Chapter Ninety-Two: Forging the Blade... and Forging Oneself [5.2k Words, Please Subscribe!]

Several thick black lines slid down Lin Qiye's forehead.

"Your train of thought is the abnormal one!"

"Why does it have to be about picking up girls? Can't I just genuinely think highly of this girl?"

"I've been thinking about how to forge my weapon this entire time, while you... your mind is just filthy!"

To this, Wen Shuhong remained skeptical.

"Even though you speak with such righteous indignation, your behavior is highly suspicious."

"Who knows if you've taken a liking to that young girl?"

"In any case, a weapon that can birth a weapon soul at the Silver rank is incredibly precious! If it were forged and enhanced by a master, it would undoubtedly shine with dazzling brilliance."

"Perhaps next time, it could even breed an even stronger trait in your hands."

"If you just want to woo her, I suggest you choose one or two unimportant weapons for her to practice on."

"After all, if that saber shatters, you will suffer a devastating loss!"

Wen Shuhong offered this well-meaning warning.

He did not possess Lin Qiye's heaven-defying intuition. He had no idea how high the young girl, Qi Baishi's, talent actually was. Thus, Lin Qiye did not blame Wen Shuhong for his bizarre train of thought. He simply shook his head and let out a cold chuckle.

"Whether you believe it or not, I do."

"This girl has the qualities to become a grandmaster."

Hearing this, Wen Shuhong cast a sidelong glance at Lin Qiye.

"Ask yourself, does that sound convincing at all? A young girl who has failed a dozen times, whom even a Diamond-grade blacksmith looks down upon."

"And you say she can become a master blacksmith?"

"Seriously, you should join the Light and Shadow Sect! You could probably sweet-talk the Goddess of Light and Shadow into becoming your wife!"

Lin Qiye: "...Actions speak louder than words. Once she finishes forging, you'll understand why I chose her."

Wen Shuhong was left speechless.

"So after all my persuasion, you're still going to persist in your own way?"

"If it fails, the weapon will definitely shatter! Do you really want to take this risk? Take my advice: if you can't commission a Diamond-grade master blacksmith now, wait until later. In any case, you shouldn't settle. What if the weapon breaks?"

Wen Shuhong rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

He had seen too many rich playboys do exactly this. Lin Qiye's behavior was a textbook example of a wealthy heir pursuing a goddess, throwing money around to show off and win her favor. It was the lowest form of courtship strategy.

Unfortunately...

No matter how much Wen Shuhong talked himself hoarse, Lin Qiye's mind was made up. Showing no intention of changing his mind, Lin Qiye turned and walked back to the young girl.

His gaze fell upon her.

"Shall we go forge? Do you have your own forging room, or do we need to rent one?"

The girl's cheeks flushed with shyness. Her eyes were like a pool of rippling autumn water, gentle and soft.

"I... I don't have my own forging room. I'll need... you to rent one. But don't worry, this forging session will only take six hours. You can come collect it at four in the afternoon!"

Lin Qiye nodded.

"Then let's rent one!"

"Can I... bid farewell to my master? I..."

"Sure."

The girl walked to the villa of the Diamond-grade Walker. Kneeling down, she kowtowed three times.

"Master, your disciple has failed your cultivation. Even though my five-year apprenticeship has ended and I should have left the Floating Island to make a living on my own, I still lingered here..."

"Now, I have an opportunity. I want to go try. Please grant your permission, Master."

From inside the villa, an impatient voice rang out.

"You merely studied under me for five years; you have not officially become my disciple. Do not call me Master. Leave quickly. From now on, whether you live or die has nothing to do with me."

Mist gathered in the girl's eyes. She turned and stood up, walking back to Lin Qiye in a somewhat disheveled state.

Lin Qiye patted her head.

"Don't lose heart. You will definitely become a great blacksmith."

"Thank you for comforting me."

The girl gave a bittersweet smile. Pursing her red lips, she lowered her head and walked toward the forging rooms.

Before long, she led Lin Qiye and Wen Shuhong to the front of a scorching volcano. Outside the volcano was an entrance leading to its interior, constructed from crimson Sea Flame Jade.

Every piece of Sea Flame Jade had absorbed a massive amount of thermal energy. Flames seemed to flow within the jade, giving off an impression of extreme heat.

However, the Sea Flame Jade only looked scorching hot; to the touch, it was actually cool and refreshing.

In fact, Sea Flame Jade was a common construction material for forging rooms. With the Sea Flame Jade suppressing the radiating heat, blacksmiths could move freely inside the volcano and safely utilize the Earth Core Flame to forge weapons.

Carefully, the young girl, Qi Baishi, led Lin Qiye to the rental hall of the forging rooms.

"Hello, I'd like to rent a forging room for six hours."

The clerk lifted their eyelids, glancing at the girl and Lin Qiye.

"Ten thousand Walking Points per hour. Pay first, then get the key."

Lin Qiye stepped forward.

"Rent it for eight hours."

With that, Lin Qiye handed over eighty thousand Walking Points.

The girl waved her hands repeatedly.

"Six hours is enough..."

"It's fine. Leaving some leeway allows for better performance. Besides, a few tens of thousands of Walking Points are nothing to me."

Lin Qiye still had 2.2 million Walking Points left! Spending eighty thousand Walking Points to get a Diamond-grade weapon was an absolute steal.

One had to know that even an ordinary-quality Diamond-grade weapon was worth fifty million, if not more. Now that Qi Baishi was helping him forge it, saving him a net fifty million, how could Lin Qiye be stingy over a mere eighty thousand Walking Points?

Splurge! If he didn't spend, others might think he, Lin Qiye, was broke.

Lin Qiye maintained a calm expression. His every move carried the aura of a super-rich tycoon.

"Sir, here is your Sea Flame Jade key. Forging Room 520."

The peculiar number caught Wen Shuhong off guard.

Good grief. Were the ticket clerks at the forging rooms this savvy nowadays? If he hadn't known that this was Lin Qiye's first time here, Wen Shuhong would have definitely suspected that the clerk was a wingman bribed by Lin Qiye beforehand!

This was the ultimate wingman move! Even Forging Room 520 came up!

Wen Shuhong looked at Lin Qiye with a bizarre expression, as if to say, *You kid even have heaven assisting you in picking up girls, truly terrifying.*

The young girl, Qi Baishi, blushed furiously. She quickly lowered her head, the tips of her ears flushing a rosy pink.

Lin Qiye, however, didn't feel anything special. He calmly took the Sea Flame Jade key from the clerk.

Inside the forging room, a forging furnace constructed from Flame-Gathering Jade stood ready. Blue flames flickered within it. On its side were buttons for precise temperature adjustment. It was clearly a product of technology.

The moment the girl saw the furnace, her eyes lit up. She became intensely focused, almost obsessed, her eyes filled with passion.

"This is an excellent furnace, more than enough for refining. Please... please take out your weapon!"

The girl stole a glance at Lin Qiye. Lin Qiye's handsome looks, combined with the episode of Forging Room 520 just now, made her heart race with just a single glance. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet Lin Qiye's gaze.

Lin Qiye drew out the Extreme Flame Ring-Pommel Saber and handed it to her.

"Take it."

The girl hurriedly held the Extreme Flame Ring-Pommel Saber with both hands. The heavy weight, the radiating killing intent and karma, and the pulsing heartbeat of the weapon spirit within the blade made her flush with excitement, her eyes shining brightly.

"Phew—"

She took a long, deep breath.

"This is the feeling! This is the weapon base I've been looking for! Only this can bear my forging this time."

"I've finally felt the saber I saw in my dreams. It doesn't just have killing intent and karma; it has also absorbed the power of faith!"

The girl was ecstatic. Clutching the long saber, she spun around in place with joy. Her long hair fluttered, and her chest heaved.

Lin Qiye smiled.

"Can you give me a surprise by this evening?"

"I should be able to..."

"Be more confident!"

"I can!"

"Louder."

"I can!"

"Say the whole sentence: By this evening, I will definitely give big brother a surprise."

"By this evening, I will definitely give big brother a surprise."

The girl called out seriously. Although a strange sensation like an electric current coursed through her limbs, making her feel odd, she seemed to like this feeling. The soaring feeling of confidence brought a charming smile to the corners of her lips.

Lin Qiye nodded.

"Alright. Forging requires a safe environment, and I have some matters to attend to. I'll come find you this evening."

The girl hummed softly in response.

"Mhm!"

"Right, do you need me to provide any other materials?"

"No need. For this forging, I don't need any materials." The girl patted her chest confidently. "The most important thing is the weapon base you provided, big brother!"

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow and praised, "Impressive."

The girl smiled sweetly.

"Just come collect the weapon when the time comes."

Lin Qiye nodded and turned to leave. Upon leaving, Lin Qiye specifically prepaid another hundred thousand Walking Points to the clerk, just in case they ran overtime and disrupted her forging.

Walking Points were a small matter. If the forging failed, that would be the real, massive loss.

Seeing Lin Qiye's immense wealth, the clerk's tone grew significantly more respectful.

"Rest assured, sir. Since you've spent over a hundred thousand in one go, we will deliver drinks, food, and fruit to her. We will definitely provide the best service."

Lin Qiye nodded slightly.

"Thank you then."

Having arranged the weapon forging, Lin Qiye and Wen Shuhong left the Technology Association.

Wen Shuhong looked thoroughly depressed.

"Little Qiye, I think you might have run into a forging shill."

Lin Qiye was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"You know about bar shills and restaurant shills, right? A forging shill is someone who scams people into spending money on forging."

"Think about it. Even a Diamond-grade master blacksmith needs high-end materials to forge a weapon!"

"This little girl doesn't need a single material to upgrade your weapon? Don't you find that suspicious?"

"This is a honey trap combined with a sob story, all to get you to spend money in the forging room!"

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow.

"Normally, your point would stand. But as for this girl, I believe in her."

Wen Shuhong slapped his forehead.

"It's over. You've been bewitched."

Lin Qiye chuckled. He could understand Wen Shuhong's wild suspicions. After all, Wen Shuhong could never have imagined that the young girl, Qi Baishi, possessed a unique talent: [Fodder Forging].

It allowed her to absorb the spirit essence of other weapons, and once she collected a certain amount, she could transfer it onto another weapon. Spirit essence was the absolute core of a weapon. It contained not only the essence of precious materials but also the culmination of a blacksmith's craftsmanship.

In short, the [Fodder Forging] talent was custom-made for forging weapons! Absorbing the essence of other weapons and using it to pour all her effort into forging a single high-quality weapon! It could be described as terrifying to the extreme.

Trading a hundred ordinary-quality weapons for a single divine weapon—how could that not be terrifying?

Therefore, Lin Qiye had extraordinary confidence in the girl.

"Alright, now that I've handed the weapon to Qi Baishi, there's no need to fret over gains and losses. We'll find out the truth this evening. Whether the weapon shatters or undergoes a nirvana rebirth into a divine weapon, we'll see the results in six hours."

Wen Shuhong sighed.

"Personally, I remain pessimistic."

Meanwhile, as the two were talking, the girl, Qi Baishi, locked the door of the forging room securely. Then, cradling the long saber, she trembled with joy.

"I've finally found you! I've finally found you! What precious power of faith... this power of faith is exactly what I need!"

The girl was so excited that her chest heaved violently. Only after a long moment of calming herself did she let out a breath. With utmost care, she carried the long saber to the forging table.

Inside the forging furnace, blue flames flickered. She pressed the button, and the flames instantly surged with roaring intensity.

In the girl's eyes, the blue flames flickered. At this moment, she fell into a daze.

"I won't fail again. I have a premonition that I will not fail! I will definitely forge my own path of blacksmithing!"

In her mind, Lin Qiye's features appeared, along with the trust he had shown her. A warm current surged in her heart.

"Even if I have to give everything, I cannot betray the trust big brother Qiye has placed in me!"

"He has only known me for less than half an hour, yet he trusts me unconditionally. I absolutely cannot ruin his weapon."

The girl took a deep breath. Solemnly, she thrust the long saber into the flames.

The raging fire quickly heated the saber to a glowing red. The killing intent, karma, and power of faith within the saber were tempered in the flames, rising from the deepest parts of the blade.

The joy on the girl's face grew more and more pronounced. Before long, she retrieved the long saber and placed it on the anvil.

Taking out a dagger, she sliced it hard across her palm! Fresh blood dripped down, splashing onto the body of the Extreme Flame Ring-Pommel Saber.

"I know you are hidden inside my body, I know... Please, help me. I must successfully forge this weapon!"

"Nourish it with my blood!"

The girl prayed in her heart. Blood flowed like a stream, splashing onto the edge of the long saber.

At first, the blood was just a deep crimson. But as if the girl's conviction and prayers had taken effect, the blood began to grow viscous. Specks of gold, purple, red, and white began to appear...

That was not blood. It was the weapon spirit essences she had passively absorbed before her talent had fully formed.

At this moment, sensing her unwavering resolve and her disregard for her own safety, her talent gradually took shape. The spirit essences began to flow out.

The Extreme Flame Ring-Pommel Saber trembled in delight, frantically absorbing the weapon spirit essences. The blade buzzed and vibrated. The purple, gold, white, and red essences transformed into miniature dragons, intertwining with the karma, killing intent, and power of faith. However, they did not merge yet.

The girl let out a long breath. She took out some medicinal powder and blew it onto her hand through a bamboo tube, causing the wound to heal rapidly. Still, she felt a wave of dizziness. After all, she had lost too much blood.

But she was not afraid in the slightest. She immediately grabbed a massive hammer and began to strike with a rich rhythm.

Her movements flowed like water, without a single flaw, carrying a unique cadence that was awe-inspiring. With every strike of her hammer, the purple, gold, red, and white dragons were embedded a fraction deeper, merging a bit more.

At the same time, with every strike, the light at her chest grew a fraction brighter.

As the strikes reached hundreds and then thousands, the light within her chest became increasingly warm and brilliant. The light flowed through her entire body, greatly increasing her strength and even plunging her into a unique state of flow.

Without a doubt, this forging session was not just forging Lin Qiye's weapon; it was also tempering her own talent.

She repeated the process countless times. Perhaps ten thousand times, perhaps a hundred thousand times.

Drenched in sweat, the girl's clothes were completely soaked, clinging to her skin uncomfortably. She simply shed her outer coat, leaving only a thin undershirt that revealed her fair shoulders, midriff, and arms.

Her arms showed elegant musculature. Her midriff featured well-defined abs. She was not overly muscular; instead, she possessed an incredibly graceful and beautiful physique.

Of course, the most eye-catching feature was her generous bust, which stood in stark contrast to her slender waist. She was exceptionally well-endowed. Any man who saw her figure would probably find his blood boiling.

Of course, she was alone now. Sweating profusely, she forged with utter selflessness.

*Sizzle!*

A drop of sweat fell onto the anvil and evaporated instantly. Such was the intense heat generated after tens of thousands of temperings!

The rising steam shrouded her face, which had grown pale from blood loss. However, the girl's eyes were filled with resolve and the determination to forge a divine weapon for Lin Qiye.

To repay Lin Qiye's trust, she was willing to give her blood, her sweat, her everything...

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

The iron hammer struck. The girl grew more and more exhausted, her physical strength completely depleted. Yet she still grit her teeth, expending every ounce of her strength to temper the blade.

In her mind, merging all the spirit essences was only the first step. She still had to shape the essences into the desired form, layering them one by one, forming special Dao patterns to better absorb the karma and the power of faith.

In this way, big brother Qiye's long saber would surpass ninety percent of Diamond-grade weapons!

With this thought in mind, the girl pushed herself to the absolute limit. Even as blood began to seep from the corners of her mouth, she did not care.

Her own spiritual energy, physical strength, and soul wrapped around the giant hammer, merging into the long saber to give it a soul.

Toward the end, with every strike of the hammer, her aura would weaken slightly. Meanwhile, the long saber would let out a joyful hum, its light growing a fraction more brilliant.

Without a doubt, she was forging with her very life. Her face grew paler and paler. Her physical strength was long gone, and her spiritual energy was completely depleted.

At this stage, every swing of the hammer caused her entire body to sting with pain, and her soul felt as if it were tearing apart. It felt as if tens of millions of needles were piercing through her body!

The multi-layered exhaustion of body, soul, and mind relentlessly tortured Qi Baishi. It was as if some force were trying to stop her from forging.

Such horrific torment would cause even a Diamond-grade master blacksmith to give up. Yet the girl bit her red lips, holding on with sheer willpower.

"I can't give up. I can't fail. There won't be a second person in this world who trusts me as unconditionally as big brother Qiye does..."

"I cannot fail!"

She bit her lip until it bled.

Though exhausted to the bone and drained of all spiritual energy, she resolutely began to burn her life force. She would use her burning life to complete the final step of the forging!

The giant hammer smashed down frantically upon the long saber, causing the blade to hum with joy and shine as brilliantly as a blazing sun.

Yet her aura grew weaker and weaker. She was like a moth to a flame, knowing full well she might die, yet plunging forward without a single regret!

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the floor.

She had lost consciousness...

***

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