Sixth-Rank Spirit Forger

It was mid-winter.

A sudden cold snap had arrived, capping the mountains in white snow. After informing Ye Xianyu of his departure for Demon-Slaying City, Xu Xian headed to Zhujian Peak to find Ruan Hao.

"Master, I am ready."

Hearing this, Ruan Hao rose in silence and led Xu Xian to find Han Yi.

Thus, Xu Xian's private certification for spirit forger began in the plaza before the Forging Hall.

A spirit furnace.

A forging table.

A block of ordinary immortal gold.

Ruan Hao, Han Yi, and several sixth-rank spirit forger masters were present to witness the event.

"Little Martial Uncle, you may begin."

Xu Xian nodded and approached the forging table. He placed the immortal gold into the spirit furnace and, under the watchful eyes of the witnesses, began to forge the sword. He moved with practiced ease; in just half an hour, he had refined that block of immortal gold to top-grade.

He shaped it into a blade.

He performed the spirit infusion.

The entire process took only one hour. A high-tier earth weapon was born.

"Little Martial Uncle, congratulations. From today onward, you are a sixth-rank spirit forger."

Xu Xian smiled faintly. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"

To forge a high-tier earth weapon in a single hour without pause—in the entire Wendao Sect, Ruan Hao was likely the only other person capable of such a feat.

After Xu Xian and Ruan Hao departed, the gathered forge masters began to whisper among themselves, their faces filled with endless amazement.

"Two years to become a sixth-rank spirit forger... who would believe that if you told them?"

Han Yi let out a bitter laugh. "Sixth-rank? That is only because Little Martial Uncle is still in the nascent soul stage and can only forge earth weapons. His actual forging ability is likely already above mine. Even for me, forging a high-tier earth weapon would take at least three hours."

"Indeed, we simply cannot compare."

"I heard the Little Grand-Uncle can now create a piece of synthetic immortal gold using only a hundred pieces of spirit ore. Is that true?"

"It should be true."

"I'm just baffled. I tried the same method, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Heh... not everyone is like Little Martial Uncle. I have to say, Old Ruan certainly has a sharp eye..."

After his promotion to a sixth-rank spirit forger, Xu Xian received a new token issued by Zhujian Peak. His position was also updated within his dao jade: sixth-rank spirit forger.

On the way back, Ruan Hao told Xu Xian that to advance further on the path of forging, he first needed to advance further in his cultivation. He urged Xu Xian to settle down and focus on his training.

Xu Xian understood.

Ruan Hao then asked about his future plans.

Xu Xian answered honestly. He intended to travel to Demon-Slaying City.

Ruan Hao was surprised. "What are you going to Demon-Slaying City for?"

Xu Xian did not hide his intentions from his master. He explained that he planned to purchase beast bones—specifically, the intact skeletons of fifth-grade sapient beasts.

Ruan Hao asked curiously, "What do you need those for?"

Xu Xian smiled and simply said they would be useful.

Ruan Hao did not pry further, merely suggesting, "Could you not just have the people from the Merchant Hall find them for you? There is no need to risk yourself. That Demon-Slaying City is not exactly a friendly place."

Xu Xian naturally understood the logic, but the problem was the sheer volume he required.

He needed one hundred thousand.

If he relied on the Merchant Hall to collect them, the cost in merit points would be astronomical, even ignoring the sheer quantity. Furthermore, the Wendao Sect was not the only organization collecting beast bones in Demon-Slaying City.

Xu Xian was going personally because he wanted to establish a monopoly.

That was the only way to achieve his goal in the shortest time possible; he had a plan.

When he heard the number 'one hundred thousand,' Ruan Hao was visibly startled.

One hundred thousand intact fifth-grade beast bones was no small amount. To ensure a skeleton remained intact, the entire beast's corpse had to be preserved. Most bones currently on the market were incomplete, having already been skinned, de-tendoned, and hacked into pieces. Collecting that many would be no easy task.

Ruan Hao stopped trying to dissuade him, only warning him to be careful. Xu Xian's reputation was too great now; many in the world outside had their eyes on him.

Ruan Hao also mentioned that as an eighth-stage great ascension expert, he was forbidden by the rules from crossing the invisible boundary line of Boundary Mountain, so he could not help Xu Xian directly.

Xu Xian nodded repeatedly, assuring his master that he understood. He also informed Ruan Hao that his Senior Sister had arranged for Wen Qingxue to accompany him to ensure his safety. Of course, he also bragged a little, claiming he was terrifyingly strong now.

He said he could crush a nascent soul with a single hammer strike, and if he really lost his temper, he could probably rip the arm off a great ascension expert.

Ruan Hao merely shook his head with a smile. He knew Wen Qingxue; the girl's strength was decent.

In the following days, Xu Xian stopped forging and began preparing for his long journey. During this time, he visited the Dao Pavilion to specifically learn several life-saving immortal arts and some practical formations, committing them to memory. He also visited the Merchant Hall to purchase necessary supplies.

Naturally, he made a trip to the Baicao Garden to find Elder Yao and inform him about the trip to Demon-Slaying City. Since he was going, Yao Xiaoxiao would have to go as well so he could look after her.

While there, Xu Xian confessed to Elder Yao that if everything went smoothly, he might be able to completely cure the Yin Qi inside Yao Xiaoxiao's body.

Upon hearing this, Elder Yao's eyes lit up. He asked if there was anything he could do to help—finances, manpower, anything at all...

Xu Xian refused everything. It wasn't that he was being arrogant; he simply couldn't bring himself to ask. Whenever he thought of those two acres of spirit herb fields at Zuiwan Residence, now overflowing with various immortal plants, he didn't dare look Elder Yao in the eye.

Over the past year, Yao Xiaoxiao had nearly stripped Elder Yao's back garden bare to fill Xu Xian's fields. Although he hadn't dug them up himself, they were planted on his land. How could he possibly argue his way out of that? Most importantly, Xu Xian had no intention of ever returning them, so he felt too guilty to ask for more.

He did have some standards, after all.

Once he had settled his affairs in the mountains, he gathered his friends for a farewell party. They drank through the night, ending up only slightly tipsy. They spent the night talking, high-spirited and full of ambition.

Xu Xian said he was going to make big money and do big things. Everyone raised their glasses to wish him smooth sailing, though some offered quiet warnings in private.

Lin Qianqian whispered, "Xu Xian."

"Yeah?"

"I can't help you with this," she said. "Just... don't let anything happen. Come back safely."

"I will!"

Then he added, "Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Once a month, could you water my spirit herb field for me? And do some weeding and pest control?"

"Sure!"

"I won't make you do it for free. I'll pay you a salary."

"I don't want it..."

Early spring.

The day before his departure, Xu Xian was busy working in his spirit herb field when Li Qingshan arrived uninvited. "I heard you're leaving?"

Xu Xian said indifferently, "Who said that?"

"To Demon-Slaying City?"

Xu Xian glanced at him and answered with something completely unrelated. "Laugh if you want to. Don't give yourself internal injuries from holding it in."

Li Qingshan found the comment baffling.

Xu Xian continued, "But don't get happy too early. You won't be able to stiff me on a single cent of my salary."

Li Qingshan's eyes widened. "Xu Xian, you're really quite a piece of work."