Chen Chuan Floating to the Sky

When Zhou Lingxuan reached the dilapidated wooden door of the abandoned hall, he stopped and looked back at the direction of the main peak.

The lights were still on over there, and the faint sounds of string and wind instruments could still be heard.

"Like cooking oil over a raging fire."

Zhou Lingxuan muttered something under his breath, then pushed open the wooden door and went inside.

late at night.

In the backyard of the abandoned hall, there is room number A.

Zhou Lingxuan sat cross-legged on the hard wooden bed, his eyes slightly closed.

He is circulating his internal energy.

After these few days of consolidation, his cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining has become completely stable.

The dual elements of thunder and fire surged and roared through the wide meridians, each circulation accompanied by the explosive force of thunder and the scorching heat of earth fire.

The centenarian's body, though outwardly withered and aged, contained a terrifying power beneath his skin and flesh comparable to that of a demonic beast.

Zhou Lingxuan guided his true energy, repeatedly impacting the barrier of his dantian.

He could sense that he was only one step away from reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Once he breaks through this barrier, he can truly be transformed and enter the realm that cultivators dream of.

"call--"

Zhou Lingxuan exhaled a breath of stale air, and faint sparks of electricity flashed in the air.

He opened his eyes, preparing to get out of bed and stretch his muscles.

"Bang bang bang!"

Suddenly, a series of urgent bangings came from outside the courtyard.

The force was so great that the dust and dirt on the courtyard wall fell straight down.

Zhou Lingxuan frowned.

Who would come to this abandoned hall and cause trouble in the middle of the night?

He put on his coat, pushed open the door, and went out into the yard.

Lei Yang had already taken the Wind and Thunder Sword and stood behind the courtyard gate, his muscles tense, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

"Who?" Lei Yang asked coldly.

"Open the door! It's me!"

When Chen Baichuan entered, he reeked of alcohol, and his crimson-gold elder's robe stood out conspicuously in the night.

"Old Zhou!"

Lei Yang unlatched the door. Chen Baichuan strode in, carrying a clay-sealed wine jar.

"The Sect Master's century-old Drunken Immortal Wine! The Fifth Elder specially opened it today, and I managed to snatch a jar just to drink with you!"

Chen Baichuan slammed the wine jar heavily onto the stone table in the courtyard, making the teacups on the table jump.

Zhou Lingxuan, dressed in a gray cloth robe, slowly walked out of the house. He glanced at the jar of wine, didn't respond, and turned to walk to the simple anvil in the corner of the courtyard.

"Was it quite lively on the main peak today?"

Zhou Lingxuan picked up the fire tongs, took out a piece of red-hot scrap iron from the still-burning furnace next to him, and placed it on the anvil.

"It's more than just lively!"

Chen Baichuan plopped down on the stone bench, slapped his thigh hard, and his face flushed.

"Tens of thousands of disciples! All bowing to me in unison! You really missed out on that scene!"

Chen Baichuan became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly.

"Guess what was the most satisfying thing? That old bastard Liu Quan! In front of the entire clan, he walked up to me with a wine glass in hand, bowed his head, and admitted his mistake!"

Chen Baichuan laughed heartily, his laughter echoing in the silent, abandoned hall.

"My mortal enemy of decades! He usually acts all high and mighty, but today he shamelessly gave me a foothold! He even begged me to help him forge his natal flying sword!"

"Ding-dong!"

Zhou Lingxuan raised the iron hammer and smashed it onto the red-hot scrap metal. Sparks flew everywhere.

"You agreed?" Zhou Lingxuan didn't even look up, his hammer still falling.

"You agreed! Why didn't you agree?"

Chen Baichuan slammed his hand on the table, making the wine jars vibrate loudly.

"With tens of thousands of people in the entire clan watching, Liu Quan was able to swallow his pride and apologize. Do you think I, Chen Baichuan, don't even have that much magnanimity? I accepted the order from Dijian Peak on the spot!"

Zhou Lingxuan paused for a moment while hammering.

He used the tongs to flip the piece of scrap metal over and looked at the dent that had been smashed into it.

"Old Chen, have you ever worked as a blacksmith?" Zhou Lingxuan suddenly asked.

Chen Baichuan was stunned, not understanding what he meant.

"I am a dignified elder of the Weaponry Hall, a grandmaster of weapon forging, and you ask me if I have ever forged iron?" Chen Baichuan found it amusing.

Zhou Lingxuan ignored him and raised the hammer again.

"Ding-dong!"

"This iron, put it in the furnace and heat it."

Zhou Lingxuan's voice was calm, accompanied by the rhythm of hammering.

"If the heat isn't right, you can't break it. But if the heat is right, you can forge it into fine steel through countless hammer blows."

"Ding-dong!"

"But if the heat is too intense, the iron will look bright red and beautiful. But the core inside will have been burned away by the heat."

Zhou Lingxuan suddenly swung the sledgehammer and brought it down heavily.

"Snap!"

The red-hot scrap iron shattered into more than a dozen pieces on the anvil, falling to the ground and emitting black smoke.

Zhou Lingxuan put down the hammer and turned to look at Chen Baichuan.

"If the heat is too high, it will shatter with a single tap."

Zhou Lingxuan pointed to the iron slag on the ground.

"People are the same. If they are praised too highly, their foundation will become weak. At that point, someone can easily pull up a ladder, and they will fall and be smashed to pieces."

Chen Baichuan's smile froze.

He understood the meaning behind Zhou Lingxuan's words.

"Old Zhou, that's not a good point," Chen Baichuan frowned, his tone tinged with displeasure. "Do you think Liu Quan is trying to flatter me to my detriment?"

Zhou Lingxuan walked to the water vat and scooped up a ladle of cold water to wash his hands.

"The natal flying sword is related to the cultivator's foundation of cultivation."

Zhou Lingxuan dried his hands.

"Materials, array patterns, firing temperature—the slightest mistake can ruin someone's cultivation. He entrusted this to you in public, and you accepted it. If the sword malfunctions later, who will be responsible?"

Chen Baichuan snorted coldly and stood up.

"What problems could possibly arise? I'll personally start the furnace! I'll use the finest Celestial Stones, paired with the Nine-Turn Spirit Gathering Array!"

Chen Baichuan flicked his sleeves, his face full of arrogance.

"I want the entire clan to see that Liu Quan can't find a single flaw in my craft! I want him to be completely convinced!"

Looking at Chen Baichuan's unyielding attitude, Zhou Lingxuan knew in his heart that this man had completely become arrogant.

The fire-fixing nail's contribution was so great, and the cheers of tens of thousands of people were so loud that they ignited all the pent-up frustration that Chen Baichuan had endured for so many years.

Chen Baichuan is currently preoccupied with how to show off his power and won't listen to a single word of advice.

"Okay." Zhou Lingxuan nodded and walked back to the stone table.

He pushed the jar of Drunken Immortal Wine forward.

"This liquor is too strong. This old man can't handle it. You can take it back." Zhou Lingxuan's tone turned cold.

Chen Baichuan's face darkened.

"Old Zhou, what do you mean by this? Are you looking down on me?"

"The abandoned temple is too small to contain the great storms of the inner sect."

Zhou Lingxuan looked at Chen Baichuan.

"Starting tomorrow, don't come here anymore. And don't send any scrap materials from the Weaponry Hall privately. Follow the sect's rules and use the Affairs Office's accounts."

Chen Baichuan stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

He, a dignified elder of the Weapon Hall and currently the most sought-after figure in the sect, brought top-grade spirit wine to drink with an outer sect manager, only to be turned away.

"Zhou Lingxuan, aren't you being overly cautious?" Chen Baichuan suppressed his anger. "With me, Chen Baichuan, here, who in the inner sect would dare to lay a finger on a hair on your derelict hall's head?"

"I'm afraid of trouble," Zhou Lingxuan said without backing down.