From Cellar to Throne: Zen's Quest for Immortality

Chapter 21 Refining The Body With Fire (Part One)

As a level one weapons refiner, Evil Lan always refined weapons using very sinister refining methods,

and it was those same principles he employed to create three mysterious weapons of the highest

caliber. Although Evil Lan was impressed with them all, he was proudest of the 'Hell Fire Sword' one of

the top three he produced.

Hungry as he was, Evil Lan wanted to refine something stronger than mysterious weapons. His

greatest ambition was to perfect some beyond that. He aspired to create spiritual weaponry!

Currently, in the world, graded weapons were worth a big fortune which only proved how desirable they

were. Spiritual weaponry was much more valuable!

As one of the powerful and wealthy families in C County, the Luo Clan possessed only one top grade

mysterious weapon," the Green Wind Rider Sword" which belonged to Zen's father, Mike Luo. The first-

rate enigmatic sword had no equal in the C County, and Mike rarely used it. So, most of the time, it was

well kept in a top secret spot at the Luo Clan, which only served to make the sword appear more

incomprehensible. It was a highly sought treasure. Since killing Mike, Bryson Luo had been searching

for the unique sword, but, his efforts had been in vain so far, with no trace or clues to where it might be

found.

Although the sword was the highest quality for mysterious weapons, it was not a spiritual weapon after

all. Every clan vied to own one, however, if an individual from an ordinary family were to obtain even

one spiritual weapon, it would be devastating not only for the person who had it but for the entire clan.

If someone in the Luo clan were to get a hold of one, the weapon would have to be obediently handed

over, or catastrophe would befall the whole family!

Along with cons there were pros to owning a spiritual weapon, and they brought equally wondrous

treasure as they did devastation. The special qualities the spiritual weapons could be imbued with Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

varied, and some possessed the ability to accelerate the speed Kung Fu was learned, while others

improved the owner's combat skills exponentially... the remarkable abilities they each held made

people greedily try to secure them despite the possibility of ruin to their entire family tree.

While Zen listened to Evil Lan, he smiled bitterly. Zen's voice dripped with cynicism as he said," Crucial

components to optimal weapons refinery are the best materials and the hottest fires. Since you lack

either, there's no way to refine the most perfect treasure. These are universal principles to refining

weapons, which I'm sure you understand better than I do. So, it's difficult to understand how you expect

to be able to refine a spiritual weapon using only my flesh and blood! You can't be serious? That's

beyond ridiculous..."

Although there was a time when Zen was able to indulge in reading books on many topics, including

ones about alchemy and the known weapon refining theories, he wasn't very knowledgeable about

either alchemy or weapons refinery. Zen was so obsessed with mastering martial arts that he didn't pay

any particular attention to other matters.

However, with the situation he was in now he was desperate, and if there was even just the slightest

flicker of hope to persuade Evil Lan to change his mind, he would take it.

"Well, it appears you grasp a little information concerning refining weapons! No matter what, it won't

help you," spat Evil Lan contemptuously. Evil Lan was busily unlatching the chains from the inside of

the furnace as he spoke. When he had the clanking chains freed, he yanked hard, making Zen stumble

after the insane man. Evil Lan pulled Zen out of the copper furnace, and when Evil Lan hurled him into

a nearby cage, he made a deafening "thud" sound that echoed through the cavern as he landed

heavily. Looking up at his captor as he was propelled into the small metal prison, Zen saw a smile

growing on Evil Lan's face as he proclaimed," The rare, precious materials I require are too far away

and I am not strong enough to procure them. The fire I am using is second rate. To be able to cultivate

a spiritual weapon, I have to utilize a more creative route and employ dark magic since it is the only

chance I will have in producing a spiritual weapon. Throwing you in the weapon refining furnace is

merely another step to refining the spiritual weapon. Hey! Let's hope for the best! After all, your flesh

and blood are very special indeed. Who knows, maybe I will be lucky as always."

Let's hope for the best...

This was a truth every weapon refiner believed, and the phrase they uttered worldwide.

No one would deny that refining weapons with fire relied on ninety percent strength and ten percent

luck.

To most people, it would seem that luck did not play much of a factor in the process.

Still, some weapon refiners created some of the best treasures because of that ten percent luck.

Others however, spent a lifetime following the standard rules, only to end up with nothing to show for

their work. In the long run, it all came down to fortune, and some refiners had none or ran out of their

luck.

From that angle, luck was slightly relevant while at the same time, it might be considered the most

critical part of the whole process.

Weapon refiners would say," Let's hope for the best" while refining the weapons because in their

hearts, luck was important.

The tradition was the same as uttering "God bless us" which was used by some religious factions.

As he thought about everything, Zen couldn't believe how his life came down to just being a gamble on

luck to Evil Lan. A profound unwillingness to accept the reality arose in Zen's heart, but, he laughed

bitterly to himself, thinking, 'There's nothing I can do to change this.'

All he could do was sit there and blame himself for being too weak.

Although Zen was making fast progress in the past month, and he was able to improve from the flesh

refining level to the organ refining level, it wasn't enough.