Blood Sacrifice

Flaming Mountain. Cave abode.

Fang Yu sat cross-legged in the meditation chamber, carefully sensing the changes in the two treasures inside the Yuanchen Pearl.

Under the constant nourishment of Primordial Qi, most of the fine cracks on the Sun Gold Wheel had closed in just a few months. The Spirit Artifact pressure it had once emitted had been barely perceptible, but it was much stronger now. Given more time, it would surely become a true Spirit Artifact again.

Spirit Artifacts of the Dao of Qi Refining were used in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and their grade roughly corresponded to the Profound Grade of the Dao of Qi Ingestion. He had yet to forge a Profound Grade flying sword, but he already had a Spirit Artifact comparable to one. It really gave him a sense of security.

But after buying the three treasures, he had sunk every Spirit Stone he had worked himself to the bone earning by trading between the two worlds into them. Now, fewer than three thousand Spirit Stones remained in his Storage Bag, barely enough to sustain his cultivation for a while.

"Buzz..."

Suddenly, his disciple token vibrated. Fang Yu stirred his spiritual sense, and a message appeared.

"Open the door!"

Fang Yu got up and went outside the cave abode, where he saw Tie Chanyi standing. A presence that made Fang Yu's heart tremble slightly surrounded her.

Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer Great Perfection.

The last time he had seen her, she had only been at the Qi Ingestion Third Layer. Now she had reached Qi Ingestion Great Perfection, and a sharp presence radiated from her entire body, like a longsword drawn from its sheath.

"Tie..."

Fang Yu was about to greet her when she cut him off. "I've brought ten sets of materials for Profound Grade flying swords. They're enough for you to accumulate Dao Attainment and break through to the Dao Foundation. But during that time, I'll watch you forge them so that I can obtain the first flying sword you forge after advancing to the Dao Foundation."

"Of course!"

Fang Yu nodded. All of this had been written into the contract, and he could understand her position. After all, if she didn't watch him in person, how could she be sure of getting the flying sword at the earliest opportunity?

"Fellow cultivator Tie, please come in!"

Fang Yu lifted the cave abode's restrictions and invited Tie Chanyi inside, leading her to the metal and stone chamber.

Tie Chanyi swept her gaze over the cramped chamber, and a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes. With a wave of her hand, she deposited the sets of materials on the workbench. She then walked to a corner of the room, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes to rest.

Fang Yu glanced at her, but his attention was soon drawn to the sets of materials.

The contract had specified six sets, but she had brought ten. It seemed she was also afraid he would fail to break through to the Dao Foundation.

He reached out and picked up a piece of fluorite. Flames appeared in his palm, and the mysteries of Molten Edge Flow circulated. As he discerned the properties of the Profound Grade material, he slowly melted it down into molten metal and stone...

With her spiritual sense, Tie Chanyi observed the "fire-and-stone laborer" she had chosen ten years ago skillfully melting down one material after another. Her fingers trembled slightly, and the flying sword on her back trembled with them, giving off a soundless ring of metal and stone.

Not bad. He does have some skill. All those years of feeding him materials weren't wasted!

Her presence fluctuated slightly as the first Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Sword was forged. Though she seemed to be resting with her eyes closed, she was watching all the while.

The flames in Fang Yu's hand transformed into Flowing Flame True Fire, melting and shaping the spirit patterns within the sword's body. He had performed this process dozens of times over the past ten years and was thoroughly practiced at it. Although the materials he was using now were better and more difficult to handle, they merely took a little more time.

Seven days later,

A Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Sword, blazing with searing flames from end to end, took shape. As he placed it in a bucket of spirit water to quench it, a strange sensation arose.

In an instant, he felt that his understanding of the Flowing Flame True Fire Sword in his hand had deepened. At the same time, many minor points that had puzzled him during previous forging processes suddenly became clear.

The sensation was like... like... an epiphany. That was right, it was a state of epiphany.

"Sizzle..."

As the quenching of the Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Sword was completed, Molten Edge Flow emerged naturally from Fang Yu's palm and spread effortlessly across the blade, completing the final tempering.

My Molten Edge Flow has become more profound!

Delight appeared on Fang Yu's face, and he came to a realization. So this was the Dao Attainment needed to form a Molten Edge Flow Dao Foundation.

The experience, skills, and insights he had accumulated forging Metal Fire Stones, pickaxes, kitchen knives, and Yellow Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Swords had transformed into Dao Attainment after he successfully forged this Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Sword.

He could clearly sense that the Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Sword in his hand still had many flaws in its quality. He could forge a better one.

"Clang..."

He casually tossed the Flowing Flame True Fire Sword in his hand into the cave wall, where it embedded itself, then began working on the second set of materials.

Tie Chanyi opened her eyes, a flash of surprise in them. With a casual beckon, she drew the Flowing Flame True Fire Sword into her hand.

She examined it closely and turned it over in her hands, then looked at the figure who had already returned to work.

She had not expected his mastery of the External Alchemy Technique to be so high that he could forge a Profound Grade flying sword on his first attempt. Although it still had a few minor flaws, it nevertheless surprised her.

The next moment, a trace of delight appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Very good, very good. The stronger his External Alchemy Technique, the more it benefits me."

Time passed.

Fang Yu forged Profound Grade Flowing Flame True Fire Swords one after another, and their quality continued to improve. He could also clearly feel his Dao Attainment increasing.

After he forged the sixth Flowing Flame True Fire Sword, he felt that his Dao Attainment could increase no further, and the mysteries of Molten Edge Flow had also reached their peak.

But, but he still felt that something was missing. A layer of gauze still separated him from breaking through to the Dao Foundation.

What's going on? I should have broken through long ago!

Muttering to himself, Fang Yu began forging the seventh sword, then the eighth and ninth. Even when the last flying sword was finished, he still had not broken through to the Dao Foundation.

"Aaaah!"

Fang Yu suddenly roared, sensing the Flowing Flame True Fire Sword in his hand.

"It's clearly perfect, without a single flaw! Why haven't I broken through to the Dao Foundation?"

His eyes were like torches now, the mysteries of Molten Edge Flow having spread into them. A searing presence followed his gaze and fell upon the theoretically perfect Flowing Flame True Fire Sword in his hand.

"I must have overlooked something?"

"What could it be?"

"This shouldn't be happening!"

"..."

Just as Fang Yu was racking his brains to find the problem, Tie Chanyi, who had been sitting cross-legged in the corner, stood up. Looking at the Profound Grade flying sword in his hand, she too showed excitement.

"I'll tell you what's still missing."

Hearing this, Fang Yu whipped his head around to look at Tie Chanyi. "What's missing?"

Tie Chanyi held out her palm, and a wisp of flame appeared, casting an unsteady light.

"The Profound Grade flying sword you forged has reached the peak of the Profound Grade. One step further, and it can advance to the Earth Grade. Even a Purple Mansion sword cultivator would be tempted by it. To make that breakthrough, you must use your own fate, Law Power, and flesh and blood as a blood sacrifice, becoming one with the sword."

"A blood sacrifice for the flying sword!"

Fang Yu's body shuddered violently. In an instant, the last sheet of window paper was pierced, and Flowing Flame True Fire burst from every pore in his body.

He could clearly feel that his Molten Edge Flow Dao Foundation had taken shape.

"Burn!"

Tie Chanyi's slightly trembling voice rang out abruptly. The flame in her palm flared, engulfing Fang Yu in an instant. It merged with the flames on his body, turning him into a human torch.

A trace of warmth entered her voice.

"I originally intended to refine a top-quality Profound Grade flying sword. I never expected your External Alchemy Technique to be so masterful. After using your flesh, blood, and Dao Foundation as a blood sacrifice, I can obtain an Earth Grade flying sword to lay the groundwork for my future attainment of the Purple Mansion. This truly is an unexpected delight... Hmm..."

Suddenly, her voice cut off as she looked at Fang Yu.

Fang Yu, who had been turned into a torch, was now holding the Flowing Flame True Fire Sword. The flames all over his body slowly drew back into him, forming a protective spiritual radiance on the surface of his body that seemed almost tangible.

"Y-you, how can you possibly control Flowing Flame True Fire?!"

Tie Chanyi cried out and muttered under her breath, reciting one mnemonic after another. But the mnemonics that should have made his Flowing Flame True Fire run out of control now had no effect at all.

"Not good, I've been set up!"

Her body shuddered violently, and the flying sword on her back vanished in an instant. A point of golden light appeared before Fang Yu's forehead, pierced the dense protective spiritual radiance, and slowly cut its way in.