The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

As Pei Guoguo flew, she said, "The weapon-refining pavilion of Chiyang Peak and the spirit butterfly pavilion of Mengdie Peak are both there, but the most interesting one is 'Wanbaolou,' which even dares to sell forbidden jade slips!"

The market was bustling at dawn, with cultivators carrying swords and alchemists with medicine baskets crowding the bluestone streets.

Even demon servants in human form ran by carrying gift boxes.

As soon as Jiang Chuan landed, he was choked by the strong aroma of medicinal herbs. Disciples from Chiyang Peak were setting up their stalls.

He was hawking "Blazing Sun Pills," and a crowd of outer sect disciples surrounded him, haggling over the price.

Pei Guoguo wrinkled her nose: "It stinks! Niu Ji's soup noodles smell much better!"

She turned into the alleyway with practiced ease. Steam rose from the bluestone pavement, and the sign of "Niu Ji Tang Mian" swayed in the wind ahead, while the beef soup in the pot bubbled.

The shopkeeper was a one-eyed cultivator, and his face lit up with a smile as soon as he saw Pei Guoguo.

"Is the little ancestor bringing a new member today? Same as always, two extra servings of beef tendon!"

Jiang Chuan had just sat down when Pei Guoguo was already slurping noodles from a large bowl, oblivious to the soup dripping onto her clothes.

"My fifth brother loves the beef bone soup at this restaurant the most. He comes here every day at noon. It's a pity that now I have to do it for him."

She suddenly lowered her voice and pointed her chopsticks at the big yellow dog lying by the door.

"Seven years ago, he went down the mountain to investigate the Blood Refinement of the Demonic Sect. He was ambushed and his physical body was destroyed. His Yang Spirit could only be attached to a dog."

Jiang Chuan looked towards Huang Yue, who was sweeping its tail against the door frame and staring at the meat in the pot.

Pei Guoguo sighed: "Master has tried all sorts of methods, even feeding him the Youth Preservation Pill from Chiyang Peak."

However, Fifth Senior Brother's Yang Spirit was severely damaged; he could only take human form for half an hour on a full moon night, and he remembered nothing after that.

"Where is Senior Brother Zhao Xin?" Jiang Chuan picked up a noodle; the broth was rich and flavorful, carrying a faint hint of sword intent.

"Going to the far north to find the Transformation Grass!"

Pei Guoguo gnawed on a cow bone, "That's a Saint-grade spiritual medicine that can help demon cultivators transform into human form. Maybe it can even help Fifth Senior Brother rebuild his physical body."

She suddenly grabbed Jiang Chuan's wrist. "Junior Brother Qingyang, you must be careful when you go down the mountain in the future. The Transformation Grass grows in extremely cold places, and its leaves look like butterfly wings."

"I know, I know."

Jiang Chuan chuckled and fed Qing Lin a sip of meat broth. The little fox demon's ears twitched contentedly.
"Eat quickly, and then take me to the blacksmith shop. I need a good hammer."

As the morning mist in the market gradually dissipated, Pei Guoguo led him through the entire street and found a black gold iron hammer at the "Wanbaolou" store, with the ancient character "forging" engraved on the hammerhead.

When passing by the Spirit Butterfly Pavilion on Dream Butterfly Peak, Qinglin was attracted by the butterfly lanterns covering the walls. Pei Guoguo bought a small one and hung it on her tail.

It was noon when they returned to Zuowang Peak. Tao Hongjing was forging iron in front of the sword furnace, and sparks flew onto his plain Taoist robe, burning several small holes.

"Come here." He pointed to the black iron by the furnace. "Use the hammer I just bought to forge it a thousand times."

Jiang Chuan gripped the iron hammer tightly, channeling the power of the late-stage Purple Mansion realm into his arms. Each strike carried the intent of water-attribute swordsmanship, causing ripples to spread in the furnace.

Tao Hongjing stood to the side, turning the iron tongs over and over, when he suddenly spoke up: "Did Pei Guoguo tell you about Huang Yue's matter?"

"Yes, Master." Jiang Chuan slammed his hammer down, sparks flying. "If I have the chance to go down the mountain, I will definitely keep an eye out for the Transformation Grass."

Tao Hongjing's gaze fell on his hand holding the hammer: "To forge a sword, one must first temper the body."

The fourth level of the "Dragon Elephant Divine Demon Technique" requires seven types of essence blood. Tomorrow, I will go with Chen Ping to the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts to hunt for the heart blood of the Shouyang Tiger.

He suddenly chuckled, "Don't let Pei Guoguo lead you astray. The bustling market is a whetstone for cultivation. The true path lies between hammering and fire."

In the days that followed, Jiang Chuan's life returned to normal.

Every day at the third quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM), the hammer of the sword furnace would sound precisely on time. After a thousand hammer blows, the arm would gradually develop a metallic luster.

In the afternoon, he would either practice swordsmanship under the waterfall, or ask Zhuang Yan for advice on spear techniques, and most of the time he would study the "Thunder Light Sword Manual".

Let Qinglin lie on my knees and watch her draw butterflies in the sand with her tail.

Qinglin quickly became acquainted with the people of Zuowang Peak.

She loved following Pei Guoguo to the Sword Tomb and pawing at the sword intent stones with her little paws;

It often squats beside Huang Yue, and the two of them communicate with each other by "squeaking" and "woofing," and they can even understand each other.

One evening, she ran back to the bamboo house covered in mud, with a sword tassel still wrapped around her tail. It turned out that she had followed Huang Yue to steal the spirit wine hidden by Tao Hongjing.

"Xiaoqing can't drink alcohol!" Jiang Chuan said, both amused and exasperated, as he wiped her face with water.

The little fox demon clung to the wine jar, refusing to let go: "Fifth Senior Brother said that wine can nourish the sword!"

Pei Guoguo burst out laughing: "Why don't you just let her call you 'Little Jiang'? That would be so much more affectionate!"

Qinglin clapped and cheered, and from then on, "Little Jiang" became the new name for Jiangchuan.

Even Zhuang Yan joined in the teasing, but Tao Hongjing stroked his beard and chuckled, letting the nickname spread throughout the peak.

A month later, in the afternoon, Jiang Wei and Fang Sheng arrived on their swords.

Jiang Wei's Taihua Sword could already summon lightning, while Fang Sheng's Judgment Blade was even more ruthless. The two immediately began to argue upon meeting.
"I heard you ran into a wall at the weapon-refining pavilion on Crimson Sun Peak?"

"Has Pei Guoguo carved the sword intent stone on Judgment Peak again?"

The three sat under the purple bamboo forest. Qinglin distributed spirit fruits to them, while Huang Yue dozed off at Fang Sheng's feet.

Jiang Wei suddenly lowered his voice: "The Kunlun Secret Realm will open in three years. I heard from Tianzhu Peak that there may be a sword embryo left by a Dao Immortal inside."

"Sword Embryo?"

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, the "Great Sun Golden Wheel Sword Manual" in his hand gleaming with golden light.

Fang Sheng nodded, his broken sword drawing sparks on the ground: "There's also news about the Transformation Grass. There's been some unusual activity in the far north ice sea recently, which might be related to a Saint-level spiritual herb."

He suddenly looked at Jiang Chuan and asked, "How's your sword-forging progress?"

"The forging of the iron is complete. Master has instructed that we will begin shaping the sword tomorrow."

Jiang Chuan touched the bladeless sword at his waist. "I plan to forge a small sword for Qing Lin first. She always steals Pei Guoguo's calligraphy brush as a weapon."

The three looked at each other and smiled. The mountain breeze swept through the bamboo forest, carrying with it the sound of swords echoing from the distant Sword Tomb.

Jiang Chuan suddenly stood up and pointed to the mission hall deep in the sea of ​​clouds: "Shall we go take a look tomorrow? We can use our points to exchange for some beast blood and sword-forging materials."

"Let's go!" Jiang Wei stood up, creating a burst of lightning that startled several mountain birds into flight.
"I want to switch to the 'Twin Thunder and Fire Technique'. I heard that the weapon refiners of Crimson Sun Peak are most afraid of this move."

The next day, sparks from the sword furnace splashed onto Jiang Chuan's hand as he counted the thousandth hammer blow.

The black iron hammer slammed onto the anvil with a clang, sending iron filings flying in the morning light.

Tao Hongjing handed him a damp cloth, looking at the bulging veins on his arm: "The third level of the Dragon Elephant Divine Demon Art, you still find forging iron a thousand times tiring?"

"Master is joking."

Jiang Chuan wiped his sweat, the water-attribute sword intent within his Purple Mansion repairing his muscles. "It's just that this hammer is 30% heavier than the one from the outer sect."

He looked at the dark red iron billet in the furnace, its surface still bearing hammer marks, resembling the patterns of Kunlun black iron.

Tao Hongjing suddenly stared at the bladeless sword at his waist: "Planning to go into the mountains to hunt magical beasts?"

Seeing Jiang Chuan nod, he took out a piece of animal hide map from his sleeve, on which the terrain of the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest was outlined with sword intent.

"The fourth level of 'Dragon Elephant' requires the essence blood of seven kinds of third-tier magical beasts. The essence blood of the Shouyang Tiger is the most domineering and suitable for the opening chapter."

"How long will it take?" Jiang Chuan touched the blood-red mark on the map.

“When you form your Golden Core,” Tao Hongjing turned and fiddled with the ashes in the furnace, “your physical strength will be comparable to a Yellow-Rank Spiritual Weapon, and you will be able to withstand the quenching in the sword furnace of Chiyang Peak.” He suddenly pointed to the big yellow dog lying in the crevice of the sword mound, “Take Fifth Senior Brother with you. He is familiar with the mountains and forests and can avoid monsters of the fourth rank or above.”

Huang Yue's tail swept across the ground, making a "woof woof" sound, as it stared at the jerky around Jiang Chuan's waist.

Jiang Chuan untied the cloth bag containing dried meat: "Let's go, Fifth Senior Brother, let's go hunting in the mountains."

The entrance to the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts is on the west side of Tianzhu Peak, where towering trees can be vaguely seen amidst the swirling clouds and mist.

The nine-colored deer, Lu Hao, leaped out of the jade pendant, its golden spots on its antlers particularly striking in the sunlight.

Upon seeing Huang Yue, they took off galloping, the sound of bells mingling with the barking of dogs echoing through the mountains and forests.

"Lu Hao!" Jiang Chuan called out, but all he got in return was mud splashed up by deer hooves.

Huang Yue chased after Lu Hao, his tail held high, completely unlike his usual lazy self on the peak.

He gripped the bladeless sword tightly, the patterns on the scabbard resonating subtly with the sword intent markings on the map.

The deeper into the mountains and forests, the stronger the spiritual energy.

Jiang Chuan walked on the decaying leaves when he suddenly heard a loud noise ahead. He pushed aside the bushes.

Lu Hao was using his antlers to lift a stone the size of a millstone, while Huang Yue squatted beside him, his tail whipping like a whip.

"Don't be ridiculous."

He patted Lu Hao's head and suddenly noticed half a tiger stripe peeking out from under the rock. It was the fur of a Shouyang tiger.

As the sun sets, Jiang Chuan lights a fire beside the mountain stream.

Lu Hao and Huang Yue squatted by the fire. The former poked at the roasting rabbit with his hooves, while the latter stared at the dancing flames, his eyes reflecting the sparks.

"Fifth Senior Brother, you must lead the way carefully tomorrow."

Jiang Chuan handed over the shredded rabbit meat, and Huang Yue barked twice, its tail brushing against his straw sandals.

As night deepened, the mountain wind carried the distant howls of wolves.

Jiang Chuan leaned against a tree trunk, pretending to doze off, holding the jade slip of "Dragon Elephant Divine Demon Technique" in his hand, which recorded the method of refining essence and blood.

Lu Hao rested his head on his lap, while Huang Yue curled up by the fire, occasionally letting out a low snore.

He suddenly remembered Xie Xuan saying, "Refining the body is like forging a sword; it requires a hundred refinements to become a useful weapon." He touched the bladeless sword at his waist, and the temperature of the scabbard was similar to his body temperature.

At dawn, the campfire had died down. Jiang Chuan washed his face with spring water and noticed a few wisps of tiger fur clinging to Lu Hao's antlers. It seemed Lu Hao hadn't been idle all night.

Huang Yue was already waiting at the intersection, his tail pointing northeast, where a faint tiger roar could be heard.

"Let's go, Tier 3 First Yang Tiger, don't be too greedy." He patted Lu Hao's back and leaped onto the deer's back.

The mountains and forests awaken in the morning light, with birdsong rising and falling.

Jiang Chuan followed Lu Hao's hoofprints, his boots sinking into the soft mud.

The nine-colored deer suddenly stopped, the golden spots on its antlers dimmed slightly, its tail was tucked tightly between its legs, and its ears were pressed against its skull.

Big Yellow squatted down beside him, its tail slapping the ground impatiently, and making a disdainful "woof woof" sound in its throat.

"what happened?"

Jiang Chuan reached out and pressed down on Lu Hao's trembling back, suddenly catching a whiff of rust in the wind. It was the scent of a high-level magical beast.

Big Yellow looked up at the towering tree in front of it, then glanced at Lu Hao with disdain, and scratched "walk" marks on the ground with its paws.

Lu Hao suddenly tossed his head, his antlers almost brushing against Da Huang's nose: "Roar!"

It means "This coward dares to look down on me."

Instantly, its fur bristled, its tail stood erect, and a faint flash of lightning flickered in its throat.

This was a harbinger of the "Thunder Fang" of Judgment Peak.

"Shut up, everyone!"

Jiang Chuan lowered his voice and tapped Lu Hao's antlers, "The territory of the Amethyst Eagle is centered around the giant tree."

The area within a ten-mile radius is barren; we have already stepped into its territory.

He turned and glared at Big Yellow, "Fifth Senior Brother, are you sure there's a Tier 3 Shouyang Tiger here?"

Big Yellow guiltily looked away, scratching at the decaying leaves with its paws, making a rustling sound.

Lu Hao took the opportunity to kick its rear end with his hoof, and the golden spots lit up again. "See? I told you this dog was unreliable."

Jiang Chuan sighed helplessly and took out the sealing talisman from his bosom. Although Lu Hao was dissatisfied, he still turned into a speck of light and entered the jade tablet in his palm.

"Let's go, sneak over there quietly." Jiang Chuan patted Da Huang's head, and the latter immediately became the guide.

It moved quickly along the ground, its tail drooping low, but its ears standing straight up.

The closer Jiang Chuan got to the giant tree, the heavier the air became. He noticed that the surrounding bushes were neatly bent over in all directions.

It formed a circular open space with a diameter of 100 zhang, and the giant tree in the center was 10 zhang tall. Its trunk was covered with rhomboid amethysts, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

“Something’s not right.” Jiang Chuan squatted down, his fingertips tracing the scorch marks on the ground. “What kind of third-tier magical beast would claim such a large territory? Fifth Senior Brother, this is probably the lair of a fourth-tier amethyst eagle.”

Suddenly, Dahuang accelerated, its tail swung in the air in a "no problem" arc, and its paws pawed at the tree trunk, indicating that it should climb up.

"Roar."

A sharp cry suddenly tore through the sky, and Jiang Chuan saw a giant bird with a wingspan of twenty feet swooping down from the clouds, its feathers edged with amethyst light—it was the fourth-tier magical beast, the Amethyst Eagle.

His heart was pounding, and he quickly pulled Big Yellow into the bushes, his palms covered in cold sweat.

Big Yellow lay motionless on the ground, its tail tucked between its legs, showing none of the imposing manner of the Fifth Senior Brother.

The amethyst sculpture circled three times above the open space, and the immense wind pressure swirled fallen leaves into the air.

Jiang Chuan held his breath, watching its sharp beak slice through the giant tree, sending fragments of amethyst falling.

Only after the cries faded into the distance did he dare to peek out and discover that Big Yellow was covering its eyes with its paws, and the tip of its tail was still trembling.

"Get up, let's go."

Jiang Chuan kicked the dog's head in annoyance, and Da Huang immediately rolled over and stood up, shook its fur, and started wagging its tail again, completely unlike its previous timid appearance.

The two crept closer to the giant tree, and Jiang Chuan noticed a hole in the trunk as big as a water bucket.

A faint chirping sound came from the cave entrance. It was the call of baby birds.

"You brought me here to steal bird eggs?"

Jiang Chuan suddenly realized what was happening and watched as Da Huang skillfully climbed up the tree, its claws hooking onto the amethyst protrusions, its movements even more agile than a monkey's.

He suddenly remembered what Pei Guoguo had said: that after his fifth senior brother turned into a dog, he loved to steal pheasant nests. He never expected that he would even dare to touch the eggs of a fourth-order magical beast.

Deep inside the tree hollow was a huge bird's nest, covered with fragments of amethyst.

In the center lay five glowing bird eggs, with several thumb-sized spirit stones scattered around them.

Big Yellow's tongue lashed out a foot long, about to lick the bird's egg, when Jiang Chuan quickly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck:
"Aren't you afraid of getting pecked to pieces by a fourth-tier magical beast's egg?"

Big Yellow turned its head, pointing its paw at the bird egg, then at itself. The implication was, "Eating it will replenish my yang energy."

Jiang Chuan had no choice but to take out the jade bottle, put in two bird eggs, and casually stuff the spirit stones into his pouch. (End of Chapter)