Chapter 101: The Art of Refinement

A shadow stepped through the flames, arriving at the White Tiger Mountain Inspection Bureau.

The Inspection Bureau was surrounded by high walls and black tiles, less ornate and noble than the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Bureau, but imbued with a solemn and imposing aura.

The Bureau was divided into two departments and two halls.

The two departments were the functional arms of Sanqing Mountain: the Disciplinary Department oversaw internal sect discipline, while the Surveillance Department handled external investigations.

The two halls were places of cultivation: the Armory Hall focused on the forging and refining of weapons, and the Puppet Hall specialized in mechanisms and puppetry.

Cheng Xinzhan was not very familiar with the Disciplinary Department, and truth be told, probably no one in the sect was; everyone kept their distance whenever they encountered its members. The Taoist robes of Sanqing Mountain varied in base color across the different peaks, all bearing the mountain mist motif on the chest and the Bagua diagram on the back—except for the Disciplinary Department, whose robes displayed the fierce Pixiu emblem on the chest, making them conspicuously distinctive.

However, Cheng was well acquainted with the other three, especially the Surveillance Department, owing to his initiative half a year ago after returning from Bai Yujing. He had reported connections between Mount Huangshan and Mount Emei, as well as suspicions about a minor Heavenly Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain lingering in smoky locales. These two sects commanded the leading positions in Eastern Daoism and were the primary focus of the Surveillance Department.

The Puppet Hall was familiar to him because Zhu Jianmo cultivated there. Though Cheng did not regard Zhu’s Ming bloodline as significant, Zhu still considered them clan brothers and often looked out for Cheng, occasionally gifting him some small puppet trinkets he crafted.

As for the Armory Hall, that was where Cheng audited classes.

Indeed, the day after his return from Bai Yujing, the Sect Leader had announced that Cheng Xinzhan, the twenty-sixth generation disciple of Mingzhishan’s true transmission, would audit Lei Fa (Thunder Method) by the Cardinal Mountain in the first ten days of each month, sword techniques by Toujian Mountain in the middle ten days, and alchemical forging by White Tiger Mountain in the last ten days. All the mountain bureaus would fully cooperate, imparting the true teachings openly without reservation, for a period of two years.

Six months had passed, and most within the sect now recognized that Mingzhishan had produced a prodigy: proficient in talisman arts, thunder magic, and swordsmanship. Further digging revealed that he had once reached the Nandou Ranking by practicing the Six-Breath Energy Absorption technique.

At this moment, the deputy head of the Armory Hall, Daoist Jiang Weishan, personally escorted Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng entered the Armory Hall, winding through corridors and climbing stairs before arriving at a cavernous underground chamber known as the Alchemy Cave.

The subterranean space was vast, soaring over ten zhang high. The earthen roof had been blackened and glazed by the furnace fires, reflecting the flames and creating a shimmering, rippling light effect underground.

Despite the dense arrangement of towering crimson forging furnaces, the cavern still felt spacious.

Each furnace stood six or seven zhang tall, fed by subterranean fire that burned ceaselessly year-round, making the cave sweltering and smoky.

Walking inside was like traversing a forest of molten metal.

Cheng greeted passersby as he approached a furnace radiating multicolored dawn light. Someone sat at its mouth; Cheng bowed respectfully.

“Master.”

Jiang Weishan appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, his face flushed red, and his thinning hair fluttered as he eschewed wearing his Taoist headscarf in the oppressive heat. He once explained to Cheng that this was a bad habit formed from years of standing unshifting by the furnace.

When Cheng first saw his master meditating seated by the furnace in the evening, he suggested doing the same to learn more, but Jiang sharply refused, joking that if such a handsome young man disfigured himself learning the Craft, neither Wen Sukun nor the Sect Leader would forgive him.

“Xinzhan, you’re here. Sit down.”

Jiang smiled and gestured for him to sit. He was thoroughly pleased with the young man: intelligent, sensible, polite, quick to learn, able to grasp principles and apply them broadly. Only after becoming his master did Jiang truly understand the joy of teaching.

He envied Wen Sukun.

Cheng took a seat and naturally took the fan from Jiang, gently fanning the furnace as he spoke.

“Master, I went back to investigate and may have found why the Bluewater Earth Gold and Red Ring Treasure Tin cannot be smelted together.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

Jiang listened attentively, never underestimating this young man who had only cultivated alchemy for half a year. Often, his unusual ideas proved genuinely helpful.

“I found in the alchemical scriptures: ‘The River Maiden, spiritual and divine, takes fire and flies, unseen by dust and ash; to control her, the yellow sprout is the root.’

“The River Maiden’s flight on fire is called flying mercury. I suspect Bluewater Earth Gold may share a similar nature. The difference could be that the Bluewater Earth Gold’s volatilization temperature is much higher. However, the Red Ring Treasure Tin requires a very high melting temperature, so by the time it melts, the Bluewater Earth Gold may have already volatilized. This might explain why we have never seen them co-smelted successfully.”

Jiang nodded thoughtfully. Bluewater Earth Gold was a rare treasure, found only in sunless mountain ravines. In the damp, cold underground, it appeared pale yellow, but upon exposure to the surface, it transformed into blue liquid.

“Do you have any ideas?”

Jiang inquired.

“The alchemical scriptures say the yellow sprout can control the River Maiden. In alchemy, the yellow sprout refers to sulfur ore. I found that wildfire sulfur ore pairs well with Red Ring Treasure Tin; smelting them together does not alter the tin’s affinity for fire but can further enhance its fiery ring phenomenon. For the next furnace opening, should we try adding some?”

Cheng replied.

“How much?”

“Judging by our remaining Bluewater Earth Gold, we can perform three more co-smelts. Let’s treat this as a trial and add about two taels of wildfire sulfur ore.”

Jiang closed his eyes, considering, then nodded. “Let’s try it. Start with the Ding-Three fire, after half an hour switch to Ding-Six fire. If successful, the wildfire sulfur ore should solidify the Bluewater Earth Gold, maintaining it for ten breaths before switching to Bing fire for intense smelting.”

Cheng nodded. The interplay between different materials and Yin-Yang fire levels was profound. While still learning, Jiang’s meticulous instruction had brought him closer to mastery.

The fan in his hand was also a magical artifact, used to regulate the fire’s nature and intensity—a subtle art. Fortunately, Cheng’s cultivation of the “Heavenly Gang, Earth Xun, Human Spirit Manifestation Sutra” had progressed well, and his familiarity with fire techniques made this learning curve manageable. Within a month of entering the Alchemy Cave, Jiang had already entrusted him as the furnace fire attendant.

Though they called it forging, it was more about refining the four elemental natures: wind, fire, earth, and metal.

Opening the furnace, starting the fire, adding metals, closing and reigniting the furnace—all part of the cycle.

After about an hour and a half, they opened the furnace and peered inside, their faces lighting up with joy.

Inside lay a refined piece of precious metal, shimmering a watery blue, surrounded by a ring of fire—exactly the co-forged metal they sought, combining Bluewater Earth Gold and Red Ring Treasure Tin. It was fire-affinitive, bore the fiery ring phenomenon, could draw in fire essence to refine itself, yet retained the softness of water. When encountering water-affinitive treasures, it would not be wholly vulnerable due to elemental conflict.

This was one of the main materials for the first magic sword being forged for Cheng by the Armory Hall.

The Sect Leader had secretly ordered this, with all materials sourced from the Sect Leader’s secret treasury. Moreover, Cheng must be present during the forging to fully understand his sword.

Jiang looked at Cheng. “They say stones from other mountains can polish jade, but finding forging methods in the alchemical scriptures isn’t something most would think of. Your ingenuity and comprehension continually amaze me. Xinzhan, have you ever considered joining the Armory Hall? If you agree, I can petition the Patriarch to speak with the Sect Leader.”

Once again, he posed the question.

Cheng smiled wryly and shook his head. Over the past six months, he had heard the same offer too many times at Cardinal Mountain, Toujian Mountain, and White Tiger Mountain.

Jiang sighed but did not give up; there was still a year and a half left, so the opportunity remained.

He continued guiding Cheng in forging materials and explaining the properties of the five metals.

Most of the day passed.

Jiang sat at the main furnace seat assigned to him in the Armory Hall. Outsiders renting a furnace there paid fifty gold per day.

Every day, Cheng began as the furnace fire attendant, observing and learning from Jiang, then practiced independently as the primary forger.

Cheng opened the furnace; inside was “Taodu.”

The three sections of “Taodu” had been fused into one, though faint cracks remained visible—narrower now, about a finger’s width, much improved from the initial full-length fractures.

He had learned through the Surveillance Department that “Taodu” was a flying sword forged by an immortal before ascension, a set of seven swords. He had already seen five, with two reportedly held by the Emei Sect Patriarch.

Truly worthy of an immortal’s craft, even with the blade broken and its spirit greatly diminished, Cheng, using underground fire and the sword spirit’s recognition, had spent nearly four months fusing the fractured blade surfaces back together.

The “Taodu” blade was made from alien iron, possibly star iron fallen from the Mars or Pleiades constellations, unlikely from the Sun.

The hilt was rare too, likely the branch of the ancient Taodu tree—the only one of its kind, vanished since antiquity. It was the repository of the sword’s Yang fire.

The hilt was unremarkable, but the flying star blade endowed “Taodu” with agility and sharpness. However, its rigidity made it brittle, and the single metal material gave it less resilience.

Jiang proposed adding Fire Feather Cinnabar—sheet-like, feather-patterned, said to be transformed from the Vermilion Bird’s feathers. It was fire-affinitive, soft in nature, light, and could enhance the metal’s toughness and strength without compromising “Taodu”’s lightness and agility.

Fire Feather Cinnabar was rare, but the Sect Leader’s treasury contained some. Jiang had acquired some under the pretext of forging Cheng’s magic sword.

When Cheng rekindled the furnace, he used the underground Ding fire for slow refining, fusing Fire Feather Cinnabar into “Taodu.” Ingeniously, he also added a small amount of Purple Fire Rotten Peach Essence, expelled from his own body. Although minute, combined with the cinnabar, it provided a balance of hardness and softness, Yang and Yin, water tempering fire.

Hence, “Taodu” now bore faint feather patterns on the blade and radiated the splendid glow unique to Purple Fire Rotten Peach Essence.

Cheng had been repairing “Taodu” for two months since fusion, adding small amounts repeatedly. He planned to refine it for eighty-one days, so about twenty days remained before completion.

Once refined, the blade would be slowly nurtured to restore its spirit. Judging by the rooster sword spirit bathing in the underground fire, the spirit’s damage was not severe. Especially during the final duel in Bai Yujing, his soul had merged with the sword spirit to repel the broken sword, greatly enhancing its spirit.

Moreover, he held a more fitting method for nurturing “Taodu,” though still under verification.

During this time, Cheng also used the forging furnace to smelt in the Flowing Frost Flying Mercury bestowed by the Lord of the Returning Pearl Tower and the gold essence he had collected into “Qiushui.”

Flowing Frost Flying Mercury, granted by a Sword Immortal, was highly spirited, raising “Qiushui”’s grade considerably.

Now he possessed three weapons.

“Taodu”’s materials and forging were top-tier, almost a semi-immortal weapon. However, after the White-Browed Patriarch of Emei forged seven refined swords and ascended, the swords were sealed within the Tianbo Wall. Although nourished by the sun and moon’s essence, they had not undergone the heavenly tribulations alongside their masters and had been inherited by juniors without further trials, thus falling short of true semi-immortal status. In Cheng’s hands, they could at most manifest the power of alchemical weapons.

“Gaozhen” was made of high-grade materials and, under Cheng’s magical nurturing, talisman engraving, and heavenly thunder tempering, could reach semi-immortal weapon status with sufficient time. For now, it was top among magical weapons but not yet a full treasure.

“Qiushui”’s materials were decent but far inferior to “Taodu” and “Gaozhen.” Thankfully, the recent infusion of Flowing Frost Flying Mercury elevated it to a mid-grade magical weapon. Its future potential depended on the sword master’s care.

Refining “Taodu” late into the night, Cheng bid Jiang farewell and left the Armory Hall. Rather than returning to Mingzhishan, he went directly to Pingding Mountain.

He entered the Pure Yang Hall.

Daoist Tongxuan was already waiting.

“Master Ancestor.”

Cheng bowed.

Tongxuan smiled, inviting him to sit.

“You, a disciple, seem busier than I, the Deputy Sect Leader.”

Cheng smiled wryly. He did not wish to disturb his master late at night, but with his mentor away undergoing tribulation and uncertainties about his own path, he had no choice but to seek guidance.

Sitting down, Tongxuan’s smile faded as he regarded Cheng.

“The idea you mentioned a few days ago—I’ve considered it carefully. It should be feasible, but not without risks. Especially great pain. Are you sure you want to try?”

“How much risk, Master Ancestor?”

He asked only about the risk, not the pain.

Tongxuan chuckled. “With your master here, I can’t say it’s zero, but there’s always a chance.”

Cheng smiled, bowed deeply, and said, “Please watch over me, Master Ancestor.”

Even someone like Daoist Tongxuan felt a measure of admiration for this junior from the same lineage.

To use the Yang Hall as the furnace, the Yang Gang as fire, and temper a flying sword before his eyes—such a bold idea was hardly conceived by someone who had only practiced alchemy for half a year.

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(The chapter ends)