Chapter 120: The Geothermal Valley in the Cold Pool

"Fifth tier, it seems like a watershed."

On the way to the Weapon Casting Valley, Li Yuan was still pondering the changes in the Commanding Talisman and the Fusion Weapon Furnace.

Except for the need for 'incense offerings', this furnace has absolutely no flaws.

"Afterwards, I must find a way to get some incense offerings."

Riding a boat across the lake, the afternoon sun shone brightly on the Cold Pool; Li Yuan caught sight of Liang Liang Ashui.

He was propelling the small boat, ferrying disciples back and forth.

Inner Sect disciples receive better treatment than Outer Sect disciples, getting five taels of silver as a monthly stipend.

Five taels of silver is a lot for ordinary people, but far from enough for Inner Sect disciples' cultivation needs, so they naturally have to earn money.

Ferrying across the Cold Pool belongs to this kind of task.

However, Li Yuan guessed that Liang Liang Ashui was probably still thinking about how to catch fish; this Cold Pool is not lacking in Spirit Fish.

"True Disciple..."

Seeing Li Yuan greeting him from afar, Liang Liang Ashui nodded in response, his heart feeling complex.

The gap between Inner Sect disciples and True Disciples is even greater than the gap between a young master and a companion scholar.

Leaving other things aside, just the rewards after the True Disciple Ceremony are something an Inner Sect disciple could never earn in a lifetime.

Not to mention other implicit benefits.

For instance, for the Cold Pool ferry, ordinary disciples must pay one qian of silver for a round trip, but True Disciples do not need to.

"If I can't catch Spirit Fish, I might not even achieve Inner Strength in ten years, let alone become a True Disciple."

Liang Liang Ashui sighed inwardly, focused on ferrying, and continued to gather silver for the fish bait he was mixing.

"Another day, I'll also try to see if I can catch a few Spirit Fish."

Looking at the shimmering waves on the lake surface, Li Yuan felt a slight stir in his heart; Fucheng is not lacking in wealthy families, and the price of Spirit Fish is far higher than in Gao Liu County.

Most importantly, the taste is truly excellent; he likes it very much.

Whoosh~

The lake wind blew gently.

On the sampan, Li Yuan looked around at the mountain and river scenery; seemingly admiring the view, he was actually scanning every place, wanting to find the Split-Sea Profound Whale Hammer.

"Could the appearance of this hammer have a time limit? Do I have to wait until next year after the New Year?"

Li Yuan, having found nothing, sighed inwardly; after the Commanding Talisman advanced to the fifth tier, he could perceive any weapon within twenty meters with focused concentration.

But the Divine Weapon Mountain Ranges cover thousands of li; searching aimlessly is no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Could it be inside the Weapon Casting Valley?"

Getting off the ferry, Li Yuan walked toward the Weapon Casting Valley; gazing into the distance, he could see rows of straight and thick chimneys.

Black smoke rolled thickly, visible clearly from ten li away.

The lake island where the entrance to the Divine Weapon Valley is located covers about thirty or forty li in all directions; the Weapon Casting Valley is on the far eastern side, far from the Sect Ceremonies and also far from the disciples' residences.

Mastering the Second Tier Six-Union Boots, Li Yuan's pace was faster; in no time, he had arrived outside the Weapon Casting Valley.

This valley has small mountains on three sides, with only one side for entry, guarded by Armored Divine Guards, with strict vigilance.

Possessing a True Disciple Token, Li Yuan passed through without obstruction, carrying a First Tier hammer weapon into the valley.

He hadn't even walked through the long corridor when he heard Ba Ba Wanli's voice, full of energy:

"What? My hammer is only damaged in this one corner, and you're asking for eight hundred taels?!"

Walking past the narrow corridor, the view suddenly opened up; Li Yuan immediately spotted the giant man with both hands on his hips.

Li Yuan surveyed this deep valley; in the center were six chimneys rising from the ground over a hundred meters high, and around them seemed to be the living quarters for disciples and craftsmen.

Ba Ba Wanli stood at the entrance of a tunnel, eyes wide with anger; a bare-chested man, sprayed with saliva in the face by him, smiled bitterly and lowered his head:

"Eighth Senior Brother, that is the price inside the valley; even if you beat your junior brother to death, there is no way to change it."

"I won't repair it!"

Ba Ba Wanli flew into a rage, picked up his hammer, turned around, and only then noticed Li Yuan:

"Junior Brother Li, is your hammer broken too?"

Glancing at the deformed long-handled melon hammer, Li Yuan shook his head and spoke with increased emphasis:

"No, I came to see and learn. Senior Brother, you

forgot, I am also a blacksmith by trade."

"I almost forgot, you are also a blacksmith!"

Ba Ba Wanli patted his forehead, finally remembering that this junior brother of his was originally called a forging genius.

Remembering this, his eyes lit up:

"Junior Brother, can you repair hammer weapons?"

"What difficulty is there in that?"

Li Yuan was overjoyed inwardly but pretended to be calm; being steady makes it easier for people to trust him:

"Before the New Year last year, I successively forged two supreme-grade sharp blades, one of which was a heavy hammer!"

"Good!"

Ba Ba Wanli was overjoyed inwardly, glared at the surprised blacksmith behind him, raised his hand, and threw the Drum-Beating Pure Gold Hammer over:

"Repair this hammer, and Senior Brother will give you one thousand taels!"

Saying this, he glared at the blacksmith behind him; that blacksmith smiled bitterly and lowered his head, speechless in his heart.

What normal person could do such a thing?

Whoosh~

Li Yuan caught the giant hammer, his eyes brightening slightly.

This Handle-heavy hammer weighs at least eight hundred jin; wielded with the strength of eighty thousand li, it is truly a deadly weapon.

"What nonsense does the Eldest Brother speak? We are fellow disciples; how could a hammer cost silver?"

Li Yuan waved his hand.

Seeing him casually Take the weight of the heavy hammer and refusing payment, Eighty Thousand Li became even more satisfied: "Seven days from now, I must leave the valley; is that enough time?"

Seven days is far too short.

Li Yuan felt regret in his heart but nodded naturally to agree: "It is enough, but where is Senior Brother going?"

This is a Tier Five heavy hammer, further enhanced by a Perfection-grade Battle-Slaughter Hammer; its utility for him is immense.

He currently could not meet the conditions to Command it, but simply wanted to seize this opportunity to take on the job.

Money was irrelevant; the main point was to build a reputation first.

Eighty Thousand Li's voice was so loud; not using it would be a waste.

"There are matters in Yunjing Commandery that require my presence."

Eighty Thousand Li shook his head, said no more, merely snorted coldly at the blacksmith behind him, and turned to leave.

Yunjing Commandery?

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly; he wanted to ask but, knowing his place, kept silent.

The Bai family where Shao Shao Fangbai resides is in Yunjing Commandery; furthermore, Gao Liu County is also there...

"Senior Brother Li."

That blacksmith showed no anger at having his deal snatched; he clasped his hands in a bow, quite enthusiastic:

"Junior Brother, I have long heard you are a rare forging genius; it is just that these days have been too busy to visit."

"Senior Brother?"

Glancing at this person's weathered, frost-kissed face, Li Yuan smiled in response and followed him into the underground passage.

The Weapon Casting Valley is not on the surface, but underground.

He had long heard of the Cold Pool Water and the Blazing Fire Valley.

This craftsman is named Zhu Chen, an Outer Sect disciple; he looks mature, but is actually only twenty-one, having come to the Weapon Casting Valley at age six.

Zhu Chen was quite enthusiastic, introducing him to the craftsmen they met along the way, as well as the various facilities within the Weapon Casting Valley.

"Beneath the Blazing Fire Valley lies a natural fire vein; since the surroundings are entirely Cold Pool Water, it vents only here, making it extremely hot and a natural site for weapon casting."

As soon as they entered the passage, Li Yuan felt rolling waves of heat; the deeper they went, the hotter it became; by the time they reached the forging ground, he felt even his breath was hot.

However, more than the temperature, he cared about the glint of weapons occasionally flashing in his peripheral vision.

Along this path, he sensed the presence of at least ten famous artifacts; within this hundred-meter stratum, there must be hidden mysteries.

"Good heavens!"

A hundred meters down, in the vast forging ground, Li Yuan immediately spotted those six chimneys.

Massive chimneys, ten men linking arms to encircle, plunged deep into the earth; beside each chimney stood dozens of forging platforms.

Beneath every forging platform, molten lava actually flowed; various fire-boosting and combustion-aiding charcoals were stuffed in as if they were free.

"Senior Brother Li, please enter yourself."

Zhu Chen was already drenched in sweat by this point.

He had just cultivated internal strength; normally he was responsible for moving iron materials and welcoming visitors.

It would take another five or six years before he might qualify to wield a hammer.

"Much obliged."

Li Yuan nodded, carrying the Drum-Rattling Mixed-Gold Hammer toward one of the empty chimneys.

Zhu Chen had already reported his arrival; now, many craftsmen looked over, and one old man wearing only shorts spoke up:

"Disciple of Han Han Chuijun?"

"Replying to Elder, this disciple is indeed."

Li Yuan bowed deeply.

This old man was tall, with a square face full of tangled beard; his two arms were clad in tight-fitting garments showing bulging muscles, while his limbs were thick and sturdy, truly a turtle-shaped body with a crane's back.

He was the Third Elder of the Weapon Casting Valley, Lei Lei Jingchuan, a renowned master of weapon forging for decades.

"Voom!"

Before Li Yuan finished speaking, he heard a gust of force attack; without hesitation, he raised his hand, his arm muscles swelled, internal strength erupted, and he caught the flying forging hammer in his palm.

'That old man has tremendous strength!

Li Yuan stepped back, feeling his arm go numb; however, glancing at this forging hammer, his heart gave an involuntary jump.

【Miracle Weapon Forging Hammer (Tier Four)】

【Ten-thousand-year Blazing Fire Refined Iron, mixed with seventy-nine rare iron types, forged through a thousand trials in blazing fire and tempered with a hundred bloods; held by a forging master who has hammered thousands of weapons, it gradually developed spiritual qualities...】

【Command Conditions: Forging Art Grand Perfection, Lower-Grade Hammer Technique Grand Perfection, Upper-Grade Hammer Technique Perfection】

【Command Effects: Weapon Casting Art Great Achievement (Pale Green), Armor Hammering Great Achievement (Pale Green), Weapon-Armor Spirit-Communication Art (Deep Green), Weapon Dao Battle-Slaughter Hammer Perfection (Deep Green)】

A fine treasure!

Gripping this hammer, Li Yuan felt reluctant to let go; it was the best forging hammer he had encountered since the Great Craftsman's Hammer.

"Good bones, good strength!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan praised, beckoning: "Come, the outside world says you are a forging prodigy; come, let this old man have a look!"

"Command, Great Craftsman's Hammer!"

Li Yuan decisively swapped out the Six-Heaven Boots, which he had only commanded for three hours.

"Jade-Green Copper Hammer, Refined Steel Wind-Tiger Pestle, Hundred-Fold Wind-Breaking Mallet, Supreme Pure-Steel Hammer... Great Craftsman's Hammer!"

Striding before Lei Lei Jingchuan, Li Yuan was already prepared.

The clanging of hammers in the forging ground ceased for the most part, and the gazes of numerous craftsmen turned toward this "forging prodigy."

Before the latter could speak, Li Yuan raised his hand and smashed a hammer onto the red-hot iron ingot on the forging table.

This strike embodied the Great Perfection of the Forging Art, possessed a force of a thousand jin, was heavy and powerful, and was further enhanced by a hammer-type talent.

"Hmm?"

"Eh?"

Every one of the craftsmen holding hammers within the Weapon Casting Valley was a veteran artisan; their eyes were how sharp. As soon as Li Yuan struck, many had already discerned the truth.

Even Lei Lei Jingchuan could not help but raise an eyebrow.

Boom!

The hammer fell like thunder exploding, then continued without cease, resembling surging rivers and sweeping gales.

Li Yuan's hammer technique was already excellent; the Cloak Hammer had reached perfection, and the Duel-Killing Hammer had also been mastered. Now, it was further enhanced by Four heavy weapons and the Great Artisan's Hammer.

Combining strength, talent, and the ability to handle heavy tasks with ease, after eighteen strikes, some had already changed color.

After thirty-six strikes, only his hammering sound remained in the forging ground. When all one hundred and eight forms of the Duel-Killing Hammer were completed, the forging ground fell into dead silence.

Such dense and uniform hammering sounds could be achieved by everyone present, but how long had they been hammering iron?

The shortest was twenty or thirty years, the longest many forty or fifty years. How old is this young man?

"Junior Brother Li, have you truly been hammering iron for less than two years?"

A blacksmith set down his forging hammer, his expression filled with shock and doubt.

"Listening to this hammer sound, this young man is no worse than me. How is this possible?"

"Does a forging prodigy with such talent truly exist?"

"A forging prodigy with Nine-Formed Bone Structure? I've seen ghosts in my life. In the thousand years since the Divine Weapon Valley began, has there ever been a disciple with such talent coming to hammer iron?"

Someone spoke, and the forging ground immediately grew restless, with everyone discussing the matter.

Before and after the True Transmission Ceremony, Li Yuan's name had already spread throughout the Divine Weapon Valley; though they had not left their homes, they had heard of him.

Many had heard of his title as a forging prodigy, but most had scoffed at it. After all, geniuses with Dragon-Formed Bone Structure found even martial arts training insufficient; how could they come to hammer iron?

But now...

"Hah!"

Having completed the set of hammer techniques, Li Yuan remained calm and composed. With his current physical strength, this was not enough to make him sweat.

"Hmm..."

Lei Lei Jingchuan frowned in silence, reached out to grab the scorching hot Blazing Fire Refined Iron ingot, weighed it in his hand, and his expression finally changed.

The Divine Weapon Valley was not short of hammering experts; he had even seen Han Han Chuijun's hammer technique. Regarding Li Yuan's hammer technique, he was somewhat surprised, but it paled in comparison to when he picked up this piece of iron.

"Is the force distribution so even?"

Blazing Fire Refined Iron was a rare material found only in the Cold Iron Earth Fire, renowned for its toughness and extreme difficulty in refining.

Among the three hundred craftsmen of the Weapon Casting Valley, fewer than half could refine this iron.

This was not something that could be achieved merely by having superior hammer technique; it required the experience of countless strikes and an extremely high forging talent.

Glaring at the other blacksmiths, Lei Lei Jingchuan asked, "You, how long have you been hammering iron?"

"Almost a year."

Li Yuan replied.

When he entered the valley, his background had already been thoroughly investigated; this was something easily found out with a simple inquiry, so there was naturally no need to hide it.

He came to this Weapon Casting Valley not only to seek the Split-Sea Profound Whale Hammer but also to learn the Art of Weapon Casting.

The Divine Weapon Valley made its name in the Jianghu through divine weapons; even though it had declined somewhat in recent years, its thousand-year legacy could not be faked.

The value of the Art of Weapon Casting would not be inferior to the Martial Dao Duel-Killing Hammer; in a sense, it might even surpass it.

"Less than a year."

Weighing the iron material in his hand, Lei Lei Jingchuan muttered the words twice, then set the iron down:

"Continue."

Li Yuan felt slightly reassured, raised his hammer to strike again, and discovered that this iron ingot contained many impurities and was extremely difficult to remove.

However, his control over the internal force was very steady; he continued to hammer the iron strike after strike, neither hurried nor impatient.

The other blacksmiths watched for quite a while, and only after being scolded by Lei Lei Jingchuan did they resume their busy work.

"So this is Dragon-Formed Bone Structure?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan watched silently; his heart was far from as calm as his outward appearance suggested.

This young man has been hammering iron for one year, yet he is equivalent to my ten years?

This talent is simply too...

Hearing the hammer strikes, each with almost no difference, Lei Lei Jingchuan felt he could no longer stand still. After a slight hesitation, he turned and left.

"It should be about the same, right?"

Li Yuan muttered to himself.

The Art of Weapon Casting was not something one could learn easily; this forging ground was not short of craftsmen who had hammered iron for ten or twenty years yet still had not learned it.

If he wanted to learn it immediately, he naturally had to display his talent; otherwise, why would others value him?

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Li Yuan's breathing was steady as he hammered the iron strike by strike. He had not hammered iron for half a year, yet now he was somewhat immersed in it.

Especially since the forging hammer in his hand was truly too comfortable to use.

"I should get a new forging hammer..."

……

The Casting Valley had practically been hollowed out; within the hundred-metre-thick strata lay countless caves, and the tunnels were bewilderingly intricate.

Lei Lei Jingchuan moved with familiar ease, passing through one complex tunnel after another, until he arrived at a mountain cave.

Stalactites hung everywhere inside the cave. Unlike the forging grounds, this place was very cold — ice had even formed on the cave walls.

Deep within the cave, before a massive pit, a white-haired old man sat cross-legged, a fishing rod in his hands, the line dangling down into the pit.

This pit connected to the cold pool's waters and was one of the most secretive caverns in the Casting Valley.

"Senior brother!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan strode forward.

That white-haired old man was none other than the Casting Valley's Grand Elder, Jing Jing Shuhu. He had joined the sect over seventy years ago and had once been a True Disciple alongside Han Han Chuijun and Lord Master Gongyang Yu.

"My fish!"

Jing Jing Shuhu pulled back the rod — an empty hook, no bait in sight — and was instantly irritated:

"I was just about to catch one, and you scared it away!"

"…You can't catch a fish yourself, and you blame me?"

Glancing at the pit, Lei Lei Jingchuan retorted without the slightest courtesy: "I'm at the forge every day, and here you are, nice and idle!"

"If it weren't for you, I'd definitely have caught one this time!"

Jing Jing Shuhu gave a cold snort, then finally asked: "You came rushing in such a hurry — did the 'Startling Sky Hook' you forged for Feipu Hall go wrong?"

"With this old man's handiwork, what could a mere One superior-grade item possibly amount to?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan waved a hand and said:

"Today, the new disciple Han Han Chuijun has taken on has arrived…"

"Han Han Chuijun!"

Jing Jing Shuhu's face darkened: "That old coot himself comes and I won't see him, let alone his disciple?"

His position was special — apart from the Valley Master, none of the other five Grand Elders cared about him, let alone a newly advanced True Disciple?

"This one is different."

Lei Lei Jingchuan couldn't be bothered with the grudge between him and Han Han Chuijun, and said in a low voice: "This new disciple Han Han Chuijun has taken on is extraordinarily talented!"

"Talented?"

Jing Jing Shuhu gave a cold laugh:

"It's not as though I've never seen a dragon-shaped root bone — I've even seen a great dragon-shaped one. Just how talented could he be?"

"Different."

Seeing Lei Lei Jingchuan was not joking, Jing Jing Shuhu grew a little interested: "How is it different?"

"His talent for hammer techniques is extremely high, and his talent for forging is also extremely high!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan said in a low voice.

"Oh?"

Jing Jing Shuhu frowned slightly:

"How high?"

"His hammer-technique talent may not match Han Han Chuijun's, but his forging talent — I'm afraid it surpasses you and me both!"

"Bullshit!"

Jing Jing Shuhu flared up in fury, as though a reverse scale had been touched: "His disciple's forging talent can surpass mine?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan's face was expressionless. He watched his senior brother throw his tantrum, watched him calm down, and only then said:

"Senior brother, you should know what this means…"

"And what could it possibly mean?"

Jing Jing Shuhu gave a derisive smile:

"From the Founder down to me and Han Han Chuijun, it's been fourteen hundred years. You don't actually think there's really a 'Mystic Whale Hammer,' do you?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan fell silent and lowered his head, feeling a touch of melancholy as well.

From the time the Founder Yu Xuanjing relocated the sect to Divine Weapon Mountain until now — over the past fourteen hundred years — every generation's Bingtang Master and Casting Valley Master had been searching for that legendary 'Heavenly Fate Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing.'

But…

"You're right. Perhaps it simply doesn't exist in this world…"

Lei Lei Jingchuan shook his head. Suddenly his vision blurred, and when he looked up again, Jing Jing Shuhu had vanished before his eyes:

"This old man is going to see for himself just how talented he is!"

"……"