Chapter 176: Hard Stone

Demon Heart: "Among all those materials, there is a jet-black hard stone; weapons forged from this hard stone deal double damage to Punishment, just like the Righteous Sword at the Execution Grounds, capable of easily harming the Ox-Horned Crimson-Eyed Demon."

Lu Fang pulled out the storage bag and carefully sifted through it, finally finding a jet-black, crystal-like hard stone—its weight heavier than ordinary ore.

Had it not been for Demon Heart's reminder, he might not have recognized the special nature of this "hard stone."

"This hard stone is only the size of a palm—forging a weapon from it alone won't be simple."

Lu Fang tossed the hard stone in his hand, feeling a hint of disappointment.

He had thought there was a single material that could directly multiply damage against Punishment.

This hard stone was only palm-sized; if, as Demon Heart said, he needed to forge a weapon from it, he'd likely need to find many more of the same kind.

Demon Heart seemed to sense Lu Fang's thoughts and chuckled: "You're still not satisfied? Later, try to extract from Luo Sha where she obtained these hard stones—get as many as you can."

"If you can forge an entire weapon from nothing but hard stone, that would be ideal—but if you can't find enough, you can mix it with other materials."

"The more hard stone you use, the greater the power will fluctuate accordingly."

Lu Fang tucked the hard stone back into his storage bag, frowned, gazed at the distant multicolored snow-capped mountains, shook his head, and turned back the way he came.

Before reaching the cave, Xue Luo Sha and Pan were gone—they must have entered inside to cultivate.

"So cold!"

Lu Fang muttered, standing at the cave entrance, clearly sensing the intense Yin energy—he felt his blood freezing.

The strangest part was, it was only a sensation.

He channeled his Vast Righteous Qi to resist the cold, yet his Vast Righteous Qi showed signs of faintly congealing—that was why this snowy mountain was a sacred cultivation ground.

As he stepped deeper into the cave, the cold intensified.

Because fist-sized night pearls lined the cave walls, illuminating the interior as brightly as daytime.

After walking about a hundred meters, the cave suddenly widened.

In the center stood a dense forest of ice sculptures shaped like long swords, their concentrated Yin energy making it impossible to approach.

At a distance, Xue Luo Sha and Pan sat cross-legged on the icy ground, eyes closed, absorbing the Yin energy to cultivate.

"Is the other side of the peak spectacular?"

Xue Luo Sha opened her eyes and smiled at Lu Fang.

Lu Fang smiled gently: "More beautiful than I imagined—but it's all unknown territory, brimming with danger. Otherwise, I'd love to explore it."

Xue Luo Sha smiled sweetly: "How coincidental—I thought exactly the same when I first saw these multicolored snow mountains."

Lu Fang nodded slightly and asked: "Are you just sitting here to begin cultivating? What are those ice swords in the center? Why do they feel so cold?"

Pan opened his eyes and replied: "The central ice swords form when Yin energy condenses to a critical density. If Lord Wenguan finds it too cold, you can sit farther away to cultivate."

"Understood." Lu Fang sat down beside Pan, tossing the jet-black hard stone in his hand, smiling: "Where did you get this piece of junk?"

Pan blinked, studying the hard stone for a moment, then hesitated: "Lord Wenguan is interested in this lump? I can't see anything special—it's just an ordinary ore, isn't it?"

Xue Luo Sha reached out, took the hard stone from Lu Fang's hand, and said uncertainly: "It doesn't seem like a common ore or material—it feels heavier and has better texture."

Lu Fang smiled without answering, looking at Pan: "I want to forge a weapon and need this kind of tough ore. I won't shortchange you—tell me where you found it, and I'll return your wager."

Pan hesitated. He wasn't a fool—anything Lu Fang took interest in must be valuable. Had he known the hard stone's worth, he'd never have used it as a wager.

Xue Luo Sha frowned: "If you remember where you found this ore, just tell Lord Wenguan. He's offering to exchange ore and materials—you won't lose out."

Even with Xue Luo Sha's urging, Pan remained silent.

Lu Fang raised an eyebrow: "Of course, if you don't want to speak, I won't force you. But I can still find out where you went—I suggest you think carefully whether to tell me."

"Let me think."

Pan furrowed his brow, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Lu Fang waited a moment, then grew impatient: "I'll count to ten. If you still won't speak, fine."

He began counting, applying psychological pressure. At seven, Pan finally cracked, smiling bitterly: "This odd ore—I found it by accident near the eastern edge of the Deep Scorched Lands not long ago."

Lu Fang nodded in satisfaction and pressed: "How exactly did you obtain it? I need specifics."

Pan smiled: "I found it inside the belly of a burrowing beast. Not far from there is a toxic mist swamp. Lord Wenguan can try digging there—you might find this ore."

Lu Fang tossed the storage bag to Pan, closed his eyes without expression. Pan's words were likely true—he had no reason to lie.

Pan caught the returned storage bag, glanced inside—the contents, minus the hard stone, were untouched. He smiled and vowed: "Lord Wenguan, you're a man of your word!"

"Since you're so straightforward, I'll give you a guarantee."

"Every word I spoke is true. If even one is false, may Heaven's Dao strike me to dust."

Pan said solemnly.

Lu Fang nodded: "I believe you." Then he whispered to Xue Luo Sha: "When we leave, have someone check whether Pan entered the Deep Scorched Lands recently."

Xue Luo Sha whispered back: "Alright. I'll have someone investigate as soon as we're out."

Lu Fang, satisfied, said nothing more, closed his eyes, and began resting. He couldn't absorb Yin energy—only use its chill to condense his Vast Righteous Qi.

Yet, sitting beside Xue Luo Sha and Pan, the Yin energy he sensed wasn't nearly as strong.

So he stood and took two steps forward.

Xue Luo Sha, seeing this, hesitated: "Lord Wenguan, don't rush cultivating with Yin energy. Just feel a slight chill—it's enough. Push too hard, and you'll injure yourself."