Monster Core

In Nanjiang City, Xian Jin Continent

This city is famous for its blacksmiths, who possess incredible skills in refining weapons such as swords, spears, arrows, and armor. There are actually many more unique aspects of Nanjiang City.

The buildings in this city are also known for their elegant style, as they are coated with iron, silver, and even gold. This distinct characteristic strongly represents the renowned Nanjiang City in Xinjian Province, located on the Xian Jin Continent.

Now, morning has arrived, and the sun has risen to illuminate the earth. Qi Yuan and Xun Yi woke up in their inn room, only to scream hysterically.

It turned out that Xun Yi's hand had accidentally wrapped around Qi Yuan's body while she was in deep sleep.

"Arrrghhhh! You took advantage of me! You perverted brat!" Xun Yi's loud scream echoed through the room as she instinctively slapped Qi Yuan's face.

Plak!

Qi Yuan, clueless about what had just happened, was stunned for a moment after being slapped.

"W-What are you doing?! Ouch! I didn't take advantage of anything! Geez, Sister Xun, you're beautiful, but so cruel!" Qi Yuan retorted, his words making Xun Yi even more irritated.

Sensing the danger, Qi Yuan instinctively got up and ran away.

"You're so cruel, Sister Xun! Noooo!" Qi Yuan shouted as he changed the topic, focusing on preparing for their visit to the Purple Lotus Sect.

After their brief misunderstanding was resolved, Qi Yuan and Xun Yi left the inn, carrying their belongings.

Qi Yuan suddenly remembered that Nanjiang City was known for its blacksmiths, who were highly skilled in forging swords. Moreover, they could fuse various rare materials into their creations.

"Oh right, Sister Xun! Take me to a place where I can forge my own sword. You already have one, so how can you bear to see your younger brother without a weapon?" Qi Yuan pleaded while teasing her.

Seeing Qi Yuan beg, Xun Yi became excited.

"Follow me! I'll take you to a blacksmith I know well," Xun Yi said enthusiastically, grabbing Qi Yuan's hand.

They ran swiftly through the busy streets of Nanjiang City. Along the way, Qi Yuan explained the materials he planned to use for his sword.

After hearing the materials Qi Yuan mentioned, Xun Yi burst into laughter.

"You little rascal! Those are extremely valuable materials! Have you even thought about it? And do you think he can fuse those materials? Hahaha, this is interesting!" Xun Yi chuckled while Qi Yuan looked confused, not understanding why she was laughing so much.

The city was bustling with activity as the people of Nanjiang went about their daily lives. Eventually, Qi Yuan and Xun Yi arrived at the district where the city's blacksmiths were gathered.

From a distance, they spotted the blacksmith shop Xun Yi was referring to.

"This is the place! It looks the same as the last time I was here. Come on, let's go in!" Xun Yi said, dragging Qi Yuan inside.

Upon entering, Qi Yuan was momentarily speechless, admiring the shop's grand scale.

"This place is huge! Amazing!" Qi Yuan accidentally raised his voice, causing the blacksmiths to glance at him briefly before returning to their work.

He let out a small sigh.

"I thought they were going to attack me, haha..."

Just as Qi Yuan finished speaking, someone called out to Xun Yi.

A burly man with a muscular physique approached them from the left side of the shop.

"Whoa, you've grown up! How's the sword I made for you? Not bad, huh?" the man said, shaking hands with Qi Yuan before introducing himself.

Xun Yi responded, saying that the sword he crafted was incredibly strong and durable, despite being made from ordinary materials.

The burly man introduced himself as Li Dong, an old acquaintance of Xun Yi. Since he was older than her, he addressed Xun Yi as "Little Sister."

Qi Yuan also introduced himself, and Li Dong invited them to the second floor for a proper welcome.

"Oh, Brother Li, I want to request a weapon—a longsword. Can you forge one for me?" Qi Yuan asked eagerly.

As they climbed the stairs, Li Dong inquired about the type of sword Qi Yuan wanted.

"Haha, you'll be shocked, Brother Li! Let me tell you!" Xun Yi laughed, finding the situation amusing because she knew Qi Yuan's materials were no ordinary resources.

Qi Yuan then pulled out the materials from his storage pouch, which hung on the left side of his pants.

"Here's what I want you to fuse into my sword," Qi Yuan said as he took out a crimson crystal-like stone, inside which swirled a small essence of qi energy.

Upon seeing the material, Li Dong was utterly shocked.

"This... This is an extremely valuable material! Where did you get this?" he asked, his hands trembling as he held the crystal.

Xun Yi, standing beside them, burst into laughter once again.

Qi Yuan, still clueless about its value, remained silent in confusion.

"You must have obtained this from a monster you killed, right? Do you even know what this is?" Li Dong questioned Qi Yuan.

He then explained the origin and name of the material in his hands. The crimson crystal was known as a Monster Seed, but not just any Monster Seed.

Monster Seeds are special cores that appear within the bodies of wild beasts. Their locations vary—they can be found in the head, neck, torso, legs, or even the tail. The grade of a Monster Seed corresponds to the cultivation level of the beast it came from.

Since monster species and their strengths vary greatly, their power can sometimes exceed human cultivators' expectations. However, based on years of observation, cultivators have categorized wild beasts according to their strength levels:

Wild Beast Rankings in Xian Jin Continent:

Tier 1 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Qi Refining Stage 1-5 Cultivator

Tier 2 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Qi Refining Stage 6-9 Cultivator

Tier 3 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Qi Foundation Stage 1-5 Cultivator

Tier 4 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Qi Foundation Stage 6-9 Cultivator

Tier 5 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Golden Core Stage 1-5 Cultivator

Tier 6 Wild Beast = Equivalent to a Golden Core Stage 6-9 Cultivator

Li Dong, assisted by Xun Yi, explained these rankings to Qi Yuan, giving him a better understanding of wild beasts in Xian Jin Continent.

Now that Qi Yuan had grasped the significance of these rankings, Li Dong continued explaining the nature of the material in his hands.

Then, the blacksmith named Li Dong dropped an even bigger bombshell.

"Actually, this is a Tier Nine Monster Seed... Where did you get this?"

Xun Yi, upon hearing this, was no longer surprised—she had already known about it years ago. Instead, she laughed even louder, watching Qi Yuan and Li Dong's stunned expressions.

To Be Continued...