After obtaining the Creation Jade Marrow, Tang Xiaoqi suppressed his impulse to immediately return to Qingxu Temple.
The Penglai Discourse on the Dao Assembly still had several more days; there were many overseas major powers' lectures and exchange activities in between—opportunities not to be missed. He restrained his impatience and continued participating in the assembly, absorbing overseas dao method essence and enriching his experience.
However, every night when silence settled, in his elegant guest quarters on Penglai Immortal Island, he would take out the two jade boxes storing the Crimson Flame Sword fragments and flat pan pieces, and that glowing jade bottle of Creation Jade Marrow, silently sensing.
That night, moonlight like water, streaming through the window into the meditation chamber. Xiao Qi once again placed the jade boxes and bottle on the desk. He stared at the broken sword body and cold fragments; memories of fighting side by side in the past surged in his heart. After a long silence, he took a deep breath and decided to try.
He didn't recklessly drip the jade marrow directly onto them. Its energy was too vast and pure; direct use might cause risk. He merely carefully uncorked the jade bottle, letting a trace of its creation aura, like the softest gauze, shroud the two jade boxes.
At first, the broken sword and fragments in the boxes had no reaction—still that deathly stillness. Xiao Qi didn't lose heart; he continuously guided that wisp of creation aura, like the most patient healer, gently "fumigating" the fragments with medicinal vapor. He simultaneously operated his Green Lotus source, infusing his dao thoughts containing protection and hope, softly murmuring, as if conversing with old friends:
"Crimson Flame, Black Pan... I found something that might let you recover..."
"Do you remember the back mountain of Qingxu Temple? Our first time fighting together..."
"That battle at the demon nest—you worked hard..."
"Persevere a bit more; soon... we can fight side by side again..."
His voice was low and full of emotion—more than a master's call, it was a companion's promise.
Time trickled; the moon rose to its zenith. Just when Xiao Qi thought tonight would also have no reaction and prepared to put away the jade marrow, suddenly—
The first to react was the jade box storing the Crimson Flame Sword fragments! That cracked, dim broken sword, under the continuous creation aura and Xiao Qi's dao thought infiltration, the flame patterns on the sword hilt actually flickered—extremely faintly like a dying candle flame! Though merely a flash, vanishing as quickly as it appeared—almost seeming like an illusion—but Xiao Qi's sharp divine sense clearly captured it!
Moreover, an extremely faint, nearly annihilated yet carrying a trace of scorching and unyielding spiritual fluctuation, like a long-sleeping creature yawning, extremely difficultly emanated from the sword body! This fluctuation was at its weakest, yet made Xiao Qi's heart surge!
It was the Crimson Flame Sword's spirit! It hadn't completely dispersed—merely damaged so severely, it had fallen into deepest silence! Now, under the Creation Jade Marrow's supreme nourishment, it actually showed a trace of revival!
Simultaneously, the other jade box storing the flat pan fragments also stirred! Those cold fragments' surface seemed to glimmer, a heavy, bearing, even carrying a bit of "indignant" faint thought, like spring water from deep earth, welling up. The flat pan's spirit also had a trace remaining!
These two extremely faint spiritual fluctuations, like drowning people grabbing the last straw, instinctively, greedily absorbed the creation jade marrow's aura, while also resonating with Xiao Qi's hope-filled and protective dao thoughts.
Xiao Qi restrained his excited heart, even more carefully maintained the creation aura's supply, and attempted to connect with those two reviving faint spirits through divine sense.
"Crimson Flame? Black Pan? Is that you? Can you hear me?"
"Tell me, what should I do to let you fully recover? What do you need?"
He repeatedly passed such thoughts. At first, responses were still chaotic, weak, full of confusion. But as the creation aura continuously nourished, those two spiritual fluctuations seemed to grow clearer, the information transmitted also more organized.
From the sword hilt came fragmented thought fragments: "...fire... Nirvana... True Dragon Scale... bearing... flame reborn..."
"...Phoenix... Divine Gold... balance... eternal..."
"...Chaos... containing..."
From the flat pan fragments came a more rustic, even carrying a bit of "greedy" thought: "...solid... hard..."
"...eat... melt... many... shiny..."
"...pan... is the dao..."
This information, though fragmented, combined with Xiao Qi's own refining knowledge and understanding of his two companions' characteristics, he gradually pieced together the reforging and sublimation's key!
The Crimson Flame Sword, to be reborn through Nirvana and reach higher, needed:
True Dragon Inverse Scale: Using its supreme majesty and resilient dragon power as the sword spine core, bearing the newborn flame, granting it dragon might and eternal characteristics. Phoenix Divine Gold: Containing Phoenix Nirvana divine power, compatible with Crimson Flame source, helping it complete destruction and rebirth transformation, balancing the dragon scale's rigidity. Chaos Stone (or similar containing chaos power material): Using its all-encompassing, evolving all laws' characteristics as the sword body base, containing dragon scale and phoenix gold's power, making its potential limitless.
The flat pan (Black Pan) requirements were somewhat... very "Black Pan":
Source Root of Mother Qi of All Things (or same grade top-grade bearing, fusing specialty divine material): As the pan body foundation, requiring extremely "solid," "can hold," "can melt," best if also can "eat" (absorb) various energy and materials. Stellar Core Gold, Supreme Unity and other piles of shiny, hard top-grade metal and earth attribute materials—it seemed it wanted to refine itself even "harder," better for "smashing." It also vaguely transmitted a rustic dao thought: "The pan itself is the dao—no need fancy, solid and useful."
Receiving this information, those two faint spirits seemed to exhaust the strength just accumulated, fluctuations becoming faint once more, falling back into silence—but no longer that deathly stillness, but like entering hibernation.
Xiao Qi slowly corked the jade bottle, cutting off the creation jade marrow's aura. He looked at the two jade boxes, eyes full of unprecedented hope and resolve.
Spirit awakening—the opportunity for reforging has appeared! Although the materials needed were rare and precious, especially True Dragon Inverse Scale, Phoenix Divine Gold, Source Root of Mother Qi—all things existing only in legend—finding them would be extremely difficult. But since there was a clear direction, hope for his companions' return, even if the road was long, he would never give up!
This was no longer merely repairing two artifacts, but fulfilling promises to companions who fought side by side, to make up for that regret in his heart.
He carefully stored the jade boxes and bottle, gazing out at the endless starry sky, already planning in his heart. After the Penglai matter concluded, he would embark on a new journey, to collect these reforging divine materials—however long it took, however hard!
The day Crimson Flame blazes anew, Black Pan resounds again—can be expected!