The stone at the core of the Frost Array was obtained by Lin Yi from the banks of the Blood River; it was the embryo of a ten-thousand-year-old piece of cold iron. Lacking the power to directly extract its essence, he could only achieve this step by step through the array.
Because the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron cannot be directly refined with true fire, Lin Yi could only use a clumsy method: cooling it down with an array to freeze and break down the impurities. What remained was the essence of the cold iron, which could be used to reforge his Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword.
The materials for forging the sword are ready; all that's left is to wait.
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Chapter Sixty-One: Setting Sail and Heading Straight into the East China Sea
Lin Yi taught the first three talismans of the Dragon Transformation Technique to the two Su sisters. The two women, who already possessed the bloodline of a true dragon, made rapid progress in their cultivation of this technique.
Before long, they had both completed their second set of talismans, each awakening a unique bloodline ability. Su Huan could gather the essence of the moon, while her sister Susan's ability was to control fire.
These are the basic abilities of the White Dragon and the Fire Dragon, two of the nine types of true dragons.
The profoundness of the Dragon Transformation Technique was beyond Lin Yi's imagination; it could actually generate the most suitable true dragon bloodline according to the different conditions of the practitioner.
As for the Five-Colored Spider Demon Zhu Caiyun, she was still diligently cultivating her first talisman and had not yet made a breakthrough.
It wasn't that she didn't try hard enough, but rather a natural difference. Just like the pure-blooded dragon princes and princesses of the East Sea, who are born with a lifespan of ten thousand years.
Many cultivators have spent countless hours circulating their true energy, condensing their evil spirits and refining their qi, harmonizing the yin and yang, and forming the dragon and tiger cores, only to find that their efforts are ultimately futile.
That day, after finishing her work, Zhu Caiyun was cultivating as a golden-scaled loach when a fire crow flew over, circled overhead, and gestured for her to follow.
Zhu Caiyun transformed into human form and followed. They arrived at the center of the cave, where they saw Lin Yi standing in front of a piece of Crimson Fire Bronze Wood, gesturing with his hands.
"This humble servant greets you, young master," Zhu Caiyun said, curtsying with her robes drawn.
Lin Yi turned his head, looked the female demon up and down, and said, "I have a magic technique here. Why don't you try practicing it?"
Zhu Caiyun dared not disobey and respectfully said, "Please, young master, impart the Dharma."
Lin Yi nodded slightly, extended his right hand, and touched Zhu Caiyun's fair forehead with his index finger. A mantra of over a hundred words appeared in the spider demon's mind.
Zhu Caiyun was, after all, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, the Condensation of Evil Realm. Moreover, this technique was only the most basic part. After meditating with her eyes closed for a while, she understood that the technique newly passed down by Lin Yi emphasized absorbing the essence of the five metals and condensing a natal magic weapon in her dantian as the foundation of her cultivation.
With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Yi conjured up a variety of swords, knives, and metal objects on the ground.
Zhu Caiyun picked up an iron sword and began to perform the procedure. Before long, she felt a very subtle, cool sensation penetrate her palm.
This is precisely the essence of metal contained within the iron sword. Although this trace of metal essence is thin, it is incomparably tough, and within its chilling aura lies an unstoppable killing intent.
Soon, the iron sword in Zhu Caiyun's hand became pitted and rusty.
Lin Yi clapped his hands in admiration, thinking to himself, "This gourd sword technique truly lives up to its reputation as the authentic Daoist teaching of the Taibai Sword Sect. This sect once utterly annihilated the Northern and Western Sects of the Demonic Sect, almost causing their lineage to be severed. If it weren't for the fact that I only have half of the sword technique, I wouldn't be willing to pass it on to a female demon."
The Calabash Sword Technique was something Jiao Fei obtained from Ma Jiulong back in the Huai River days. Lin Yi, having spent so much time in the Shangyuan Eight Scenery Talisman, naturally copied it without hesitation.
This time, he wanted to cut the incredibly hard Crimson Fire Copper Wood to forge the secret ship, the Great Sea Loach, but he was troubled by the lack of suitable tools.
Left with no other choice, Lin Yi had to adopt the method that Jiao Huanglian had used: he used the gourd sword technique to absorb the essence of the copper element in a portion of the Crimson Fire Copper Wood before proceeding with the treatment.
Lin Yi himself was too lazy to learn the Gourd Sword Technique. Although this technique was good, it didn't suit his personality. Not only was it inefficient to practice, but it also wasn't very useful.
The two Su sisters were both wholeheartedly cultivating the Dragon Transformation Technique, so Lin Yi eventually turned his attention to Zhu Caiyun, the spider demon.
There's a saying that goes, "It's never a bad thing to have many skills."
"Learning more things can't hurt," the spider demon comforted herself with tears in her eyes.
Three months later, the secret ship, the Great Sea Loach, was completed, and a gourd formed from the essence of metal appeared in Zhu Caiyun's dantian.
The short-sighted Zhu Caiyun regarded this "Five Metal Gourd" as something like the "True Fire Seed" that Lin Yi had previously planted in her body, and she practiced the Dragon Transformation Technique day and night in an attempt to refine it.
On the other side, Lin Yi had the two Su sisters pack their things and then left Green Willow Village with them.
After arriving at the Huai River, Lin Yi took out the secret ship, the Great Sea Loach, and set sail for the East China Sea.
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The ocean is vast and boundless, ten times larger than the land.
Lin Yi and the two Su sisters had never been to sea before. Standing on the endless sea and looking around, all they could see was the vast expanse of water, and everything looked the same.
Setting sail was far more complicated than Lin Yi had imagined. Fortunately, he had prepared ample supplies in the Qiankun Cauldron, so even if he got lost, he wasn't too worried; it would just take a little more time.
On this day, Su Huan and Susan took turns controlling the giant loach to wander aimlessly underwater, because they had gotten lost.
Suddenly, a huge black shadow, carrying a powerful demonic aura, flashed past from outside.
Lin Yi lightly patted his forehead and said with a smile, "How could I forget? We can just catch a sea monster and have it lead the way."
"Sister, hurry, hurry, don't let that monster get away!" Su Huan shouted excitedly, tugging at her sister's sleeve.
True dragons are born with the ability to control water. Even though Susan cultivated the Dragon Transformation Technique and developed the bloodline of a fire dragon, she could still gather the essence of true water and control the Great Sea Loach, a water-escape artifact.
In the vast ocean, the essence of true water is inexhaustible, and under Susan's control, it is continuously poured into the ship's hull.
The giant sea loach, resembling a golden-scaled mudfish, immediately increased its speed and chased after the sea monster ahead.
Only upon closer inspection did they realize that the monster was actually a squid spirit.
Cuttlefish are the fastest swimmers among invertebrates, earning them the nickname "water rockets." Upon spotting its pursuers, this squid spirit didn't flee; instead, it brandished its tentacles and lunged at the giant loach.
It has already passed the third level of Qi Refining, the stage of sensing heaven and earth. Its body is enormous, its demonic aura is powerful, and it has never been afraid of direct confrontation. It has always been a tyrant in the nearby seas, and is known as the Squid King by many lesser demons.
Lin Yi smiled slightly, waved his hand, and released the spider demon from the Qiankun Cauldron, ordering her to activate the restriction in the sea eel together with the two Su sisters.