I have the face of a great demon.

Old Lu smiled slightly; his plan had already taken shape in his mind.

“We can’t make a move within the sect, but outside the sect it’s a different story. We can find an opportunity when he’s out…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Zhou Tianyi's underlings exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

If someone in a sect tries to discipline a lowly disciple, people will say they are bullying the weak and it's beneath them.

But outside the sect, all sorts of people mingle. It's not unusual for that servant boy to offend someone and get beaten up.

As long as they deny it to the death, who can prove that they were the ones who did it?

"That's a great idea, Lao Lu, you're brilliant," one of the underlings praised.

"Yeah, once that kid leaves the sect, let's see where he can run to." Another henchman rubbed his hands together, as if he could already see Liu Xingchen's unfortunate fate.

A sinister smile appeared on Zhou Tianyi's face; this game was not over yet.

Liu Xingchen had also informed on him, and he wouldn't let it go easily. Although the matter of the Scripture Pavilion had nothing to do with Liu Xingchen, he still held Liu Xingchen responsible for it.

The rest is easy. Even the menial disciples can go out, they just need to register.

Zhou Tianyi's underling went to the miscellaneous servants' hall to bribe a disciple in charge of registering outings, instructing him to keep an eye on a miscellaneous servant disciple named Liu Xingchen, and to notify them immediately whenever Liu Xingchen went out. Then they waited for their opportunity.

Since obtaining these jade slips, Liu Xingchen felt as if he had discovered a new continent, and his life became exceptionally fulfilling.

During the day, he would be busy in the scripture pavilion or the alchemy hall, and at night he would immerse himself in the secret cave, eagerly absorbing the knowledge and wisdom in the jade slips.

The contents of these jade slips are all-encompassing, ranging from profound cultivation techniques to mysterious alchemy and complex weapon crafting. Each item broadened his horizons and benefited him immensely.

Recently, he has become particularly obsessed with the knowledge of weapon crafting, especially how to improve the crafting skills of magical artifacts. This gave him a bold idea—to enhance his black sword with precious materials to improve its abilities.

Having spent a long time in the weapon-refining hall, his horizons have broadened considerably, and he has gained a deeper understanding of his black sword.

This black sword is made entirely of black iron, which is quite rare among weapons in the cultivation world.

Other people's weapons are made with some auxiliary materials to give them different characteristics.

This black sword was probably made by someone whose owner didn't have much money and couldn't afford the expensive auxiliary materials, so he spent all his money on the main material, black iron.

While this approach may seem unremarkable, it has provided Liu Xingchen with an excellent opportunity.

"The fact that no auxiliary materials were added means that I can add whatever materials I want when refining without worrying about any conflicts."

Liu Xingchen secretly calculated in his heart that he couldn't wait to start this weapon refining project.

He began to conceive of adding some special materials to the black sword, such as Gengjing Stone to enhance its sharpness, or Wind Spirit Crystal to increase its speed.

Liu Xingchen studied all sorts of auxiliary materials that could be used on weapons. These were all mentioned on the jade slip, with examples of what each material had, what its effects were, and so on.

With the experience of those who came before him, he quickly selected the materials he wanted.

But when he found out the market price of these materials, he felt disheartened.

These materials are all priceless treasures. Even though he has accumulated a lot of wealth through various means, it is still far from enough to buy even one or two of them.

No wonder the owner of this black sword used only black iron to forge it; such expensive auxiliary materials are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The Heavenly River Sect's treasury contains these precious materials. Elders and disciples of the sect can exchange them for the materials they need by having enough contribution points and paying a certain amount of spirit stones.

Thinking of the abundant treasures in the vault, Liu Xingchen even considered robbing it.

If he disguises himself as a great demon and storms the treasure vault, he might be able to reap a great harvest.

However, this is a bit risky. Even if he can scare away the elders who are guarding and protecting the treasure vault, the restrictions in the vault will not be intimidated by him. He will still have to face these restrictions.

He currently only has the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment, and even with the help of the spirit ghost, he is not confident that he can break the restrictions inside and retrieve the treasure.

Moreover, even if he obtained the precious refining materials, he wouldn't have the ability to use them to refine the black sword and enhance its power.

After much deliberation, Liu Xingchen realized that he couldn't force the issue. He decided to find an opportunity to get the people of the Tianhe Sect to willingly help him forge the black sword.

On this day, as soon as Liu Xingchen returned to the servants' quarters, Zhao Wuji called him over.

"Liu Xingchen, wait a minute, I have something to ask you."

Liu Xingchen stopped and turned around, asking respectfully, "Elder Zhao, what are your instructions?"

"Is Elder Shen from the Weapon Refining Hall in the hall these days?"

Liu Xingchen thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I've seen him busy in the weapon refining hall these past few days."

"Okay, that's good." Zhao Wuji nodded. "Tomorrow I'll go to the weapon-refining hall and ask him to help me forge my sword."

Liu Xingchen feigned ignorance and asked, "Elder Zhao, does your precious sword still need to be forged?"

"Haha." Zhao Wuji smiled when this was mentioned.

"I've saved up some contribution points and spirit stones, and exchanged them for a Dragon Blood Stone, which I plan to use on my sword. Tomorrow, I'll ask Elder Shen to help me refine it, and my sword will definitely be even better."

Dragon Blood Stone? Upon hearing this name, Liu Xingchen immediately recalled its uses.

Dragonblood Stone is a unique material that, when used in weapon crafting, can imbue weapons with the power of fire. It is a relatively expensive crafting material.

Liu Xingchen checked its market price, and given Elder Zhao's income, it would take him at least fifty years to save up enough to buy it.

Elder Zhao is really willing to spend a lot of money.

Zhao Wuji then proudly took out the Dragon Blood Stone to show off.

"Liu Xingchen, you've been in the weapon-refining hall for so long, you must have seen quite a few good things. Have you seen this treasure before?"

Liu Xingchen was no stranger to Dragon Blood Stone; he had studied it countless times in the jade slip, but this was the first time he had seen the real thing with his own eyes.

When this precious refining material appeared before him, his heart stirred. He realized that his hope for improving his black sword might now rest on Zhao Wuji.

He looked at the Dragon Blood Stone in Zhao Wuji's hand, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Elder Zhao, I have indeed seen many treasures in the weapon refining hall, but this is the first time I have ever seen such a rare item as the Dragon Blood Stone."

Zhao Wuji laughed even more smugly after hearing Liu Xingchen's words.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Xingchen said, "Elder Zhao, I'm going to help out at the Weapon Refining Hall tomorrow. I'll let Elder Shen know in advance that you're coming. You can just come directly then."

Zhao Wuji said, "Alright, I'll go to the weapon-refining hall to find him first thing tomorrow morning."