Longevity Martial Arts: I have a Mysterious Water Snake Avatar

The Blaze Wood is hidden within the forest.

It can draw nutrients from the soil beneath the forest floor, depriving neighboring trees of their vital essence and transforming it into a sweet nectar.

When people chop into its body, they can obtain this sweet nectar. Used in brewing, the Blaze Wood Wine produced is sweet and refreshing, incomparably marvelous.

At the banquet hosted by Zhu Wushang, Hong Yuan had tasted this wine at the Phoenix Creek Tavern. At that time, he clearly felt his True Essence within become a few degrees more concentrated.

Therefore, Blaze Wood as a special Gu material is quite rare, with Hundred-Year Blaze Wood being even more scarce, making it an excellent ingredient for Worm Refining.

The piece of Blaze Wood in Hong Yuan's possession was precisely Hundred-Year Blaze Wood.

The appearance of the Hundred-Year Blaze Wood was like a piece of lightning-struck wood, pitch-black yet faintly revealing red patterns, resembling burning sparks, drawing remarkable attention.

Hong Yuan silently observed the boiling state of the stone pot until the Luminous Grass Water inside bubbled incessantly before he cautiously threw in the segment of Hundred-Year Blaze Wood he was holding.

Worm Refining was relevant to a Second-Tier Forging Master.

Hong Yuan's attitude was one of utmost caution—he didn't seek to stand out but rather aimed for reliability.

He had checked these materials repeatedly, ensuring they were all in good condition before starting the refining process.

Thus, for the Sting Bee Worm that was about to be promoted to a Second-Tier Rapid Bee Worm, Hong Yuan chose one of the three Sting Bee Worms that had been with him the longest.

Stability triumphs over everything!

After throwing in the Hundred-Year Blaze Wood, the Luminous Grass Water surged even more violently.

Soon, the bottom of the stone pot became visible, but with the Hundred-Year Blaze Wood seeping liquid, the bottom was obscured once more.

It was in a state where the bottom seemed visible but never truly was.

Billows of white smoke rolled out from above the stone pot, as if a White Python was fiercely coiling and tumbling.

"Go."

With a thought from Hong Yuan, the sturdiest among the three regular Sting Bee Worms flew out from the formation, heading straight for the stone pot.

SPLUTTER! SPLUTTER!

The stone pot was scalding hot; the regular Sting Bee Worm turned bright red as soon as it touched the liquid. If the regular Sting Bee Worm had any consciousness, Hong Yuan was certain it would have leaped out immediately.

A fragrant aroma emerged, causing Hong Yuan's throat to move slightly.

He seriously savored the scent, not because he wanted to eat the Sting Bee Worm, but because this aroma was also one of the indicators for successful Worm Refining, marking the integration of the Blaze Wood and the Sting Bee Worm.

Hong Yuan's nose twitched slightly as he immediately added the second segment of Hundred-Year Blaze Wood, then the third...

The White Python formed from white smoke became even more magnificent and had already rushed out of the Immortal's Cave to stand tall on the mountaintop.

Following the Gu recipe's steps precisely, Hong Yuan's expression grew darker and darker.

Because that stench signifying success was still nowhere to be found!

...

「Outside the mountain peak.」 This сhаptеr first аppеаrеd оn М|V|L^ЕМРYR.

Xiao Youjun and Xu Haisheng, who were undergoing trials in the inner layers of the Phoenix Creek Mountain Range, both observed the thick white smoke.

"Senior Brother, look, there is smoke over there!" Xiao Youjun pointed at the white smoke in the sky and said in shock, "Someone dares to light a fire in the inner layers of the Phoenix Creek Mountain Range. They must have a death wish."

"It might be one of the Third or Fourth-Tier True Transmission Senior Brothers, don't overthink it. It's already night; let's return to the Sect and continue our trials tomorrow," Xu Haisheng quickly responded.

Thus, Xiao Youjun, who was originally interested in going over to watch the excitement, was pulled away by Xu Haisheng to return to the Sect.

「Inside the cave.」

Hong Yuan expressionlessly watched the Sting Bee Worm in the stone pot that had been cooked beyond recognition.

Failure!

His first attempt at refining a Second-Tier Sting Bee Worm had ended in failure!

After dispersing the white smoke and clearing the debris from the stone pot, Hong Yuan sat on his Taoist Mat, silently pondering where he might have fallen short.

This doesn't make sense. Could it be the Gu materials are wrong? But I clearly did my best according to the Gu recipe.

Hong Yuan re-examined the materials for refining a Second-Tier Rapid Bee Worm in his storage bag, such as the Chase Wind Eagle feathers, the heart of a Red Flame Tiger, and the Blaze Wood.

Yet, after checking over and over again, Hong Yuan still couldn't pinpoint the problem.

This only served to give Hong Yuan a headache.

His current proficiency in Forging was First-Tier (879/1,000), still 121 points away from truly reaching Second-Tier.

If he couldn't find the reason for the failure, he could only rely on the 10 proficiency points he gained daily at the Refining Equipment Hall.

Thirteen days weren't much.

But the issue was that the Sect's grand competition was approaching. If he really intended to advance to a Second-Tier Forging Master in two weeks, he would have to wait until after the competition to take on Second-Tier weapon forging tasks.

Going back and forth would waste a full month.

Hong Yuan wasn't worried about the time itself; it was the sheer waste of time that gave him a headache.

...

Sitting quietly for a long time, Hong Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air.

I'm still not steady enough.

It's just over a month of wasted time; so be it if it's wasted.

Longevity Martial Arts doesn't need the mindset of 'a thousand years are too long; seize the day.'

Gradually, Hong Yuan's eyes regained their clarity, and his anxiety was swept away.

At that moment, Hong Yuan's face once again bore a smile, full of vitality.

The previous sense of being constrained completely disappeared.

Hong Yuan rekindled the furnace and began to refine the Rapid Bee Worm.

He shattered Energy Stones, took out a Fire Starter, and ignited it.

He added Chase Wind Eagle feathers, a Red Flame Tiger's heart, and Hundred-Year Blaze Wood.

When selecting a Sting Bee Worm, Hong Yuan decisively chose the Speed-type Sting Bee Worm.

The Rapid Bee Worm was renowned for its agility, and the Speed-type Sting Bee Worm was a perfect match!

After the Speed-type Sting Bee Worm was thrown into the stone pot, it tenaciously resisted the intense heat and began to merge the Hundred-Year Blaze Wood into itself.

A rich fragrance rushed toward Hong Yuan.

Hong Yuan expressionlessly added pieces of Hundred-Year Blaze Wood, as white smoke billowed like a White Python writhing in the air.

A short while later, amidst the intense fragrance, a hint of foul smell suddenly emerged.

This foul smell was as unpleasant as a trash can left unemptied for a month, causing one to feel nauseated.

However, a slight smile appeared at the corner of Hong Yuan's mouth. Just as expected.

When the White Python turned into a Black Python and the foul smell filled the air, a green Worm flew out of the stone pot.

This green Worm seemed to be made of green wood, resembling both a bee and an eagle, with wings as large as banana leaves while its body was as small as a fist—rather peculiar.

It made no sound and was very silent.

"I've done it, I've succeeded!"

Though Hong Yuan's tone contained surprise, it was predominantly calm.

He extended his palm, and the Second-Tier Rapid Bee Worm landed in his hand, making eye contact with Hong Yuan.

[Forging +227]

[Skills and Arts: Forging First-Tier (879/1,000) → Forging Second-Tier (106/2,000)]

Hong Yuan was now a Second-Tier Forging Master.

Once Hong Yuan forged a Second-Tier weapon, he could graduate and even open his own workshop, becoming a small business owner!

As far as Hong Yuan knew, his Senior Brother Zhu Wushang had spent two years to become a Second-Tier Forging Master. Although he didn't know what happened afterward, Senior Brother Zhu had remained at a standstill.

Even so, Zhu Wushang was highly valued by their Master. While other workshop owners were generally Third-Tier or Fourth-Tier Forging Masters, he, with only a Second-Tier qualification, was given an A-grade workshop!

One must know that Workshop A06 is an A-grade workshop, one of the best in the Refining Equipment Hall!

And what about me, Hong Yuan?

I, Hong Yuan, became a Second-Tier Forging Master in just over three months! What kind of commendation will I receive from Master?

Thinking this, Hong Yuan felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

Last time I received Master's recognition, I obtained the Phoenix Feather Token and the Myriad Silence Origin Skill. This time, the reward can't possibly be any less, can it?!

At that thought, Hong Yuan broke into a grin.

"HEH HEH HEH~"