A great adventure in the world of immortal cultivation

Audience A: I didn't expect that we could invite Master Ni Ershen to this sword-forging conference. He is an academic leader in the weapon forging field. I read his books when I first got started in weapon forging and I benefited a lot from them.

Audience B: I was wondering why Bendari didn't participate in the competition this time. It turns out he is a referee. No wonder. If Bendari had played again, the outcome would have been a foregone conclusion.

Audience C: Didn't I hear that Wei Beike is currently researching a newly discovered ancient relic in the northern region of Wufeng Mountain? How did you find the time to come here?

Audience D: Oh, I heard that the ancient ruins are just an empty shell with nothing inside. Several groups of people went there and all came back empty-handed.

Audience member Wu: Haha, I wonder how many of the 13 contestants today can get Daoge’s evaluation of “it can hurt people”.

Han Buli: A nest of Q~

Xiao Huohuo: KP, can I ask about the training level of the swordsmith F4 here?

KP: Ni Ershen and Dao Ge are in the early stage of foundation building, while Bendali and Wei Beike are at the peak of Qi refining.

Xiao Huohuo: These legendary masters are just so-so, I feel they're not as good as Elder Xu from the Hundred Refining Cave. (Pinching nose)

Han Buli: It's just a small competition for the Qi Refining Stage. It's normal for you to be short-sighted. A great Dou Shi in your early days was as awesome as a Dou Wang. And it's normal for others who specialize in weapon refining to lag behind in cultivation.

Xiao Huohuo: Yes, that makes sense.

KP: At this point, the referees and contestants have all taken their positions, and the atmosphere in the field has been warmed up. Huang Mingli no longer hesitates. He simply waved his hand and lifted the three red cloths on the field, revealing the objects hidden underneath - three piles of black iron blocks that looked almost the same.

KP: Then, Huang Mingli turned to Zhendace and the other contestants and spoke.

Huang Mingli: Now, let me explain the rules of this sword-forging competition. As you can see, these three piles of ore are the materials for your weapon forging: ordinary iron ore, iron essence, and premium black iron essence. You can freely choose the materials to forge. Within six hours (5 action points), you must forge a sword-like weapon between three feet and three feet and three inches long, and then submit it to the judges for three rounds of testing. Of course, better materials will make the weapon more powerful, but also more difficult to forge. It all depends on your preference.

KP: To translate, ordinary iron ore increases the success rate of forging spirit infusion by 20%, and the final product's mass is multiplied by 0.8 when tested. Iron essence does not increase or decrease. Top-grade black iron essence suppresses cultivators below the 5th level of Qi Refining by 20%, and the final product's mass is multiplied by 1.2 when tested.

Joan of Arc: Damn it, why is it stuck at the 5th level of Qi Refining? This is not fair!

Xiao Huohuo: You didn't study hard in your daily life, and now you regret not having learned enough.

Joan of Arc: Angry, very angry.jpg.

Huang Mingli: Haha, I believe you all already understand what to do, so now... let’s start!

KP: At Huang Mingli's command, the 13 contestants on the field immediately began to move. Liu Yuanxing, Qingchen, and Qingshi all chose top-grade black iron essence without hesitation, returning it to the furnace to begin forging. Bai Chenfei hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and choosing top-grade black iron essence. As for the other contestants, most chose the more conservative iron essence, though one or two Qi Refining Level 2 cultivators chose top-grade black iron essence, risking their lives. As for ordinary iron ore, no one chose it, as if fearing being looked down upon.

Joan of Arc: Emmm, so what should I choose?

Xiao Huohuo: Isn't this just a bet on your face with a top-grade black iron essence? You naughty sister, do you still want to be the champion?

Romeo: Gambling dogs, gambling dogs, everything.

Joan of Arc: (pinches nose)

Han Buli: Wait, I have an idea. Since this is a sword-forging competition, why don't you, Joan of Arc, forge some classic Damascus steel?

Joan of Arc:?

Xiao Huohuo: Okay, okay, the classic Malaysian opening is halfway to victory, right? But if we can do it this way, I think we can also mix iron essence with high-grade black iron essence to make three pieces of steel. Then the blade will be hard and tough, and we will definitely win!

Joan of Arc: So KP, can I do this?

KP: Yes.

Xiao Huohuo: Shocked.

Han Buli: I’m shocked. Is it actually possible?

KP: Yes, because I anticipated your actions this time, so I already prepared a plan B (proud)! For this match only, you can use some special techniques to further improve the final quality of the magic weapon, but you will need to pass additional judgment before you can succeed.

Xiao Huohuo: Okay, okay, KP, you have also evolved your teeth!

Romeo: Quack! KP, we love your teeth!

Joan of Arc: Wait, since that’s the case, then I’ll give you a big beating!

KP: Damascus steel requires two or more minerals to craft. Prerequisites include Intelligence and Luck checks. Once these checks are passed, stacking begins. Each stack requires a Forging + Skill check. If all checks succeed, the quality of the finished product increases by 10%. If any one check fails, the quality remains unchanged. If all checks fail, the stacking process ends. Are you sure you want to forge Damascus steel?

Joan of Arc: Sure!

KP: Joan of Arc, you are too intelligent.

Joan of Arc: Intelligence, 25/80, success.

KP: So, looking at the three piles of similar but different black iron ores in front of you, Joan of Arc suddenly recalled the knowledge you had read in books before. Among them, there was a mortal forging process called Damascus steel, which seems to be very suitable for solving the current situation.

Joan of Arc: OK, then I will take one part each of the three materials to make Damascus steel. In this way, the level suppression of the high-grade black iron essence can be offset by the correction of ordinary iron ore.

KP: You're so lucky, Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc: Lucky, 41/60, successful.

KP: So, after selecting the materials, Jeanne returned to the furnace and began forging. Although you weren't entirely sure about this move, fortunately, the three different materials didn't reject or separate during the fusion process. After a simple forging, you successfully obtained a rough Damascus steel billet. And because the three materials had completely merged together, the level suppression of the high-grade black iron essence was offset by the correction of the ordinary iron ore!

Joan of Arc: Great!

Xiao Huohuo: I’m surprised, my stinky sister’s luck has improved.

Han Buli: Joan of Arc is so unlucky.

Joan of Arc: It’s not just luck, it’s all the result of my hard work and sweat!

-

Thanks to Dianliu for recommending the book! Restoring the glory of the game is our responsibility!

Here I also recommend the article "What did you do with the dice" by the electric current guy

But as a top-ten bestseller, there shouldn't be anyone here who hasn't read it, right? (I'm sure)

Chapter 132 is not over yet! (Day 45)

KP: As the competition officially began, compared to the other players' steady and cautious strategies, Jeanne's Damascus Steel super-swimming operation also made several referees look surprised.

Bendari: Choosing to fuse different materials into a new one and then forging them together is a bold and novel idea! I wonder if Mr. Ni has ever seen such a refining technique?

Ni Ershen: Hmm... If I’m not mistaken, this should be a forging technique circulated in the mortal world. However, because it cannot be promoted and applied to the art of refining equipment, it is not included in the "Introduction to Refining Equipment".

Wei Beike: Oh? How do you say that?

Ni Ershen: You see, the three materials in this competition are essentially the same iron essence, and there's no strong repulsion between them, which is why they can fuse so perfectly. If they were made of completely different materials, I'm afraid they would simply wear each other out during the forced fusion process, ultimately losing their respective properties and becoming a pile of useless waste.

Bendari: I see. As expected of Teacher Ni, you are very knowledgeable.

Doug: Haha, no matter what, I’m really looking forward to the finished product.

Xiao Huohuo: KP, I don’t quite understand this. Isn’t the essence of refining equipment to fuse various materials together?

KP: This fusion is not the same as that fusion. Let me give you an analogy. Refining is like cooking. If you make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, you can mix in chicken eggs, duck eggs, and goose eggs to enhance the overall texture and flavor. However, you can't fuse tomatoes and eggs into one thing unless they're both reduced to charred powder.

Xiao Huohuo: I understand.

Han Buli: Vivid and vivid.

KP: Well, apart from the referee, the other players in the field also saw Joan of Arc's impressive move. Although they didn't say much, their men unconsciously sped up a bit. Suddenly, an invisible pressure spread across the valley.

Joan of Arc: Hehehe, give the brothers some strength.

Xiao Huohuo: Damn curly dog. (half annoyed)

KP: Jeanne, please observe for a while longer.

Joan of Arc:?

Joan of Arc: Observation, 18/30, success.

Joan of Arc: I'm so unlucky now!

Xiao Huohuo: Be careful of the backlash from your stinky sister. (Pinching nose)

KP: Joan of Arc, who was forging, suddenly felt the same uneasy feeling she had in the tent before. But this time, there was no interference from others. Joan of Arc easily caught the other person's gaze out of the corner of her eye. Turning around, she found that the unfriendly look came from Bai Chenfei at the smelting table next door!

Joan of Arc: I knew it was this guy! (annoyed)

Romeo: Joan of Arc, promise me, for the sake of Lao Xiao's life, use the thunder hammer on him!

Xiao Huohuo: Bull Demon!

Joan of Arc: No, I can't help it. KP, I want to ask him directly, what does it mean that you keep staring at me?

KP: So, facing Jeanne's questioning, the Chengtian Sect disciple named Bai Chenfei was obviously stunned for a moment, and then his face suddenly turned red, revealing a look of shame and anger.

Bai Chenfei: You...you don't recognize me?!

Joan of Arc: Who else but you?

KP: Joan of Arc, you have another inspiration.

Joan of Arc: Inspiration, 75/60, failed.

Xiao Huohuo: It’s hard to hold back.

KP: So, even though you feel that Bai Chenfei looks more familiar, Joan of Arc, you still can't remember what grudges or disputes you had with him.

KP: Seeing the puzzled look on Jeanne's face, Bai Chenfei became even more angry.

Bai Chenfei: Good, good, good! Back in the outer sect competition, you were so arrogant, relying on the power of your magic sword to exhaust my spiritual energy. Your victory was unfair!

Joan of Arc: ???

Xiao Huohuo: Oh, so it's the same sharp-tongued brother from before. That's all right now. (laughing)

Han Buli: Lao Xiao no longer needs to cover his butt. (laughing)

Romeo:regret.jpg.

Jeanne: Weren't we brothers? I just beat you in the outer sect competition, and you've been holding a grudge for so long? How can you be even more petty than KP?

KP:?

Bai Chenfei: Humph... I was planning to wait for some time to cultivate before coming for revenge. I never thought you'd fall into my trap today, humiliating yourself in the very art of weapon forging that I'm best at. Heaven truly sees justice. At this sword-forging competition, I'll definitely defeat you completely, and make your ranking plummet as dramatically as your height!

KP: After saying that, Bai Chenfei retracted his gaze and began to swing the hammer to forge rapidly. The force of the hammer and the clenched teeth made it seem as if he was not hammering the top-grade black iron essence, but Jeanne d'Arc.

Jeanne: (half annoyed) Byd, why are you just here beating up my little guy? Then I'm going to start beating up my big horse too, and let him know the difference in strength!

KP: Joan of Arc, you roll the dice. There are 5 action points in total. Don't forget to save some action points for spiritual infusion.

Joan of Arc: I'm going all-in! Stack 4 times in one go!

Blacksmithing, [4d100:1, 51, 62, 33]/69, 1 critical success, 3 successes.

Skill, [4d100: 65, 30, 9, 15]/45, 1 failure, 3 successes.

Infusion of spirit, 29/59, success.

Xiao Huohuo:? Dice lady is looking at me.

Han Buli:? Dice girl is looking at me.

Joan of Arc: Dice girl, you did a good job, Dice girl, you did a good job!

Romeo: Ugh! You're trying to cover up even your only failure with a huge success? Ha Jizhen, you're such a smug person!

KP: (What incredible luck with the dice, so incredible it's like she's deliberately manipulating the dice.) Perhaps it's the Thunder Hammer's blessing, or perhaps it's her own exceptional forging skills, or perhaps it's just pure bad luck. After forging, Jeanne seemed to sink into a state of flow, a state of unity between her and the hammer. Each blow landed precisely where she desired, and each stray bolt of lightning quenched the impurities within the steel. As time passed, the Malaysian steel ingot continuously deformed in your hands, stacking, fusing, and stacking again. 128 layers, 256 layers, 512 layers! And finally... 1024 layers!

Xiao Huohuo: I’m going to hit you with my hand.

KP: Finally, the magical sword blank took shape. Following Elder Xu's instructions, Zhendace carefully infused spiritual energy into the blank. Everything flowed smoothly. With a crisp, ringing sound, the longsword soared into the air, its jet-black surface gleaming with a brilliant, cold light. While not as radiant with spiritual energy as the Wind Spirit Sword or the Red Sun Sword, its sharpness far surpassed that of the Huang Jing Sword by ten, perhaps even nine, points!

KP: Joan of Arc obtained the low-grade magic weapon [Damascus Version of the Black Sword]. Since four stacks were completed, the sword will receive a 40% value bonus in later tests.

Han Buli: The bonus of the highest-level materials is only 20%, it feels stable now.

Joan of Arc: Okay, okay, I, Joan of Arc, am the champion!

Romeo: Look, Old Han, I told you that you should let me bet 8000, otherwise we can earn more than 30,000 spirit stones with a 4 to 1 odds.

Han Buli:...Tsk, who would have thought of that.

Xiao Huohuo:regret.jpg.

KP: So, during the time that Jeanne was concentrating on forging the sword, the "battle situation" in the valley was constantly changing.

KP: (a round of dark dice)

KP: As we all know, once you start refining, you can't stop. Failure midway means all the time you've spent is completely wasted. Even if you want to regroup, it's difficult to complete the task within the remaining time. So by the third hour, seven of the 13 contestants had already failed and left the competition. These included five independent cultivators who felt hopeless after forging, and the two gamblers at the beginning who lacked the necessary skills but chose high-grade black iron essence just to save face.

Xiao Huohuo: No——gambler——!

KP: By the third and a half hour, Liu Yuanxing was the first to complete the weapon refining process. His Spiritual Water Quenching Method successfully infused his flying sword with spiritual energy, granting it a 10% bonus. Seeing that Liu Yuanxing, having chosen the most difficult material, was the first to complete the forging, the audience and judges gave him unanimous praise.

Ni Ershen: Although I have an advantage in cultivation realm, it is still not easy to produce such a highly completed work in such a short time.