The Path to Another World

After being baptized by a meteor shower, the journey became much calmer. The old Taoist priest fulfilled his responsibilities as a teacher, diligently instructing Ye Fan in everything he knew. Although their cultivation methods differed, they both originated from the *Taoist Scripture*. Understanding one method leads to understanding all others; the path of cultivation is guided by the master, but the practice is up to the individual. Ye Fan's cultivation level was still low, so he couldn't ask any profound questions, making it easy for the old Taoist priest to answer. Tian Jun, following behind Ye Fan, was no fool. He knew this old Taoist priest was an ancient living fossil, possessing peak strength and magical power, and eagerly asked him questions. Fortunately, the old Taoist priest answered all his questions out of respect for Ye Fan. As expected of an ancient immortal, a casual remark clarifies the difficulties and confusions in their cultivation, providing invaluable insights—truly golden words, every word a gem.

Sunrise and sunset, the seasons changed, and a week passed in the blink of an eye. The three of them sat quietly cross-legged without moving an inch. Fortunately, the old Taoist priest used his magic to condense a large amount of primordial energy into round granules the size of longans. Eating one of these granules was enough to last a week without food. This ability made the other two extremely envious. How much food could be saved? It was an essential item for a monastic journey! Seeing the two with their eyes gleaming with greed, the old Taoist priest knew they had no good intentions and were definitely after the treasure. Although for cultivators above the level of fasting, this was a piece of cake—otherwise, who would have so much time to cook?—it was a great treasure for novice cultivators. It could not only solve their hunger problem but also strengthen their muscles and bones to a certain extent.

Sure enough, Ye Fan chuckled and came closer, flatteringly saying, "Master, you see, when we travel the world in the future, we will inevitably have to eat the wind and dew. Carrying food every day is tiring and troublesome, and it will also affect our combat. Do you think you should make us a few more? We don't have big ambitions, a thousand or eight hundred will be enough!"

Hearing Ye Fan's words, "A thousand or eight hundred, still not a big deal? Do you think I'm a machine?" He glared at them and said seriously, "This isn't some great skill. You'll both be able to do it yourselves in the future. I don't have that much time to do such a boring thing. This time, I used up all the energy I've accumulated over the years to save you. The spiritual energy in outer space is extremely rich, and I don't know how many dangers or accidents await us along the way. So I need to continue absorbing energy to recover my strength to deal with what comes next! There are only a hundred pills here. Take it or leave it!" He handed over the fasting pills he had just condensed, directly refusing their request. The two then grinned slyly, as if their scheme had succeeded, and continued their tedious cultivation.

Between cultivation sessions, Qinglong continued to explain other aspects of cultivation, the most important being weapon crafting. Because the path of cultivation is inherently against the will of Heaven, and like the mortal world, it inevitably involves grudges, affections, and battles. In such situations, the quality of a weapon becomes extremely important. In a battle between two people of equal strength, the scales of victory will definitely tip in favor of the one with the better weapon. Furthermore, magical treasures are a significant aid in resisting heavenly tribulations, and in crucial moments, they might even save one's life.

Under the astonished gazes of the two, the old Taoist priest opened his right hand and casually spread it out. A wisp of pale flame appeared in his palm as if by magic, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, growing larger and larger until it was the size of a basketball in the blink of an eye, and its color changed from pale to purple. "What a beautiful fireball! Is this magic?" Tian Jun, who looked like a woman and had inherited a woman's love for all beautiful things, reached out to touch the enchanting spark.

Seeing Tian Jun about to touch the spark, Qinglong's expression changed. With lightning speed, he slapped Tian Jun's hand away and shouted angrily, "Do you want to die? Do you know what this is?" "Isn't this magic?" Tian Jun was startled by Qinglong and asked somewhat aggrievedly.

"No, this is fire, and not just any fire!" Ye Fan quickly pulled the stunned Tian Jun aside, looking seriously at the flickering flames that felt no heat. "Take a close look at where the flames meet the space. Is there anything different? Do you see those occasional spatial cracks? That must be a sign that the high temperature of the flames is burning away the space!"

"Hmm! Not bad! As expected of someone with a foundation in cultivation! Your observation is indeed meticulous. This is fire, but it's not ordinary fire!" Azure Dragon nodded in satisfaction after hearing Ye Fan's answer.

"Is there a distinction between mortal fire and celestial fire?" Tian Jun asked curiously.

"Fire isn't just divided into celestial fire and recycled fire; it also includes tangible fire and intangible fire. Ordinary fire refers to fire produced through certain processes using worldly materials; it can burn the human body, but as long as the fire isn't too large, it won't be fatal. Celestial fire, on the other hand, is produced using energy stones or magic, like this flame in my hand—a product of magic. Tangible fire is fire that we can see with our eyes and feel with our senses, while intangible fire refers to fire that we cannot perceive but still exists, such as inner fire! Don't underestimate this inconspicuous flame in my hand; it's the legendary Samadhi True Fire, capable of burning away all tangible matter in the world. Ordinary ores or steel will instantly vaporize. During the last meteor shower, I used it to purify several tons of star ore into a basketball-sized piece of star iron ore. The fire god Zhurong is a master of fire; he has used Samadhi True Fire to refine several uninhabited planets into square blocks on several occasions." "I used an iron plate as floor tiles. The Samadhi True Fire is the king of fires, extremely yang in nature. Once ignited, it is difficult to extinguish with water or soil unless extinguished by extremely yin water. Otherwise, it will adhere to the surface of the object and burn it to nothingness. If I hadn't intervened in time, you would probably be a speck of dust in this vast universe by now. This Samadhi True Fire is extremely powerful. Not only can it be used as an offensive technique, but more importantly, it is an essential condition for cultivators to forge magical weapons. Only this extremely yang Samadhi True Fire can melt some ores with particularly high melting points, and only it has such a high temperature to remove impurities from the ore to the maximum extent, achieving perfect refining. Only such ores can be used to forge the best weapons. Of course, the material of the weapon is important, but the most important thing is the soul of the weapon. Only a weapon with a spirit can be considered a magical weapon." Qinglong patiently explained the most basic knowledge of weapon forging to the two of them.

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