Sword Forging

Listen to the clamor of the mountains and fields, louder than the whistling autumn wind.

On the seventh floor of the Immortal Pavilion, the youth’s face was full of spring breeze as he slightly pressed down the corners of his mouth.

"See? I told you, this is too cruel for them."

Ye Xianyu tucked a stray hair behind her ear and said with a smile, "It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Isn’t this a form of motivation?"

Xu Xian raised an eyebrow. "So, can we leave now? I’m quite busy."

Ye Xianyu narrowed her eyes slightly and answered with a question of her own, "I heard you took Elder Ruan as your master. Do you really want to learn how to hit iron?"

"It’s called sword forging," Xu Xian corrected her.

Ye Xianyu reminded him, "Being a master forger is very hard. I remember you saying that you hate suffering the most. Have you really thought this through?"

Xu Xian said seriously, "But if I can become a top-tier master forger, it’s also very profitable."

Ye Xianyu was slightly surprised. "A top-tier master forger? Such high ambitions?"

Xu Xian mused, "A youth should possess ambitions that soar to the clouds, competing for elegance in the vast sky."

Ye Xianyu pretended to be full of admiration, her large eyes shimmering like the morning glow.

"Only by enduring the most bitter of hardships can one become a superior person. Keep it up! This Senior Sister has high hopes for you. As long as you aren’t afraid of suffering, the thousands of rivers and mountains will not be in vain..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Xian corrected her again, "Senior Sister, you’re wrong again!"

"Where am I wrong?" Ye Xianyu tilted her head.

Xu Xian paused for a moment. "As long as you aren’t afraid of suffering, you’ll have endless suffering to endure!"

"Huh?"

"I’m off."

Xu Xian waved his sleeve, leaped down from the Immortal Pavilion, and sauntered away.

Ye Xianyu looked thoughtful and murmured, "There’s some truth to that, but unfortunately, it’s all twisted logic."

With a light laugh, she also departed on the wind.

The two disciples bowed their heads.

"Respectfully seeing off the Sect Master!"

"Respectfully seeing off the Little Grand-Uncle!"

On the mountain paths and in the dojo pavilions, the discussions about Xu Xian continued.

They were talked about with great relish, making for excellent dinner conversation. Barring any accidents, such gossip would persist for a very long time...

Meanwhile, the subject of the talk, Xu Xian, arrived at Zhujian Peak as if nothing had happened and stepped into that forging workshop.

No sound of iron being forged was heard. The old man sat in a rocking chair, puffing out clouds of smoke.

"Master, I’ve come to fulfill my promise."

Xu Xian’s voice rang out as soon as he entered the courtyard. The old man opened his eyes and glanced over; a flash of joy appeared in the depths of his eyes but vanished in an instant.

He said lazily, "So much fuss. You lack composure!"

Xu Xian smiled without speaking and walked over to stand before the old man.

Ruan Hao smoked his pipe, exhaling mist, his gaze constantly drifting through the clouds to look at the young lad.

Five days apart.

From core formation to nascent soul.

The more he looked, the more he found this disciple pleasing to the eye, but he wouldn't say it.

He tapped his pipe against the table leg, stood up, and with his hands behind his back, bypassed Xu Xian and headed straight for the forging platform.

Xu Xian followed closely behind, trying to find something to talk about.

"Master, didn't you notice any changes in me?"

Ruan Hao asked knowingly, "What changes?"

Xu Xian walked in front of him and opened his arms to show off. "Didn't you notice? I’ve broken through to the nascent soul stage!"

"Oh!"

Ruan Hao gave a flat response and started rummaging through a pile of heavy iron, making a clattering noise.

Xu Xian felt a bit depressed.

This master of his was far too calm.

Just like his Fifth Senior Brother!

Was this the so-called depth of character?

After a short while, Ruan Hao dug out a piece of iron that was as black as ink.

It was about the size of a wooden bucket. With a light toss, it landed steadily on the forging platform.

He straightened up, glanced at the youth, and said nonchalantly,

"A measly nascent soul stage. This master could crush a whole bunch of them with a single hammer strike. I really don't know what you’re so proud of."

Xu Xian found it baffling and emphasized, "No, Master, I... I’m an eighteen-year-old nascent soul!"

"So what if you’re eighteen? Will people go easy on you just because you’re eighteen? Stop daydreaming," Ruan Hao retorted unceremoniously.

Xu Xian pursed his lips and ultimately held his tongue. Everyone said Ruan Hao had a huge temper; he had thought it was a rumor, but now it was confirmed.

With this temper, he was like a powder keg ready to blow without even being lit!

"Fine, fine, fine. Master is right!"

Ruan Hao looked at the deflated Xu Xian and said calmly,

"Stand over here!"

"Oh!"

"Where is the Star-Forging Hammer?"

With a thought, Xu Xian retrieved the Star-Forging Hammer from the Divine Sword Pool in the Sword Mound and placed it heavily on the ground.

At the same time.

On the Sky Gate, the five-colored aurora flashed again.

Ling Mu sat up in shock and cursed, "Dammit, again?"

In the forging workshop.

Ruan Hao asked Xu Xian, "Let me ask you, do you know what sword forging is?"

Xu Xian said with a straight face, "Does Master want to hear the detailed version or the simple version?"

Ruan Hao was intrigued and mused, "Let’s hear the simple one?"

Xu Xian blurted out,

"Hitting iron!"

Ruan Hao’s white eyebrows twitched. There was indeed nothing wrong with that, but it was excessively simple. He said, "Tell me the detailed version?"

"By heating the iron block to a high temperature, the internal atoms vibrate and accelerate their movement, making the internal structure of the iron loose, thereby reducing its hardness and making it soft..."

"Then, through hammering, it is forged into the desired shape. Through repeated forging, impurities in the iron are excluded, the components are made uniform, the structure is densified, and the crystal grains are refined, thereby enhancing the hardness and toughness of the iron... (Three hundred words omitted here; for related content, search it yourself!)"

"Finally... quenching. Thus, a sword is born!"

Xu Xian finished in one breath without blushing or panting.

Ruan Hao was silent. "..." Those were all human words, so why did they sound incomprehensible coming out of Xu Xian’s mouth?

Ruan Hao: "Finished?"

Xu Xian nodded. "Yes, finished!"

Ruan Hao’s throat rolled, and he said in a deep voice, "Hmm, not bad. Well said!"

"Thank you for the praise, Master!"

Ruan Hao shifted the conversation. "Don’t say it again next time."

"Uh?" Xu Xian was slightly dazed.

Ruan Hao changed the subject and asked again, "Then do you know how many grades of master forgers there are?"

Xu Xian blurted out without thinking.

"Mortal forging, spirit forging, and immortal forging. Each grade is divided into nine ranks. Those of mortal forging can cast sharp blades that cut through iron like mud and sever a hair with a breath."

"Those of spirit forging can forge spirit weapons, earth weapons, and heaven weapons, where a sword can strike from a thousand miles away and kill invisibly..."

"As for immortal forging, one can cast immortal artifacts. In today’s world, there is only one person capable of immortal forging."

This time, Ruan Hao narrowed his eyes and gave heartfelt praise, "Not bad, entirely correct!"

Xu Xian paused but then added, "However, I believe that above immortal forging, there should be one more grade."

"Oh? Let’s hear it?"

Xu Xian heavily spat out two words.

"Divine forging!"

Ruan Hao asked casually, "Then what do you think divine forging is?"

Xu Xian recalled what he had seen yesterday and said word for word,

"Using heaven and earth as the furnace, plucking the stars to act as the embryo, and using powerful beings as the catalyst to forge a divine weapon. Such is divine forging."

Hearing this, Ruan Hao’s sturdy frame shook, and his facial expression froze for several breaths.

Heaven and earth as the furnace, stars as the embryo, essence blood as the catalyst, to forge a divine weapon!

If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, he could hardly imagine such words coming from the mouth of an eighteen-year-old child who hadn't even entered the profession.

Regardless of whether it was true or false.

This imagination alone was enough to swallow mountains and rivers.

In fact, the scene naturally surfaced in his mind, and it was breathtakingly shocking.

He slapped Xu Xian on the shoulder and laughed loudly,

"Hahaha, good lad!"

"Well said! As expected of my disciple!!"

Xu Xian hissed in pain, sucking in the cold air.

Ruan Hao got straight to the point, "Come, I will teach you sword forging right now. Your first task..."

He pointed at the heavy iron in front of him. "Use the Star-Forging Hammer to forge this heavy iron down to the size of a fist."

Xu Xian stared straight at that block of iron, unable to believe it. "Master, you’re not joking, are you?"

"What kind of talk is that?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Ruan Hao snorted, his presence commanding and stern.

Xu Xian trembled all over.

"I’ll do it!"

Ruan Hao smiled slightly.

Xu Xian raised the hammer and began to strike the heavy iron according to Ruan Hao’s guidance. The clanging sounds echoed through the mountains.

At a hundred strikes.

Xu Xian was tired.

At five hundred strikes.

Xu Xian was numb.

At a thousand strikes.

Xu Xian was spent.

At two thousand strikes.

Xu Xian completely broke down!

"Even a dog wouldn't forge this iron..."