When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

The myriad colors of the Creation Flame roared within the furnace, but Chu Xianlan remained calm and composed as she sent her master's natal sword into the Heavenly Crafting Furnace.

Once the furnace is opened, all things return to their source.

As the flames quenched, the silvery-white blade of the sword turned red. Chu Xianlan took a deep breath and took out the forging hammer.

Use mine.

With a dull thud as the forging hammer hit the ground, an undeniable voice rang in my ears.

Chu Xianlan paused, "Senior?"

The woman's face lost its playfulness. Her illusory form appeared beside him and solemnly said, "Pick up the Thousand Tribulations Hammer, and I'll teach you."

This means taking the initiative to guide younger generations.

For weapon cultivators, forging hammers are of great significance. The Thousand Tribulations Hammer in front of them may have been used to strike countless ancient sword embryos. Chu Xianlan's eyes flashed, and she did not refuse. She raised the hammer and with a "clang", dazzling sparks flew three feet high.

Awesome!

Large workshops use materials aggressively.

The Way of Weapons is different from other cultivation methods. It requires involvement in all aspects. In addition to controlling fire and forging iron, one must also identify materials, and learn incantations, runes, and formations. Its complexity far exceeds that of those who specialize in a single path.

Therefore, those who repair tools often face immense pressure, and their tempers tend to be incredibly volatile when forging iron.

"Stop! Resonate with your heart! Where is your passion? Crafting is an art! Understand?"

"……OK."

"Stop dawdling! If your spiritual sense isn't strong enough, don't try to fight head-on. Do you think the amplification array under your feet is just for show?! Did you think I gave you my weapon-refining pavilion for nothing?!"

"Ugh! Senior, can you please be quiet?!"

The two weapon enthusiasts were arguing fiercely. As a sword cultivator who knew nothing about the art of weapon crafting, Yi Chen showed a subtle expression and chose to silently step back without disturbing them.

At the same time, Yan Ling glanced in the direction of the Heavenly Crafting Furnace.

Disdain.

I don't know what that evil snow spirit with its frozen brain was thinking. It's really beneath its dignity to be a spirit of heaven and earth to hang out with humans all day long.

Unlike him, who is arrogant, independent, handsome, and classy.

Yan Ling was kicking the stone with all four feet out of boredom when he suddenly felt an extremely uncomfortable spiritual energy fluctuation slowly approaching. When he saw it was Yi Chen, his horse-like face immediately twisted in disgust.

My goodness, ice-type aura! It's definitely second in terms of disgust!

Yan Ling turned and ran, afraid that Yi Chen would try to talk to her but get no response.

Soon, the surrounding spiritual energy trembled, and the Unmoored Boat was freshly made.

The ancient sword was sharper than ever before, as if confirming its new existence. It flew around the entire weapon-refining pavilion in a showy manner, looking brand new and full of vigor.

Yan Ling moved her lips, her tone full of malice, "Tsk, what an arrogant sword."

Bu Xizhou bypassed Yi Chen and went straight to Chu Xianlan's hand. Chu Xianlan could only helplessly touch the tip of her nose, and then presented the sword to her master with both hands:

"Master, your sword."

The boat, without being tied to anything, transformed into a white light and then into a hairpin, returning to the sword master's side.

His master remained silent for a long time. Chu Xianlan waited quietly for a moment before raising his eyes and meeting his master's deep gaze.

Their gazes met, and Yi Chen's lips curled up slightly.

It was indeed a very beautiful smile, not enthusiastic, but very gentle, like the first rays of dawn on a snow-covered plain.

Although his master said nothing, it was as if a voice had entered Chu Xianlan's brain without permission, telling her that he was very happy and liked it very much.

It was just a random thought that made Chu Xianlan feel as if her heart had been burned, and her thoughts were in turmoil.

He calmed himself down, inwardly scorning himself for his rich imagination and good skills, thinking that even with such a high level of confidence, he shouldn't be this overconfident.

It's floating away.

"Master, I—"

Chu Xianlan was just about to share his experience of using the Heavenly Crafting Furnace with his master when, in the next second, a finger gently pressed against his lips, silencing the boy's next words.

Chu Xianlan: ?

Yi Chen is truly helpless now.

He could sense that after he had shown leniency towards his apprentice, Chu Xianlan was looking for an opportunity to express his feelings every minute of every day.

She used to blush easily and avoid eye contact, and she didn't dare to make any requests in front of him. Now... she's become greedy and increasingly impatient.

In truth, Yi Chen was still struggling internally and had a soft heart. He knew that his disciple was enduring hardship, but he still had to maintain a proper distance for the time being.

There's nothing I can do... If Chu Xianlan tries to do something when the Gu flares up again, I'll just turn a blind eye and let him have his way for a while.

Meanwhile, Chu Xianlan was filled with suspicion and paranoia.

What does this mean? Why did Master gag him? Is it because he thinks I talk too much? Does he think I'm too noisy?

"Okay, okay!"

The woman suddenly appeared, laughing loudly in mid-air and patting Chu Xianlan's back wildly, unable to hide her excitement.

"You have a bright future! Kid, you may be a bit green, but you're got the right mindset, you're reckless and ambitious. If you don't have anything urgent to attend to, how about you become my apprentice? Stay here in the weapon-refining pavilion and learn from me for ten or eight years. I'll give you all my most treasured skills—"

"No," Yi Chen interrupted her. "We'll leave."

"Stingy? I was just kidding. Are you that afraid I'll steal your apprentice?" The woman, feeling doused with cold water, scoffed and turned to Yan Ling. "So, what do you say? Do you want to go with them?"

Yan Ling hadn't expected the topic to shift to her, and she said firmly, "No!"

"Why?" Xue Ling asked slowly, puzzled. "It's not just me, Hua Ling is here too. Maybe you two will become good friends."

"No reason," Yan Ling said rapidly, snorting through her nostrils, "Even if I starve to death or jump into a lava pool, I, Yan Ling, would never go with you—uh!"

A piece of ice suddenly hit Yanling on the forehead, startling the fiery horse so much that it flew off its feet.

Yan Ling flew into a rage: "Xue Ling, what are you doing?!"

"Nothing, I didn't do anything." Xue Ling said blankly.

Before the words were even finished, the entire sword cave began to tremble violently from the inside out.

Chu Xianlan was shaken so badly she almost lost her balance. It felt like an earthquake was hitting her, and countless icicles mixed with rubble were raining down on her from above.

"Not good!" The woman's remnant soul reacted quickly.

The array here has not been used for too long, and the use of the Heavenly Crafting Furnace has caused too much damage, so there is no longer any spiritual power to support the Refining Pavilion.

She yelled, "This place is going to collapse! Quick! Grab everything you can! I'll get you out of here!"

"all!?"

Chu Xianlan was completely flustered, frantically stuffing blueprints and materials into her storage pouch. "Senior, the hammer! Can I take the Thousand Tribulations Hammer?!"

"Take it!" the woman shouted even louder than he did.

"What about these unfinished artifact embryos?"

"Hurry up and get it! Stop talking nonsense!"

The predecessors granted amnesty to the world, and the successors are like wolves and tigers.

Unfortunately, the collapse of the entire weapon-refining pavilion was irreversible. Even if Chu Xianlan had eight hands, she could not sweep the entire weapon-refining pavilion away.

If Yi Chen hadn't erected a spiritual energy barrier beforehand, they would have been buried long ago.

"Xianlan, we have to go." Yichen looked up at the dome.

In the end, Chu Xianlan's gaze did not fall upon the treasures she hadn't had time to take with her.

He asked, "Senior—would you like to come with us?"

The woman paused, her movements halting as she opened the portal. Amidst the chaos, she met the boy's earnest gaze, remaining silent for a long moment before finally opening her mouth.

Of course she...couldn't leave.

After all, it was just a remnant soul that existed in the guise of the Refining Pavilion, guarding the Heavenly Crafting Furnace, and it couldn't even remember its own complete name anymore.

With the weapon-refining pavilion collapsed, how long can the weakened remnant soul survive?

If Chu Xianlan hadn't stumbled upon this place by chance today, the woman would never have seen the Heavenly Crafting Furnace restart.

She gazed at the master and apprentice before her. She had personally crafted the Unmoored Boat, which had been reborn through the hands of the young man. For her, weapon crafting was the root of her being, the essence of her soul, and the entire meaning of her existence.

He has passed away.

She will never be able to forge weapons by hand again.

But... perhaps that's the meaning of inheritance.

It's not about the immortality of the physical body, but about that undying spark that can be taken up by those who come after and start a prairie fire again.

The woman gritted her teeth and looked at the ancient artifact that was about to be completely buried.

"Take the Heavenly Crafting Furnace with you!"

"What—" Chu Xianlan didn't even have time to express his surprise before a streak of light flew by, and the Heavenly Craft Furnace shrank to the size of a palm, gently landing in his hand.

Instantly, the portal shone brightly, its attraction sweeping across the entire hall. Yi Chen quickly protected his disciples, and Xue Ling also burrowed back into Chu Xianlan's clothes. Yan Ling was unwilling, but unable to resist the power of space, and was dragged towards the portal with its four hooves off the ground.

Before being completely sucked into the light vortex, Chu Xianlan used all her strength to turn around.

Through the collapsed boulders, deep within the ruins, a woman stood with her hands on her hips, waving casually at Chu Xianlan.

"I've handed the item over to you. Now you're practically my apprentice, Caiyuan. Don't embarrass me in the future!"

She remembered her name as she wished, and the moment she finished speaking, her figure, like a candle wick burning to its limit, went out and vanished amidst the brilliant sparks.

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TVT has something to do tonight, so it'll be a single update, but I'll make it up to you all! Don't worry! Three chapters tomorrow~

Calm down, everyone! Please enjoy these two adorable creatures~