Chapter 154: The Daoist Holds No Grudge

Hiss~

Amidst the swirling smoke and fire, the burning red armor faded and cooled, while the blood-colored cold pool water boiled and churned.

"Good, it's done!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan exhaled the breath he had been holding for so long and couldn't help but shout in approval.

He had seen and fought against no fewer than a hundred superior-grade famous artifacts, yet this was the first time he felt so nervous, more on edge than when he first did it himself.

"Mm."

Jing Jing Shuhu pinched his beard, his expression unreadable, though his heart eased slightly.

"Hah!"

Li Yuan didn't pay attention to the two old men; catching sight of that pale yellow hue amidst the misty steam, his heart finally relaxed.

In this month and a half, the pressure he endured had been too great.

Before forging this inner armor, he had prepared for failure, purchasing all kinds of iron materials with his own money.

However, these two old men were overly eager, making him feel immense pressure.

Fortunately, it succeeded.

【Divine Fire Hundred-Forging Armor】

【The Weapon Master extracts the essence of various irons, refines the essence into threads, and forges the armor through fierce fire and hammering...】

【Command Condition: Weapon Master's Bloodline】

【Command Effects:

Fifth Tier: Hardening Talent,

Fourth Tier: Heat Resistance, Fire Isolation, Defense Against Blades, Defense Against Internal Qi】

Fifth-tier armor can withstand the chopping, slashing, and stabbing of superior-grade famous artifacts, making it far more precious than ordinary blades.

This inner armor of his can only be called Just barely superior-grade, yet it is equally precious, worth at least two superior-grade famous artifact swords or blades.

"This Spirit-Linking Technique is truly a divine skill!"

Li Yuan was very satisfied in his heart; although this inner armor was only Just barely superior-grade and the Command Effects didn't seem particularly good.

But the Command Condition perfectly matched himself, which was too important.

"Very good, having forged a superior-grade famous artifact in less than half a year since entering the sect; the last time the Divine Weapon Valley produced such a disciple was over seven hundred years ago!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan did not withhold his praise, his heart truly stirred with excitement.

For over seven hundred years, the Divine Weapon Valley had produced no Divine Artisan; the pent-up frustration in the hearts of the elders of the Weapon Forging Valley across generations was finally about to be vented.

"This armor of yours..."

Glancing at Lei Lei Jingchuan, who was eager to lift Li Yuan up, Jing Jing Shuhu frowned:

"The technique is mediocre, the control of the fire is average, and there were errors starting from the selection of the iron materials; your armor is too thick."

The armor was too thick.

Jing Jing Shuhu pointed out the flaw; this time, even Lei Lei Jingchuan had no way to refute it. For no other reason, this armor was not only thick but also heavy.

A perfect inner armor, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, must at least be light, thin, and flexible; this armor was not only unsightly but also hindered flexibility.

"Although this armor is a superior-grade famous artifact, as an inner armor it is unqualified; a complete failure!"

Jing Jing Shuhu kept a stern face, pouring cold water on the heat, having already thought through how to reprimand Li Yuan if he argued back.

"This disciple receives your teaching."

Li Yuan bowed to admit his mistake without offering an explanation.

If one did not consider the Command Effects, this inner armor was indeed not good; an armor weighing over a hundred jin was already considered half-body heavy armor.

"You..."

Jing Jing Shuhu felt somewhat stifled, completely unable to find a reason or opportunity to reprimand; teaching this disciple was truly unsatisfying.

"Enough, was the first inner armor you forged back in the day any good?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan, finding him unbearable, retorted with a few words.

"Pointing out pros and cons is the responsibility of a teacher; what do you know?"

Jing Jing Shuhu instantly flew into a rage: "I am teaching my sect members; who gave you the right to interfere?!"

At a single disagreement, the two old men rolled up their sleeves, nearly starting a fight; having stayed in the Red Fusion Cave for many days, their tempers were very high.

Li Yuan was long accustomed to this, having no thought of breaking up the fight; he changed his clothes, picked up the inner armor hammer, and walked out the door.

The materials for this armor cost him over three thousand taels of silver; since he forged it himself, he only needed to pay another one thousand taels of silver to acquire it at cost price.

While it was still early, Li Yuan prepared to go to the Library Tower again; in this month, he had not let up on changing his bone structure, borrowing another book titled 'Tiger Might Hammer Method Fundamental Diagram', and now it was about time to change his bone structure.

Rarely having free time, he prepared to use his last opportunity for selection as well.

"After gathering the Great Dragon Form, the bone structure change sped up considerably; counting the 'Xiong Zhang and Tiger Tail', that makes fifteen Forms."

Li Yuan was in a good mood; he felt that at the current speed, he might gather a hundred Forms before turning thirty.

Before going to the Library Tower, he first returned to his residence, storing the inner armor in the Weapon Master Space within the room, before going out again.

Since Yu Jin and the others secretly protected him, whether people were present or not, he would only activate the Weapon Master Space after returning to the courtyard.

The Library Tower was very quiet; even during the time when assassins were most active, the area was not affected.

There were a few who were too bold and tried to steal from the Divine Weapon Pavilion; they were killed on the spot and their heads displayed publicly.

Li Yuan was already very familiar with this place; after greeting the few old men guarding it, he went to the inner tower to prepare to select a Fundamental Diagram.

"At most, there are only those covering two Forms; there isn't even a Three Form..."

This time, Li Yuan carefully went through every room, leaving no corner unchecked, yet he could not find a divine skill in any nook or cranny.

Above the inner tower lies the Secret Tower.

During this period, Li Yuan had made inquiries, but unfortunately, that secret tower could only be entered and exited by the Valley Master and the Young Valley Master; the other five Grand Elders were not permitted to come and go freely either.

"Where might the secret tower be?"

Li Yuan looked around, and finally his gaze fell to the ground — he guessed it might be underground?

Not wanting to draw too much attention, Li Yuan wandered around a few times, and ultimately chose a scroll of the 'Spirit Ape Spear Art Fundamental Diagram'.

"Since it has the words 'Spirit Ape' in it, it should be a bit better than the others, right?"

Having chosen the fundamental diagram and registered it, Li Yuan greeted the old men keeping watch, turned, and left.

The fat old man kindly reminded him that this was the last time.

Li Yuan smiled and left.

One superior-grade named weapon was enough to let him enter and exit the inner tower three times; even if he bought it himself, what he forged would still count as merit.

"When I have the time, I'll ask Old Lei how to get into the secret tower."

……

……

Almost that very day, the news that Li Yuan had forged a superior-grade named weapon spread throughout the inner sect of Divine Weapon Valley, so fast that even he suspected Lei Lei Jingchuan had arranged it.

But the effect was naturally very good.

Having joined the sect less than half a year ago and already being able to forge a superior-grade named weapon — this had already surpassed the imagination of the vast majority of disciples.

A superior-grade named weapon — that was a side-arm only Grand Elders were qualified to choose; a single one cost fifteen thousand taels of silver and up.

After the news spread, the inner island was quite lively for a time.

Li Yuan didn't pay it much mind either, still going about things step by step — forging, reading, practicing Wu Gong.

The Chi Rong Cave was a good place; while forging, his hammer techniques and various other Wu Gong, including horizontal training, all made considerable progress.

Soon, around the New Year, relying on the Chi Rong Cave's high temperature and heat, his Seven Star Horizontal Training Body was finally perfected.

"Hah!"

In the Chi Rong Cave, Li Yuan stretched his sinews and bones, only feeling his skin and membrane become extremely resilient — a slight stretch and it made the sound of a bowstring being drawn.

"Seven Star Horizontal Training!"

Li Yuan squinted slightly.

With horizontal training reaching perfection, there was another considerable change — he found his skin and membrane growing increasingly resilient, as if naturally cloaked in a layer of leather armor.

Moreover, once this horizontal training reached perfection, there was also a method to squeeze out qi and blood in an explosive burst.

'Qi Piercing Seven Stars.'

Before Li Yuan could experience it in detail, he heard footsteps; looking back, he saw a great fellow drenched in sweat standing at the entrance of the Chi Rong Cave.

It was precisely Lei Lei Jingchuan's disciple, Niu Jun.

"Junior Brother Li."

At the entrance of the Chi Rong Cave, Niu Jun's face was full of awe; ever since Li Yuan had stayed in the Chi Rong Cave for over a month straight, he had completely given up the idea of competing with him.

A person who is so ruthless to himself — how ruthless must he be to others?

He simply couldn't imagine it, and didn't want to offend him at all.

"Senior Brother Niu, what brings you here?"

Li Yuan set down his forging hammer.

Niu Jun lowered his voice, a hint of unease on his face: "Elder Feng invited Master and the Grand Elder to the sect's main hall."

"The sect's main hall?"

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment, then reacted at once.

The sect's main hall was where matters were deliberated; it hadn't been opened in years — whenever it opened, something major had happened. He recalled the last time was Ding Zhi's death, and the time before that was his own True Lineage Grand Ceremony.

But even on those two occasions, not one of the three Grand Elders of the Weapon Forging Valley had gone.

"Master and the Grand Elder haven't gone to the sect's main hall in decades — this time, upon hearing the news, they didn't even change their clothes…"

Niu Jun's face was uneasy: "A few days ago, some people said the San Yuan Stronghold was mobilizing troops — it couldn't really be true, could it?"

"Where did Senior Brother Niu hear this news?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

Once a great sect war broke out, there would inevitably be chain reactions. A few days ago, he had also heard people say that the San Yuan Stronghold and Pang Pang Liexue Mountain were already showing unusual movements.

"Where I heard it doesn't matter — what matters is, if the San Yuan Stronghold and Pang Pang Liexue Mountain launch a full-scale attack, and the Valley Master and Elders are all away…"

Niu Jun was deeply worried. Although he was at the Great Completion of Body Transformation, he was a blacksmith — he had never exchanged blows with anyone in his life.

"If the sky falls, there are tall ones to hold it up — why must Senior Brother Niu worry so much?"

Many thoughts turned in Li Yuan's mind, but on his face he merely smiled, comforted Niu Jun and saw him off; once he returned, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Old Han dares to make a move — he must have the confidence to deal with these two great sects, right?"

A sense of urgency rose in Li Yuan's heart. If the flames of war really reached Divine Weapon Valley, he feared it would be very hard for him to stay out of it.

"I need to make more preparations."

Taking a deep breath, Li Yuan picked up his forging hammer once more.

After learning that the refined gold needed to advance the Weapon Register was a rare material used in forging divine weapons, he temporarily set aside the thought of advancing.

All the silver that could be revealed had been exchanged by him for various kinds of iron materials, preparing to forge several named-weapon-grade heavy hammers.

Looking at it now, he had still been too conservative — a few might be far from enough…

oco

"If only I could make a trip to the Divine Weapon Pavilion."

Between the rise and fall of the hammer, Li Yuan suddenly thought of Sun Zan — he still had a score to settle with him…

……

……

Flap-flap-flap~

In the howling wind and snow, a grey messenger pigeon darted through the clouds and landed in the small courtyard outside the Divine Weapon Pavilion.

A beautiful lady wrapped in a large fox-fur cloak reached out to take the pigeon and hurried back inside: "A letter from the Young Valley Master."

"Hmph, I thought he truly wouldn't be moved?"

Outside, the wind and snow were heavy; inside, steam rose everywhere. In a tub brimming with medicinal herbs, Sun Zan opened his eyes:

"Wasn't he still scared off by that Li Yuan? In just half a year of study he has forged a Zao Chu Shang Pin famed weapon — a talent like that would have been more than qualified to be Young Valley Master seven hundred years earlier…"

He let out a cold laugh, unfolded the letter, and after only a single glance, his old face instantly went deathly pale.

"The Sanyuanwu army has set out?!"