The iron essence long sword crafted through countless refines was a sight the two old codgers had seen many times. It wasn’t the shape or material that astonished them, but rather…
It was the forging technique.
“Wow, the texture is so uniform and dense!”
“And those layered, undulating forge patterns are just stunning, like… like a wave frozen in a moment!”
Ding——
Elder Zeng flicked the sword with his finger, and it emitted a clear, melodious chime.
“Ah, splendid, simply splendid! This is definitely a fine weapon, and a top-quality one at that!”
“To achieve such remarkable results on the first forging, I’ve… only seen this once in my life!”
Elder Zeng was no stranger to famous swords, but gazing at this exquisite iron essence long sword, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“Give it to me.”
Elder Han took the sword, examining it carefully while occasionally emitting a “tsk tsk” sound.
Hmm, oh yes, this weapon is imbued with soul.
Every inch reflects the smith’s bl**d and sweat. That kid really went through ten refinements in one breath—far exceeded my expectations!
“It seems you’ve taken my words to heart.”
“Humph, if it weren’t for my Five Elements Forging Method, how could the iron essence undergo five temperings and quenchings?” Elder Zeng raised his chin to emphasize his point.
The strengths of both their techniques had perfectly merged in this kid.
The two old men exchanged glances as if they already knew what the other wanted to say.
After all, this kid is still young and naive; giving him too much praise would just inflate his ego.
Besides, this sword hadn’t reached its perfect state yet.
At least, it still had a gap compared to what they had forged.
“Theoretically, iron essence can be forged into legendary weapons, but your first attempt resulted in a top-notch tool.”
“There are still a few areas where you fell short.”
“Ready for my wisdom?”
Li Mo put down his hammer and listened intently.
This was the seasoned craftsman’s accumulated experience; it couldn’t be derived from martial arts or profound insights.
“First, your understanding of ‘swords’ is still lacking. Different shapes in forging demand varying techniques and focuses…”
Elder Han and Elder Zeng took turns commenting, point by point.
Finally, Elder Zeng summed it all up:
“And one more thing. This isn’t your fault; it comes down to the quenching materials.”
“You used that quenching oil multiple times in a short span, causing the oil temperature to spike, so the final quench didn’t meet expectations. Otherwise, this iron essence sword could have been even better.”
“Li Mo… Li Mo?”
At this moment, Elder Zeng noticed Little Li the blacksmith seemed a bit dazed, waving his hand in front of his eyes.
Li Mo’s eyes were swirling, and he puffed up, saying:
“It’s not only the sword that won’t cool down!”
“Hmm?”
“It’s me too!”
“Eh??? Hiss…”
Elder Han poked Li Mo’s shoulder and realized he was as hot as a red-hot iron. Who would’ve thought their fire veins were so intense…
“What the heck, this kid is burning up like a freshly forged ingot.”
“Is he refining weapons or himself?”
Technically, refining himself wasn’t entirely off the mark.
After all, when forging a divine treasure, you end up quenching yourself along with it…
“This won’t do; something has to change…”
The master blacksmith and the forging grandmaster exchanged heavy, solemn looks, finally reaching a shared realization.
They had to teach Little Li how to ‘quench the fire.’
So…
The two old men grabbed Little Li, one in front and one behind.
Splash——
They tossed him right into the blazing fire vein, immersing him in the chilling cold pool.
“Holy cr*p, Little Mo’s really sunk!” Elder Zeng leaned back slightly.
If he stays submerged for too long, there may not be a trace left!
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Elder Han panicked: “Quick, reel him out! Aren’t you supposed to be good at fishing? Hurry up and fish him out!”
Elder Zeng huffed, “Bull, that’s called multitasking! You’re the one who makes a splash and acts like a pro!”
“Every time you fish, you just dive in and grab, and then pretended you caught something! Shameless!”
Clearly…
Neither of the old men had much experience with this newfangled quenching technique.
—
As evening approached in the chilly early spring, the rustling leaves of the big banyan tree in the courtyard created an ominous air. The cold transformed from a physical threat to a magical one, burrowing deep into their bones.
At this time, Qooshui Pavilion was unusually devoid of cooking smoke, adding to the gloom.
Why, you ask? Our chef Li was likely ill.
When Elder Han carried him back, he was as stiff as a popsicle, wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly and trembling, his brows frozen solid.
Meanwhile, Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu stood around him with puzzled expressions.
“He was all fired up yesterday, seemed like he was about to burst into flames, and today he’s frozen solid?”
“I have no idea…”
Li Mo was equally confused.
All he remembered was forging a fine sword after refining his body with the divine treasure, then the world faded to black.
Could it be… he fainted from being too fired up?
But then why was he now freezing all over?
And not just frozen; it felt like there was a fire burning inside him.
He figured he must be an ‘ice-cold outside, fiery inside’ kind of guy, and nobody could argue with that…
“Hang on a second.”
Shang Wu scratched her head, went into the room, and returned holding a cup.
The faint scent of liquor wafted out.
“Here, take this.”
“Huh? Is this some kind of medicinal liquor?”
Li Mo was taken aback as he took the cup.
“Nope, chilling the liquor makes it taste better.”
“?”
So much for hoping the master would be reliable at some point in time.
“Let me take a look.”
Qin Yuzhi, with a serious expression as if she were a professional, placed her hand on his pulse, mimicking an ancient Chinese doctor checking for ailments.
Her brows slowly furrowed.
As we all know, Master Qin was well-versed in many things. When Li Mo saw her frown, he couldn’t help but feel anxious:
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Hiss… your symptoms indicate pure Yang colliding with Yin!” Qin Yuzhi’s eyes went wide.
“!”
Li Mo shivered, unsure whether it was from the cold or the shock.
Just yesterday, he claimed he was only a bit overheated—little did he know he was now at pure Yang colliding with Yin?!
“Just kidding, haha, did I scare you?”
“So, I’m not colliding pure Yang with Yin?”
“Not at all! I can’t even check ailments!”
“…What the heck is this!”
Li Mo felt a dark cloud appear above him.
No wonder Qin Yuzhi had been dormant in the Dreamy Palace for so long—nobody tried to rouse her; it’s hard to say the disciples weren’t deliberately careless.
If you two had any level of competence, we wouldn’t be in this mess!
Staying in Qiushui Pavilion felt like being trapped in a hospital after catching a cold in his past life.
Not much to gain, and maybe he’d have to concoct a little drama for Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu.
He took a deep breath, forcing his stiff body to get ready to head to Danding Peak and see Elder Xue, although he believed he wasn’t too serious and wouldn’t have any major issues for now.
What he feared was those accumulated small problems really turning into something bigger.
Just then, the sound of light footsteps echoed from the attic stairs.
Li Mo halted, turning around to see the ethereal beauty of Cold Fairy.
The first glance from Ying Bing caught sight of Little Li, and sensing something was off, her typically serene expression suddenly deepened with concern, her brows furrowing deeply.
“Li Mo, come sit down properly.”
