The preparations for forging the swords were painstakingly complicated.
First, they had to measure the orientations of heaven and earth and the angles of latitude and longitude, aligning with the stars above and the Earth Veins below. Not the slightest error in direction was permissible.
Once the feng shui survey was complete, construction of the altars began.
Grandmaster Taiyi Hunyuan was originally the central figure and should have occupied the principal position in the middle. But Shi Feiyang intended to forge nine swords at once. With everyone forging swords together, the heavenly tribulation they drew down would concentrate more heavily on that principal position.
Grandmaster Taiyi Hunyuan felt that even if he withstood it, his vitality would suffer grievously. If things went badly, every magic treasure he possessed might be destroyed here. So he yielded the principal position.
Shi Feiyang said nothing. Since he would draw down more of the heavenly tribulation, he ought to bear more of it. He merely laughed inwardly at Grandmaster Taiyi Hunyuan: In the end, you lack what it takes to lead the immortals...
Thus, his ritual altar was placed in the very center and covered the largest area. A circular ritual platform stood in its middle for him to cast his spells, while nine platforms fanned out in front of it, together forming one great altar.
Grandmaster Taiyi Hunyuan's ritual altar stood in front of his. White Bone Gods Lord's altar was behind him to the left, and Nether Saint Xu Wan's behind him to the right. The three formed a triangle, sheltering Shi Feiyang in the center.
The person in the center would face a more powerful heavenly tribulation, while those on the outside would face more of the mortal tribulation.
Once the positions were fixed, construction began. Each of the four built