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Chapter 247: Story of Chicks
Bang bang. It collided with the withered tree several times, however, after seeing that it was basically unable to move the withered tree, it felt uncomfortable all around its rock body. It anxiously rolled back and forth next to the withered tree, leaving several marks on the ground. As though it had suddenly thought of a plan, it rolled several meters back, and then, fiercely accelerated down, smashing ruthlessly onto the tree. Then, with a ‘pa’ sound, it leapt up. It had used the reaction force to leap over the tree.
However, at this moment, Zhu Yao had long successfully picked up that Black Ore.
White rock: …
It stopped beneath her feet, as though it was in a daze. In an instant, its entire rock body turned ash-grey. The rock that was initially as white as a jade, instantly changed into a heavy grey colour, as though it had just suffered the most unbearable blow in its entire rock life.
The corner of Zhu Yao’s lips twitched. She could not be bothered with that rock, as she kept the Black Ore properly and planned on heading back. That white… no, that ash coloured rock stiffened for a moment, and then rolled closely behind her. Like a little tail, as it rolled, it bumped away the rocks, twigs, weeds and whatever next to it, loyally following behind her.
“Stop following already.” Zhu Yao sighed. This rock did not just possess spirituality, but evidently, it had awakened its spiritual consciousness as well. “Even if you follow me, I won’t choose you. Hurry and return into the mountain.” The city is very dangerous, you know.
The ash coloured rock turned into a deeper grey colour in an instant, looking so depressed to the point where it might shatter apart. However, it still did not give up and continued to roll after her. When she took a step, it would roll for an instant, and then when two steps were taken, it would roll an even longer stretch. Even if it encountered an obstacle, it would think of all ways possible to keep up with her pace.
“…”
Just why in the world was it being so persistent?
Zhu Yao was left with no choice, as she looked at that stupid rock trying to evade a large tree. Just as it was about to roll into the small river at the side, she could not help but reach out her hand to grab it.
That rock was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, as though it was exhilarated, it instantly reverted back to its snow-white colour, and it even grew even brighter and brighter than before. Furthermore, it was rubbing against her palm, wanting to be spoilt. Zhu Yao felt that there was a need to chat with it about life.
About how it could become a rock with principles.
“Kuh… Little rock, I know you have already awakened your spiritual consciousness, and is able to understand my words.” Zhu Yao said with a stern tone. “I have come into the mountain to find materials to refine an artifact. Artifact refining, do you know about it? Rocks have to be melted down, and their bodies will shatter apart, you know? You have already awakened your spiritual consciousness, so if you continue with your cultivation, you might become a spirit. Why the need to be refined into an artifact then?” Even if you’re able to become a sword spirit after being refined into an artifact, don’t give up your pride as a rock spirit, hey.
“…” That rock instantly stopped its palm-rubbing fawning action, as though it was frightened by her words.
Zhu Yao continued to implant some suggestions into it. “Do you want to be shattered apart, or become a happy rock spirit? Properly return into the mountain and continue with your cultivation. In the future, don’t come out for a blind stroll any longer, and don’t be found by other practitioners.”
There was completely no reaction coming from the rock. It seemed like it had digested the information it was given. Just as she was about to place it down and allow it to happily roll its way back, that rock suddenly make a creaking sound. The sound of something cracking apart. On that jade-white rock body, a crackline suddenly appeared, and there were traces of it spreading throughout the entire rock body.
“What are you doing?” Zhu Yao was shocked. “Don’t take it too hard, hey.”
Creeak…
That rock continued to crack apart.
Zhu Yao was dumbfounded. It couldn’t be wanting to shatter itself in front of her after she said that rocks had to be melted to refine artifacts earlier, right? She was just chatting with it, did it have to take it that seriously?
Creeak…
The rock continued to crack apart.
“Don’t… Stop shattering, the hell!” This thing was actually committing suicide. “Fine, fine. You win. I will bring you back, I will bring you back, alright?”
That rock stiffened for a moment. Then it finally stopped its cracks from spreading, and continued to rub against her palm, acting spoilt.
Zhu Yao: “…”
This Sword Seeking Convention lasted for an entire day, and as the sect mascot, she had no choice but to safeguard the mountain for the entire day.
After the various sects took their leaves, she finally greeted Wen Yu before returning to her residence on the mountain peak. The facilities in her cave residence here was rather complete, and it had its own specialized area for refining artifacts.
Taking out the Black Ore and that strange rock, she placed them on the table. She then cast an art to heat up the furnace. Controlling the fire spiritual energy, she first let the flames in the furnace burn vigorously. When the preparations were about done, she then turned her head around and planned to pick up the Black Ore.
However, she saw that the Black Ore which was initially placed at the center of the table, had actually rolled on the way to the right side of the table without her noticing, and half of its body was already suspended in the air. Next to it, the white rock which was a size smaller than it, was currently desperately pushing it down the table.
“…” The corner of Zhu Yao’s lips twitched. She reached out her hand to pick up that mischievous white rock, and glared straight at it. “What are you doing?”
The white rock stiffened, and its entire rock body suddenly began to turn pinkish, looking as though it was caught doing bad things.
Zhu Yao sighed. She placed the white rock back onto the center of the table. Then, she picked up the Black Ore that was about to fall off, and threw it into the furnace with a twist of her hand. She then circulated spiritual energy to envelop that piece of ore.
Suddenly, a crashing sound came from behind her. That white rock had rolled down the table without her noticing, and was currently rolling to the entrance of the furnace, looking like it was about to sacrifice its life.
“What are you doing!?” Zhu Yao was shocked, as she hurriedly picked it back up. “You’re crazy! You will die if you roll into it!”
The white rock struggled, wanting to pounce into the furnace.
“Stop fooling around, I didn’t bring you back to refine you into an artifact.”
The white rock was startled for a moment, and it instantly turned ash coloured, looking very depressed.
“You awakened your spiritual consciousness, and you will die if I refine you into an artifact, understand?”
The rock grew even more depressed.
“Haah…” Zhu Yao sighed. “Don’t worry, I won’t throw you away.”
Its appearance finally looked a little better. On her hand, it turned about to the furnace, and then it turned back to face her, as though it was wanted her guarantee.
“Enough, I will bring you around in the future. Even if you’re not refined into an artifact, I will still bring you along.”
Only then was the rock satisfied, and it finally stopped making a ruckus.
Zhu Yao’s face darkened. Why did she feel like she had picked up an ancestor? Haah, whatever. For the fact that she had once been a rock spirit, she would put up with it.
She began to concentrate on refining the weapon. The white rock was also leaning next to her foot, following her around like a little tail.
A day later, Zhu Yao finally completed the final step of engraving formations onto it, and a seventh rank artifact of penultimate grade was successfully refined.
With the material restrictions of the Black Ore, refining it up to this level was all that could be done.
The white rock was still leaning next to her foot, not leaving an inch away from her. Even Zhu Yao felt that her foot was growing numb from it pressing down on her.
Keeping the mystic sword, she picked up the white rock.
Looking at the cracks on the rock, she instantly recalled the days where she was treated as a leg-supporting rock by a certain immoral Floor Master back then. She could not help but materialize a strand of spiritual energy and insert it into the white rock’s body, wanting to aid its recovery.
The moment spiritual energy had entered, it was suddenly deflected by an immense power which even shook her hand to numbness.
“This is?” Zhu Yao was stunned. How could a rock which had just awakened its spiritual consciousness, possess such powerful and pure spiritual energy? It could even deflect her own spiritual power. This was completely illogical.
Unless… It was not a rock in the first place.
Zhu Yao’s heart sank for a moment, as she looked straight at the white rock in her hands. “Little rock, what in the world are you?”
The rock did not speak, and was simply happily rolling about on her palm.
Zhu Yao pondered for a moment, before she decided to sit in a lotus position and close her eyes. She immediately split a strand of her divine sense and transferred it into the little rock’s body, only to witness a gold and sparkling domain, the entire place was surrounded with warm, golden light. Inside the rock, it was actually filled with metal spiritual energy, and the spiritual energy grew purer as she approached the core, it was so dense it could solidify at any moment. Something with the shape of a rhombus seemed to be floating at the center. Before she could even see it clearly, she suddenly heard a crisp and youthful voice ringing in the depths of her heart.
“Chick~”
Zhu Yao shook, and she fiercely retracted her divine sense. With widened eyes, she looked at the snow-white rock in front of her in utter disbelief. Such familiar formula, and such familiar scent.
“You’re the Metal Spirit!”
“Chick~~” The same voice once again rang in the depths of her heart, and the white rock happily circled around her.
“The hell!” Zhu Yao could not help but cuss out. She actually encountered the Metal Spirit again. Wasn’t this Xiao Yi’s cheat? Why in the world did it appear here?
No wait, Xiao Yi basically did not belong to this world. Since the spiritual energy in that world could materialize into spirits, then it was naturally possible in this world as well.
However, it seemed like this Metal Spirit had only just given birth to its spiritual consciousness not too long ago. “Metal Spirit, have you always been staying in Sword Seeking Peak?” Could the reason behind the swords and materials in Sword Seeking Peak possessing spirituality, and their ability to choose their own owners, were all because of the Metal Spirit’s influence?
“Chick… Chick chick, Chick chick… Chick.”
What’s the meaning behind all those chicks, hey?
Forget it. In any case, she could not hope for this little thing which only knew how to act cutesy to help her out. The Metal Spirit could be said to be a cheat to practitioners who held the metal spirit vein, but to someone with the lightning spirit vein like her, it really did not have a single use.
She kept the Metal Spirit into the storage pouch she was carrying. With a weapon in hand, she could finally set off for her mission. After doing some preparations, she had to inquire about some important clues.
The five mystic artifacts used to seal the Devil was respectively placed at the five most dangerous, but also the safest places. One of them was not far off from here, in a deep sea abyss. Zhu Yao calculated the time. There was still a few dozen years before the girl’s resurrection. She had to do her best to find all the mystic artifacts before her awakening.
“Old Ancestor, Old Ancestor, a grave matter occurred!” Several anxious voices suddenly sounded from outside the door.
“What is it?”
“Old Ancestor, the Sword Seeking Peak…” That disciple’s voice grew even more anxious. “Palace Master has assigned me to invite you over. Something grave happened to Sword Seeking Peak.”
Zhu Yao immediately released the seal on the artifact refining chamber and walked out. Just as she reached the door, she suddenly sensed a disturbance to the spiritual energy coming from the southern direction.
The spiritual swords in the entire Sword Seeking Peak seemed to have suddenly received some sort of stimulation. All of them had flown up, and were beginning to gather in a certain direction in the sky. They flew in a revolving manner, and the sword energy emitted out by the countless swords instantly cracked the barrier surrounding Sword Seeking Peak, and there were traces of the crack spreading out.
