Night had fallen, but Sword Casting City was brightly lit, flames flickering as the sound of hammering iron rang without pause.
The surroundings consisted mainly of rock and stone, all in bleak gray tones. Aside from a few transplanted patches of greenery, every other corner was steeped in desolation.
The sounds of weapons being forged never ceased. Unless one was accustomed to this environment, irritation would soon rise within.
"Be careful. These swords have just been forged and are incredibly sharp. Put them all into the Sword Nurturing Pool for tempering," the overseer instructed several guards carrying swords.
"Don't worry, Overseer. Nothing will go wrong."
"Hmph, it had better not. Otherwise, the City Lord will not spare any of you."
After they left, Fang Xuan emerged from the shadows.
The Sword Nurturing Pool.
With a thought, Fang Xuan followed after them.
Dodging and concealing himself along the way, he soon arrived within an enormous mountain hollow. The moment he entered, a wave of heat rushed at him, only to be followed by an icy gust.
Fang Xuan curiously examined the environment before him, then marveled at nature's divine skill.
The depths of this mountain cave were actually a place where yin and yang converged, where the cycle of taiji turned endlessly.
On the left, magma churned like the lava of hell. On the right, a dark underground river flowed past, its black water icy to the touch.
Here, yin and yang, fire and water, met and formed a unique place for nurturing swords.
The open space at the center where water and fire intertwined was filled with all manner of swords thrust into the ground.
Ordinary swords, short swords, broadswords, slender swords...
Spiritual energy swirled around them, while sword qi filled the air.
Fang Xuan nodded to himself. "Such a peculiar place truly is a treasure ground for nurturing swords. Tempered by water and fire, impurities are dissolved away. Even an ordinary sword, if left here long enough, would become brimming with spiritual energy and sword qi, capable of cutting iron like mud."
"Greetings, Young City Lord."
"Mm. You may leave."
"Yes."
The young master of Sword Casting City, Jian Xiong.
She wore a golden robe with a straight collar. A piece of excellent black jade hung at her waist, rough in shape yet ancient and solemn. Her black hair was casually tied with a silver ribbon, without a crown or hairpin. A few loose strands had been scattered across her forehead by the wind, giving her an exceptionally light and graceful appearance.
Her face was strikingly handsome, even more beautiful than that of an ordinary woman. She had the classic features of a man with a woman's face; her only flaw was that she was somewhat short.
However, while others did not know it, Fang Xuan knew perfectly well that Jian Xiong, the young master of Sword Casting City, was actually a woman.
The story behind it was equally absurd. Back then, Sword Revered had greatly trusted a fate master, who had calculated the fortunes of Sword Casting City. His final conclusion was that no daughters could be born among Sword Revered's descendants. Otherwise, Sword Casting City would inevitably fall into great chaos, and in the worst case, be destroyed with everyone in it dead. Sword Revered believed him completely and directly drowned every daughter borne by his concubines.
Jian Xiong was also a woman, but in order to preserve her life, her mother had dressed her as a boy from childhood and raised her as a son. Even Sword Revered had failed to discover the deception, all the way until now.
Jian Xiong stared at the unfinished Surpassing Frost Sword in the center of the Sword Nurturing Pool, her face full of worry. "Father regards the Surpassing Frost Sword as the hope for Sword Casting City's rise, yet he does not know that fortune rests upon misfortune. One careless step, and it will become the disaster that destroys Sword Casting City. Guan Yutian harbors wolfish ambitions. Making a deal with him is no different from seeking a tiger's hide."
Clap, clap, clap~
"Who's there?" Jian Xiong shouted angrily.
Fang Xuan stepped out from the darkness and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Young Master Jian Xiong. I am... damn."
"Die."
Jian Xiong drew her sword and stabbed toward Fang Xuan like a gale.
The Sword Nurturing Pool was the core of Sword Casting City. Outsiders were absolutely forbidden from approaching it. Anyone who dared come near would be killed without mercy.
Rather than retreat, Fang Xuan advanced. The muscles in his arms trembled, and his arms swept through the air like an immortal crane spreading its wings.
Immortal Crane Shakes Feathers.
Clang~
Jian Xiong's expression changed drastically. She felt a violent force surge toward her, making both her arms tremble as pain shot through her muscles and bones. Her sword was knocked from her hand and fell to the ground.
Crane Claw Imprints Sand.
Fang Xuan's hands became like crane claws, transforming into afterimages as they seized Jian Xiong's snow-white neck.
"Young Master Jian Xiong, can we speak properly now?" Fang Xuan asked with a smile.
Jian Xiong found the narrow-eyed man before her utterly repulsive. He wore a smiling expression on the surface, but beneath it was nothing but lechery and depravity. He was disgusting to the extreme.
Even while being held, Jian Xiong's expression did not change. She said coldly, "You trespassed into the forbidden grounds of Sword Casting City and spied upon its secrets. Not even immortals can save you. Do you really think that capturing me means you can leave unharmed?"
"Don't worry. I have no interest in Sword Casting City's secrets. Besides, isn't Sword Casting City's greatest secret you, Miss Jian Xiong?" Fang Xuan said with a smile.
A look of shock appeared in Jian Xiong's eyes. Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, she snapped, "Insolence! You dare humiliate me like this? Even if I, Jian Xiong, die today, I will make sure you remain here."
"Humiliate you? Hahaha, whether it is humiliation or not will be clear with one look. Want to try?"
As he spoke, the hand gripping Jian Xiong's neck shifted slightly downward. His actions made her expression change drastically, and she could no longer maintain her earlier composure.
"Stop! Who exactly are you?" Jian Xiong asked in panic.
"Haha, you finally admit it? Don't worry, I am merely a passerby. I did not come to Sword Casting City to pry into secrets, and I only learned Miss Jian Xiong's secret by accident. I can guarantee that aside from you and me, no third person knows," Fang Xuan said.
Jian Xiong looked at Fang Xuan as though he were an idiot and said coldly, "Would a passerby sneak in at midnight?"
"Fine. I came for the Fire Phoenix. That should not count as a secret of Sword Casting City, should it?"
"The Fire Phoenix?"
"Correct."
"Who exactly are you? Not many people in Sword Casting City even know about the Sacred Beast Fire Phoenix."
"You need not concern yourself with that. Take me to it, and I guarantee I will not harm your life or reveal your secret. If you refuse..." Fang Xuan gave a cold laugh.
Jian Xiong's eyes shifted as she considered it, then she nodded. "Fine. I hope you keep your promise."
With Jian Xiong leading the way, the two traveled one after the other, passing through the fire pool, sword furnace, and cold pond before arriving at a cave halfway up the mountain at the core of Sword Casting City.
Naturally, people along the way noticed Fang Xuan's unfamiliar face. However, since their young master was personally leading him, no one dared question it. Otherwise, Fang Xuan would truly have had quite a bit of trouble reaching this place on his own. If Sword Revered were alerted, who knew what might happen?
Before the cave entrance, Jian Xiong pointed at the pitch-black opening and said, "This place is called Dragon Locking Mountain. It is Sword Casting City's iron mine, and its ore can forge the finest swords in the world. The Nine Springs Sword, the Heavenly Cry Sword, and the Blazing Fire Sword were all forged from the iron ore of Dragon Locking Mountain. Unfortunately, our ancestors were too greedy. In order to forge even better swords, they actually severed the dragon vein, severely damaging Dragon Locking Mountain's foundation. Now the entire mountain has been sealed off, and iron ore mining is no longer permitted. Within the dragon vein lies the Sword Tomb, where the mausoleums of the Sword family's ancestors are buried. The Sacred Beast Fire Phoenix serves as the tomb guardian."
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