Zhong Shenxiu and Robin traveled with great speed. Finally, after several days, the two arrived at the foot of a towering mountain.

Gazing upon the peak before them, and the ground strewn with "Phosphor King Stones," even Robin was visibly excited.

Zhong Shenxiu allowed no rest, and he and Robin immediately set to work. At first, they gathered smaller stones that were easier to store, but later, to speed things up, they opted only for the larger pieces.

Their efficiency was remarkable; in no time, the space within their magic rings was nearly full. This reminded Zhong Shenxiu once again of the limitations of spatial storage; it seemed imperative to upgrade his capacity!

However, Zhong Shenxiu wasn't thinking about acquiring more magic rings. He could now unleash the "Samadhi True Fire," and with the requisite materials, he could forge magic rings himself—ones far superior to those sold in shops!

At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had paused, and Zhong Shenxiu was staring intently at a "Phosphor King Stone" in his hand, lost in thought!

Robin did not disturb him, merely standing obediently to the side, her beautiful eyes invariably shining with a fervent light whenever they turned toward him.

Zhong Shenxiu slowly closed his eyes. He had already formed an idea, and now he was inwardly contemplating and summarizing his plans!

A light breeze swept by, lifting the hem of Zhong Shenxiu's robes, lending him an ethereal, transcendent aura.

Since they were on the periphery of the Monster Beast Forest, the cries of magical creatures were barely audible; they could only hear the rustling huālā, huālā sound of the wind through the leaves.

Everything appeared so quiet and serene that if Zhong Shenxiu hadn't been holding that "Phosphor King Stone," one might have suspected he and Robin were on a honeymoon!

Suddenly, Zhong Shenxiu's eyes snapped open, and an inscrutable smile played upon his lips. He stood up and addressed Robin, "Robin, let me show you the true power of the 'Samadhi True Fire!'" Saying this, he stepped forward several paces.

Robin was initially startled, then delighted. She quickly composed herself and stared fixedly at Zhong Shenxiu, appearing immensely eager.

Robin had heard Zhong Shenxiu mention the "Samadhi True Fire" many times; she knew it was not only overwhelmingly potent but also infinitely versatile. She had long yearned to witness it, never imagining she would have such an opportunity today.

As she watched, Zhong Shenxiu's expression grew serious, his focus absolute. He cradled the "Phosphor King Stone" in one hand, while the other hand was extended flatly.

Just then, the "Phosphor King Stone" began to float unnervingly, hovering about half a meter up, where it held perfectly still! Simultaneously, from the palms of Zhong Shenxiu's two hands, two bizarre flames erupted.

They were bizarre because they resembled light, fire, and water all at once, intermixed with several constantly shifting colors—truly beautiful to behold.

Yet, beneath this gorgeous exterior lay a power capable of incinerating anything. Robin, standing nearby, felt her heart race and her breath catch! She could clearly sense the intense heat emanating from the flames.

This was the "Samadhi True Fire"?

Robin became utterly mesmerized!

Under Zhong Shenxiu's control, the two flames merged into one, completely enveloping the "Phosphor King Stone."

It had been mentioned earlier that this type of "Phosphor King Stone" was exceptionally hard, possessing an indomitable core structure. It required tempering by the "Samadhi True Fire" to burn away the dross and retain the essence before it could be used for artifact refinement!

It was plainly visible: the "Phosphor King Stone" within the "Samadhi True Fire" began to dissolve at a speed visible to the naked eye. In a flash, it melted into a pool of molten ore. Subsequently, the impurities and the essence within the molten material began to separate distinctly.

Zhong Shenxiu used his will to expel the impurities from the "Samadhi True Fire," leaving behind molten ore that shimmered with a vibrant luster.

Robin, witnessing this, was struck speechless. Her alluring lips parted slightly, revealing the tip of her small, crimson tongue. This was her first time seeing such a masterful and magnificent refinement technique. Every movement Zhong Shenxiu made seemed to challenge her entire understanding.

Soon, the purification of the "Phosphor King Stone" was complete. Zhong Shenxiu suddenly formed several strange hand seals and pointed toward the molten ore in mid-air. Immediately, the surrounding spiritual energy began to converge toward the molten liquid at an astonishing rate.

Zhong Shenxiu's expression grew increasingly grave; this was the most crucial moment, and he dared not falter. He swiftly manipulated the molten ore to change its form as the "Samadhi True Fire" slowly receded under his direction.

In the span of about half a cup of tea, the vague outline of a sword, nearly three feet long, became visible.

Zhong Shenxiu was now making the final adjustments to the blade, continuously layering various arrays inside it. This process alone consumed nearly an hour!

Finally, it was time to conclude. Zhong Shenxiu withdrew the last vestiges of the "Samadhi True Fire." Then, he clapped his hands together, and the now-formed long sword dropped straight down.

Thunk! a sound echoed, unbelievable to the ear. The sword plunged into the subterranean "Phosphor King Stone" as if it were soft mud. This was beyond mere sharpness; it could only be described as monstrous.

Zhong Shenxiu first inspected the sword, which had not yet fully cooled, then curled his fingers into a seal, easily commanding the weapon to float again.

This was the most basic technique of "Sword Control," yet it was the first time Robin had seen it, and an expression of worship and longing dawned on her face.

At that instant, Zhong Shenxiu squeezed a drop of his own blood from his fingertip onto the blade. Instantly, a flash of light erupted, followed by a resonant zheng zheng sound, like a dragon's cry.

Looking at the sword again, its entire body was inky black, inscribed with distinct, flowing lines resembling fish tails, radiating an aura of dominion.

Robin finally approached, unable to suppress her curiosity. "Master, is it finished?"

Zhong Shenxiu nodded but said nothing, merely beckoning gently. The suspended sword moved as if alive and landed precisely in his hand.

He then offered the sword to Robin, who was peering at it with wide-eyed fascination. Robin gave Zhong Shenxiu a sweet smile and took the weapon. Her hand registered an icy coldness, an indescribable... feeling!

Robin swung the sword lightly twice before handing it back to Zhong Shenxiu.

Zhong Shenxiu pondered for a moment before naming the sword "Ink Fish" (Mò Yú)!

Thus, he possessed another flying sword belonging only to him!

Seeing how much Robin admired the weapon, Zhong Shenxiu used the same technique to forge another short sword for her, about one chi in length, astonishingly similar in appearance to his own "Ink Fish."

"Thank you, Master," Robin offered with another sweet smile directed at Zhong Shenxiu. In this world, perhaps only Zhong Shenxiu could elicit such a smile from her!

Robin lovingly examined the short sword in her hand, paused thoughtfully, and decided to name it "Ink Whisper" (Mò Yǔ)—a homophone to Zhong Shenxiu's "Ink Fish." Perhaps this name was Robin's way of expressing her unspoken devotion to him—everything was understood without words!

When placed side by side, the large and small blades looked like a pair of lover's swords.

Afterward, Zhong Shenxiu used "Spirit Sealing Stones" to craft two scabbards, one for his "Ink Fish" and one for Robin's "Ink Whisper"!

The benefit of the "Spirit Sealing Stone" was its ability to prevent spiritual energy leakage, making the sheathed swords difficult for others to detect and greatly aiding in the nurturing of a sword spirit!

"Robin, let's head back," Zhong Shenxiu said to her. They had been out for two days, and everything they needed to do was accomplished; it was time to return.

Boarding the flying sword, Robin hugged Zhong Shenxiu tightly from behind, a blissful smile gracing her face. For Robin, she asked for little; simply being with Zhong Shenxiu was enough.

"Robin, hold tight, we're leaving," Zhong Shenxiu reminded her before activating the flight.

"Mm," Robin replied softly, deliberately resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ink Fish" lifted the two of them gradually, then swoosh!—it transformed into a streak of starlight, rushing forward!

.

In the small courtyard, Charlotte, Rhys, and Angelia were all present.

For the past two days, none of the three had been in the mood to practice, all preoccupied with contemplating Zhong Shenxiu's parting words.

Zhong Shenxiu’s phrase, "We’ll discuss it when I return," had caused Rhys intense deliberation. On the surface, Zhong Shenxiu hadn't immediately rejected him, implying hope. Yet, Rhys dared not become too elated, fearing that the greater the expectation, the deeper the disappointment!

Angelia pondered things a bit more deeply; she was still preoccupied with figuring out how to apologize to Zhong Shenxiu because her error had allowed Austin to learn the "Butterfly Step."

Charlotte, free from their specific worries, was simply wondering what Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had gone off to do!

Just as the three were lost in their respective thoughts, a sudden sound of tearing air pierced the silence, immediately followed by a rush of powerful wind!

What was that?

All three snapped out of their reverie. When they focused their eyes to see, they were instantly stunned!