Fan Yezi had submitted.
Not because the food was truly delicious, but because of the weapons.
As a great expert in forging, he could see that the Cold Edge Sword and Cold Radiance Sword were completely impeccable in craftsmanship. Even if he forged them himself, he might not reach this level!
An expert!
An absolute expert!
However, this was only from comprehending twenty percent of the manual left by Gan Jiang and Mo Ye!
Fan Yezi was thoroughly shocked, thoroughly deceived!
If he could study that couple’s manual, his forging techniques would definitely make a qualitative leap!
Although Fan Yezi was revered as the foremost forging master of this era, he never believed he had reached the pinnacle of the forging dao and always maintained an apprentice’s heart.
Actually, Dog Leftover had taken out a bit too many weapons.
With just the initial grade Cold Edge Sword alone, combined with his own deception, he could make Master Fan surrender.
So it’s said, having backbone isn’t scary—what’s scary is prescribing the right medicine!
“Creak!”
The prison opened, and warm sunlight streamed in.
Under the gaze of Dai Lü, Zhao Doudou, and Young Master Yuan, Fan Yezi was the first to leave the prison, also the last to enter and the fastest to be released.
“You three.”
He stopped at the prison door and said, “Being cellmates can also be considered fate. We’ll meet again in the jianghu!”
“…”
Dai Lü’s eyes flashed with anger.
I don’t have such a spineless cellmate! Farewell, and never see you again!
Zhao Doudou, however, looked envious, secretly thinking that if Sect Master Jun actively recruited him like this, he definitely wouldn’t hesitate to agree!
…
That very day.
Fan Yezi became the Forging Hall Master.
Then, the astonishment began, because many ordinary outer disciples in the sect were each equipped with Cold Edge Swords and Cold Radiance Swords!
“My heavens!”
“These weapons are all exactly the same in craftsmanship, as if they were cast from the same mold!”
Fan Yezi casually wandered around the sect. Every time he encountered disciples, every time he appraised weapons, his facial expression constantly changed.
Of course.
Forging didn’t only refer to weapons but also armor and protective gear.
Inner disciples wore True Yang Sets and sparred in the training grounds. While the fighting was intense, Master Fan suddenly rushed in, pressed himself against a disciple’s front, and caressed them up and down with both hands, exclaiming like it was a celestial marvel, “Perfect! Too perfect!”
For the following period, the Eternal Sect disciples were quite depressed.
Because if they weren’t careful, Hall Master Fan would appear before them, madly caressing their weapons and equipment with his loving hands, reaching an absolutely intoxicated state!
“Ahhh!”
From the latrine, a male disciple who had been taking a dump ran out holding up his pants, screaming in collapse, “Why is he here!”
His obsession with forging drove Fan Yezi into madness. Every time he appraised the Eternal Sect’s equipment, he would fall into deep shame.
However.
After several days of researching the equipment and weapons, he discovered a flaw.
“Sect Master.”
In the great hall, Fan Yezi said with a meaningful tone, “The equipment you forged is perfect, but after my observations these past few days, it still lacks something.”
“Lacks what?”
“Lacks…” Fan Yezi paused slightly and said gravely, “Soul!”
Jun Changxiao’s expression froze.
Fan Yezi said, “Every weapon cannot be separated from the forging master’s thousand hammerings and hundred refinings, so when formed, it will possess a kind of soul. But Fan cannot sense the existence of soul in the equipment forged by the Sect Master.”
“Although the Cold Edge Sword and Cold Radiance Sword are absolutely superior within their quality tier, because they lack a trace of soul, there are still deficiencies.”
“Of course.”
“This deficiency isn’t fatal.”
“But for someone who has special feelings for weapons, the lack of soul will affect their use and even prevent them from displaying their most perfect state.”
The Cold Edge Swords, Cold Radiance Swords, and other weapons and equipment all came from the Forging Pavilion. Their quality and craftsmanship were impeccable, but ultimately they were similar to machine production, having not undergone a forging master’s thousand hammerings and hundred refinings. They truly lacked soul infusion.
Simply put.
Machine-made and handmade definitely had differences.
Jun Changxiao said, “This one has also realized this problem, but limited by ability, has been unable to resolve it. Does Hall Master Fan have a solution?”
“Yes!” Fan Yezi said.
Jun Changxiao was delighted and said, “What method?”
“Fan’s comprehension of the martial dao isn’t high, but I have a bit of talent in the forging dao. Combined with hundreds of years of forging, I’ve already condensed Forging Qi.” Fan Yezi said.
“Forging Qi?”
“Cultivating martial dao has martial dao qi, cultivating swords has sword dao qi, even scholars can gather scholar’s qi. Forging Qi is related to forging.”
Jun Changxiao understood.
Fan Yezi said, “If the weapons forged by the Sect Master are enhanced with Forging Qi and then slightly reforged, soul can be infused. Although the power won’t increase significantly, it will allow users to better harmonize with them, achieving true unity between person and weapon!”
Professional!
So damn professional!
Jun Changxiao said, “The weapons this one forged, especially the Cold Edge Swords—disciples nearly all have one. Reforging to infuse souls would probably take a long time, right?”
“Not long.”
Fan Yezi said quite proudly, “With the Forging Qi I’ve mastered, reforging a hundred blades a day is no difficulty.”
A hundred blades per day.
That’s ten thousand in a hundred days!
Over these years, he’d only forged about a hundred thousand weapons total. Wouldn’t it be done in three to five years?
Moreover, there was still the Space-Time Secret Realm where he could enter to reforge, and the speed of soul infusion would only be faster!
“In that case.”
Jun Changxiao clapped his hands and said, “Then what are we waiting for? Hall Master Fan, begin reforging and infusing souls!”
Fan Yezi said, “Fan has long been eager!”
The weapons Jun Changxiao forged were perfect in quality and craftsmanship but lacked soul. This triggered his obsessive-compulsive disorder—he had to completely fix this flaw!
…
Forging Hall.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
An aura different from martial dao qi gradually gathered in the room, enveloping the suspended Cold Edge Sword, then penetrating its deep layers.
“So this is Forging Qi?”
Jun Changxiao, standing beside observing, was greatly amazed.
“Swoosh!”
Shortly after, the Cold Edge Sword enveloped by Forging Qi gently descended and was placed on the forging platform.
The cross-legged Fan Yezi opened his eyes. His hands crossed, and his beard danced freely in the air currents.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
The released Forging Qi suddenly divided into two streams, then condensed into hammer forms and began repeatedly striking the Cold Edge Sword, faintly transmitting clanging sounds.
“Holy crap!”
Jun Changxiao exclaimed in shock, “You can do it like this? My horizons have been broadened!”
In ancient times there was battle qi transforming into wings, battle qi transforming into horses, battle qi transforming into oxen. Now there’s Fan Yezi with forging qi transforming into hammers!
The two hammers repeatedly struck the Cold Edge Sword. The Forging Qi fused on the surface gradually penetrated and merged with the blade body.
Shortly after.
Fan Yezi withdrew the Forging Qi.
The Cold Radiance Sword’s reforging was complete. Light flowed around the blade body—it looked brand new!
“Amazing, amazing!” Jun Changxiao gave a thumbs up.
“Sigh.”
Fan Yezi sighed and said, “My understanding of forging techniques has reached its limit. If in this lifetime I could advance another level, not to mention infusing weapons with souls, even infusing weapon spirits would be no problem.”
Jun Changxiao’s eyes widened. “Weapon spirits can be infused too?”
“Yes!”
Fan Yezi said, “This is the level where the forging dao reaches the realm of transformation. Ancient texts record it, but regrettably, no one on Xingyun Continent has touched upon it. Perhaps it’s merely a rumor.”
Jun Changxiao consoled, “As long as such a level exists in the world, with Master Fan’s strength, you’ll surely reach it one day.”
“Hahaha!”
Fan Yezi laughed heartily and said, “I’ll borrow the Sect Master’s auspicious words.”
Within his laughter was some bitterness and helplessness because he knew that if such a forging level truly existed, with his comprehension, he wouldn’t grasp it in his entire lifetime, because that level was absolutely no less than achieving Shattered Void in martial dao and ascending to the Upper Realm!