Surrounded by Enemies on All Sides

An extremely cold aura erupted instantly, forcing even the scorching air around the fire pit to retreat three feet.

Inside the jade box lay a rare piece of meteorite iron, pure white and radiating a chilling aura.

"Eternal Cold Soul!"

Chen Baichuan's voice trembled with excitement.

"That old bastard Liu Quan really went all out this time! You can't find another piece like this in the entire Northern Region!"

He slammed the lid shut, patted his chest, and exuded an air of heroic pride.

"I plan to use all the resources of the Weaponry Hall to forge him an unparalleled sword with this piece of Cold Soul! I want everyone in the Heavenly Sword Pavilion to see who the true number one weapon refiner is! Then, let's see who dares to gossip behind his back!"

Zhou Lingxuan didn't reply, and didn't even glance at the ten-thousand-year-old Cold Soul.

He turned around, walked to the water vat next to him, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and slowly washed his hands.

"Has the inner sect been quite lively lately?" Zhou Lingxuan asked casually, shaking the water droplets off his hands.

Upon hearing this, Chen Baichuan straightened his back instantly and his face glowed.

"Of course!"

Chen Baichuan laughed loudly twice, causing the leaves in the courtyard to fall straight down.

"Now, who in the inner sect doesn't know my name, Chen Baichuan? Every hall master greets me with utmost respect, calling me Brother Chen! Even those arrogant fellows in the administration office don't hesitate to approve my weapon-making hall's requests!"

He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with undisguised smugness.

"Below the seven core elders, my word is law!"

Zhou Lingxuan dried his hands and sat down at the stone table.

"Where are the Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder?" Zhou Lingxuan picked up the coarse tea on the table. "Are they being so polite too?"

Chen Baichuan's smile froze for a moment, and he waved his hand irritably.

"Don't mention those two old fogies."

Chen Baichuan pulled out a stone bench and sat down, his face full of disdain.

"A couple of days ago, I allocated half of the Law Enforcement Hall's share of magical artifacts to the Array Hall, and those two old guys actually came to me to question me, saying that I overstepped my authority and touched the income of their businesses."

"They're getting stingier as they get older! What am I, Chen Baichuan, now? What's wrong with taking a small share? They're actually giving me attitude over such a paltry sum!"

Zhou Lingxuan stopped drinking tea.

He put down his teacup and looked at Chen Baichuan's indignant expression. He had already figured out the situation clearly in his mind.

The Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder were originally Chen Baichuan's most steadfast allies.

Chen Baichuan has become too arrogant and overreached, directly infringing upon the fundamental interests of these two individuals.

Former allies have probably secretly become allies with Liu Quan, reaching some kind of tacit understanding.

Isolated and helpless, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

But this simpleton thought he was incredibly successful and that everyone in the world was looking up to him.

Zhou Lingxuan did not point it out on the spot.

I know Chen Baichuan's current state all too well. Good advice is useless against a damn fool. No matter how much I say now, Chen Baichuan won't listen. Instead, he'll think I'm jealous of him.

"Now that all the materials are ready..."

Zhou Lingxuan sighed and pointed to the jade box in Chen Baichuan's hand.

"Then hurry back and start the furnace. Just like you always have, shut yourself away and don't see any guests."

"Perhaps there is still a way out."

Zhou Lingxuan only said half of what he meant in his heart.

Upon hearing this, Chen Baichuan's brows immediately furrowed into a tight knot.

"Old Zhou, what do you mean by that?"

Chen Baichuan suddenly stood up, his face grim.

"I kindly brought you this treasure to broaden your horizons, and you're giving me attitude? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Do I, Chen Baichuan, need to go into seclusion and seek peace and quiet now? I'm about to forge the number one flying sword of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion!"

Chen Baichuan grew angrier as he spoke, and grabbed the jade box.

"Fine! If you want to stay in this wretched place, then stay! Once I've forged the sword, let's see what you have to say then!"

Chen Baichuan turned around angrily and strode away with a few trusted disciples.

The courtyard gate was slammed shut with a deafening roar.

Lei Yang emerged from the shadows of the eaves, looking at Chen Baichuan's departing figure with a puzzled expression.

"Manager, Elder Chen is already in this state, why are you still urging him to forge weapons?" Lei Yang scratched his head. "If he starts the furnace now, isn't that playing right into the Third Elder's hands?"

Zhou Lingxuan picked up the teacup and drank the rest of the cold tea in one gulp.

"His only way out is to go and refine weapons now," Zhou Lingxuan said calmly, placing his teacup on the table.

Lei Yang was stunned: "A way out?"

"If he immediately goes into seclusion and devotes all his energy to the weapon-refining furnace, cutting off all contact with the outside world..."

Zhou Lingxuan stood up and patted his gray robe.

"Then all those messy things outside, like forming cliques for personal gain and overstepping their authority in allocating quotas, can be pushed onto their subordinates."

"He could easily say that he was focused on refining weapons and that his subordinates had become arrogant and overstepped their bounds. As long as he remains a pure weapon-refining master, even if the sect's higher-ups are dissatisfied, considering his contribution in quelling the subterranean fire, they will at most reduce his power, not take his life."

Zhou Lingxuan turned to look at Lei Yang.

"But if he doesn't repent and continues to act recklessly outside, taking all those messy debts upon himself..."

Zhou Lingxuan didn't continue speaking, but just gave a cold laugh.

Lei Yang fell silent.

Gripping the Wind and Thunder Sword tightly, he suddenly felt that those glamorous elders and deacons of the inner sect lived even more dangerous lives than the outlaws of the Northern Region.

"Let's go," Zhou Lingxuan called out. "Let's get to work."

late at night.

In the abandoned workshop, the furnace was burning brightly.

Zhou Lingxuan stood shirtless in front of the anvil. Next to him was a pile of scrap materials that Old Sun had brought back during the day.

Top-grade Blue Nether Gold, Crimson Flame Marrow, Mysterious Iron Essence...

These top-grade spirit ores, any one of which could fetch an astronomical price outside, were now nothing more than nutrients for tempering Zhou Lingxuan's physical body.

Clang!

Zhou Lingxuan picked up a piece of blue-gold and threw it onto the anvil.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the small purple jade hammer trembled slightly.

Raising the large iron hammer, Zhou Lingxuan did not use his true energy, relying solely on his physical strength to smash it down.

Click!

The incredibly hard blue gold instantly shattered into pieces.

A pure, deep blue spiritual energy burst forth from the shattered ore.

Zhou Lingxuan took a deep breath.

The purple jade hammer unleashed a powerful devouring force, absorbing every last drop of the dark blue spiritual energy into its body.

The violent spiritual energy flowed along his meridians, constantly washing over Zhou Lingxuan's flesh and bones.

boom! boom! boom!

The sound of blacksmithing echoed rhythmically through the abandoned hall late at night.

One after another, pieces of top-grade spirit ore were smashed to pieces. Golden, red, and blue spiritual energy intertwined in the small space of the workshop, exuding an oppressive and chilling atmosphere before a storm.

Two full hours.

When the last piece of Crimson Flame Marrow was smashed into powder, Zhou Lingxuan let out a long breath of turbid air.

A faint rumbling sound, like thunder and lightning, could be heard in the air.

The true energy within his body became increasingly condensed, and his cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining had been honed to the point where there was no further progress. He was only missing an opportunity to completely break through the barrier of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zhou Lingxuan put down the hammer and casually grabbed a gray cloth coat to put on.

Looking at the pile of slag on the anvil, completely devoid of its spirit and reduced to ordinary iron, he frowned slightly.

Since Liu Quan dared to give the Ten Thousand Year Cold Soul to Chen Baichuan, it means he was already prepared for a swift and decisive strike to close the net.

These top-grade spirit ores used to frame others are just one link in the chain of evidence.

Now that he has smashed this ring and destroyed the evidence, Liu Quan must still have a backup plan.

"I'm afraid we can't stay in this abandoned hall any longer." Zhou Lingxuan walked to the water vat and looked at his aged face reflected on the water.

We must prepare a way out in advance for the abolition of the hall, and also for ourselves and Lei Yang.

Once Chen Baichuan falls from power, Liu Quan will absolutely not let Fei Tang, his accomplice, off the hook.

Just as Zhou Lingxuan was planning his next move.

Boom—

A muffled, loud bang suddenly came from the direction of the main peak of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

A terrifying pressure that could change the very fabric of the world swept over the entire sect.

Under this oppressive force, the defensive formation of the abandoned hall creaked under the strain, its array patterns flickering wildly.

Lei Yang groaned in the courtyard, forced to kneel on one knee by the pressure, and desperately used the Wind and Thunder Sword to support his body.

Zhou Lingxuan suddenly raised his head and looked towards the direction of the main peak.

Under this oppressive force, the dual elements of thunder and fire within his body instinctively trembled.

This oppressive aura was extremely domineering, carrying a sense of looking down from above.

This is definitely not a power that someone in the Nascent Soul stage could possess!

Far surpassing the Nascent Soul stage!