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

Chapter Eleven: The Heavenly Blade Strategist

The magma inside the mountain roared and surged, and the crimson fire poured into the forging furnace. The raging flames rolled and rose, making the entire hillside plateau hot and humid.

Xu Huang stood quietly before the furnace, his gaze fixed on the dark iron blank dormant in the heart of the furnace. His mind was clear and free of all worldly distractions.

For months, he had been practicing weapon forging, mostly using light and agile shapes such as swords, spears, and short daggers. Swords, born of destiny, are graceful and swift, adept at maneuvering and adapting skillfully, making them the most popular weapons in the martial world. However, after experiencing his own cultivation and thoroughly examining his own path, Xu Huang had already realized that this kind of light and agile weaponry was never meant for him.

The Dao of Heaven and Earth is divided into Yin and Yang, hardness and softness; Heaven's movement is light and agile, Earth's virtue is profound and weighty. The sword captures the ingenious changes of Heaven, while the knife inherits the solidity of Earth.

He cultivated his inner strength, making it deep, stable, and profound; he practiced martial arts, forging a perfect body and powerful, vigorous qi. Along the way, he did not seek tricks or shortcuts, but only focused on accumulating knowledge, strengthening his foundation, and maintaining a calm and focused mind as the basis of martial arts. This steadfast, upright, and profound path of cultivation naturally aligns with the essence of the sword.

My heart rejoices in the sinking blade, my path aligns with the virtues of the earth, and my martial arts are imbued with profound weight. This is the direction of my true heart, unrelated to the chaos and strife of the world, and I do not follow worldly choices.

Once he made up his mind, Xu Huang no longer hesitated. He raised his hand and took out all the rare materials stored in the stone chamber.

This sword was not made from a single type of black iron.

The main material was taken from the Deep Abyss Iron preserved in Dugu Sword Valley. The iron body still contained the mixed sword intent and aura left over from the past. This material was contrary to the deep and heavy sword path in his heart, and it had to be completely cleansed, leaving only the faint and pure original spirituality of the Deep Abyss Iron as the foundation. The iron material was harder than all other irons in the world, heavy and dense, and could withstand pressure like a mountain. It was the perfect main material to support the foundation of his martial arts.

Then, he added extraterrestrial meteorite iron and millennium-old cold steel, which he had collected over the years and through various transactions with Zi Nu, along with several refined and condensed metals. These rare treasures were all acquired through his own efforts, transactions, and careful selection. Ordinary noble families and martial arts sects could hardly find even one of them in their entire lives.

Ordinary weapons would be considered superior if they contained one or two rare metals, but this time, his weapon was made with black iron as the base, cold steel as the sinews, and meteorite iron as the bone, with the essence of the five metals filling his entire body, and several rare minerals fused together.

The finest metals, pure and gentle in texture, can harmonize the hardness of black iron, the coldness of meteorite iron, and the austere nature of frosty steel. They also mend the minute cracks created when materials are fused, resulting in a blade that is both strong and supple, heavy yet not brittle, achieving a perfect balance of strength and flexibility. The molten metal seeps into the thick black iron's texture, replenishing its rigidity, enriching its depth, and filling its gaps. This allows the originally extremely hard and heavy black iron to possess the toughness of meteorite iron and the coldness of frosty steel, further harmonized by the essence of metals. A single furnace melts down all the world's rarest irons, bringing together countless materials to create a single, powerful weapon that embodies one's inner self and perfects the way of martial arts.

Rare treasures and fire merged, their shapes and dimensions becoming firmly fixed in my mind.

In his mind, the complete image of the unique divine weapon, the Jidu Blade, clearly appeared.

The entire sword is seven feet three inches long, with a stable and balanced proportion, conforming to the orthodox two-handed longsword style. The blade itself is over five feet long and nearly a palm's width wide, with thick, straight lines. It is wide and thick near the hilt, gradually tapering inwards towards the tip, with a slight curve at the end, devoid of any graceful curve. The thick spine has layers of overlapping ridges, solid and square, as steady as a mountain, bearing immense weight. The blade surface is flat and solemn, naturally covered with fine and dark patterns of varying depths, like hidden galaxy veins. The narrow, long blade edge has clean, clear lines, concealing its sharpness within its weight and storing its power beyond its simplicity.

The handle is two feet three inches long, forged as a single piece with the blade, without any splicing or tenon joints, resulting in a solid and robust structure. The handle is plain and unadorned, with light and regular patterns engraved on the surface, which are continuous and seamless with the patterns on the spine of the blade, making it easy to grip with both hands. It can be used for chopping, slashing, suppressing, and sealing, with a powerful and domineering presence. With a single move, it exudes a majestic aura that can suppress all evil and sweep away frivolity.

This kind of calm, stable, domineering, and simple style and size perfectly match his outwardly restrained but inwardly strong, profound and virtuous character and cultivation. The solid structure forged as one piece is enough to bear his unlimited martial arts power in the future.

With the mind set on the final outcome, the forging process officially begins.

Xu Huang narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing his full cultivation level.

His profound and enduring internal energy condensed into a transparent protective shield, isolating him from the scorching heat of the volcano and protecting his meridians and internal organs. Despite the raging flames and intense heat surrounding him, his internal energy remained stable and calm. At the same time, his peak internal energy burst forth, and strands of crimson blood and vital energy merged into the forging furnace, intertwining and becoming one with the natural earth fire within the mountain.

Internal energy regulates temperature, making it stable and not agitated; internal energy forges character, making it intense but not violent.

The dual heat is controlled to the extreme by the mind, progressing layer by layer, from the outside in, slowly roasting the peerless molten iron that has merged and become one in the furnace.

The black iron blank, a mixture of several rare treasures, was far more difficult to forge than ordinary divine materials. Initially, it was completely black and solid, with the old sword intent hidden deep within its body subtly restless, resisting the tempering by the earth fire. Xu Huang had two methods to implement simultaneously, completely eradicating this aura that did not belong to him.

Firstly, the intense heat of the furnace is used to repeatedly smelt the iron, constantly burning it at extremely high temperatures to dissolve any impurities within it. Any excess energy that does not belong to the original spiritual essence of the black iron will slowly dissipate under the long-term burning of the earth fire. Secondly, the martial arts will of "the landscape is like a painting, and one should guard one's original heart" is simultaneously infused, with the complete Daoist rhyme of the user wrapping the molten iron layer by layer, and with the unique and restrained Daoist heart, the remaining sword intent is washed away, covered, and worn away layer by layer.

With both internal and external methods employed simultaneously—one using fire to refine the form and the other using focused intent to calm the mind and eliminate impurities—the two forces complemented each other, gradually washing away the foreign sword intent without leaving a trace. After several hours of gradual nurturing and tempering, the incomparably hard iron core finally softened slowly, its surface losing its dullness and revealing a thick, warm, crimson luster. There was no longer any foreign aura within the iron, only the pure and clean original spirituality of the black iron itself.

Impurities accumulated deep within the iron body over time, along with mineral impurities, are gradually forced out and stripped away by precise firing techniques.

The internal force transformed into wind, gently sweeping across the furnace opening, causing all the fine black dust to dissipate.

Only a clump of extremely condensed crimson molten iron remained in the furnace, its core being black iron, supplemented by meteorite iron and cold steel. The essence of the five metals flowed within, harmonizing its texture. Several precious materials were seamlessly integrated, their texture pure and dense, forming a unified whole. Within the molten iron, only a faint trace of the black iron's innate spiritual essence remained; all other external auras had been completely cleansed, awaiting its subsequent condensation into a true soul using its own Daoist principles.

The molten iron purification process is complete, and after a thousand hammer blows to shape it, the official process begins.

Xu Huang gripped the heavy-forged iron hammer, his feet firmly planted like stakes, his muscles and bones subtly aligned with the true meaning of the Dragon and Snake National Martial Arts, his dantian sinking to the bottom, his internal energy flowing through his limbs and bones, his body as stable as a mountain, not moving an inch.

With each strike of his hammer, he continuously forged the blade according to the predetermined dimensions, shaping it in one continuous motion from the hilt to the edge.

A heavy hammer presses firmly onto the joint of the blade's spine, forging a bone as resilient as a mountain; a light hammer combs the blade's surface, smoothing out fine lines and revealing hidden, dark star-like patterns; a uniform hammer polishes the blade's lines, concealing its sharpness within its weight; a slow hammer forges the complete handle, carving continuous shallow lines to preserve its ancient and austere essence.

The resounding clang of countless hammers echoed throughout the volcanic landscape.

Through repeated folding, blending, and forging, the molten iron gradually takes the shape of a complete Jidu knife, seven feet and three inches long. The spine of the knife is solidified layer by layer, the blade is smooth and regular, the tip is curved and restrained, and the blade line is cold and clear.

Countless hammerings and forgings have allowed the black iron, meteorite iron, cold steel, and the finest metals to completely fuse together, transforming them into a cohesive and intricate texture. The essence of the metals permeates every inch of the blade, eliminating the barriers between different materials, resulting in a flawless and pure texture.

Outsiders forge swords based on form and profit, but he forges swords based on spirit and will. With the martial spirit of painting mountains and rivers as the bone and the innate spiritual energy of Xuan Iron as the skin, he forges his own unique weapon spirit through countless hammerings.

After countless sleepless hours of forging, the fire on the furnace slowly died down.

A perfectly shaped, sized, crimson blade blank stood quietly in the center of the platform, its entire body scorching hot, the lingering warmth of the flames still present. The blade surface was covered with fine, dark patterns, the spine was solid and heavy, the blade tip had sharp lines, and its aura was solemn and powerful. Within its texture, only innate spiritual energy nourished its essence, and its own Daoist essence was hidden within its soul, awaiting only the final tempering to set its form.

Form, structure, rhythm, and momentum are all perfectly executed, marking the final, refined masterpiece.

Ordinary craftsmen can only solidify and harden the weapon through tempering, but they cannot forge its spiritual vitality. Xu Huang forged this divine weapon of his own destiny by seeking only the purest medicinal power of the core of the spiritual herb and the original spiritual essence of the plant, so that it would be completely pure and free of any impurities.

With a thought, he moved to the Medicine Valley, extracted the core essence of thousands of spiritual herbs, condensed it into a clear and warm spiritual essence, and then fused it with his own blood and blood from his palm. The vitality of his heart and the spiritual charm of the herbs and trees were combined to create an excellent quenching liquid.

Lifting the scorching hot blade blank back onto the platform, Xu Huang held his breath and focused his mind, slowly sinking the entire Jidu Blade into the spiritual blood.

Shila-

White mist billowed into the sky, and a deafening roar shook the earth. The scorching hot blade rapidly cooled in the quenching liquid, as pure medicinal power and the spiritual essence of herbs and plants permeated the blade's texture. The primordial spiritual essence of the Xuan Iron was fully awakened, gently nourishing the blade's texture. Meanwhile, the "Landscape Like a Painting" martial will deeply imprinted within him, under the dual tempering of his heart's blood and spiritual essence, was completely solidified and solidified, becoming the sole core of the blade's soul.

Nourished by innate spiritual energy, stabilized by the essence of Tao, and tempered and solidified by medicinal power, the three elements combine to completely shed the lifelessness of metal and create a vibrant and agile divine weapon unique to oneself.

After a while, the white mist dissipated, and the quenching liquid returned to stillness.

Xu Huang raised his hand and slowly lifted the formed Jidu Blade.

The blade has faded from crimson to a deep, matte black, ancient and weighty, with a natural and refined aura. The seven-foot-three-inch blade is well-proportioned and imposing, with shimmering light appearing beneath the dark patterns, as if the spirit of plants and trees is sealed within. The spine is heavy and sturdy, bearing weight, while the edge is concealed and sharp, without any glaring edge, yet it contains the power to cut through gold and jade. The two-foot-three-inch hilt is warm and comfortable to hold, fitting snugly in the palm of the hand, and a subtle connection between man and blade arises between them.

Just as the divine weapon took shape and Xu Huang became one with the blade, his mind suddenly went blank, and he instantly fell into a deep martial arts enlightenment.