From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 87 First Arrival at the Refining Valley: A Difficult Journey

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Leng Shuang speaking. She was dressed in the distinctive fiery red outfit of the Refining Valley, and her eyes held a hint of disdain. Behind her were several disciples, all looking at me with scrutinizing eyes.

“Cold Frost,” I replied calmly, “I came to the Refining Valley, naturally for the purpose of refining weapons.”

"Weapon crafting?" Leng Shuang scoffed as if she had heard a joke. "You, a piece of trash without even spiritual roots, want to learn weapon crafting? Don't waste your time. Go back to your immortal palace and enjoy your life."

I didn't want to argue with her, so I took a step to walk past her. Leng Shuang reached out and stopped me, her tone defiant: "What, are you scared now? You don't even dare to say a word?"

“I just don’t want to waste time,” I glanced at her indifferently. “I have more important things to do.”

I brushed her hand away and walked straight towards a tall tower in the center of the valley. That was Master Yan's weapon-refining room, and also my destination. I came to the Weapon-Refining Valley to fuse several magical treasures I had obtained during the trials, and Master Yan was the authority in this field.

Inside Master Yan's weapon-refining room, the furnace fire roared, and the air was filled with a strong metallic scent. Master Yan was facing a crimson furnace, his hands constantly changing hand seals, causing the molten metal inside the furnace to churn and surge.

“Master Yan,” I bowed respectfully.

Master Yan slowly turned around, staring intently at me. After a long while, he finally spoke: "You are Xiao Yao?"

"Exactly the disciple."

"I've heard you performed exceptionally well in the trials," Master Yan said calmly, "so you wish to learn the art of fusion of magical artifacts?"

“Yes,” I presented the magical artifacts I had obtained during the trial to Master Yan, “please give me your guidance.”

Master Yan took the magic weapons and examined them carefully, but his brows furrowed slightly: "These magic weapons are made of special materials, and their fusion is extremely difficult. With your current skill level in weapon crafting, I'm afraid you are not yet capable of handling it."

“I am willing to start from the basics,” I said firmly.

Master Yan pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "In that case, let's start with the most basic smelting."

He took out several pieces of ore and some refining materials from his storage ring and handed them to me: "First, melt these ores into the purest liquid metal, then come find me."

I took the materials, but some doubts lingered in my mind. Smelting ore was the most basic introductory skill in weapon crafting, so why would Master Yan ask me to do this? Was he testing me?

I suppressed my doubts and went to a small furnace in the corner of the refining room. Following Master Yan's instructions, I put the ore into the furnace, lit the fire, and began smelting. However, what happened next was completely unexpected. No matter how I controlled the heat and the incantations, the ore in the furnace could not be melted. Instead, various strange reactions occurred, and even a small explosion took place.

"What's going on?" I frowned, carefully examining the furnace and materials. Suddenly, I noticed something amiss. The texture and color of these ores seemed different from what Master Yan had given me. Could it be... that someone secretly switched my materials?

I looked up at the others in the weapon-refining room. Everyone was focused on their work and seemed oblivious to what was happening in my area. Only Leng Shuang stood a short distance away, a barely perceptible sneer playing on her lips.

“Xiao Yao,” Leng Shuang’s voice carried a hint of sarcasm, “what, you can’t even do the most basic smelting?”

I ignored her and continued examining the materials in my hands. A sense of unease crept into my heart… “These ores…” I murmured to myself, my gaze falling on the crimson ore in Leng Shuang’s hand, my tone suddenly turning cold, “...very similar to yours…”

The crimson ore in Leng Shuang's hand is called Crimson Flame Stone, which is extremely flammable and explosive, making it completely unsuitable for basic smelting. The ore in my hand, while resembling ordinary refined iron ore on the outside, contains a large amount of Crimson Flame Stone powder inside, no wonder it exploded.

“Cold Frost,” I said, looking directly at her, my voice icy, “why did you do this?”

Leng Shuang made no attempt to hide her disdain, giving a contemptuous smile: "I just want you to know that there are some places that a piece of trash like you can't go."

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger. Arguing with her would only waste time; I had to find a solution as soon as possible. I carefully put away the switched ore and turned to leave the refining room.

Now, I need to find evidence to prove that Cold Frost framed me, and I need new materials.

The first person I thought of was Pavilion Master Lu. He is the head of the Magic Treasure Pavilion, knowledgeable and fair, and perhaps he could offer me some assistance.

I arrived at the Treasure Pavilion, where Pavilion Master Lu was examining an ancient bronze mirror. Upon seeing me enter, he put down the mirror and gestured for me to sit down.

"Xiao Yao, you've come to see me, is there something you need?" Pavilion Master Lu's voice was gentle and magnetic.

I told him the whole story in detail and showed him the ore that had been switched. Pavilion Master Lu examined the ore carefully, his brow furrowed.

“These ores have indeed been tampered with,” Pavilion Master Lu pondered for a moment. “There aren’t many people in the Refining Valley who know this kind of technique. I will help you investigate.”

"Thank you, Pavilion Master Lu," I said, feeling a little more at ease. "However, I urgently need some new ore to start smelting again."

Pavilion Master Lu smiled and took out several pieces of pure refined iron ore from his storage ring, handing them to me: "Take these and use them. I hope you can complete the fusion of your magic weapon soon."

I accepted the ore and gratefully thanked Pavilion Master Lu.

“However,” Pavilion Master Lu’s expression suddenly turned serious, “Xiao Yao, you must remember that the interpersonal relationships in the Refining Valley are complicated, so you must act carefully.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. I knew what Pavilion Master Lu meant; not everyone in the Refining Valley was as impartial as him, and I had to be even more cautious.

I took the ore back to the refining room and started smelting it again. This time, everything went smoothly, and the ore was quickly smelted into pure liquid metal.

I handed the molten metal to Master Yan, who examined it carefully and finally showed a hint of approval on his face.

“Not bad,” Master Yan nodded. “It seems your foundation is quite good. Next, we can begin learning about magic weapon fusion.”

I was overjoyed and was about to ask Master Yan for guidance when suddenly, a disciple rushed into the weapon-refining room.

"Madam Qin has summoned all her disciples to the council hall for a meeting," the disciple said breathlessly, "saying it's about the fusion of magical artifacts."

My heart sank. Madam Qin was the wife of the Valley Master of the Weapon Refining Valley, and one of the most prestigious people in the valley. Why had she suddenly summoned all the disciples for a meeting? Could it be... related to me?

I followed the crowd into the council hall, where Madam Qin was already seated in the main seat, her face grave.

"I've gathered everyone here today because I have an important announcement to make," Madam Qin said slowly.

Her gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on me.

"Recently, some things have happened in the valley..." Madam Qin's voice was low and powerful, each word striking my heart, "...about the fusion of magical artifacts..."

Madam Qin's sharp gaze seemed to pierce through to the heart. I felt as if I had been stripped naked and stood before everyone, with nowhere to hide. "Someone tampered with the process of fusing magical artifacts, causing the smelting materials to be replaced, almost leading to a major disaster." She paused, her tone becoming even more stern. "Forging artifacts is not child's play. The slightest carelessness can lead to irreversible consequences. I hope everyone will take this as a warning, treat every smelting process seriously, and never harbor any malicious intentions!"

My heart was pounding. Although Madam Qin hadn't named anyone, I knew she was talking about me, or more precisely, about Leng Shuang framing me. The surrounding disciples began to whisper, and I felt countless probing gazes upon me—curious, suspicious, disdainful, and even gloating. I took a deep breath, telling myself to stay calm. Especially in times like these, I couldn't afford to lose my composure. Madam Qin continued to emphasize the importance of the magic weapon fusion and its significance for the Refining Valley. I understood that this fusion wasn't just about my personal success or failure, but also about the reputation of the entire Refining Valley. The burden on my shoulders grew heavier.

After the meeting, I felt as if a huge rock was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I had to find new Crimson Flame Stones as soon as possible to start smelting again. Although the refined iron ore that Pavilion Master Lu gave me was of excellent quality, it lacked the characteristics of Crimson Flame Stones and could not achieve the effect I wanted.

Following the clues provided by Master Yan, I began searching for traces of the Crimson Flame Stone in the valley. The Refining Valley was vast, with rolling hills and complex terrain; I walked for a long time but found nothing. As darkness fell, the surrounding shadows became eerie and terrifying, and a sense of unease rose in my heart.

Just then, I spotted a cave ahead, its entrance hidden by dense vines, easily missed if one wasn't looking carefully. I hesitated for a moment, then decided to go in and take a look. Perhaps, the Crimson Flame Stone I needed would be inside.

Pushing aside the vines, I cautiously entered the cave. The cave was pitch black, filled with a damp and decaying smell. I lit a luminous pearl, its faint light illuminating the surroundings. I noticed strange runes carved on the cave walls, emitting a faint red glow. I had never seen these runes before, and they exuded an eerie aura.

A faint smell of blood filled the air, mixed with some other indescribable odor that was nauseating. My intuition told me that this place was dangerous and I should leave as soon as possible.

I turned to leave, only to find that the cave entrance had been sealed off by a layer of black mist. I was startled and quickly tried to dispel the mist with my spiritual power, but I found that the mist was exceptionally tough, and my spiritual power could not budge it in the slightest.

"Who dares to trespass into my forbidden area!" A cold voice suddenly rang out in the cave, carrying a hint of mockery and cruelty.

My heart skipped a beat. I gripped the luminous pearl tightly and cautiously scanned my surroundings. Deep within the cave, a dark figure slowly emerged, its crimson eyes gleaming with a chilling light in the darkness… “Looks like tonight’s haul is good…” The figure let out a low laugh and slowly approached me. I recognized him—it was… Old Monster Mo!

Old Monster Mo grinned sinisterly, his scarlet eyes seeming to want to devour me alive. "Little girl, you're incredibly audacious, daring to trespass on my territory!" With each step he took, I could feel the air around me grow heavier, suffocating me. I gripped the luminous pearl tightly, trying to remain calm. "Old Monster Mo, what do you want?" I asked, forcing myself to be composed, but my voice trembled uncontrollably.

"What are you doing?" Old Mo chuckled, his tone full of mockery. "Of course, it's... collecting some interest!" As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath my feet suddenly trembled, and an energy vortex emitting a faint blue light appeared out of thin air, its powerful suction force pulling me downwards.

I cried out in alarm, desperately trying to steady myself, but found the suction force to be incredibly strong, something I couldn't resist at all. My body spun uncontrollably, being pulled into the vortex. The violent energy tore at my body; I felt as if my bones were about to be crushed. The luminous pearl slipped from my hand and disappeared into the dark vortex.

"Ah!" I couldn't help but scream, a wave of despair washing over me. Was I going to die here? I still had so much to do, I hadn't become an Immortal Venerable, I hadn't...

Just when I thought I was about to be completely swallowed by the vortex, a powerful force suddenly erupted within me. This force was warm and gentle, yet it carried an irresistible majesty. It acted like a solid barrier, enveloping me and resisting the vortex's tearing force.

I was stunned. Where did this power come from? I clearly don't have spiritual roots, so how could I possess such powerful strength? This power is different from any of the cultivation techniques I've practiced before. It's purer and more primal, as if it comes from... the depths of my soul.

The vortex's suction was still powerful, but the mysterious force within me surged forth continuously, resisting its power. I felt like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of being swallowed by giant waves, yet miraculously I had managed to hold on.

I gritted my teeth, struggling to control this unfamiliar power. I felt it slowly merging with me, becoming a part of my body. My consciousness gradually blurred, and everything before my eyes became distorted. I vaguely saw something shimmering in the center of the vortex.

what is that?

I tried hard to see clearly, but a strong wave of drowsiness washed over me, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier...

"Who...are you..." I murmured with my last ounce of strength. A voice echoed in my mind, ethereal and distant, yet carrying a hint of authority, "You will know...the time has come..."