Necropolis Immortal

While the sword pagoda could also store items, time was not frozen within it. Certain ingredients would gradually lose their properties if stowed there. Thus, Lu Yun put everything he collected into storage rings. And since he would use them shortly, he had Long Aotian carry them instead of piling the rings into the sword pagoda.

He fully harvested everything within fifty kilometers after three days—be it the lowliest first ranked herb or the highest ninth ranked grass.

When he was certain that nothing existed within fifty kilometers, he sat down cross-legged in a clearing and had Long Aotian stand guard. Lu Yun retrieved the fist-sized Purplestar Silver that weighed several hundred kilograms and brought out a few other low ranked ores.

“Three parts zircon, two parts copper, four parts mica, and one part Purplestar Silver. Flaming Grass, Ripple Seaweed, Earthy Root, and Breezy Grass. Good, very good.” He smiled at the assortment on the ground.

Apart from Purplestar Silver, these herbs and ores were commonly found in Darklake Empire. He’d prepared all of them beforehand— Purplestar Silver was a happy surprise.

Lu Yun summoned a ball of connate fire origin and fashioned it into a ball of connate li fire. He threw the ingredients into the fire and slowly purified them in the flame. He then separated the medicinal liquid into four jade flasks.

After reaching golden core, he could summon energy from the connate five elements. Refining pills and treasures with connate li fire was an easy task. Thus, he left the Aureate Bird Cauldron at home. Sol Truefire was far more powerful in Terra Demon’s hands than his.

With the four flasks ready, he called another ball of connate yang metal into his hand and opened the Eye of Nullification, sectioning the ingredients to predetermined ratios. Connate yang metal being the sharpest thing in existence; it made quick work of the ingredients.

Sadly, he could only use the Connate Great Dao of the Five Elements to borrow the five elements for now. When the combat art stopped operating, so did the five elements dissipate. Thankfully, the combat art didn’t require much Hongmeng qi. He wouldn’t be able to split his attention otherwise.

After he cut the ingredients into what he wished and purified them, he recombined them. They were much smaller after impurities were removed and their ratios differed. All was within Lu Yun’s calculations.

He then dismissed the flame and placed the four pieces together, hoisting them into the air with Hongmeng qi. Forgoing the usage of a pill cauldron, he waved the jade flasks to him and smashed the flasks.

The four medicinal liquids combined with each other amid a series of crackling sounds. If there was a pill grandmaster present, he’d curl his lip dismissively at Lu Yun’s actions. These four spirit herbs were just ordinary low rank ingredients. They’d create a trash pill if mixed together.

Lu Yun directed the liquid to the four purified ores, resulting in a plume of smoke. The ores had been refined by connate li fire and were the purest specimens one could find. They gradually melted from the liquid, turning to liquid themselves that melded together.

Long Aotian goggled off to the side. Lu Yun hadn’t hid his motions from him, so the man had clearly seen everything. Combining ingredients for treasures with medicinal ingredients and perfectly making a new thing out of them?

Long Aotian found it difficult to digest the sight.

Lu Yun ignored him, grasping a ball of connate fire origin from the south and throwing it into the newly complete amalgamation.

Puff!

The consolidating liquid immediately burst into flames. After roughly twenty breaths, the connate fire origin faded away and left a piece of bright red metal in front of Lu Yun.

“Essence of li fire metal, not bad, not bad.” Lu Yun waved the palm-sized metal into his hand.

Essence of li fire metal was one of the most preeminent fire attribute materials there was. Even the Human Emperor of Great Xia would look at it greedily. Lu Yun had simply used some low ranked ingredients to create a piece that was completely without impurities!

The young man summoned connate li fire again, wrapping it around the newly refined metal. He formed a seal with both hands and sent out Hongmeng qi in a series of refinement seals, stamping them into the metal.

The shape of a flying sword began to take shape when Lu Yun suddenly bit the tip of his tongue, spraying blood essence over it.

Clang!

A red flying sword exuding hot air hovered in front of Lu Yun. Two thirds of a meter long, it was slender and as thin as gossamer wings. There seemed to be a tiny flame burning in the hilt.

“An upper spirit rank weapon…” Lu Yun breathed out smoothly as he looked at the flying sword that shared the same blood as him. Thank goodness he’d stopped in time. If he’d refined a dao weapon, that would’ve been a complete waste of the essence of li fire metal.

Apart from him being unable to command a dao weapon at his current level of strength, dao weapons had their own unique presence. Once he forged one, he wouldn’t be able to conceal it with the cultivation level of golden core. He’d be the focus of attention everywhere he went.

At his cultivation, he could at most master upper rank spirit weapons. While he could use higher level weapons, it’d be a bit of a waste and consume too many resources.

Since he’d added his blood essence to the process of refinement, the flying sword recognized him as its master the moment it took shape.

“As I refined you in a land off limits to immortals, let’s call you Immortals Forbidden.” The flying sword rang with a loud croon when Lu Yun beckoned to it, flying around the young man for a while before melding into his body.

“Now I will refine Dragon Transformation Grass for you. Shame I’m missing an ingredient, though.” Lu Yun glanced at Long Aotian with a smile.

The ripples of an upper rank spirit weapon naturally didn’t escape notice. He hadn’t expected that the young man would refine such a treasure in less than one hour! Was Lu Yun a master refiner to do it so easily? Judging from his words, he could turn out a dao weapon if he wished to!

Long Aotian wasn’t the least bit skeptical that the young man could create a dao weapon if he wished to. He’d used only an hour for an upper rank spirit weapon. Given enough time, a dao weapon seemed entirely possible!

Lu Yun took out a dirt-yellow talisman from his storage ring. It was one drawn by the power of connate earth. Although he couldn’t retain the power of the connate elements, he had no issue using them to etch talismans.

However, such talismans were extraordinarily difficult to create. Since they captured the strength of the connate five elements, several days were needed to draw each one. Lu Yun had used one earlier, leaving only two Earthbending Talismans left.

“Forget it, let’s refine the medicinal liquid first and then find the inner core of the blackwater snake,” Lu Yun muttered to himself and put the talisman back into his storage ring. He was about to take out more materials when alarm bells clanged in his heart.

Whoosh!

A long and thin vine burrowed out from underground, blurring so fast with movement that it was nearly invisible.

“Go!” Lu Yun swiftly sent out Immortals Forbidden and cut the vine to pieces.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

It seemed to be a precursor for other veins as several hundred of them surrounded the area in the blink of an eye. Madly waving around, they churned toward Lu Yun and Long Aotian.

Lu Yun could clearly see numerous mouths on each of the veins. If either of the two were hit by the vines, they would be instantly sucked dry.

“Metal Origin Slaughter!

“Metal Origin Slaughter!

“Metal Origin Slaughter!” Lu Yun roared in succession, sending out countless rays of keen sword qi from his body. He deployed the same art of slaughter that Terra Demon had used. Metal Origin Slaughter was an art of metal in the Major Five Elements Demolition Godslayer Record and Lu Yun was the one who’d taught it to Terra Demon. It was an art that coalesced connate metal energy into rays of sword qi that could be used for both defense and offense.

There were so many vines moving so fast that while Lu Yun could protect himself in the wake of their attacks, Long Aotian could not. The man was now very precious to Lu Yun as he had a trace of dragon bloodline in him, so nothing could be permitted to happen to him.

Thus, Lu Yun resorted straight to Metal Origin Slaughter.

Sound waves rolled out as infinite tiny rays of sword qi that shoved the vines aside.

“Let’s go!” Lu Yun grabbed Long Aotian and grasped an Earthbending Talisman in his other hand. Brown light enveloped them when he waved it in the air and the two vanished from sight.

Upon losing their target, the dense canopy of vines quieted down.

……

“So is this what is meant by a forbidden zone… We’d be in for it this time if it wasn’t for the Earthbending Talisman.”

The talisman could spirit Lu Yun to safety from the strongest illusion formations. The two reappeared five hundred kilometers out and heaved a long sigh of relief. They were where the Black Tortoises had forced them into the mountains. It was a barren area now as all greenery had been destroyed. They stood in a massive pit that was a dozen kilometers across.

“That battle formation was terrifying. It collected the strength of several thousand cultivators and enhanced it more than ten times over. Even a soul separation powerhouse would have to run from it.” Lu Yun gave a long exhale as he scanned what was before him. Thank goodness he hadn’t thought too highly of himself and refined quite a few lifesaving measures before he left Darklake. He would be in real trouble otherwise.