Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 81 Body Tempering Level Three (Nine Updates)

A small courtyard made of bluestone, inside a ground-level room.

Lu Chi's gaze was calm as he repeatedly went through the "Spirit Cleansing Hammer Technique" he had obtained in his mind. He gradually sorted out all the details and had a clear idea in his mind.

He originally planned to start from scratch and forge a brand new mid-grade magic artifact.

However, after obtaining the "Spirit Cleansing Hammer Technique," he felt a sense of confidence.

Rather than forging it from scratch, it would be better to use that mid-grade flying sword as a foundation and reforge it.

If a few suitable spiritual materials could be added to re-refine the weapon's patterns, making them more refined, its power might be increased even further.

This method may seem like a shortcut, but in reality, it may not be any easier than crafting a mid-grade magic weapon.

But if successful, one can obtain a flying sword with even greater sharpness, which would make the attempt worthwhile.

He raised his hand and patted his storage bag, and two clear sword sounds rang out, followed by two flying swords hovering in front of him.

One of them was a low-grade flying sword that he used to use. Last night, it clashed with a mid-grade magic weapon, and the sword was covered with fine cracks, greatly damaging its spiritual power.

The other one was a mid-grade flying sword obtained from Ge Jiuzhang. Its blade was cold and its material was quite good.

Afterwards, Lu Chi took out several pieces of mineral materials obtained from the spoils of war, namely "Cold Iron Essence" and "Deep Sea Sinking Silver", and placed them together in the fire pit in the center of the quiet room.

After doing all this, he took off his shirt, revealing his strong back, and picked up the heavy black iron hammer.

"rise."

With a slight movement of his fingers, a ball of mysterious fire rose from his palm and fell into the furnace. The flames suddenly surged and engulfed the broken flying sword and several pieces of ore.

Lu Chi used his magic to stabilize the fire and slowly increase the temperature.

In less than half an hour, the low-grade flying sword gradually softened in the furnace fire, eventually disintegrating into a mass of dark blue molten iron. The cold iron essence and the heavy silver also slowly merged into it under the high temperature.

Lu Chi's gaze narrowed slightly as he controlled the fire with his left hand and raised the hammer with his right.

The trajectory of the "Spirit Cleansing Hammer Technique" appeared one by one in his mind.

The hammer fell.

"When One"

The first hammer blow landed on the vessel blank, sparks flying everywhere.

The hammer blows were not hurried, but extremely steady.

Each hammer blow, following the flow of energy in the spiritual material, either disperses impurities or gathers spiritual essence.

The originally mixed molten iron gradually solidified under repeated forging.

Time slips away quietly.

A day has passed.

Lu Chi's arms were slightly sore, and the sweat on his forehead had not yet slid down before it was evaporated into white mist by the furnace fire, but he remained calm and composed, and his hammering remained steady.

The "Azure Vein Jade Bone Technique" within the body slowly circulated, and the Qi and blood rose and fell with the hammer's force.

The thunderous vitality contained in that bowl of purple thunder bamboo rice, originally hidden deep within the flesh and blood, is now gradually drawn out through repeated forging and circulation of qi and blood, flowing along the meridians.

Qi and blood intertwine with the intent of thunder, cleansing and refining muscles and bones.

The molten iron in the furnace gradually shed its impurities under the hammering and refining process. The originally coarse and chaotic essence was gradually refined, and its aura became increasingly pure.

With a thought, Lu Chi directed the mid-grade flying sword into the furnace.

The molten iron slowly coated the spine of the sword.

As the two materials fused together, a subtle conflict arose. Lu Chi focused his divine sense on the changes, then used the force of a hammer to disperse the obstruction and slowly bring them back together.

Two days have passed.

Inside the underground chamber, only the roaring fire and the steady hammering could be heard.

Lu Chi's eyes were slightly bloodshot, but he still swung his hammer with composure. The remaining medicinal power of the Purple Thunder Bamboo Rice transformed into warm currents within his body, repairing his depleted blood and qi while continuing to cleanse his muscles and bones.

By late night on the third day.

Zong, —"

The final hammer fell.

This clear sound did not only come from within the sword itself.

Lu Chi's internal energy and blood suddenly surged, as if a blockage had been cleared, and the previously condensed energy and blood suddenly spread out, making his meridians unobstructed.

Three layers of tempering.

The fire in the stove was still burning.

Lu Chi simply exhaled a breath of turbid air, calming down the surging blood and qi within his body.

The flying sword is not yet fully formed; it is still one last step away.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, drew upon his divine sense, and slowly imprinted several weapon patterns that he had already deduced many times into the sword's body.

The artifact control pattern, the sharp edge pattern, and a spirit cleansing pattern comprehended from the "Spirit Cleansing Hammer Technique".

The lines gradually closed.

The firelight gradually dimmed.

In the quiet room, a flying sword hangs in mid-air.

The sword is long and slender, entirely black, yet its blade emits a sliver of cold blue light. It slowly absorbs the surrounding fire elemental energy, its aura restrained yet sharp.

Lu Chi reached out and placed the flying sword horizontally on his lap, then lowered his eyes to examine it closely.

The sword was dark black, with a wisp of cold blue flowing across its edge. Though it remained still, it exuded a chilling sharpness that remained hidden.

Compared to before, the flying sword is now far superior in terms of material, pattern, and compatibility with his magical power.

Lu Chi gently traced the spine of the sword with his fingertips, feeling the restrained yet sharp chill within. After a moment of contemplation, he said in a low voice, "Having inherited the power of the *Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing* and been reforged from cold iron and heavy silver, your sword intent is profound, and your sharpness is concealed. I shall call you Xuanyuan."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flying sword trembled slightly and emitted a low, clear sword cry, as if in response.

Seeing this, Lu Chi's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction.

He knew that, given his current limitations in weapon crafting skills and the spiritual materials at his disposal, this reforging was more about removing impurities and replenishing the foundation on the original basis.

Once the art of weapon crafting becomes more refined and more superior water-based spiritual materials and sharper objects are found, this "Mysterious Abyss" weapon may have room for further improvement.

At that time, it is not entirely impossible to elevate it to a superior-grade magical artifact or even higher.

With a slight thought, Lu Chi's "Xuanyuan" sword emitted a clear and melodious cry, transforming into a stream of dark blue light that disappeared into his sleeve.

He took out three black array flags from his storage bag.

Last night's battle saw two top-grade talismans explode one after another, their violent spiritual power nearly shattering the entire formation.

The three array flags, which form the foundation of the array, were the first to be affected. Now, the flags are covered with fine cracks, their spiritual light is dim, and they look somewhat broken.

Lu Chi gently stroked the flag with his fingertips, feeling its rough texture.

The thought flashed through his mind almost instinctively: to use the [Weapon Tomb] root nature to forcibly dissolve this thing and glean some knowledge of the method of array weapon crafting.

But as soon as the thought arose, he slowly suppressed it again.

The array flags are the foundation of the array. Without the array flags to suppress the earth's vein nodes, even with the array plate in hand, it is difficult to make the array operate smoothly.

The maze in the courtyard still relies on this item to maintain its function. Destroying it for a little crafting experience would be counterproductive.

Moreover, the spiritual materials required for the array flags are quite diverse. If new ones cannot be made in a short time, searching for materials in the market will inevitably attract attention.

"Although it's damaged, it's still usable for now," Lu Chi muttered to himself, putting the three array flags back into his storage bag.

At this moment, a hollow sound suddenly came from his abdomen. He had spent three days refining weapons and then broke through to the third level of body tempering. Although his blood and qi were abundant, his physical body was also quite depleted.

Lu Chi immediately summoned the Azure Starter Furnace and simply cooked a pot of Purple Thunder Bamboo Rice. He ate several bowls in a row, and his hunger gradually subsided.

After putting down the bowl, a thought suddenly struck him, and he remembered Zhou Jinyan.

In fact, the opportunity to unlock the [Spirit Farmer] profession came from the inspiration I got from that Spirit Farmer friend.

As his thoughts turned to this, he recalled the rather strange earth-walking spirit rat that the other party had caught some time ago.

Outside Qingqueshan Market, a hundred miles away, lies a deep, ancient forest.

Towering ancient trees block out the sun, and the perpetual miasma and the smell of decaying leaves permeate the forest, making the terrain extremely treacherous.

A slightly disheveled but excited figure carefully pushed aside waist-deep thorns, closely following behind a dusty little beast.

It was Zhou Jinyan.

At this moment, he had long lost the rustic air he once had when tending a few acres of spiritual fields.

Although his robes were torn in several places by tree branches and covered in mud, the storage bag at his waist was bulging, exuding an air of considerable wealth.

Looking back on the past few months, Zhou Jinyan still feels like she's dreaming.

A few months ago, he set up a stall on the edge of the market. This "earth-walking spirit rat" that he caught with a trapping talisman was not only ignored by everyone because of its strange appearance, but was also ridiculed by people. Even Lu Chi shook his head and left after seeing it.

Left with no other choice, he could only accept his bad luck and take the little beast back to the spirit field.

Who would have thought that the thieving rat would gnaw through the cage made of fine ironwood that very night?

Instead of running away, it dug out a fragment of a low-grade magic artifact left behind by a previous cultivator from the depths of the spirit field, as well as several low-grade spirit stones that were hidden very deep!

It was only then that Zhou Jinyan suddenly realized what was going on.

This is not some ordinary ground rat that wreaks havoc on the spirit fields, but a strange spirit beast with the extraordinary ability to find treasure!

With such a treasure-hunting tool, why would he still need to farm?

In the past few months, Zhou Jinyan has simply abandoned the spirit field and wandered around the desolate mountains and wilderness outside Qingque Mountain with this little beast.

Using the little beast's amazing sense of smell and treasure-hunting instinct, he unearthed quite a few good things: scattered spirit stones,

The remnants of storage bags left behind by previous masters in their battles, and the low-level spiritual herbs hidden in the crevices of the rocks—the harvest was quite plentiful.

"Squeak!"

Ahead, the dusty little beast suddenly stopped in front of a moss-covered cliff, frantically scratching at the fallen leaves with its two front paws, and turned back to call out urgently to Zhou Jinyan.

Zhou Jinyan's expression brightened, and she quickly stepped forward.

He cautiously reached out his hand, and the moment his fingertips touched the empty space in front of the cliff, a ripple of spiritual light, like waves on water, suddenly appeared in the previously empty air.

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous force of recoil sent him staggering back several steps, his blood churning.

"A formation?!"

Zhou Jinyan steadied herself, her surprise replaced by delight, and her eyes suddenly blazed with intense light.

A place that can be specially concealed by an array is far superior to the dilapidated remains left by those rogue cultivators. This is definitely a hidden cave dwelling left by our predecessors!

He took a few deep breaths, suppressing his overwhelming joy, and carefully observed the ripples for a moment, but his brows gradually furrowed.

Although the formation had been eroded over countless years and its spiritual light had dimmed somewhat, the obscure energy emanating from its operation was still far beyond what a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator like him could shake.

If you forcefully bombard it with magic, not only will you fail to break the restriction, but you are also very likely to attract ferocious beasts from the nearby mountains and forests, or robbers who kill and plunder.

"Entering a treasure mountain only to be blocked by the gate—" Zhou Jinyan was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he pictured a figure who always wore a blue robe and acted with extreme composure.

"Lu Chi!"

Zhou Jinyan suddenly slapped her thigh.

Wasn't it Lu Chi who gave us the excellent sleeping array talisman to catch that treasure-hunting rat? Moreover, Lu Chi is not only highly skilled in talisman-making, but he is also extremely loyal and righteous. Most importantly, he is prudent in his actions and is by no means the kind of treacherous person who would betray others for personal gain.

"This hidden cave is far too difficult for me to conquer alone. I should go back and join forces with him; with his abilities, perhaps we can break this formation!"

Having made up his mind, Zhou Jinyan gave up on the idea and quickly made several extremely well-hidden marks nearby.

He then scooped up the small beast from the ground, stuffed it into his spirit beast pouch, slapped on a speed talisman, and ran off towards the Qingque Mountain Market without looking back.

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