Sixty years of blacksmithing, a single hammer blow forging a celestial being.

"Old Li, it's been sixty years. How can you still be so stubborn!"

In the western region of the Tongxuan Continent, at the outer sect's miscellaneous service area of ​​the Tongtian Sword Sect.

Waves of heat swept in, and the clanging of metal being struck echoed incessantly!

Li Ping'an, with his white hair and lean physique, wielded an iron hammer.

Seeing that Li Ping'an ignored him, Zhou Wen, the head steward beside him, sighed.

"Old Li! My dear brother, please listen to my advice. Put everything aside and go down the mountain to live a few good years!"

"That person is now someone we can only look up to; let's stop having illusions."

"Even if you can follow the rules set by the founding patriarch and forge 100,000 pieces of ironware to enter the inner sect, so what? How many years do you have left to live?"

Li Ping'an didn't reply, but he gripped his iron fist even tighter.

Sixty years, a full sixty years of obsession, how can I give up?

I'll die if I have to keep that promise!

Li Ping'an felt somewhat unwilling, and countless scenes from the past began to surface in his mind.

He traveled to a small mountain village at the foot of the mountain and met Lu Xue, his childhood sweetheart who captured his heart.

From the carefree days of running and playing in the fields to his spirited eighteenth birthday, the two made a vow at the foot of the Tongtian Sword Sect.

Let's enter the inner gate together!

"Brother Ping An, I'll marry you once you enter the inner sect!"

The crisp knocking sound still echoed, and Li Ping'an could hear the gentle whispers from back then.

Completely oblivious to his hunger, Li Ping'an had no idea that the area outside was already teeming with people.

Thousands of handymen disciples and several thousand outer disciples were all staring intently at Li Ping'an inside the room; the scene was truly spectacular!

They've gathered here to witness a miracle!

A miracle that has never occurred before in the history of the Tongtian Sword Sect.

A lowly servant with the worst talent wants to follow in the footsteps of the founding master and enter the inner sect by forging swords!

Not only were there menial servants and outer disciples, but there were also many inner disciples and elders in mid-air.

It was bustling outside, but quiet inside.

Aside from the clanging of forging, there was only the sound of heavy breathing.

bark...

The moment the last longsword was forged and fired.

At the summit of Tongtian Peak, the Heavenly Bell, sealed for sixty years, resounded with a booming sound.

The bell's sound was grand and far-reaching, instantly spreading throughout the entire sacred mountain.

The Heavenly Bell only rings for momentous occasions!

Now it resounds for a menial disciple!

Hearing the bell toll, the expressions of countless servants were complex, and they were filled with envy.

"The Heavenly Bell! He really struck the Heavenly Bell! My God!"

"I remember the last time the Heavenly Bell rang was sixty years ago when Senior Sister Lu Xue was found to have unparalleled immortal bones, right?"

"What?! Senior Sister Lu has to be called Saintess Lu now? I remember they were childhood sweethearts!"

Li Ping'an listened to the familiar chimes, his eyes filled with tears.

Lu Xue!

I did it!

For a full sixty years, I have finally kept my promise to you.

Clutching the tattered iron hammer that had been with him for sixty years, Li Ping'an walked out of the house.

Looking at the square packed with people, Li Ping'an was not surprised at all.

The ringing of the bell is always a spectacle that attracts everyone's attention, and it was the same sixty years ago.

Lu Xue, did you see that? I've also stirred up Zhong Ming to be like you.

Now I'm going to join the inner sect!

Li Ping'an looked around excitedly, but did not find the figure that haunted his dreams.

Li Ping'an was disappointed, but looking at the elders riding flying swords in mid-air, he comforted himself.

You'll meet them once you enter the inner gate!

"Disciple Li Ping'an, a menial servant, greets all the elders!"

Seeing Li Ping'an bow, the elders had mixed feelings and sighed.

What a pity! What a pity!

Those with great perseverance, even if they lack talent, should still achieve something great.

The founding patriarch of the sect was also a person with low-grade spiritual root who only attained enlightenment by forging 100,000 swords.

But the Li Ping'an in front of me is really too old.

His blood and energy were almost depleted, his vitality was waning, and he was on the verge of death.

Even if they enter the inner sect for cultivation, they won't have many years left!

"Who will collect it?"

"Old Lu, you can take it? My place is full!"

"Bullshit! You can take it if you want, I'm not taking it!"

The elders defered to each other, but the purple-robed elder at the front sheathed his flying sword, landed a few steps in front of Li Ping'an, and sighed.

"Li Ping'an, according to the sect rules, you are hereby promoted to inner disciple today and may become an apprentice under an elder."

"Now that all seven of us elders are present, which one do you wish to become a disciple of?"

Upon hearing the elder's words, everyone turned to look at him.

To become a disciple of an inner sect elder is the dream of countless menial outer sect disciples!

This is a chance to rise to the top in one step!

Li Ping'an glanced at the high-ranking inner sect elders around him, but shook his head.

"Elders, Ping An does not aspire to become an apprentice of any elder; he only requests to enter the inner sect and meet one person."

The purple-robed elder was somewhat surprised.

"Whom are you going to see?"

"I just want to see Lu...Lu Xue one last time."

Upon hearing this name, the surroundings instantly fell silent, everyone exuding a gossipy aura.

The rumors were true; this guy really does have some connection with the Holy Maiden!

The elders exchanged glances, a hint of regret flashing in their eyes.

Behind them, the young male disciples who wielded swords suddenly darkened, and many even had a hint of coldness in their eyes.

The female disciples had different expressions and began to whisper among themselves, their tone revealing a hint of jealousy.

"Li Ping'an, Saintess Lu Xue is now worlds apart from you. Don't harbor any more delusions."

An inner disciple snorted, and the entire outer sect immediately booed.

The purple-robed elder sighed and flicked his sleeve.

A bottle of white jade containing pills and an old wooden stick slowly floated to Li Ping'an's front.

"This was given to you by Lu Xue. She has passed the test of the Lingtian Secret Realm and reached the Tongtian Realm, officially becoming the Holy Maiden of the Lingtian Holy Land."

"This morning, the sacred land's flying boat took her away. This is what she asked me to give you before she left. She also gave you a message: The path to immortality is vast and boundless; my mortal ties are severed!"

"If you still want to stay in the inner sect, take this longevity pill to the inner cabinet to report for duty, and someone will arrange a leisurely job for you."

After saying this, the elders turned into streaks of light and flew towards the main peak without looking back.

The disciples in the air also dispersed, and no one gave the old man another glance.

Li Pingan stood there, stunned.

Saintess, you've actually become a saintess.

Body tempering, foundation building, qi cultivation, spirit concentration, golden elixir, infant transformation, reaching the heavens, spirit transformation, earth immortal, ascension.

There are five major realms of difference between us. Is it possible that even if I spend my whole life, I will still be unable to reach or even look up to you?

Li Ping'an stood on the open ground, slowly stretched out his hands, and caught the short, thick wooden stick.

The wooden stick was old, but the writing on it was still clear.

"Safety."

That was carved by Lu Xue herself!

Li Ping'an's eyes were a little red. The night before he went up the mountain, he broke his family's old iron hammer in two.

He kept the hammerhead for himself and gave the wooden hammer handle to Lu Xue as a token of their love.

"The path to immortality is vast and boundless; my mortal ties are severed!"

Li Ping'an felt a tightness in his chest, and then, with a "poof," he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Fresh blood fell onto the worn wooden handle.

hum.

The originally rotten wooden stick suddenly trembled and emitted a faint red light.

The next moment, the wooden stick directly pushed against the handle of the hammer and inserted itself into the old iron hammer in Li Ping'an's right hand.

The moment the two merged into one, pure power surged through Li Ping'an's arm and into his entire body.

boom!

A grand and distant voice resounded in his mind.

Golden light bloomed in his mind, transforming into three ancient characters.

"Forging Heaven Hammer!"

A deep, resonant voice kept echoing in his ears.

"The ancient divine weapon, the Heaven-Forging Hammer, can forge all things in heaven and earth."

"The first is called 'Quenching Heaven': It can temper and refine all things, removing their dross."

"The second is forging the earth: it can transform mortals into gods and reshape weapons and armor."

"The third is called Immortal Fusion: It can absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and transform it for its own use."

"The fourth is the forging of gods: capable of reversing the universe and reforging heaven and earth."

Li Ping'an was so shocked that his scalp tingled and his mind went blank!

He stared blankly at the dark gold iron hammer in his hand, unable to believe it.

Forged Sky Hammer?

His family's ordinary iron hammer turned out to be a peerless divine weapon.

He himself had broken this divine weapon in two and buried it for sixty years!

Li Ping'an looked bitter and glanced up at the sky.

"God, you're really playing a trick on me."