Chapter 363: Forging Instruments

Shaohua Mountain.

Qin Sang appeared on Daomen Peak. The disciples coming and going were all new faces. Qin Sang concealed his cultivation to avoid trouble and walked up the steps to the wooden hall on Daomen Peak.

The hall doors were open, with disciples entering and exiting. Qin Sang stepped inside and, not finding Senior Brother Wen, saw a long-unseen acquaintance: Zhuang Yan!

"Senior Brother Zhuang," Qin Sang greeted. He noticed that Zhuang Yan had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, confirming that Zhuang Yan's years of diligent cultivation had not been in vain.

"Junior Brother Qin!" Zhuang Yan was assigning tasks to a disciple when he looked up and saw Qin Sang. A surprised expression immediately flashed across his face. He quickly dismissed the disciple with a few words, then strode over, laughing heartily. "I heard news from the Ancient Immortal Battlefield that you've already broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. This 'Junior Brother' title feels rather undeserved coming from me now. Fortunately, we didn't meet years ago, or I'd have to call you 'Senior Uncle' for a few years, and I wouldn't know where to put my old face! Haha..."

Qin Sang chuckled in return, cupping his hands in jest. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Zhuang, on turning over a new leaf... Where is Senior Brother Wen?"

Zhuang Yan shook his head, sighing helplessly. "Master is preparing to enjoy his golden years and no longer concerns himself with worldly affairs. He's probably playing chess with an old friend now. It's up to me, his disciple, to handle the work."

"Master?" Qin Sang realized then that Zhuang Yan had accepted Senior Brother Wen's patronage and formally become his disciple. The titles among the three of them seemed confusing, but it was quite normal in the cultivation world. Qin Sang calling Wen and Zhuang "Senior Brother" was based on the conventional rules of the cultivation world and their personal friendship, allowing for much flexibility as long as no offense was given. Zhuang Yan formally becoming Wen's disciple was their private affair. The master-disciple bond superseded all else; even if a disciple's cultivation was a level higher than their master's, they still had to observe the proper etiquette for a master. This distinction between public and private matters was clearly maintained.

Zhuang Yan led Qin Sang to a quiet room to sit down. "Master was also exceptionally pleased to hear you broke through to mid-Foundation Establishment; he cheered with joy. I'll send him a message right away; he'll be delighted. First, tell me what the real situation is like in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield..."

"Senior Brother Zhuang is also interested in cultivating in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield?" Qin Sang discerned the implicit meaning.

Zhuang Yan nodded. "Although staying within the sect is stable, it's hard to achieve great things. Opportunities for breakthroughs can only be found through external cultivation. Master also believes this."

Qin Sang saw the hidden envy in Zhuang Yan's eyes and guessed that Zhuang Yan might think he had encountered a great opportunity in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield to achieve his breakthrough. Without pointing it out, Qin Sang mused, "It's not the best time for Senior Brother Zhuang to go to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield now. You must know about the impending spiritual tide, right?"

Zhuang Yan hummed in acknowledgment, leaning closer. He spoke mysteriously, "There have been rumors circulating lately, and even Qi Refinement stage disciples have started discussing it. How could I not know? To cope with the impending changes, sect affairs are now controlled by Senior Brother Qi. Sect Leader Yu can only act as a figurehead to prevent panic among the disciples, which is why the sect leader hasn't been replaced. Furthermore, the sect is now preparing to gather personnel to patrol the YunCang Great Lake. I'm also undecided whether to go to the Ancient Immortal Battlefield or stay at the YunCang Great Lake."

"As the spiritual tide approaches, chaos is gradually rising in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Compared to patrolling the YunCang Great Lake, it's hard to say which is more dangerous. However, we have the sect as our backing. If Senior Brother Zhuang can make up his mind, there's still some time for the spiritual tide to brew, so you could still try the Ancient Immortal Battlefield." Qin Sang then detailed his experiences and observations from the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, leaving the decision to Zhuang Yan.

Zhuang Yan fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time. From Zhuang Yan, Qin Sang learned that not only Shaohua Mountain but also several major sects were organizing personnel to patrol the YunCang Great Lake and TianDuan Mountain. Only then did Qin Sang truly feel the situation becoming increasingly tense. He realized he needed to carefully plan his own future choices.

Not long after, Senior Brother Wen returned, and the three reunited, chatting happily until evening. Qin Sang then bid them farewell and went to Baota Peak. Qin Sang first selected several spells, planning to cultivate them slowly in the future, then began searching through the vast collection of ancient texts.

The next morning, a streak of light flew out of Baota Peak, heading towards a verdant peak on the edge of Shaohua Mountain's entrance. Although this green peak appeared unremarkable among the mountains, it contained hidden depths, situated precisely on one of Shaohua Mountain's spiritual veins. The peak itself was not majestic, yet it housed several cave dwellings suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The streak of light circled the green peak once, stopping before a cliff face on its western side. The person was none other than Qin Sang. His gaze swept over the cliff face, and he waved his hand, sending out a restriction. The mountain wall shifted, revealing a cave entrance. This was a cave dwelling Zhuang Yan had chosen after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, which Qin Sang was temporarily borrowing.

Entering the cave dwelling and sealing the restrictions, Qin Sang recalled his busy night, shaking his head. Despite an entire night of searching, most of the information he found regarding the Ziwei Palace was vague and speculative. It was evident that truly valuable information was not on Baota Peak; it might even circulate only among Core Formation stage cultivators, meaning his current cultivation level wasn't high enough to access it. Another possibility was that Shaohua Mountain itself knew little about the Ziwei Palace. The Ziwei Palace was exceptionally mysterious; many Nascent Soul Patriarchs had entered it, yet only a small portion had been explored.

After pondering for a while, Qin Sang flipped his palm and took out the jade slip that Shopkeeper Wu had given him. Before Shopkeeper Wu, Qin Sang had only briefly scanned it without detailed study, vaguely feeling that its contents would help the Ebony Sword, though he was unsure how much. Qin Sang speculated that the reason for this connection was likely related to the Ebony Sword's unique refining method. According to the cultivation method, if Qin Sang could find top-grade spiritual wood, he could possess a lifeforce spirit sword of artifact-grade by the late Foundation Establishment stage. This indicated that the method for refining a lifeforce spirit sword, as recorded in the cultivation technique, was designed from the outset to follow the path of refining artifacts. Therefore, it was not surprising that he gained insights from the jade slip that were helpful for refining the Ebony Sword, learning by analogy.

As Qin Sang delved deeper into understanding these contents, he found it increasingly strenuous. Comprehending them thoroughly was indeed not easy. Qin Sang could guess the reason: he knew nothing about artifact refining. It was impossible to directly comprehend the jade slip without even understanding how to refine spirit tools. His gaze shifted to the insights left by Shopkeeper Wu's ancestors. Relatively speaking, these insights were much more basic, but to truly integrate them, he couldn't just sit idly in the cave dwelling; he needed practical experience.

Should he perhaps divert his attention to learning artifact refining? It wouldn't be a complete waste; after breaking through to Core Formation, such experience would definitely be helpful when refining his lifeforce artifact. However, he currently couldn't spare the energy. Qin Sang secretly shook his head and put the jade slip back into his Mustard Seed Bag.

Thereafter, Qin Sang divided his time between cultivation, visiting friends, and handling miscellaneous matters. Unconsciously, the time for his departure had arrived.