Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ultimate weapon? The crowd finally reacted to Zhang Zhi’s words.
Zhang Zhi was a smithing genius, if he was able to forge himself a powerful weapon, he might really be able to kill Li Xingchen instead.
However, the crowd soon realized Zhang Zhi was only talented in smithing, he could only restore or refine low-tier artfacts. No matter how secretly powerful he was or how many kinds of artifacts he could forge, the best he could forge was a mid-tier artifact.
Using a mid-tier artifact against Li Xingchen would be like striking a stone with an egg.
Therefore, the crowd took his words as a simple joke.
“I actually felt bad for Owner Zhang’s end but now it seems like he’s asking for it.”
“Yeah, that’s right. In the cultivation world, the strong reigns, if you are not strong enough, you shouldn’t offend those you can not afford to offend.”
“I’m gonna pass on the refinement this time.”
Many of them found Zhang Zhi’s attitude lacking, they coldly grunted and left.
Zhang Zhi did not try to explain himself, instead after some of them left, the blacksmith felt quieter.
Han Ling’er, however, did not seem to be leaving, so he asked, “Immortal Han, excuse me, I’m going to forge now.”
Zhang Zhi reacted differently and tried to send her off but Han Ling’er shook her head, “Zhang Zhi, can I stay and watch you forge?”
It was not that she did not trust Zhang Zhi, she was just worried and thought she ought to stay back to watch him forge the so-called ultimate weapon. Otherwise, she would force Zhang Zhi to take the talismans and pills.
“Owner Zhang, I want to watch you forge as well.”
“Ultimate weapon! I’m here to witness its birth!”
…
The remaining cultivators decided to stay but all with different intentions. Some of them were really curious whether or not Zhang Zhi could forge an ultimate weapon; some of them stayed because they wanted to make fun of Zhang Zhi if he failed.
Zhang Zhi understood Han Ling’er’s concern, he nodded out of respect for her and allowed her to stay, “Okay then, those who want to watch, you can stay but please keep quiet when I forge.”
“Great. I’ll stand guard for you!” Han Ling’er drew Flying Swan Sword and entered a cautious stance, her killing intent overflowing.
The other cultivators felt chills down their spine, they quickly smiled attentively and promised not to make a sound.
Zhang Zhi then went to the rear to start preparing for the forging.
It was then that the system in his head spoke to him, “This is what a forging master should be. You’ve successfully rejected business, acquired a special ability – Cultivation Conceal.”
Cultivation Conceal?
Zhang Zhi immediately understood what it meant. Once used, his own cultivation level would be concealed from others. It might be almost useless to other cultivators because everyone wanted the world to know how high their cultivation level was, so why would they conceal it?
However to Zhang Zhi, it was useful because he was improving ridiculously fast with the system’s help, it was necessary for him to conceal his cultivation, otherwise others might assume that he possessed some kind of treasure and it might attract unwanted visits, others might kill him for the imaginary treasure.
A quick thought later, he decided to set his cultivation level at Intermediate Qi Refining stage because it was the average cultivation level in Lingtai Town, it would never attract attention.
The Cultivation Conceal was done with a thought, he then took the box made out of Firelord Gold from his pouch and tossed it into the hearth burning with Samadhi True Fire.
“Huh? Am I seeing this right? Is that a copper box?”
“Owner Zhang is trying to forge an ultimate weapon with a copper box? Is this a joke?”
…
The cultivators dared not make a sound but they had their jade slips in hand and were communicating with each other through telepathy, everyone of them tried to hold back their laughter.
Han Ling’er was maintaining the order in the blacksmith but she too noticed Zhang Zhi tossing a rusty box into the hearth for forging. Zhang Zhi should have at least used a Sky Crystal, the material he used to refine her sword, to forge his so-called ultimate weapon, and if he had access to such rare material, he should not be in shortage of materials.
Han Ling’er was thinking whether or not to give Zhang Zhi her personal material collection, but he remembered Zhang Zhi told them to keep quiet, so she held her thoughts back and waited patiently. She would give it to him in a heartbeat if he asked for it.
Zhang Zhi concentrated on the burning hearth, he was never distracted during smithing.
In a few breaths’ time, the ‘copper’ box melted like snow and the rusty parts were burnt off by Samadhi True Fire, revealing the true Firelord Gold underneath.
A dazzling golden brilliance shone from the hearth. Those who laughed at Zhang Zhi using telepathy were all stunned by the golden shine. They would be blind and stupid if they still believed that box was made out of normal copper.
“My peers, can anyone tell me what this material that we are looking at is?”
“I don’t know.”
“It looks like Strong Gold but Strong Gold isn’t as dazzling.”
The cultivators discussed the materials through telepathy. They had many guesses but all were denied soon after they were mentioned.
It was then that a new telepathic voice joined the conversation, “It’s Firelord Gold.”
Firelord Gold?
The term shocked the cultivators and their eyes widened.
“Firelord Gold? Who said that? Can you prove it?”
“Firelord Gold only exists in books!”
The cultivators wanted to identify the female cultivator who called the ‘copper’ Firelord Gold and overthrow her argument. After all, Firelord Gold was a legendary material, why would it appear in a small town like Lingtai and in such a huge amount?
The group searched around and noticed Han Ling’er and her jade slip. They strongly believed the telepathic voice that claimed it was Firelord Gold belonged to her.
Han Ling’er was once of the top 10 inner disciples of the sect and she was revered for her vast amount of knowledge and insight that surpassed a Nascent Soul Patriarch. If she called the box Firelord Gold, it would be Firelord Gold. The possibility of her being wrong was even lower than a cultivator choking on rice.
The group no longer doubted what they saw, they gasped in shock. As their breaths hurried, their eyes were filled with astonishment and also greed.
Han Ling’er’s Flying Swan Sword emanated a fierce killing intent, deterring those who had ill intentions for the material. In the end, the group could do nothing but drool in envy as they watched the Firelord Gold shine before their eyes.
Zhang Zhi was fully focused on melting the material but he sensed chills at his back. He turned around and saw the group of cultivators in his blacksmith looking at him with hungry gazes, as if they were looking at a beautiful lady.
He might be a narcissist but he knew they were not looking at him, they were looking at the Firelord Gold in the hearth. He was wondering if they would gang up on him and snatch the Firelord Gold from the hearth but he soon remembered that as long as he stayed in Lingtai Town, the elder that governed the town would protect him.
“System, if someone wants to snatch the Samadhi True Fire, the Stardust Anvil and the other magical items, what should I do?”
He asked the system a question that popped up in his mind. Even though Firelord Gold was only attractive to cultivators below Nascent Soul level, the Samadhi True Fire, Stardust Anvil and the other magical items were a huge temptation to powerful experts.
Cultivators below Nascent Soul level might not recognize them but once a Nascent Soul cultivator made them out and decided to snatch them, the elder in Lingtai Town might not be able to protect Zhang Zhi anymore.
A while later, the system said, “Ding Dong. Loophole fixed. System has provided a layer of camouflage to all the tools. The host is rewarded with a rank up in cultivation for finding the loophole.”
After the system notification, Zhang Zhi realized the Samadhi True Fire had started to burn normally, the Stardust Anvil looked like a normal anvil and the hammer in his hand looked rusty.
He sighed a breath of relief. Reporting a loophole not only increased the security of the blacksmith, it even boosted his cultivation to Early Foundation Building stage. It was extremely lucky of him to get continuous rewards from the system in just one day.
The Firelord Gold has been calcined to a suitable temperature. He took it out from the hearth and put it on the anvil to forge it into the shape of a sword.
Since the system added a layer of camouflage on everything, his hammering was not as grand as before, it just looked like normal smithing.
The cultivators felt heartache at the scene, as if the hammer was hitting on their hearts instead of the Firelord Gold.
“What a waste! Legend has it that Firelord Gold can be used to forge spirit artifacts yet Owner Zhang used it to make a simple artifact, it’s such a waste!”
“If he’s able to forge a mid-tier artifact, that’s fine but if he forges a low-tier or fails altogether, I won’t let him off this easily!”
“Speaking of which, is it me or does Owner Zhang’s smithing look a lot weaker, it doesn’t look as grand as before.”
The cultivators started to communicate via telepathy again but most of them expressed pity at wasting such a treasure this way.
Forging was not as easy as restoration and refinement, it required extra concentration. Even though the system provided him with the forging skill and he was not afraid of failure or ruining the materials, Zhang Zhi dared not be careless, every hammer swing was extra meticulous.
When the shape of the sword finally formed, everyone in the blacksmith sighed a breath of relief. Normally, once the forging reached this stage, the following steps and problems would not be as difficult.
The group started to wonder what kind of formation Zhang Zhi would carve on the flying sword.
Both artifacts and spirit artifacts required formation to work, otherwise they would not be known as artifacts. The level of the formation would directly affect the tier of the flying sword once completed.
“What do you think Owner Zhang will carve in the sword?”
“Given Owner Zhang’s cultivation level of Qi Refining, the formation that he can carve wouldn’t be high, at most a Five Element Formation.”
“Not exactly. Owner Zhang’s blacksmith is protected by a Guardian Mountain Formation!”
“Are you sure Owner Zhang did it himself? Could it be Owner Zhang’s master?”
The cultivators started to talk about the formation and for whatever reason, they fabricated an imaginary master for Zhang Zhi, otherwise it would not be possible to explain why the blacksmith was protected by Guardian Mountain Formation.
Many forging masters were also formation masters because all artifacts required formations to work. However, Zhang Zhi currently knew nothing about formations, but fortunately, he did not have to spend time to learn it because the system would provide assistance in the carving segment.
The system provided the best solution and carved a ‘Tripedal Crow Formation’ on the sword. The Tripedal Crow represented the sun, it was a legendary formation that contained the power of a primordial Tripedal Crow.
As expected, the items from the system were all legendary.
After the formation was carved, the temperature in the blacksmith suddenly rose. Many cultivators were shocked by the sudden rise in temperature, they started to communicate via telepathy again.
Little did they know, in the sky above Lingtai Town, or more precisely, the sky above the blacksmith, a dark thundering cloud had started to form.
In the highest peak of Lingtai Sect, an elderly man noticed the formation of the dark cloud and started to ponder. He squinted his eyes strangely and muttered, “Is there a treasured artifact descending to this earth?”
With a swing of his sleeve, the elderly man disappeared.
Ouyang Changtian was still on his way to the blacksmith. He ran into some friends on the way and it held him up for a bit, therefore he was still trying to deliver the challenge letter to Zhang Zhi.
When he saw a crowd in front of the blacksmith, he grumbled in jealousy, “A bunch of idiots. You people will know how good I am when I defeat this Zhang Zhi!”