shù nián wèi jiàn ， tián xiǎo jiàn fēng cǎi yī rán ， bù guò yǔ dāng chū de yìn xiàng xiāng bǐ ， shǎo le yī sī fēi yáng tiào tuō ， duō le yì diǎn wěn zhòng chéng shú 。
数年未见，田小剑风采依然，不过与当初的印象相比，少了一丝飞扬跳脱，多了一点稳重成熟。
Several years had passed, and Tian Xiaojian'scharm;风采:风貌;风采:personality (Note: The term can have multiple meanings depending on context) remained unchanged. However, compared to his impression from the past, he seemed a bit more steady and mature.
“ shǎo zhǔ ！” yuán sān gōng shēn xíng lǐ ， liǎn shàng yǐn hán yī sī wèi jù 。
“少主！”袁三躬身行礼，脸上隐含一丝畏惧。
"Young Master!" Yan San bowed deeply, his face showing a hint of fear.
tián xiǎo jiàn zé sǎo le tā yī yǎn ， shàng wèi kāi kǒu ， méi tóu jiù yǐ wēi wēi zhòu le qǐ lái ：“ kàn nǐ de biǎo qíng ， rèn wù shī bài ？”
田小剑则扫了他一眼，尚未开口，眉头就已微微皱了起来：“看你的表情，任务失败？”
Tian Xiaojian glanced at him but did not speak until his brows furrowed slightly: "From your expression, it seems like the mission failed?"
“ shǎo zhǔ ráo mìng ， bú shì xiǎo rén bù jìn xīn ， shí zài shì chū le yì wài 。” nà yuán sān hún shēn yī chàn ， dà shēng jiào qǐ le qū lái 。
“少主饶命，不是小人不尽心，实在是出了意外。”那袁三浑身一颤，大声叫起了屈来。
"Yes, Young Master, please have mercy. I didn't mean to fail; there was an unexpected incident," Yan San trembled as he cried out in protest.
rán hòu biàn jiāng shì qíng de jīng guò jiǎng shù le yī fān ， dào yě méi yǒu jiā yóu tiān cù ， jī běn yǔ shì shí xiàng fú 。
然后便将事情的经过讲述了一番，倒也没有加油添醋，基本与事实相符。
He then recounted the events, mostly without embellishment and fairly accurate to the truth.
tián xiǎo jiàn de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī yì wài zhī sè ， shēn shǒu mō le mō xià bā ：“ rú cǐ shuō lái ， dào yě guài nǐ bù dé 。”
田小剑的脸上露出一丝意外之色，伸手摸了摸下巴：“如此说来，倒也怪你不得。”
Tian Xiaojian's face showed a look of surprise: "So it seems you're not entirely at fault."
“ xiè shǎo zhǔ rén cí ， xiǎo rén yí dìng jìn zhōng bàn shì ， fù tāng dǎo huǒ ， zài suǒ bù cí 。”
“谢少主仁慈，小人一定尽忠办事，赴汤蹈火，在所不辞。”
"Thank Young Master for your kindness. I will certainly do my utmost to serve you, even if it means risking my life," Yan San said with a trembling voice.
“ qǐ lái ba ！”
“起来吧！”
"Get up!"
yuán sān pá le qǐ lái ， gōng jìng de shù shǒu zhàn zài yī biān ， tián xiǎo jiàn zé zài zhōu wéi duó bù ， zhòu méi sī suǒ 。
袁三爬了起来，恭敬的束手站在一边，田小剑则在周围踱步，皱眉思索。
Yan San stood up and respectfully stood by the side as Tian Xiaojian paced around, frowning in thought.
“ shǎo zhǔ 。” guò le yī huì er ， yuán sān xiǎo xīn yì yì de kāi kǒu le 。
“少主。”过了一会儿，袁三小心翼翼的开口了。
"Young Master."
“ shuō 。”
“说。”
After a while, Yan San cautiously spoke again: "Young Master, we have confirmed that the items are in the hands of the Liuye family. Why go through all this trouble to stir up trouble between them? We could just attack and take it directly..."
dé dào tián xiǎo jiàn dì yǔn kě 。 yuán sān tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò 。 rán ér cái zhēn zhuó zhe kāi kǒu le ：“ shǎo zhǔ 。 wǒ men jì rán què dìng le nà dōng xī fēn bié zài liǔ yè liǎng jiā dì shǒu lǐ 。 yòu hé bì dà fèi zhōu zhé 。 duì liǎng jiā jìn xíng tiǎo bō 。 zhí jiē chū shǒu qiǎng jiù xíng le ……”
得到田小剑地允可。袁三吞了一口唾沫。然而才斟酌着开口了：“少主。我们既然确定了那东西分别在柳叶两家地手里。又何必大费周折。对两家进行挑拨。直接出手抢就行了……”
"Idiot!" Tian Xiaojian's face showed signs of anger: "The Liuye family may not be powerful, but they do have Core Formation stage experts. You think it will be easy? It might alert them."
“ chǔn huò ！” tián xiǎo jiàn dì liǎn shàng yǐn xiàn nù sè ：“ liǔ yè liǎng jiā shì lì suī rán bù dà 。 dàn bì jìng dōu yǒu níng dān qī gāo shǒu 。 nǐ yǐ wéi shì nà me qīng yì jiù néng chéng gōng 。 bì dìng dǎ cǎo jīng shé 。”
“蠢货！”田小剑地脸上隐现怒色：“柳叶两家势力虽然不大。但毕竟都有凝丹期高手。你以为是那么轻易就能成功。必定打草惊蛇。”
"Ah?" Yan San was surprised but quickly understood that he wasn't dealing with a grassroots cultivator like himself. The young master had a big backer—his own senior disciple of the Evil Supreme Deity—and having high standards for his treasures was normal.
“ shì 。 shǎo zhǔ yīng míng 。” yuán sān nuò nuò lián shēng 。 dàn yǎn zhōng yī rán shǎn guò yī sī bù jiě dì biǎo qíng 。
“是。少主英明。”袁三诺诺连声。但眼中依然闪过一丝不解地表情。
"Young Master, you are the only disciple of the Evil Supreme Deity. Your cultivation in the Xuan Mo Scripture is beyond compare. Why not follow its instructions?" Yan San asked with some confusion.
tián xiǎo jiàn jiàn le 。 hēng le yī shēng ：“ nǐ yǐ wéi běn shǎo zhǔ yuàn yì zài zhè ér dān gē 。 kě yě wéi yǒu cǐ dì 。 cái yǒu yōu míng hán tiě dì xiāo xī 。”
田小剑见了。哼了一声：“你以为本少主愿意在这儿耽搁。可也唯有此地。才有幽冥寒铁地消息。”
"Why wouldn't I?" Tian Xiaojian's face showed a mix of helplessness and pride: "The Xuan Mo Scripture lists several powerful treasures, like the Purple Cloud Thunderlight Sword and the Yin Sky Soul-claiming Ring... But none of them are to my liking."
“ yōu míng hán tiě ？”
“幽冥寒铁？”
"Ah?" Yan San was surprised but quickly understood that his master had high standards. "Then what do you plan..."
qián miàn de duì huà ， lín xuān tīng dé yún lǐ wù lǐ ， dàn zhè ge cí yī luò rù ěr lǐ 。 zé lì kè jīng shén dà zhèn le qǐ lái 。
前面的对话，林轩听得云里雾里，但这个词一落入耳里。则立刻精神大振了起来。
Tian Xiaojian glanced at him: "Other high-ranking cultivators can ask, but not you. You're just a Core Formation stage disciple, and I don't mind telling you."
jìn rù níng dān qī yǐ hòu ， jiù kě yǐ liàn zhì zì jǐ de fǎ bǎo ， kě lín xuān què chí chí méi yǒu dòng shǒu ， zhè dāng rán bú shì yīn wèi tā de shǒu lǐ ， yǐ jīng yōng yǒu le xuán huǒ shén zhū ， qián yī zhèn 。 yòu yóu shī zūn yǔ shī zǔ fēn bié cì yǔ le yī jiàn bǎo wù 。
进入凝丹期以后，就可以炼制自己的法宝，可林轩却迟迟没有动手，这当然不是因为他的手里，已经拥有了玄火神珠，前一阵。又由师尊与师祖分别赐予了一件宝物。
The main reason was that Tian Xiaojian had been harboring this thought for a long time. He was proud and didn't want to seek help from his senior master. Besides, the material for the treasures like the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword was rare and hard to come by.
gǔ bǎo suī rán wēi lì fēi fán ， dàn duì níng dān qī xiū shì ér yán ， zuì zhòng yào de ， yǒng yuǎn shì zì jǐ de běn mìng fǎ bǎo 。
古宝虽然威力非凡，但对凝丹期修士而言，最重要的，永远是自己的本命法宝。
"Ten Thousand Soul Banner and Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword!"
lín xuān yě bìng fēi yīn wèi méi yǒu kǎo lǜ hǎo gāi liàn shén me 。
林轩也并非因为没有考虑好该炼什么。
Tian Xiaojian's voice resonated in Tian Xiaojian's ears as he nodded: "After I form my Golden Core, I will choose a treasure. The Nine Heavens Divine Technique and the Xuan Mo Scripture were both carefully examined, but the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword are the best."
yì bān shuō lái ， měi yī běn níng dān qī gōng fǎ ， dū huì zì dài yǒu xiāng yìn de fǎ bǎo liàn zhì zhī fǎ 。
一般说来，每一本凝丹期功法，都会自带有相印的法宝炼制之法。
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner was easy to understand—it required human souls for its creation, with more souls leading to greater power.
ér tā shǒu lǐ ， bù lùn shì jiǔ tiān xuán gōng ， hái shì xuán mó zhēn jīng ， lǐ miàn dōu yǒu xiáng xì jiè shào 。 jiǔ tiān xuán gōng zhōng ， zú yǒu sì wǔ jiàn fǎ bǎo 。
而他手里，不论是九天玄功，还是玄魔真经，里面都有详细介绍。九天玄功中，足有四五件法宝。
According to legends, his senior master had used 99,999 souls in it, trapping them so they couldn't reincarnate and suffer eternal torment...
měi yī yàng dōu miào yòng wú qióng ， dāng rán 。 cè zhòng diǎn yě lüè yǒu bù tóng ， xí liàn zhě kě yǐ hěn jù zì jǐ de xū yào ， xuǎn zé jì liàn nǎ yī kuǎn fǎ bǎo 。
每一样都妙用无穷，当然。侧重点也略有不同，习炼者可以很据自己的需要，选择祭炼哪一款法宝。
Tian Xiaojian knew he wasn't a good person, but such cold-hearted actions were beyond him. He wouldn't harm others unless provoked, but he also didn't want to actively seek out victims.
lín xuān yě céng zǐ xì yán jiū 。
林轩也曾仔细研究。
However, Tian Xiaojian might have chosen the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword for another reason: while it was easier to gather materials, its creation required immense effort. With his current cultivation level, he would need to add nearly ten thousand souls into the banner, otherwise, its power wouldn't be fully realized.
kě bù lùn nà yī kuǎn fǎ bǎo ， dōu xū yào jí qí zhēn guì dì cái liào ， fāng shì zhōng shì yǒu jīng shí yě mǎi bú dào ， xū yào zì jǐ sì chù xún zhǎo 。
可不论那一款法宝，都需要极其珍贵地材料，坊市中是有晶石也买不到，需要自己四处寻找。
Each soul needed to be sacrificed, which took a lot of time—often more than a decade. With the imminent war between the Daoists and the Devils, Tian Xiaojian had no choice but to abandon this path; with too few souls, it would not match the power of ordinary treasures.
yuán běn lín xuān shì dǎ suàn děng shí lì wěn gù yǐ hòu ， zài sì chù yún yóu ， shōu jí cái liào ， liàn zhì lín jiǎ yǔ fǎ bǎo 。 shuí zhī tōng yǔ zhēn rén què fēn fù zì jǐ chū lái zuò shì 。
原本林轩是打算等实力稳固以后，再四处云游，收集材料，炼制鳞甲与法宝。谁知通羽真人却吩咐自己出来做事。
The other treasure that caught his eye was the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword!
hǎo dǎi yě suàn shì líng yào shān shǎo zhǔ ， gèng bié shuō shī fù yě suàn duì zì jǐ kāi chéng bù gōng guò ， yòu bái sòng le liǎng jiàn bǎo wù ， lín xuān bù hǎo yì sī tuī tuō ， zhǐ hǎo lái qīng yè shān zǒu yī tàng le 。
好歹也算是灵药山少主，更别说师傅也算对自己开诚布公过，又白送了两件宝物，林轩不好意思推托，只好来青叶山走一趟了。
While less mysterious than the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, its offensive capabilities were superior. It was also a top-tier treasure.
fǎn zhèng qū qū xiū xiān jiā zú ér yǐ ， néng yù dào shén me jí shǒu de nán tí ， bāng tā men jiě jué le zài sì chù yún yóu yě bù chí 。
反正区区修仙家族而已，能遇到什么棘手的难题，帮他们解决了再四处云游也不迟。
What made it even more appealing was that it could be created relatively easily and didn't require much nourishment in one's soul; once connected, its power would be immense.
kě shì shì wú cháng ， zhè lǐ jū rán chū xiàn le xiū mó zhě 。
可世事无常，这里居然出现了修魔者。
However, there was a downside: the material for this sword was extremely precious—Abyssal Cold Iron.
lín xuān bào zhe jǐn shèn zhī yì ， tōu tōu gēn zōng guò lái 。 nǎ zhī dào què tīng jiàn le chū rén yì liào de xiāo xī ， xīn zhōng zì rán shì xīn xǐ yǐ jí 。
林轩抱着谨慎之意，偷偷跟踪过来。哪知道却听见了出人意料的消息，心中自然是欣喜以极。
Abyssal Cold Iron was a holy treasure of the ghost cultivators. Even during the ancient times, it rarely appeared and always drew frenzied competition, leading to countless deaths among cultivators.
shuō qǐ lái yōu míng hán tiě yǔ jiǔ tiān xuán gōng zhōng de fǎ bǎo dào méi yǒu shén me guān xì ， cóng míng zì jiù bù nán tuī duàn chū ， cǐ wù yīng gāi shì guǐ xiū de cái liào 。
说起来幽冥寒铁与九天玄功中的法宝倒没有什么关系，从名字就不难推断出，此物应该是鬼修的材料。
Even the Fiendish Tyrant coveted it but couldn't find any in Qingye Mountain. Since his banner-type treasures were unsuitable, he had no choice but to create the Purple Cloud Thunderlight Sword.
zhǐ tīng tián xiǎo jiàn hèn hèn de dào ：“ běn shǎo zhǔ níng chéng jīn dān yǐ hòu ， yì zhí hái méi yǒu zì jǐ dì běn mìng fǎ bǎo ， suī rán yóu shī zūn tā lǎo rén jiā cì yǔ le jǐ jiàn gǔ bǎo ……”
只听田小剑恨恨的道：“本少主凝成金丹以后，一直还没有自己地本命法宝，虽然由师尊他老人家赐予了几件古宝……”
While this sword was powerful, few knew that the tyrant's choice was out of necessity.
tīng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān yǎ rán shī xiào ， liǎng rén shì dí shì yǒu zàn qiě bù tán ， guāng cóng zhè yì diǎn 。 dào zhēn de yǒu rú nàn xiōng nàn dì yì bān 。
听到这里，林轩哑然失笑，两人是敌是友暂且不谈，光从这一点。倒真的有如难兄难弟一般。
Tian Xiaojian, despite his lofty ambitions, could only laugh at such a miraculous material. However, by chance, while wandering around, he heard about two families in Qingye Mountain possessing a treasure map to an ancient mine. The location was in a long-abandoned mine.
dāng rán 。 zhè yě shì yóu yú liǎng rén tóng yàng yǎn jiè jí gāo ， gēn běn jiù bú xiè yú yòng yì bān zhī wù liàn zhì běn mìng fǎ bǎo 。
当然。这也是由于两人同样眼界极高，根本就不屑于用一般之物炼制本命法宝。
The mine contained some ancient crystal materials like the Mother of Black Iron, Northern Ice Crystals, and Earth Spirit Fire Jade...
“ shǎo zhǔ 。 nín nǎi mó zūn tā lǎo rén jiā de wéi yī dì zǐ ， suǒ xí de xuán mó ** shén miào wú fāng ， nán dào lǐ miàn jiù méi yǒu jiè shào hǎo de fǎ bǎo liàn zhì zhī fǎ 。” yuán sān yǒu diǎn bù jiě de dào 。
“少主。您乃魔尊他老人家的唯一弟子，所习的玄魔**神妙无方，难道里面就没有介绍好的法宝炼制之法。”袁三有点不解的道。
These were invaluable for any cultivator, even Core Formation stage ones. But Tian Xiaojian's status didn't matter much to him.
“ zěn me méi yǒu ？” tián xiǎo jiàn de liǎn shàng xiàn chū yī sī wú nài ：“ xuán mó zhēn jīng zhōng zú zú jiè shào le qī bā zhǒng fǎ bǎo de cái liào yǔ liàn zhì fāng fǎ ， xiàng zǐ yún léi guāng jiàn ， yīn tiān suǒ mìng huán ， bái gǔ yuān hún bàng ……”
“怎么没有？”田小剑的脸上现出一丝无奈：“玄魔真经中足足介绍了七八种法宝的材料与炼制方法，像紫云雷光剑，阴天索命环，白骨冤魂棒……”
Curiosity piqued, he continued investigating, even secretly interrogating the disciples of both families using Soul Scouring Techniques to read their memories. Initially just a whim, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise: there was Abyssal Cold Iron!
tián xiǎo jiàn suǒ shuō de ， wú bù shì mó dào dà míng dǐng dǐng dì fǎ bǎo ， yuán sān suī rán jǐn jǐn zhǐ yǒu zhù jī qī de xiū wèi ， dàn què yě dōu tīng shuō guò ， liǎn shàng háo bù yǎn shì de lù chū le xiàn mù zhī sè ：“ nà shǎo zhǔ wèi hé ……”
田小剑所说的，无不是魔道大名鼎鼎地法宝，袁三虽然仅仅只有筑基期的修为，但却也都听说过，脸上毫不掩饰的露出了羡慕之色：“那少主为何……”
Tian Xiaojian almost couldn't believe his luck; after repeated confirmation, the probability that this material existed in either family's possession was 90%.
“ bù liàn zhì shì me ？” tián xiǎo jiàn liǎn shàng lù chū yī fù jì wú nài yòu ào rán dì biǎo qíng ：“ nǐ nán dào méi yǒu tīng shuō ， běn mìng fǎ bǎo ， zhǐ néng liàn zhì yī jiàn ， gāng cái suǒ shuō de dōng xī ， suī rán yě dōu shì dǐng jiān de bǎo wù ， dàn què bù zài běn shǎo zhǔ de yǎn zhōng 。”
“不炼制是么？”田小剑脸上露出一副既无奈又傲然地表情：“你难道没有听说，本命法宝，只能炼制一件，刚才所说的东西，虽然也都是顶尖的宝物，但却不在本少主的眼中。”
Moreover, neither the Liuye nor the Ye families knew about its value. Few did, as ordinary treasures rarely required such materials.
“ a ？” yuán sān mǎn liǎn jīng yà ， dàn hěn kuài yòu wèi zhī shì rán ， yǎn qián de kě bú shì zì jǐ zhè yàng cǎo gēn xiū xiān zhě ， rén jiā bèi hòu yǒu dà kào shān ， jí è mó zūn de qīn chuán dì zǐ ， yǎn guāng gāo yī xiē yě suàn shì zhèng cháng zhī shì 。
“啊？”袁三满脸惊讶，但很快又为之释然，眼前的可不是自己这样草根修仙者，人家背后有大靠山，极恶魔尊的亲传弟子，眼光高一些也算是正常之事。
Now, with the map torn into two halves and held by both families, he had a chance to get his hands on it.
Several years had passed, and Tian Xiaojian'scharm;风采:风貌;风采:personality (Note: The term can have multiple meanings depending on context) remained unchanged. However, compared to his impression from the past, he seemed a bit more steady and mature.
"Young Master!" Yan San bowed deeply, his face showing a hint of fear.
Tian Xiaojian glanced at him but did not speak until his brows furrowed slightly: "From your expression, it seems like the mission failed?"
"Yes, Young Master, please have mercy. I didn't mean to fail; there was an unexpected incident," Yan San trembled as he cried out in protest.
He then recounted the events, mostly without embellishment and fairly accurate to the truth.
Tian Xiaojian's face showed a look of surprise: "So it seems you're not entirely at fault."
"Thank Young Master for your kindness. I will certainly do my utmost to serve you, even if it means risking my life," Yan San said with a trembling voice.
"Get up!"
"Yes!"
Yan San stood up and respectfully stood by the side as Tian Xiaojian paced around, frowning in thought.
"Young Master."
After a while, Yan San cautiously spoke again: "Young Master, we have confirmed that the items are in the hands of the Liuye family. Why go through all this trouble to stir up trouble between them? We could just attack and take it directly..."
"Idiot!" Tian Xiaojian's face showed signs of anger: "The Liuye family may not be powerful, but they do have Core Formation stage experts. You think it will be easy? It might alert them."
"Ah?" Yan San was surprised but quickly understood that he wasn't dealing with a grassroots cultivator like himself. The young master had a big backer—his own senior disciple of the Evil Supreme Deity—and having high standards for his treasures was normal.
"Young Master, you are the only disciple of the Evil Supreme Deity. Your cultivation in the Xuan Mo Scripture is beyond compare. Why not follow its instructions?" Yan San asked with some confusion.
"Why wouldn't I?" Tian Xiaojian's face showed a mix of helplessness and pride: "The Xuan Mo Scripture lists several powerful treasures, like the Purple Cloud Thunderlight Sword and the Yin Sky Soul-claiming Ring... But none of them are to my liking."
"Ah?" Yan San was surprised but quickly understood that his master had high standards. "Then what do you plan..."
Tian Xiaojian glanced at him: "Other high-ranking cultivators can ask, but not you. You're just a Core Formation stage disciple, and I don't mind telling you."
The main reason was that Tian Xiaojian had been harboring this thought for a long time. He was proud and didn't want to seek help from his senior master. Besides, the material for the treasures like the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword was rare and hard to come by.
"Ten Thousand Soul Banner and Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword!"
Tian Xiaojian's voice resonated in Tian Xiaojian's ears as he nodded: "After I form my Golden Core, I will choose a treasure. The Nine Heavens Divine Technique and the Xuan Mo Scripture were both carefully examined, but the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword are the best."
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner was easy to understand—it required human souls for its creation, with more souls leading to greater power.
According to legends, his senior master had used 99,999 souls in it, trapping them so they couldn't reincarnate and suffer eternal torment...
Tian Xiaojian knew he wasn't a good person, but such cold-hearted actions were beyond him. He wouldn't harm others unless provoked, but he also didn't want to actively seek out victims.
However, Tian Xiaojian might have chosen the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword for another reason: while it was easier to gather materials, its creation required immense effort. With his current cultivation level, he would need to add nearly ten thousand souls into the banner, otherwise, its power wouldn't be fully realized.
Each soul needed to be sacrificed, which took a lot of time—often more than a decade. With the imminent war between the Daoists and the Devils, Tian Xiaojian had no choice but to abandon this path; with too few souls, it would not match the power of ordinary treasures.
The other treasure that caught his eye was the Abyssal Heart-crushing Sword!
While less mysterious than the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, its offensive capabilities were superior. It was also a top-tier treasure.
What made it even more appealing was that it could be created relatively easily and didn't require much nourishment in one's soul; once connected, its power would be immense.
However, there was a downside: the material for this sword was extremely precious—Abyssal Cold Iron.
Abyssal Cold Iron was a holy treasure of the ghost cultivators. Even during the ancient times, it rarely appeared and always drew frenzied competition, leading to countless deaths among cultivators.
Even the Fiendish Tyrant coveted it but couldn't find any in Qingye Mountain. Since his banner-type treasures were unsuitable, he had no choice but to create the Purple Cloud Thunderlight Sword.
While this sword was powerful, few knew that the tyrant's choice was out of necessity.
Tian Xiaojian, despite his lofty ambitions, could only laugh at such a miraculous material. However, by chance, while wandering around, he heard about two families in Qingye Mountain possessing a treasure map to an ancient mine. The location was in a long-abandoned mine.
The mine contained some ancient crystal materials like the Mother of Black Iron, Northern Ice Crystals, and Earth Spirit Fire Jade...
These were invaluable for any cultivator, even Core Formation stage ones. But Tian Xiaojian's status didn't matter much to him.
Curiosity piqued, he continued investigating, even secretly interrogating the disciples of both families using Soul Scouring Techniques to read their memories. Initially just a whim, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise: there was Abyssal Cold Iron!
Tian Xiaojian almost couldn't believe his luck; after repeated confirmation, the probability that this material existed in either family's possession was 90%.
Moreover, neither the Liuye nor the Ye families knew about its value. Few did, as ordinary treasures rarely required such materials.
Now, with the map torn into two halves and held by both families, he had a chance to get his hands on it.