Sword Casting City

The Nine Dragons Stone was a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth in this world, containing extraordinary power.

Fang Xuan held the Nine Dragons Stone in his palm and drew its extraordinary power into his body. An immensely powerful aura of life surged through him. Wherever it passed, the wounds left by the previous battle healed at a visible rate. At other times, only scars remained, and even their color continued to fade. Within the time it took to burn an incense stick, every wound on his body had completely healed. Aside from the slightly pale skin where the wounds had been, there was no difference from the rest of his complexion.

Fang Xuan's face lit up with wild delight as he said excitedly, "What a treasure! This Nine Dragons Stone is practically a spring and blood pool in one!"

As he had said before, once he entered the Immortal Feather Sect, fights would be unavoidable, and injuries were bound to happen. Yet the Nine Dragons Stone could heal wounds. Such a treasure was truly an unexpected windfall.

A thought struck him.

"The Surpassing Frost Sword requires the Nine Dragons Stone as a key material. That means I can only choose one of the two. But compared to a weapon for slaughter, a treasure that can heal injuries is far rarer. No matter what, staying alive longer is what truly matters," Fang Xuan muttered.

Having made up his mind, he could forgo the Surpassing Frost Sword, but he had to take the Nine Dragons Stone with him.

After locating the nearest city, Fang Xuan entered an inn to rest for a day. He bathed and changed clothes. The outfit he had worn before had already been battered into something fit for a beggar during the fight.

Sword Casting City was located in the Shu Region, a land rich in mines and perfectly suited for forging weapons.

Although Sword Casting City was considered a neutral force in the martial world, no one dared underestimate it in the slightest. Since its founding, it had existed to forge all kinds of divine weapons and treasured blades. It possessed the finest forging masters in the entire martial world, and most of the famous weapons known throughout the land had been forged by Sword Casting City.

Every martial artist dreamed of owning a weapon forged by Sword Casting City. What did one need to roam the martial world?

The strongest martial arts, the sharpest weapon, the most beautiful woman, and the strongest wine...

It was not that no one had ever set their sights on Sword Casting City, but no one had ever succeeded.

First was Sword Casting City's lord, Sword Revered. Sword Revered himself was a peerless master. With his inherited ultimate art, Riding Dragon Slash, combined with Sword Casting City's Blazing Flame Sword, his power was unmatched. Even He Lianba of Sea Shark Palace did not dare confront his edge.

Second was Sword Casting City's network of connections.

To survive in the martial world, weapons were indispensable. Sword Casting City could forge the finest weapons, and countless martial forces had business dealings with it. Invisibly, this had expanded Sword Casting City's web of connections. Sometimes, when it encountered an enemy, it did not even need to act personally. It only needed to offer up a divine weapon, and countless people would risk their lives to help hunt that enemy down. If that enemy happened to be particularly strong, then it would offer the Blazing Flame Sword.

As Sword Casting City's ultimate treasure, the peerless sword that could only be forged once every ten years, it was enough to drive martial artists mad. Offending Sword Casting City was practically the same as offending half the martial world.

That was the privilege of having money. The same went for having skill.

"Move! Move! The Alliance Lord has arrived! Anyone blocking the way will be killed without mercy!"

From the second floor of the inn, Vermillion Bird Avenue could be seen in the distance. At that moment, a massive procession entered through the city gates, carrying itself with extreme arrogance.

Fang Xuan frowned slightly. "People from the Supreme Alliance? Guan Yutian has come? Is he here for the Surpassing Frost Sword?"

Judging by the timing, it was indeed about time.

Sixty years ago, Guan Yutian's ancestor had reached an agreement with Sword Casting City's ancestor. He gave Sword Casting City the method for forging the Surpassing Frost Sword, on the condition that the first Surpassing Frost Sword forged would belong to the Demon Sword Remnant Clan.

Both men had harbored ulterior motives.

One wanted to make use of Sword Casting City's forging techniques, while the other sought to obtain the method for forging the Surpassing Frost Sword.

Forging the Surpassing Frost Sword was exceedingly difficult. Not only were the required materials nearly impossible to find under heaven, but it also required the most exceptional swordsmiths. Even then, they could only forge a sword blank. The Surpassing Frost Sword's sword aura had to be nurtured in a sword pool; otherwise, it would merely be a weapon with an impressive name, incapable of becoming the true Surpassing Frost Sword.

Afterward, it also required a Nine Dragons Stone, which only appeared once every five hundred years, to awaken its spirituality.

There was also the most crucial step: to sharpen the Surpassing Frost Sword, it required the blood of the Demon Sword Remnant Clan.

That was utterly ridiculous.

It felt as though this sword had been born to belong to the Demon Sword Remnant Clan.

Moreover, the Surpassing Frost Sword was not merely an incredibly powerful weapon. It was also the key to opening the treasure of Divine Trigram Mountain Chess City.

That was what Fang Xuan found most absurd.

The so-called Chess City treasure was actually the gold, silver, and valuables that Great General Ying Shuntian had gathered five hundred years ago in preparation for rebellion. Yet over those five hundred years, the imperial court had long existed in name only. The land was ruled instead by the major martial forces, somewhat resembling the world of Wind and Cloud.

As Ying Shuntian's descendant, Guan Yutian had founded the Supreme Alliance, waged war across the land, and subdued the major martial forces. At present, apart from Sea Shark Palace, Sword Casting City, and a few independent martial artists, no one could stand against him.

The Supreme Alliance was already equivalent to the emperor in all but name. If so, what did he still need this treasure for?

It could not be said that the treasure was useless. Even if he went through endless hardship to open Chess City, it would only be icing on the cake.

What could the treasure possibly contain? Just gold, silver, jewels, and perhaps weapons and provisions for military use.

But five hundred years had passed. Even if there were provisions, they were probably no longer edible. There was no need to mention the weapons either. The imperial court had already fallen into decay, and there was not even any vigor left for war. The only useful things would be the gold, silver, and jewels.

Gold, silver, and jewels were meant to equip an army, but they were no longer needed now, because the Supreme Alliance was already close to unifying the martial world and becoming its emperor.

If things continued at the current pace, then within ten years at most, he could directly overthrow the imperial court that still existed in name and establish a new dynasty.

Because the fundamental goal of "being crowned king" seemed almost complete already.

It was simply absurd.

Fang Xuan shook his head speechlessly. After finishing the last cup of wine, he rose and returned to his room.

After Fang Xuan left, Guan Yutian, seated within a lavish palanquin, suddenly looked toward the direction Fang Xuan had been in, a puzzled expression appearing in his eyes.

Night fell.

Fang Xuan appeared at the foot of Sword Casting City. The entire city had been built against a mountain, though it was no ordinary mountain of green hills and clear waters, but a volcano.

The entire city was dark gray and looked exceedingly oppressive. The temperature was also extremely high. Even outside the city, the constant clang of iron being hammered could be heard.

Dressed in gray nightwear, Fang Xuan pushed off with his feet. He moved like a civet cat, nimble as an ape, easily vaulting over the city wall and entering Sword Casting City.

Fang Xuan had come to Sword Casting City this time to see the Divine Beast Fire Phoenix. While he was at it, he wanted to see whether he could kill it and take its blood. The essence blood of such divine beasts could usually bring enormous surprises. He wondered whether this one would be of any use.