aura of calamity, and Lu Chen could easily capture it by casually circulating the Calamity Sword Technique.

He strolled across the rocky mountain, measuring its size and surveying its terrain while simultaneously absorbing the calamity energy.

This black stone mountain is not very large, with a circumference of less than five miles, and the part of the lava that emerges is not very high, only about twenty feet.

The mountain terrain is rugged and uneven, with most of the ground consisting of exposed, scorching black rocks, thin dust, and not a single blade of grass or tree.

Lu Chen wandered around casually for a while, just wanting to find a place to focus on absorbing some tribulation energy, when he suddenly saw a piece of irregularly shaped, dark metal.

The metal looked like stone, and if Lu Chen hadn't been dealing with this kind of metal for a long time, he would have really overlooked it.

In the past, when Lu Chen picked up this fist-sized piece of metal and squeezed it with force, even though he could knead even refined steel like dough, he only left a shallow fingerprint on the surface of the metal.

After probing with his true energy for a while, Lu Chen said in surprise:
"It really is black iron!"

In the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Xuan Tie is a legendary metal, and in fact, there is only one Xuan Tie weapon in the entire world: the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword.

In the world of Twin Dragons, Xuan Tie, while not legendary, is still considered a rare metal.

After Li Yuanji returned the Xuan Tie Spear to Lu Chen, even with the Li Clan's resources and current status, they couldn't find a second Xuan Tie Spear for the time being.

I never expected to find one so easily here.

"In this kind of environment, it's not surprising to find a piece of black iron, so I guess I'm just lucky?"

Just as I was thinking that...

He then saw several more pieces of black iron on the ground nearby.

Those pieces of black iron were half-buried in the black rock layer, but even the part that was exposed was larger than the black iron in Lu Chen's hand.

Lu Chen went over, stomped on the ground and cracked it open, turning out the several pieces of black iron, each weighing several tens of kilograms.

"So, this is a black iron mine?"

Lu Chen was somewhat surprised:

"The black iron is so abundant that it can be mined?"

The black iron in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world was likely brought from outer space by meteorites.

The black iron in the Twin Dragons world doesn't seem to be a native product either. There's actually a black iron mine here...

"What kind of world is this? It's not only my sacred cultivation ground, but also a treasure trove..."

Lu Chen muttered to himself.

pity.

No matter how far he looked, all he could see was flowing lava and a fragmented, unstable black ground that could be swallowed by lava at any moment.

The solid rocky mountain beneath his feet was unique in the field of vision.

In the sky, thick black clouds piled up, and streaks of blood-red lightning flashed intermittently within the clouds, briefly illuminating the sky with a blood-red hue, but the sun was nowhere to be seen, nor could the stars beyond the clouds be discerned.

Every now and then, acid rain would fall, and even large and small meteorites would crash heavily into the lava, stirring up huge waves of lava and splashing fire rain all over the sky.

Add to that the scorching air with temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Celsius and the high pressure that could rupture the internal organs of an ordinary person and cause death, and such an extreme environment is simply a no-man's land.

"I can't find anyone to ask!"

Lu Chen didn't know which direction to search, so he could only shake his head helplessly and continue to absorb the calamity energy while searching the stone mountain like a treasure hunter, hoping to see if there were any other good things on this black stone mountain besides black iron.

However, they found several large and small pieces of gold nuggets, as well as a strange metal that shimmered with a ghostly blue luster.

This dark blue metal felt much lighter than black iron, but its texture was much tougher, and it was extremely cold to the touch, like holding a block of ice. When I channeled my true energy into it, the flow of energy was also extremely smooth.

Lu Chen had no idea what the fist-sized piece of metal was; he had never seen anything like it before.

But since it is tougher than black iron, it should be able to forge even better divine weapons than those made of black iron.

However, Lu Chen quickly thought of another problem:
"If it can be as cold as ice in such a high-temperature environment, this metal must be extremely difficult to melt, right? Never mind, let's take it back first."

After unlocking Sword 5, Lu Chen was able to carry 32% of his body weight with him when he traveled through time, allowing him to carry dozens of kilograms of supplies each time.

The good stuff found here, including that huge piece of black iron weighing dozens of kilograms, can be taken back in one piece at a time, without having to break it into pieces and transport it multiple times—even with Lu Chen's current strength, breaking black iron into pieces would be extremely difficult.

So when he had almost reached his limit in absorbing and containing the calamity energy, Lu Chen stopped absorbing the calamity energy and began to move the black iron and other items.

After making nearly ten trips back and forth, carrying several large pieces of black iron, a dozen small pieces of black iron, and dog-head gold back to the Frost Palace warehouse in the Twin Dragons World, Lu Chen changed into a new set of clothes and began refining the Heavenly Calamity Qi.

The process of refining calamity energy from natural disasters is much slower than that of refining calamity energy from human killing calamities.

Furthermore, the benefits of natural disasters and calamities for Lu Chen are not directly reflected in his physique, true qi, or mind.

With each strand of calamity energy he refined, Lu Chen felt closer to the "principles" related to destruction and calamity in the unseen realm.

Refining calamity energy, incorporating various disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, meteorites, and thunderstorms into the sword, is a process of constantly approaching, touching, understanding, and controlling these principles.

When the "Sword of Calamity" reaches a certain level of proficiency, it will be able to completely control and master all kinds of laws and principles, and with a casual sword strike, it will wield the power of heaven and earth.

And so, Lu Chen had another training project added to his repertoire—every few days from now on, he would have to set aside some time to go to the New World to absorb the calamity energy.

The reason for going there every few days is not because I find the environment there torturous, but simply because it takes several days to refine the energy from absorbing the calamity.

After all, Lu Chen has many cultivation projects. In addition to the natural disaster tribulation energy, he also needs to refine the killing tribulation energy to improve his sword body, true qi, and mental cultivation.

Otherwise, no matter how deep one's "Sword of Calamity" cultivation is, even if one can master and control all kinds of laws and principles in the future, and unleash the power of heaven and earth with a single sword strike, if one's own cultivation is insufficient, it will be like a child wielding a sledgehammer. When the power of heaven is unleashed, one will injure oneself before even harming the enemy.

Refining the calamity energy will trigger negative emotions such as slaughter and destruction in Lu Chen.

Therefore, whether it's refining the aura of natural disasters or the aura of killing, there must be a certain limit every day; it cannot be refined continuously.

They also need to relax frequently, do some exercises that are good for their mind and body to regulate their spirit, and spend time specifically cultivating their "heart sword" to ensure that their heart sword cultivation is always far ahead and can steadily suppress negative emotions.

Including playing coaching games is also a very effective way to relax.

In short, one must be patient and calm when cultivating the "Sword of Calamity".

Even if resources are plentiful, we must not be greedy for quick results or act rashly, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.

……

"Brother Lu, the count has been completed. Thirteen palace maids are willing to learn martial arts, and six of them have already practiced some basic fist and foot techniques..."

The female generals had completed their statistics long ago, but Lu Chen was busy cultivating, so Li Xiuning didn't report the situation to him until lunchtime.

Thirteen people?

Wouldn't that be perfect for training the Thirteen Cold-Blooded Eagles?
Lu Chen was secretly pleased with himself, but his face remained expressionless as he calmly said:

“Teach them some basic skills first. Their original duties don’t need to be canceled. Let’s see who becomes lax in their duties after learning martial arts. Let’s observe for three months before making a decision.”

Li Xiuning smiled sweetly:
"I will obey the sect leader's decree."

Lu Chen shook his head speechlessly. The sect hadn't even been officially established yet, and they were already all so enthusiastic.

After finishing this, Lu Chen took out the fist-sized piece of dark blue metal, placed it on the table, and asked Dugu Feng and the others:
Does anyone recognize this?

Dugu Feng, Wanwan, Shi Feixuan, Li Xiuning, and Lian Rou all came over to observe.

"Is this metal?"

"I think so? The color is a bit strange; I've never seen metal with this color before."

"It's as cold as ice... Could it be made of the same material as the Dongming Sword?"

"No, this metal is tougher and colder than the Dongming Sword. The color is different too; the Dongming Sword is a deep blue, while this metal is a dark blue..."

After some discussion, all the women shook their heads, indicating that they did not recognize this strange metal.

Lu Chen asked, "Is it possible to forge it into a weapon?"

Wanwan's eyes lit up: "Are you going to forge me a good sword?"

Lu Chen said, "If you want it, I can give it to you. But this metal is probably extremely difficult to melt."

Li Xiuning suggested, "Lady Dongming is currently in Chang'an. The Dongming Sect is most skilled in forging weapons and has a unique method of smelting and casting. Perhaps we could ask the Dongming Sect for help."

Wanwan helplessly spread her hands: "The Dongming Sect won't give the Yin Gui Sect a friendly look."

Li Xiuning smiled and said, "I'm going to find Princess Dongming. Wanjing and I are good friends."

Wanwan's eyes lit up: "Then I'll have to trouble Princess Xiuning!"

Lu Chen felt that even the Dongming Sect probably wouldn't be able to melt this piece of dark blue metal, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Thinking of the several hundred kilograms of black iron still in the warehouse, he said to Li Xiuning:
"There's also a batch of black iron, which we'll send to the Dongming Sect to be forged into weapons, as a preparation for our future disciples. Xiuning and Lianrou, you can also have a few more handy weapons made. As for the reward, you can have gold if you want, or you can use black iron as payment if you prefer."

Dugu Feng has the Dongming Sword, and Shi Feixuan has the Sekong Sword, both of which are no less powerful than Xuan Tie weapons, so there is no need to specially forge a Xuan Tie sword.

Chapter 2 is currently being written and will be released as soon as it's finished. Please vote with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)