frightfiction Chapter 568 The pillow fell asleep before me.
Chapter 568 The pillow fell asleep before me.
"okay!"
Xue Lan sensed the murderous aura emanating from Xiao Tong and guessed that Yan Chengxue had probably come looking for her after she left, so she obediently rolled away.
The woman glanced at Zhao Chen beside her and spoke softly:
"Are you ready?"
Zhao Chen nodded to Xue Lan and said, "Master Xue, I'm ready."
"That's good!"
Having received Zhao Chen's affirmative reply, Xue Lan, dressed in black, gently raised her hand and slowly beckoned to the frost ribbon binding the smelting furnace.
Under Xue Lan's control, the frost band wrapped around the smelting furnace moved continuously, eventually revealing an opening. In a short moment, the firepower sealed inside the smelting furnace by the frost band burst out, causing the entire weapon-refining cave to become agitated.
Xue Lan turned to look at Zhao Chen:
"It's time to start."
The moment the woman finished speaking, Zhao Chen held the array plate in one hand and made a hand seal with the other. A light blue spiritual light flew out from the middle-aged man's fingertip and instantly entered the smelting furnace through the hole exposed in the frost belt, then attached itself to the long sword.
Zhao Chen drew a sword-like finger across the array plate in his left hand and uttered a soft shout:
"now!"
As the middle-aged man's voice rang out, Xue Lan saw the longsword in the smelting furnace tremble slightly. Then, the dark sword began to slowly emit light, and seven intricate arrays nested on the sword appeared. The spiritual light that Zhao Chen had previously injected was now on one of the arrays at the tip of the sword.
The woman knew she shouldn't speak and distract Zhao Chen, so she sent a telepathic message to her inner demon, complaining:
"Isn't it the ultimate aesthetic of array cultivation to kill people by manipulating their vital energy through nested array formations?"
The inner demon spoke calmly, but his words were extremely sharp:
"The path of cultivation is such that the more proficient one is, the more one loves to learn and delve into it, just like how you used to enjoy studying the art of time and space. Otherwise, it's just for show."
Xue Lan nodded slightly upon hearing this: "The second half of the sentence hits the nail on the head."
The Lingtian Frozen Water Array on the longsword successfully connected with the array plate in his hand. A faint smile appeared on Zhao Chen's face, and several illusory array flags formed from spiritual light appeared on the array plate in the middle-aged man's hand.
The middle-aged man looked at the woman in black beside him with some concern and spoke:
"Master Xue, I'm about to begin my battle. Shouldn't you all step back?"
After all, only the smelting furnace exploded before. If this incident goes wrong, it could lead to the complete collapse of the formation, which would be even more dangerous.
Xue Lan ended her conversation with her inner demon and looked at the fragile weapon refiner in this cave. Then, she casually waved her hand:
"Need not!"
"With me here, nothing unexpected will happen."
Hearing Xue Lan's voice, the inner demon couldn't help but bite its lip:
They're really faking it!
Zhao Chen originally wanted to say something, after all, Xue Lan was still a weapon refiner no matter how powerful she was, but when he met Xue Lan's exceptionally calm gray eyes, the middle-aged man swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He began to activate the array in his hands, his fingertips tugging at the illusory array flags on the array plate. With the middle-aged man's movements, the smelting furnace also reacted.
The pale blue aura transformed into a hazy lake on the dark longsword, with shallow ripples spreading outwards, expanding in circles until it slowly froze on the surface. White frost gradually extended outwards, eventually clinging to the froststone that had melted into a mass, forming deep blue ice clusters.
The surrounding heat dropped instantly.
Xue Lan looked at the longsword covered in white frost in the smelting furnace and suddenly remembered something very important.
It seems that her fifth child doesn't yet have a suitable weapon.
Her fifth child happens to have a water spirit root.
Her fifth child will probably like pretty things.
Lord Wolf's eyes sparkled as he looked at Zhao Chen, who had just breathed a sigh of relief. This startled the middle-aged man, who quickly bowed to the woman.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Xue. The smelting furnace has stabilized."
"This... Senior Brother Zhao." Xue Lan wore a gentle yet eerie smile, her tone full of obsequiousness.
"What are your plans after this sword is successfully forged?"
Zhao Chen assumed Xue Lan was asking about his and Yan Shi's plans, and answered casually:
"Naturally, we should try to make more. With this sword that has its own spiritual energy source, even if a cultivator runs out of spiritual stones and spiritual energy, there is no need for them to self-destruct."
Xue Lan nodded slightly, and the woman raised her hand to bow to Zhao Chen and Yan Shi:
"Senior Brother Zhao and Fellow Daoist Yan are truly virtuous."
Zhao Chen was a little embarrassed by Xue Lan's words, and he smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared:
"This is what we should do."
Seeing Zhao Chen's attitude, Xue Lan felt that her plan was likely to succeed. The woman smiled and took out a box from her sleeve; it contained the weapon-refining blueprints she had prepared earlier.
"I brought you a gift this time."
"Master Xue is too kind."
"You're here, why bring a gift?"
Zhao Chen spoke politely, but his hands took the box from Xue Lan's hands with a completely insincere expression. After glancing at the contents, his expression changed drastically.
"Master Xue, this is far too valuable."
It's true that the various sects in the lower realms support each other, but this is the first time he's seen someone directly issuing weapon-refining blueprints.
Is Wan Gong Fang really that extravagant?
Xue Lan responded: That's right.
The current owner of Wan Gong Fang is the wealthiest person in the entire Yuanming Lower Realm and even the Upper Realm.
Thinking of this, Xue Lan said nonchalantly, "Whoever creates it will have to fight demons. The Myriad Crafts Workshop has only been around for a short time. We'll have to trouble the fellow Daoists of the War Puppet Mansion with these matters."
After saying this, the woman clasped her hands and bowed deeply to everyone present.
"In the future, when the Yuanming world comes into being, we will all be one."
Zhao Chen's eyes welled up with tears. The middle-aged man closed the box in his hand and spoke to Xue Lan:
"Thank you very much, Master Xue. If you have any requests, please feel free to make them now."
That’s what I’ve been waiting for!
A slightly shy smile appeared on Xue Lan's face as she spoke somewhat bashfully:
"I do have my eye on something. I wonder if Senior Brother Zhao would be willing to part with it."
"Of course, why not? What do you want?"
Xue Lan pointed to the side and said, "I want this!"
What does she want?
Zhao Chen turned his head slightly to look in the direction Xue Lan was pointing, and suddenly felt that the box of blueprints in his hand was a little hot.
Because the master craftsman was referring to nothing other than the longsword that was not yet finished.
The middle-aged man glanced at the longsword, then at the equally astonished rock, and finally met Xue Lan's expectant eyes:
"Master Xue, it's not finished yet."
Xue Lan smiled like a docile big cat: "It's okay, I can wait!"
"But this one is meant to be a sample for the next batch after it's successfully crafted. If it gets taken away now..."
"and many more!"
Zhao Chen's hesitant refusals were interrupted by Xue Lan, who noticed the woman slightly frowning.
"I didn't plan to take it with me."
"You didn't plan to take it with you?" Zhao Cheng asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, when you no longer need this sword, please send it to Fellow Daoist Cui Wu in Fuyang City, who is also my fifth junior sister… Wait for me to write you a note.”
The woman swiftly pulled out a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from her sleeve and began writing in mid-air. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she handed Zhao Chen a sheet of Xuan paper with handwriting so neat it was almost eerie.
"When you have a disciple deliver it, have him read this to my junior sister."
Zhao Cheng accidentally glanced at a few words on the Xuan paper and couldn't help but scratch the ground with his toes.
The middle-aged man kept shouting in his heart:
How could this shop owner write such shameful words?
Why doesn't she record a message herself?
He mentally cursed a thousand times, but Zhao Chen still smiled and agreed.
"Don't worry, Master..." Zhao Chen looked around at everyone present, picking out the unlucky ones who were going to deliver things to Fuyang City, and finally his gaze fell on Huai Xing.
"Zhao Chen will definitely handle this matter well!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao!"
Both sides achieved their goals and were in high spirits. Xue Lan removed all the frost from the smelting furnace and agreed with Zhao Chen and the others to start refining again the next day. She would also leave some strange fire for them when she left.
Lord Wolf also shared with the weapon refiners present how to inscribe runes and formations inside the smelting furnace to save himself and the materials at critical moments.
Finally, Lord Wolf kindly outlined the infiltration point of Xie Cui City's mine for one of his disciples before gracefully departing, leaving with nothing but a gentle breeze and an air of nonchalance.
Finally, I have time to visit Xue Tong and the two Asuras that the inner demon brought to her.
As soon as Xue Lan rounded the corner of Qing Shui Tai, she saw several figures swinging back and forth in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, one could see Xue Tong and a girl dressed in black sitting on a long swing hanging from mid-air.
The inner demon, dressed in white, stood behind the two of them, casually kicking the swing to rock them up.
Xue Lan couldn't help but speak to her inner demon from afar:
"Actually, you don't have to do it if you don't want to."
The woman slowly walked up to the group and immediately began to accuse them:
"Xue Tong, how old are you? Why are you still playing this? Get down right now."
Xue Tong was a little unhappy and wanted to argue, but after being tugged at by A Wu next to her, she decided to maintain her gentle image in front of her new friend.
We'll talk about cursing wolves when no one's around.
The girl helped A-Wu off the swing, and before she could even straighten her clothes, a dark shadow flashed past in front of her.
In the blink of an eye, the Wolf King, who had just been acting like a doting parent, was now sitting on the swing, even reaching out his hand to Ah Wu:
"Could I borrow the pillow in your arms... my true friend, for a while? I'm being corrupted by demonic energy and can't sleep."
Seeing Xue Lan's pitiful state, A Wu handed the small boat she was carrying to Xue Lan.
The woman in black took the pure white Soul-Devouring Beast, immediately cradled it in her arms, rested her chin on the top of the small boat's head, and then muttered:
"Aren't you still quite young? Your ancestors could be made into a bed."
Xiao Zhou froze in fright, his two bloodshot eyes staring at Xue Lan, filled with horror.
If he remembered correctly, in his great-grandfather's story, there was once a man from the north who beat up his lord, saying he wanted to turn the Soul-Eating Beast into a bed and pillow...
This must be an envoy from that lord!
The Soul-Devouring Beast thought sadly and painfully in its heart:
"I'm sorry, Grandpa, I can't go back."
"What's wrong with you?" Xue Lan held the Soul-Devouring Beast up to her face, lifting its two front legs.
"You're stiff and won't soften up anymore!"
The little boat stiffened even more, because it knew that no one would like a hard pillow.
It... is going to be eaten!!!
The Wolf King, who had extended his divine sense, was caught off guard and overheard Xiao Zhou's inner monologue, causing him to frown.
A thousand years have passed, why is the Soul Eater Clan still like this?
The real reason she didn't get the Soul Eater Pillow back then was that these seemingly quiet, soft white creatures were actually chattering, mouthless creatures.
When being used as a pillow, I am more compliant, but I keep thinking about things, and while thinking, I mentally rehearse the ending for myself.
Some painful memories quietly resurfaced for Xue Lan. The woman gently patted the top of the small boat and spoke coldly:
"Don't even think about it, I can hear you..."
Xiao Zhou froze, A Wu and Xue Tong both froze, while the inner demon couldn't stop laughing.
"With their personalities, they'll never be pillows, hahaha!"
"Shut up!"
Xue Lan glanced coldly at the inner demon, a murderous intent rising within her. She pondered when to find an opportunity to sever her head.
The inner demon sensed Xue Lan's murderous intent and gave him a provocative smile.
Let them kill us. We'll get used to it after a while.
It took a long time for Xiao Zhou to soften up in Xue Lan's arms. When the Soul Devouring Clan wasn't thinking wildly, they would get sleepy. By the time Xue Lan rested her chin on its head again, Xiao Zhou was already asleep.
Xue Lan looked at the soft white cube in her arms, then at Xue Tong and then at A Wu:
"My pillow falls asleep faster than I do, is that true?"
Xue Tong's mind went blank for a moment. The girl raised her hand in a stop gesture: "Wait a minute, my brain isn't quite working yet. Did your pillow fall asleep before you did?"
A-Wu, meanwhile, kept bowing to Xue Lan with her hands clasped together.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Xiao Zhou is the fastest sleeper in their tribe. I'm really sorry I couldn't help you."
Xue Lan sighed deeply:
"Okay, okay, I'm used to it."
The woman smiled slightly at A-Wu, who was dressed in black, and said, "When you go back, please give my regards to your lord."
"As for this pillow, I'll keep it with me for now."
A-Wu was displeased upon hearing Xue Lan's words, and the girl's clear, cold voice echoed in Xue Lan's mind:
"I'm sorry, ma'am, Xiaozhou is my friend, and I promised its family that I would take it back."
Xue Lan nodded, indicating her understanding. The Wolf King waved his hand dismissively, "In that case, my request is indeed unreasonable. How about this: you send a message to He Zhui that you and Little Pillow are coming with me, how about that?"
Ah Wu's eyes widened; she clearly didn't know that could be done this way.
Originally, we were supposed to keep one, but now we're keeping two!
Seeing the wariness in the girl's eyes, Xue Lan couldn't help but smile and say:
"Aren't you looking for those demonic souls lost in the Thousand Realms of Ghosts? I know where those demonic souls are."
"So, do you have a way to contact the lord? Tell me now!"
A-Wu glanced at Xue Lan, seemingly making a difficult decision.
"What are you worried about?" Xue Lan looked at her with a smile: "It's no secret that the Lord of the Thousand Realms has always been in the Thousand Realms, is it?"
Awu took out a small pendant from her neck; it was a tiny bronze mirror.
The girl clasped her hands together, hiding the small mirror in her palms, and then began to silently recite an ancient incantation in her mind.
Within the Thousand Realms of Ghosts.
He Zhui, who was busy with the matter of losing the Demon Soul and the Demon Suppression Pool, finally had a chance to rest, but suddenly received a call from a junior who was away.
The lord thought someone had discovered some clue, and immediately connected the video call.
Everything was gray and white; all I could see was gray and white.
"A-Wu?"
The young man softly called out A-Wu's name and heard a snicker from the other end of the screen.
Then he saw the gray-white area begin to move, slowly retreating, and finally transforming into a strange human eye.
The person peered at him through the mirror, smiling broadly; it was a face He Zhui had long since examined and recognized.
"He Zhui, He Zhui, are you alright?" Xue Lan asked with a smile.
The lord abruptly turned off the screen, and after a long while spoke:
"unlucky!"