A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Sword-Forging Servant and Ascending to Immorta

Zhou Lingxuan sat on the bed board, his right hand's empty-handed tapping motion stopped in mid-air.

His brows furrowed more and more tightly.

He disassembled the cross-sectional diagram of the "Three-Legged Flowing Cloud Furnace" in his mind more than a dozen times.

No.

He pulled his hand back and looked at his palm.

Having worked as a blacksmith for a hundred years, he was extremely familiar with the hammer.

No matter how you twist your wrist, or how small the hammerhead is, any physical tool will have a volume.

The area where the bottom of the alchemy furnace meets the inner wall is a blind spot.

The hammer head couldn't move freely in that narrow space. Forcing a blow would result in uneven force distribution, inevitably leaving tiny pits.

"No wonder the standard alchemy furnaces made by those people from the Weapon Hall have uneven inner walls."

Zhou Lingxuan muttered something under his breath.

It's not that the craftsmen at the equipment workshop are bad; it's just that the physical conditions are too restrictive.

He rolled up the parchment map again and tucked it into his pocket.

Pushing aside the wooden table blocking the door, Zhou Lingxuan walked to the corner of the room and opened the wooden box containing miscellaneous items.

There were also a few scraps of refined iron left over from forging swords during the day.

He grabbed the iron block, pushed open the door, and went out.

The night was deep, and the abandoned hall was quiet.

The lights in Qin Lao and Qin Zhaoyun's room had long been turned off.

Zhou Lingxuan walked quietly to the forging workshop in the courtyard.

He skillfully operated the bellows.

call--

The fire shot out through the pipes, its eerie blue flames licking the bottom of the furnace.

He threw the scraps of refined iron into the furnace.

Once the iron block was heated until it was completely red-hot, Zhou Lingxuan used iron tongs to take it out and placed it steadily on the anvil.

He picked up the large iron sledgehammer next to him.

when!when!when!

Sparks flew everywhere.

In no time, he smashed a square piece of refined iron into a deep-mouthed iron can.

The size and depth are simulated to be scaled down to the exact proportions of the bottom of the alchemy furnace.

Zhou Lingxuan put down the sledgehammer and picked out the smallest hammer from the tool rack.

The hammerhead is only the size of a thumb.

He gripped the hammer handle and inserted the hammer head into the inside of the iron can, aiming at the dead corner where the bottom and inner wall met.

Use your wrist to generate force.

when!

The sound was crisp, but it sounded somewhat muffled in the confined space.

Zhou Lingxuan stopped what he was doing and looked inside by the light of the fire.

shook his head.

He picked up the tin can and touched the spot where he had just tapped it with his index finger.

really.

Even though he had controlled the force to the extreme, a very tiny dent still appeared on the bottom of the iron can.

It's very shallow; ordinary people can't feel it at all.

However, under the high temperatures of alchemy, even this minor flaw is enough to cause the medicinal properties to stagnate, leading to an explosion in the furnace.

The shape limitations of physical tools have become an insurmountable obstacle.

Zhou Lingxuan stared at the dent, his face darkening.

If we don't break with conventional forging methods, even if Xue Yi brings the red copper and cold iron the day after tomorrow, the resulting alchemy furnace will still be a waste.

That Foundation Establishment Pill thus became nothing more than a mirage.

He threw the hammer back onto the stand and placed his hands on the edge of the anvil.

Just then, a slight tremor came from the depths of his mind.

The pure sword intent nurtured by the purple jade hammer seemed to sense his emotional fluctuations.

Zhou Lingxuan was stunned for a moment.

Images of blacksmithing during the day flashed through my mind.

He swung the hammer and brought it down.

Pull back the hammer, gently.

The sword intent of "thrusting" and "striking" is perfectly integrated into the hammer technique.

Sword intent is invisible.

Its sharp edge can penetrate anywhere.

If a physical hammerhead can't penetrate, what about the intangible sword intent?

Zhou Lingxuan suddenly stood up straight.

A thought crossed my mind.

A small purple jade hammer appeared in the palm of his hand, emitting a faint purple light.

He did not insert the small purple jade hammer into the iron can.

Instead, they did the opposite, aiming the hammer at the outer wall of the can.

The location is directly facing that blind spot inside.

Zhou Lingxuan took a deep breath and mobilized the pure sword intent in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The sword intent surged through the meridians and adhered to the purple jade hammer.

A flick of the wrist.

Boom!

A very dull, unusual sound rang out.

There were no sparks, no deafening collision sounds.

The outer wall of the tin can was completely undamaged, without even a white mark.

However, Zhou Lingxuan keenly sensed that an invisible sharp energy carrying the power of reshaping directly pierced through the thick iron shell.

It was precisely "cut" into the pit on the inner wall.

He quickly dropped the hammer and reached inside the metal can.

My finger traced the corner I had just been looking at.

The prickly spots that were originally uncomfortable on my hands have actually subsided by a third!

"It's done!"

A sharp light shone brightly in Zhou Lingxuan's eyes.

Hitting a cow from across the mountain!

Plastic inside and outside!

This method, which completely defies the common sense of weapon crafting, actually works!

He gripped the purple jade hammer tightly again and simply closed his eyes.

They completely abandoned visual observation.

His consciousness completely merged with that pure sword intent.

The internal structure of the tin can is vividly clear in my mind.

The wrists flipped.

Boom!Boom!Boom!Boom!

The small purple jade hammer struck a series of fine drumbeats on the outer wall of the iron can.

With each strike of the hammer, the sword intent transforms into an invisible, miniature carving knife.

With the unique forging power of the Heavenly Hammer, it roamed wildly inside the iron can.

Smooth out the protrusions.

To fill in the depression.

Those dead corners that even the smallest iron hammer couldn't reach were gradually smoothed out by the invisible sword intent.

After a while.

The knocking stopped abruptly.

Zhou Lingxuan opened his eyes, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

This kind of precise control is extremely mentally taxing.

He used tongs to pick up the scalding hot can and threw it directly into the cold water tank next to him.

laugh--

White vapor rose.

Once the water calmed down, Zhou Lingxuan retrieved the iron can.

Instead of looking, he extended two fingers and slowly slid them along the deep inner wall.

The sensation from his fingertips made him raise an eyebrow.

mellow.

smooth.

It's like touching a piece of ice that has been polished a thousand times.

There wasn't even the slightest bit of sluggishness.

The dead corner where the bottom meets the inner wall is perfectly transitioned, forming a seamless whole.

The technical difficulties have been overcome.

Zhou Lingxuan let out a long breath and casually placed the iron can on the anvil.

"Why are you tolling a death knell in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Suddenly, an annoyed voice came from behind me.

Zhou Lingxuan turned his head.

Old Qin, wearing a gray coat and slippers, was standing at the gate of the courtyard, yawning.

The old man was clearly awakened by the faint knocking sound.

"Couldn't sleep, so I just practiced a bit."

Zhou Lingxuan casually replied and turned to turn off the valve of the ground fire.

Old Qin strolled over and glanced at the dark iron can on the anvil.

"Practicing? What are you doing? A chamber pot?"

Old Qin reached out with a look of disgust and picked up the tin can.

"The opening is so tight, and the bottom is so thick. Your skills have deteriorated."

As he scolded, he casually stuck his thumb into the tin can and probed inside.

next second.

Old Qin's voice abruptly stopped.

He froze on the spot, his half-closed eyes widening instantly.

"this……"

Old Qin gasped and quickly inserted his other fingers as well, rubbing them back and forth along the inner wall several times.

The more you touched him, the more ghostly his expression became.

"Brother Zhou, what you've done..."

Old Qin suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Zhou Lingxuan.

"How did you manage to create this inner wall?"

He has a good eye for quality.

With his Golden Core cultivation and having traveled all over the country with Qin Zhaoyun, he had seen all sorts of top-tier magic treasures.

The lack of internal dead corners in such deep-mouthed artifacts is a common problem for all weapon refiners.

Either the parts are cast separately and then assembled, or they are slowly smelted using a special spiritual fire.

But this iron can in front of me is clearly made in one piece, and the material is just the most ordinary refined iron!

The inner wall was so smooth it was outrageous!

Zhou Lingxuan brushed the iron filings off his hands, his tone indifferent.

"It was hammered out."

"fart!"

Old Qin got anxious and held the tin can up to Zhou Lingxuan.

"Do you think I'm blind?! With such a tiny opening, what kind of hammer could you possibly reach the very bottom?"

"Even if you chopped off your hand and stuffed it in, you still couldn't create that perfectly seamless curve!"

Zhou Lingxuan ignored his shouting and walked past him toward his wooden house.

"Our unique skills are never passed on to outsiders."

Old Qin was momentarily speechless, then quickly took two steps to catch up.

"Don't go! If those old monsters in the Weaponry Hall see your skills, they'll worship you like a god!"

"How did you manage to do that?"

Zhou Lingxuan pushed open the door of the wooden house and glanced back at him.

"Brother Qin, go to sleep early."

"The day after tomorrow night, guests may come to the abandoned hall."

Old Qin was stunned.

"Guests? What guests?"

"The customer who brings money."

Zhou Lingxuan closed the door behind him and placed the wooden table back against the door.

Everything is ready.

Now, all that's left is for Xue Yi to deliver the red copper and cold iron to our door.