Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 730 Hidden Mission 16

Yun Chu followed closely behind and soon arrived at an open area. Three Crimson Flame Tigers were resting on the ground, each the size of a calf, entirely crimson, and surrounded by flames.

“These are the ones.” A glint of light flashed in Yun Chu’s eyes.

She didn't act rashly, but first observed the Crimson Flame Tiger's habits. It was a fire-attribute demon beast, skilled in melee combat, but with strong resistance to fire magic.

That is why ordinary fire-type cultivators have a hard time dealing with them.

"Looks like I'll have to use some special methods." Yun Chu's lips curled up slightly.

She took out three specially made talismans, which were ice talismans she had forged from sunken star iron. Although they were called ice talismans, they actually created an explosive effect by using the extreme temperature difference between fire and ice.

The talismans were pasted on the tree trunk, forming a triangular array.

Then, Yun Chu quietly retreated to a safe distance, swung her iron hammer, and shot a fireball toward the Crimson Flame Tiger.

"Roar!" Enraged, the Crimson Flame Tigers stood up and spewed out flames.

The instant they moved, Yun Chu detonated the talisman. Three bursts of cold air erupted simultaneously, clashing violently with the Crimson Flame Tiger's own flames.

Caught off guard, the Crimson Tiger was stunned by the sudden temperature difference and felt dizzy.

"Now!" Yun Chu gave the order, and the Fire Iron Flying Ants shot out like arrows, each ant spitting out a tiny flame that accurately shot into the Crimson Flame Tiger's eyes.

The Crimson Tiger howled and fell to the ground, struggling a few times before becoming still.

"Done." Yun Chu put away the Fire Iron Flying Ants and took out a communication jade talisman. "Yue Ze, I have completed the mission. I'll go first. Don't worry."

As soon as she finished speaking, a white light enveloped her, and the next moment she found herself in a spacious hall.

In the center of the hall were three treasures: a long sword that gleamed with cold light, a protective robe that shimmered with light, and an ancient scroll.

"I'm the first one to finish?" Yun Chu was somewhat surprised.

She took out the appraisal device and aimed it at the three treasures. Information appeared on the pale golden screen like flowing water:

【Mystic Ice Sword】: A seventh-tier superior magic weapon that increases the power of ice spells by 20% and comes with a frost effect that can freeze enemy movements.

[Heavenly Silkworm Armor]: A sixth-grade high-quality defensive magic weapon that can withstand attacks from those below the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. It is as light as a feather and indestructible.

【Star Chart】: A special item containing ancient celestial arrays that can guide cultivation and enhance comprehension.

“A star map…” A glint flashed in Yun Chu’s eyes. “This is not bad.”

Without hesitation, she chose the star map. Having collected it, the authoritative voice rang out again: "Defeat a puppet one level higher than your cultivation to advance to the next level."

Before the words were finished, the ground in the center of the hall slowly cracked open, and a puppet three zhang tall rose from the ground.

The puppet was entirely black, with metallic luster gleaming at its joints, and its eyes glowed with a ghostly blue light.

“A Nascent Soul stage puppet…” Yun Chu quickly assessed the opponent’s strength.

As a weapon refiner, she also had some knowledge of puppets.

The core of a puppet is usually located in the chest or back of the neck, but advanced puppets will have multiple cores to confuse the enemy.

The puppet launched the first attack, throwing a punch that created a whistling sound.

Yun Chu dodged to the side, iron hammer in hand, fiery red spiritual power flowing into it.

"Clang!" The hammer collided with the puppet's arm, sparks flying everywhere.

Yun Chu used the momentum to retreat, while observing the puppet's movement patterns. Although the puppet's movements were swift, there was a slight sluggishness at the joints, indicating insufficient lubrication.

Moreover, after each attack, there would be a brief flash of light on his chest.

"The core is in the chest!" Yun Chu understood.

She stopped fighting head-on and instead used her agile movements to maneuver around the puppets. The puppets' attacks became increasingly fierce, but Yun Chu always managed to dodge them by the skin of her teeth.

Gradually, the puppet's movements began to slow down, and the light on its chest became more and more obvious.

"Now!" Yun Chu seized the opportunity, her figure moving like lightning, the iron hammer carrying all her strength, striking the puppet's chest.

With a sharp crack, the core in the puppet's chest shattered. The puppet's movements came to an abrupt halt, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Yun Chu wiped the sweat from her forehead. "It went fairly smoothly."

A white light flashed again, and she was teleported to a new hall. This time, three treasures were placed in the center: a longsword, a pill, and an ancient book.

The detector displays:

【Shrinking Cloak】: A sixth-grade superior magic artifact that can shrink the distance by thousands of miles and also provides speed boost.

[Nine-Turn Golden Elixir]: An elixir that can raise one's cultivation level by one minor realm. After taking it, there is a 30% chance of breaking through a bottleneck.

【Tai Xu Sword Manual】: A celestial-level cultivation technique. Upon mastery, one can comprehend the "Tai Xu Sword Intent," which possesses boundless power.

Yun Chu chose the "Tai Xu Sword Manual" without hesitation. True Monarch Yue Ze was a sword cultivator, and this technique was most suitable for him.

In the third challenge, she arrived at an art gallery. "The third challenge is to pass the test by the person depicted in the painting."

Ten enormous scrolls hung on the wall, each depicting a figure engaged in a different activity: some were practicing swordsmanship, some wielding broadswords, some painting, some forging weapons, and others playing chess or playing the zither...

Yun Chu walked towards the painting of weapon forging without hesitation.

The painting depicts an elderly man with white hair, intently forging a long sword. In the firelight, his expression is solemn and sacred.

Yun Chu reached out and touched the painting.

The moment she entered the painting, Yue Ze also completed the second test.

He arrived at the third level and saw nine selectable scrolls, but the one for weapon crafting was already dull and lifeless.

“Yun Chu…” Yue Ze smiled slightly, “She did indeed choose weapon crafting.”

He pondered for a moment, then walked toward the painting of the swordsman practicing. The swordsman in the painting was demonstrating a set of exquisite sword techniques, each move containing the profound principles of heaven and earth.

"Wait for me, Yun Chu," Yue Ze said softly, then stepped into the painting.

In another space, Yun Chu was standing in a weapon-refining room.

The room was filled with various refining tools, and in the center was a huge refining furnace with a roaring fire.

Meanwhile, the master weapon refiner Fu Lei was practicing his swordplay.

Yun Chu observed and learned attentively.

After observing for ten days, Fu Lei's sword was completed; it was a top-grade ninth-rank sword.

Fu Lei looked at Yun Chu and said, "If you can refine a fifth-tier artifact within ten days, you will pass the test."

"Yes." Yun Chu nodded.

Yun Chu briefly considered what she would craft. Her most skillful craft was the dagger.

However, she wanted to forge a flying sword because True Monarch Yueze said that he would teach her swordsmanship once they left the secret realm.

Yun Chu's gaze swept over the dazzling array of materials, her fingertips brushing against the cold, hard black iron, the fiery sand carrying the scent of sparks, and the spirit-gathering stone radiating a soft blue light... The shape of the sword embryo in her mind became clearer and clearer.

Abandoning her familiar dagger, this time she will forge a true flying sword—a sword capable of withstanding spiritual energy storms, compatible with the sword techniques she is about to learn, and even a companion that can fight alongside her for a long time.

"The main material should be tough and sharp black-veined iron as the core; fused with thousand-refined steel to enhance its toughness and spiritual energy conductivity; and then the essence of crimson fire sand should be added to endow it with fire attribute spiritual power..."

Yun Chu silently recited the instructions, her hands moving swiftly and accurately as she categorized and placed the selected materials beside the refining furnace.

The furnace fire had not completely died down after Master Fu Lei's refining, and the flames lazily licked the inner wall of the furnace.

Yun Chu took a deep breath and solemnly began to activate her spiritual power.

Pure spiritual energy, like a gentle stream, flowed into the ignition runes at the bottom of the furnace, suddenly awakening the dormant fire. It let out a deep roar, turning from orange-yellow to a blazing white-gold. The high temperature distorted the air, and the indoor temperature soared.