The coldness that had been in Li Xiuwen's eyes vanished once he was certain Senior Brother Zhao Feng and his lackeys were gone for good. He took a deep breath, and the Qi that had been suppressed within his body began to circulate once more. He clenched his fists, reflecting on the feeling he got from using his killing intent to intimidate his enemies.
"My killing intent might be able to intimidate others, but it cannot stand against true power," he thought with careful consideration. "If Zhao Feng had attacked me with his Qi just now, the technique I am trying to create would have been meaningless."
He came to the realization that the "Qi Chain" he was forging was still imperfect and too fragile. It was nothing more than insubstantial Qi, not a true "weapon."
The next day, Li Xiuwen returned to the sect's library. But this time, he was no longer interested in martial arts or cultivation scrolls. His eyes fell upon dusty, ancient texts that spoke of crafting various artifacts.
He spent several days poring over these scrolls. There was the "Treatise on the Forging of Steel," which explained how to smelt and combine ores into strong metal. The "Artisan's Scroll," which discussed the weaving of fabrics. And the "Ancient Elemental Scroll," which described the properties of the various elements in the world.
After extensive research, he finally understood the true principle. He discovered that to make an "artifact" strong and durable, it wasn't just about Qi. It required the "essence of an element" to fuse them into one.
"I must apply the principles of forging steel to the creation of my Qi chains."
He began his secret experiments once again in the secluded corner of the forest. In his hand, he held not just Qi, but also pure iron ore that he had secretly collected from the sect's blacksmith forge.
His first attempt began with wrapping the iron ore in Qi. But with his weak Qi Condensation stage cultivation, the ore remained unchanged. He failed time after time, until he finally decided he wouldn't just use Qi, but would use his own "spirit" to assist in the fusion.
He closed his eyes, attempting to send his spirit into the iron ore and the Qi that enveloped it, trying to make the two become one in his mind.
Three days passed as if they were three years. His final experiment was a success. The iron ore began to glow with a faint white light and disintegrated into fine dust. The Qi surrounding it then absorbed the essence of the iron ore.
When the Qi fused with the elemental essence of the iron, it was no longer a fragile thread of power. It had become a "Qi Chain" that was as strong and flexible as genuine steel.
As he opened his eyes, his first Qi Chain appeared in his hand. It was not a beautiful or ornate chain, but it was simple and powerful. It hung suspended in the air like a real iron chain, yet it was far lighter and more flexible.
Li Xiuwen gazed at the chain in his hand with pride. He knew that the path to immortality was still long, but now he had found a "weapon" that would help him reach that goal. And it was a weapon forged by his own ingenuity and effort.