Hearing Instructor Ma Xiong’s direct instruction, Xiao Chen did not hesitate. He walked toward the designated worktable, where various large forging tools were neatly arranged.The sound of hammers striking from another corner of the hall continued to roar, creating a harsh rhythm that seemed to ignite the spirit of every blacksmith in the room.On the sturdy wooden table lay a long-handled forging hammer with a dark iron head. Its surface had turned black from being exposed to flames thousands of times. Xiao Chen extended his right hand and firmly grasped the hammer’s handle.As soon as his palm gripped the rough wood, the weight of the hammer immediately became apparent.It was not light. The hammer probably weighed several hundred jin. For an ordinary person, even lifting it with one hand would be quite difficult. However, to Xiao Chen, such a weight meant little.His body had undergone various forms of extreme physical tempering, while the transformation caused by the energy of th

After placing the forging hammer back on the wooden table, Xiao Chen let out a long breath.The sweat that had soaked his forehead and robe began to cool as the intense physical activity came to an end. Although he still had enough strength to continue forging, Xiao Chen recalled Ma Xiong's advice.‘Don't rush. Patience is also part of forging.’Xiao Chen looked at his palm, which moments ago had still been gripping the hammer handle tightly. He felt that something had changed within his body during the forging process.It was not a major change that could be clearly sensed at once, but rather an extremely subtle response.‘I will examine this through meditation later.’On the other side, Ma Xiong picked up the rough blade forged by Xiao Chen using the iron tongs.The blade was still far from becoming a perfect sword. Its surface was not yet smooth, its edge had not been sharpened, and it had not undergone the final finishing process. However, its basic shape had already begun to emer

After leaving the Northern Pavilion and returning to his residence, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged while contemplating all the explanations his Master had just given him.He knew very well that the Heaven-Splitting Sword Technique was not something that could be mastered in a matter of days, or even months.The requirements alone were already extremely demanding: a sword whose sword soul had been tempered through years of battle while remaining inside its scabbard, absorbing the remnants of anger and hatred.Given his current condition, Xiao Chen realized that he might only be able to truly begin practicing that Heaven-grade technique one or two years from now.However, this realization did not discourage him in the slightest. Instead, it only strengthened his determination to prepare everything in advance.Xiao Chen's thoughts immediately turned to the weapon he had been carrying all this time—a sword with a recycled black wooden scabbard that had always accompanied him.If he wanted to

Inside the Weapon Forging Hall, the air temperature had risen to the point where sweat poured heavily from the temples of everyone present.Before the main furnace, Ma Xiong stood like an iron giant.His eyes were wide and sharp, not blinking even once as he watched the changes in color of the ancient meteorite sword, which now glowed fiercely in the midst of the white-red flames.“Xiao Chen, get ready!” Ma Xiong’s voice cut through the roar of the flames. “The base metal has reached its optimal condition!”Hearing the instruction, Xiao Chen immediately moved closer to the furnace. He held one of the poisonous beast bones from Black Mist Valley with a special iron scoop.The faint purple energy radiating from the bone seemed to churn beneath the extreme heat.“Now! Insert the first piece!” Ma Xiong shouted.Without hesitation, Xiao Chen dropped the piece of bone into the heart of the flames, directly onto the softened metal.Boom—!The moment the bone came into contact with the scorch

News of the great confrontation between the Black Shadow Sect and the Ye Clan spread like an autumn wind sweeping across a dry field.No one knew who had leaked such sensitive information, but within a short period of time, news of the siege of the Ye Clan residence had reached cultivators throughout the city.For cultivators, a battle between two top-tier forces was naturally a rare and fascinating spectacle.Moreover, this conflict was no ordinary dispute. The Black Shadow Sect had arrived with its elite forces, while the Ye Clan had also prepared its entire strength to face the war.It was no wonder that as the decisive day approached, the main roads surrounding the Ye Clan’s territory began to fill with hundreds of curious spectators.Some stood behind buildings, while others climbed onto rooftops and watchtowers. A few cultivators even chose to stand on the branches of tall trees so they could see more clearly.They all maintained a safe distance.No one wanted to get too close t