Translator: Atlas Studios Editor:
Atlas Studios
Hongxiu, who had already recovered her original name, Liang Hongxiu, stood outside Chang’an’s city gate and turned back to look at the place she had lived in for more than ten years. It was a place she hated and loved.
The next moment, she gripped the three-foot sword in her hand tightly.
The sword seemed to give her endless strength, and her eyes were full of determination. She would definitely succeed in this trip to Qingzhou! If she didn’t succeed, then she would die trying!
“Giddy up!”
Liang Hongxiu spurred her horse and left Chang’an with a valiant back view before disappearing on the main road in the direction of Qingzhou.
In the marquis’s residence in the capital, a red figure flashed across Zhou Shu’s mind as he sighed emotionally.
He hoped that the Eight-Sided Han Sword he forged would be able to help her. He also hoped that everything would go smoothly in Qingzhou for the girl with a bitter life.
If not for the fact that the Great Destroyer Sword was not suitable for women, he had even thought of giving it to Liang Hongxiu.
If she really joined the Demon Executing Army, wouldn’t she have many opportunities to kill enemies?
It was a pity that the Great Destroyer Sword was a heavy sword unsuitable for women.
From the start, Zhou Shu had never thought of keeping Liang Hongxiu by his side.
Women also had the right to pursue their dreams.
If she could really become Lu Wenshuang’s disciple and become a member of the Demon Executing Army, it would be a great thing.
What right did Zhou Shu have to stop her future?
The Liang family’s forging techniques—
Zhou Shu looked at the scroll neatly wrapped in silk and sighed. When he had first heard Yang Hong speak of it, he had sighed with emotion. Good forging techniques had been destroyed by Zhu Chuanfeng.
He hadn’t expected that the Liang family’s forging techniques actually still had an inheritance. Furthermore, it actually ended up in his hands.
Although it isn’t of much use to me, I will still owe her a favor. If there’s a chance in the future, I will gift you a ranked weapon. But the premise is that you’re able to join the Demon Executing Army.
He reached out and untied the silk. Although he relied mainly on the Legendary Armament Canon for forging, he wouldn’t let go of the opportunity to learn more about forging techniques.
After all, the Legendary Armament Canon was only the forging methods of a certain divine artifact. He still had to learn the systematic theory of forging himself.
Zhou Shu rolled open the Liang family’s secret forging techniques. The secret manual was written in small, elegant characters, and there were many detailed drawings.
When Zhou Shu saw this, he knew that Liang Hongxiu had transcribed it.
‘This wasn’t strange. In a place like the Education Bureau, how could she possibly keep the secret forging techniques of her ancestors?
This was probably what she had memorized in her mind, and she had just written a copy.
She had really put in effort.
Zhou Shu’s heart felt a bit complicated. Miss Hongxiu, I will definitely not let down the Liang family’s secret forging techniques. If there is a chance in the future, I will find a suitable successor for them so that the Liang family’s forging techniques can be passed down from generation to generation!
Rustle!
Zhou Shu began to read page by page.
‘The current Zhou Shu was no longer the same person who didn’t know anything and only relied on the Legendary Armament Canon’s secret weapon forging formulas.
He now had a deep understanding of forging weapons.
He had read through all the information regarding forging that Yin Wuyou had found for him before.
‘Thus, Zhou Shu didn’t have any difficulty understanding the Liang family’s techniques.
Soon, he was immersed in it.
One day, two days.
Zhou Shu stayed in his room and didn’t leave. The steward wasn’t surprised.
He now had a rough understanding of Zhou Shu’s habits. When the marquis was in the forging room or the study, he must not disturb him.
All he had to do was deliver the three meals to the door on time.
Zhou Shu stayed in the study for a few days before entering the forging room without a word. The forging room in the marquis’s residence had been specially modified by Zhou Shu.
‘When he was creating the Great Destroyer Sword, he had accidentally destroyed the forging furnace and True Fire.
But there was already a new furnace and True Fire fire seed inside the forging room.
‘The Mi family had sent them over. They said it was to congratulate Zhou Shu on becoming a marquis.
Zhou Shu naturally had no objections to this. After all, he really couldn’t bear to buy them himself.
These things were priced in gold.
In other words, the Mi family was wealthy. Not only did they send over a forging furnace and True Fire seed, but they also sent over a batch of forging materials. Some were commonly used, while others were rare.
In short, the Mi family was rich!
Before Zhou Shu had any status, the Mi family had already treated him as the second master. Now that he was a marquis, how could the Mi family neglect him?
‘With the Mi family’s congratulatory gift, Zhou Shu didn’t need to worry about the lack of forging materials.
He entered the forging room and began to practice the secret forging techniques he had just learned.
To Zhou Shu, this was the first time he had relied on his own strength to forge a weapon.
Previously, when he forged weapons, the Legendary Armament Canon had directly inserted the forging formulas into his mind.
But this time, there was no mysterious power that allowed him to directly master the forging of a weapon.
The Liang family’s forging techniques were a system that encompassed everything from how to forge weapons to the formation of weapons to the positioning of stars.
To a Forging Master, these were just the basics. After mastering them, it was like mastering mathematical formulas. One could begin solving the problems.
Generally speaking, when a Forging Master forged a weapon, they first had to design the weapon’s outer appearance before designing its internal star paths. This process was the process of using formulas to solve problems.
‘What was the most suitable shape, what kind of star paths could unleash its power, how to coordinate the materials needed for forging, and so on were all things that a Forging Master needed to consider. They were also part of the theory behind forging techniques.
As for the actual forging process, how to process the different materials and how to forge the weapons according to the design without making any mistakes, including the final positioning of the stars, each family’s forging techniques had their own secrets.
Especially the positioning of the stars, this was the true secret!
‘Three years to fix stars, ten years to position.
It implied that one would need three years to learn how to use the Heaven Refining Stone to fix stars and ten years of cultivation to accurately position the stars within the weapon.
This was referring to the foundation of the legacy.
Without a legacy, people would never be able to figure out a way to locate stars.
Zhou Shu was different from ordinary Forging Masters.
To ordinary Forging Masters, the most difficult step was to locate the internal positions of a weapon. After all, the weapons forged from different materials were different. How to fix star paths within the meridians of the weapons and accurately locate the positions of the stars depended on one’s
intuition. After all, they were unable to see the internal structures of the weapons.
But Zhou Shu was different!
He cultivated the Visualization of the Five Mountains’ True Form and had already condensed his divine sense.
And he was able to see directly inside weapons with his divine sense!
Therefore, he didn’t even need to locate anything. He just needed to look at it!
For him, the most difficult step in forging ranked weapons was actually the easiest step.
His studies mainly focused on the nature of the various materials used for forging, the outcome of different combinations, the design of the positions of the stars, and so on.
Zhou Shu continued to experiment with the Liang family’s secret forging techniques.
The Liang family’s forging techniques didn’t have any secret forging formulas. But as long as one grasped the theory, they would be able to design their own weapon.
At the level of a Forging Master, the forging formulas were not the most important. The most important thing was the forging techniques.
As he learned, Zhou Shu suddenly realized something.
He seemed to understand why the Legendary Armament Canon didn’t unlock new forging formulas like the previous standard weapons.
For standard weapons, forging formulas were more important. As for ranked weapons, as long as one mastered the art of forging, they could easily design forging formulas.
Forging formulas were not important. The most important thing was to be able to create weapons.
This was the biggest difference between ranked weapons and standard ones.
The body made of Xuan steel and red essence sand can only withstand two star paths at most. Any more, and the weapon will collapse.
Zhou Shu eagerly absorbed the knowledge of forging, and his understanding of the art of forging increased.
Combined with his experience in forging the Great Destroyer Sword, the door to forging finally opened.
I finally understand. The Legendary Armament Canon has already shown me the secret to forging ranked weapons using the Great Destroyer Sword’s forging formula. It’s just that I was too stupid in the past and didn’t understand it!
Zhou Shu patted his forehead, feeling enlightened.
‘The reason the Legendary Armament Canon didn’t unlock the next weapon was that there was no other ranked weapon!
‘As long as he mastered the true art of forging, he would be able to develop the secret forging formulas for ranked weapons!
As the saying goes, one will understand everything by understanding the underlying principles. As long as he could upgrade the Great Destroyer Sword to heaven grade, there wouldn’t be any secrets for forging weapons ranging from yellow grade to heaven grade.
This was because it already covered all the information regarding the positioning of the stars. Zhou Shu only had to figure it out!
In the past, he had never thought of learning the art of forging himself, so he had never understood this point.
Now that he was researching the Liang family’s secret forging techniques, he immediately felt as if he could see the clear sky through the clouds.
For a ranked weapon, its appearance is the least important thing. I can totally forge a ranked weapon with the appearance of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber or one with the appearance of an Autumn Anatidae Plume Saber. The only difference is that I can use suitable materials to forge the weapon to
match the star paths!
Two ranked weapons that appeared identical on the surface could have a world of difference on the inside. Naturally, their might would also be completely different.
Other Forging Masters can’t see the meridians inside the weapons, so they have to constantly test what star paths the weapons can withstand. The requirement for talent is too high.
For me, there’s no such problem. I can see the internal meridians of the weapons, and I can see how to fix the star paths within them. There’s no problem at all for me.
I’ve been complaining about how the Legendary Armament Canon didn’t unlock the next ranked weapon, but I didn’t know that it had already revealed all its secrets to me.
With the power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, the protection of the Golden Bell Barrier Technique, the attack techniques of the Heavenly Saber Art and the Astounding Heavenly Eighteen Swords, the divine sense from the Visualization of the Five Mountains’ True Form, and the experience of
forging the Great Destroyer Sword, if I still can’t forge other ranked weapons, then I’l really be useless!
His gaze landed on the forging materials in the forging room.
Then, let me forge my own ranked weapon!
His eyes were frighteningly bright as he picked out one material after another and threw them into the furnace.
With an excited expression, he activated the True Fire and began smelting.
‘Time passed. Zhou Shu seemed to have forgotten about time as he focused on forging.
The steward looked at the untouched food and felt a little worried. It had been a few days, and the marquis hadn’t eaten or drank anything. Every time he came to deliver food, the last meal would still be here, untouched.
He was hesitating. If the marquis doesn’t come out, should I barge in and take a look?
But the forging room is a restricted area of the marquis’s residence, and there seems to be some activity inside. The marquis should be fine, right?
Tl wait two more days. If the marquis still doesn’t come out, I’ll barge in and take a look!
‘The steward walked away anxiously.
Inside the forging room, Zhou Shu’s expression became increasingly excited. Within the True Fire, a weapon was already beginning to take shape.
Zhou Shu took out the prototype weapon from the forging furnace and began to hammer it.
This process had already been repeated several times.
‘The weapon was becoming more and more perfect.
Finally, one night, Zhou Shu looked at the weapon in his hand and revealed a satisfied smile.
It’s time to position the stars. I’ve already used up the Heaven Refining Stone that Sun Gongping gave me the last time. Fortunately, the Mi family gave me a few pieces this time. Otherwise, it would have been a headache.
‘The Mi family had a Heaven Refining Stone mine to begin with. Since they had given him forging materials, Heaven Refining Stones were naturally included. Although it wasn’t much, it was several times more than what Sun Gongping had given.
‘These few Heaven Refining Stones were more than enough to forge a yellow-grade weapon.
Although Zhou Shu had understood the path of forging ranked weapons, with his current level, he could only forge yellow-grade weapons. After all, the experience he had gained from the Great Destroyer Sword was only sufficient for him to forge yellow-grade weapons.
“Star fixing!”
Zhou Shu gripped the Heaven Refining Stone and closed his eyes. His divine sense flowed like water, completely covering the weapon in his hand.
In Zhou Shu’s consciousness, the faint outline of a human body appeared.
The star paths of ranked weapons imitated the meridians of the human body. Zhou Shu could clearly see the internal structure of the weapon with his divine sense, and what was reflected in his consciousness directly transformed into the outline of the human body.
In this way, he only needed to fix the stars according to the positions of the meridians and acupuncture points in the human body.
Let’s start with the Taiyin Lung Meridian!
Zhou Shu’s consciousness was like a brush. In reality, the Heavenly Refining Stone was controlled by his spiritual essence, and it landed on the newly forged weapon.
His movements didn’t stop. One by one, bright spots on his weapon successfully lit up and finally connected into a shining meridian.
If other Forging Masters could see this scene, they would definitely be so shocked that their teeth would fall out.
‘When Forging Masters lit stars, they were extremely cautious. After repeated speculations, they would take half a day to fix a single star.
How could anyone be like Zhou Shu and directly fix an entire star path casually without stopping?
Again! Zhou Shu’s confidence increased greatly. It is indeed possible!
He continued to work. After some time, he finally fixed the last star position in the design.
This was the only way. If there was another star path, the weapon wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
It’s done! Zhou Shu’s heart was full of joy.
suddenly, the Legendary Armament Canon automatically appeared in front of his eyes. The pages moved without any wind and flipped to a blank page. It was as if a brush was moving, and the contents of the page quickly appeared.
