238: Reforging the Immortal Sword

"Fellow Daoist Su, please wait."

The voice was ancient and distant, devoid of any worldly aura, yet it seemed to resonate directly within the depths of everyone's Sea of Consciousness.

Su Lin's footsteps halted, and he withdrew the foot that had been stepping towards the Void Realm passage.

He turned around, looking in the direction from which the voice had come.

He saw an Old Man dressed in a long gray cloth robe walking slowly towards them.

He still held that old, worn-out long-stemmed pipe in his hand. With each step he took, the turbulent chaotic currents in the surrounding Void Realm automatically calmed down a bit.

Beneath his feet, it seemed as though an invisible Great Dao was unfurling.

Old Ancestor Cang Ming.

This great power who had presided over the auction and guarded the Black Sea Market for thousands of years, a mighty figure at the Late Stage of Tribulation Transcendence, had finally stepped out of that lofty Tianque Pavilion.

"Old Man?"

Su Hongling hoisted the great sword onto her shoulder, frowned, and with a hostile glint in her eyes, blocked Su Lin's path.

"You didn't stop us when the auction ended just now, but now that we're leaving, you call out. What's the matter?"

"Are you unhappy that we didn't cause enough trouble earlier and want to stand up for that Li Qingyun?"

Her entire body tensed. Even though the other party was at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, the word 'fear' had never existed in this girl's dictionary.

As long as Su Lin gave the order, she would absolutely dare to raise her sword and slash at this Old Man a couple of times.

"Heh."

Luo Ximei also turned around. A vigilant light swirled in her heterochromatic eyes, and the Demonic Dragon Whip in her hand coiled around her arm like a spirit snake.

"Senior Cang Ming, the deal is done, payment and goods exchanged. If you're thinking of a double-cross, our bones may not be hard, but we're afraid they might chip your teeth."

"Oh dear, you young friends have misunderstood, misunderstood."

Old Ancestor Cang Ming waved his hand with a chuckle, the wrinkles on his face bunching together, making him look like a kindly Old Grandfather next door, without a trace of the dignity expected of an old monster at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.

"At my age, I've long lost the desire to compete and prove myself."

"As for that Li Qingyun... Heh, those hypocrites, I've disliked them for a long time myself. Well fought, brilliantly fought indeed."

He walked until he was about ten zhang away from Su Lin, then very tactfully stopped, indicating he meant no harm.

Su Lin patted Su Hongling's tense shoulder, signaling her to relax, then stepped forward, his expression calm as he cupped his hands in a salute.

"Since you're not here for revenge, then why did Fellow Daoist Cang Ming stop Su? What advice do you have?"

Old Ancestor Cang Ming took a puff from his pipe, exhaling a long, lingering smoke ring. From his seemingly muddled old eyes, a sharp gleam suddenly shot out, landing directly on Su Lin.

"Young Friend Su, if this Old Man's eyes do not deceive him, the Star Power within your body has reached Perfection, and your essence, Qi, and spirit have reached a critical point."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat meaningful.

"It seems... Young Friend Su is about to advance to the Mahayana Stage?"

As soon as these words were spoken, although the four disciples already knew, hearing an outsider state it so bluntly still made their hearts tighten involuntarily, and their protective stances became even more pronounced.

Su Lin's expression remained unchanged, neither confirming nor denying, he simply said calmly, "Fellow Daoist has a keen eye. However, this is Su's private matter, and it seems unrelated to you, Fellow Daoist?"

"Under normal circumstances, it would indeed be unrelated. But in these times..."

Old Ancestor Cang Ming sighed, looking up at the pitch-black Void Realm above, devoid of any starlight.

"It's difficult."

"Currently, the Heavenly Dao is deficient, Spiritual Qi is insufficient. The rules of this world are already broken and tattered, like a deflated ball."

"For ordinary Cultivators, breaking through to the Body Integration Stage is as difficult as ascending to the heavens, let alone impacting the Mahayana Stage that stands at the Peak of the mortal world?"

He looked at Su Lin, his eyes carrying a hint of regret and a hint of probing.

"Although Young Friend Su is exceptionally talented and his Foundation is frighteningly solid. But trying to force a Breakthrough on this wasteland is like rowing a boat upstream. The slightest misstep could lead to death and the destruction of your Dao."

"Moreover... this Old Man senses that the Heavenly Dao of this world seems to pay special attention to you, young friend."

Su Lin inwardly sneered.

This old fox had indeed noticed something.

The Heavenly Dao's 'attention' towards him was the kind that wished to grind his bones to dust.

"Fellow Daoist, speak plainly if you have something to say." Su Lin disliked beating around the bush.

"Good! Straight to the point!"

Old Ancestor Cang Ming tapped his pipe, his expression turning serious.

"Since you, young friend, are facing difficulties, this Old Man happens to have a tremendous Opportunity here that might be able to lend you a hand."

"Opportunity?"

Chu Weiwei poked her head out, her eyes suspicious. "Old Man, you're not trying to trick us into going to some Forbidden Ground to act as your pathfinders, are you? That kind of plot is cliché even in storybooks."

"Haha, you little girl is quite sharp."

Old Ancestor Cang Ming wasn't angered; instead, he laughed. "But this time, it truly is a once-in-a-thousand-years chance."

He lowered his voice, appearing somewhat mysterious.

"One month from now, at the border between the North Sea and the Eastern Continent, an ancient ruin will manifest."

"That place is called — [Ethereal Immortal Mansion]."

"Ethereal Immortal Mansion?"

Su Lin raised an eyebrow, searching his memories, but found the name completely unfamiliar.

"It's normal you haven't heard of it, young friend."

Old Ancestor Cang Ming explained, "Because that place only opens once every three thousand years."

"Moreover, it doesn't originally exist in this realm; it's a fragment from the Upper Realm!"

"Another Upper Realm fragment?"

Su Hongling couldn't help but interject, "Why are fragments everywhere? Was the Upper Realm smashed to pieces?"

"Ahem..." Old Ancestor Cang Ming choked slightly, smiling awkwardly. "The specific reason is unknown to this Old Man. But that point isn't important."

"What's important is that within that Immortal Mansion, the complete Laws and dense Immortal Spiritual Qi of the Upper Realm are preserved!"

A trace of yearning appeared in Old Ancestor Cang Ming's eyes.

"Breaking through there will not only avoid suppression from this world's broken Heavenly Dao but will also allow you to use the Immortal Spiritual Qi to cleanse your Physical Body and forge a peerless Dao Foundation!"

"The Opportunities there can greatly increase your chances of advancing to Mahayana, even to... Perfect Mahayana!"

"I wonder if you, young friend, are interested?"

Perfect Mahayana.

These four words held a fatal allure for any Cultivator.

Su Lin looked at Old Ancestor Cang Ming's smiling face, his mind rapidly calculating.

Pies don't fall from the sky.

This Old Man specifically came to tell him this news; he definitely had ulterior motives.

"Since this place is so good, why don't you go yourself, Fellow Daoist? With your Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivation, if you advanced another step, wouldn't you have hope of directly Ascending?"

Su Lin retorted, his gaze sharp.

"Sigh..."

Old Ancestor Cang Ming shook his head bitterly.

"This Old Man wishes he could, but unfortunately, that Immortal Mansion has special Restrictions."

"It repels all existences above the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. If one forces entry, the entire Immortal Mansion will self-destruct."

"So, this Opportunity is not for this Old Man to enjoy."

As he spoke, he took out a cyan jade talisman from his bosom and offered it to Su Lin.

"This is one of the tokens to open the Immortal Mansion."

"To be honest, this Old Man has selfish motives for telling you, young friend."

"This Old Man has been stuck at the Late Stage of Tribulation Transcendence for a thousand years, and my Lifespan is nearing its end."

"I've heard that within that Immortal Mansion, there is a divine herb called [Lifespan Fruit], which can extend one's life by a thousand years."

"If you, young friend, can find this item inside and bring it out to sell to this Old Man... this Old Man is willing to exchange everything I own for it!"

Saying this, Old Ancestor Cang Ming bowed deeply to Su Lin, his attitude extremely sincere.

Su Lin did not immediately take the jade talisman.

He looked at this Old Man who had set aside his dignity for the sake of survival, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

If what he said was true, then this [Ethereal Immortal Mansion] was indeed the best location for him to break through to the Mahayana Stage.

After all, breaking through in the outside world, he would have to face the world-destroying Heavenly Tribulation specifically targeting him.

But within that Immortal Mansion, perhaps he could avoid the Heavenly Dao's notice.

"Alright."

Su Lin reached out and took the cyan jade talisman.

"If there really is that Lifespan Fruit, I will keep an eye out for it for you."

"Thank you! Thank you, Young Friend Su!"

Old Ancestor Cang Ming was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

"Then this Old Man won't disturb you all any further. One month from now, when the Immortal Mansion opens, this Old Man will await your esteemed arrival at the entrance to act as your Protector!"

After saying this, he very tactfully transformed into a streak of light and disappeared at the end of the street.

"Revered Master, can we trust that Old Man's words?"

Watching Old Ancestor Cang Ming's departing figure, Luo Ximei played with a lock of her hair and asked somewhat doubtfully.

"Half true, half false."

Su Lin rubbed the jade talisman in his hand, sensing the strange spatial fluctuations contained within.

"But this jade talisman is real, so the existence of the Immortal Mansion is probably not fake either."

"As for whether it's a trap..."

The corner of Su Lin's mouth lifted in a confident smile.

"In the face of absolute strength, any trap is a joke."

"Let's go, back we go."

"We need to prepare thoroughly."

...The [hidden dragon] set sail once more.

This time, there was none of the tension and killing intent from the journey here, replaced by the composure of returning fully laden.

The flying vessel sped through the Void Realm, heading swiftly towards the direction of the Daochu Sect.

Inside the main cabin.

Su Lin sat in the main seat. On the table before him lay the recently acquired [chaos immortal gold].

The golden metal block lay there quietly, chaotic currents swirling on its surface, emitting an ancient and vast aura.

This piece of immortal gold was one of the greatest gains from this trip to the Black Sea.

It was also the core of his plans for the next month.

Su Lin summoned his six disciples.

"Revered Master!"

They responded in unison and gathered around.

"For the next month, we will be in seclusion."

Su Lin's expression was serious.

"Since we've decided to go to that [Ethereal Immortal Mansion], we must make complete preparations."

"My cultivation has reached a Bottleneck. To break through, besides accumulation, what's more important is the vessel."

He pointed at that piece of chaos immortal gold.

"I want to reforge [destiny]."

"To upgrade it into... a true Lifebound Immortal Sword!"

"Reforge the Immortal Sword?!"

Su Hongling's eyes instantly lit up. As a Sword Cultivator (albeit the kind who swings a great sword to smash people), she was most interested in sword forging.

"Old Man, are you going to melt it? Something this hard, ordinary fire definitely won't work, right?"

"Correct."

Su Lin nodded.

"chaos immortal gold is a substance from the Upper Realm; ordinary flames cannot affect it in the slightest."

"So, for this sword forging, I need your help."

He looked at his five disciples, his gaze filled with trust.

"This isn't just my matter alone; this is a battle we fight together as Revered Master and Disciples."

"Hong Ling."

"Here!"

"You are a Body Cultivator, your blood and Qi energy are the most vigorous, and you control the Law of Strength."

Su Lin instructed, "I want you to be responsible for the hammering. Use your full strength to strike this piece of immortal gold, remove Impurities, and perfectly fuse it with the sword embryo of [destiny]."

"No problem!"

Su Hongling rolled up her sleeves, revealing a set of small white teeth.

"I'm good at forging! I'll make sure to pound it into submission!"

"Ximei."

"Disciple is here."

"You possess True Immortal Origin and Demonic Path heterochromatic fire."

Su Lin looked at her. "I want you to be responsible for the smelting."

"Use your Black and White Demonic Fire to refine this piece of immortal gold."

"At the same time, use your Divine Soul power to guide the sword spirit, helping it adapt to its new body."

"Yes, Revered Master."

A flash of excitement appeared in Luo Ximei's eyes. "Playing with fire, I'm quite good at that too."

"Qingxue."

"Here."

"Sword forging requires quenching."

Su Lin looked at the Seventh Disciple who was like an ice sculpture. "Your Extreme Cold Ice Energy is the best quenching agent."

"The moment the sword is completed, you must use the fastest speed and the coldest chill to set the sword's form and lock in the Immortal Spiritual Qi within."

"Qingxue understands." Mu Qingxue nodded, frost already beginning to condense in her hand.

"Weiwei."

"Ah! Revered Master, I'm here!" Chu Weiwei had been waiting impatiently.

"Sword forging also requires a medicinal catalyst."

Su Lin took out several bottles of high-grade Yao Beast essence blood he had collected earlier from his storage ring, along with some rare mineral powders.

"You need to concoct a special Sword-Quenching Liquid capable of fusing the three attributes of metal, fire, and ice."

"This liquid must both protect the sword body from damage and stimulate the potential of the immortal gold."

"This will be a test for you."

"Don't worry, Revered Master!"

Chu Weiwei confidently took the Materials. "As long as it's about concocting medicine, there's nothing Weiwei can't handle!"

"I'll add some special ingredients so this sword can carry poison when it cuts people later!"

"...Let's skip the poison." Su Lin wiped a bead of sweat.

"Ye You! Can you manage to infuse a bit of your Abyssal Devouring Bloodline into it?"

"Of course I can!!" Ye You replied, "That way, no matter when, I'll be fighting alongside Revered Master!"

"Cold Moon."

Finally, Su Lin looked at his Eldest Disciple.

"Revered Master."

"You are responsible for... suppression."

Su Lin's expression turned grave.

"Reforging an Immortal Sword will inevitably stir celestial phenomena, and may even attract heavenly punishment."

"You must use your Imperial Dao Dragon Qi, combined with my [Myriad Heavens Star Chart], to seal off this space."

"Absolutely do not let any aura leak out, nor allow any external interference to disrupt us."

"You are the last line of defense."

Upon hearing this, Cold Moon's expression turned solemn, and the majesty of an empress instantly emanated from her.

"Revered Master, rest assured. As long as I have a breath left in me, this space will be an absolute forbidden zone!"

"Good!"

Su Lin nodded in satisfaction.

"Since everyone understands, let's return to the sect and light the forge!"

...Two days later.

Daochu Sect, back mountain Forbidden Ground.

This area had already been completely sealed off by Cold Moon's order. Within a radius of a hundred li, not even a bird could fly in.

A massive temporary sword-forging platform had been erected.

This forging platform was no ordinary object; it was forged from Nine Heavens Profound Iron plundered from the Black Sea Market, surrounded by densely packed Spirit Gathering Formations.

Su Lin sat cross-legged to one side of the forging platform, meditating and adjusting his breath, bringing his condition to its Peak.

Directly in front of him, the ancient [destiny] sword hovered in mid-air, emitting a low hum, as if also anticipating the rebirth to come.