The five-color light ball converges the light, revealing the surface of the stone platform.
There are two tokens floating on the table, as moist as jade, about the size of a palm. One is dark gold, with an ancient Chinese character "Qi" engraved on the front; the other is sapphire, with the word "Dan" engraved on it. The surface of the token is shrouded in a faint halo of light, slowly rotating, exuding gentle but profound spiritual power fluctuations.
Qin Tiexin and Liu Qing looked at each other.
Liu Qing looked at the token with the word "Dan", desire flashed in his eyes, but he was a little hesitant. Qin Tiexin stared at the token with the word "Qi" - this thing was obviously more suitable for him.
"As agreed before." Liu Qing took a deep breath, "I will take the pill, and you will take the weapon."
Qin Tiexin nodded.
They both reached out at the same time.
The moment Qin Tiexin's fingertips touched the token with the word "ware", the halo of light on the surface of the token suddenly became brighter, turning into a soft but irresistible golden stream of light, pouring into his body along his fingertips.
The vision changes suddenly.
Casting Heart Hall.
Qin Tiexin stood in the center of the familiar hall, with the bluestone floor beneath his feet and familiar forges, anvils, and tool racks surrounding him. The air was filled with the smell of charcoal fire and metal, as well as the faint rosin commonly used in Luoling.
What's going on? Qin Tiexin patted his head, why are he here? The memory still stays in the Hunyuan Secret Realm five years ago. It seems that there was nothing in the secret realm except the token at that time. In the end, he followed Brother Xu Qiu's spirit boat back to Liuyun Sect.
What is this today?
He raised his head.
On the high platform in front, four people stood.
Luo Ling, Wu Zhen, Chen Xi, and Nangong Yao. They were wearing everyday clothes, but their expressions were serious.
Luo Ling looked at him, her eyes not as bright as before, but with a deep disappointment. She was silent for a few moments, then slowly spoke, her voice echoing in the hall:
"Tiexin, you have been coming to my peak for five years."
Qin Tiexin opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
"Five years." Luo Ling continued, "Five Spirit Root's qualifications are too poor, and his cultivation level has not improved. He is still at the fifth level of Qi refining. The refining of the middle-grade Law Artifact has never been successful." She paused, and her voice became lower, "You are not suitable to stay here anymore."
Qin Tiexin It felt like my heart was being clenched tightly by an invisible hand.
"Go back to the Waste Equipment Pavilion." Luo Ling finally said.
Qin Tiexin looked into her eyes, and the disappointment in them was so real that it was dazzling. He turned to look at Wu Zhen - the uncle's brows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of helplessness. Nangong Yao bit her lips, her eyes were slightly red, and she turned away, not daring to look at him.
Finally, he looked at Chen Xi.
Chen Xi stood there with his hands folded in his sleeves and his expression calm. But when Qin Tiexin's eyes met his, Chen Xi suddenly blinked his right eye very quickly and almost imperceptibly.
It was very light, as if accidentally.
But Qin Tiexin is too familiar with Chen Xi - this senior brother never makes meaningless actions.
The moment this thought arose, a slight "click" suddenly came from Qin Tiexin's chest.
It was the soul-protecting jade close to my body that was broken.
The meeting gift given by Chen Xi is said to be able to withstand ten mental attacks. Qin Tiexin has been worn close to the body, never used, and almost forgotten its existence.
At this moment, it is broken.
A cool breath surged out from the broken jade pendant, spread along the chest to the limbs, and finally rushed into the mind.
Qin Tiexin The world in front of his eyes suddenly "shaked".
Like a reflection in water being thrown into a stone, ripples appeared. The scene in Zhuxintang began to blur and become distorted. Luo Ling and the others' figures became transparent, and their voices seemed to be separated by a layer of water, making it difficult to hear them clearly.
Illusion, this is the illusion of the Hunyuan Secret Realm.
Qin Tiexin understood instantly, it turned out that the trigger of the illusion was hidden on the token.
He did not break free immediately, but with a thought, he pulled out his consciousness and suspended it in mid-air like a bystander.
He wanted to see where this illusion would go.
"Qin Tiexin" below - or in other words, the him in the illusion - didn't notice anything unusual. His face was pale, he bowed deeply to Luo Ling, then turned around and walked out of the Zhuxin Hall.
The steps are heavy.
The fantasy continues.
"Qin Tiexin" packed up his simple luggage, left the inner gate, and returned to the Waste Equipment Pavilion at the outer gate. He had no complaints, and still got up early every day to practice, forge iron, and deal with discarded equipment. But without the resources of the inner gate, his physical training quickly stagnated. The physical body at the seventh level of Body Tempering began to degrade, and his strength was slowly draining away.
One day three months later, he had an accident while smelting a batch of scrap iron.
The crucible tilted, and hot iron juice splashed out and poured onto his right hand.
"Chi--"
The sound of burnt flesh. "Qin Tiexin" groaned, resisting the severe pain and pulled back his hand, but his entire right hand was scorched black and deformed, and his fingers were curled together and could no longer be straightened.
The deacon of the Waste Equipment Pavilion took a look, shook his head, and asked someone to take him to the hospital. The doctor treated the wound, but his right hand was considered useless - the tendons and veins were destroyed, the bones were deformed, and he could no longer hold the hammer.
"Qin Tiexin" didn't cry.
He just looked at his right hand, which was wrapped into a rice dumpling, and was silent for a whole day. The next day, he tried to hit iron with his left hand, but his left hand was far less flexible than his right hand, and even the most basic hammering could not be done accurately.
The road to refining weapons is broken.
The cultivation level is also declining. Without the supplement of Spirit Stone, Qi and Blood in the body tempering realm begins to decline. The spiritual power of the fifth level of Qi Refining gradually dissipates, falling back to the fourth level after half a year, and only the third level remains after a year.
Finally, I couldn't stay in the Waste Equipment Pavilion any longer.
The deacon told him tactfully, "Junior Brother Qin, you... can't do much here. There are still some handyman jobs outside the sect, or... you can go down the mountain."
"Qin Tiexin" nodded and packed the last things - a few changes of clothes, a short knife that had been used for many years, and Edgeless.
After going down the mountain, "Qin Tiexin" still had some strength left in his body, and he looked like he was on the fourth level of Tempering Body. He found a mining job nearby. He could do it with one hand, and the spiritual crystals he earned every day were barely enough to maintain his cultivation level and not drop too fast.
Since he was relatively strong and worked steadfastly, he began to slowly accumulate some spiritual crystals.
Until one day, an outside steward found him.
"Qin Tiexin, do you want to sell this knife? I'll pay ten yuan Spirit Stone."
"Qin Tiexin" looked at the man, then at Edgeless behind him, and shook his head. "Not for sale."
The man left straight away, and a distant voice came, "What's the air? Do you think you are a disciple of a large sect?"
That night, Qin Tiexin rested in a ruined temple outside the mine.
Late at night, five men in black quietly surrounded the ruined temple. They had their faces covered, held swords in their hands, and their auras were in the late stage of Qi refining.
"Hand over the knife and I will spare your life," the leader said.
"Qin Tiexin" pulled out his short sword and leaned against the wall. Edgeless could no longer swing it.
Fighting breaks out.
He could only use his left hand, and his cultivation level was only Qi Refining Third Layer, but the foundation he had laid at the seventh level of body tempering was still there, and his strength, reaction, and resistance to blows were far beyond those of ordinary monks. The short knife in his left hand was like a poisonous snake spitting messages, and the first man in black who rushed forward had his throat cut with a knife.
But two fists are no match for four hands.
The second person slashed his right leg with a knife, and the bone was visible. "Qin Tiexin" staggered, and the third person took the opportunity to pierce his left shoulder with a sword. He stabbed the opponent's abdomen with a short knife in his backhand, but the fourth person's knife had already been slashed.
He turned his head and the blade of the knife grazed his left eye.
Severe pain.
The left eye was pitch black.
The fifth person came from behind and slashed his neck with a knife. "Qin Tiexin" fell forward, the blade cut across his palm, and three fingers flew up.
He rolled over and threw the short knife out, piercing the throat of the fifth person.
There are two people left.
But "Qin Tiexin" could no longer stand up. He had a broken right leg, a penetrating injury to his left shoulder, his left eye was blind, and his back was bleeding profusely. He sat against the wall, breathing heavily, and looked at the two remaining men in black.
The two men looked at each other, a little scared, but still stepped forward, snatched his Storage Bag and Edgeless, and then left quickly.
Silence returns to the ruined temple.
"Qin Tiexin" was sitting in a pool of blood, with his right leg bent at a weird angle. Only the thumb and index finger of his left hand could move, and his left eye was bleeding hollowly. He spent half an hour using the two fingers and teeth that could still move to tear off strips of clothing and simply bandage the wound.
Then, he found a relatively strong wooden stick, cut it into a crutch, and propped himself up.
Limping, walking towards the north.
Target: Qingya Town.
The journey was long and almost impossible for a seriously injured and disabled person. But "Qin Tiexin" walked slowly but steadily. He picked wild fruits when he was hungry, drank stream water when he was thirsty, and found some herbs to chew and apply on suppurating wounds. He had no money, no cultivation, only a stubbornness that refused to accept his fate.
Gradually, all the Spiritual Qi in his body disappeared, and he completely degenerated from a high-ranking monk into a mortal.
Three months later, he arrived at the Jueling Mountains.
This natural chasm that was difficult to climb for immortal cultivators was actually easier for a mortal who had lost all his cultivation. Because there was no interference from Spiritual Qi, the miasma and poisonous insects in the mountains had little effect on him. It took him two months to cross the mountains.
Returned to the Great Xuan border.
After walking for another half a year, they met a group of bandits who robbed the caravan. "Qin Tiexin" was standing on the roadside with a cane. Seeing his disability, the bandits ignored him and tried to steal his dry food.
Then "Qin Tiexin" smashed three people's heads with a cane.
The remaining bandits were scared away. The caravan owner was grateful and gave him an old horse and some dry food.
"Qin Tiexin" rode on horseback and continued north.
After more than half a year, he finally saw the city wall of Ink City.
Qin Household Blacksmith Shop is still there.
Zhou Cang has passed away, and Zhou Nan has grown up and become the boss of the shop. When he saw Qin Tiexin, he was stunned for a long time, then rushed over and hugged him, tears streaming down his face.
"Big Brother Qin..."
"Qin Tiexin" patted him on the back and said nothing.
He settled in the blacksmith shop. His right hand was disabled and he could not make iron, but he could still teach. He dictated to Zhou Nan the knowledge, skills, and experiences he had learned over the years in weapon making, bit by bit, and asked Zhou Nan to write them down. Zhou Nan studied very seriously and made rapid progress.
Later, Tu Dazhu's second son Tu Yong came to the shop to learn skills. The boy was honest, honest, strong, and willing to endure hardships. "Qin Tiexin" accepted him as his adopted son and taught him all his skills.
Later, he dictated all Cultivation Method that he remembered in his mind - "Hunyuan Jue", "Vajra Hammer Fist", "Cunbu" and "Zhongyue Sword Technique" - and asked Zhou Nan and Tu Yong to compile them into a book.
"If there are future generations who have Spirit Root," he said to the two of them, "These books may help them embark on the path of cultivating immortals."
Time passes year by year.
"Qin Tiexin"'s injuries left numerous hidden problems. His right leg atrophied and he always walked with a limp; his left eye was completely blind; he could only move two fingers on his left hand; and the wound on his back was painful every rainy day. But he never complained, and he still got up early every day, sitting at the door of the shop, watching Zhou Nan and Tu Yong blacksmithing, and occasionally giving some advice.
Ten years later.
One winter night, the hidden disease broke out in full force.
"Qin Tiexin" was lying on the bed, breathing weakly. Zhou Nan and Tu Yong were standing by the bed, their eyes red.
He looked at the two of them, and then looked out the window - Ink City The night sky did not have the brilliance of the world of immortality, only a plain darkness and a few sparse stars.
He took out a broken sword from his pocket.
Only the hilt and half of the sword body were left, stained with rust. It was the sword Lin Feng that "Qin Tiexin" carried when he embarked on the path of cultivating immortality. Even if everything was taken away, he still guarded the sword, but unfortunately it was still cut off.
He handed the broken sword to Tu Yong.
"If there is a chance..." His voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, "Go to Tiannan Territory... and send this sword... back to Lin Household..."
Hands dropped.
The breath is cut off.
Zhou Nan and Tu Yong knelt down and cried bitterly.
Qin Tiexin high in the sky watched all this quietly.
He watched "himself" transform from a high-spirited body-refining monk to a disabled mortal. He watched him struggle and persevere little by little in the face of adversity, and finally died peacefully. He watched him pass on all his knowledge, and watched him still remember the promise of cutting off the sword at the last moment of his life.
Let out a long sigh.
Dissociation of consciousness.
The scene in front of me receded like a tide.
The ruined temple, Ink City, blacksmith shop, starry sky... all disappeared.
Qin Tiexin Open your eyes.
He was still in the core hall, his fingers still touching the token with the word "Qi". Liu Qing stood beside him, already holding the token with the word "Dan" in his hand, but with his eyes closed and his brows furrowed, he was obviously trapped in some kind of illusion.
Qin Tiexin Take your hand back.
The halo on the surface of the token has dissipated, turning into a warm, dark golden jade token that feels slightly cool to the touch.
He lowered his head and looked at his chest - the soul-protecting jade had broken into pieces and turned into a few dim jade fragments, falling into the lapel of his clothes.
Qin Tiexin was silent for a moment and carefully put the jade scraps into Storage Bag.
Then he looked at Liu Qing.
Liu Qing's face was changing, sometimes in pain, sometimes struggling, and sometimes relieved. But his breath was relatively stable, and he should be able to break through the illusion on his own.
Qin Tiexin didn't bother him.
He walked aside, sat down cross-legged, and began to adjust his breathing.
The images from the fantasy still remain in my mind - the blackened right hand, the crude wooden crutch, the old horse, the blacksmith shop, and the last rusty broken sword.
He made a fist and tightened the handle of Edgeless.
The right hand is intact and full of strength.
The cultivation of the fifth level of Qi refining and the seventh level of body tempering is still there, the "Hunyuan Jue" is still there, Edgeless is still there, and the master's sect is still there.
The illusion is false.
But the kind of persistence that still doesn't give up in desperate situations, still passes on what you know and learn, and still remembers the promise...
It's true.
Qin Tiexin Take a deep breath and close your eyes.
In Dantian, "Hunyuan Jue" is running slowly. The five-color spiritual power flows like a stream, steady, firm, and unshakable.