Chapter 337: Smelting the Law Pillar – Sky Phenomenon Shift

"Senior Brother Yan," Lu Qing asked, "you said Xiao Li’s father is likely the so-called King of Darkness?"

"Yes," replied Yan, "during the Ancient Cultivation Era, while the human cultivators were dominant, they were far from the only power. There were at least two other massive factions that could rival them—namely, the Beast Clan and the Sea Clan. As for the Sea Clan, they occupy the vast oceans and rarely come ashore. The sea is their true home. Aside from those who’ve reached the Soul Transformation realm or higher, few cultivators can even venture into their domain.

As for the Beast Clan, well, both the Sea Clan and the Beast Clan fall under the broader category of Spirit Beasts. The difference is merely in their habitats—one thrives beneath the waves, the other dwells on land. Their interactions are not close; in fact, they’ve often clashed, which is precisely why they evolved into two distinct factions. Had they united, the early stages of cultivation for human cultivators would have been far more difficult."

Yan paused, then continued.

"As for the King of Darkness I mentioned—it was one of the Twelve Demon Kings serving under the Emperor of the Landbound Beast Clan. His true form was a Nighttime Spirit Fox. He commanded the entire Fox Clan, along with many other beast tribes. His strength was immense, on par with a human Soul Transformation master."

"Since there’s a Fox Clan," Lu Qing mused, "could Xiao Li really be the offspring of the King of Darkness?"

"No," Yan said firmly. "Nighttime Spirit Foxes are exceptionally rare within the Fox Clan. In an entire era, such a creature might not even appear once. When I was still awake, there were only two Nighttime Spirit Foxes in the entire Beast Clan—and they were mates. Therefore, Xiao Li must be their child."

Lu Qing fell silent. If that was true, then the possibility was overwhelming.

"But why is Xiao Li here? I’ve observed its state—it’s still a juvenile."

Yan, too, looked puzzled.

"Indeed, Xiao Li is still young. I only came across it two years ago, by chance," Lu Qing explained. "It has no memory of its origins or identity."

"Then the world has changed greatly since I fell into slumber," Yan sighed. "Otherwise, those two wouldn’t have left their daughter so utterly alone. I wonder—when Qi depletion struck and the Great Cataclysm arrived, how did the other factions respond? Did they manage to escape this realm… or did they all perish in the end?"

Lu Qing remained silent. If even Yan—the ancient being who had lived for tens of thousands of years—did not know, then he certainly couldn’t.

"Senior Brother, if Xiao Li truly is the daughter of those two, she must be tens of thousands of years old. Why is she still just a child?"

"That’s easy to explain," Yan said. "Most likely, the King of Darkness used a unique artifact to seal Xiao Li away immediately after her birth. After all, Nighttime Spirit Foxes possess both Fire and Spatial attributes. They’re born with a rare spiritual sense, capable of detecting treasures that ordinary beings can’t even perceive. With his immense cultivation, the King of Darkness could easily gather rare artifacts. I recall that during several Secret Realm emergences, he claimed the most spoils. So, having a treasure capable of sealing a fox spirit for tens of thousands of years? Not impossible.

So treat her well, Lu Qing. She’s not just a pet—she’s a true blessing. When the Heavenly and Earthly Laws evolve and new Secret Realms open, she may very well become your greatest ally in exploring them."

Yan’s tone carried a strange note, almost wistful.

Lu Qing’s Qi aura was extraordinarily dense. He already wielded multiple Spirit Artifacts, and now he had even tamed a Nighttime Spirit Fox. It was hard to imagine what opportunities he’d have when the Heavenly and Earthly Laws fully evolved and countless Secret Realms were unveiled.

The thought filled Yan with unexpected anticipation. The previous bitterness vanished. Following a master with such overwhelming Qi fortune… perhaps one day, it might finally free it from its confinement.

"A blessing…" Lu Qing looked at Xiao Li, who was playfully wrestling with a fish in the courtyard, remembering how it once brought him a century-old ginseng in exchange for a meal.

He paused. Then decided not to tell her the truth.

It had been tens of thousands of years. Even if the Nighttime Spirit Fox parents were still alive, it was unlikely. Telling Xiao Li now would only burden her with sorrow—no benefit, only pain. Perhaps, in her current carefree state, she was exactly as her parents would have wished.

The Wei Family moved swiftly.

Though Wei Shanhai had said it would take three days to gather all the materials Lu Qing needed, by the second day, a convoy from the Wei Family had already begun delivering some of them.

"Lu Xiao Langjun," said Wei Da Zong Guan, bowing respectfully in the Half Mountain Courtyard, "these refined iron ingots were collected from several forges in the County Town, as per the Ancestor’s orders. We’ve sent them ahead. The jade stone materials are already being transferred from Zhou Fu. They should arrive within the next one or two days."

The Wei Family now treated every request from Lu Qing with utmost seriousness. This batch of refined iron had been personally escorted by Wei Da Zong Guan.

"Thank you, Grand Manager," Lu Qing said politely, then inspected the ingots.

"A Qing," Old Doctor asked, eyes widening at the sheer quantity, "what kind of array are you preparing that requires so much refined iron?"

"Not much is left," Lu Qing shook his head. "I’ll need to refine and purify these further. Only a small portion will remain. It’s a pity—we could’ve saved time if we had a batch of thousand-fold refined iron."

Wei Da Zong Guan’s expression darkened.

Thousand-fold refined iron was beyond the capacity of any forge in the County Town. Only the Wei Family’s private vaults held a small stock. To gather such a quantity in one go? Impossible. Even scouring the entire Cang Zhou wouldn’t be enough. After all, thousand-fold refined iron was capable of forging thousand-fold spirit weapons—rare, coveted, and always in high demand. Most warriors would immediately forge it into their ideal weapon, not hoard it.

Lu Qing knew his wish was unrealistic. Once Wei Da Zong Guan and his men left, he immediately lit the furnace.

With a flick of his fingers, the Lihuo Ding—no larger than a fingertip, hanging from his neck as a pendant—rose into the air. In a flash, it expanded into a half-human-sized furnace, landing in the courtyard.

Old Doctor’s eyes flickered. Though he’d seen it before, the marvel of such a Spirit Artifact still stirred awe.

"Senior Brother Yan, I’ll leave it to you."

"Leave it to Little Yi Si," Yan replied.

Lu Qing began tossing the refined iron ingots one by one into the Lihuo Ding. Yan accepted them all without hesitation, swallowing them whole. Within its inner space, even a mountain would be no burden.

Once all the iron was consumed, Yan raised his hand, chanting a silent incantation. Instantly, flames erupted from nowhere, engulfing the molten mass.

The iron melted into a seething pool of liquid metal. Yan, relaxed, guided the fire within his space, refining the molten iron further. The Lihuo Ding, as a Spirit Artifact, could refine ordinary iron with ease—no effort required.

Under Yan’s control, impurities vanished rapidly. The volume of the metal dwindled, purifying with every breath of flame.

At last, when no more impurities could be removed, Lu Qing stepped into the Spirit Artifact’s space.

He took over control of the Lihuo Ding. With a thought, the molten iron split into dozens of smaller spheres.

Then, Lu Qing began inscribing seals into each.

Old Doctor stood by, assisting with Hu Fa as Lu Qing entered a meditative state.

Soon, the Lihuo Ding began spitting out slender iron rods—one after another. Each bore faint, intricate patterns, as if infused with hidden power.

After dozens had emerged, Lu Qing opened his eyes, weary.

"A Qing, done?" Old Doctor asked.

"Yes," Lu Qing said, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. "But the refined iron was insufficient. I could only forge thirty-six Law Pillars."

"Need how many for your array?" Old Doctor asked.

"In my plan, one hundred and eight Law Pillars are required to complete the full formation."

Old Doctor blinked in disbelief. The Wei Family had already sent a substantial amount—yet it fell far short of half the needed quantity.

"Still," Lu Qing said, "thirty-six can at least form the framework."

With a wave of his hand, the thirty-six Law Pillars—each now soul-sealed and glowing—rose from the ground, soaring upward in a radiant trail toward the valley below.

Lu Qing’s Spirit Soul Power now equaled that of a Zhu Ji-level cultivator. With full focus, he could sense any movement within a few li. Covering the small Jiu Li Village was effortless.

Guided by his spirit soul, the Law Pillars descended with pinpoint precision, vanishing silently into the earth.

Having lived here for so long, Lu Qing knew every contour of the village. The placement points were all optimal for the formation.

As the Law Pillars settled, their energy threads linked. Instantly, the village changed.

Earth Qi surged through the land, and surrounding Qi began to gather slowly.

To ordinary villagers, of course, this shift was invisible. All they noticed was a sudden coolness.

"Old man," said Zhang Da Ye’s wife, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, "did you feel it? The house feels cooler now."

"Feels like it’s cooled down," Zhang Da Ye replied, sitting up from his recliner. "Is it going to rain?"

He hurried outside to hang up clothes, only to find the sky blazingly clear—no clouds, no sign of storm. The sun burned fiercely overhead.

Yet, despite standing in the full heat, he no longer felt the oppressive scorching.

Instead, the sunlight felt warm—like autumn or winter.

"What’s going on?!" Zhang Da Ye stared, unnerved. Something was deeply wrong. When nature defied logic, it meant something extraordinary was happening.

Other alert villagers noticed the sudden change and rushed out to investigate.

Just as panic began to stir, Lu Qing’s voice came from the mountain above.

"Everyone, don’t worry. The changes in the village are due to me. They’re beneficial, not harmful. No one will be hurt."

The voice carried clearly, not loud, as if spoken directly into their minds.

Hearing this, the villagers relaxed.

"Ah, it’s A Qing. No problem then—back to work."

"A Qing’s getting stronger every time he returns. I bet he’s learned some real magic this time. Even changed the weather!"

"Finally! The heat’s been unbearable lately—worse than ever before. I can’t sleep at night. Now it’s cool enough to rest."

"Yeah, the sky’s been strange. That freezing downpour last month nearly killed someone in a neighboring village. Now it’s scorching again. If it keeps up, we’ll have a drought."

"Thank goodness for A Qing. He’s got power now—he made the whole village cool. Almost like the gods in opera!"

"Could it be… A Qing and Old Doctor went off to find immortals?"

The villagers chattered on, their conversation spiraling from weather anomalies to Lu Qing’s possible divine abilities—growing ever more exaggerated.

In the Half Mountain Courtyard, Lu Qing smiled faintly, then withdrew his Spirit Soul Sensing.

But his expression grew serious.

They were right—since the Heavenly and Earthly Laws changed, and Qi Lu Fu Su began to take root, the sky had indeed become increasingly unpredictable.

That cold storm months ago? Never mind. What worried him was the past month: relentless sun, unbearable heat—almost at the edge of what humans could endure. That was unnatural.

"Master," Yan said, "this Tian Di Bian Hua… for ordinary people, it’s hard to say if it’s blessing or curse."

"More likely a curse," Old Doctor muttered, his face grim. "Even Jiu Li Village, nestled beside the Ten Million Great Mountain, is suffering. What about the places beyond? With such chaotic skies… what’s happening out there?"

The thought weighed heavily on Old Doctor’s heart.

After a long silence, he spoke again.

"A Qing… I think I’ll visit nearby villages in the next few days."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end