All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

Chapter 86 Tangyuan's Cultivation, Fu Ze's Weapon Refining

The next morning, Tangyuan officially began his first training session.

The location was in the small courtyard where Master Xuanhe lived.

Several medicinal herbs were planted in the courtyard, and a few bamboo baskets were placed in the corner. Some herbs were hanging under the eaves to dry. In the early morning, the mountain breeze blew by, and the air was filled with the bitter fragrance of herbs.

Master Xuanhe sat on an ancient-style futon.

Fu Ze and Ming Yan sat beside them.

Tangyuan, the little cat, was perched on another small cushion that had been prepared especially for it.

Its round, black-and-white body was pressed against the center of the prayer mat, its front paws clasped together, and its fluffy tail coiled around its sides. Judging by its posture alone, it really did look quite like someone earnestly practicing meditation!

Master Xuanhe spoke slowly, his tone long and rhythmic.

"The cultivation methods of demons are different from those of humans."

"Humans are the most intelligent of all beings. Their meridians and acupoints are naturally complete. After obtaining the method, they develop a sense of Qi and can directly circulate spiritual energy through the body according to the cultivation method."

"Ordinary birds, beasts, plants, and trees do not have such convenience and natural advantages. They can only rely on their own instincts to slowly sense the spiritual energy between heaven and earth."

"Only after awakening one's intelligence and gathering demonic energy can one truly embark on the path of cultivation."

Fu Ze nodded.

Tangyuan tilted its little head up, as if listening very attentively.

Master Xuanhe continued.

"Today, I will teach it the 'Spirit Awakening Breathing Method' to help it sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, purify the demonic energy, and nurture its own spirituality."

This method doesn't involve killing techniques; it simply helps you avoid some detours.

"If it can truly achieve something in the future, it's not too late to find a path that is truly suitable for it."

Simply put, this is like laying the foundation for glutinous rice balls.

It's like building a skyscraper; you have to lay a solid foundation first. As for the shape and height of the building afterward, you can adjust it according to the actual situation.

Fu Zeji bowed.

"That's enough. Thank you, Daoist Master."

Tangyuan glanced at Fu Ze and imitated him, making the "Taoist hand gesture." It looked somewhat comical, and the young Taoist boy Mingyan next to him couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle.

Tangyuan was, after all, just a little demon who had only recently gained sentience.

Talking about demonic arts, realms, and immortality now is too far-fetched. Being able to actively breathe in spiritual energy, absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and purify the demonic energy within one's body is already a great benefit.

Master Xuanhe extended a finger and gently touched Tangyuan's forehead.

A wisp of gentle spiritual energy slowly entered its body.

Tangyuan's body stiffened slightly.

Master Xuanhe did not forcibly control its demonic energy, but used his own spiritual energy as a guide to allow it to clearly perceive the existence and movement of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for the first time.

The place where the Maoshan Sect is located is a blessed land of Taoism.

Where mountains and rivers converge, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is much more abundant than in the outside world.

Tangyuan usually just felt comfortable here and the fish looked especially tempting, but she never knew why.

At this moment, under the guidance of Master Xuanhe, the world in its eyes suddenly changed.

In the morning mist, there seemed to be many faint, ethereal lights.

Those faint lights filled the space between heaven and earth, flowing with the mountain breeze, sweeping over the grass, eaves and its black and white fur.

Tangyuan's eyes widened more and more.

It instinctively stretched out its paw and slapped at a wisp of spiritual energy in front of it.

Naturally, nothing was captured on camera.

Master Xuanhe was not surprised.

"Close your eyes and calm your mind."

Tangyuan tilted her head and looked at him.

"Don't grab me."

Tangyuan looked at the wisp of spiritual energy in front of her again, seemingly with some regret, and finally obediently closed her eyes.

Master Xuanhe began to teach the most basic breathing rhythm.

Newly developed sentient beasts cannot perform hand seals and store their spirit like humans, nor can they comprehend complex scriptures. The "Spirit Awakening Breathing Method" is extremely simple; it only requires the demon to follow its own breathing, guide the surrounding spiritual energy closer, and then use its demonic energy to draw it into its body little by little.

At first, Tangyuan did very well.

It crouched on the futon, breathing slowly, and the faint demonic aura around its body gradually quieted down.

Fu Ze could even sense that a trace of spiritual energy from the mountains was being slowly drawn to it.

Fifteen minutes later, Tangyuan's head began to bob up and down little by little, dozing off like a "slacker" in class.

A moment later, it slumped to the side and plopped down on the cushion, falling asleep with a snoring sound.

The young Taoist priest Mingyan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Tangyuan's ears twitched, and she immediately woke up.

It quickly sat back up, closed its eyes, and pretended that nothing had happened.

Master Xuanhe stroked his beard.

"Don't laugh. This little demon is practicing the orthodox Taoist methods for the first time. It's already quite good that it can last for a quarter of an hour."

Although the "Spirit Awakening Breathing Method" taught by Xuanhe is a basic technique, it is a genuine orthodox Maoshan method. Because it is mainly suitable for demons to cultivate, not many members of the Maoshan sect know it.

Only those who already possess "demon pets" or are highly skilled and respected elders know this method.

Fu Ze glanced at the glutinous rice balls.

Tangyuan sat upright with her eyes closed.

Her breathing became more and more even, and she was clearly about to fall asleep again.

Fu Ze walked over and reached out to rub its head.

"Wake up."

Tangyuan opened her eyes, looking very dissatisfied.

It probably thinks that closing your eyes and remaining still is a form of spiritual practice, so what difference does it make if you're asleep?

Master Xuanhe did not rush to ask it to continue.

Demons, being new to cultivation, cannot immediately grasp the principles like humans. Moreover, cats are naturally lively and agile, preferring movement to stillness; forcing them to do so will only make them more averse to it.

Master Xuanhe took a dried fish out of the bamboo basket and waved it in front of Tangyuan.

"If I draw in another wisp of spiritual energy, this one will be yours."

Tangyuan's eyes lit up instantly.

It squatted down again and closed its eyes.

This time, without Master Xuanhe's guidance using spiritual energy, Tangyuan tried hard to recall the feeling from just now.

A gentle breeze flows softly through the courtyard.

The wind blew through the herbs and circled around Tangyuan. The spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth drew closer with the wind, and a tiny wisp of it was finally drawn in by the demonic energy within Tangyuan's body.

A barely perceptible glimmer of light appeared around Tangyuan's body.

Although it was fleeting, it was indeed the first time it breathed and exhaled on its own.

Master Xuanhe nodded gently.

"Good, that's fine."

The dried fish was handed to it.

Tangyuan immediately ended her cultivation, picked up the dried fish, and ran to the side.

Mingyan stared in disbelief.

"Grandmaster Uncle, can I practice like this from now on?"

Master Xuanhe glanced at him.

"What, you want some dried fish too?"

Mingyan immediately fell silent.

Fu Ze suppressed a laugh and thanked Master Xuanhe.

After Tangyuan learns to breathe, it doesn't mean she will immediately possess great magical power.

According to Master Xuanhe's assessment, it would need to persist for at least several more months to truly untangle the wisp of demonic energy within its body. As for its two weak abilities, which it comprehended instinctively, it would also need to explore them gradually.

But from this day forward, it will no longer be just a little demon that instinctively devours the spiritual energy of leaves.

It truly embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation.

Moreover, it can be considered a legitimate branch of Taoism, albeit with some effort!

After finishing the dried fish, Tangyuan seemed to want to prove that she had indeed learned the skill.

It ran back to the cushion, its pupils gleaming faintly, and stared at a small beetle crawling on a herb leaf.

The beetle suddenly stopped moving.

In the past, Tangyuan relied on instinct to unleash this ability, and demonic energy would always surge out all at once, and he himself could not judge how long he could maintain it.

This time, however, only a tiny wisp of the demonic energy that it had just cleansed was released.

The beetle paused for two breaths, then resumed crawling.

Tangyuan swayed slightly, but didn't feel tired as quickly as she used to.

Master Xuanhe nodded slightly as he looked at him.

"Sorcery isn't necessarily better the stronger it is. True skill lies in being able to control it at will."

Tangyuan probably didn't understand the second half of the sentence.

But knowing it had been praised, it immediately raised its head and looked at the dried fish beside Master Xuanhe.

For the next few days, Tangyuan was brought to Master Xuanhe's courtyard for cultivation every morning.

It still often falls asleep while practicing.

However, as long as Master Xuanhe takes out the dried fish, it will quickly regain its spirits.

After the young Taoist disciples of Maoshan learned that Tangyuan had also begun his spiritual practice, they liked it even more.

People come to watch it breathe every day.

Tangyuan was a little nervous at first.

Later, he discovered that the more people watched, the more dried fish he would receive after finishing his cultivation, and he gradually learned to sit cross-legged in front of others.

A round, chubby kitten sat on a futon, closing its eyes and breathing deeply with a serious expression.

An uninformed person seeing this would probably really think it's some kind of enlightened mythical beast.

Only Fu Ze knew that before each cultivation session, it would first take a look at how many dried fish were prepared beside it.

The amount of dried fish determines its level of effort and the number of times it works diligently!

With Tangyuan's matter temporarily settled, Fu Ze began to consider another matter.

Weapon crafting.

The Heavenly Decree has had its weapon crafting function enabled for some time now.

The extraterrestrial iron that had once polluted the hedgehog-shaped local deity of Hewan Village had always been kept in his Heavenly Decree.

However, in the past, escorting Liao Xibai was fraught with danger, leaving no time for research or sufficient supplementary materials. Now, staying in Maoshan, he enjoys a rare moment of leisure and has genuine Taoist cultivators to consult, making it the perfect time to understand the intricacies of the matter.

One afternoon, Fu Ze found Lu Shouzhen in a Dharma hall in the mountains.

Lu Shouzhen was organizing the ritual implements and scriptures used in this ordination ceremony.

He was somewhat surprised to hear Fu Ze inquire about weapon crafting.

"Young friend Fu, you also know how to forge weapons?"

Fu Ze shook his head.

"I just have some special materials left at home, and I'm quite interested in crafting artifacts. If I have the opportunity in the future, I'd like to craft my own magical artifact, so I've come to ask the Taoist priest for some basic guidance."

Lu Shouzhen had no doubts.

Fu Ze has many secrets. Whether it's the "Shangqing Lingbao Dongshen Zhengfa" or his golden light that resembles the Longhu Mountain method, they are clearly not things that can be explained by ordinary family traditions.

However, since Maoshan did not inquire about his background during the ordination ceremony, they naturally would not investigate his materials now.

"I am not an expert in weapon crafting; I only know some basics. However, if you only want to understand the fundamentals, I can explain them to you."

Lu Shouzhen put down the legal text in his hand.

"The crafting of weapons can be broadly categorized into four aspects: material, form, nature, and prohibitions."

"Materials are the foundation. The amount of spiritual energy a crafting material can bear determines the upper limit of a magical artifact. Even if ordinary wood and stone are refined by a master, they are unlikely to become a true treasure."

"Form refers to function. Swords, seals, bells, and banners each have their uses. The same spiritual material, when forged into a magic sword and a magic seal, may ultimately have completely different powers."

"Nature is the spirituality inherent in the material itself. Lightning-struck wood is close to lightning, ebony wood is close to yin, and red copper is good at communicating with spirits. If the materials are compatible, the forging of the weapon will be twice as effective. If the attributes conflict, the power of the magical weapon will be greatly reduced at best, and it will be destroyed during the forging process at worst."

"As for restrictions, these are the runes, principles, and prohibitions inscribed on magical artifacts."

Lu Shouzhen took out a peach wood sword that was placed in the Dharma Hall.

"Take this magic sword as an example. Peach wood itself can ward off evil, and the blade is engraved with exorcising talismans. It has been nurtured by the Taoist priests of our sect for many years. When used to slay ghosts and exorcise evil, it is naturally far superior to an ordinary iron sword."

"But if it clashes head-on with a martial artist's weapon, it may break in a few blows."

Fu Ze took the peach wood sword and glanced at it.

The peach wood sword technique is pure and authentic, yet the sword itself is not heavy.

Let alone a master of internal energy, even an ordinary martial artist might not be able to withstand a full-force strike.

"What about the Golden Iron Magic Sword?"

"Of course there are."

Lu Shouzhen said.

"Gold and iron are sturdy and can withstand the strength of a martial artist. However, most gold and iron materials in the world are heavy and turbid, making it difficult for spiritual energy to flow within them. If one blindly pursues sharpness and hardness, one will often damage the nature of the magic."

"Therefore, the metal swords that ordinary Taoist priests carry are mostly used for setting up altars, suppressing evil spirits, and guiding talismanic rituals. They are rarely used for actual close combat with people."

Fu Ze seemed to be deep in thought.

The magic sword he wanted was different from all of these.

He himself was a master of internal energy transformation.

If a magic sword can only be used for casting spells and cannot withstand his force, it is essentially no different from a magic dagger made of jujube wood struck by lightning.

However, if he only forges a sturdy and sharp warrior's longsword, he cannot truly utilize his advantages as a sorcerer.

Lu Shouzhen saw through his thoughts.

"You want to forge a sword that can both withstand the power of a martial artist and be used to cast spells?"

Fu Ze nodded.

"Exactly."

Lu Shouzhen pondered for a moment.

"Disaster."

"When martial artists engage in close combat, their weapons withstand tremendous force with each collision. The more complex the runes inside a magical artifact, the easier it is to damage under such impacts."

"To achieve both, the main material must be tough enough and have a strong spiritual capacity. Secondly, it is also necessary to construct the spiritual energy channels with suitable materials so that the magical power is not blocked by metal."

"Most importantly, the magical artifact's abilities cannot be too varied."

Lu Shouzhen looked at Fu Ze.

"Trying to both receive lightning and control fire; wanting to both suppress evil and protect oneself; will only lead to conflicts between different materials and talismans."

"Like people, the purer the foundation of a Dharma instrument, the easier it is to go far on the path."

Fu Ze took notes carefully.

The Heavenly Decree guarantees that weapon crafting will not fail and will result in a high-grade weapon of the same level.

However, the fact that it won't fail doesn't mean that randomly piling up materials will yield the most suitable magical artifact.

It's like alchemy.

Even the best alchemy furnace cannot refine a pile of unrelated medicinal herbs into a true elixir.

He pondered for a long time, and images of extraterrestrial iron and lightning-struck jujube wood magic dagger gradually surfaced in his mind.

The extraterrestrial iron is tough, extremely dense, and possesses a strong spiritual capacity.

The lightning-struck jujube wood dagger has been with him ever since, and has long been nurtured by magical power, possessing the properties of lightning and the power to ward off evil.

These two items seem to be the perfect foundation for a sword that can be used for both magic and martial arts.

Fu Ze looked up and asked.

"Master Lu, would it be feasible to use a highly spiritual iron for the sword blade and lightning-struck wood for the core of the magical artifact?"

Lu Shouzhen did not answer immediately.

"Just stating the approach is certainly feasible."

"But wood and iron have different properties. How to fuse the two together, and whether the lightning-struck wood can withstand the impact of the sword, depends on the skill of the weapon refiner."

Fu Ze already had the answer in his heart.

Ordinary weapon refiners might need to worry about failure.

He does not need it.

The Heavenly Decree can truly fuse different materials into one.

Lu Shouzhen reminded him again.

"If you really want to refine it this way, it would be best to find red copper essence that is good at conducting spiritual energy, and warm jade that can stabilize spiritual energy. A small amount of Geng metal can be added to the sword blade to enhance its sharpness."

"However, Geng metal is too sharp and should not be used in excess. Thunder is inherently fierce, and if one blindly pursues sharpness, the magic sword can easily injure both the enemy and oneself."

Fu Ze nodded.

"I've got it."

As we left the Dharma Hall, it was already getting dark in the mountains.

As Fu Ze walked up the stone steps, his mind became clearer and clearer.

Extraterrestrial iron is the main material.

The lightning-struck jujube wood dagger is the core of the sword.

It is further supplemented with red copper essence, warm jade and a small amount of Geng metal materials.

Do not seek out a wide variety of skills.

As long as it is hard and sharp enough to withstand his transformative power, it can also smoothly unleash thunder magic and exorcism spells.

This was the first true magical artifact he desired.

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