Chapter 396: The Untransmitted Secret of the Weapon-Forging Lineage

"Running a household is hard!"

Long Long Yingchan let out a long sigh, making sure the old rascal eavesdropping outside the door could hear it clearly.

"After all, you're still a bit green, junior brother… missing over forty years of tempering…"

Long Long Yingchan flicked his two long brows, reached out, pulled out a gourd of wine, took a few gulps — 'gulp gulp' — and a flush rose on his old face.

The strong wine slid down his throat, and he felt a soothing ease spread through his whole body.

"A young man being cautious and careful — where's the problem in that?"

Pinching his two long brows, Long Long Yingchan was in a fine mood.

He always put steadiness first in his actions, always insisted on killing last and scheming first, yet not a single one of his disciples had any steadiness — every one of them was a hot-blooded brute who loved a good fight and picked quarrels at the drop of a hat.

"This lad, now — he's very good."

Top-tier talent, bearing the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing within him, and yet still able to endure loneliness, cautious and careful by nature, never engaging in pointless fights…

"Junior brother, it's not that I'm scheming against you — it's simply that the next generation needs someone this steady too."

Long Long Yingchan muttered to himself; he truly feared this lad might grow up crooked.

Before, it didn't matter much — Long Xi Xiang's injuries were severe, he rarely gave guidance, and private tutoring could still correct things. But now that this old rascal had broken through to Tian Gang Jing, he had to plan ahead a step or two.

"Mm… I ought to prepare an entry gift."

After a few more swigs of wine, he set the gourd on the ground. Long Long Yingchan pondered briefly, then transformed into a wisp of cloud and vanished within the Dragon Tiger Pagoda.

……

……

At the border between Henglong Dao and Yanshan Dao, in a valley thick with miasma.

Boom~

A cave collapsed.

A tall figure draped in a crimson kasaya sat cross-legged; the collapsing boulders could not approach him, and were pulverized into dust the moment they did.

"He Yi!"

As the smoke and dust dispersed, Shi Shi Zuzu's face was full of shock and fury:

"Long Xi Xiang actually broke through Tian Gang Jing?!"

How could that be?!

Large swathes of dust were torn apart by an invisible force and blown out of the cave. Shi Shi Zuzu's chest heaved, his eyes full of disbelief:

"He actually pulled out Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade-intent, broke and then stood anew, and advanced to He Yi Jing?!"

Crack!

As the force surged, the cave collapsed with a roar.

Shi Shi Zuzu, however, seemed utterly unaware. He let the dust and rubble bury him, and only after quite a while did he push aside the boulder before him and step out into the empty valley.

"Who could pull out Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade-intent? That old ghost from Plucking Star Tower isn't dead yet?"

Shi Shi Zuzu's heart churned, and a chill rose within him: "Could it be that old ghost came out of seclusion, went seeking Qin Li Shixian, and went to Dragon Tiger Temple?!"

"He Yi…"

Shi Shi Zuzu's face twitched; he felt a nameless fire surging in his chest.

"Long Xi Xiang broke through Tian Gang — that means Fayin Fayin Tongzi and Blood Vajra are probably dead already, aren't they?"

After a long while, Shi Shi Zuzu finally calmed down. He suspected those two old ghosts' incarnations might also have died at Dragon Tiger Temple — they simply hadn't informed him.

"He Yi Jing…"

The night wind howled, the moonlight was bright. Shi Shi Zuzu paced the valley unconsciously, replaying what he had just witnessed, and the state of mind he had barely settled began to churn violently once more.

Breaking through Tian Gang, heart and spirit merged, spirit-form is self, self is spirit-form — this was the pinnacle of the martial Dao, the realm he had pursued his whole life.

For this, he had not hesitated to betray Dragon Tiger Temple, to seek the Bai Shen Fa.

Nearly seventy years had flashed by, and he had not advanced a single inch. Yet the three juniors he had once guided — apart from Nie Xianshan — had all broken through Tian Gang and merged with the divine.

"Unwilling!"

Shi Shi Zuzu closed his eyes, his eyelids still twitching ceaselessly, a strong sense of defeat welling in his heart.

"Perhaps… I'm too fond of my life?"

Muttering to himself, Shi Shi Zuzu wavered. Seventy years ago he had already reached this step, yet he had hesitated time and again to attempt breaking through Tian Gang.

"No break, no stand — perhaps… no, that's not right. Long Xi Xiang hasn't long to live, he had no choice but to gamble… be more steady. If it still doesn't work…"

In the night wind, Shi Shi Zuzu stood for an entire night. Only after the sky brightened did he open his eyes, his face somewhat ashen.

Hum~

He took out a crimson token from his bosom; at this moment, light flickered across its surface.

"Yan Yan Tianxiong…"

This was yet another junior who annoyed him. Shi Shi Zuzu furrowed his brow, but still released the Flame Dragon true-qi covering the token.

"Dragon King, you took a fall?"

Shi Shi Zuzu was silent for a moment, then said: "Took a fall."

"Long Long Yingchan?"

"Long Xi Xiang!"

Shi Shi Zuzu did not conceal it: "Long Xi Xiang has already pulled out Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade-intent, broken through Tian Gang, and achieved He Yi."

"Mm?!"

A startled exclamation came from the other end of the token:

"There's actually still someone in this world who can pull out Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade-intent? That old ghost from Plucking Star Tower — could he not be dead? No, that's not right. Back then the nine great Fa Lords jointly laid the 'Divine Execution Ritual' — he couldn't possibly be alive!"

Shi Shi Zuzu's face was expressionless: "I wouldn't misread it."

"If that old ghost is still alive..."

A whisper came from the other end of the token, tinged with suspicion: "Or could it be that some peerless genius has appeared in Dragon Tiger Temple?"

"Impossible!"

She Long shook his head firmly. Over all these years, he had kept a constant eye on Dragon Tiger Temple; if a disciple of such talent had truly appeared, he would not have failed to notice.

"Long Long Xinglie is still the Dao Child, first on the Dragon Ranking."

"Not necessarily hidden."

The voice on the other end of the token came back to itself: "But then again, we can't say for sure that old ghost really is dead..."

"It's possible."

She Long steadied himself:

"Wan Wan Zhuliu must have known of this long ago. His delay in acting suggests he too suspects it might be that old ghost..."

"We still need to test the waters."

On the other end of the token, Yan Yan Tianxiong frowned slightly: "Dragon King..."

Snap—

The light and shadow crumbled apart.

In a dilapidated mountain temple, Yan Yan Tianxiong looked at the now-colorless token, unsurprised:

"That old fellow is still as cautious as ever."

"The martial path is all about contention. That old fellow's courage is too small — he'll never break through to Tiangang in this lifetime. Laughable. The three juniors he personally guided back in the day actually produced two great land immortal immortals!"

Beside the bonfire, the woman in red, who had been roasting a Xiong Zhang paw, only now recovered from her surprise:

"Put that way, even I feel like kneeling at his door to beg for guidance."

"So do I."

A muffled, deep voice rang out as the white-faced great Monk, now shrunk to a mere eight feet tall, walked into the ruined temple:

"Sect Leader, should we take a detour?"

"... Wait a moment."

Yan Yan Tianxiong pinched the goatee on his chin:

"In the present age, or even going back several hundred years, the only one who could strip away Wan Wan Zhuliu's blade intent is that old ghost. Could he really not be dead?"

"If the Sect Leader has reservations, why not try?"

The white-faced great Monk rumbled: "The Jiu Da Fa Lords paid such a heavy price. Even if he isn't dead, he must be gravely wounded and hard to heal. What's there to fear?"

Yan Yan Tianxiong's eyes shifted: "Then, Bai Xiang Wang, you..."

"... If the Sect Leader wants me dead, I'll go and die."

"..."

Yan Yan Tianxiong shifted his gaze to the woman in red: "Eagle King's lightness skill is unrivaled under heaven — even a great grandmaster couldn't catch her..."

"Can the Sect Leader bear to send me?"

The woman in red looked on the verge of tears; her attitude was plain enough.

Joking aside — what kind of person was that old fellow? How would she dare provoke him?

"Then who goes?"

Yan Yan Tianxiong paid no heed to his subordinates' reactions. Among the experts of other sects who had joined the Xieshen Sect, himself included, which one wasn't afraid of death?

"Why not report this to the various Dharma Lords?"

The woman in red ventured cautiously.

"Right, report to the various Dharma Lords!"

The white-faced great Monk promptly echoed.

"Mm..."

Yan Yan Tianxiong deliberated briefly:

"In that case, let's first notify 'Dharma Lord Thousand Yin.' He bears a hatred for that old ghost of Star-Plucking Tower as deep as the sea. Once he learns of this, he'll surely send someone..."

Having made his decision, Yan Yan Tianxiong immediately gave orders. After the two departed, he thought for a moment, then took out a token from his robe, channeled his true qi, and focused his transmission:

"Brother Wan..."

On Pure Gang Peak, smoke curled through the air, the sound of forging rising in waves.

"Sorting ore-smelting, forging, quenching, and polishing into separate categories can greatly boost weapon-casting efficiency — but it makes it hard to produce true master smiths."

Stepping out from the forging grounds, Lei Lei Jingchuan transmitted his commentary.

"Dragon Tiger Temple is famed across the world for its elixirs, so naturally it falls short in weapon-casting. When it comes to forging, the imperial court and Samadhi Cave are the strongest in the present age."

At the cliff's edge, Jing Jing Shuhu sat cross-legged, seemingly circulating his true qi.

It was already over half a month since they had arrived at Dragon Tiger Temple. With a great grandmaster intervening to smooth the tangled qi veins, and Li Yuan's careful nursing, the two men's injuries had mostly healed.

"True as that may be, given Dragon Tiger Temple's influence, if they opened their mouths, it's not certain no divine smith would come serve them."

Watching the smoke drifting through the air, Lei Lei Jingchuan felt it was a real shame — many of the iron materials here on Pure Gang Peak made even his eyes burn with desire.

Even Divine Weapon Valley, famed for its forging, could not compare to Dragon Tiger Temple in terms of iron reserves.

"Elixir-refining is the real profit. Dragon Tiger Temple may not look down on the meager returns from weapon-casting — after all, divine smiths are hard to find. Even the imperial court and Samadhi Cave, how many divine smiths do they have?"

Jing Jing Shuhu regulated his breath slowly, exhaled through his mouth, leaving a long trail in the air:

"This works in our favor."

"Indeed."

Lei Lei Jingchuan didn't dwell on it too much, only feeling some regret over those rare iron materials.

"I heard the Valley Master came this time and secured quite a few big orders?"

"Mm."

Jing Jing Shuhu was quite emotional: "That kid Li's face is too valuable. The orders the Valley Master took on this time are enough to keep us forging day and night for over a dozen years!"

In these past few months, Lord Master Gongyang Yu and Feng Feng Zhongyi had been very busy, attending countless banquets and securing large batches of weapon-forging orders.

Not only Dragon Tiger Temple, but the four great Zhou Sects within Mount Hengshan Dao, other Fu Sects, and even many sects beyond Mount Hengshan had all begun doing business with Divine Weapon Valley.

"Blessings of the Patriarch."

Lei Lei Jingchuan sighed with feeling, then couldn't help but mock a few times: "If not for this old man's sharp eye for talent, you back then didn't even want to pass on your weapon-forging art to him…"

"Shut it!"

Jing Jing Shuhu's face darkened.

"Hehe."

Lei Lei Jingchuan was in a great mood. The only thing he'd ever bested Jing Jing Shuhu at in his life was his eye for talent.

"That kid Li is only one divine weapon forged by his own hands away from becoming a true Divine Craftsman. Counting the time, it should be soon, right?"

"…Mm."

Jing Jing Shuhu's heart was somewhat complicated. When he passed on his weapon-forging art to Li Yuan, he had imagined that one day this kid might become a Divine Craftsman, but he hadn't expected that day to come so quickly.

Recalling his progress over these past few years, he felt a sense of disbelief.

When he first joined the mountain gate, he was only at Body Tempering. In just a few short years, he'd achieved major completion of Organ Refining, and had cultivated his weapon-forging art to such a level…

Lei Lei Jingchuan didn't share his view; he was in a great mood: "Right, yesterday Wan Chuan hosted you for a banquet—what was it about? That old fellow never used to invite you to banquets in the past."

"Mm, Wan Chuan wants to return the few treasures we lost to him before. Yesterday he even handed me the 'Scarlet Flame Fire-Repelling Pearl'."

Jing Jing Shuhu's expression shifted:

"I refused."

"Mm?"

The joy on Lei Lei Jingchuan's face instantly froze: "You refused?"

"Treasures like the 'Scarlet Flame Fire-Repelling Pearl' were won fairly and squarely by Wan Chuan's lineage through their weapon-forging art. Sending them over now is just selling face to that kid Li."

Why Wan Chuan did this, Jing Jing Shuhu understood in his heart, but naturally he wouldn't accept:

"Dragon Gate Master stepped in and healed my old injuries. Once the wounds are fully recovered, I will take back the Patriarchs' treasures from Seven Star Palace in the same manner!"

"Are you confident you can forge a divine weapon?"

Lei Lei Jingchuan frowned slightly.

"Some, I suppose."

Jing Jing Shuhu stood up, seeing four rounds of great suns hanging in the sky:

"Let's go, let's find that kid Li and mooch a meal."

Lei Lei Jingchuan glanced at him, feeling some urgency in his heart too. If this old tiger becomes a Divine Craftsman, won't his showing off these past few days be paid back to him?

……

Picking vegetables, washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, lighting the fire, adding oil, putting in the meat.

In the small courtyard, Li Yuan's hands moved nimbly as he stir-fried. Ever since Lei Lei Jingchuan and the other arrived, he hadn't been eating fried rice with eggs for every meal.

By late morning, he had already stir-fried three dishes and a soup, plus a few boiled Angry Clear Eggs, and a pot of Hundred Herbs Brew—quite a feast already.

At this moment, the two old men also returned from their stroll.

"How is the divine weapon forging coming along?"

The moment he sat down, Lei Lei Jingchuan began asking—he was very concerned about this.

"Within the next two days or so."

Li Yuan poured wine for the two. Mentioning this matter, he appeared casual; with his current attainment in weapon-forging, he still had seventy or eighty percent confidence.

"Good!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan raised his cup: "Blessings of the Patriarch! After more than seven hundred years, our Divine Weapon Valley produces another Divine Craftsman!"

"Come, drink!"

Old Lei was very excited, pulling the two to clink cups. Jing Jing Shuhu was also pulled by him and forced to drink a whole large jar.

"A Divine Craftsman…"

Jing Jing Shuhu was slightly tipsy, and began discussing weapon-forging art with Li Yuan. His own weapon-forging art had reached great completion many years ago; had his spirit not been injured, he could have attempted forging a divine weapon long ago.

These past few days, whenever he had nothing to do, he'd drag Lei Lei Jingchuan along to discuss weapon-forging art with Li Yuan.

Regarding this, Li Yuan naturally held nothing back.

A master teaches his disciple, and the disciple in turn nourishes the master—this is the normal transmission and refinement of a craft.

"Slow down…"

While the two conversed, Lei Lei Jingchuan listened from the side, occasionally interjecting with questions. His weapon-forging art had not yet reached great completion, and in terms of attainment he was inferior to the two.

The three chatted and drank. Lei Lei Jingchuan, who spoke the least, drank the most, and was drunk in no time.

"Burp~"

At this moment, Jing Jing Shuhu let out a wine burp:

"Kid Li, do you know why the Patriarch back then insisted on migrating the sect, giving up a Zhou for a Fu?"

"Mm?"

Li Yuan shook the empty wine jar, his heart stirring: "Wasn't it because of the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer?"

"Yes, and no."

Jing Jing Shuhu instinctively glanced around, then transmitted his voice in a lowered tone:

"Actually, the Weapon-Forging Art we learned comes from the bottom of the Cold Pond, and is suspected to come from the previous owner of the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer…"

"There's more to the Weapon-Forging Art?"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up at once.

Jing Jing Shuhu let out a drunken belch:

"There is!"