Two days later, Fang Yunjian finally arrived at Tianxing Island with Li Mu.
"Elder Li, there's no need to worry too much. You should return to the Sect first. When Sword Master returns, they should come to the Sect to find you."
At the Ancient Teleportation Array platform, Fang Yunjian watched Li Mu and saw him off.
"Alright, Executive Fang, if you gather all the Artifact Refining Materials, you can come to me anytime. I will do my best to refine a Dao Weapon for you!" Li Mu nodded, looking at Fang Yunjian with a smile and signaling.
Although this trip to the Nether Water Sea Domain failed to successfully enter the Water Sealed Land, learning the whereabouts of several other Sealed Lands from Fang Yunjian was a considerable gain. Li Mu did not forget to return the favor, promising to refine a Dao Weapon for him.
Of the seven sub-arrays that make up the Chaotic Seal Array, all but the Extreme Yang Sealed Land now have clues to their locations. This was a cause for great celebration, and Li Mu’s face was filled with genuine joy.
"Thank you, Elder Li! Li will definitely visit once I have gathered the Materials." Fang Yunjian was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed to Li Mu in thanks.
Li Mu, who could refine Seven-Order Dao Weapons, had now risen another Rank in status, and receiving such a clear promise from him was incredibly rare.
Li Mu nodded to Fang Yunjian as a farewell, then turned and stepped into the Ancient Teleportation Array. With a flash of light, his figure disappeared within the array.
Fang Yunjian stood outside the array, watching Li Mu's disappearing figure, his mind filled with thoughts. If he had a Dao Weapon in hand, the success rate of advancing to the next Realm could increase by another twenty to thirty percent. With the Undying Demon Lord now appearing in the Nether Water Sea Domain, the crisis in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region was quietly approaching. He had to quickly raise his strength to cope with the upcoming great battle.
He wondered how the two Sword Masters fared against the Undying Demon Lord.
Fang Yunjian worried inwardly. Even the combined strength of the two Sword Masters could not guarantee victory against an existence like the Undying Demon Lord.
At this moment, the great battle in the Nether Water Sea Domain had already concluded.
Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen were both Body Integration Sword Cultivators, possessing unparalleled combat power. If they intended to flee, ordinary people truly couldn't stop them. Although the Undying Demon Lord was formidable, almost undying and indestructible, he would still have to pay a heavy price to keep the two of them.
Considering the critical task of breaking the Channel Seal, the Undying Demon Lord was unwilling to risk severe injury to capture the two. He ultimately chose to give up entangling with them and allowed them to leave.
Looking in the direction where the two fled, the Undying Demon Lord's eyes flashed with a sinister light. He wasn't angry that two defeated opponents had escaped from his grasp, but the fact that his old enemy 'Li Mu' had escaped right under his nose truly felt like a thorn in his heart, and his anger was difficult to quell for a long time.
Especially when he thought that Li Mu was likely the Transformation God cultivator who controlled the Water Mansion Secret Realm key, as mentioned by Blood Demon Lord - Dana, and could very well become a stumbling block for his future actions, the Undying Demon Lord's killing intent intensified.
However, the Undying Demon Lord also knew that now was not the best time to pursue Li Mu. The Seal deep beneath the sea, ten thousand years old, was the primary target.
Once the Seal was largely broken, the Demon Abyss Channel would open further. At that time, he would gain even greater power bestowed by the Eternal Demonic God, and the Demon Abyss would be able to transport more and stronger forces. By then, even if the two Dao Lords of Xuantian Sword Sect arrived, he would not fear them.
The Undying Demon Lord took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and killing intent in his heart, then turned to look at the rapidly moving fleet, beginning to summon his subordinates.
As his command was relayed, a large group of Demonic Lords and Demonic Monarchs quickly gathered before him, respectfully awaiting further instructions.
"Pass on my order!" The Undying Demon Lord surveyed the Demonic Lords and Demonic Monarchs, then sternly commanded, "Set up the Sea-Isolating Grand Array to isolate the Seal at the bottom of the sea, cut off its water elemental power, and utterly break it!"
"As you command!"
The Demonic Cultivators responded in unison. They then swiftly moved, diving into the seabed, quickly dispersing, and beginning to set up the Sea-Isolating Grand Array around the Nether Water Sea Domain.
The Nether Water Sea Domain contained trillions of tons of seawater, and the Sealed Land was vast and boundless. Setting up an array across the sea was a massive undertaking. However, for this grand project, the Demonic Cultivators seemed well-prepared, taking out various array-setting Materials and performing their respective duties, employing special array-setting techniques deep beneath the sea.
They tirelessly carved complex array patterns on the seabed, outlining a magnificent picture, like tireless machines.
The Undying Demon Lord stood above the Nether Water Sea Domain, looking down at the busy Demonic Cultivators below, his face filled with anticipation, as if he had already seen the moment the Seal was broken and he gained even greater Demonic God power.
However, the Undying Demon Lord was well aware that this project would take more than ten, or even several decades, to show results. Once the Sea-Isolating Grand Array was completed, the Seal deep beneath the sea would have nowhere to hide. After its water elemental power was completely cut off, the Seal's power would greatly weaken, and that would be the time for him to break this Seal.
Central Continent Spirit Realm, Xuantian Sword Sect.
Li Mu's figure appeared from the Ancient Teleportation Array, then flew directly from Sword Asking Peak, riding his Flying Sword towards the Contribution Hall.
In front of the Contribution Hall, Li Mu slowly descended, put away his Flying Sword, and entered the hall. The hall was still bustling, with various task handovers, retrievals, and exchanges for contributions echoing one after another. He swept his Divine Sense and walked directly towards Qiu Changming inside the main hall.
"Elder Li, you're back so soon! Was this trip smooth?" Qiu Changming's face lit up with surprise when he saw Li Mu, and he asked with concern.
Li Mu, as a Grandmaster Refiner, was the Sect's sole hope. Qiu Changming paid close attention to him. Moreover, he had just performed a great service for the Sect by reporting the Sealed Land of the Ice Nether Spirit Valley, indirectly eliminating the Blood Demon Lord, making Sword Master Feng especially value him.
Qiu Changming was also aware that Li Mu had used the Teleportation Array to go to the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region this time, but he was puzzled by his swift return to the Sect.
Li Mu smiled slightly, shook his head, and explained, "I gained something, but it wasn't smooth. I encountered some trouble and had no choice but to return early."
Elder Qiu's expression hardened when he heard this. "What trouble? Did you encounter a powerful enemy?"
"Indeed, I encountered an old enemy." Li Mu nodded and briefly recounted the matter of the Undying Demon Lord.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Changming's face showed a grave expression, and he asked in surprise, "The Undying Demon Lord? He appeared in the Nether Water Sea Domain? This is a big problem. Does Sword Master Feng know about this? Are there any countermeasures?"
Li Mu was slightly stunned. Just as he was about to respond to Elder Qiu, he suddenly noticed something and turned to look outside the hall.
"Of course there are. This matter still requires Elder Li's help!"
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from outside the Contribution Hall. It was Sword Master Feng's laughing reply.
Immediately after, Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen appeared together, stepping into the main hall in an instant, appearing before Li Mu and Qiu Changming.
"Greetings, Sword Masters!"
Upon seeing the two Sword Masters, Qiu Changming and Li Mu greeted them in unison.
"Elder Li, no need to be so polite!" Sword Master Chen said enthusiastically to Li Mu.
"Elder Qiu, please have the Disciples leave! We need to discuss important matters." Sword Master Feng looked at Qiu Changming, signaling him to clear the area.
Qiu Changming nodded and turned to the other Disciples in the hall, saying, "Everyone, please withdraw for now. No one is to enter without my command."
The Disciples responded and retreated, closing the hall doors behind them. Soon, only Li Mu, Qiu Changming, Sword Master Feng, and Sword Master Chen remained in the Contribution Hall.
Sword Master Feng looked at Li Mu and went straight to the point, explaining, "Elder Li, Sword Master Chen and I had a great battle with the Undying Demon Lord. His strength is extremely powerful, and with the addition of his Demonic Armor, he is almost undying and indestructible!"
"Indeed! Even with the combined strength of the two of us, we couldn't slay him!" Sword Master Chen nodded, adding.
"That Undying Demon Lord is actually so powerful! Is there no other way to restrain him?" Li Mu frowned, asking with concern.
"This matter will depend on Elder Li. If you can refine a Dao Weapon for each of us, with the power of the Dao Weapons, we should be able to take him down." Sword Master Chen's eyes sparkled as he looked at Li Mu, signaling.
"Indeed! That Undying Demon Lord relies on the power of his Demonic Armor; we need Dao Weapons to resist him." Sword Master Feng looked at Li Mu, his eyes gleaming with anticipation and trust, hoping, "Elder Li, with your Artifact Refining skill, you will surely be able to forge divine weapons that can restrain the Undying Demon Lord."
Upon hearing the two Sword Masters' hopeful words, Qiu Changming couldn't help but remind them, "Two Sword Masters, refining a Dao Weapon is by no means easy. Elder Li is still young, and his cultivation is only at the Soul Transformation Middle Stage. Refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon might be beyond his current capabilities."
Upon hearing this, Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen were slightly stunned. They both looked at Qiu Changming's anxious expression, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Elder Qiu, don't you know that Elder Li has already refined a Dao Sword for himself?" Sword Master Feng said with a smile, reminding him.
"What! Is that true?" Qiu Changming's eyes widened, and he looked at Li Mu in disbelief, asking for confirmation.
Meeting Qiu Changming's inquiring gaze, Li Mu smiled and nodded, "Indeed, I was fortunate enough to successfully refine a Dao Sword."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Changming was filled with admiration, looking at Li Mu in shock and saying, "Elder Li, you are truly amazing! I never thought your Artifact Refining skill had reached such a high Realm."
"However, it was a fluke. The difficulty of refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon is beyond imagination. To refine two Dao Swords of different attributes in a short period is even more difficult! I probably only have a thirty percent chance of success. If it fails, a large amount of high-grade Spiritual Materials will be damaged and wasted. If the two Sword Masters can accept this, I am willing to serve." Li Mu smiled slightly, looking at Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen, indicating.
Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen exchanged glances, and a hint of joy flashed in both their eyes.
A thirty percent success rate for refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon? The two were surprised but also delighted.
"Elder Li, there's no need to worry too much about this. I will prepare two extra sets of Artifact Refining Materials." Sword Master Feng looked at Li Mu, his face serious, and said in a deep voice, "The threat of the Undying Demon Lord is imminent. We must quickly increase our strength to cope. High-grade Spiritual Materials are precious, but compared to the Sect's safety, these can all be sacrificed."
Sword Master Chen smiled slightly and quickly nodded in agreement, "Sword Master Feng is right. We are willing to accept this risk. Elder Li, please go ahead and do your best. Regardless of the outcome, we will be eternally grateful."
Refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon, and there's still a thirty percent success rate?
Is this true?
Qiu Changming, listening from the side, was deeply shaken. The difficulty of refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon, let alone thirty percent, even a ten percent success rate was extremely rare. Li Mu was actually still worried about Artifact Refining failure, this was too...
Li Mu pondered for a moment, then replied, "I can refine Dao Swords for the two Sword Masters, but I have two requests. I humbly ask the two Sword Masters to grant them!"
"Elder Li, please speak. As long as we can do it, we will go all out." Sword Master Feng looked at Li Mu, guaranteeing with a solemn expression.
"That's right, Elder Li, just tell us what you need." Sword Master Chen also quickly expressed his stance, echoing Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded slightly and slowly stated his requests: "My first request is that I hope to enter the Secret Realm of Burial Heaven Peak. Sword Master Chen should be refining a Metal-element Dao Weapon. I need to comprehend the Dao essence of the grand array under the extreme Metal element, which can effectively increase the Artifact Refining success rate."
"That's not a problem! However, Great Master Li, how do you comprehend the Dao essence generated during Artifact Refining?" Sword Master Chen asked with concern.
Li Mu smiled slightly and explained, "The Dao of Artifact Refining is connected to the Dao of cultivation; both require a deep understanding of the Dao of Heaven and Earth. During the Artifact Refining process, I will try to communicate with the Materials, feel their spirituality and Dao essence, and thus better integrate them into the Dao Weapon. If I can enter the Secret Realm of Burial Heaven Peak, it is to feel the Dao essence of the Metal element more closely, thereby increasing the success rate of Artifact Refining."
After hearing this, Sword Master Chen's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation: "So that's it. Elder Li is indeed extraordinary, to think of improving Artifact Refining skill by comprehending Dao essence. Since that's the case, I will arrange for you to enter the Secret Realm of Burial Heaven Peak as soon as possible."
Sword Master Feng nodded in agreement, "Elder Li's method is excellent. We believe that with the help of the Secret Realm, you will surely be able to successfully refine the Dao Sword..."
After a pause, Sword Master Feng looked at Li Mu and asked with concern, "My Spiritual Root is a mutated Wind attribute. Is there any way to increase the Artifact Refining Dao essence?"
After pondering for a moment, Li Mu replied, "Sword Master Feng, as a mutated Wind Spiritual Root, if you want to increase the Artifact Refining Dao essence, perhaps you can try to incorporate high-grade Wind-element Materials during Artifact Refining, thereby enhancing the Dao Weapon's spirituality and Dao essence."
Sword Master Feng suddenly understood and quickly took out a storage ring, handing it to Li Mu, and solemnly introduced, "These are the high-grade Artifact Refining Materials I have accumulated and collected over the years, and there are also two rare Rank Eight Spiritual Materials. Elder Li, please see which ones you can use."
Li Mu took the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense into it, immediately stunned by the many high-grade Spiritual Materials within the storage ring. As expected of a Body Integration Realm mighty cultivator's storage ring, the quantity and quality of the high-grade Spiritual Items stored far exceeded his own collection.
"Great Master Li, these are the Artifact Refining Materials I prepared. Please take a look. Oh, by the way, what is your second request?" Seeing this, Sword Master Chen also quickly took out a storage ring and handed it to Li Mu, asking with concern.
"Clear Nether Sword Bamboo and Time-Space Spirit Lotus, these two high-grade Spiritual Items are what Li needs. If I am refining Dao Weapons, I will certainly be unable to conduct explorations for a period of time. I hope the two Sword Masters can help me find these two Spiritual Plants, or their Spiritual Seeds, as additional compensation for refining the Dao Swords!" Li Mu took the storage ring, looking at Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen, indicating.
Upon hearing this request, Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen exchanged smiles and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The conditions Li Mu proposed were not excessive. After all, refining a Seven-Order Dao Weapon was not easy. They both expressed that they would do their best to help him find these two rare Spiritual Items. (End of Chapter)
