"Not good!"
In the distance, Lu Xin saw Heng Hua take out a feather fan and immediately panicked.
"Is that a spirit artifact on par with the Cloudsoaring Fan?"
The folding fan's spiritual light was presently restrained, and he was not personally driving it. If the other side attacked with full force, would his fan not be destroyed?
Even if it was not destroyed, merely wiping away the divine sense he had imprinted upon it would damage his soul, requiring three to five years to recover.
At that moment, Lu Xin knew he had overplayed his hand.
Seeing Heng Hua move, Qingxi hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoist, you mustn't, you mustn't. I—I was only asking. I never intended to refine the Cloudsoaring Fan."
"It is fine. If you do not intend to refine it, you can still take it out and sell it for money. If someone else uses it later, they will still need to resolve the divine sense upon it. To keep other fellow cultivators from suffering, I will help you remove this divine sense for free."
A bird's cry rose, and a red sparrow appeared above Heng Hua's head.
Separation Flame.
A Vermilion Bird Plume?
Qingxi's heart stirred as he recalled the origin of that fan.
Back then, after Zhang Shenjian had caused him to suffer cultivation deviation, a man and a woman had helped resolve it for him. The man seemed to have been holding a feather fan.
Was this young Daoist the descendant of his benefactor?
While Qingxi was lost in thought, he saw the Separation Flame slowly press down.
No longer caring to conceal his strength, Qingxi swiftly snatched the folding fan away and escaped using earth evasion.
Heng Hua had originally intended to secretly use a "Finger-to-Ground Gold-Making Art." But thinking of this man's background, as well as that small bit of past friendship with his father, he silently withdrew his hand.
Staring in the direction Qingxi had fled, Heng Hua glanced toward where Lu Xin and the other two were hiding. Though he could not see them, he still put on a smile and assumed an unfathomable expression.
Seeing Qingxi reclaim the folding fan, Lu Xin let out a breath of relief. Then he asked, "Master Nanguo, could that boy have discovered us?"
"The Fu Family has an expert overseeing it. Perhaps we have already been noticed."
"Then—should we show ourselves?"
"We should still be cautious. Better to remain hidden."
After Qingxi returned, he gave the folding fan back to Lu Xin.
"Young Master, that should be enough now, yes? It would be best not to do such things again in the future."
Qingxi still had lingering fear. He vividly remembered the power of that fan.
Back then, he had controlled eight spirit swords, only for his tentacles to be scorched off by a single wave of his benefactor's fan. The eight swords had fallen into the water.
"This young master never expected that the Fu Family's little brother would be such a warmhearted fellow."
Lu Xin took back the folding fan and returned it to its original form. Seeing that it was completely undamaged, he secretly sighed in relief.
"Cough, cough... Since he is so warmhearted, we can consider adding another candidate."
Whoosh, whoosh—
A clear breeze swept past. Nanguo Yannian reacted quickly, using a water evasion art to bring Qingxi and Lu Xin back to the merchant ship.
"So there really were people hiding there."
Fu Xiangfeng gazed in the direction Lu Xin's group had departed. With a leap, he landed beside Heng Hua.
"What happened? Did that person intend to set you up?"
"I do not know. In any case, he brought a proper spirit artifact for me to appraise. He probably had some ulterior motive."
Heng Hua gently waved his feather fan. "We walk upright and sit straight. We need not fear the petty schemes of ghosts and monsters."
Seeing Qingxi flee, Nie Xing and the others secretly began to doubt his origins.
Mei Zhongtian's brows alternately furrowed and relaxed.
Heng Hua smiled and asked, "Does Fellow Daoist still have doubts?"
"I only feel that the craft of artifact refinement is quite dangerous." He had only recently entered the cultivation world. Learning of such filthy dealings out of nowhere made him feel that the path of cultivation was perilous beyond measure.
There were three kinds of wicked artifacts that involved laying traps inside magic treasures.
As a metallurgical Daoist, he would often deal with artifact refiners in the future. Did he need to be more guarded?
"Besides the wicked magic treasures made by artifact refiners, alchemists can also tamper with pills. Three hundred years ago, did not the Bliss Sect that once ran rampant through the Dragonreach Waters rely on 'Five-Flavored Bliss Powder' to win over countless cultivators?"
Five-Flavored Bliss Powder was a wicked poison that could numb a cultivator's mind and make them addicted. Taking Bliss Powder could double one's spiritual power in a short time and accelerate cultivation. But once the effects passed, it instead caused symptoms such as mental exhaustion, madness, and violent agitation. Moreover, this medicine was extremely addictive; once consumed, it was difficult to stop.
The Bliss Powder Recluse relied on this evil substance to gather numerous cultivators beneath him. He dominated the central Dragonreach Waters and even dreamed of sweeping through all directions to become its uncrowned king.
When the Bliss Sect was eradicated, both the Fu Family and the Divine Moon Sect had contributed.
"Furthermore, one may secretly hide gu insects within pills. Or take an ordinary qi-replenishing pill, smear a layer of spirit medicine powder over its pill coating, and pass it off as a high-grade pill."
Waving his feather fan, Heng Hua casually spoke with Mei Zhongtian about all manner of traps in the cultivation world.
"If you obtain a cultivation art left behind by some predecessor, you must also be careful. A predecessor's cultivation art may be a family inheritance or a master's transmission and require a particular secret text or mnemonic chant to decode. Otherwise, some passages may read incoherently and easily cause cultivation deviation.
"Or it may deliberately contain misleading cultivation methods, specifically intended to harm later cultivators.
"Fellow Daoist, you must understand. Flowers have a thousand faces, and people come in a thousand kinds. Not every cultivator is a selfless good person willing to leave behind cultivation arts and inheritances so later generations may cultivate according to the Dao.
"There is a kind of person in this world who seeks no benefit for himself, only the chance to harm others. Even with no grudge or enmity, they will still find a way to trip you up. Let alone those on the verge of death—when they see others succeeding in cultivation, they naturally grow ever more unwilling to accept it. Thus, they deliberately leave behind harmful cultivation arts so later generations suffer cultivation deviation and accompany them to the grave."
Mei Zhongtian recalled the inheritance left to him by a predecessor.
By that measure, he had been rather fortunate?
"Leaving behind harmful cultivation arts alone is still considered mild. Worse yet, some cultivation arts conceal wicked possession techniques. As later cultivators practice them, they automatically become vessels, allowing dead cultivators to return to life."
Heng Hua had once seen an evil art like that, a thousand years old.
The evil cultivator had hidden his Yin Spirit between the lines. If anyone cultivated according to that art, they would gradually be assimilated by that strange spirit and become the vessel for the evil cultivator's resurrection.
After discerning the truth, Heng Hua had sent that ancient book to Fu Danwei and directly erased the evil cultivator's mark.
Mei Zhongtian was newly fledged and inexperienced. Frightened pale by all the examples Heng Hua had given, his face turned white.
He had known that every step in the cultivation world was fraught with danger, but cultivation arts, pills, and magic treasures all had so many pitfalls?
"Fu Family Fellow Daoist, why frighten Fellow Daoist Mei?"
Xin Mao, who had traded with Mei Zhongtian earlier, said with a smile, "The cultivation world indeed has many traps, but as long as one remains cautious and vigilant, guards one's original heart, and does not let greed lead one astray, there is nothing much to fear. A few years ago, were there not demonic cultivators spreading treasure maps outside, hoping to lure fellow cultivators in? Yet aside from a few families such as the Wei Family, did everyone not emerge safe and sound?
"As for those counterfeit pills, magic treasures, and cultivation arts, buying them from legitimate spirit markets will generally prevent mistakes.
"Fellow Daoist Mei, you have not traveled much in the cultivation world. Remember this in the future: in the eastern Dragonreach Waters, do not casually visit the Reef District Boat Market. Only the Fu and Yin Families have credibility. If you wish to buy something, it is best to go to Windgate Island and seek out shops belonging to those two families, or shops bearing Windgate's name. Only these three kinds have any reputation worth speaking of. Never, never deal with the Cheng Family. Those people enjoy using poison. Who knows when your poison may flare up and kill you?"
"Young Master, do you truly intend to add the Fu Family to the list of candidates for consideration?"
The three of Qingxi had returned to the sea vessel.
Lu Xin's expression was somewhat unnatural.
He had merely wanted to expose the Fu Family's hypocritical face, yet he had nearly lost his own spirit artifact.
"Cough, cough... Naturally. Since the Fu Family members are indeed as kindhearted and honest as you say, we should give them an opportunity."
Lu Xin thought to himself: First, I will give Uncle Qingxi some face. Later, I can find an excuse to kick the Fu Family out. Still, the Fu Family's character truly is not bad. If only it were possible...
He glanced at the gray-robed man beside him and shook his head.
Though he was a direct descendant of the Lu Family from the Jadeflame Trading House, there were dozens, if not over a hundred, Lu Family young masters like him. He had no way to change the Lu Family's overall considerations.
From the very beginning, the Lu Family had never regarded the Fu Family highly.
Once Fu Danwei and the Grand Elder died, with only Fu Beidou left to hold things together, what future could the Fu Family have?
No matter how great a sword immortal's divine abilities, without the Fu Family's Heto Calculation Canon, they could not even maintain their current façade.
In contrast, the Wei Family had two Golden Core great cultivators just over a thousand years old, along with eleven False Core cultivators. Rumor had it that a direct Wei Family disciple had gone to cultivate at the Eastern Sea Sword Sect. Their future was promising; another peerless Golden Core sword cultivator of unmatched slaughter would arise. That one person alone would be worth Fu Beidou.
Compared to the Cheng Family, who specialized in poison and were unpredictable and ever-changing, the Wei Family was Jadeflame Trading House's first choice.
After Qingxi's farce, the boat market also drew to a close. Xiangfeng put away the Coiling Dragon Seal. After making slight adjustments, they set sail from Immovable Reef at dawn.
Xiangfeng stood atop the ship, bidding farewell to the streams of escaping light flying away from Immovable Reef.
Then he silently controlled the clear wind and observed the western side of Immovable Reef.
"Third Brother, are you looking into those people's origins?"
"Yes. I can sense it. Those people are west of Immovable Reef."
But since they had not acted, Xiangfeng had worried about involving other fellow cultivators and thus had not spoken up earlier.
A faint sound rang out beside him.
Xiangfeng glanced over and saw Heng Hua riding the wind down onto the ship's roof.
"Even landing makes a sound. My wind-riding art is still lacking." Heng Hua's toes touched down, and he stood lightly beside Xiangfeng.
"I have some guesses about the person who brought the fan for appraisal. He may have some connection to our family. I heard he went to cultivate in Baiqiang Waters years ago, so he should have come from there."
"Baiqiang? A cultivation merchant association? What are they here for?"
There was a chain of contempt in the cultivation world.
Cultivation families with millennia of inheritance looked down upon cultivation merchant associations that knew only how to gather wealth and scheme for profit. They despised them for not understanding etiquette or morality, for being filled with desires, and for being unable to enter the gates of the immortal Dao.
Sects possessing Shenzhou Dao lineages looked down upon millennia-old families, believing their clan rites and laws were too complicated, their worldly air too heavy, and their immortal bearing long lost.
Meanwhile, immortal sects and Dao schools holding immortal canons and treasured formulas looked down upon all three. They called them "seeking truth through falsehood, fishing for the moon in water"; in the end, they would fail to attain the Great Dao, leaving only an empty sigh.
"What else could they want? Naturally, to open up the Dragonreach market."
The Dragonreach Waters' cultivation world was dominated by cultivation families. The Zhu Family of Firegate Island in the south; the Xiao, Lin, and Yang Families of Watergate Island in the north; and the Fu, Wei, Cheng, Bao, and Yin Families of Windgate Island in the east—these nine millennia-old families held sway and established the present order of cultivation in Dragonreach.
Families with Soul Formation cultivators in command and totem guardian spirits were upper-class families.
Families with Golden Core cultivators in command, the ability to pass down Golden Core cultivation arts generation after generation, and lower-grade first-rank spirit veins were middle-class families.
All the rest were lower-class.
The goals of Dragonreach cultivation families were, first, to advance their own spirit veins, and second, to cultivate their elite clansmen.
Heng Hua said, "Water demons frequently appear in Dragonreach. Whether demon cores or demon bones, both are scarce in Baiqiang Waters.
"But the three families of Watergate Island press down with all their might. How could they enter from the north? Although family influence in the west is weaker, those ascetics on Heavengate Island are completely unsuitable trading partners for Baiqiang merchant associations. After considering every possibility, they can only begin from the east."
Fu Xiangfeng said, "With our five families stationed in the east, can they enter?"
"So they will seek out some cultivation family to serve as their agent, won't they?"
Heng Hua smiled. "Given our family's present circumstances, those snobs probably would not think much of us. The Yin Family... they act mysteriously and devote themselves to imitating the ways of reclusive immortal sects. They do not even put much thought into their own shops, so they likely will not join hands with Baiqiang merchant associations."
"So it is the Wei, Cheng, or Bao Families? They want to let wolves into the house?"
"How are they wolves? They are merely a flock of foolish, wealthy 'fat sheep.' Let alone the Wei and Cheng Families, even the Bao Family's two Golden Core patriarchs could play them in circles."
Among the Donglai Thirteen Waters, the Dragonreach Waters suffered from frequent water demon disasters, causing cultivation geniuses to often die halfway through their journey. There were only three to five Soul Formation cultivators and no more than fifty Golden Core cultivators. Yet because they fought water demons year after year, cultivators here possessed exceptionally high combat strength.
If one of Baiqiang Waters' ten great trading houses came alone to Dragonreach, no matter whether they hired dozens or hundreds of guards, the Bao Family could easily deal with them.
Heng Hua paid no attention to those people and turned to go below.
"Fellow Daoists—"
At that moment, Mei Zhongtian caught up with them.
"Does Fellow Daoist have more business?"
"Are you two searching for a spirit object called the 'Eternal Firestone'?"
Xiangfeng's eyes lit up. "Does Fellow Daoist know this object's origin or whereabouts? So long as you have relevant information, the Fu Family will certainly reward you generously."
"I only happened to recall it after returning. The Eternal Firestone is a special fire within stone. After the sun's divine fire falls underground and merges with the poisonous fire of the earth's lungs, the earth's vital essence seals it within stone. After a thousand years, it forms."
As he spoke, Mei Zhongtian took out a pale-red flintstone.
Heng Hua swept it with his divine sense and immediately said, "This stone bears the aura of the sun's divine fire. But the temperature of the fire seed within is likely insufficient. A hundred years of heat? Wait, is this the flint you use to kindle fire and refine metal?"
"Yes, it is a hundred-year flint essence. If it had a thousand years of heat, it should be what you seek, correct?"
Heng Hua blurted out, "Flint Valley on Firegate Island?"
The Eternal Firestone was the legendary thousand-year flint essence of Firegate Island?
Mei Zhongtian silently nodded. That was right—this was indeed the firestone he had obtained from Flint Valley.
"Sure enough, one object can have a thousand names. I never expected that Eternal Firestone referred to that thing." Heng Hua's heart settled completely.
Flint Valley was the place with the densest fire qi in the Dragonreach Waters. It produced a peculiar firestone called Hundred-Mystery Flintstone, which could be used for alchemy and artifact crafting.
But Heng Hua knew that the Zhu Family possessed a clan-protecting spirit artifact passed down for a thousand years, called the Flintglory Dawnlight Lamp. Its wick was said to be refined from thousand-year flint essence. This treasure could ignite fire in the air, fire in stone, and fire in wood; even Golden Core cultivators dared not touch it.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. Those words have helped my family immensely."
"I am glad I could help you two." Having delivered the information, Mei Zhongtian intended to leave.
"Wait." Heng Hua pulled him aside.
"Fellow Daoist has done my family a great favor. I will also offer Fellow Daoist a few words."
Heng Hua said solemnly, "Everyone knows that metallurgical Daoists forge the Cauldron Golden Core. With the essences of the five metals as the foundation, they absorb all kinds of metal essences into their bodies and forge a Golden Core of metal and stone. Yet few know that different choices among the five metals result in different grades of Golden Core. It is not necessarily better for metal essences to be of higher quality.
"Fellow Daoist, remember this: if you wish to form a superior Golden Core, you must take Mystic Gold as the primary material. Use it to fuse the qi of the five elements and refine five kinds of spirit metal..."
"Great White Gold Essence, Mysticwave Gold Essence, Azure Yi Gold Essence, Crimson Origin Gold Essence, and Yue Spirit Gold Essence. These five metal essences respectively belong to the five elements. If Fellow Daoist can refine these five kinds of spirit metal in the future, then use these five metal essences to inscribe a five-element formation within your dantian, your chance of forming a core will rise by ten percent.
"If you cannot refine these five kinds, choose other metal essences stained with the attributes of the five elements as substitutes. Remember, only with all five elements present will it be convenient to form a core.
"Also, the metal essences of the five attributes must be of the same grade. If one is a mid-grade metal essence, they must all be mid-grade. You cannot have four high-grade and one mid-grade, nor four mid-grade and one low-grade."
Heng Hua had summarized this from reading countless Daoist books.
Mei Zhongtian pondered it and vaguely felt that Heng Hua's words would greatly benefit his future. He hurriedly bowed in thanks.
"It is merely a small effort, just a few words. Believe them if you wish. If not, you may gather five kinds of mixed metals such as Mystic Gold, spirit silver, and crimson copper to forge a core yourself. Just remember: use cinnabar, lead, and mercury sparingly. If those two enter the core, they can easily cause cultivation deviation."
After advising Mei Zhongtian, Heng Hua prepared to leave.
"Wait—" Mei Zhongtian grabbed him.
"The five kinds of Mystic Gold Fellow Daoist pointed out are all mid-grade metal essences. If I can find five kinds of high-grade metal essences—"
"Do not act recklessly!"
Without hesitation, Heng Hua cut off Mei Zhongtian's ambition.
"I know what you must be thinking. If you use the five highest-quality metal essences to forge your Golden Core, its quality will surely be the strongest and its might unmatched. But do not forget: materials of that grade cannot be melted by your Samadhi True Fire at all."
Low-grade metal essences, such as Watermoon Silver, Separation-Union Mystic Gold, Ninefold Silver Copper, and Lilygod Iron, could be tempered once one reached the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, the stage of "internally generated true fire." Some were even used by Golden Core cultivators to create spirit artifacts.
Mid-grade metal essences, such as Great White Gold Essence, Mysticwave Gold Essence, Azure Yi Gold Essence, Crimson Origin Gold Essence, and Yue Spirit Gold Essence, were mostly preferred by Golden Core cultivators for crafting spirit artifacts. Heng Hua's selection of these five metal essences for Mei Zhongtian's core forging was the best choice after considering every factor.
As for high-grade metal essences, even the lowest required a Golden Core cultivator's natal true fire to refine. Some metal essences required immortal fire for smelting. Using such metal essences for cultivation would only leave one stuck at the Golden Core step, unable to advance further.
"Let alone whether you can refine five types of high-grade metal essence into a Great Dao Golden Core. Even if you succeed, once your Yin Spirit merges into the Golden Core, can it be separated again in the future? Remember, Golden Core cultivators also have limited lifespans. If you fail to reach a higher realm before the fifteen-hundred-year limit, then wait for death."
After cramming all this common knowledge into Mei Zhongtian, Heng Hua sent him off the spirit boat.
When he returned to Xiangfeng, Fu Xiangfeng had already written down the Eternal Firestone information in the Travel Record.
Xiangfeng said smugly, "Well? Holding this boat market helped us, did it not? You were unwilling before. Look how great the benefits are."
"It was only luck. Now that we know where the Eternal Firestone is, we should consider how to go to Firegate Island and obtain thousand-year flint essence."
Like Windgate Island's position in eastern Yanlong, Firegate Island was also the center for cultivators in the south. Even Thousand-Year Flint was a rare commodity on Firegate Island. The Zhu Family kept a close eye on it; if the Fu Family wanted to obtain it, they would have to put in considerable effort.
Fu Xiangfeng said, "Let my father and uncles rack their brains over it. We'll take it slow—there are still two other kinds."
Fu Liuhui frowned at the large pot. A silver little beast was rolling around inside.
"Moo, moo—"
Two small bumps protruded from the little beast's forehead. Fine scales covered its body, while its bare tail swayed back and forth.
Liuhui had already poured out the hot water from the pot, leaving only the eggshell and the little beast inside.
"Is this... a Qilin? No, that's not right. A Thunder Beast? It looks a little like a Kui Ox, born with lightning in its veins, but it has four legs, so that doesn't match either."
The little beast's eyes were narrowed, still unable to open fully.
Its movements were clumsy. It struggled to stand, only to fall over again with a thump.
Lying beside its own eggshell, it silently tried to burrow back inside. But the shell had shattered, and that small fragment could not possibly cover its entire body.
"Chirp?"
Huang Qiong cried out, stretching her neck curiously as she tried to peck at it.
Liuhui hurriedly stopped her. "Wait. Its scales haven't fully grown in yet. Don't mess around."
After playing by itself for a while, the little beast began pawing at the edge of the pot again.
Just as it was about to climb out, Liuhui placed it back at the bottom.
"Given the situation, it clearly can't be eaten now. But—"
Fu Liuhui thought of a colossal problem.
They were currently aboard the ship. How was she supposed to feed it?
"Newborn spirit beasts need to be fed milk. But I..."
Liuhui swiftly looked toward Huang Qiong.
"Chirp?"
Huang Qiong tilted her head and gazed foolishly at Fu Liuhui.
An immortal crane naturally had no possibility of nursing it either.
Liuhui quickly took out some medicinal pills and placed them beside the little beast.
But the little beast merely sniffed them, then turned its head and continued fiddling with the eggshell.
Before long, though, it ran out of strength. It silently lay beside the shell and tried to gnaw it. Yet the young beast's teeth were incomplete; it could only chew through the innermost layer. As for the golden eggshell outside, which had endured the passage of time without wearing down, it could not bite through it at all.
"How strange. If it has the habit of eating eggshells, how could it possibly be unable to chew through its own shell? Wait, why would a young beast be inside an eggshell? Shouldn't it be born with a placenta and eat its original placenta?"
Liuhui considered herself a learned person within the family and often went to Langhuan Hall to read. Yet faced with this little beast, she had no idea of its origins, much less how to raise it.
Huang Qiong stared at the little beast for a moment, then suddenly ran into the water, caught two fish, and tossed them into the bottom of the pot.
The little beast kept gnawing at the eggshell, utterly unconcerned with the carp still flapping beside it.
"It can't eat those." Liuhui tossed the carp back into the water and let out a faint sigh. "I need to reunite with Sixth Brother as soon as possible."
As for how to identify it and how to feed it, she could only seek Fu Henghua's guidance.
Taking out a jade disk, Fu Liuhui plucked a feather from Huang Qiong and began chanting under her breath.
Green smoke curled upward. Using the connection between Huang Qiong and Fu Heyi, it pointed the way to the Colorful-Luan Spirit Ship.
Today's two chapters had been combined into one and would not be separated further.
Supplementary Record:
How Daoists of Metallurgy cultivated was a matter of many differing opinions.
Yet one point was acknowledged by every Daoist of Metallurgy—the metal of the Five Elements was Mystic Gold.
Mystic Gold was the foundation of all spirit-metal materials.
The mainstream view held that Mystic Gold had first emerged from alchemy. When ancient qi refiners made elixirs of immortality, they discovered within metals and stones a special substance that could not be smelted. Later experiments revealed that Mystic Gold could be used as material for magical treasures.
Others said Mystic Gold was formed by the primordial chaos. Cultivators gathered natural Mystic Gold from the spiritual veins of mountains and rivers to forge treasures. Later, because Mystic Gold was scarce, they created methods of artificial extraction.
Mystic Gold was untouched by water and fire, stable in nature, capable of being preserved for ages without suffering the erosion of time, and was greatly favored by cultivators. In ancient times, Mystic Gold and spirit stones had together served as the common currency of the cultivation world.
Some even spread rumors that the natal origin pellet formed by Golden Core Realm cultivators was called a "Golden Core" because it drew upon Mystic Gold's stable nature and lasting preservation, taking the meaning of "the indestructible golden nature." (This author privately believes it to be slander from artifact-refining cultivators.)
—Miscellaneous Notes on Cultivation, authored by Yu Yaozi, alchemy grandmaster of the Futian Calendar
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