From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 89 Integration Encounters Obstacles and Dangers

The Xuanbing Crystal Marrow exuded a chilling aura; holding it in my hand, even my heartbeat seemed to slow down. Taking a deep breath, I carefully placed it on the refining platform, beside which lay the various rare materials I had collected over the years—Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade, Crimson Flame Refined Gold, and the hard-won Nine Netherworld Grass. The fusion of magical artifacts had become my only breakthrough point, and the key to whether I could truly embark on the path of the strong.

Following the methods in Master Yan's "Melt-and-Melt Manual," I carefully controlled the spiritual fire, first melting the ten-thousand-year-old warm jade into a liquid state, and then adding the crimson flame refined gold into it. The two completely different materials sizzled under the burning of the spiritual fire, colliding fiercely as if water and fire were merging. Fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, and I dared not relax for a moment.

After the two materials had initially fused together, I held my breath and added the most crucial element, the Mystic Ice Crystal Marrow. Instantly, a bone-chilling cold swept over me, the temperature in the refining room plummeted, and even a thin layer of frost condensed in the air. I felt a powerful repulsive force emanating from the furnace, as if it wanted to devour me.

"Not good!" I cried out inwardly, and immediately increased my output of immortal power, trying my best to control the situation in the furnace. However, the two completely opposite energies clashed violently in the furnace. The coldness of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow and the fire attribute of the warm jade and refined gold repelled each other, forming a powerful backlash that impacted my meridians.

"Pfft—" A mouthful of blood gushed out, and I staggered back a few steps, my face as pale as paper. The materials in the furnace, out of control, emitted a deafening roar, as if they were about to explode at any moment.

I gritted my teeth, suppressing the surging blood and qi within me, and once again mobilized my immortal power, attempting to stabilize the energy within the furnace. However, the backlash was far too powerful; my immortal power was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, utterly ineffective.

Just as I was about to give up, a figure appeared at the door of the weapon-refining room. It was Leng Shuang. She stood at the door, not coming in, but coldly observing everything, a barely perceptible sneer even playing on her lips. Seeing my pained expression, a glint of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes, seemingly quite pleased with my defeat.

A sense of unwillingness welled up inside me. Was I really going to give up like this? No, I absolutely could not give up!

I took a deep breath, mustered my strength, and tried again to control the energy within the furnace. Just then, I remembered a treasure that Pavilion Master Lu had once given me—the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl. It was said that this pearl could stabilize the mind and enhance the control of one's consciousness.

I quickly took out the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl from my storage bag and held it in my hand. A cool aura emanated from the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, flowing throughout my body and gradually calming my previously chaotic energy. My consciousness also became clearer, and my control over the energy within the furnace increased.

However, just when I thought the situation was improving, a crisp cracking sound suddenly came from inside the furnace… My heart sank. A sharp crack, like a thunderclap, exploded in my ears. A small crack appeared on the furnace wall. My heart sank completely.

Just then, a dignified voice rang out at the entrance of the weapon-refining room: "What's going on?!"

I looked up and saw that Master Yan had somehow appeared at the doorway, his face ashen, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at me. His brow furrowed even more deeply when he saw the cracks in the furnace.

"Disciple...disciple..." I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Hmph! Is this what you call fusion? It's utter nonsense!" Master Yan roared. "Trying to do it without proper preparation is playing with your life!"

His voice boomed like a bell, making my ears ring. I lowered my head, biting my lip, tears welling in my eyes. I knew Master Yan was right; I had indeed been too impatient. But I really wanted to become stronger; I wanted to prove I wasn't a loser!

"Look at yourself! What kind of state are you in now!" Master Yan's voice remained stern. "The most important thing for a weapon refiner is to be calm and composed, and self-control is crucial! Look at you now, so agitated and restless. How can you possibly control the energy inside the furnace?"

I silently endured Master Yan's criticism, my heart filled with grievance and resentment.

At this moment, Leng Shuang's voice came from the doorway, tinged with sarcasm: "Master Yan, I think Junior Sister Xiao Yao is not suitable for magic weapon fusion at all. She should give up as soon as possible to avoid wasting time and materials."

Hearing Leng Shuang's words, my heart sank. I looked up, glared at her coldly, and said nothing.

"Leng Shuang, say less!" Master Yan turned to look at Leng Shuang, his tone softening. "Although Xiao Yao failed this time, she also put in the effort. The way of weapon forging is inherently challenging, and failure is common. The important thing is to learn from failure and do better next time."

Although Master Yan was criticizing Leng Shuang, I felt he was comforting me. A warm feeling welled up inside me.

Master Yan walked up to me, sighed, and said, "Xiao Yao, your failure this time was mainly because you didn't control the cold energy of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow. The Xuanbing Crystal Marrow is extremely yin and cold, which clashes with the fire attributes of Wen Yu and Jing Jin, making it extremely difficult to fuse. You should first refine the cold energy of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow before attempting to fuse it."

I listened attentively to Master Yan's teachings and secretly memorized them.

"Alright, go back and rest now. Come back tomorrow to continue practicing." Master Yan waved his hand, signaling me to leave.

I silently gathered the materials on the refining table, turned, and left the refining room. Leng Shuang was still standing at the door, watching my retreating figure with a cold smile on her lips. I pretended not to see her and walked straight out of the Refining Valley.

Back in my room, I sat cross-legged on the bed, closed my eyes, and recalled the process of refining the weapon. Master Yan's words echoed in my mind again and again. I knew I still had a chance; I couldn't give up!

I took a deep breath, held the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl in my hand again, and felt its cool sensation.

"Old Monster Mo, do you think she can succeed this time?" A chilling voice echoed from the depths of the Refining Valley...

I took a deep breath, banishing distracting thoughts from my mind. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake again. Master Yan's words awakened me; I must first control the chilling energy of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow. I took out a jade bottle and poured out a drop of icy blue liquid—Xuanbing Essence, refined using a special method, which could neutralize the extreme cold of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow.

I carefully dripped the essence of Xuanbing into the furnace, and the temperature inside dropped sharply, while the previously violent energy fluctuations gradually subsided. I held my breath and placed the warm jade and refined gold into the furnace one after the other, then began to control the temperature of the flames, allowing the three materials to slowly fuse together.

However, even with my thorough preparations, the repulsion between the magical artifacts remained intense. The warm jade and refined gold emitted a scorching aura, colliding with the chilling energy of the Xuanbing crystal marrow, producing a hissing sound. The energy fluctuations within the furnace grew increasingly violent, as if it might explode at any moment.

With a "bang!", a small burst of energy shot out from the furnace, grazing my cheek and leaving a scorching mark. Startled, I quickly tightened my control over the furnace.

"Miss Xiao Yao, it seems you've encountered some trouble." A gentle voice came from the doorway.

I looked up and saw Pavilion Master Lu standing at the door. His face showed a hint of concern, but there was a strange light shining deep in his eyes.

"Pavilion Master Lu?" I was somewhat surprised by his appearance.

"I heard you've been trying to fuse magical artifacts lately, so I came to check on you." Pavilion Master Lu walked slowly to my side, his gaze falling on the furnace. "It seems the progress isn't going too well."

I gave a wry smile and remained silent.

"Actually, I have a special material here that can help stabilize the energy between your magical artifacts and increase the success rate of fusion." Pavilion Master Lu paused, then continued, "However, this material is extremely precious, and I only have a small piece, and..."

He gave me a meaningful look. "You'll have to pay a price."

My heart sank suddenly and an ominous premonition came over me.

"What price?" I asked.

Pavilion Master Lu smiled, but didn't answer my question directly. Instead, he said, "Miss Xiao Yao, you should know that I've always admired you. Your talent for refining weapons is among the best, even in the entire cultivation world. If you're willing..."

He paused, staring intently at me, "Become my personal weapon refiner, and I can provide you with all kinds of rare materials you need free of charge, including 'Celestial Star Stones' that can help you fuse magical artifacts."

My breath caught in my throat; Pavilion Master Lu's meaning couldn't be clearer. He wanted me to become his personal weapon refiner in exchange for his help.

I was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, I desperately wanted to improve my strength and complete the fusion of the magical artifacts; on the other hand, I didn't want to lose my freedom and become anyone's appendage.

"I..." I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Master Lu seemed to sense my hesitation. He smiled slightly and said, "Miss Xiao Yao, there's no need to rush to answer me. You can take your time to consider it. I'll be waiting for your good news at any time."

After saying that, he turned and left the weapon-refining room.

I watched his departing figure, my heart filled with conflict and struggle. The allure of the Celestial Stone was immense, but was I truly willing to pay the price of my freedom for it?

I looked down at the furnace, the flickering flames reflecting my bewildered face. Suddenly, a soft knock sounded at the door… Someone had brought in a stack of ancient books, saying that Madam Qin wanted me to study them carefully. I casually opened one, the ancient characters filling my vision, but offering no answer to my predicament. Frustrated, I closed the book, but a chill seeped from the furnace… Something was wrong.

The chill grew stronger and stronger, even causing me a sharp, piercing pain. I jerked my hand back and found that my fingertips were covered with a thin layer of ice. The energy fluctuations within the furnace became even more violent, the light from the warm jade and refined gold flickering as if it might go out at any moment. The Xuanbing Crystal Marrow emitted a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the entire refining room.

My heart sank; I knew the situation was worse than I'd imagined. The books Madam Qin had sent were precious, but they only contained conventional fusion methods, offering no help whatsoever in my current predicament. I quickly flipped through the books, hoping to find a solution, but ultimately, I was disappointed.

"Do I really have to give up?" I gritted my teeth, my heart filled with resentment. I had prepared for this fusion for so long, putting in countless efforts. If I failed like this, I simply couldn't accept it.

Just when I was about to despair, my gaze fell upon one of the ancient books. This book looked older than the others; its cover was blank, only bearing a complex illustration. As if possessed, I opened it, and a musty, dusty aura wafted out.

The text in the ancient book was obscure and difficult to understand; it took me a long time to barely grasp its meaning. This ancient book recorded a special method of fusion called the "Art of Yin-Yang Harmony," which could perfectly fuse two materials with opposite properties.

I was overjoyed. Wasn't this exactly what I needed? Warm jade and refined metal are yang, while mysterious ice crystal marrow is yin. If I could use the "Yin-Yang Harmony Technique" to fuse them, perhaps I could solve my current predicament.

I immediately began adjusting the flames and energy within the furnace, following the instructions in the ancient texts. I carefully controlled the balance between the yin and yang energies, allowing them to blend and restrain each other. This process was extremely complex; the slightest mistake could ruin everything or even trigger an explosion.

As time passed, the energy fluctuations within the furnace gradually stabilized, and the light from the warm jade, refined gold, and mystic ice crystal marrow became stable and gentle. I was overjoyed; it seemed the "Yin-Yang Harmony Technique" was truly effective!

However, just when I thought success was within reach, a cold and evil force suddenly invaded the furnace. This force was extremely powerful, instantly shattering the balance within the furnace. The light of the warm jade and refined gold dimmed once more, and the chill of the Xuanbing Crystal Marrow became even more violent.

"What's going on?" I was startled and quickly tightened my control over the furnace, but the evil power grew stronger and stronger, as if it was going to destroy all my efforts.

The energy fluctuations inside the furnace intensified again, emitting a buzzing sound, as if it might explode at any moment. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and my heart was filled with fear and despair.

At this critical moment, I sensed a familiar presence outside the weapon-refining room. This presence reassured me and gave me a glimmer of hope.

"Who is it?" I asked in a low voice, forcing myself to suppress my fear.

A chilling voice came from outside the door: "Hehehe... Little girl, give up, you can't possibly succeed."

My heart sank; I knew from the voice that the visitor meant trouble. I stared intently at the furnace, my palms already sweating.

“It’s you!” I said through gritted teeth.

The furnace trembled even more violently, and I felt something was about to burst out of it... No, it wasn't that the furnace was about to explode, it was that something was about to come in.