Strike! He was striking iron!
Xu Xian hammered from noon until the sun set, from the quiet of the stars until the horizon turned white, continuing until a morning breeze woke the rising sun.
The bucket-sized piece of heavy iron before him had been hammered down to the size of a fist.
Xu Xian put away his Star-Forging Hammer, and the Sky Gate atop Zhujian Peak flashed once more.
He picked up the steel ball, holding it in his trembling palm.
The ball was glowing red, as hot as a flame.
The youth’s eyes grew moist, and his nose felt a bit stingy.
"It wasn't easy!"
"It truly wasn't easy!"
He had exhausted his Nascent Soul power and consumed three first-grade Qi-Replenishing Pills in a row to finally succeed.
You had to understand, this was just ordinary heavy iron. If it were a spirit ore full of spirituality, he would probably have to strike it for three days and three nights!
Hearing that the hammering had stopped, Ruan Hao opened his eyes from his sleep and sat up from his rocking chair.
The old man glanced at the high sun, yawned, took out his pipe, took a puff of morning smoke, and said to the youth, "Bring it over."
With lowered brows and drooping shoulders, Xu Xian walked to the table like a zombie, his steps wobbling. He placed the lumpy steel ball, which had a radius of about three inches, onto the table.
He slumped down opposite Ruan Hao, resting his chin on the edge of the table and groaning.
"Ugh—"
Ruan Hao glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, looking delighted at his misfortune. He teased, "Is this all you've got?"
"I'm exhausted!"
Ruan Hao puffed out a cloud of smoke and smiled. "This is only the beginning. The real hardship is yet to come."
Xu Xian’s face was numb, his eyes vacant. He said nothing.
He had chosen this path. He had to walk it, even if he had to do so on his knees.
Ruan Hao used two fingers to pick up the steel ball, which was still scorching hot from the force of the strikes. He held it before his eyes and blew a puff of smoke onto it.
It was as if the height of summer had met the dead of winter!
The small iron ball hissed, and steam billowed out. Within moments, it had cooled down.
Ruan Hao turned it over in his fingers, inspecting it closely. He looked at Xu Xian and said calmly, "Well, the shape is a bit ugly, but the size is appropriate. I'll consider this a pass for now!"
Xu Xian stared at Ruan Hao flatly.
"Oh, thank you so much!"
Ruan Hao placed the steel ball on the table and gave it a light push. The iron ball rolled toward Xu Xian. As it neared his face, Xu Xian lifted an arm that no longer felt like his own and used a single finger to steady it.
Ruan Hao asked, "Do you know why I made you strike this heavy iron?"
Xu Xian drawled, "Because to forge a sword, you have to hit iron."
Ruan Hao’s brow twitched. With a flash of a blurred image, his pipe accurately thwacked Xu Xian on the forehead. There was a loud thud!
It was exceptionally crisp.
One could tell just by the sound that it was a good, solid head.
Xu Xian hissed in pain.
"Sss!"
Ruan Hao exuded a natural authority. "Watch your attitude!"
Xu Xian’s listlessness vanished as he rubbed his head in pain.
Ruan Hao took a drag from his pipe. "Say it again."
Xu Xian curled his lip and then spoke lazily. "Metals are divided into three major categories: mortal iron, spirit ore, and immortal gold."
"Mortal iron is divided into four grades: common, high-quality, refined, and top-grade."
"Spirit ore and immortal gold have one more grade added on top of those: rare."
"The criteria for distinction are the amount of impurities and the inherent hardness or softness of the metal."
"A master forger can use forging and smelting to remove impurities and change the hardness, thereby obtaining better quality materials."
Xu Xian paused to take a breath and continued with more emphasis. "So, Master, you had me hammer this mortal iron to improve its quality."
"At the same time, it was to teach me that a person is like iron. Only by enduring a thousand tempers and ten thousand strikes can one become superior. One must not fear bitterness or hardship..."
"As the saying goes, jade must be carved to become a vessel, and a person must suffer to become a talent!"
The light in Ruan Hao’s eyes flickered. He understood everything Xu Xian said at the beginning, but those last two sentences left him a bit dazed!
He didn't think he had intended all that.
But he had to admit, hearing the boy put it that way made him seem much more profound and calculating.
There was certainly nothing wrong with it.
He nodded instinctively and uttered two words.
"Exactly!"
He didn't forget to emphasize it. "Mm... Yes, that is exactly what I meant!"
Xu Xian remained silent. When it came to reading between the lines, he had never lost.
Ruan Hao smoked his dry tobacco and lectured slowly, "A good sword requires not only a good master forger but also a piece of good iron."
"Good iron doesn't necessarily result in a good sword!"
"But scrap iron definitely won't result in a good sword!"
"But in this world, where are there so many good ores to be found?"
"Using the same immortal gold, some people can forge immortal weapons, while others can only forge earth weapons."
"The difference lies in the method used to purify the ore."
"A qualified master forger must not only know how to forge swords but also how to hit iron."
"Forging ore of the same grade from common to refined is merely the most basic of basics. Reaching top-grade is what counts as qualified."
"And an excellent master forger can even combine several or dozens of metals to turn mortal iron into spirit ore."
"As my disciple, if your sword forging isn't up to par, I won't argue with you. That's a matter of talent and cannot be forced. But..."
The old man’s voice grew heavy as he spoke each word clearly. "If your iron hitting isn't up to par, that's a matter of attitude. I won't tolerate that. If you don't hammer the iron well, then I'll hammer you."
Xu Xian’s cheek twitched irregularly.
"Uh!"
Ruan Hao pulled out a yellowed book from somewhere and tossed it in front of Xu Xian.
Xu Xian caught it instinctively.
Ruan Hao said, "This is a collection of data I compiled myself. It records all the mortal iron and spirit ores in the world—their attributes, structures, ratios, and the theories on how to combine them to turn mortal iron into spirit ore, and spirit ore into immortal gold..."
"You have a good deal of strength, and your control over power is beyond reproach, so I don't need to redundantly teach you those things."
"Study this book thoroughly first."
"When you can turn mortal iron into spirit ore—regardless of quality—I will teach you the true art of sword forging."
Xu Xian accepted it happily, waving the book in his hand as he agreed readily. "Alright! I'll work hard!"
To put it simply, this was the master forger’s version of turning stone into gold.
Turning mortal iron into spirit ore would increase the price a thousandfold.
Turning spirit ore into immortal gold would increase the price ten-thousandfold.
It was hard work, but nothing was more profitable than this profession.
No wonder people said that among the three most lucrative professions in Fanzhou—master forger, talisman master, and alchemist—the master forger held the top spot.
There was a reason for that.
Ruan Hao reminded him, "Keep it safe. This is the crystallization of my life's work. Don't let outsiders see it."
Xu Xian indicated his understanding. The price of intellectual property had always been very high.
After carefully putting it away into the Divine Sword Pool space, Xu Xian said, "Master, I want to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"I want to ask for a leave of absence?"
"Leave of absence?" Ruan Hao was confused.
Xu Xian hurriedly explained, "I've been away from home for six years. I want to go back to the village and see my family."
Ruan Hao took a deep drag of his tobacco. Amidst the exhaled smoke, his eyes looked heavy as he said:
"Once one enters the immortal gates, it is as deep as the sea; looking back at the mortal world, there are no old friends. Go. While you can still see them, go and look a few more times."
Xu Xian naturally understood the meaning behind Ruan Hao’s words.
The difference between immortal and mortal was no less than that between Yin and Yang.
Those who cultivated could easily live for hundreds or thousands of years, while mortals, at the end of their lives, had nothing more than a century of growth and decay.
But he was still young and didn't want to think about such grim things too early.
He cupped his hands and thanked him. "Thank you for granting my request, Master!"
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