Wei Shen returned to his modest room at "The Quiet Gazelle Inn" and closed the door behind him, isolating himself from the noise of "Blackrock City." His eyes held no trace of hesitation or fear after accepting the mission that everyone else considered suicide; rather, they gleamed with a cold glint of focus and analysis. Arthur would never have entered a battle without understanding every variable within it, and Wei Shen now would be no different.
He sat on the wooden floor and took out the worn pile of scrolls and booklets he had looted from the library of the "Fallen Leaf Sect" from the deceased sect leader's "storage bag." This was his intellectual arsenal, however primitive and limited.
"Knowledge… is the first and most important weapon in any conflict," he thought, carefully spreading the scrolls before him. "And negligence in gathering it is the first step toward defeat."
He spent the next few hours reading voraciously, his mind absorbing and classifying information with incredible speed. Most of the booklets were worthless junk—glorified and falsified histories of the sect, clumsy poems in praise of the elders, and basic combat techniques riddled with flaws. But amidst all this nonsense, he found a few scrolls of genuine value.
The first was a booklet titled "Guide to Spiritual Beasts of the Surrounding Regions." The guide was handwritten and messy, containing primitive drawings, but it held the data he needed. He quickly searched until he found the page dedicated to the "Crimson Magma Serpent."
> "Crimson Magma Serpent, a fire-type spiritual beast, rare and extremely powerful. Often found in intensely hot volcanic regions. Its level ranges between the eighth and the peak of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Its body is covered in thick, rocky scales that blend with magma, granting it immense resistance to physical and fire attacks. Capable of spitting a stream of liquid flame that melts ordinary rock. Its potential weak point… is not known for certain, but rumors say it is extremely sensitive to energies of a cold or water nature that could cause thermal shock to its glowing body."
"An unconfirmed weakness… but it aligns with my analysis," Wei Shen thought. "My 'Blood Qi,' with its coldness and corrosive nature, might be the key. But to get to it, I must first be able to survive in its environment."
He set the beast manual aside and picked up another, more worn-out scroll, titled "Encyclopedia of Primary Spiritual Herbs." He began to flip through its pages quickly, searching for anything related to heat resistance or cold properties.
He found what he was looking for on several separate pages.
> "Ice Dew Flower: A small white flower that grows in deep, cold caves. Its essence carries a pure coldness. Used by pill makers to create low-grade 'Spirit Cooling Pills'."
> "Cold Cave Moss: A type of pale blue moss that grows on damp rocks in the shade. When crushed, it releases a gel-like substance with a strong cooling effect on the skin."
> "Frozen River Root: The root of a plant that grows underwater in cold mountain rivers. Known for its hardness and its ability to absorb heat."
"Perfect ingredients," Wei Shen thought, committing these names to memory. "If mixed in the right proportions, a paste or ointment can be made to provide temporary protection against extreme heat."
Finally, out of curiosity, he browsed a small booklet on "Common Spiritual Pills" to see the value of the other reward in his mission. He found his answer on a page dedicated to body-strengthening pills.
> "Bone Tempering Pills (Medium Grade): A precious pill made from the essence of rare spiritual minerals. Its primary function is to strengthen and refine a cultivator's bones, increasing their density and hardness. Particularly useful for cultivators at the peak of Qi Condensation who are preparing to break through to the 'Foundation Establishment' realm, as the breakthrough process puts immense pressure on the skeletal structure."
"So, these pills aren't just an ordinary reward," Wei Shen realized. "They are a vital tool for my next step after this mission. This makes completing the mission even more important."
Now, armed with knowledge, it was time to arm himself with tools.
He left the inn again, heading to the city's market, but this time, he had a clear and specific shopping list.
He entered "Morning Dew Hall."
"Twenty 'Ice Dew Flowers,' a large quantity of 'Cold Cave Moss,' and half a 'Frozen River Root'," Wei Shen said in a calm voice, placing a bag of spirit stones on the counter.
After a short and efficient haggle, he got everything he needed. He then went to a shop selling beast materials and bought a large roll of "Deepwater Serpent Hide," the skin of a water beast known for its natural heat resistance, though it was expensive.
He returned to his room at the inn and securely closed the door. The modest room was now transformed into a primitive workshop.
He spent the rest of the day and night in precise, methodical work. Using the base of one of his ivory daggers as a mortar, he crushed the cold herbs with extreme care, mixing their powders together in precisely calculated proportions that he hadn't read in any book, but had deduced from his understanding of basic chemical reactions. He added a little water, and a single drop of his blood to act as a catalyst—a secret he would share with no one. The result was a dark green, cold paste that emitted an icy chill, causing the room's temperature to drop noticeably.
Next, he cut the "Deepwater Serpent Hide" into long, durable strips. He coated these strips with the cold paste he had made, then began to wrap them tightly around his forearms and shins, over his ragged clothes, like a second skin. He then wrapped the remainder around the hilts of his ivory daggers and his short spear, to protect them and his hands from the expected extreme heat.
Finally, he sat in a meditative posture. He wasn't cultivating, but tuning his state to its absolute peak. He circulated the ninth-level "Blood Qi" in his body slowly, to feel every thread of power, bringing his body, mind, and spirit into a state of cold, lethal harmony, ready for the coming battle.
When the sun set the next day, Wei Shen stood up.
He was no longer the mysterious young man in simple clothes. He now looked like a specialized hunter, like a legendary beast slayer preparing for his most dangerous mission. The dark, gleaming leather wrappings around his limbs gave him a harsher, more dangerous appearance, and provided him with an extra layer of protection and confidence.
He took out the golden mission scroll and read it one last time.
"Five thousand spirit stones… and three vials of Bone Tempering Pills."
A hint of a cold glint appeared in his crimson-flecked eyes. "The price… will be a serpent's blood."
He left the quiet room, descended the stairs, and exited the inn, almost unnoticed. He headed east, towards the faint red glow appearing on the distant horizon—the glow of the "Lava Caves."