Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Isn't this essentially the same thing? It's just that the curse has been transferred or piled up elsewhere. If the world operates in this way, what's the difference between it and fighting in a cesspool? In the end, we'll all just be polluted and assimilated.

So, is there any way to break this deadlock...?

Yue Ren recalled the sanctification spell on the "black key," the technique called "reversal spell," and the "demon-slaying sword" on a certain shikigami.

The effect of "Black Key" has already been demonstrated; it can indeed damage cursed spirits without the infusion of cursed power. "Reversal Technique" is a technique that can transform cursed power from negative energy to positive energy. Those who have the opportunity to come into contact with it can study it. "Exorcising Sword"... let's put it aside for now.

Everything in the world cannot be born from yin alone, nor can it grow from yang alone. It is through the mutual generation and restraint of yin and yang that all things are shaped. A world full of negative energy could not possibly form such a brilliant world.

Strangely, the sorcerers who are resisting don't seem to have much knowledge of positive energy. While it's true that the "reversal spell" is very difficult to use, it's absurd that they've been stuck at a simple healing level for thousands of years.

Yue Ren felt that the world had become like this because of the unwiseness of those in high positions. But when he thought of the high-ranking sorcerers who vaguely revealed the true nature of things in his memory, Yue Ren suddenly felt no surprise.

Let's put this idea aside for now and talk about it again when we have a chance to learn more about curses. After all, how can we find a way to counter something if we don't understand it in depth?

He can't even be considered a qualified sorcerer right now. Forget about domains or extreme techniques, he can't even use the tents used to conceal combat tracks. When he gained sorcery power, the system only gave him the most basic knowledge of how to use sorcery power, attaching it to weapons, and temporarily enhancing physical attributes. He doesn't even know what a curse is, so how can he target it?

The best way to learn this knowledge is to come into contact with sorcerers in the world of sorcery.

However, considering various factors, he was in no hurry to enter the sight of the sorcerers. The spell tools he possessed meant that they would contact him sooner or later, so there was no need to spend time and effort searching for them. Moreover, given the situation of the higher-ups, rashly exposing himself to the world of sorcery might be more dangerous. Furthermore, there were still many things he did not understand or master. The most important thing now was to familiarize himself with what he already knew in order to prepare for how to contact those people.

Just as he was thinking, the system voice sounded again.

"Job placement quests activated"

Difficulty: Intermediate

"Mission Objective: Forge an unconventional weapon imbued with energy (0/5)"

Time Limit: None

"Reward: Attribute/Skill Points, Class unlocks to the next stage"

"..."

So that's what they were waiting for me...

Yue Ren understood somewhat; so that's what "swordsmith" meant. He smiled helplessly, thinking of the old man Muramasa who had beaten him to a pulp.

Let's start trying it tomorrow. I haven't worked with iron for months, so my hands are probably rusty.

Just as Yue Ren was about to pack his things, he put aside his complicated thoughts and suddenly saw the spell tool wrapped in an unknown cloth.

After a moment's thought, he reached out and picked it up. The familiar length and weight—about 90 centimeters long and 1.5 kilograms—were standard dimensions for a katana.

Unwrapping the cloth, what appeared to be an ordinary object revealed its magical power to the Yue people. So that's how it was; the cloth was a seal used to conceal the magical power.

He was slightly startled. As the fabric was completely peeled away, an exquisitely crafted katana appeared in his hand. At the same time, the most intense curse power he had ever seen appeared. The strong, dark, and ominous aura made him frown.

This is only the sheathed state...

The Yue man looked serious as he slowly drew his katana from the ground with both hands. During this process, he felt the temperature in the house drop several degrees out of nowhere.

The first part of the sword that was drawn had two Japanese characters engraved on it – “空切” (Kūkiri), which should be the name of this katana.

The katana was fully displayed before him. From a normal perspective, it looked perfectly normal—a custom-made, exquisite weapon. But from the sorcerer's perspective, Yue Ren felt as if he were holding a collection of curses.

Through his perception, he understood one thing: this thing must never be held by ordinary people for a long time, otherwise it would definitely be slowly corrupted and affected by the curse power on it.

At the same time, he had no doubt that if he had this thing in the morning, he wouldn't have needed any magical power to face that cursed spirit; he could have just used this knife to cut it once.

Without a doubt, this is something that could be called a demon sword in the eyes of the world.

This also perfectly confirms his earlier conjecture: the so-called "removal" is simply a case of the big fish eating the small fish.

Suddenly, a thought struck him; he held the katana in his left hand and summoned the "Black Key" with his right.

Without hesitation, he made the two weapons collide violently from the left and right.

"boom--"

With a crisp metallic cutting sound, a sword tip flew several meters and landed on the ground, its cut surface perfectly smooth.

After glancing at the still-smooth and brand-new katana, Yue Ren said nothing, sheathed it, and set it aside. He then carefully examined the "black key" on the broken blade.

The cut was very smooth, and the katana was as sharp as it looked. In fact, he had expected the result. It was true that the "black key" had a restraining effect on curses, but it was still a conventional weapon. Yue Ren had not performed any special incantation or sanctification for the executor. It was not hard to understand why it was cut in half by the katana, which had powerful negative energy.

The reason for this test was to see how big the difference could be between two weapons of different qualities, and the result was ridiculously large.

Next, the second test.

Put the "Black Key" away again. The weapon wasn't broken. Its main body was the hilt, and the blade was a semi-physical metal. Although it had been cut in this way, it could be restored to its original state quickly by injecting magical power.

He picked up the katana again, took a deep breath, released his curse power, and activated his life-giving technique.

In an instant, a flood of "filthy" memories rushed into his brain, making his eyes widen in shock.

Forging, obsession, blood, curses, filth, misery, and chaotic fragments of negative energy flashed through his mind, making him feel like he was going to vomit.

"Air Cut" (Silver)

Materials: Jadeite, Iron, Chicken Blood, Curse Incantation...

Time: 74 days

Techniques: Steelmaking by treading on a scepter, incantation infusion, incantation drawing...

Usage: By injecting excess spell power, an invisible spell power blade can be formed, extending up to twice the length of the blade.

Introduction: The blacksmith's masterpiece, made using special and cruel methods, involves the unknowing investment of a great deal of mental energy and life force, thus achieving a quality that surpasses the limits. It is the final masterpiece of a craftsman.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

As if he were having a nightmare, Yue Ren gasped for breath, feeling as if something was stuck in his throat and he might vomit it out at any moment.

However, he managed to hold back for a few seconds.

Cold sweat involuntarily trickled down his forehead. Even though he loathed the weapon to the extreme, Yue Ren still held it, for one reason only: this thing was the old man's "everything".

Now I understand why the once robust old man suddenly passed away. The reason lies in his hands. When he was forging this katana, in his absolute focus, he unconsciously poured everything into it—his will, his life—became the fuel that sustained it...

That's why the old man passed away not long after completing the project; without realizing it, everything he had was taken away from him.

That's why it has such power. Even if it's not a top-grade spell tool, it should at least be a first-grade spell tool.

"..."

It really is an unexpected and sudden gain. I don't know whether I should be happy or not. The cause of the old man's death has been found, but all that's left is helplessness.

Perhaps this is a good ending for the old man who dedicated his life to forging; he forged a weapon that could protect humanity to some extent.

He carefully sheathed the katana and wrapped it again with the cloth, finishing in just a few seconds. However, the seal had no effect; he could still feel the strong curse power. It seemed that this thing was a one-time use item.

However, the Yue people were not alarmed.

Hold the strip of cloth in your hand and activate the spell.

This time there weren't any particularly disgusting memory fragments, and some knowledge was presented to me in the form of memories.

"Demon-Sealing Cloth" (Normal)

Materials: Fabric, Velcro closure...

Time: 127 days

Craftsmanship: Hand-woven, infused with magical power...

Description: A simple cloth that isolates magical energy; when used with a specific technique, it can seal the aura of magical energy.

He rewrapped the cloth and then used his magical power to attach it according to the spell he remembered. After a moment, the katana in Yue Ren's hand, which had been wrapped up, returned to the way it looked when he first picked it up—an ordinary package.

I put it back in the box and then started tidying up the room.

The severed half of the sword tip has disappeared, so all that's needed is to gather up the letters and the booklet.

After doing all this, Yue Ren went out to the tea pavilion, sat down in a chair, prepared a cup of tea for himself, and then enjoyed the beautiful courtyard while sipping his tea.

It was four or five o'clock. Apart from the flowing water and the occasional small animal, there were no other sounds around. This white noise was exactly what he needed at that moment.

This wasn't because he was bored; he was doing something important, suppressing and resolving the negative emotions surging within him.

At this moment, he had a clear understanding of the precautions following the introduction to his birth technique.

The awakened ability is not low in danger... Just now, peeking into the source of that katana not only disgusted him, but the first-person experience, like a VR experience, also stirred up countless negative emotions, killing desires, and bloodlust... Sure enough, the bigger the curse, the worse it is. He hasn't recovered yet.

"No wonder the more powerful a sorcerer is, the more likely they are to go mad. Spell power is inherently negative energy. Even if it is generated by one's own body, it requires negative emotions. And it would be strange if a person could have a normal mind if they were in a state of negative emotions for a long time. It would be strange if their mind didn't develop problems over time... Being a sorcerer might be a dead end..."

In spiritual practice, both "nature" and "life" must be cultivated to last. This means the simultaneous development of the body (life) and the soul (nature). So-called powerful strength must be controlled and utilized with a more mature mind. Otherwise, one is merely a slave to power, an unstable factor that may go berserk at any time.

As for the path of the sorcerer, even now he could sense that its potential was not great. Not only was the power of sorcery itself a negative force, but powerful spells could not be learned and could only be inherited through bloodlines. A child was born with a nuclear button, and there was no systematic way to teach him how to view this power correctly. Along the way, he was also enveloped by his own negative emotions and the magnified malice around him...

Could such a highly toxic environment possibly produce any beautiful and elegant flowers? Even if they look alluring, they would probably be completely consumed by decay and poison.

Isn't Xia Youjie a living example? His madness is nothing less than despair for the future of the so-called "sorcerer" group.

"I should buy some suitable books to read tomorrow. Taoism should have some methods to guide one to calm the mind..."

The words he murmured to himself came out of Yue's mouth. At this moment, he emptied his mind and let himself space out.

Being stuck in a quagmire doesn't mean he has to give up. Besides, he has the confidence to make changes. With these "demons and monsters" as a reflection, he's sure he can find a way out.

Once he had sorted out his thoughts, he suddenly felt his mind gradually return to calm, and the negative emotions began to have a lessening impact on him.

Indeed, whether it's resistance or resolution, there are methods and approaches to solving problems...

He was enjoying the tranquility in a relaxed and pleasant manner when the sudden sound of the door opening brought him back to his senses. Without even opening his eyes, he knew that his sister was back.

The sun had already set, and it seemed a bit late, but Yue Ren wasn't surprised. On the contrary, he felt that he had returned a bit early, since it was only six or seven o'clock. How many high school seniors in China could go home at this time?

A beautiful view naturally comes along, and Kawasaki Hizuru, on his way home, habitually looks around to see if there is anything that needs maintenance or repair, but in a familiar corner he finds an unexpected figure.

The tea room was a place Grandpa loved to be, but now a familiar figure was sitting in that familiar spot—his younger brother… It was strange; unless Grandpa called him, he would never willingly approach that place. “The tea is bitter,” was his occasional complaint, probably the main reason he didn’t like being there.

"Welcome back, sister."

"Yes, I'm back. What would you like for dinner?"

Whether it was just his imagination or not, watching his younger brother calmly sipping tea and greeting him, Rihe had a feeling that the other had suddenly grown up... Was it the impact of his grandfather's affair on him...?

"Chinese cuisine, fish."

"Sure, but it seems I don't have the necessary ingredients at home, I..."

"Leave it to me, I've been sitting long enough."

As he spoke, he stood up, walked past his sister, and smelled the faint scent of jasmine as he went outside.

"...Yue Ren, are you... alright?"

After a moment's hesitation, she turned around and stopped him.

Yue Ren turned around and responded with a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, sister, I've just figured some things out."

Yes, he has always been himself. Whether it's Kawasaki Etsuto or Li Xunhang, they are just different names for him.

Time flows on—