As Leng Yaozhu walked toward the red-class elevator, she introduced, "Our Spirit Pagoda headquarters specifically cleared out the entire nineteenth floor and converted it into over a hundred sealed high-level forging rooms."
"To accommodate the needs of our internal blacksmiths."
They entered the red-class elevator.
Leng Yaozhu pressed the button for the nineteenth floor, then lowered her head with a smile and asked, "Zi Jing, may I ask why you're in such a hurry to forge something? Are you preparing for the Blacksmith Association's assessment?"
Long Zijin shook his head. "No. It's because of Old Di."
He jabbed the Holy Dragon King behind him with his elbow and explained, "When Old Di left home, he tossed aside his machete. Now he can't find it no matter how hard he looks."
"So I can only work overtime and forge him a new one."
"A machete?" Hearing such a roguish term, Leng Yaozhu gave Di Guangming a somewhat stunned look.
After all, at the level of a Titled Douluo, aside from Battle Armor, other external items offered little increase in combat power—much less something used by ordinary people in street fights... a machete?
Yet seeing the earnest expressions on Long Zijin's and Di Guangming's faces, she felt they did not seem to be talking nonsense.
Thus, she warmly recommended, "Our Spirit Pagoda headquarters has quite a collection of ninth-grade blade-type Soul Tools. Every one of them was crafted by a master."
"There's bound to be one suitable for this... ah, brother."
However, Long Zijin shook his head in refusal. "Thank you for the kind offer."
"Old Di has a fairly powerful blade technique, but it requires a machete made of a particular material to unleash its full strength."
"Therefore, I have to forge this new blade myself."
"Ah?" Leng Yaozhu frowned and blinked twice, utterly confused.
But this involved one of his special techniques, perhaps even a secret family inheritance, so she could not ask too many questions.
With a leisurely "ding,"
the elevator doors opened on the nineteenth floor.
Sealed forging rooms stood before them. With a slight sweep of spiritual power, one could sense that there were more than a hundred of them.
The three had just stepped out of the elevator.
A manager in a light-blue uniform immediately approached with two gray-robed subordinates and bowed. "Vice Pagoda Master, what can we help you with?"
Leng Yaozhu glanced at the light screen beside their station and asked, "Are any of the top three forging rooms available?"
The manager replied, "Room One is in use, Room Three has been reserved, and only Room Two is currently vacant."
"Good." Leng Yaozhu nodded.
Turning sideways, she introduced them. "This young brother and this Your Excellency will be using Room Two for a while. Go make the preparations."
"Yes, this way, please."
Forging Room Two was only a few meters away.
A golden key was handed to Di Guangming.
Since the forging process would reveal the Amethyst Blade Blank and Crow-Absolute Stone, both god-rank creations, Long Zijin did not invite Leng Yaozhu to stay and watch.
But Leng Yaozhu did not mind. Instead, she asked Long Zijin and Di Guangming whether they could spare some time after the forging was complete.
She promptly explained her purpose. "Although you two have already joined our Spirit Pagoda, the involvement of a Quasi-God is simply too significant. According to procedure, I must report this to our Pagoda Master Qiangu."
"If nothing unexpected happens, our Pagoda Master will personally invite this brother to meet him. When that time comes, I hope both Zi Jing and Your Excellency can make time."
Having said that, Leng Yaozhu did not disturb them further. She turned and disappeared around the corner by the red-class elevator.
Once the door to Forging Room Two was shut, every sound in the corridor—even the flow of air—was completely sealed outside.
Red, blue, and white lights filled the room.
"Whew..." Long Zijin slowly let out a breath.
He turned to Di Guangming and ordered, "For the time being, head east of the Spirit Pagoda and find a hill with ancient ruined walls and palace structures on it."
"Then climb to the summit and use your dual attributes of ultimate light and ultimate holiness to sense the area. If the continent's historical records are correct, my Second Deity should be near that hill, perhaps even inside the mountain itself."
"You don't need to come back to watch over me unless there is an emergency, or unless the Dragon-Slaying Blade has been forged. Only then will I summon you back with the Will of Destruction."
"Go."
"Yes, My Emperor." Di Guangming transformed into light where he stood.
He darted through the wall and vanished toward the east of the Spirit Pagoda.
Long Zijin's gaze returned to its cold indifference.
With a bang, he brought out his exclusive forging table, awakened the Fire Dragon King Crown, placed the Amethyst Blade Blank upon it, then raised the Crow-Absolute Stone and began hammering away fiercely.
Time passed amid the clanging of metal...
Day after day.
Other than the exquisite three meals delivered on time, Long Zijin hammered from the moment he opened his eyes.
He had already slumbered beneath the Dragon Tomb for countless ages. He had slept enough. Now that he was awake, his days could only be spent creating value.
His hands alternated as he hammered flat every uneven spot on the blade blank and evened out every irregular crystal lattice within it.
During that time, Leng Yaozhu came to visit twice. Yet each time, she merely stood outside the door for a while. After asking about Long Zijin's condition, she turned and entered the internal elevator...
Time flowed on.
Finally, on the thirty-second day after entering the Spirit Pagoda headquarters,
two entirely different metallic rings sounded—clang, clang.
A heavy, intense ribbon of purple light burst from the Amethyst Blade Blank, accompanied by a joyous, soft cry.
—Thousand-Forging Sentience!
It signified that Long Zijin's shaping of the blade blank had been preliminarily completed. The most difficult and time-consuming stage had officially been crossed.
Yet he did not relax. Seizing the moment when the spiritual light radiated outward, he directly grabbed the blade blank and held it horizontally before his forehead, then slowly closed his eyes.
The next step was naturally Myriad-Forging Sublimation, allowing the blade blank to produce the power of creation.
But there was no need to carry out sublimation through further hammering. This was Long Zijin's skeletal remains from his previous life, containing an incomparably rich power of destruction. Under the clash of opposing forces, it was fundamentally impossible to stimulate even the slightest power of creation.
Thus, the next step—myriad forging—
required the use of the—Will of Destruction!
That was right. Since he could not stimulate spirituality and life, he would do the opposite—stimulate destruction!
An intent to destroy all things surged brilliantly through the sealed room, rising magnificently before the forging table.
Under Long Zijin's control, the Will of Destruction became like countless deft hands, following that outward-radiating purple spiritual light and penetrating through the crystal into the blade itself.
The wisp of spirituality within the blade blank was kneaded, flattened, and molded by the Will of Destruction, continuously undergoing beneficial shaping.
Long Zijin's hands did not remain idle either. Streams of Soul Power poured into the blade, ensuring that the blade spirit had ample nourishment to strengthen itself while being remade.
The sublimation was completed almost instantly.
His eyes opened—
A streak of amethyst light suddenly flashed before him!
The Amethyst Blade Blank had changed dramatically. There was no longer any trace of its former shape as the tip of a tail vertebra. It had become a true machete!
Its surface gleamed and flowed as though coated in a bright film.
Yet sharp light circulated along its curved edge, with destructive power concealed within. Even as air flowed past it, it instinctively split apart along a line.
The new Dragon-Slaying Blade—complete!
Spirit Douluo—Qiangu Dongfeng
Indomitable Staff Technique vs. Dragon-Slaying Blade Technique