All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

Chapter 88 Everything is ready, let's begin the weapon forging!

Not long after, Tang Ziming came out to greet him personally.

He was still wearing his military uniform, with a gun at his waist, but his right wrist was wrapped in a thin bandage.

It is estimated that he was injured during the Wenlong Rebellion, and after the rebellion was quelled, he worked day and night to handle affairs, so his old injury never fully recovered.

Upon seeing Fu Ze, Tang Ziming's face broke into a rare smile.

"Mr. Fu, what brings you back?"

"I have a personal matter I'd like to ask Commander Chen for help with."

"Okay, I'll take you there now."

Tang Ziming didn't ask any further questions and led Fu Ze directly into the headquarters.

"The commander mentioned you a few days ago, saying that once the situation in Nanjing stabilizes, he would like to find an opportunity to invite you back for a drink."

Fu Ze smiled.

"I can drink. But I'm afraid Commander Chen will have to put in a lot of effort to come here this time. By the way, Battalion Commander Tang, is your hand injury still not healed? It's been quite a while."

Tang Ziming laughed.

"It's not a big deal. The main thing is that the doctor said I need to rest more, but I have too much to do. Even eating and sleeping properly is a luxury. Where do I find the time to rest properly? I've been told off by the doctor quite a few times because of this."

Fu Ze nodded.

"That's true, and Master Lu hasn't returned yet, so we can't find a trustworthy sorcerer to help you speed things up—"

As he spoke, he suddenly made several hand seals with his fingers, and then pointed at Tang Ziming's wrist from a distance.

A few wisps of faint smoke and white light immediately surged into it.

Tang Ziming felt a tingling sensation in his right wrist, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Fu Ze spoke calmly.

"Commander Tang's bandages can be removed now."

Tang Ziming quickly tore off the gauze and, sure enough, saw his wrist was perfectly intact. He even twisted and moved it a few times, and exclaimed in surprise.

"It's really healed! Mr. Fu, your skills are becoming increasingly impressive. You're probably on par with Master Lu by now, aren't you?"

Fu Ze smiled.

"Master Lu is a high-ranking immortal of Maoshan, how could I, a mere wanderer, possibly be worthy of such a title—"

He suddenly realized that he had already received ordination at the altar of the Maoshan sect. From any perspective, he was now a genuine Maoshan Taoist priest, completely branded with the mark of Shangqing Maoshan, and could no longer be called a "rogue cultivator." So he immediately changed his tune.

"How could someone as idle as me be compared to them?"

Tang Ziming rubbed his hands together.

"In any case, thank you very much, Mr. Fu."

"It was nothing, nothing to mention. Battalion Commander Tang, you don't need to worry about it."

At this very moment, Chen Ji'an was reviewing military affairs in his study.

Although the Wenlong rebellion was quelled, the subsequent investigations, troop rotations, and interrogations were far from over.

His desk was piled high with documents, and next to it was a map marking various military camps and major transportation routes.

Upon seeing Tang Ziming bring Fu Ze in, Chen Ji'an put down the documents in his hand.

"Mr. Fu."

He stood up, shook hands with Fu Ze, lingered on Fu Ze for a moment, and smiled.

"This trip to Nanjing and Maoshan seems to have gone very smoothly."

Chen Ji'an did not know magic and could not see the Heavenly Talisman magic intent on Fu Ze's body.

But as a commander with real power who had been in command of troops for many years, he had an extremely accurate eye for people.

Compared to when he left Wenlong, Fu Ze's aura hadn't become more overtly sharp; instead, it had become much more restrained. In the past, although his magical power and blood energy were strong, they were vaguely distinct. Now, however, his entire being seemed to have been truly integrated.

"Successfully. Thanks to Master Lu's help, I have completed my ordination at the Maoshan Sect."

Fu Ze did not hide anything.

"Now, I can be considered to have a true position in the Taoist tradition."

Chen Ji'an's eyes flickered slightly.

He didn't understand the specific differences in the ranks of Taoist masters, but he knew how influential orthodox masters like Lu Shouzhen and Feng Xuan were in the cultivation world.

Fu Ze was originally a master of martial arts, and now that he has been ordained by the Maoshan Sect, his value will only be higher than before.

Chen Ji'an did not rush to ask Fu Ze what he needed, but instead had someone bring him tea first.

After the two sat down, he asked the question.

"Mr. Fu just said he needs my help with a personal matter?"

"good."

Fu Ze took out a pre-written list of materials from his bag and placed it on the table.

"I'm preparing to forge a suitable magic sword, and I need some materials. The Maoshan Sect might have some, but this is my private matter, and it's not convenient for me to use the sect's reserves."

Chen Ji'an picked up the list.

Iron marrow, Gengjin sand, red copper essence, warm spirit jade, blazing earth, top-grade cinnabar, realgar —

He had heard of some of them. As for the others, he couldn't tell what they were just by looking at their names.

"These materials must be quite rare, right?"

Fu Ze said frankly.

"That's right, they are indeed hard to find! I'm not asking Commander Chen for help for nothing. Once this is done, I'll consider it a personal favor I owe you. I'll definitely help you out if you need anything in the future."

Fu Ze's words weren't exactly a lie.

Although he wasn't from this world, he felt that the [Order of the Heavens] couldn't possibly only allow him a one-time, one-way journey. Even after returning to his own world, there would definitely be another chance to come back.

Chen Ji'an looked up at him.

The room fell silent for a moment.

A personal promise from a Grandmaster of Internal Energy, a "Master of Supreme Skill" accepted by the Maoshan Sect, is far more valuable than ordinary gold, silver, or resources.

If used properly, such favors can even save a city, an army, or even Chen Ji'an's own life at a critical moment!

He didn't feign refusal; he answered earnestly.

"Very well. I will gladly accept Mr. Fu's favor."

Chen Ji'an looked at the list again.

"However, there are some things that the people below may not recognize. Even if we find them, we can't guarantee their authenticity or quality."

Fu Ze nodded.

"That's why I came here in person. Commander Chen only needs to have people gather as much information as possible and send it to me. Whether it's true or false, good or bad, I..."

They can recognize it themselves.

Chen Ji'an nodded.

He picked up the phone on the table and immediately ordered the Quartermaster Department, the Armory and the Chamber of Commerce to act simultaneously.

Even the best quality cinnabar and realgar can be prepared on the same day.

Gengjin Sand, Red Copper Essence, Yanyan Soil, and Wenling Jade — you'll need to inquire at mines, jade merchants, guilds, and sorcerer circles.

After the order was issued, the resource channels in Wenlong City and even the entire Hubei Province were quickly put into operation.

Fu Ze then temporarily stayed at the guesthouse next to the headquarters.

That afternoon, the first batch of materials was delivered.

The armory sent dozens of ancient weapons that were over a thousand years old and well-preserved.

Fu Ze scanned them one by one using the [Decree of the Heavens].

Most of them can only be considered "cultural relics" and are nothing special.

It wasn't until the last large sword, slightly dark in color and with fine forging patterns on its surface, was placed on the table that the Heavenly Decree displayed different prompts.

[Ancient battlefield broadsword: Iron marrow has been formed inside.]

Iron marrow can be used as an auxiliary material in weapon crafting to adjust the density of extraterrestrial iron and enhance the toughness of magical artifacts.

"Leave this large sword; the rest of you, go back."

Fu Ze made his choice.

The quartermaster in charge of delivering the materials immediately made a record.

Vermilion and realgar are easier to obtain.

Several large pharmacies and Taoist supply stores in Wenlong delivered all the best quality goods from their warehouses, and Fu Ze quickly selected the ones that met his requirements.

The real trouble lies with three other things.

The next morning, a jade merchant brought a wooden box.

Inside the box was a piece of warm, smooth white jade.

The jade merchant confidently asserted that this was a warm jade passed down from his ancestors, and it wouldn't feel cold to hold in his hand even in winter.

Fu Ze scanned with the decrees of the heavens.

[Top-grade mutton-fat white jade.]

The material is delicate, but it lacks any apparent spiritual properties.

It was indeed fine jade, but it wasn't the warm jade he needed.

The jade merchant's expectation turned to disappointment—he had originally hoped to use this to build business relationships with the "big shots" at the top of Wenlong!

Fu Ze did not have anyone blame him, but only asked Chen Ji'an to compensate the other party for the time spent traveling back and forth at the normal price.

That same afternoon, someone delivered a small bag of golden ore.

Its appearance is extremely similar to the Gengjinsha that Fu Ze imagined, and it even exudes a faint sense of sharpness.

After scanning with the [Order of the Heavens], the result was that the ore was mixed with fine metal shavings, and the so-called sharp aura came only from a broken piece of an ordinary weapon.

Fu Ze wasn't disappointed. Refining materials were already rare, and if it were him, he didn't know how long it would take to gather them.

That evening, after finishing his military affairs, Chen Ji'an personally came to the guesthouse.

The two chatted directly, and Chen Ji'an also asked questions.

"Mr. Fu, why didn't you look for Mr. Liao?"

"Given Mr. Liao's current status in Nanjing, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to collect these materials for you."

Fu Ze shook his head.

"Mr. Liao just returned, and he has countless things to deal with right now. Escorting him is one thing, and personal matters are another. I don't need to bother him at this time."

"Moreover, Commander Chen controls Wenlong, possessing military equipment, mines, and chambers of commerce. In terms of sourcing these materials, he may not be slower than Nanjing."

Chen Ji'an looked at Fu Ze for a moment.

"So you'd rather owe me a favor on your own?"

"Once you owe someone a favor, you'll always owe them one."

Fu Ze smiled.

"Commander Chen is at least a man of his word."

Chen Ji'an smiled too.

He did not linger.

On the third day, the order, which had originally been limited to Wenlong and the provincial capital of Hubei, was spread to the surrounding areas through telegrams and chambers of commerce.

Several provinces.

Since Chen Ji'an accepted Fu Ze's favor, he wouldn't just go through the motions.

Several batches of materials were submitted, but none of them truly met the requirements.

Fu Ze was not in a hurry.

He practiced boxing at the headquarters training ground every morning, studied materials during the day, and continued to familiarize himself with the newly acquired celestial register at night.

Tang Ziming would occasionally come to the training ground.

Watching Fu Ze practice his boxing, his qi and blood were contained and his strength was smooth and harmonious, he couldn't help but ask.

"Mr. Fu, weren't you going to Maoshan to learn magic? How come your fist techniques seem even more powerful than before?"

"Although magic and martial arts are different, they are ultimately practiced by the same person."

Fu Ze put his fist back and stood up.

"With a calm mind and smooth flow of magical power, one will naturally reap some benefits when practicing martial arts."

Tang Ziming listened thoughtfully.

He lacked magical talent, but he was a martial artist. Fu Ze's casual remark might not allow him to break through immediately, but it was enough to make him ponder it for a long time.

Another day passed, and finally there was news about Geng Jinsha.

The Wenlong Chamber of Commerce learned through mining channels that an extremely hard golden by-product ore had been accidentally unearthed in an old mine in the north that had been shut down for many years.

Because of their extreme rarity and the difficulty in melting and smelting them, they have always been collected by mine owners as rare treasures.

After the telegram was sent, the other party immediately sent the stockpile to Wenlong by train.

Two days later, a heavy iron box was placed in front of Fu Ze.

There was only a thin layer of dark gold ore in the box.

The particles are small and the luster is not dazzling.

But when Fu Ze reached out, he felt a slight stinging sensation on his fingertips.

[Gengjin Sand: Formed by the condensation of gold energy in mineral veins, possessing a faint, sharp spiritual quality.]

[Can be used as an auxiliary material in weapon crafting to enhance the sharpness of magical artifacts.]

The first truly hard-to-find material has been found!

The red copper essence came from an old sorcerer who had dealings with the Wenlong Chamber of Commerce.

When the other party was young, he entered an abandoned copper mine and obtained two pieces of red copper ore that had absorbed the spiritual energy of the earth's veins for many years.

He originally intended to refine a magic seal in the future, but because he was not good at refining weapons, he kept it in his possession.

Chen Ji'an offered a high enough price, and after the other party learned that the buyer was a legitimate "Master of the Daogong School" from Shangqing Maoshan, they were finally willing to part with one of the pieces.

Fu Ze confirmed it with the decree of the heavens.

【Red Copper Essence: Formed from copper ore deposits absorbing spiritual energy from the earth's veins; it is flexible and adept at conducting spiritual power.】

Another auxiliary material is ready.

When the old sorcerer delivered the red copper essence, he also met with Fu Ze in person.

He didn't inquire about Fu Ze's weapon-refining heritage, but after the two chatted politely for a while, he reminded him.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, the essence of red copper is good at communicating with spirits, but it is not hard enough. If too much is used, it will damage the sword."

Fu Ze knew it was a well-intentioned response and answered earnestly.

"It will only be used to construct the internal spiritual energy channels and will not become the main body of the sword."

The old sorcerer then nodded.

"That's good."

Those who can produce genuine red copper essence are not ordinary merchants. Fu Ze did not underestimate the other party's years of accumulated experience just because the [Heavenly Decree] could guarantee the success of weapon forging.

After the two discussed the Dao for a while, the old sorcerer took his leave.

The final Wenling Jade and Yanyan Soil actually came from Chen Ji'an's own collection.

Many years ago, when Chen Ji'an quelled a bandit gang, he obtained a bluish-white ancient jade pendant from the bandit leader's secret room.

Jade pendants have no magical powers, but they remain warm and smooth over the years, and wearing them close to the body can bring peace of mind.

Chen Ji'an used to regard it only as a precious antique.

It wasn't until the quartermaster was taking inventory of the commander's private warehouse that he remembered this item might meet the requirements.

As for the Fiery Soil, it was something he found when he raided the residence of a prince from the previous dynasty in his youth. He didn't recognize it and just piled it up in the warehouse without paying much attention to it.

The bluish-white jade pendant was delivered to Fu Ze.

The purple smoke from the Heavenly Decree slowly swept across the area.

[Warm Spirit Jade: Nourished by the earth's spiritual energy over a long period, it is gentle in nature and can harmonize and stabilize the spiritual energy within magical artifacts.]

【Fiery Soil: Soil that contains the essence of fire, which can enhance the fire magic power of magical artifacts】

Fu Ze held the jade pendant and finally smiled.

"These are the ones."

Chen Ji'an, sitting next to him, also breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, everything's ready?"

"All done."

Fu Ze placed all the materials on the table in order.

Chen Ji'an looked at the refined steel, ore, red copper, and warm jade on the table and spoke slowly.

"Where would Mr. Fu like to forge his sword?"

"A quiet enough room where no one will accidentally wander in is all I need."

"No need for a furnace and a blacksmith?"

"unnecessary."

A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Ji'an's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

"There is an old warehouse on the west side of the main armory. The walls are thick, and soldiers can be stationed outside to seal it off. If Mr. Fu finds it suitable, it can be used tonight."

Fu Ze nodded.

"That's enough."

That evening, all the materials were sent to the old warehouse.

The heavy iron gate slowly closed behind Fu Ze.

Outside the gate, Chen Ji'an personally dispatched a squad of trusted soldiers to guard it.

No one may approach without his order.

Inside the warehouse, Fu Ze neatly arranged the materials and then set up multiple layers of restrictions.

Then, with a thought, the Heavenly Decree heated up slightly, and purple smoke surged.

The materials for refining the weapon are ready.

[You can begin crafting the magic sword.]