https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-154-The-Embryo-and-the-External-Elixir/12582834/
Chapter 155: Gathering
Chapter 155: Gathering
"Yes, Zhong. I'm preparing for my senior internship, and I want to forge a composite weapon. I need a lot of metal samples. When it comes to metal smelting technology, especially alloys, St. Armor University is second to none. So, I was hoping you could help me out and send over some samples first so that I can get familiar with them..."
Fang Xing spoke up without hesitation.
He had once saved Zhong Yuxiu's life, so he felt no shame in asking for her help.
"No problem... Shipping is on me!"
Zhong Yuxiu's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled, "I can also send you an introduction to the special metals in the Treasury..."
There were credit restrictions on these, and no matter how rich she was, she could only provide an introduction.
She glanced at Fang Xing and then at her own unfinished mecha. A hint of regret tinged her voice as she added, "Have you decided to go to the Secret Realm battlefield? Why not choose the Main Universe Fortress? We could go on missions together then. I'm quite strong now."
Fang Xing was, of course, already aware of this.
In terms of destructive power, a warrior could never truly compare to a mecha pilot.
Especially someone like Zhong Yuxiu, who had the financial means to acquire the best equipment.
"No, most interns will probably choose the Secret Realm battlefield... because the danger is manageable. In the Main Universe Fortress, it's either calm or a complete disaster."
Fang Xing shook his head, "As a warrior, I still need to test my skills on the battlefield."
The Secret Realm, now limited by his Godly Achievement, was like a backyard garden to him.
"I see, that's a shame..."
Zhong Yuxiu turned off the communication and gazed at her mecha, a wistful expression on her face.
Just as she had the chance to show off her financial prowess, there was no one to impress. What was she to do?
...
In the Cultivation World.
Golden Origin Peak.
This mountain peak was where Fang Xing's true disciple's cave abode was located.
In addition to the elegant pavilions, jade palaces, and halls, hundreds of acres of third-grade spirit fields had been cultivated.
These spirit fields alone were an incredible fortune for any cultivator.
Moreover, Fang Xing didn't have to lift a finger, as spirit farmers from the outer sect tended to them daily.
The only thing Fang Xing, as the sole true disciple of the Sword, had to do was cultivate!
After inspecting the area and expressing his satisfaction, he returned to his cave abode, closed the door, and activated the formation restrictions.
The formation he had set up inside his abode was the quasi-third-grade formation he had obtained from the Myriad Beast Sect. Even if he could only activate a fraction of its power, it was still quite impressive.
At the very least, it was sufficient to block outside probing.
"Sword embryo... External elixir..."
In the seclusion room, Fang Xing silently recalled the contents of the Great Liberation Immortal Gold Sword Manual. Suddenly, a silver light flashed, and his main body appeared.
As his main body twirled his fingers, on which rested an ancient bronze ring, block after block of metal ingots were retrieved.
The cultivation clone's face was solemn as he used the sensing technique he had just mastered to touch each unique alloy.
"This one won't do... While its hardness is comparable to a third-grade metal, it doesn't conduct spiritual energy at all..."
"This alloy... It's probably comparable to a high-grade third-grade metal, and it even slightly hinders the flow of spiritual energy? Interesting, let's make a note of this one. It could be useful for crafting 'law-breaking' artifacts in the future."
This sensing technique was derived from the Sword Manual and allowed him to find the most suitable materials for his sword-forging endeavors.
With Zhong Yuxiu's help, Fang Xing had also been searching on his own, and he had managed to obtain samples of most of the high-grade metals available on the market.
Of course, these were all mass-producible metals.
The truly unique, universe-class rarities were not among them.
Even so, after his cultivation clone carefully sensed each one, he still selected several metals that he felt could be used to refine flying swords.
"Nielan Alloy? This one seems the most suitable..."
Fang Xing held a piece of metal the size of a fingertip. Though it was small, its weight was astonishing.
"According to the description and its properties, it seems similar to the 'Golden Origin Mother Iron' mentioned in cultivation manuals..."
"In addition, these other alloys can be purchased in large quantities and then purified with my Foundation Establishment True Fire. I now have all the auxiliary materials I need for my primary spirit sword."
These metal ingots could all be purchased on the market as long as one was willing to spend the star coins.
"Now, for the main material..."
"It seems my luck isn't bad."
Fang Xing's main body projected an image, and grain after grain of star-like blue sand appeared, each grain shimmering with a metallic luster.
"Tianxuan Star Sand!"
This was the name given in the Great Liberation Immortal Gold Sword Manual. It was said to originate from the heavens above, requiring the collision of terrifying gale-force winds and the destruction of countless mineral essences in the void before it could be occasionally born, weighing just a few taels. Moreover, one needed incredible luck for a cultivator to obtain it.
In the treasury of Blue Star University, there was such a portion of this sand. It was said to have been discovered during an expedition to a cosmic secret realm and was extremely hard, perfect for forging alloy weapons or mecha core components.
"Such a waste of a heavenly treasure. If that Grand Elder saw this, even his eyes would turn red with greed."
The Tianxuan Star Sand was one of the best materials for forging swords according to the Zixia Sword Manual, a rare treasure beyond the classifications of third or fourth-grade. If Chu Kuangtu had obtained this to forge his flying sword, there might have been a chance to elevate his lifebond sword by five tiers.
With this, even the door to the Transformation God Realm might open!
"A flying sword forged from Tianxuan Star Sand is also suitable for cultivating the Great Liberty Divine Gold Sword Qi... After all, the Zixia Sword Manual is derived from the Great Liberty Divine Gold Sword Manual..."
"All that remains now is the issue of credits."
"And the materials for external elixir refining, as well as the unique cosmic auras..."
"I'm so poor..."
...
Virtual Space
It was once again the end of the month, time for the monthly challenge.
Fang Xing's figure appeared in the battle arena. "Excellent..."
After cultivating the Indestructible Vajra Body, he had tested his limits in the virtual space and found that it could accommodate his newfound power.
This meant that he could now dominate the rankings without holding back!
"It's time to climb up the leaderboard."
Fang Xing glanced at the rankings and noticed that the top spot now belonged to a stranger.
"Time flies... I suppose Anxing and his batch have gone off for their internships?"
Without hesitation, he selected the top-ranked player and challenged him.
...
A flash of light.
On the bridge of a spaceship.
Fang Xing and another figure appeared almost simultaneously.
The newcomer was tall and imposing, like a black iron tower. His hands hung down past his knees, and his earlobes were like pearls, giving him a unique air.
"From Blue Star University?"
A smile appeared on his face as he looked at Fang Xing. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yuchi Wei from the Nine Swords Academy..."
Before he could finish his introduction, Fang Xing was already in front of him, pointing a finger.
Choking!
A blade of light flashed, slicing towards Fang Xing's finger.
One after another, small white knives sprouted from Yuchi Wei's chest, as if they were made from his own ribs.
"Although I didn't pursue the path of a Sword Saint, I once fought Anxing and only lost by a single move..."
Yuchi Wei's face twisted with a sinister grin, and he manipulated the white bone knives with his thoughts, sending them flying towards Fang Xing.
Clearly, he was a psychic, and his body had undergone a series of enhancements.
Under his mental control, each bone knife was as powerful as Anxing's sword.
But Fang Xing remained silent, simply pointing a finger.
Pa!
The bone knife in front of him let out a mournful cry as it flew back, its blade now covered in cracks.
In the next moment, the myriad of bone knives assaulting Fang Xing exploded in mid-air.
Amidst the cloud of dust, a figure flew out—Fang Xing, his expression unchanged. With a calm point of his finger, he shattered everything in his path, finally tapping Yuchi Wei's forehead.
The Nine Swords Academy expert's head exploded, and his corpse fell to the ground.
[Congratulations on your victory. Current ranking: First on the leaderboard.]
The AI's notification sounded.
Fang Xing nodded, awaiting his next opponent.
Even with some restraint, his strength, enhanced by the divine power, far surpassed his previous peak.
If he combined it with the explosive power of the Great Vajra Wisdom Power, he could easily sweep through the outer realm.
One after another, his opponents fell to a casual point of his finger, their heads exploding. Once again, the nickname "Slap-in-the-Face Maniac" echoed through the battle platform.
"One last one, then I'm done for the day..."
On an ancient battlefield, dried blood stained the ground.
Fang Xing looked at his opponent and felt a sense of familiarity. "You are..."
"I'm the student council president of Blue Star University for this term..."
A young man with glasses and a pointed chin stood across from him, a harmless smile on his face. "Junior Fang Xing, I have no intention of being your enemy... In fact, President Huyan Qiushui really wants to meet you. We have a lot of potential for cooperation... Professor Pan Xiong also values you highly and wants to recruit you into the school faction."
"If Pan Xiong wants to talk to me, he can come himself."
Fang Xing had always stayed away from these factional struggles.
After all, he wasn't even interested in the advances of giants like Yin Huanzhen's company.
And factions were even more terrifying than monopolistic federal companies!
A faction often spanned politics and the military, akin to a collection of oligarchs. They even had the power to endorse candidates for the position of Federal Chief Executive.
The casual competition between these behemoths could lead to planetary destruction and countless deaths.
He just wanted to cultivate in peace; he'd be a fool to get involved willingly.
"Alright... Come by the student council sometime, junior. I have a lot of good tasks, no, difficult tasks here that aren't suitable for most students..."
"By the way, my name is Murong Zhong!"
The bespectacled student council president pushed up his glasses and conceded, "Finally... Congratulations on reaching the top of the leaderboard and bringing glory to our school!"
...
Dormitory
The virtual chamber opened, and Fang Xing stepped out.
"Murong Zhong... What an interesting person, but is he just a part of the academic faction?"
Fang Xing decided to stick to his original plan of taking the graduate and doctoral exams... He wouldn't be rushing into the spotlight just yet.
The power struggles between factions were a thousand times more terrifying than the cultivation contracts offered by conglomerates like Yin Huanzhen's company. It was best to stay as far away from them as possible.
Fang Xing pushed these thoughts aside and checked his credit balance before placing an order.
A beep sounded, signaling the arrival of an electronic voice that seemed no different from usual.
But Fang Xing knew that this was a subroutine of the 'Omniscient Brain'.
The entire operation of the Blue Star University Treasury was not managed by any individual or unit but was under the control of the 'Omniscient Brain' to ensure fairness.
"Confirmed!"
Fang Xing selected 'Confirm'.
Here at Blue Star, one didn't need to swear an oath to obtain this secret art, but there were confidentiality requirements, which were monitored by the Omniscient Brain.
The consequences of being discovered would be dire.
He waited another half-hour, his expression shifting as his domain power expanded, opening the window.
Boom!
A silver robot descended from the sky, its flame propulsion system gradually fading.
It had a humanoid shape, with featureless facial features except for a single horizontal slit that emitted a red glow, scanning Fang Xing.
Even with Fang Xing's current strength, he felt a sense of danger.
'This type of robot is entirely controlled by the 'Omniscient Brain', and there aren't many of them... Firstly, to prevent a rebellion by the intelligent brain, and secondly, because the resources are insufficient...'
Beep. Target confirmed. Please receive the package!"]
The silver robot placed a metal box on the ground.
Fang Xing approached and pressed his palm against it.
After detecting his palm print and iris pattern, the metal box automatically opened, revealing a few items inside.
The most valuable item was, of course, the 'Tianxuan Star Sand', a handful of flowing blue sand that shone like stars within a transparent test tube.
In addition, there were several other materials that could be used for external elixir refining.
Basically, this purchase had wiped out all of Fang Xing's accumulated credits.
However, he didn't mind, as he could quickly earn them back.
After the robot left, Fang Xing carefully stored away the items, nodding to himself: "With this, combined with the rare resources exchanged for by my cultivation clone from the Heavenly Sword Sect, the materials needed to refine the sword embryo and the external elixir are finally complete."
"In fact, aside from the final step, some of the preliminary processes can be completed right here at Blue Star University..."
Blue Star University specialized in mecha engineering, and while their metal processing technology might not be as advanced as St. Armor University, it was still exceptional.
Here, students learned everything there was to know about mecha and worked to build their own.
With sufficient financial resources, one could equip their mecha with a vast array of weapon modules, resulting in staggering destructive power.
Fang Xing had always been aware that while the Federal Martial Way was touted as the most popular and versatile evolutionary path, it was also the path most trodden by cannon fodder!
Except for those who shone in the Secret Realm battlefield, the true protagonists of battles in the Main Universe were not martial artists but mecha pilots!
Of course, the Martial Way was considered the most versatile because it had the least conflict with other paths.
Psychics could practice martial arts, and mecha pilots could do the same to promote their evolution.
And when martial artists reached the level of Martial Saints or Martial Gods, they could then venture into mecha piloting, equipping themselves with the federal government's top mecha, gaining the strength to face off against the main bodies of extradimensional evil gods.
"The Federal Martial Way is good, but it offers no path beyond the Martial God realm, or rather... no path has been forged yet."
"The future peak of martial arts practitioners remains uncertain, whether it will belong to psychic martial arts, mecha martial arts... The debate rages on, but for now, mecha martial arts is the mainstream..."
"But my 'Immortal Martial Way' might just surpass them all in the end..."
With the Attribute Panel, Fang Xing felt a surge of confidence.
When he was weak, he studied the martial arts of others, not rushing to create his own style.
But now, at a higher level, he had no choice but to forge his own path, for there was no road beyond the Martial God!
If he were to blaze a new trail, walking the path of 'Immortal Martial Arts', which was the most suitable for him, he might just be able to break through to a realm beyond Martial God!
Gu Jian Tong also had ambitions, which was why he wanted to integrate all he had learned and create a new 'Psychic Martial Art' at the Bravery Realm!
(End of Chapter)
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