Chapter 159: The First Refinement of a Magical Artifact

The Wind and Snow Pavilion has been destroyed! That was Nie Feiyan’s first thought. Then she remembered that Elder Lin Tian and Wang Dashan had gone to the Blood Victory Empire. If the enemy’s target was the Wind and Snow Pavilion, those two might also be in danger. Driven by this determination, despite her severe injuries, Nie Feiyan managed to reach Bloodwind City. After much inquiry, she learned that several people, including Lin Xiaobao, were currently on Bloodwind Mountain. But before reaching the summit, she collapsed from exhaustion and lost consciousness. What happened next was already known to everyone.

After hearing Nie Feiyan’s account, Lin Xiaobao organized the crucial information. Whether Nie Feiyan came to deliver the news or knew of Wang Dashan’s affection for her and thus sought to save her life, Lin Xiaobao did not dwell on it.

At that moment, Lin Xiaobao was pondering just how powerful the enemy truly was based on Nie Feiyan’s description.

Seeing Lin Xiaobao’s inquisitive gaze, Qin Feng thought for a moment before saying, “Although we don’t know how many enemies there are, at least one of them has reached the late stage of the Fusion Dao, which explains the formidable force they commanded!”

Late stage of Fusion Dao? What exactly do they want? Reaching this conclusion only deepened Lin Xiaobao’s confusion. If the enemy was targeting him and possessed such profound cultivation, there would be no need for such elaborate measures. So what was their purpose in slaughtering the Wind and Snow Pavilion, the Floating Cloud Sect, and the Long family?

After much thought, Lin Xiaobao still could not find the answer he sought. After arranging for Wang Dashan to tend to Nie Feiyan, he walked out alone.

Naturally, Simeng Ling, Qin Feng, and Yun Keke followed him.

“It looks like we won’t be leaving anytime soon. Let’s rest for a few days and wait until Nie Feiyan’s injuries improve,” Lin Xiaobao said, fully aware that Wang Dashan would never leave under current circumstances. He cared deeply for this brother, so he decided to wait a few more days. Fortunately, there was still ample time before the opening ceremony of Longxiang Academy.

After Qin Feng left, Lin Xiaobao turned to Simeng Ling. “During these few days, you can study the Azure Moon Spirit Scripture. When we reach Longxiang Academy, it will increase your opportunities.”

Simeng Ling nodded and returned to her room. After hearing Elder Lin’s account, she understood what kind of place Longxiang Academy was, and her heart was filled with longing.

Once the two had left, Lin Xiaobao asked Yun Keke, “How is it?”

“She was telling the truth,” Yun Keke answered, clearly understanding what Lin Xiaobao was referring to.

Lin Xiaobao had harbored some suspicion about Nie Feiyan’s sudden appearance but refrained from voicing it for fear of upsetting Wang Dashan. Instead, he instructed Yun Keke to use the Mind Link Technique to investigate her. The result, however, left Lin Xiaobao somewhat disappointed.

From various signs, Lin Xiaobao found Nie Feiyan’s appearance highly suspicious. Yet, he trusted Yun Keke’s Mind Link Technique, especially since acquiring the Mind Charm Art, which had greatly enhanced Yun Keke’s abilities. She was now at the peak of the third level, on the verge of breaking through.

Despite having signed a master-servant contract with Yun Keke, Lin Xiaobao believed that with her wholehearted efforts, she could also glimpse the secrets of his own heart.

Thus, upon receiving Yun Keke’s confirmation, all of Lin Xiaobao’s previous speculations had to be discarded and reconsidered. Massaging his temples, unable to find any answers, he decided not to dwell on it. If the enemy truly aimed at him, their intentions would reveal themselves in time. He then said to Yun Keke, “You should go back first. I need to enter the meditation chamber to recuperate.”

Feeling weary, Lin Xiaobao chose not to sleep, especially after learning about the existence of a mysterious realm called the Great World. He knew that sleep had become a luxury he could hardly afford.

Bidding Yun Keke farewell, Lin Xiaobao entered the meditation chamber and immediately sat cross-legged to begin cultivating the Taiyi True Fire Technique and the Mind Wave Art.

With his steadily growing spiritual power, Lin Xiaobao was now capable of practicing two techniques simultaneously—a boon considering his tight schedule.

Three hours later, when Lin Xiaobao opened his eyes, he felt reinvigorated. Calculating the time, he realized that whether it was Nie Feiyan’s full recovery or Simeng Ling’s initial mastery of the Azure Moon Spirit Scripture, both would require at least ten days. After some thought, Lin Xiaobao decided to forge a magical treasure himself.

After all, the Azure Flame Holy Sword forged by Chen Zhong had been detonated during the battle with the Third Elder. Although the Rift Heaven Sword was discovered at the Treasure Exchange Event, it was ruthlessly devoured by fragments of the Chaos Mirror.

Currently, Lin Xiaobao carried abundant forging materials but lacked a worthy magical treasure. Moreover, he had long harbored a passion for forging. Since cultivating his innate True Fire, he had found no spare time for such pursuits.

With these thoughts, Lin Xiaobao did not rush to begin but fell into deep contemplation. Now equipped with advanced forging materials and his innate True Fire, and having learned forging techniques from Elder Wu—though still less experienced than Chen Zhong—Lin Xiaobao believed the treasure he forged would at least not be unsightly.

His current concern was how to maximize the treasure's power while controlling its grade so it wouldn’t be too high; otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee whether the treasure would serve him or simply feed the bottomless pit of the Chaos Mirror fragments.

After a full day of planning, Lin Xiaobao finalized his design. After several mental rehearsals ensuring no flaws, he began the preparation.

Elysian Profound Iron, Glazed Spirit Jade, Phantom Soil, Skyward Divine Bamboo... Within a wave of his hand, nearly ten materials that would make any Daoist cultivator envious hovered around him. Then, with a thought, a crimson flame surged from his fingertips, dividing into several clusters under his control to begin refining these materials.

Forging and alchemy share certain similarities. Though Lin Xiaobao had never forged a treasure before, alchemy was already second nature to him.

Now, manipulating his innate True Fire was effortless.

Purification is much like alchemy: although these materials were already high-grade, purification remained essential. The purer the materials, the stronger the forged treasure’s power. Thus, the cultivator’s level and achievements significantly influenced the forging or alchemy results.

Unlike alchemy, where Qin Feng’s Nine Dragons Alchemy Cauldron aided purification, Lin Xiaobao had to rely on himself, making the process more strenuous. The firepower couldn’t be too strong, lest it damage the materials’ essence; nor too weak, or it would be ineffective. The forger must constantly adjust the fire’s intensity according to varying needs.

This judgment largely depends on experience, which is why forging and alchemy are costly endeavors, with high failure rates at the start. Lin Xiaobao’s training under two top masters was a rare privilege.

Even so, manipulating different flames to refine nearly ten materials simultaneously consumed immense spiritual and mental energy. Yet, this effort greatly aided his cultivation progress.