Forging Tools in the Valley, Longevity Dao Rhyme Crafts Spirit Hoes

In Secluded Forest Valley's seedling nursery, the spirit herbs were growing more lushly by the day. Yet the hoes the disciples used to loosen soil and pull weeds were mostly forged from ordinary iron, and the slightest carelessness could damage the spirit herbs' roots. Watching the disciples work with such caution, constrained at every turn, Shen Hao conceived an idea—using the Chaos Strange Stones containing spiritual energy within the valley as material, supplemented by Longevity Dao Rhyme, to forge a batch of spirit hoes. These hoes had to be light and handy, yet contain gentle spiritual energy; they had to protect the spirit herbs while allowing the disciples to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Early one morning, Shen Hao brought Zi Xuan deep into Secluded Forest Valley's strange-stone vein. The Chaos Strange Stones here had been nourished for many years by the Dao Rhyme of the Origin Altar. Their texture was warm and lustrous, their spiritual energy abundant, making them ideal for crafting farming tools. Shen Hao wore a coarse linen outfit, with a whetstone tied at his waist and a mountain-splitting axe in hand, its blade glinting coldly beneath the morning light. Zi Xuan carried a bamboo basket on her back, filled with tools such as hammers and chisels, as well as a waterskin and dried rations she had thoughtfully packed. Her pretty face brimmed with excitement. "Brother Hao, these Chaos Strange Stones look incomparably hard. Can they really be made into hoes?"

Shen Hao raised his hand and gently patted a strange stone protruding from the ground. The Longevity Dao Rhyme at his fingertips slowly seeped into the stone, and it faintly gave off a layer of pale golden light. He smiled slightly. "Chaos Strange Stones are hard on the outside and soft within. As