Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

With tasks assigned clearly and efficiently, everyone performed their duties. The disciples who remained behind also felt the weight of responsibility on their shoulders, and their sense of loss lessened somewhat.

"This trip will last anywhere from ten days to a month," Shen Mo solemnly instructed. "Those who stay behind, guard your homes. Those who go out, remember that 'experience' is the priority, and safety comes first!"

"Be cautious in all things, and never be greedy for quick success or act rashly! When in doubt, take Su Xiao's advice as a reference! Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices echoing through the valley.

The decision has been made, and the goal is clear. Next comes the intense preparation for departure.

Shen Mo's decisive action acted like a stabilizing force, instantly giving the restless Qingyun Sect a sense of direction.

The excited began to rub their hands together in anticipation, while the worried suppressed their anxieties. Everyone took their positions and immersed themselves in the intense preparations. The entire hilltop was filled with a solemn and busy atmosphere, as if a great battle was about to begin.

The most excited were Shi Tie and Zhang Daniu. Shi Tie polished his newly acquired heavy iron rod again and again, wielding it with great force, eager to find a boulder to test its power.

Zhang Daniu was diligently polishing his heavy axe, his dark face full of a simple smile. Every now and then, he would approach Shi Tie and ask for some tips on how to apply force.

"Brother Tiezi, do you think there might be some special treasures for body tempering in that water mansion? Like pills that increase strength by taking them? Or heavy body tempering artifacts?" Zhang Daniu asked dreamily as he sharpened his axe.

"Absolutely!" Shi Tie grinned, patting his muscular chest. "How could the stuff used by a Golden Core cultivator be of poor quality? My requirements aren't high; I'd be perfectly content if I could get a bottle of Blood Qi Pills to temper my bones and muscles! Then, my 'Giant Spirit Shaking Mountain Technique' would definitely reach a new level!"

Compared to their overt excitement, Su Xiao and Zhao Qingyan were much calmer.

Su Xiao locked herself in her room and carefully examined every item that might be useful:

Hemostatic powder and detoxifying pills for treating common injuries (mostly made by Li Xiaocao from picking herbs), low-quality Qi-restoring pills to replenish spiritual energy (only a few in the sect's inventory), low-level spirit-detecting talismans to explore the surrounding environment (the result of Zhao Qingyan's recent practice, with a low success rate), as well as fluorescent powder for marking routes, tough ropes, waterproof fire tumblers, and so on.

She is meticulous and strives to consider every possible unexpected event.

Zhao Qingyan silently prepared the materials for drawing the talisman:

A stack of rough talisman paper, a small jar of spirit ink, and several well-maintained talisman pens.

My main task is to observe and learn, but it's always good to have a few more cleansing talismans and exorcism talismans that might come in handy.

She sat by the window, bathed in the lamplight, carefully outlining runes with a focused gaze as if she were sculpting a work of art.

Shen Mo wasn't idle either. He first went to the storeroom and took inventory of all the sect's current "assets".

The family owned less than a hundred spirit stones, a handful of pills and talismans, and their magical artifacts consisted only of a stone-and-iron iron rod and Zhang Daniu's axe, which were barely passable. Their meager possessions were heartbreaking.

"Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice..." Shen Mo sighed inwardly. With such limited resources, let alone competing for them, they were barely enough to deal with any unexpected conflicts that might arise.

That's precisely why this opportunity is so precious and should not be missed.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the few low-grade spiritual materials he had obtained from Mo Yuan and had never been willing to use—a fist-sized piece of "Azure Iron" and a few ounces of "Soft Silver Sand".

The supplies are limited and of average quality, but right now, they are the only hope for quickly improving the team's strength.

"Looks like I'll have to give it a try." Shen Mo let out a soft sigh. Although he wasn't a master weapon refiner in his previous life, he still had basic theoretical knowledge and ideas for system optimization.

With the system's meager auxiliary deduction capabilities, perhaps we can manage to tinker with something.

He locked himself in a side hall, lit a simple charcoal stove (forget about a weapon-refining furnace), threw the piece of green iron into it, and carefully controlled the heat with his own meager spiritual power as a guide.

In his mind, he kept recalling the knowledge from "Basic Refining Diagram" and combined it with the system's micro-optimization suggestions to try to remove impurities and shape the weapon.

This process was extremely mentally and spiritually taxing. Sweat quickly soaked his robes, and his face turned slightly pale.

The Qinggang Iron is exceptionally hard, making it extremely difficult to smelt. Several times, due to unstable control of the heat, all previous efforts were almost wasted.

It took most of the day, until night fell, before the flames in the charcoal stove gradually died down. Shen Mo used pliers to pick out a piece of metal that was red-hot and had been forged into a thin, irregularly shaped sheet about the size of three fingernails.

"Phew..." He let out a long sigh, slumped to the ground, and looked at the three pieces of iron emitting a faint spiritual light, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

This thing is at best a low-quality "heart-protecting mirror" prototype, with negligible defensive capabilities. To inscribe a reinforcing array on it, given his current cultivation level and resources, is simply a pipe dream.

"System, scan this thing. Can you add any simple causal effects to it?" Shen Mo asked the system, unwilling to give up. Causal points are precious and cannot be used lightly, but right now, every little bit helps.

[Scan complete. Target: Inferior Azure Iron Piece. Minor effect can be added: 1. Minor Fortitude (Consumes 1 point, slightly increases resistance to attacks).]

2. Faint Warning (Consumes 1 point; emits a faint beeping sound when subjected to a powerful attack). 3. Faint Tranquility (Consumes 1 point; brings slight peace of mind to the wearer).

Shen Mo pondered for a moment. Solidity was the most practical approach, but the slight improvement gained from a single point of cause and effect would have limited impact. A warning might save a life, but it was equally useless.

Tranquility... staying calm in crucial moments might have unexpected benefits?

"Adds 'Slight Tranquility' effect, target, one of them." Shen Mo made his choice. Su Xiaoxin was the most thoughtful, so he could give her this one.

[Command confirmed. Causal point -1. Attachment successful.]

A barely perceptible coolness permeated one of the iron pieces. It appeared unchanged, but when held in the hand, one could vaguely feel a sense of peace.

For the remaining two, Shen Mo also used soft silver sand to make the edges more durable and slightly more presentable.

One was for Shi Tie, and one for Zhao Qingyan. Zhang Daniu, being thick-skinned and tough, couldn't worry about that for the time being.

After crafting these three "magical artifacts," Shen Mo was almost completely exhausted. But he dared not rest and forced himself to start drawing talismans. His talisman-making skills were only slightly better than Zhao Qingyan's, and his success rate was abysmal.

After using up the only dozen or so blank talisman papers, they barely managed to make three "Lightness Talismans" (with a weak effect, better than nothing) and two "Miasma-Expelling Talismans" (targeting the possible poisonous miasma in Yunmengze).

The sky was overcast, the morning mist still clinging damply to the treetops and blades of grass. Qingyun Mountain was quiet; most disciples were still sound asleep. But before the mountain gate, five figures had already assembled.

Shen Mo, dressed in a faded gray-blue Taoist robe, stood at the front, his gaze calmly sweeping over the four people in front of him.

Shi Tie carried the heavy iron rod on his back, his chest puffed out, his dark face full of barely suppressed excitement. Every now and then, he would move his thick arms, making a slight cracking sound from his joints.

Su Xiao was dressed in a neat, plain-colored outfit, her hair was tied up, and a small cloth bag (containing various odds and ends) hung at her waist. Her expression was calm, but there was a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect.

Zhang Daniu, carrying his heavy axe, grinned, his eyes a mixture of tension and eagerness.

Zhao Qingyan stood quietly at the back, with a small bag on her back (containing talismans, spirit ink, and other items), her eyes lowered, as if she were silently memorizing something.