One Qi, Three Purities

Clang!!!

A crisp, impassioned clash of metal instantly drowned out the roar of the Earthfire.

"What kind of forging method is that?!"

"Forging it directly without smelting first? That breaks the rules!"

"Shut up! Look at the direction of those cracks!" An old disciple with a razor-sharp eye cried out, "That hammer blow directly shattered the points where cold energy had congealed within the Profound Iron! This is... borrowing force to strike with force! He's helping the flames speed things up!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Ye Xingchen paid no heed whatsoever to the cries of shock around him.

His body began to move in rhythm with the rise and fall of the hammer.

The second strike, the third, the fourth...

Every blow landed precisely upon the weak points in the Profound Iron's structure.

As his hammering accelerated, that stubborn chunk of Profound Iron seemed to come alive. Caught between the Earthfire and the giant hammer, it began to groan in agony, deform, and reform.

Time slipped by, second by second.

One hour, two hours...

An entire day and night!

Not only did the crowd of spectators not disperse, it grew ever larger.

By now, Ye Xingchen's clothes had been drenched through with sweat, clinging tightly to his body and outlining his lean, powerful muscles. The veins in his arms bulged like coiling horned dragons.

That thousand-pound chunk of Profound Iron had vanished.

In its place was a sword blank around four feet long, jet-black throughout and exuding a bone-chilling aura.

Only the final step remained.

Setting the form!

Ye Xingchen felt as though flames were burning in his lungs, while his aching arms were nearly numb.

Yet the golden light in his eyes had never shone brighter.

Under his Origin Heaven Divine Perception, he saw the final trace of imperfect impurity within the sword blank.

"Form for me... now!!!"

Ye Xingchen let out a low roar. Force exploded from his waist and abdomen, his spine twisting like a great dragon turning over as he poured every last thread of spiritual energy and strength into the giant hammer in his hands.

Chaotic Wind Hammer Method—the forty-ninth strike!

Boom!

The giant hammer tore through the air with a shrill howl before smashing heavily into the sword blank.

In that instant, it was as if a thunderclap had exploded within the Earthfire Room.

Blinding sparks blossomed like fireworks, casting Ye Xingchen's resolute face into flickering light and shadow.

Buzz—!

A clear, resounding sword cry shot up from the forging platform, shaking even the surrounding Earthfire until it bent away in all directions.

Under that blow, a faint layer of fish-scale patterns surfaced across the black greatsword's blade. Its cold gleam was razor-sharp, enough to seize one's soul.

"Those are... fish-scale patterns?!"

Someone cried out in disbelief, "A thousand folds forge scales! That is the mark of a top-grade Profound Iron sword! This sword isn't merely Black Tier low-grade—it has reached at least Black Tier mid-grade!!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the youth leaning on his knees and gasping for breath, their eyes filled with deep reverence.

Ye Xingchen wiped the sweat from his face and casually tossed the giant hammer aside.

Looking at the newly forged greatsword, he grinned, flashing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth.

"Twelve hundred contribution points and ten Blood-Coagulating Pills... this deal was worth it."

The Mission Hall remained as noisy as ever.

Bang!

A dull, thunderous impact cut through all the chatter.

Everyone looked toward the sound, only to see a jet-black greatsword, emanating a cold and ghostly gleam, slammed heavily onto the handover counter. The counter was made of century-old ironwood and was incomparably tough, yet several fine cracks had now been shaken into it.

The attendant disciple behind the counter was so startled that the pen in his hand fell. When he looked up, a handsome face wearing an utterly harmless smile entered his sight.

"Y-you... what are you doing?!" the attendant disciple snapped, furious. "Trying to scare someone to death without paying for it?"

"I'm turning in a mission!" Ye Xingchen pointed at the Profound Iron Greatsword on the counter. "Inspect it. I'm in a hurry."

"Turning... turning in a mission?!"

The attendant disciple swallowed and suspiciously reached toward the greatsword.

Hiss—!

The moment his fingertips touched the blade, a piercing chill burrowed into his meridians, making him shudder.

"What heavy yin-cold energy!"

The attendant disciple's expression changed slightly. Not daring to neglect the matter, he hurriedly rang the summoning bell beside the counter.

A moment later, an old man in gray robes strode out quickly, two small cauldrons embroidered on his chest. He was the Mission Hall's appraisal elder, as well as a Third-Rank Artifact Refiner.

"What is it?!" The gray-robed elder looked displeased.

"Elder Liu, someone has come to turn in the 'Profound Iron Greatsword' mission."

"Oh? That tough bone that's been hanging there for a month?"

Elder Liu raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling upon the greatsword on the counter.

He quickly stepped forward, his withered fingers gently stroking the blade.

"These patterns..."

Elder Liu's pupils abruptly contracted. He suddenly looked up at Ye Xingchen. "A thousand folds forge scales?! These are fish-scale patterns!"

Whoosh—!

The hall erupted in an uproar.

The knowledgeable disciples all knew what fish-scale patterns meant. They were natural patterns formed only after impurities within the metal had been removed to the extreme and its structure had become highly compact.

"It's not merely Black Tier low-grade..." Elder Liu flicked the blade with a finger.

Ding—!

A clear sword cry echoed through the hall, lingering without end.

"The sound is crisp, the lingering notes wind around the rafters, and there are no bubbles or sand holes inside." Elder Liu drew a deep breath and delivered his final appraisal. "Black Tier mid-grade! And a supreme quality even among mid-grade weapons! This sword can withstand the full infusion of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator without breaking!"

"Um..." Ye Xingchen interrupted Elder Liu's rapture. "Since it passes inspection, what about my reward?"

"Here! Right away!" Elder Liu came back to his senses, his attitude making a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. A wrinkled smile piled across his face. "Fellow Daoist, you truly hide your depths well! Twelve hundred contribution points, plus ten Blood-Coagulating Pills—not one bit short!"

As light flashed across his identity jade token, Ye Xingchen looked at the sharply rising number and felt joy bloom in his heart.

Half an hour later.

The outer sect, Technique Hall.

"I want to go up to the second floor." Ye Xingchen handed his identity jade token to the attendant disciple and said with a smile, "Please register it for me."

The attendant disciple accepted Ye Xingchen's identity jade token and said lazily, "The second floor of the Technique Hall requires 1,100 contribution points."

"Done. 1,100 contribution points deducted. Remaining balance: 100 points."

After deducting the contribution points, the attendant disciple returned the jade token to Ye Xingchen.

"Thanks."

Ye Xingchen strode briskly toward the second floor.

The second floor of the Technique Hall was far quieter than the first, and there were fewer bookshelves. Yet every secret manual shimmered with a faint glow of restrictions.

Following Huang Zhen's introduction, Ye Xingchen quickly found the Phantom Light-Splitting Art.

"Black Tier low-grade movement technique. At major mastery, it can create three afterimages to confuse the enemy's vision..."

Ye Xingchen read through the description, his brows drawing together slightly.

Just afterimages?

They had no substance and no offensive power—nothing but visual deception. Against an opponent with keen perception, such a blindfolding trick would be easily seen through and could not delay them at all.

"Isn't there something... that can take hits, fight, and even cultivate on its own while I'm offline?"

Ye Xingchen sighed and returned the Phantom Light-Splitting Art to its original place.

He decided to look around and see if he could pick up some overlooked treasure.

Just as he reached an inconspicuous bookshelf in the farthest corner, his sea of consciousness trembled slightly.

Hmm?

Ye Xingchen halted.

His gaze fell to the bottom shelf, where a pitch-black jade slip had been tossed aside. A thin layer of dust covered it, clearly untouched for a long time.

Ye Xingchen crouched down, picked up the black jade slip, and gently blew away the dust.

Several ancient, vigorous characters came into view—

One Qi, Three Purities!