Chapter 201: The Dao of Artisan Industry

Master Chen and a group of armorers gathered around, flipping through the Armory Scripture, discussing how to forge the armory furnace.

The armory furnace is a first-grade spiritual artifact, and a large one at that; for these armorers, it was both a test and an opportunity.

These armorers, all self-taught cultivators, had spent years forging artifacts and accumulated ample experience, but lacked a first-grade armory furnace, so they could never forge first-grade spiritual artifacts.

Thus, they could never become first-grade armorers.

If they could forge this first-grade armory furnace, and then practice extensively, perhaps their forging skills might truly break through, allowing them to become first-grade armorers.

Some of these armorers had gray hair and were nearing death, having forged spiritual artifacts their entire lives and long since accepted their fate.

Now, suddenly presented with a chance to ascend to first-grade armer status, these veteran armorers grew more energetic than ever, their eyes gleaming with sharp vitality.

The spirit they had once lost to life's grind was now fully revived.

Mo Hua stood nearby, craning his small head to join the discussion.

The armorers debated materials, techniques, quenching methods, forging processes, and shaping strategies.

Though he didn't fully understand, he could roughly grasp the gist.

He didn't want to be caught clueless in the future, tricked without even knowing it.

The armorers discussed feverishly for two days, then drafted a basic forging plan.

Most of them weren't first-grade armorers; attempting to forge a first-grade armory furnace right away was too ambitious.

So their first step was to forge some ordinary first-grade spiritual artifacts.

After becoming familiar with the forging techniques of first-grade artifacts, they would select the most skilled armorers to formally attempt forging the first-grade armory furnace.

Mo Hua didn't spend much time observing the actual forging process.

He would never forge artifacts himself in this lifetime; knowing the theory was enough, and having a general impression of the techniques was sufficient—he didn't need to invest so much effort.

Besides, most of forging time was spent swinging the hammer, quenching, swinging the hammer again, quenching again, then swinging the hammer once more.

Swinging the hammer yourself was one thing; watching it was dull, and the clang—clang—clang—clang—grew painful to the ears over time.

Mo Hua spent most of his days studying arrays.

He still had to learn another first-grade Melting Fire Reversal Array.

When he grew tired of drawing arrays, he would visit the armory workshop to check on Master Chen's progress.

After half a month, Master Chen, pooling all the armorers' efforts, finally stumbled through and forged a first-grade armory furnace.

After completing it, Master Chen sent Dazhu to fetch Mo Hua.

"See if you can draw the array," Master Chen said to Mo Hua, hopeful.

Mo Hua examined the armory furnace.

The furnace was clearly much smaller, made of inferior materials, its surface dull, with little space on the walls for array engraving, and few other reserved spots for arrays.

It seemed the furnace had been designed from the start as a small one, meant only for simple arrays, with no provision for complex ones like Reversal Arrays.

It appeared that even if one wished to draw a first-grade Melting Fire Control Spirit Reversal Array, not every armory furnace would do.

Mo Hua felt disappointed.

An armory furnace could serve as an array medium, carrying the array.

Arrays required compatible mediums; mediums required compatible arrays.

In other words, to draw complex, profound arrays, one needed exquisitely forged, high-grade spiritual artifacts—only then could they complement each other perfectly.

The armory furnace before him was clearly insufficient as a medium for a first-grade Melting Fire Reversal Array.

Mo Hua sighed, "Only a first-grade Melting Fire Array can be drawn; the Reversal Array is impossible."

The armorers all felt disappointed.

Master Chen sighed, then suddenly froze as a thought struck him.

Why should he be disappointed?

This was a true first-grade armory furnace, paired with a genuine first-grade array—he had dreamed of owning such a furnace.

Master Chen glanced at the large furnace in the courtyard's center and couldn't help but murmur, "Having seen the ocean, all other waters pale."

This child, Mo Hua, had raised their expectations too high.

With the furnace forged, Mo Hua could now draw the array on it.

Just a first-grade Melting Fire Array—it wouldn't take much effort.

Mo Hua finished drawing it quickly.

Afterwards, Master Chen and the others forged two more first-grade armory furnaces.

First time awkward, second time smooth.

With the experience from the first furnace, the next two used better materials and superior craftsmanship.

But no matter how well they were forged, they could still only accommodate the first-grade Melting Fire Array.

This was determined by the furnace's design.

After the three furnaces were completed, Elder Yu forbade Master Chen and the others from forging any more, as they had run out of refined iron and materials.

He had to save some for forging spiritual artifacts; otherwise, having only furnaces but no materials was like having pots but no rice—you'd starve.

Mo Hua drew two more first-grade Melting Fire Arrays.

With everything ready, the armory workshop now had four furnaces: three ordinary first-grade Melting Fire furnaces, and one large furnace engraved with the first-grade Melting Fire Control Spirit Reversal Array.

Elder Yu let out a long breath.

All was prepared, the wind only awaited.

He had spent a century or two toiling endlessly, failing to secure a better life for the lowly cultivators of Xiancheng—but now, in a short time, they had taken a giant step forward.

What lay ahead depended on how far they could go.

The armory workshop was built, the furnaces completed, the armorers assembled.

Elder Yu chose an auspicious day and officially opened for business.

The forge shop took a simple, direct name: because it was located in Chengnan, it was called "Chengnan Forge Shop."

In Xiancheng, the wealthy lived in the northern quarter, while the poor lived in the southern quarter.

Thus, naming it "Chengnan" meant this forge shop was not the forge of any one person, but the forge of all hunter-ghosts, and also the forge of all scattered cultivators from Chengnan.

When the forge shop opened, all hunter-ghosts and scattered cultivators who had participated in its construction gathered together, ate meat, drank wine, and celebrated all night.

Thanks to Elder Yu and Master Chen's coordinated planning, the forge masters within the shop thereafter proceeded methodically and orderly to forge spirit weapons.

The first three spirit weapons forged were: vine armor, plain sabers, and Qingxin hairpins.

Vine armor and plain sabers were commonly used spirit weapons among hunter-ghosts.

The Qingxin hairpin was a universal spirit weapon: it could calm the mind and focus the spirit, useful for cultivation, warding off miasma, and even as ornamentation—its functions were not outstanding, but it was the most versatile.

After the forge shop opened, Mo Hua went to take a look.

The vast forge shop, numerous forge masters and apprentices, categorized forging materials, unique forging techniques, orderly forging processes, and surging, roaring forge fires.

And one by one, exquisitely crafted spirit weapons—identical in size, standardized and planned—were arranged after being quenched in the forge, forged by the masters, then cooled by immersion in water or ash.

All of this deeply shocked Mo Hua.

For the first time, Mo Hua gained a clearer understanding of the cultivation industry.