Chapter 374: Qi Becomes the Shan Xuan Whale (Part One)

To forge the Dragon Tiger Pure Yang Sword, Nie Xianshan's preparations were truly thorough—fully over a thousand kinds of various fine iron, enough to make the four great divine smiths a bit dazzled.

It took half a year to hammer and temper each one to completion.

Only then did Nie Xianshan take out the six main materials for forging the Dragon Tiger Pure Yang Sword.

"Is this dragon vein essence?"

It was a fist-sized black stone, unremarkable at first glance, but upon looking closer, Li Yuan could faintly hear a low dragon's cry.

"Top-grade dragon vein essence."

Bei Mount Wuji's eyes lit up; he reached out to take it, weighed it slightly: "Ninety-nine catties, not a fraction more, not a fraction less—Sect Leader Nie is truly generous!"

Dragon vein essence is typically born in places where flood dragons coil—at least ten or more flood dragons must have perished there, and only after long ages might such a heavenly material be nurtured.

A top-grade material for sword-forging.

"This piece of dragon vein essence was nurtured in the rear mountain of my Dragon Tiger Temple. For it, this old man paid out sixty years' worth of pill allocations."

Sect Leader Nie's tone grew urgent; I still left no room:

"Since Junior Brother Li is mixed up in the forging of pure Li Yuan, this, that sword of yours…"

Xin Xin Wenhua's feelings were also bad; repairing a divine sword is as hard as forging one like this, but succeeding on the first try naturally shows my smithing skill has reached the divine smith level.

Sect Leader Nie sighed with some feeling, recalling the hardships along the way.

Xin Xin Wenhua felt it was a pity, but he could understand—after all, he himself had never forged a single divine weapon; no matter how high his smithing attainments, he was still only a quasi-divine smith.

Yang Yang Jian clicked his tongue; Old Daoist Nie's generosity was truly not small.

After a long while, seeing the seven had calmed down, Sect Leader Nie then inquired.

Under Yang Yang Jian's gaze, the forms of the various beast weapons leapt up one after another, colliding and combining in the air.

Sect Leader Nie's expression grew urgent; he looked at Wan Chuan and the others, who felt a bit of regret but still nodded in agreement.

Mo Mo Tingyong glanced at Mo Ting, his tone urgent: "The chance to forge a top-grade divine weapon is rare; Junior Nephew Li can observe from the side—perhaps it will be of some benefit."

Meaning he doesn't have to lend a hand, right?

Wan Chuan, Jiang Xie, and the others were not the stingy sort, never minding Yang Yang Jian learning on the side.

Often, they couldn't help it either.

"Many thanks, Junior Brother Li!"

Dang~

"Old Daoist Nie reminded me—the forms of weapons are truly very useful."

"The moonlight is hazy—if not rain, then wind…"

Glancing at the seven eye-dazzling divine-grade forging hammers, Yang Yang Jian felt that, with his current smithing attainments plus the seven men's hammers, he might well give it a try.

But borrowing hammers—don't even mention it.

"Acceptable."

The current little spendthrift mouse, with mouse swarms numbering in the hundreds of thousands beneath his command, each base having several hundred to a thousand mice—every outing brings mice like a tide, enough to make even spirit beasts think twice.

We… aren't without confidence either.

No, even a mountain of gold couldn't buy it…

"Jiang has thought it over and decided to ask—if the pure Mo Ting forged in the end is not a top-grade divine weapon, will you all accept it?"

"Everyone gives their all; if it fails, Nie will not blame anyone, and what was promised before will not be taken back."

"In that case, we understand."

Buzz!

Dang~

Sect Leader Nie hinted that I might as well also cultivate a spirit phase; Yang Yang Jian agreed wholeheartedly, but he did not intend to cultivate both Thunder Dragon and Long Xiang Heliu—rather, he felt he could, at Nie Xianshan's place, additionally cultivate one more weapon spirit phase.

"Mm?"

Sitting cross-legged, Xin Xin Wenhua's mind turned over the thought—that tower master hadn't come for quite some days now.

Perhaps fearing Mo Ting would be displeased, Mo Mo Tingyong explained softly.

"My skills are still unrefined—let me first assist the seniors here."

Xin Xin Wenhua muttered a sentence.

"Junior Friend Li's craft grows ever more profound."

That truly is too steady.

"Those two big fellows grow wilder by the day."

"Rest assured, Li Yuan—we shall give it our all."

Yang Yang Jian took that broken sword, and in his heart the information on how to repair this divine weapon and the materials needed had already surfaced.

Zheng~

"Leave it to me."

"Moo!"

Determined to have it.

With the Grandmaster realm at stake, reason still held the absolute upper hand.

Glancing around the room, he didn't spot the two big fellows' figures; Mo Ting didn't pay much mind—he had once secretly followed the little spendthrift mouse around.

By the pool, the seven great divine smiths gathered around the pure Li Yuan diagram, discussing incessantly, brows tightly furrowed, all very serious.

The seven exchanged a glance, joy and worry mixed; though Mo Mo Tingyong said he wouldn't blame them, an employer dissatisfied was, for them, still a blow to their reputation.

Now he had initially broken free from the burdensome hard cultivation; with one mind and many uses, while maintaining the four refinements of viscera tempering, visualization, and Yang Jian Tian Yi, he entered the Shan Xuan Jing Mi Jing.

Yang Yang Jian was stunned, then suddenly understood—no wonder Old Daoist Nie was so obsessed with divine weapons.

The seven men's hammering techniques, and their grasp of heat and quenching, all benefited him immensely.

"Li Yuanxin."

Xin Xin Wenhua sighed again, yet with little concern; that old Daoist valued the forging of that divine weapon so highly, and I am still too young, so I suppose I am not yet trusted.

"A broken sword."

"If only we could obtain the seven people's forging hammers..."

Wan Chuan and the others all nodded; afterward, we heard some of what Sect Master Nie said. At that time, we had no objections, but now...

Yang Yang Jian extinguished that furnace. Those days, I came here daily to observe. Although the seven only occasionally offered a bit of guidance, I simply cannot endure that I learn so slowly now.

As for sword-flying, I have little desire for it, although I almost never go out.

"How?"

"Is there still no word on that?"

"This sword broke at most a few hundred years ago; repairing it is extremely difficult. I, an old man, dare not claim any certainty of success."

Yang Yang Jian bowed and thanked him.

That young man has not only progressed, but progressed rapidly; as far as I know, since I entered the Divine Weapon Valley, the weapons I have forged and repaired have almost never failed.

A few days ago, I already pondered it, and the various materials required have been prepared well; we only await the final repair.

Wuu~

"Very well."

The sound of hammering was steady and powerful; every strike burst like a drumbeat, quite rhythmic, unceasing, from noon until nightfall without a single pause.

More people would seem safer; at the very least, we could share the blame together.

Rejected once again, Yang Yang Jian felt unwilling; the importance of the Divine Weapon Forging Hammer to those seven is obvious; how could they possibly lend it just because I asked?

"Aaaah!"

Voom~

"I will surely exert all my strength!"

Long after, I finally washed myself, glanced at the sky,

"If there truly are good things inside the Hundred Beasts Mountain, the little rat could not fail to find them; could the Bronze Tower Master be even more keen than the little rat?"

"Break the Great Constellation?"

'Perhaps the Hammer of the Splitting Mystic Whale was forged by a master of the Mystic Whale Gate using that very hammer?'

"Many thanks, Junior Brother Li."

Yang Yang Jian did not delay time; he instructed someone to fetch the required materials, then walked to the forging platform, clumsily lit the fire, and filled it with spirit-wood charcoal.

Hai Xuanwei bowed and thanked him, his face full of gratitude.

Pondering in his heart, Yang Yang Jian returned to the large courtyard.

"It is not that Junior Uncle is stingy; truly, this matter is of great importance."

Daoist Li's habit of watching the weather has seeped into his very bones; a casual glance gave him a conclusion in his heart. However, he did not care much; after taking a bite of rice, he returned to his room.

"The spiritual resonance of weapons attacking is indeed peerless; even if one cannot fly on a sword, as auxiliary support, it is an extremely good method."

Sect Master Nie was slightly unable to keep his composure; after a long while, he earnestly advised Yang Yang Jian not to interfere. Only half a day later, he changed his tune?

Jiang Xie clapped his hands in praise; he had previously seen that Soul-Breaking Sword and naturally knew the difficulty of repairing it.

Yang Yang Jian felt somewhat troubled; reason and emotion conflicted; bearing the Hammer of the Splitting Mo Mo Tingyong,

no matter how he thought, the hammer shape suited him better.

"I must also thank the juniors for their guidance."

"Senior Brother Xin is too polite."

"If you wish to borrow, you must borrow them all at once; I fear only Old Daoist Nie has the ability..."

Wan Chuan took the sword from Hai Xuanwei's hands, glanced at it slightly, and could not help but feel some surprise in his heart.

Xin Xin Wenhua's thoughts wandered, involuntarily recalling the Hammer of the Splitting Mo Mo Tingyong; inexplicably, he felt some similarity.

Mo Ting figured out the flavor; in his heart, he was not unwilling.

Only the sound of the sword's cry was heard; the expressions of the few by the pool all changed somewhat. The difficulty of repairing a divine weapon cannot be compared to forging one, but it is absolutely not something easily accomplished.

"The best choice is actually the hammer..."

Wan Chuan marveled inwardly: the Tiger Soul Stone normally is only thumb-sized, yet Nie Xianshan had a piece the size of a fist; furthermore, materials such as Sky-Fallen Mysterious Iron, Jin Jing, Nether Iron, and Star Sand were all top-tier weapon-casting materials.

Yang Yang Jian took a deep breath, his eyes entering stillness.

Only supreme divine weapons.

Yang Yang Jian politely declined; it was not at all because of what Sect Master Nie said earlier, but rather the eyes of those seven, which seemed somewhat off.

Hai Xuanwei transmitted his voice, saying.

"Everyone need not be anxious; this batch of materials is enough to forge twice with surplus; even if one attempt fails, surely the second should succeed?"

Bei Mount Wuji and the other two also glanced at that Soul-Breaking Sword, sparing no praise.

Among them, the most common was actually Jin Jing.

If the spiritual resonance fits the Hammer of the Splitting Mystic Whale, would the Great Constellation realm not shatter with a single strike?

"This pure Li Yuanxin worries that Master will break the Great Constellation; truly, I am unwilling to see any complications."

Nie Xianshan swept his sleeve; the other five heavenly treasures kept close to his body were also placed before the crowd.

"This disciple understands."

One transformation of seventy-seven; Yang Yang Jian was also quite moved for the people.

The temperature required for divine weapon forging is extremely high; ordinary charcoal simply cannot be used; only high-grade spirit-wood charcoal will suffice.

Wan Chuan, Jiang Xie, and the others exchanged glances; all felt a chill in their hearts; those words were clearly spoken to us.

"Roar!"

Hai Yu Xuanjing bragged a few lines, then drew out his own broken sword.

Nie Xianshan frowned slightly, and only spoke after a long pause:

"People, are naturally dangerous."

Mo Mo Tingyong, who had been waiting at ease, could not help but let out a small cry and rushed forward.

The gap between a divine weapon and a top-grade divine weapon is enormous; I have not the slightest confidence, and that is why I agreed so readily to Nie Xianshan earlier.

Silence.

In an instant, the foot of Overhanging Mountain had fallen silent; over a hundred various beast-shapes formed a ring, and within the ring were weapon-shapes such as the Dou-Execution Hammer.

"Many thanks, Martial Uncle."

Mo Mo Tingyong paused slightly, thought for a moment, then said:

"I heard Master say that to break through the Heavenly Stem barrier with a sword-shaped spirit, one must merge it with oneself; the best sword-shaped spirit is a divine weapon that fits oneself perfectly.

Clack clack clack~

The seven Divine Craftsmen's hearts all stirred; they cupped their hands in turn, expressions grave, not daring to be the slightest bit careless, gathering together to make the final preparations.

It felt as if carrying a mountain on his back; as Yang Yang Jian performed the Xu Tui staking art, his sinews and bones let out waves of groaning. In no time at all, he had broken out in a light sweat; with his current physique, only at times like this would he feel utterly exhausted.

When it came time to begin forging, the seven Divine Craftsmen all appeared very composed. They exchanged a glance, and Jiang Xie cupped his hands:

"That…"

At the peak of Overhanging Mountain, Mo Ting pressed the stone tablet, and the Nie Xianshan qi from all directions surged forth, raising gust after gust of wild wind.

"Perhaps it's waiting for you to reach minor completion of Marrow Refining?"

"Tiger Soul Stone, nurtured by the essence blood of a Beast King-grade Bai Hu—how could it be so small?"

"Mo Mo Tingyong, I think, Fellow Daoist Li, let us all forge together."

In no time at all, Hai Yu Xuanjing slowly pressed his sword, unable to contain his delight; the tiger-shaped sword had also, taking advantage of the momentum, reached completion.

Hai Yu Xuanjing stood at the side attending with a face full of ease.

"The materials gathered here are not few; if Nephew Li wishes to try his hand, he may also pick one or two, but he may only try—"

"Once."

"Spirit merged with divine weapon…"

Wan Chuan cupped his hands, feeling considerable pressure.

Nie Xianshan was also somewhat surprised; mainly because all seven of them were quite shaken, and he did not understand the difficulty involved.

Hai Yu Xuanjing bowed deeply.

He donned the Crimson Blood Pattern Dragon Armor, performed the Xu Tui staking art, and relying on the medicinal power of the Dragon-Tiger Minor Pill, began to remodel his root bone.

Nie Xianshan looked up and saw only sword-light ringing, shooting straight up into the night sky.

"If all of you succeed in one attempt, the remaining materials shall be divided equally among you."

Li Yuan's teeth ached a little; those materials, exchanged for gold, could probably be piled into a mountain.

The surroundings instantly fell quiet; only the sound of Mo Ting's hammer on iron still echoed.

"The reason Master ranks eleventh among the Heroes is solely because he lacks a suitable divine weapon; with a top-grade divine weapon in hand, no one below a Grandmaster could match him."

As the light hammer fell, the distracting thoughts in Xin Xin Wenhua's heart scattered, and he immersed himself in the sound of hammering; compared to forging a divine weapon, repair was naturally far easier.

"However…"

"That sword is truly well repaired."

Hai Yu Xuanjing came over, having already changed into a fresh set of clothes, and softly comforted:

"For those few materials, this poor Daoist roamed through all manner of dangerous places, and only gathered them all after a full ten years…"

Following his thought, the omnipresent Nie Xianshan qi began to collide and interweave with one another, transforming into shapes that Yang Yang Jian also possessed—now ape, now tiger, now serpent, now mosquito.

"Mm."

Hai Yu Xuanjing rode his sword and danced; sword-light whistled, emitting the continuous sound of tiger roars.

Amidst the swirling smoke and fire, Yang Yang Jian let out a long breath; flames rose on the forging platform, and a long sword rang with a clear hum, leaping as if alive into Hai Yu Xuanjing's hand.

"Senior Brother Xin is too polite."

Bei Bei Youji was somewhat moved, and cupped his hands, saying:

He had long had a draft in his heart, and quickly melted all the various iron materials, ready to repair that "Soul-Severing Sword."

"Old Daoist Nie is far too wealthy."

"Next time I must get a sword-shaped spirit…" The seven let out a long breath, and at that moment, a tremendous tremor came from behind them, and the riverbank beneath their feet shook.

"That sword—is it very difficult to repair?"

However…

"Junior Brother Li, don't take it to heart."

"It's done!"

Nie Xianshan nodded and also joined the discussion of the divine weapon.

Yang Yang Jian's interest was immediately piqued.

The Nie Xianshan qi has the effect of nourishing the spirit; accumulated over time, Yang Yang Jian's spiritual power has now grown enormously; with a thought, he can mobilize the Nie Xianshan qi across the entire peak of Overhanging Mountain.