Chapter 418 Dark Star

He had obtained various materials from the Hua sect treasury, including the prized Seven-Star Forging metals, which were extremely rare and capable of creating peerless artifacts. Merging the Soul-Reaping Scythe with these materials, using the unique properties of the Life Bead and his Flawless Jindan core as a forge, would create a weapon that truly belonged to him... a powerful new natal treasure forged for the boundless path.

’A newly refined natal weapon will give me the security I need to venture into the North Sea. Even if a strong sea monster or Nascent Soul cultivator appears, a high-grade spirit artifact will buy me enough time to escape, or devour them,’ he decided, a cold, confident light entering his eyes.

He turned his back on the turbulent sea. The vast, challenging expanse was calling him, but preparation was the key to survival and ultimate success.

He began sweeping the cliff face with his spiritual sense, searching for a suitable place for seclusion. After a few moments, his gaze landed on a crevice hidden beneath a large overhang, a natural depression shielded from the harsh sea winds.

He landed softly on the stone ground. The crevice opened into a small, winding cave, protected by the thick rock from the spiritual interference of the ocean.

’Good, at least I will avoid unexpected visitors here.’

Lin Lee slipped inside and, using the remaining high-grade talismans from the stolen treasury, quickly established multiple layers of sound-dampening, concealment, and basic defense formations around the entrance.

Inside the quiet darkness, he retrieved the Soul-Reaping Scythe and the shimmering Seven-Star forging metals. His work had begun.

Lin Lee closed his eyes and stabilized his breathing, circulating the full power of his Flawless Jindan core. The Boundless Heaven Art pulsed, not as a technique for cultivation or theft, but as the supreme forging method of the Great Dao.

He extended his hands above the pile of materials and the Soul-Reaping Scythe. A faint, invisible heat began to coalesce, a heat that defied mortal elements. This was the Boundless Heaven Forging Art, the fire of his own refined spiritual essence, capable of melting and reforming all matter.

Hiss!!!

The Seven-Star Forging metals, notoriously resistant to all but the highest elemental flames, shimmered and began to soften, flowing like molten silver under the ethereal heat. The Soul-Reaping Scythe, already a spirit artifact, let out a silent, pained cry as its dark spiritual iron began to run like thick ink.

Lin Lee maintained absolute focus, guiding the molten elements with his spiritual sense. The metals, now a glowing, swirling liquid pool of dark-gold and black, merged. The Seven-Star metal, known for its ability to enhance and stabilize spiritual attributes, flowed into the liquid iron of the scythe, dissolving its inherent death aura.

Slowly, carefully, Lin Lee manipulated the liquid mass, drawing it out and compressing it. The form began to take shape: not a scythe, but a straight, elegant blade, sharp and unwavering.

As the fusion completed and the heat receded, the new weapon materialized in the air before him, held aloft by his final pulse of spiritual energy.

It was a sword, dark as the deepest night, yet its surface was alive with a flickering, starry light. The merged Seven-Star metals gave the surface seven distinct shimmering reflections... a dark purple, an icy blue, a fierce red, a muted gold, a vibrant green, a pale white, and a shadow black. These seven colors pulsed gently, displaying the material’s legendary high-grade properties.

Lin Lee reached out and grasped the hilt. It was cool to the touch, and the moment his spirit sea energy flowed into it, the sword hummed in perfect resonance. He recalled the general knowledge of this Spiritual World (Lower Realms): materials were categorized into Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, Heaven, and Spirit grades. Spirit-grade weapons were artifacts refined by Yuan Ying experts who imbued them with a spirit attribute.

The weapon in his hand, born from the spiritual iron of a Spirit-Grade Natal Scythe and Heaven-Grade Seven-Star metals, was undeniably of the highest quality achievable in this lower realm. It was a weapon destined for boundless existence.

A faint smile of satisfaction touched his lips. He looked at the blade, watching the internal star shimmer that betrayed its potent spiritual origins.

"Dark Star," he murmured, the name a blend of its material darkness and its stellar origin. "From this moment, you are my natal weapon."

The Dark Star Sword thrummed, acknowledging its master and fate, ready to pierce the turbulent horizon of the North Sea.

Lin Lee stood up, the Dark Star Sword in his hand feeling like a natural extension of his flawless core. With a silent command, the sword vanished into his spatial sea, its presence now an intrinsic part of his spiritual being.

He slipped out of the cave, the concealment formations dissolving soundlessly behind him, and returned to the massive cliff overlooking the North Sea. The ocean’s roar was a constant, challenging sound.

He walked to the outermost edge of the mainland, a crumbling stone port where a small city of human and low-level cultivators huddled against the harsh reality of the sea.

Lin Lee swept his spiritual sense over the city. A few Jindan cultivators, perhaps local powerhouses, were the strongest beings he could detect. It confirmed his internal assessment: this continent was a quiet, isolated backwater, a mere speck floating in the vastness of the cosmos.

His gaze settled deeply on the turbulent, never-ending expanse of dark water before him.

’This entire continent... it’s a minor world, probably situated in the middle of a massive ocean. The power level is low, which means the map I acquired must point beyond this current territory... likely a gateway to a true power center, a land teeming with experts surpassing even the Yuan Ying realm,’ Lin Lee mused internally.

He recalled the strange coincidence: the map was hidden in the Hua Sect treasury, and two destiny stars, Yang Yu and Hua Lan, were drawn to that very sect. It was clear the map was a pre-arranged chance for one of these ’chosen ones.’

’If Yang Yu hadn’t encountered me, he would have eventually risen within the sect, found the map in the treasury, and then left this minor world, following the original trajectory of his destiny. I merely intercepted the reward intended for the protagonist.’

A playful, cold smile touched his lips. It was fascinating to break the narrative of these lower-world heavenly children.

He extended his hand. The Dark Star, summoned from his soul, flew out. It was no longer the imposing two-foot scythe it once was, but a sleek, dark-gold sword that hummed with restrained power. It flew in tiny form, then enlarged into a full-sized, three-foot blade, hovering stably and radiating the seven shimmering lights of the forged metal.

Lin Lee stepped onto the Dark Star Sword. The connection was seamless, immediate, and perfect. Without a moment’s hesitation, he directed the sword toward the location imprinted on his soul... the red mark pointing deep into the perilous North.

With a soft, powerful whoosh, Lin Lee was a dark streak cutting across the turbulent horizon, the Dark Star Sword leaving a fleeting trail of the seven fused stars against the gloomy sea, a defiant challenge to the ocean’s untamed power.

...

For five relentless days, Lin Lee maintained his northward flight over the North Sea. The journey was a monotonous expanse of dark water and cold, salt-laced wind, but his Flawless Jindan core provided an inexhaustible supply of spiritual energy, making the travel feel no more taxing than a long walk.

In those days, a few foolish sea monsters... mostly low-level aquatic beasts, equivalent to Foundation Establishment cultivators... had attempted to ambush him, seeing a lone figure as an easy meal. Each one met a swift, brutal end beneath the silent power of the Dark Star Sword. Lin Lee didn’t bother to devour their meager life essence; he simply killed them, using their corpses to frighten off the countless other, weaker monsters that lurked beneath the waves.

The Peak Jindan aura of the Dark Star’s master was enough to keep the general populace of the North Sea at bay, yet Lin Lee’s expression, usually composed, began to show a flicker of confusion.

’Days have passed, and the map clearly indicated the target location should be within reach,’ he mused internally. ’Yet, there is no sight of land, no island, nor any unusual celestial sign that would mark a place of destiny.’

He pulled out and expanded the map scroll from the Life Bead storage, observing the marked location on it for a moment before putting it back. He had planned this journey meticulously, trusting the provenance of the hidden map, but the endless, empty sea was testing his patience.

As he calculated the remaining distance based on his current speed, the vast ocean below him suddenly shook, a deep, resonant tremor running through the water. A gurgling sound, faint at first, spread from the sea ahead, growing slowly more intense as he moved forward.

... Chapter End ...