Kamimine

Chapter 173 Meeting an old friend again
"Try it again."

Wei Rourou asked Liu Chengfeng to control the fire again.

Liu Chengfeng remained calm and activated the Three Refining Spirit Stove, taking control of the spiritual fire.

"Then let's go through the three-stage process. I won't give you the standard product."

Wei Rourou noticed the deeper meaning behind his technique.

She gave Liu Chengfeng a token, branded with his name, indicating he was a three-time swordsmith, but without a rank.

"What do you want to participate in this grand event?"

Wei Rourou brushed her hair aside, tucked it behind her ear, and asked gently.

"If you can enter the Sacrifice Mountain, it would be even better if you could enter the Sacrifice Fire Realm."

Liu Chengfeng didn't hide anything and frankly told everyone that it wasn't a secret; which swordsmith wouldn't want that?
"It's very difficult to advance to the Divine Sacrifice Fire Realm, but it's not like you don't have a chance."

Wei Rourou looked at Liu Chengfeng with a meaningful expression.

How can I get in?

Seeing that there was potential, Liu Chengfeng humbly offered his instruction.

"In the current Divine Dynasty, there are still four Divine Decrees. Those who hold these decrees must meet two conditions in order to receive divine blessings."

"First, the Sword Forging Ceremony originally locked in ten low-grade Dao minerals or six mid-grade, four high-grade, and two top-grade minerals for the Divine Dynasty."

"To explore veins and search for minerals for the Divine Dynasty."

Liu Chengfeng understood that although everyone knew that the Sword Forging Sacrifice originally had a mine, the area was vast, spanning thousands of miles, and it was not an easy task to pinpoint the exact location of the mine.

"That's right, it can only be locked, not taken away, so that the Divine Dynasty can forge it when needed."

This is the style of the Divine Dynasty; they don't like the extracted minerals, preferring to forge them in their original, on-site state.

"What about the second condition?"

“Self-lock the Sword Forging Sacrifice Ore, exchange it with the Divine Dynasty, and use it as material to forge a third-grade low-level divine weapon for the Divine Dynasty.”

"It's so complicated, why not just give them a divine artifact?"

Liu Chengfeng frowned slightly.

"If that's the case, then what's the point of having swordsmiths? Which divine kingdom can't produce a low-grade third-tier sword?"

Wei Rourou immediately saw through it.

Liu Chengfeng immediately understood. The Six Vehicles Central Divine Dynasty was known as the best sword-making dynasty, and since the time of the Six Vehicles God, it had been intentionally cultivating sword-making masters.

Within the Divine Dynasty, resources are undoubtedly monopolized by the Divine Kingdom. If the children of the Divine Kingdom want divine gifts, they must rely on swordsmiths.

This not only elevated the status of swordsmiths but also helped the Divine Dynasty accumulate mineral veins and divine artifacts.

"If the sword forging fails, the lost mineral resources must be paid out of one's own pocket."

Wei Rourou gave a reminder.

"Damn, there are such conditions?"

Whether you're a swordsmith or an alchemist, you're not responsible for failures when you're making or forging swords or pills for others.

"You can also have the employer pay for it."

Wei Rourou's words had a hidden meaning.

"Therefore, the four people who hold the divine decree are not swordsmiths themselves. If they want to obtain the divinely bestowed qualification, they must ask a swordsmith to do so."

"It's not just about hiring a single swordsmith, nor is it that only one person can receive a divine token. Swordsmiths from the Divine Dynasty can also receive divine tokens."

Wei Rourou explained the divinely bestowed rules to Liu Chengfeng.

The divine kingdom possesses divine decrees, and they need to rely on swordsmiths to obtain divinely granted qualifications.

Swordsmiths can also rely on their own skills to cooperate with the divine kingdom and strive for divinely granted qualifications.

The Divine Decree's entry ticket is to lock in ten low-grade Dao veins for the Divine Dynasty.

The divinely granted entry ticket is to forge a third-tier low-grade divine artifact.

Swordsmiths can also lock in mineral deposits for the Divine Dynasty and forge divine artifacts in exchange for generous rewards.

Swordsmiths and princes of the divine kingdom are all laborers of the divine dynasty.

"Doesn't the divine kingdom have its own swordsmiths?"

Liu Chengfeng found it strange; the three great divine kingdoms should have their own swordsmiths.

"All the top-grade swordsmiths of the fourth level belong to the Divine Dynasty. Coincidentally, the Divine Kingdom has no other top-grade swordsmiths of the fourth level."

Wei Rourou reminded her.

"Under the authority of God, everyone is just a working-class person."

Liu Chengfeng muttered to himself, understanding the organizational structure of the Six Central Divine Dynasty.

"Whom should I choose as my master?"

Liu Chengfeng had limited knowledge of the Six Central Divine Dynasty, so he consulted Wei Rourou.

"The four divine tokens are held respectively by the Heavenly Kui Divine Kingdom, the Ancient Shun Divine Kingdom, the Fu Guang Divine Kingdom, and the Yan Xi Kingdom..."

Wei Rourou was particularly patient with Liu Chengfeng and explained things to him in detail.

The Heavenly Kui Divine Kingdom and the Ancient Shun Divine Kingdom are the most powerful divine kingdoms in the current Six-Tier Central Divine Dynasty, and both possess a chief god.

In the Six Central Divine Dynasty, to become a divine kingdom, one must either be the kingdom of the chief god or the kingdom of the divine officials.

The main god of the Tiankui Divine Kingdom is the War Emperor Jinyu, while the main god of the Ancient Shun Divine Kingdom is even more ancient, the Ancient Shun God who has existed in the Qingmeng Realm for a long time.

The chief god of the Fuguang Divine Kingdom has departed, but the priest of the Nine Heavens Ancient Radiance God is still alive, and he was born in this kingdom.

Of the four divine decrees, the weakest is that of the Yanxi Kingdom.

After the departure of the Lord God of Yanxi, the country's power gradually declined, from a divine kingdom to a general kingdom, and finally to a Hu kingdom.

"The three great divine kingdoms are powerful and can attract a large number of swordsmiths. However, a swordsmith with the third level of refinement is not necessarily valued..."

Wei Rourou looked at Liu Chengfeng and kindly reminded him.

Liu Chengfeng understood her meaning, thanked her for her kindness, and bowed to take his leave.

Wei Rourou told him that the holders of the four divine tokens were recruiting swordsmiths in the square, and he could give it a try.

Liu Chengfeng left the hall and headed towards the square, which was indeed bustling with activity, packed with people, and filled with swordsmiths.

It seems that all the swordsmiths in the entire Qingmeng Realm have gathered here.

The divinely ordained ceremony is a rare opportunity, and every swordsmith desires a generous reward, thus seeking a suitable employer.

"A group of top-grade swordsmiths with three levels of refinement can negotiate terms with the Ancient Shun Divine Kingdom."

"Entrusted by the Prince of Tiankui, I am recruiting four swordsmiths of superior quality, for which I will be richly rewarded."

In the square, some swordsmiths were recruiting people to join their groups, while others were being asked to recruit.

The three great divine kingdoms were indeed wealthy and powerful. Each of them occupied a corner, with tall buildings and grand palaces, displaying a magnificent and imposing presence.

Open your doors wide, recruit talented individuals, spread the word, and reward the four swordsmiths handsomely.

The Heavenly Kingdom of Tiankui has a Heavenly Emperor Prince personally recruiting four sword-forging masters, demonstrating his ambition to gather talents from all over the world.

Although Zhu Daoyu, the son of the Heavenly Emperor, did not show his face, the fact that his imperial palace stood there indicated that he had personally come to recruit people.

The goddess of the ancient Shun Kingdom has also arrived, and she also wants to recruit four swordsmiths.

Although many people are not Four-Fold Swordsmiths, they all want to catch a glimpse of the beauty of the Ancient Goddess Shun, who is said to be incomparably beautiful.

The Fuguang Divine Kingdom is also quite powerful, with several important figures personally overseeing the effort to recruit fourth-level swordsmiths. Fourth-level swordsmiths are extremely sought after, as only they can forge low-grade third-tier divine artifacts.

Without the Four Refining Sword Masters, the Divine Gift Ceremony would be a complete waste.

In addition to fourth-level swordsmiths, they also recruit third-level swordsmiths to help them find veins and lock in mines.

The weakest of them all is Yanxi, a former divine kingdom that has declined and become Hu.

They possess divine decrees and are still qualified to enter the sacrificial mountain.

After observing for a while, Liu Chengfeng chose Yanxi Kingdom.

He only wanted to enter the sacrificial mountain, not to receive a divine gift, so he didn't need to go to the three great divine kingdoms.

Even though the Yanxi Kingdom has declined, many swordsmiths still want to join, after all, the Divine Decree is the most fundamental entry ticket.

When Liu Chengfeng arrived outside the Recruiting God Pavilion in Yanxi Kingdom, the place was already crowded with swordsmiths.

There are second-level and third-level swordsmiths, but there are no fourth-level swordsmiths.

The four-times-refined swordsmiths probably wouldn't want to submit to the Yanxi Kingdom.

“Your Majesty, although I am at the third level of cultivation, our ancestor was at the fourth level. If Your Majesty can afford the price, I will go back and ask our ancestor for help.”

“Your Majesty, I am an expert in locating and locking mines, and I am willing to serve Your Majesty.”

"If we brothers join forces, we can definitely take over ten low-grade mines in no time."

…………

Before the Divine Pavilion of Yanxi Kingdom, crowds thronged, and many swordsmiths volunteered to join.

Many swordsmiths, besides wanting to earn generous rewards, also wanted to climb the social ladder in Yanxi Kingdom.

Even though Yanxi Kingdom has declined, it is still one of the twenty-four kingdoms of the Divine Dynasty. With the Divine Dynasty as its backer, it is stronger than any other ancient kingdom.

I've also heard that Empress Yanxi is a woman of unparalleled beauty, and if one could win her favor, one would become the son-in-law of the Divine Dynasty.

Liu Chengfeng finally managed to squeeze into the crowd, and seeing so many swordsmiths applying for the job, he couldn't help but smile wryly.

He has a three-stage, brand-free license, making it difficult for him to even get into the ranks.

"Damn it, I should have gotten the fourth-level token. The Divine Dynasty is the Divine Dynasty, the third-level token is worthless."

Liu Chengfeng couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was alright if it was a top-grade item after three refinements, but if it was ungraded, it would be completely disliked.

"Quiet, Her Majesty the Queen will make the selection; everyone has a chance."

The palace maids and servants of Yanxi Kingdom are maintaining order while waiting for Her Majesty the Queen to summon the swordsmith.

On the altar, Empress Yanxi couldn't help but sigh; she also had a headache.

She wanted to recruit swordsmiths, but the three-stage refining process was not very effective. She failed to forge a divine weapon and could not obtain the divinely bestowed qualification.

Even if you take over ten mines, it will only grant you the qualification to enter the sacrificial mountain.

A fourth-level swordsmith is incredibly expensive, and the other three great divine kingdoms are vying to recruit them; Yanxi Kingdom simply doesn't have the strength to do so.

Her only plan was to ask a third-level swordsmith to find the vein and lock the ore, and then temporarily ask a fourth-level swordsmith to forge a divine weapon.

After entering the sacrificial mountain, one can only rely on the three sword-forging masters to gather the flames.

With limited financial resources, this is the only way we can scrape together what we have, but there's no guarantee it will work.

Walking to the window and looking down at the swordsmiths, she also had a headache, not knowing how many 3-level swordsmiths she should hire.

If they recruit too many, Yanxi Kingdom will run out of money; if they recruit too few, they may not even be able to gather enough of the ten basic ores needed to enter the realm and the ores required to forge divine artifacts.

Liu Chengfeng, standing in the crowd downstairs, looked up and saw a figure at the window that he recognized immediately.

"Damn, am I seeing things?"

Liu Chengfeng saw the beautiful figure in front of the window and couldn't believe his eyes.

"I want to see Her Majesty the Queen."

Liu Chengfeng ignored everything and pushed his way through, clearing a path to go up and see Empress Yanxi.

Liu Chengfeng's domineering actions immediately enraged many swordsmiths.

"Who do you think you are? You think you can see Her Majesty the Empress whenever you want?"

"You madman, stop your rudeness! You've only achieved three levels of refinement and are still not of any rank. Go to the back; it's not your turn to see Her Majesty the Empress."

"In terms of seniority and sword-forging skills, you are not even qualified to see Her Majesty the Empress. Get out of here."

…………

The swordsmiths present all spoke out angrily against Liu Chengfeng, saying that he had no skill in refining swords and that no matter what, he had no right to be recruited.

"Do not be arrogant, and do not act recklessly."

The palace maids and servants of Yanxi Kingdom were also dissatisfied. After all, Yanxi Kingdom belonged to the Divine Dynasty and could not tolerate outsiders acting recklessly.

"I won't go; I'll go see him myself."

Liu Chengfeng laughed loudly, ignoring everyone else, determined to go upstairs. Even if someone tried to stop him, he would force his way through.

Empress Yanxi, inside the Divine Pavilion, was struck dumb upon hearing Liu Chengfeng's voice.

Her delicate body trembled; she couldn't believe that she could hear the voice she had longed for day and night here.

"You madman, you're asking for death, get out of here."

Without the need for the people of Yanxi Kingdom to intervene, the swordsmiths present were enraged, and immediately someone took action, with giant hammers smashing down and swords tearing through the air.

Are you saying I'm afraid of you?

Liu Chengfeng laughed wildly, and anyone who dared to stop him would be pushed aside.

"Please come up, young master."

A great battle was about to break out between the two sides when Empress Yanxi's voice rang out, melodious and pleasant.

Liu Chengfeng was overjoyed and, without saying a word, went upstairs and into the pavilion.

"What incredible luck!"

Many people were indignant to see that Liu Chengfeng, a swordsmith with only three levels of skill, was able to receive a private audience with Empress Yanxi.

Upon ascending the divine pavilion and looking at the woman before him, Liu Chengfeng was certain that he was not seeing things.

Before me stood Empress Yanxi, with willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, crimson lips, and a face as cold as ice. Her beauty was unparalleled, and she possessed an awe-inspiring presence.

She wore a golden dragon armor that accentuated her tall figure and long, slender legs.

This beauty is all too familiar—Empress Qiuchi!
Looking at the beauty, Liu Chengfeng had a thousand words to say, and even wished he could rush over, embrace her, and melt her into his body.

There were palace maids and servants present, but none of them were familiar to him, so he had no choice but to endure it.

His mind raced with a thousand thoughts: How could the young lady, who wasn't in Qiuchi Kingdom, have become the empress of Yanxi Kingdom?

Empress Qiuchi could hardly believe her eyes. The man she had been longing for day and night was right in front of her.

She had so much to say, but she didn't know where to begin.

"Where are you from, young master?"

Empress Qiuchi sat upright, exuding awe-inspiring divine power; she had already reached the realm of being deified.

What a little vixen! She's trying to act all high and mighty. Let's see how we deal with her.

Liu Chengfeng muttered to himself, but still respectfully cooperated with Empress Qiuchi and gave her his name.

Seeing the man's respectful and earnest demeanor, she secretly chuckled to herself, thinking she was going to teach him a lesson.

(End of this chapter)