Outside the gate of the Flame Ruins Sect.
Wu Huan was standing at his post when he suddenly saw a familiar figure walking towards him along the mountain path.
He was a short, weathered old man wearing the simplest leather armor. He walked very carefully, as if his parents, who had toiled in the fields all their lives, were visiting a big city for the first time.
However, upon seeing the newcomer, the Wu Huan's eyes lit up.
He said something to his friend who was also on duty, and then quickly flew down the mountain.
"Uncle!"
In just a moment, the Wu Huan arrived before the old man.
Ah Huan!
The old man also softly called out the name of the Wu Huan, his eyes full of affection.
"Uncle, instead of enjoying your life in the tribe, why did you come to the Flame Ruins Sect? And you didn't even tell me beforehand. If it weren't for my turn to stand guard outside the gate, I wouldn't have known you were here."
The Wu Huan quickly replied.
"Haha, I know your sect's rules, I won't barge in. I plan to contact you again once I'm outside the mountain gate—so as not to delay your cultivation time."
The old man waved his hand, and as he spoke, he looked at Wu Huan. Seeing that Wu Huan's breathing was steady and his complexion was good, he breathed a sigh of relief before saying, "I've come to give you some things."
"What?"
The Wu Huan seemed to have guessed something, but still asked a question.
The old man looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, carefully took out a cloth bag and placed it in Wu Huan's hand, saying, "These are 128,000 Chaos Crystal that the tribe has accumulated over the years. You're in a large sect like the Flame Ruins Sect, where you have many expenses. You can use these Chaos Crystal for now."
"Uncle, this won't do—" Wu Huan's expression changed, and he hurriedly tried to push the things in his hands back.
Seeing that his uncle wouldn't accept the gifts, he said anxiously, "Uncle, the tribe has already given me enough support. Our tribe isn't wealthy to begin with, how can we keep scrimping and saving for me? Let's keep these resources in the tribe. I often carry out simple tasks in the sect, and I always have enough Chaos Crystal."
"What's enough?"
The old man glared at him and said, "Don't think your uncle is a bumpkin who doesn't understand the rules of your great sect. A sect like the Flame Ruins Sect has a ton of rules. Outer disciples are just a nice name. Those who enjoy sect benefits are inner disciples and personal disciples. Outer disciples, what benefits do they get? They probably don't even have enough cultivation resources."
He patted Wu Huan on the shoulder and continued, "The road ahead is long. Don't just look at the present. Why does the tribe support you? It's because of your talent and potential. You are the most outstanding genius in our tribe in recent years. Now that you've joined the Flame Ruins Sect, although you're an outer disciple, you might become an inner disciple. Once you become an inner disciple, the resources you receive will be incomparable to what you have now. In the future, you'll have the hope of becoming Eternal True God. At that time, our entire tribe will benefit from it. Everyone supports you for the sake of the tribe and for their own sake. You don't need to feel burdened."
Wu Huan opened his mouth but didn't speak, only feeling the cloth bag in his hand was incredibly heavy.
128,000 Chaos Crystal!
For the Wu Huan who had lived in the tribe since childhood, they naturally knew what this meant. For example, their uncle in front of them, although he was a Void True God, was usually very frugal, and he would break a piece of Chaos Crystal in half to spend it.
Don't be fooled by the tens of thousands of Chaos Crystal he spent on entertaining Xue You; it was a necessary investment, not extravagance. The returns he received far exceeded his expectations.
Moreover, this is not the first time the tribe has supported him.
Even the tribal elder in front of him, his uncle, didn't have a decent weapon or armor.
Since he joined the Flame Ruins Sect, almost everyone in the tribe has tightened their belts and saved their Chaos Crystal to give to him, all so that he could have a better life in this great Flame Ruins Sect.
His joining the God King Sect not only brought no benefit to the tribe, but also made the tribe even poorer, which made him feel extremely guilty.
He wanted to refuse, but every time his uncle said something, he couldn't refuse.
He represents hope and the future.
But after all these years, nothing seems to have changed.
"Ah Huan, don't overthink it—you've already brought a lot of benefits to the tribe. Over the years, our tribe has opened a small shop in Wujiang City. Because of your presence, those powerful forces give us face, and even the dark forces don't charge us protection fees. Our business is doing very well. Moreover, the elders have decided that we will purchase some specialties from other tribes and sell them in Wujiang City. At that time, we will definitely be able to earn even more. The tribe has been developing very well over the years, so you don't need to feel pressured. Just focus on your cultivation as long as you protect yourself. Don't worry about the tribe's affairs."
Wu Huan looked down at the heavy cloth bag in his hands, and finally didn't refuse anymore. He nodded solemnly and said, "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely work hard to become an inner disciple and will not let the tribe down."
"Oh, Ah Huan is so confident? No wonder he's the most outstanding genius in our tribe!"
The old man gave a satisfied smile.
"Uncle, a few days ago, I apprenticed with a master in the sect—he taught me the methods of weapon forging—"
The Wu Huan revealed the information about his apprenticeship.
He did not mention his teacher's name or other information, only saying that his teacher was an Eternal True God, or...
A master weapon refiner.
" Eternal True God, the strongest chieftain in our tribe is only at the ninth level of Void True God. Moreover, this is Eternal True God from the God King Sect. He is definitely more powerful than an ordinary Eternal True God. This is a good opportunity. You must learn from your teacher."
The old man was overjoyed.
"Uncle, I understand. I will definitely seize this opportunity, strive to make something of myself, and not let you or the clan chief down."
The Wu Huan assured him.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
The uncle patted Wu Huan on the shoulder, glanced at the spot where he had been on duty, and said, "It's not good to be away for too long during working hours. I won't bother you any longer; I have to rush back."
"Uncle, be careful on the road."
Wu Huan reminded him.
"Don't worry, I've walked this road seven or eight times. Nothing will happen. I'll come to see you again in a few days."
"Uncle, just bring me some more local tribe specialties, please don't ask for any more Chaos Crystal."
"Okay, I'm leaving now, no need to see me off."
The old man grinned, removed his hand from Wu Huan's shoulder, and turned to walk down the mountain.
Wu Huan watched his uncle leave, took a deep breath, and carefully put away the storage bag.
Then he walked towards the place where he had just been working.
After this incident, his desire to become stronger became even stronger. Now that he has become a disciple and has obtained that exquisite weapon-refining inheritance, as long as he studies hard and improves his weapon-refining skills, he can take on some missions in Flame Mountain, earn more contribution points and resources, and may even become an inner disciple or even Eternal True God in the future.
His tribe has never produced Eternal True God since ancient times. If he breaks through to that realm, his uncle and the chieftain will surely be very happy.
He cannot let down the people who have supported him so wholeheartedly, nor can he let down his teachers.
Back at his post, Wu Huan stood ramrod straight, but devoted a significant portion of his attention to studying the " Xue You's Artifact Refining Manual."
This manual is very clear and concise. He had studied other weapon-refining traditions before, so he could easily understand most of it. He would write down any parts he couldn't understand and then ask his teacher for clarification later.
Once he has thoroughly understood this booklet, he should be able to begin the actual forging of weapons.
Flame Ruins Sect, the sect's teleportation point.
In the past few days, Lu Qingshan has figured out the various rules and regulations of the sect and plans to earn some resources.
Gathering tasks, which no one likes, are naturally his first choice. After all, such tasks do not require competition with other disciples, and you can basically get them as long as you are willing.
"Teleport to the Flame Heart Treasure Land!"
Holding his identity token, Lu Qingshan stepped into the teleportation array.
"Identity verification complete. Inner disciple Xue You, you are now being teleported to the Flame Heart Treasure Land to perform a gathering mission. Confirm teleportation?"
A clear voice seemed to ring in my ears.
"Sure."
After he confirmed it, a burst of light appeared at the teleportation point, and then the light completely enveloped him. In just an instant, he disappeared into the Flame Ruins Sect.
Lu Qingshan found himself transformed into a wisp of flame, currently traveling through a passage. After only a moment, his consciousness returned, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself on an extremely desolate land filled with crimson rocks.
The environment here is extremely harsh, and the presence of the Ten Great Laws cannot be felt at all. The sky is dark red, and the earth is full of cracks, as if it has been ravaged many times. In the distance, one can vaguely see the continuous red mountain peaks.
Moreover, consciousness is suppressed very much here.
Even Lu Qingshan found that his consciousness could only extend to about 10,000 meters at most. Any further and his soul would feel a burning sensation. Domain treasures were even worse; unless there were cracks or gaps, they simply could not extend into the earth here.
"Just as the information says, treasure hunting here relies almost entirely on luck, or one's own innate intuition. I wonder if my Eye of Wisdom can find the Flame Heart Stone."
Flame Heart Stone are valuable items. He spent 98,000 Cosmic Sand to purchase body-refining materials, with the largest portion going towards those thirty-odd Flame Heart Stone. Here, he only needs to find three standard-sized Flame Heart Stone Flame Heart Stone to earn a commission of one Flame Heart Stone. If the Eye of Wisdom works, it's practically like picking up money.
After glancing at the distant, rolling mountain range, Lu Qingshan got up and flew towards the nearest mountain range.
As he approached the mountain peak, he saw several disciples dressed in the uniforms of the Flame Ruins Sect resting on a large platform not far away. There were seven disciples in total, including one Eternal True God and six Void True God, clearly an inner disciple leading six outer disciples.
Although the danger in this Flame Heart Treasure Land is not high, it may still pose a risk to Void True God. Therefore, for safety, many Void True God will team up with Eternal True God. Of course, if they find the Flame Heart Stone, they also need to share a small portion with the Eternal True God who leads the team.
In such an environment, the Eternal True God can find treasures not much faster than the Void True God. It is because of this that many disciples of the Eternal True God are willing to act as caretakers, since more people mean more opportunities. As long as they find a Flame Heart Stone, they will make a fortune.
"I've never seen you before. Are you new here?"
The leading Eternal True God waved his hand.
"Yes!"
Lu Qingshan also stopped in his tracks.
What is your name?
" Xue You!"
" Xue You, take my advice and change your mission as soon as possible. This place is completely useless now. We've been digging for over ten epochs, and only when we're lucky do we find one or two small pieces worth a few hundred Cosmic Sand. If Flame Heart Stone were so easy to dig up, would a newbie like you even have a chance to take on the mission? Those seasoned veterans would have been squatting here long ago."
"Thank you for the reminder, but since we're here, we should give it a try." Lu Qingshan replied politely, then turned and walked deeper into the mining area without saying anything more.
He had only taken a few steps when several disciples of the Flame Ruins Sect began to whisper among themselves.
"Another one dreaming of getting rich."
"Newcomers always feel that others can't find jobs because of bad luck, while they'll be lucky when it's their turn."
"Have you heard of this guy named Xue You in the outer sect? Is he an outer sect disciple who broke through to the Eternal True God realm?"
"Never heard of them, probably a new disciple who joined the sect."
"Forget it, let's ignore him. He's just wasting our time anyway. We'll leave in another hundred days. This place is no human being."
"Let's go, we should have left a long time ago. We'll never come here again."
"I'd rather guard those cities than come here."
"You wish! Guarding a city is a lucrative job, there's no way you'd get it—I'd rather work at the Flame Mountain."
Lu Qingshan was naturally unaware of the disciples' discussions, as the perception range here was too narrow, unless they were communicating using identity tokens.
He had now arrived at the mountainside of a crimson mountain.
Here, he saw more than a dozen caves with diameters of 10,000 meters.
"This should be the mine shaft dug by our predecessors. Let's start our search from here."
The mountains here are exceptionally solid, making excavation extremely difficult. Lu Qingshan went directly into the mine shafts built by his predecessors. The mine shafts were winding and dark, like a maze. Here, the Eye of Wisdom between Lu Qingshan's brows quietly lit up. In his perception, this ore contained different colors in addition to gray.
Those colors are all on the rock walls deep inside the mine.
Most of the area was dark and empty, with only a few places occasionally emitting a faint light. However, those places were located deep within the rock walls, making them difficult to excavate.
Of course, if it were anyone else, they would be extremely excited and start digging immediately, but Lu Qingshan was not in a hurry. He continued to observe his surroundings and walked towards the deepest part of the mine.
Several days later, in the deepest part of the mine, in a forked passage, Lu Qingshan stood still, his Eye of Wisdom at the rock wall in front of him.
To his observation, the area behind the rock wall was as bright as flames, as if there were a sea of fire within it.
"Found it!"
Lu Qingshan was overjoyed.
He immediately took out a shovel specifically for digging, channeled his divine power, and began digging towards the cliff face in front of him.
One shovel, two shovels----
Only half a day later, he separated a crimson ore from the rock strata and held it in his hand.
The rock's exterior is rough, but under the observation of the Eye of Wisdom, its interior resembles a flickering flame.
"I've got one. If I handle it properly, it'll be a genuine Flame Heart Stone."
Lu Qingshan put away the Flame Heart Stone and continued digging forward.
This is just the appetizer; the real feast is yet to come!