[Fusu Calendar Year 447, the world suffered from a severe drought, natural disasters were rampant, and corrupt officials ran amok.]

[You stumbled upon an injustice and thought to yourself, "The rich feast while the poor freeze to death on the streets." Perhaps this is where the chaos in the world begins, you couldn't help but sigh.]

Gu Changge left the city with Qingfeng and Mingyue.

Hearing a distant, indifferent voice in his mind, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

Indeed.

Is this world about to descend into chaos?

Whenever great disasters strike and the people suffer, chaos inevitably follows.

He raised his eyes to look around.

Within his field of vision, he could see refugees everywhere, dragging their families along.

They sat on the ground with numb expressions; some begged passersby, while others sat silently with sorrowful faces. Such was the suffering of the world.

"Senior Brother!"

Qingfeng suddenly called out to him from behind.

Gu Changge turned to look back, seeing Qingfeng hesitating before asking, "Isn't it too lenient to just let that guy go?"

Gu Changge was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

Dressed in a loose daoist robe, he stood with his hands behind his back and asked Qingfeng, "Let me ask you, do you think there are many people like him in this world?"

"Many! Definitely many!"

Qingfeng replied without a moment's hesitation.

Gu Changge nodded and said, "Exactly, there are many people like him in this world. I could have killed him just now, but there are countless others like him."

"I can't kill all such people in the world, so doing so holds little meaning."

"On the contrary, by not killing him and giving him a punishment instead, he fears me and will do his utmost to fulfill my punishment, which can save many people."

"Comparing the two, which do you think holds more meaning?"

Qingfeng fell into silence.

In the end, he had to admit that Gu Changge made sense.

If it were just about Zhou Ji's evil, he naturally wouldn't want to let him go.

But when connected to the lives of hundreds of thousands, it seemed insignificant.

Gu Changge continued to lead the way, soon arriving at a ferry. He casually handed a few copper coins to a boatman, who then rowed them across the river.

Upon reaching the shore.

Gu Changge led the two off the boat.

From here, it was a few miles to Lingyin Temple, a place secluded by mountains and distant roads.

In the past, it was understandable that no one visited.

Gu Changge said to Qingfeng, "When we return later, take her to wash up first, then ask the Temple Master for a few suitable daoist robes for her, understand?"

"Understood, Senior Brother!"

Qingfeng patted his chest and said, "I'll take care of it."

The little beggar girl followed nervously, listening to Gu Changge's arrangements for her.

Regarding her unknown future.

Besides confusion, she felt only worry, not understanding why Gu Changge would take her in.

After all, she seemed utterly useless.

She was just a little beggar, inconspicuous among crowds. Could she really do anything?

The next moment.

Gu Changge, as if hearing her thoughts, turned to her and said, "From now on, you'll be responsible for serving tea and water by my side. This guy is Qingfeng; if you don't understand something, you can ask him anytime, got it?"

The little beggar girl was startled at first, then quickly said, "I... I understand."

"Hmph, you'll follow me from now on!"

Qingfeng raised an eyebrow at the little beggar girl and said, "In the entire Lingyin Temple, Senior Brother is the top, Master is second, and I'm third. No one will dare bully you if you follow me!"

Gu Changge couldn't help but glance at Qingfeng.

The entire Lingyin Temple had only about twenty people, a proper daoist temple with reclusive cultivators.

With few people, relationships were simple.

There was no bullying, and even helping each other was done with courtesy.

Except for this mischievous kid who often caused chaos in the temple.

Otherwise, Lingyin Temple was a place of peace and harmony.

Seeing Qingfeng eagerly chatting with the little beggar girl, Gu Changge thought perhaps this little guy had been lacking peers his age, so he was a bit pent up.

Now that he had someone his age, he finally had someone to talk to.

Back at the temple.

Gu Changge began his seclusion.

Before closing himself off, he instructed Qingfeng and Daoist Qingxu not to disturb him until he emerged.

He took out the ores he had purchased, and the "Heaven and Earth Furnace Scripture" for forging appeared in his mind.

The weapons used by people in the martial world were mundane weapons.

But the weapons used by cultivators were filled with spirituality, capable of developing intelligence and producing a weapon spirit, known as "Spirit Weapons."

According to the Heaven and Earth Furnace Scripture.

Spirit Weapons are divided into four grades: inferior, medium, superior, and supreme.

Even an inferior Spirit Weapon possesses extraordinary power, far surpassing mundane divine weapons.

"The most important aspect of a Spirit Weapon is spirit molding. This is fundamental for a Spirit Weapon to develop spirituality. The Heaven and Earth Furnace Scripture is about refining the spirituality of a piece of heaven and earth, directly infusing it into the Spirit Weapon."

Gu Changge muttered to himself, "But directly refining a piece of heaven and earth is a technique used for forging supreme Spirit Weapons, which I neither need nor can achieve right now."

He looked at the items placed beside him.

A piece of faintly glowing jade, a section of verdant green bamboo, a large old turtle...

These were the spirit materials he had gathered.

The spirituality they carried was crucial for completing the spirit molding of the Spirit Weapon.

Whoosh!

Gu Changge spread his palm, and a flame suddenly appeared in his hand.

This was True Fire!

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A flame formed by burning the True Qi within his body, with a terrifying temperature capable of instantly reducing a person to ashes.

"Let's give it a try."

Gu Changge calmed his mind and began his attempt.

It was his first time attempting to forge a weapon, and he didn't have high hopes.

Surprisingly, everything went smoothly.

So smoothly, in fact, that it seemed almost too easy.

Gu Changge even felt as if he had forged weapons a million times before, everything flowing like water.

He gradually became immersed in it.

……

Several days passed swiftly.

Outside Qingsong Courtyard.

Daoist Qingxu looked seriously at the closed room door and asked Qingfeng beside him, "Did Changge really tell you he was going into seclusion?"

Qingfeng rolled his eyes and said, "Master, why would I lie to you about this?"

"But it's been seven days!"

Daoist Qingxu couldn't help but mutter to himself. Even breaking through to the Prenatal Realm shouldn't take this long, right?

After hesitating for a moment.

He said, "I should go check."

Hearing this, Qingfeng quickly stopped Daoist Qingxu, saying, "Master, it's really strange inside, very hot! I felt waves of heat just standing at the door."

"Hot?"

Daoist Qingxu grew even more curious.

He thought for a moment and decided to cautiously approach.

He had no choice!

What if something went wrong with this young master's breakthrough?

If he died in Lingyin Temple, the entire temple wouldn't be enough for Old Master Gu to vent his anger.

As he neared the door.

Daoist Qingxu indeed sensed a peculiar heat wave, and he couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder.

What on earth was this young master doing inside?

He carefully approached, trying to peek through the door crack to see inside.

Just as he was about to lean in.

Daoist Qingxu suddenly felt a shock in his heart, sensing a terrifying sense of danger, and quickly jumped back a step.

Bang!!

The door suddenly swung open with a loud crash, and a gust of hot wind rushed out, making everyone break into a sweat.

Immediately, a crisp sword hum echoed.

Zing!!!

In that instant, both Daoist Qingxu and Qingfeng felt their scalps tingle, goosebumps rising all over their bodies, as if a sharp sword had brushed past their skin...

Damn!

Both of them exclaimed inwardly, swallowing hard as they looked into the room.

What the hell?!