Before long, servants alerted all the weaponsmiths, who rushed over.
When they learned what happened, they couldn’t help but shake their heads and laugh. They saw this whole incident as a mere farce.?No one took it seriously.
Even if a youth understood a bit of swordsmithing, could he really outdo their top smith and shatter their workshop’s reputation?
Some of them even tried to persuade Wang Tianyang to let this go. “Elder Wang, calm down. He’s young and senseless. Why take this so seriously? With your status, pursuing this is beneath you.”
“Beneath me?” Wang Tianyang snapped, “Nonsense! I’ve spent my whole life eating, drinking, carousing, and gambling as I please. When have I ever cared about poise or elegance? Just stand there and watch!”
He approached the furnace, picked up the tongs, and began adding fuel to the flames, shouting, “Hey, Su whatever-your-name-is, weren’t you going to show us a thing or two? Hurry up and expand our horizons!”
The weaponsmiths laughed bitterly. All of them understood Wang Tianyang’s pig-headed temper.
“Young man, since you’re Young Master’s Huang’s friend, we’ll be happy to help you forge a sword. Is there any need to compete with Elder Wang?” One of the smiths offered Su Yi a well-intentioned warning. “Hurry and apologize. Then, this will all end here.”
“I came here intending to forge myself a sword,” said Su Yi lightly. “I have no time to waste competing with someone who doesn’t want to work.”
As he spoke, he approached the furnace.
There was a huge copper table beside it, a dazzling array of tools spread across its surface.
Su Yi glanced at the servants and ordered, “Put the materials over here.”
When they saw this, the weaponsmiths furrowed their brows in deep displeasure.?How can this boy be so senseless?
But out of respect for Huang Qianjun’s position, they didn’t voice their criticisms. Otherwise, they’d have kicked Su Yi out the door already.
One of the smiths turned toward Huang Qianjun and complained, “Young Master Huang, who is this friend of yours? He’s so young, but he’s got quite the temper!’
Huang Qianjun was already distressed, and he said irritably, “What’s with all the pointless questions? You’ll find out if he’s up to the task or not if you just watch!”
The weaponsmith he’d just chastised no longer dared argue, but when he looked at Su Yi, it was with even greater displeasure.
“Young Master Huang has spoken, so let’s see what this young friend of his is capable of!” someone snorted coldly.
The others seemed eager to watch the show and see Su Yi make a fool of himself.
Once the servants got the necessary materials in position, Su Yi got to work.
He was just forging a single mundane weapon. This would be no challenge at all.
First, he tossed six or seven materials into the furnace. Then, he ordered Wang Tianyang, “More heat. Keep going until I tell you otherwise.”
The crowd was stunned.?That pipsqueak sure is rude! Look at how he’s talking to Elder Wang!
Wang Tianyan’s cheeks twitched, and he forced his temper back down. He continuously added charcoal and other materials to increase the temperature.
A full fifteen minutes passed before Su Yi casually tossed the Blazing Yang Copper Powder into the furnace, then ordered, “Keep increasing the heat.”
Wang Tianyang felt stifled, but he said nothing. He just did as he was told.
He was holding back his rage, eager to see Su Yi mess up during the forging process. Then, he’d vent all his pent-up fury at once.
Throughout the forging process, Su Yi intermittently tossed in new materials and ordered Wang Tianyang to adjust the heat. It seemed he really did see this master swordsmith as a mere assistant.
Watching this play out, the other weaponsmiths felt deep displeasure. They thought Su Yi wantonly arrogant, with no respect for his elders.
Huang Qianjun, however, was eagerly anticipating the results.
He could see that Su Yi looked comfortable and at ease while working the forge, and that he had no shortage of confidence.
Worst case scenario, Brother Su’s sword is inferior to Elder Wang’s work. So long as he successfully forges a sword, he won’t embarrass himself. That’ll be enough.
When he realized this, Huang Qianjun relaxed.
“A little more heat.”
“That’s not enough. Keep going.”
“More.”
…..
For a while, all they heard was Su Yi repeatedly urging Wang Tianyang to increase the heat.
Wang Tianyang’s expression was increasingly unsightly. Steam blew from his nostrils, and his nearly-bald head was practingly smoking with fury. He was starting to look uncomfortable, too.
Huang Qianjun and the swordsmiths all wore different expressions on their faces.
….
An hour later, the waves of heat emanating from the forge were so intense, the entire room felt as if it were boiling.
The onlookers were covered in sweat, and their clothes were drenched. They felt as if they were standing beside an active volcano.
Wang Tianyang was closest to the forge, so rivers of sweat poured down his balding head. His dark skin had turned bright red.
He was a grandmaster swordsmith, but he was nearing his limit.
It was then that Su Yi took out his Purple-streaked Gold ring and tossed it into the forge.
Boom!
Tongues of flame swept across the room, bursting with dazzling light.
The ring melted at speeds visible to the naked eye, becoming strands of lustrous faint purple liquid.
Su Yi didn’t hesitate. He immediately poured the five catties of Purified Profound Ice Water straight into the furnace.
When the icy-cold water and blazing heat collided, the result was a burst of steam. Soon, mist had permeated the entire room, obscuring the onlookers’ vision. They instinctively drew back for fear that the scalding steam would burn them.
Wang Tianyang’s angry voice resounded, echoing through the steam-filled workshop. “When quenching a sword, who just pours Purified Profound Ice Water straight into the furnace? I’ve never seen such a ludicrous technique before!”
Disdain, indignation, pointed questions.
The other weaponsmiths didn’t even know what to say.
They forged swords year round, but they’d never seen anyone do what Su Yi had just done. He was obviously fumbling blindly in the dark!
Before long, the waves of heat and scalding steam receded, and the onlookers’ field of view cleared up.
When Wang Tianyang came back into view, it seemed as if his eyebrows had been burnt clean off. What little sparse hair he’d once had was gone; he was now fully bald and red as a soy-marinated egg.
He gnashed his teeth, clearly beside himself with rage.
Su Yi, meanwhile, looked calm and focused. He held pliers in his hand, with which he held the crude outline of his sword. He held it in front of him and examined it. The unfinished blade was dark throughout, with a faint purple luster. That aside, there didn’t seem to be anything special about it.
“The shape of the sword actually looks pretty good….” said one of the weaponsmiths in surprise.
“It’s still just an outline,” said another. “We still have to see whether or not it can withstand tempering. I certainly don’t think it can. Even if it does, how good can a weapon made from such a crude hunk of metal possibly be?”
“A good weapon needs both quality materials and a good edge. This kid came here to cause trouble, so he ought to be able to make a good sword!” laughed one of the smiths in a blatant attempt to fan the flames and stir up trouble.
They’re clearly just here to watch him make a fool of himself!?Huang Qianjun laughed coldly to himself, but he said nothing.?We’ll see who’s laughing in the end.
Then, they watched as Su Yi put the crude metal bar onto the anvil, raised a massive hammer with his right hand, and swung it.
Clang!
Sparks scattered in all directions, and deafening booms rang out.
The audience’s eardrums buzzed, and despite themselves, they looked stunned.?That kid’s raw power sure is something! That hammer’s massive, but in his hands, it looks as light as a feather. He’s controlling it as easily as if it were a part of his body.
Wang Tianyang watched Su Yi’s movements with rapt attention, eagerly waiting for him to make a fool of himself….
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal against metal echoed throughout the workshop. Every time the massive hammer landed, sparks flew like fireworks, the sight dazzlingly beautiful.
Everyone gradually realized that something wasn’t quite right.
Before long, one of the weaponsmiths couldn’t help but exclaim, “What technique is this? Listen to that! It’s got a distinct cadence, almost like breathing. Now look at the sword! It’s like it’s responding to the hammer, resonating with every impact. It’s as if they’re connected even from a distance!”
The others looked bewildered; they could sense what was happening too.
Amidst the scattering sparks, every blow of the hammer had an indescribable rhythm. Beneath the relentless onslaught of blows, the crude,?coarse?outline of the sword shrank, becoming denser and more compact, taking shape…..
“Has that kid really mastered some unique method of forging swords?”
All of the swordsmiths were wondering the same thing, and their expressions became far graver and more serious.
At first, Su Yi’s arrogance had infuriated them, and they’d already prepared what they were going to say after his attempt to forge a sword inevitably failed. They’d teach him that every industry had its own complexities, the importance of respecting experts, as well as the price one paid for overestimating their own abilities.
But now….
No one would dare entertain such thoughts.
These were experienced smiths who worked the forge year-round. There was no way’d miss how extraordinary Su Yi’s technique was!
See? Look at that!?Huang Qianjun shouted to himself.?I just knew that once Brother Su took action, he could convince those arrogant old farts!
It’ll be just like what happened back at the Apricot Clinic!
Huang Qianjun couldn’t help but glance at Wang Tianyang.
The balding grandmaster swordsmith stood there like a statue, completely dazed as he watched Su Yi’s movements. His expression shifted, and his chest heaved.
He was clearly agitated!
Haha, hahaha! So even Elder Wang, the fiery-tempered brothel frequenter, is stunned??Huang Qianjun was so delighted he almost burst into laughter.
He’d never seen Wang Tianyang lose control like this!
The old man was so proud, he disregarded even Huang Yunchong. Yet now, he might very well lower his head before Su Yi!
Some time later—
Clang!
The clear hum of a sword reverberated throughout the room. To the audience, it was like the voice of divinity, stunning them to their senses and shaking them out of their scattered thoughts.
It drew even Huang Qianjun’s gaze and attention.
What he saw was—
A two-foot, seven-inch sword, three fingers wide, the blade a clear, bright black. Su Yi clutched it by the hilt.
Although it was black, it had an ethereal quality to it, like the night sky. It was double-edged, and it glinted with subtle flashes of light.
Su Yi shifted his wrists, and the inky darkness of the sword flashed with a faint, gleaming purple luster, giving it an additional, illusory air.
“This….” All of the weaponsmiths were moved. Their gazes heated up, and they looked entranced. This was a sword with spirituality!
Facing it, their proud hearts silently gave in. They were convinced.
That sword is in no way comparable to ordinary weapons!?Huang Qianjun’s heart thudded in his chest. Just looking at the sword, he felt a sharp, pricking sensation. There was no way he’d miss how extraordinary it was!
Bzzz!
Su Yi tapped his index finger lightly against the blade, and the sword flashed with purple light and rumbled like thunder, the sound filling the room.
When he saw this, Su Yi nodded with a hint of satisfaction.
Although this wasn’t really a spiritual weapon, after adding the Purple-Streaked Gold, it had a trace of spirituality to it. This elevated it far beyond ordinary swords, putting it right at the border between mortal and spiritual weapons!
“You…. What kind of sword forging technique was that?” Wang Tianyang had been silent all this time, but he finally spoke up. His gaze was bewildered, as if he’d lost his soul, or as if he were too stunned to think straight.
Su Yi glanced at the swordsmith. “Want to learn? I can teach you.”
Wang Tianyang shook from head to toe, and his eyes widened, as if he dared not believe his ears.
His expression changed dramatically, flitting back and forth.
Finally, beneath the crowd’s watchful eyes, the famed grandmaster swordsmith of Guangling City lowered his head in shame and bowed low at the waist.
“Young Lord, your methods are ingenious. I can only look up to you!”
“Young Lord, you’re a visionary. I can only look up to you!”
His voice was solemn, and the rest of the room fell silent.
