From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Ten: Volcanic Casting

The residence outside Xinzheng City was merely a mundane place to hide from others; Xu Huang spent most of his time in the independent world created by the Shanhe Sheji Tu (a map of mountains and rivers).

This natal spiritual treasure, bound to his soul, forms its own complete universe within. Within this small world, mountains, rivers, veins, winds, and seasons are all under his control. This power over heaven and earth is the foundation for his ability to transform the landscape. Having finalized his plan to forge weapons and refine medicine, he instantly arrived in the southern part of the world within the painting.

This place was originally just a patch of low, gently rolling hills, with only a few weak and scattered veins of subterranean fire beneath the surface, insufficient to support long-term smelting and forging. Xu Huang stood quietly atop the hill, purely activating the primal power that governed this world. The invisible power of rules permeated the thousand-foot-high rock layers, gathering all the scattered subterranean fire veins together. The earth trembled and undulated continuously, and the rock and soil piled up and rose layer by layer along with the power of heaven and earth. Before long, a crimson volcano rose from the ground, its fissures constantly emitting scorching smoke, and magma flowing endlessly deep within its belly, thus forming a natural, inexhaustible source of fire.

Using his divine powers, he leveled the mountainside of the volcano, creating a vast, flat plateau where he arranged a complete set of forging facilities: a giant forging furnace was built in the center of the plateau, with an underground passage connecting directly to the magma in the mountain's belly, providing long-term heating through natural geothermal fire; dozens of alchemy cauldrons of varying sizes were placed on one side, with different sections for storing various spiritual herbs; stone chambers and warehouses were carved into the surrounding rock walls, specifically for storing ores collected from various places, with a considerable amount of ordinary refined iron, but only a few pieces of rare materials such as meteorite iron from outer space and millennium-old cold steel.

His daily routine was well-ordered. Only every so often would he temporarily leave the world of paintings to go to the Purple Orchid Pavilion to exchange goods. He never entrusted any items in the trade to others. All the specially made pills and practice weapons he had forged were personally handed over to the maids sent by Purple Maiden for liaison. He would then personally receive the various rare and precious irons that they had collected and delivered on his behalf. Every time the maids checked the weapons, they couldn't help but sincerely praise them, saying that these weapons were neatly designed and had a restrained sharpness, far superior to the ordinary ironware circulating in the market of Xinzheng. If an ordinary wandering knight were to obtain even one of these weapons, it would be an immense stroke of luck.

Aside from the brief time he spent away handing over supplies, he devoted all his remaining years to honing his two skills at this volcanic foundry.

Forging divine weapons requires patience and impatience. He did not rush to forge top-notch weapons. Instead, he repeatedly melted and forged a large amount of ordinary refined iron, using the large batches of blanks to develop his feel and thoroughly understand the rules of temperature changes for different metals.

The entire forging technique is a self-contained system, integrating the complete metallurgical forging technology of later generations. His cultivation also has two foundations: one is the profound internal strength learned in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, with long meridians and rich and long internal strength, which can circulate throughout the body to stabilize the foundation; the other is the Dan Jin national martial arts cultivated to the peak in The Legend of the Dragon and Snake, which can use the mind to control the blood and qi of the body to the extreme, and change the speed and temperature of blood and qi at will.

The two complement each other, playing a unique role in forging. He releases crimson qi and blood energy to act as the forging fire, while his profound internal energy flows slowly, protecting him from the volcanic heat. This internal energy can also subtly harmonize the temperature difference between the energy and the fire, completely replacing traditional firewood and charcoal. Without the need for external ignition, the qi and blood energy emanating from his palms can completely envelop the metal blank. With a slight thought, he can freely control the burning temperature and coverage area, completely avoiding the drawbacks of temperature imbalance and uncontrolled heat in ordinary forging furnaces.

When hammering, the muscles and bones of the body subtly correspond to the Chinese martial arts style of dragons and snakes intertwining. The dantian energy is the foundation of the hammer's power, and the internal force of the meridians runs through the limbs and bones. Each hammer blow is a combination of hardness and softness, containing profound strength. The force exertion and retraction are precise, and the even hammering removes impurities from the metal, making the texture of the material more and more delicate and pure.

Dozens of unfinished weapons of various lengths were piled up on both sides of the platform—daggers, longswords, broadswords, and spears—all for practice. The initial forgings had flaws, but with daily hammering and refining, the quality of the raw materials improved day by day, their textures becoming fine and even, their blades possessing a cool yet warm luster. Though not world-renowned masterpieces, they far surpassed ordinary iron, concealing remarkable sharpness. He completed the entire process from melting the raw material, hammering and refining, quenching, to sharpening, thereby becoming familiar with the smelting properties of various ores and iron. In the intervals between forging weapons, he would stay by the medicine cauldron, using his internal energy to stabilize the base and his internal energy to regulate the temperature. The combined power of these two methods meticulously brewed spiritual materials, refining a secret medicine to nourish blood and stabilize cultivation. The refreshing aroma of the medicine and the volcanic heat perpetually enveloped the entire mountainside.

In the southern part of the world depicted in the painting, this volcanic plateau is filled with the low rumble of surging lava and the clanging sound of hammers striking metal. Xu Huang guards this place alone, simultaneously honing his skills in alchemy and weapon forging. Once he has accumulated enough rare ores and mastered his forging techniques, he will begin to forge a divine weapon that is uniquely his own.

Time flies in the mountains, regardless of the seasons; a month passes in the blink of an eye.

Inside the stone chamber's storeroom, ordinary refined iron was plentiful, enough for daily practice. Rare, high-grade ores like meteorite iron and millennia-old cold steel were found in only a few pieces; they were truly rare treasures, scarce in the world, and even with Zi Nu's influence throughout Xinzheng, large-scale acquisition was difficult. Each batch of ore was delivered by a maidservant. Each time, Xu Huang personally inspected the ore's quality, counted the quantity, and then personally handed over the prepared pills and weapons, never entrusting the task to anyone else. Each delivered ore was accompanied by a silk scroll specifying its origin and characteristics, for Xu Huang to study the smelting methods.

During this period of practice, he had already amassed over a hundred weapons. The early, rough blanks were all melted down and reforged in the furnace, leaving only a few dozen of the later, superior quality ones for safekeeping. The weapons he personally delivered gradually circulated quietly among the martial arts practitioners in Xinzheng. Many martial artists inquired everywhere about the weapon maker, hoping to obtain a weapon of the same type. However, Zi Nu adhered to their private agreement and never revealed any trace of Xu Huang.

On this day, Xu Huang put away his hammer and stood quietly by the furnace, his fingertips tracing the surface of a newly sharpened longsword. The blade's texture was layered like flowing clouds, and after being forged a thousand times, it was free of any impurities. A warm, cold light condensed on the spine of the blade, which would naturally subside without being wielded, and a clear, cold current would flow from it as soon as it was drawn.

Internal energy slowly flowed into the sword, and the entire longsword rippled with a soft silver light. When the internal energy was activated, a faint scorching aura spontaneously swirled around the blade, cutting through iron and copper as easily as slicing through rotten wood. Even though it was just a practice piece, its quality had already reached the top level, second only to the famous swords of the world. The famous weapons circulating in the martial arts world were all inferior to it.

He knew in his heart that the feel he had accumulated through long-term forging, and his control over the heat and metal, had reached a critical point, enough to support him to take the next step. He also suddenly had a whim and vaguely sensed that there was still room for improvement in his martial arts foundation, and that he might be able to reach the supreme realm of seeing the divine and not being destroyed. This time, he was personally forging his own personal weapon, which might be the perfect opportunity to help him break through the shackles.

He no longer looked at the mountains of ordinary refined iron piled up in the warehouse. With a thought, he instantly teleported to the small island in the center of the lake. The three-story wooden building on the island was his important place to store the wealth of his family for generations. He climbed the steps to the third floor, where a dark black iron blank the size of a human head lay quietly on a stone platform in the center of the pavilion.

This iron has an extraordinary origin. It was obtained by him from the Sword Valley of Dugu Qiubai in the world of Condor Heroes, where he melted down and refined a century-old Xuan Tie Heavy Sword. After removing the accumulated grime from the sword's body, it was forged and condensed through countless hammerings. It is not of ordinary metals; it is naturally incomparably heavy and indestructible. Its body has been buried deep in Dugu Sword Valley for decades, imbued with the invincible sword intent of a generation of sword demons. It is subdued and without luster, yet it contains a vast and powerful edge within. It is a first-rate material for forging weapons, far superior to the few pieces of meteorite iron and cold steel in the warehouse.

Xu Huang raised his hand and put away the black iron blank, his figure flickering as he returned to the volcanic plateau. He activated the primordial power of heaven and earth in the animation, drawing upon the magma beneath the ground. The giant forging furnace roared to life, crimson flames shooting into the sky. Within his dantian, his internal energy and dan qi flowed in sync, two forces, one soft and one hard, circulating endlessly throughout his body. He raised his hand and placed the entire piece of black iron into the furnace, thus officially beginning the long and solemn path of weapon forging.