Eunuch Liu no longer continued this topic. He picked up the biggest piece of stony metal and weighed it in his hands. “I’ll need this much for the modification. I’ll shamelessly accept the remaining pieces.”
After explaining repeatedly that it was fine, Qianye arranged an entire floor for Eunuch Liu to work. He also announced that no one was to disturb the old man.
The eunuch put down his backpack and produced one part after the other until an incredibly intricate workstation had been assembled. Then, he fished out several packages, each containing dozens of different-sized tools. Just the sight of his equipment proved how extraordinary the eunuch’s skills were.
Eunuch Liu said, “Modifying these two weapons is no easy feat. Fortunately, this old man brought enough materials for the procedure. Three days should be enough. Out of caution, I would ask you not to travel very far. I’ll call for you immediately if I need help.”
Qianye replied, “I’ll certainly comply.”
The eunuch spoke no more as he picked up an unknown piece of metal. Cutting off a finger-sized piece, he began refining it with origin power in a small furnace the size of a teapot. The furnace spat out green flames as the metal slowly melted down.
After about a quarter of an hour, Eunuch Liu added a couple more materials into the furnace. Minuscule grains of each item were used, but he would count them with the utmost care. There was even one time when he divided a single grain into three parts.
After yet another quarter of an hour, Eunuch Liu poured the contents of the furnace into a mold. Without waiting for it to cool down entirely, Eunuch fished out a ring-like object from it and began carving it by hand. Qianye’s eyes lit up as the old man’s blade sank in.
Qianye’s combat techniques at present had reached an outstanding level. Some of his sword stances had begun to touch on the highest standards and could easily be added to the ranks of a high-ranking aristocratic family’s core inheritance.
But after seeing Eunuch Liu’s knife work, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. That single move resembled nature itself, the muscles in his body were all in motion and individually regulated. The force exerted was just the perfect amount, and not the slightest bit of origin power was released. He had actually used physical power to perform this movement.
There were harsh requirements on environmental factors during this forging process. Some of the materials would’ve been tainted if he had used origin power. This was common knowledge among high-end craftsmen, but Qianye had only heard a little bit about it.
Despite not using origin power, the force involved in the cut was extremely powerful. The burst of might was enough to cut through Qianye’s bones, bones that had been refined by his blood energy.
One had to know that Eunuch Liu wasn’t a specialist in physical power. His constitution was fairly mediocre, perhaps just a tad stronger than an ordinary divine champion. But at the exact moment, he was able to produce a burst of strength comparable to Qianye’s own. In terms of utilizing the physical body, the man had reached an incredible realm.
Qianye had thought that he was fairly close to the peak of martial techniques, but after seeing Eunuch Liu in action, he realized that he was a frog in a well. Just a rough comparison told him that there were hundreds of areas where he needed to improve.
Realizing that this was actually a good opportunity to learn, he retracted his aura and activated Bloodline Concealment. This produced the best environment for the eunuch to work and for him to observe.
The moment Qianye’s aura vanished, Eunuch Liu’s aura also fluctuated ever so slightly. He was apparently shaken inside, but he immediately composed himself and focused on the work at hand.
Eunuch Liu meticulously completed each step, almost like a student performing in front of an examiner. Qianye watched quietly until a pinion finally appeared in Eunuch Liu’s hand.
If he hadn’t seen the process personally, Qianye wouldn’t have thought that making a pinion would involve so much effort. Considering Eunuch Liu’s eyesight and methods, it would be all too easy to produce such a component. Qianye couldn’t understand why the old man would go to such lengths.
Eunuch Liu observed the pinion again and again until he was satisfied. Then, as though he understood Qianye’s thoughts, he said, “Combining two supreme treasures like Heartgrave and Dragonspring is beyond difficult. This old man wishes to take it a step further. Not only do I want them to retain their power, but I also want to make the weapon slightly stronger. That means each component has to be absolutely perfect without the slightest of deviations. That’s why I have to devote all of my attention to it. The materials I’ve brought are also extremely rare, only one grade below the stony metal. I can’t be responsible for any waste, no matter how small.”
There was no reason for Eunuch Liu to lie. This was just one component; he would require several dozen times the amount of materials to complete the entire modification.
Considering the wastage in the process, Eunuch Liu actually didn’t gain much from Qianye, nor did he talk about extra remuneration. Just the crafting fees of a grandmaster alone was a sky-high price. Taking into account the old eunuch’s miraculous skills, there was no way his fees would be cheap.
Qianye felt bad about it, so he took out more stony metal from his storage, but Eunuch Liu wouldn’t accept them. In the end, he said that the ones he had accepted were sufficient to produce a set of armor, a blade, and an origin gun.
These would end up as grade-eight armaments. That level of gear wasn’t enough to attract the attention of top-experts, so his descendants wouldn’t need to sleep atop their family treasures out of worry. Eunuch Liu felt that this was the best standard.
The good thing about this material was that—in addition to being a top-grade material—there would be a mysterious connection between components made of the same piece.
The bigger the original volume, the stronger the connection. Naturally, a top-grade smith like Eunuch Liu would maximize this effect and produce a set of armaments that could resonate with one another and greatly increase one’s might.
The pieces of stony metal Qianye had taken out were from the six-armed generals’ thrones. They were probably unmatched in terms of size.
This process seemed like the crafting of individual components, but Eunuch Liu’s every movement was a display of his supreme martial prowess. Qianye managed to learn a lot just from observation.
The martial path would grow more difficult as one progressed. It was extremely difficult to take another step forward at Qianye’s realm. Many powerful experts from each generation remained stuck at this point, making no more progress in life.
Qianye’s status was different, so it was only natural that he had heard some news from the aristocratic scions. “I heard from the aristocratic families that Eunuch Liu is a hidden expert, the number one character below the heavenly monarch realm. After seeing you in action, I must say that your fame is indeed justified!”
He was offering heartfelt praise, but who would’ve thought Eunuch Liu would glare at him with a stern expression. “Those ignorant brats know nothing about the world, so it’s fine to let them say what they want. It’s not right for you to follow whatever people say.”
Qianye noticed something wrong with the old man’s tone, so he immediately sought an explanation, “Please give me guidance!”
Eunuch Liu nodded after seeing Qianye’s sincerity. “You were rarely in the Empire. Although Xitang is your adoptive father, he probably never had time to teach you anything. The most he could do was arrange some hidden assets and contacts to help you. As for Duke Chengen, let’s not talk about him. His talents are so good that he still lacks tempering despite being on the battlefield all the time. His standards are on par with you at best, so there’s nothing he can teach you.”
The corners of Eunuch Liu’s eyes curved slightly at the mention of Zhao Weihuang; it was as though he wanted to smile.
Qianye had heard that Duke Chengen’s recent popularity was mostly because of him. It was just that Qianye could only keep the awkward topic to himself. The duke was someone who valued face above all else. He never announced it, but he had helped out Qianye a lot in secret. The resources from Zhao Jundu’s residence alone couldn’t account for the Zhao clan’s support for him.
Eunuch Liu let out a dry cough after noticing his change in composure. “I’m getting old and none of my descendants are capable enough. These arts will probably be lost in time. I see that you have a good level of comprehension. Why not follow me during these three days and get a basic understanding of weapon crafting techniques. Learn whatever you can comprehend during this time.”
He said it was the art of weapon crafting when, in fact, he was imparting the martial path. Qianye would be able to learn most of his teachings during these three days, and the remainder would be up to him to comprehend in battle.
Understanding that this was a rare opportunity, Qianye let go of all random thoughts and focused on Eunuch Liu’s movements.
Eunuch Liu produced an unknown rock and carved into it, peeling off a layer so thin that it was almost translucent. Qianye observed and analyzed the movements to the point of forgetting himself.
Three days went by in a flash. Only when Eunuch Liu poured his explosive origin power into the gun did Qianye wake up from the state of concentration. The work had been completed.
Eunuch Liu’s aura had weakened significantly, and it seemed as though there were more lines on his forehead. The luster in his white hair had also receded somewhat. His eyes were full of love as he gazed at the long origin gun in his hand, almost as though he were looking at his child. One could immediately tell that he was somewhat reluctant to let it leave his hands.
Qianye understood that Eunuch Liu had actually injured his foundations in order to forge this weapon. He could only sigh in secret.
The eunuch put down the gun after a good while. “Back in the year when Dragonspring was completed, the entire Empire was in jubilation. They had thought that a new Grand Magnum had been born after a thousand years. With Dragonspring, the Martial Ancestor would be able to rampage through the world with his peerless might. However, the Martial Ancestor ended up fighting against three great dark monarchs in an unprecedented battle. Dragonspring failed to withstand the Martial Emperor’s power and broke down at the critical moment. The emperor had no choice but to flee, and the Evernight faction once again gained the upper hand ever since.”
Qianye said, “The Martial Emperor faced three great dark monarchs on his own, wounding two of them and escaping unscathed. What an unimaginable feat!”
Eunuch Liu spoke slowly, “It wasn’t just the emperor who had to fight against three opponents, it was the same for Dragonspring. The three great dark monarchs were wielding Shattered Moment, Sable Blessing, and Soulrender respectively.”
“Soulrender?”
“You must be cautious of Soulrender, it is an old enemy of this gun.” Eunuch Liu passed the gun to Qianye, continuing before the latter could observe the weapon in detail, “Do you know why Dragonspring was damaged?”
