Before long, a kestrel flew swiftly from a house toward Cuibo (Green Wave} City.
Inside a house in the Cuibo Tower courtyard, the old man in purple robes looked at the message sent by the red falcon, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes. "Disciple, he will soon be here to be buried with you."
..
At Cuibo Tower by Cuibo Lake, after Yan Yuwei showed her the Tiangong Cave token, she naturally went to a private room on the third floor.
Seeing Xu Yunfan's surprise, Yan Yuwei explained, "Senior Brother Xu, you may not know this, but Cuibo Tower is a property managed by the External Affairs Hall. Inner disciples can come here at any time."
Xu Yunfan understood.
After sitting down opposite Yan Yuwei, and waiting for all the dishes to be served, Yan Yuwei skillfully used the fish tail knife to cut a slice of raw fish as thin as a cicada's wing.
"Senior Brother Xu, do you know the wonders of this fish?"
With a slight flick of her wrist, the fish slice landed precisely on the ice jade plate in front of Xu Yunfan.
"Half an hour after leaving the water, the fish meat will spontaneously curl into a ring, completely losing its spirituality and vitality. Cuibo Lake stretches for hundreds of miles, so it can only be eaten in Cuibo Lake. The Foreign Affairs Hall has even raised a team of fishermen who are skilled at fishing to specifically catch spiritual fish."
Xu Yunfan picked it up and put it in his mouth, his eyes lighting up slightly.
"It tastes excellent."
Moreover, a cool sensation quickly circulates from the stomach to the limbs and bones, then disappears without a trace. If consumed for a long time, it can repair the hidden injuries of martial artists and prolong life.
Unfortunately, it was of no use to him, so he only indulged in the pleasures of the palate.
Each enhancement to his attribute panel would cleanse all his hidden injuries, making his flesh and blood translucent and bringing his body to a perfect state.
Seeing this, Yan Yuwei finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "I wonder what important matter Senior Brother Xu has summoned me for today?"
She wasn't stupid; everyone in Tiangong Cave knew that Xu Yunfan was obsessed with martial arts and wouldn't waste even half a day's time, let alone something like this dinner invitation.
He had never even invited his master, let alone her.
Could it be that he actually likes her?
Yan Yuwei felt uneasy, and her mind couldn't help but wander. She had heard that these exceptionally talented geniuses often had some strange hobbies, and maybe this was one of them.
If that's the case, should I agree immediately, or hold back a little?
"Junior Sister Yan has sharp eyes."
Xu Yunfan put down his chopsticks and said, "To be honest, the method of weapon forging has now been on the right track under the guidance of my master. However, my master said that if we want to forge weapons to be even more perfect, we must be more familiar with the properties of various ores."
"Therefore, I would like to ask my junior sister to teach me the Melting Gold and Forging Iron Technique of the Melting Gold Hall."
Although the Sutra Repository contains records of the skill of melting gold and forging iron, the core techniques—infusing metal into flesh and blood over many years to identify the characteristics of mineral veins and cultivate a body of metal and iron—are not recorded. Only the head of the Melting Gold Hall or a true disciple can practice it.
Even the inner disciples of the Melting Gold Hall did not cultivate it, but instead cultivated another core technique of the Melting Gold Hall.
"It's not that I won't give it to you, but if you don't have the corresponding talent and physique, practicing on your own will only cause your body to mutate and you'll end up killing yourself."
The Tiangong Cave had experienced a natural accident before, after which the martial arts techniques of each hall were sealed in the lower level. Apart from the hall master, anyone else who wanted to see them could only do so with the hall master's permission.
Zhan Yan would definitely not agree. In his opinion, Xu Yunfan was exceptionally talented in forging skills and naturally did not want to waste his time. Practicing other branches' skills would be a waste of time and a dereliction of duty.
"I see."
Yan Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief and was about to speak when a groaning sound of a rotten tree bearing weight suddenly came from the bottom of the stairs, attracting their attention.
The door to the private room on the third floor was suddenly pushed open by a strong burst of energy. The old man in purple robes, leaning on his snake-headed cane, stepped onto the last step. The copper ring at the end of the cane collided with the floorboards with a dull thud. He looked at Xu Yunfan and Yan Yuwei.
But most of the attention was focused on Xu Yunfan.
His face was covered with wrinkles that looked like iron filings, and black spots covered his face. When he smiled, it was like a rusty hinge rubbing together.
"Young Master Xu, I've been searching for you for ages! I've almost worn myself out from all the effort."
The visitor is not friendly.
Xu Yunfan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Hearing the barbed words, he naturally wouldn't be polite.
He said with some surprise, "Oh, what do you want from me, old man? Why don't you find a place to live out your old age? Don't die on the way here. Your children and grandchildren might have to go through all that trouble to carry you back."
"Sharp-tongued and quick-witted."
The old man in purple robes revealed a hint of resentment and undisguised killing intent on his face.
"Do you still remember when you severed my disciple's spine outside Dingbei City in Wuzhou? Did you ever imagine that someone would come seeking revenge for him today?"
Just as Xu Yunfan was about to speak, his nostrils twitched slightly, and his expression quickly turned cold.
He slowly stood up, his right hand gripping the handle of the Thunderfire Qilin Hammer beside him. Yan Yuwei, who was standing to the side, felt a tightness in her heart, glanced at Xu Yunfan, and grabbed the long-handled mechanical sword leaning against the wall.
"Who do you think it is? It's just an old dog from the Incense Cult."
Xu Yunfan looked slightly enlightened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Back then, your good disciple was wielding a ten-foot spear and playing with an infant. I killed him too easily; I should have crushed his bones bit by bit to feel better."
Yan Yuwei, standing to the side, secretly groaned inwardly. Xu Yunfan's words were tantamount to poisoning the other party's mind.
This purple-robed old man had a peculiar physique, with broad shoulders and a long waist. His large hands gleamed with a purplish-black hue, clearly indicating that he was a master of the Body Refining Realm who had refined his physical form.
She, on the other hand, was only at the Third Refinement Martial Master level, not even having reached the Perfection of the First Refinement. How could she possibly fight against someone of a higher level?
and...
Yan Yuwei glanced behind the purple-robed old man; the densely packed black-clad men almost filled the staircase.
Is this guy a jinx? He ran into this as soon as he came out.
Yan Yuwei wanted to curse.
"I will repay you for what you just said, little by little."
The old man's purple robe fluttered without wind, revealing a nine-section steel whip at his waist. The whip was covered with barbs, each tip of which gleamed with a dark blue hue.
"Do you know that all thirty-two cities of Wuzhou have been slaughtered, the ground is soaked in blood and flesh, and the whole place is red? You ran fast and came to Cangzhou and entered Tiangong Cave, making me wait for a long time."
Xu Yunfan felt an uncontrollable surge of anger rising in his chest. If he hadn't been to Wuzhou, he wouldn't have cared. After all, as a transmigrator, he couldn't truly empathize with what Xu Yunfan had experienced.
But he had seen, witnessed, and heard of these incense-burning cult members, and if he could defeat them, he would easily eliminate them.
In an instant, the steel whip moved with the purple-robed old man's large hand. With a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, Xu Yunfan's nose, which was tilted back, grazed a barb.
His face showed no panic. His waist and abdominal muscles suddenly contracted, straightening his body instantly. The next moment, his waist and abdominal muscles undulated like waves, and he leaped over the table.
The table leg was struck by the tip of the whip, and wood chips exploded like shrapnel, embedding deeply into the pillar behind it.
Snap!
The old man's purplish-black hand shattered the window frame, and his five fingers reached for Xu Yunfan's throat.
As Xu Yunfan's Adam's apple bobbed, it suddenly swelled by half an inch, and he actually used the trapezius muscle on the side of his neck to clamp the other person's thumb.
He wanted to test how far he could go at the Martial Master realm of the third stage of cultivation, so he didn't use the Thunderfire Qilin Hammer in his hand first.
In the instant the two were locked in combat, the nine-section whip, like a python, twisted and coiled around the roof beam, causing the entire beam to groan under the strain.
At this moment, Yan Yuwei stepped back and knocked over the screen. Her long-handled broadsword swung like the wind, clanging loudly, and instantly shredded the broadswords of the three men in black.
The blade fragments embedded themselves in her forearm muscles, making a metallic clang as they were squeezed out by her taut brachioradialis muscles.