Preparing

They had to admit defeat in the end: Chen Jingjing firmly refused to let Zhang Rumeng into the kitchen. Still, Zhang Rumeng was overjoyed, because she got to taste Chen Jingjing's perfect cooking again.

As for Chen Fan reaching Qi Refining Layer 4, Chen Jingjing didn't ask any more questions. She had watched him change. He wasn't as lackadaisical as before, and he no longer lost his soul whenever he saw Nalan Yun.

Chen Fan, meanwhile, had thought it over for a long time. Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm wouldn't be difficult for him, but simply raising his True Qi would leave his foundation unstable. With his perspective, he would never limit himself to the small goal of Foundation Establishment.

After dinner, he thought of the perfect place to go: Demon King Valley.

Chen Fan knew that this body wasn't lacking in aptitude, but it had little training. What he needed most now was actual combat.

His Divine Soul's battle instincts were countless times greater than those of this body.

In other words, whenever his Divine Sense reacted first, his body couldn't keep up.

So he needed to train his body's combat experience and habits until they were fully synchronized with his awareness. And the best way to train was through actual combat.

To him, Demon King Valley was practically a treasure trove.

It was full of powerful Monster Beasts, as well as Demon Cores and spirit herbs. It was practically a cultivation paradise.

Chen Fan sat in his room, his eyes burning with excitement.

If outsiders knew what he was thinking, they would surely call him insane.

Demon King Valley had always been forbidden territory for cultivators around Heavy Sword Peak. Plenty of people had risked their lives to venture inside in search of good fortune, but they all went in groups. Even Mo Bai, the Senior Brother of Heavy Sword Peak, did the same.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. They treated Demon King Valley as a tiger's den, and the Demon Cores and spirit herbs as the tiger cubs.

But Chen Fan saw it as a cultivation paradise.

After nightfall, Chen Fan slipped out quietly. He brought some silver and bought a few things outside, including Talismans, cinnabar, and even a chunk of black iron.

He had lost the treasured sword from his previous life. It had been a living sword, but hundreds of years had passed, and Chen Fan could no longer sense its presence. Yet as a sword cultivator, he couldn't be without a sword.

So he borrowed a forge and, under the blacksmith's astonished gaze, tossed the ordinary black iron into it and began hammering it, blow after blow.

The blacksmith could tell at a glance that it was ordinary iron. He was puzzled. His shop sold ordinary iron swords, so why waste money and effort making one himself?

The next day, Chen Fan returned home with an ordinary longsword at his waist—the result of working through the night.

He had turned common iron into Refined Iron!

Every hammer strike carried the Blazing Heaven Sword Qi within him, which he infused into the blade!

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng had just gotten up. They were surprised to see Chen Fan returning from outside.

"Why did you buy a sword? Are you going to become a sword cultivator?" Zhang Rumeng asked in surprise.

"Mm." Chen Fan nodded seriously. In this life, he was determined to become a Sword Immortal and devote himself to the Sword Immortal Path.

"Being a sword cultivator isn't bad, but Chen Fan, wouldn't Dao cultivation be stronger? The heavenly arts, and the mighty Spirit Tools and Magic Tools that cultivators dream of—given your aptitude, I think Dao cultivation would suit you better," Chen Jingjing advised. She herself would choose Dao cultivation.

Sword cultivation wasn't bad, but it was limited, with everything centered on the sword. And in the Cultivation World, there were hardly any powerful sword cultivators.

Though Heavy Sword Peak was named after the sword, its current peak master was a Dao Cultivator. They excelled at spells, defeating enemies with the power of the Dao, and used Spirit Tools and Magic Tools to help them ascend to the heavens.

Chen Fan shook his head. Gazing at the sword in his hand, he said with blazing eyes, "In this life, I have only one path: the Sword Immortal Path."

One Sword Breaks All Arts!

That was his Dao.

"All right, Chen Fan. This is your path, and I respect your choice." Chen Jingjing nodded. As long as he focused on cultivation, she would be satisfied, no matter which path he chose.

"By the way, you're already at Qi Refining Layer 4. You can apply to transfer to the Inner Court now," Zhang Rumeng said excitedly.

Chen Jingjing's eyes lit up as well. The Inner Court had far better resources and treatment than the Outer Court. That meant Chen Fan's future would be even more promising.

"No need," Chen Fan said, shaking his head.

"What?" Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng both froze, unable to process his answer.

"I'm going to Demon King Valley."

"D-Demon King Valley?" Chen Jingjing's expression instantly turned cold. "Chen Fan, are you still not over it? Nalan Yun—"

"It has nothing to do with anyone else. I need to temper myself," Chen Fan interrupted, shaking his head.

"Temper yourself? With your Qi Refining Layer 4 cultivation, entering Demon King Valley would mean certain death. Do you know how many Monster Beasts are in there?"

"Yeah, Chen Fan, you're trying to reach the sky in one step. You should calm down and come with us to Heavy Sword Peak first. Transfer to the Inner Court, then we can talk," Zhang Rumeng urged.

"If you want to enter Demon King Valley, you need to be at least on par with Senior Brother Mo Bai. At the very least, wait until you reach Qi Refining Layer 6 before making plans," Chen Jingjing said.

Chen Fan shook his head again and said calmly, "That would leave my foundation unstable. The path of cultivation requires a steady pace. You have to refine every step to its utmost."

"An unstable foundation? Where did you hear that?" Chen Jingjing asked with a frown.

Chen Fan fell silent. This was the second time Chen Jingjing had questioned his words. The first had been when he'd mentioned the use of the Five Elements Strange Sword Talisman in the Heavenly Court.

Seeing him like this, Zhang Rumeng tugged at Chen Jingjing's sleeve, signaling her not to act that way.

Chen Jingjing realized it too, but she didn't want Chen Fan to put himself in danger.

After a moment, Chen Jingjing spoke. "I have two conditions. If you can meet them, I won't stop you."

Chen Fan frowned slightly. If he wanted to go, no one could stop him. He had told Chen Jingjing only out of courtesy and respect.

But seeing how she meant well, Chen Fan nodded.

"First, come back to Heavy Sword Peak with us and transfer to the Inner Court. Second, beat me," Chen Jingjing said.

"Fine," Chen Fan replied without much hesitation.

Neither condition was a problem for him, though they would waste some time. But the two of them had taken care of him here, and he ought to repay their kindness. He could grant this small request to put her mind at ease.

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng were both a little surprised by how readily Chen Fan agreed.

Though both girls were at Qi Refining Layer 4, Chen Fan had only just advanced, and Chen Jingjing still felt that he lagged behind them.

The three of them returned to Heavy Sword Peak. The two girls were surprised to see that Chen Fan had even packed his things, as though he could fulfill their agreement right away.

But as soon as they stepped through the mountain gate of Heavy Sword Peak, their way was blocked.

It was Nalan Yun and the others. Besides Zhang Lin and the Yellow-Robed Woman from the previous night, another young man had joined them.

"Chen Fan!" Zhang Lin's face was still swollen, but when he saw Chen Fan, his eyes filled with hatred, and he gritted out his name.

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng, however, looked at the young man and paled.

"Senior Brother Zhang Ting, what do you want?" Chen Jingjing asked coldly.