novelraw Chapter 1354: Not Sure How to Please Her Anymore
Chapter 1354: Not Sure How to Please Her Anymore
Mu Hanyan was different. She already knew Xuanyuan Fengchen’s background, so she wasn’t deceived by those bizarre techniques. Instead, she set them aside and continued according to the proper Sword Casting Technique.Casting, Bone Forging, Sharpener, Nourishing the Spirit. The Four Steps of Sword Casting, Xuanyuan Fengchen had completed the first two steps, Casting and Bone Forging, and was more than halfway through the third step, Sharpener. Mu Hanyan didn’t have much to do.
The flames danced in the sword casting furnace. As Mu Hanyan executed a series of hand formations, the flames suddenly condensed, turning a bluish-purple color. The longsword being forged also turned red-hot under the intense heat.
"Clang!" With the fall of the sword casting hammer, a clear ringing sound echoed in everyone’s ears.
Next, they saw the iron hammer in Mu Hanyan’s hand flying through the air, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, each swing tracing a beautiful arc.
If her prior alchemy techniques brought a fairy-like ethereal beauty, then the swaying hammer now brought a fierce beauty akin to a sword being unsheathed.
The clinking sounds also had a strange rhythm, like a melody of iron and tenderness, pleasing to the listeners.
It wasn’t the first time for Yan Zishu and others to witness alchemy, nor was it the first time they saw sword casting, yet they never thought that someone could interpret sword casting into such a moving symphony.
They watched with rapt attention, even Doctor Sun was no exception.
"Starfall, Eight Desolates!" Mu Hanyan called out in a clear voice.
The sword casting hammer in her hand cut through the air like a longsword!
This, this was the Sword Casting Technique that Mu Hanyan comprehended from Starfall in Eight Desolates. The reason Xuanyuan Fengchen couldn’t refine a true divine weapon was because he couldn’t complete the last step, Nourishing the Spirit. A regular longsword, with a hint of Spiritual Intent, can be considered a good sword, but for a true swordsmith, only a sword with spirituality can barely be called a divine weapon.
Neither the Sword Casting Techniques taught in the Sword Casting Hall nor those circulated among the populace could easily achieve this, hence the saying that gold is easy to obtain, but a good sword is hard to find.
Although Xuanyuan Fengchen’s sword casting technique was decent, it was difficult to cast spirituality into the sword, forcing him to resort to deceitful measures.
The traditional Sword Casting Techniques of the Sword Casting Hall originate from Starfall in Eight Desolates. Though Mu Hanyan hadn’t fully mastered the Swordsmanship, the Sword Casting Technique she comprehended from it far surpassed that of Nie Fangsheng.
"Buzz..." The moment the hammer fell, the longsword radiated a bright light, emitting a clear ringing sound. The aura of spirituality permeated the world.
"It’s completed, you actually completed it!" Yan Zishu clutched the longsword, tears of excitement welling up.
Originally, they thought with Xuanyuan Fengchen missing, this treasure sword would never be completed. Who would have thought that in just over two hours, the girl before them would have forged it.
The quality of this sword even surpassed his expectations; even if Xuanyuan Fengchen had stayed, he couldn’t have forged a sword this full of spirituality.
It turns out her Sword Casting Technique was even above alchemy!
As for those elderly figures, they were rendered speechless, looking at Mu Hanyan with a newfound reverence.
They had flattered Yan Zishu partly to gain favor and partly due to their inferior status; now, seeing this young girl with such masterful alchemy and an even higher level of expertise in Sword Casting, along with a cultivation beyond their comprehension, they realized her future achievements would likely surpass Yan Zishu’s.
A genius... a peerless genius! The same thought emerged in everyone’s minds simultaneously.
Thinking back to their earlier behavior of flattering Yan Zishu and accidentally offending her, they felt such regret they wanted to bang their heads against a wall.
"Senior Yan, I guess I’ve completed the second task?" Mu Hanyan exhaled a light breath and asked.
In fact, she hadn’t expected to forge such an excellent sword. Previously, she had attempted to use the Sword Intent of Starfall Eight Desolates to forge a Heavenly Flying Immortal, which resulted in only a bit of Spiritual Intent. She had thought that with a deeper understanding of Starfall Eight Desolates, she might forge a spiritual treasure sword, but the results far exceeded her expectations.
This was with only sixty percent understanding of Starfall Eight Desolates; if she comprehended it fully, could she forge a Divine Sword possessing Spiritual Sense without needing to rely on the Sword Heart Soul Cleansing Pond? Mu Hanyan’s heart was filled with anticipation.
Huayue and others looked at Mu Hanyan with the same expectation. Mu Hanyan nodded to them, silently deciding to forge a few top-grade treasure swords for them once she had the time. Their current swords couldn’t bring out their strongest abilities with their increasing powers.
"Of course you did, absolutely." Yan Zishu laughed heartily.
"And the last task?" Mu Hanyan pressed on.
"The last task..." Yan Zishu now had no intention of making things difficult for Mu Hanyan.
Once, Xuanyuan Fengchen spent three whole years without successfully forging a sword. Although he claimed he was close, if he possessed such Sword Casting Technique, he should have finished the sword before leaving. Clearly, he lacked the confidence to complete it in a short time; his Sword Casting Technique was far inferior to the young girl before them.
With such skills in sword casting and alchemy, continuing a feud would be unwise.
With this in mind, Yan Zishu considered letting the last matter go, yet he feared this would appear too much like currying favor, embarrassing if spread around, leaving him uncertain of what demand could mend their relations without losing face.
"Roar" Suddenly, a roar of an Exotic Beast echoed from the back of the courtyard.
Followed immediately by panicked cries and sounds of fleeing from the family members in the back courtyard.
"Not good!" Yan Zishu’s face changed, and he rushed towards the back courtyard, disregarding Mu Hanyan and the others.
Mu Hanyan didn’t know what was happening but followed them, with others closely behind.
In the backyard, an Exotic Beast with blood-red eyes charged at a crowd of Yan family members scrambling to escape.
"Angry Dragon Beast!" Mu Hanyan exclaimed in surprise.
The Exotic Beast before her, towering a full three meters tall, covered with thick armor spurs and a hideous visage, was none other than the Angry Dragon Beast, famous alongside the Fierce Stone Demon.
It was said that the Angry Dragon Beast was a descendant of the Divine Dragon, possessing its bloodline, though diluted, hence the additional "beast" in its name. While its defense was slightly inferior to the Fierce Stone Demon, its offensive power was a notch higher, ranking just below Divine Beasts as a top-level Exotic Beast.
"You recognize this Exotic Beast too? I’ve had this Angry Dragon Beast for thirty years, trying all sorts of ways to tame it without success." Yan Zishu looked at Mu Hanyan in astonishment, seeing her knowledge with newfound respect.
In the mere time it took to speak, several guards attempting to block the Angry Dragon Beast were seriously injured by spurs comparable to fine steel spears. The Angry Dragon Beast roared wildly, continuing to charge at the panic-stricken Yan family members.
"Where are the people guarding the Angry Dragon Beast? Who let it out!" Yan Zishu shouted in anxiety and anger.
Unfortunately, the guards were gravely injured, and the others were focused solely on escaping; no one had time to answer his questions.
"Forget it, it seems I still can’t tame it to be a Sword Pet, I’ll have to end it!" Yan Zishu sighed with frustration.
His tone was filled with reluctance; when he first captured this Angry Dragon Beast, he hadn’t reached the Holy-grade, surviving the depths of Longyan Mountain was a near-death experience. Then dedicating thirty years to researching Beast Taming Techniques in hopes of taming it, it all came to nothing. How could he accept that?
However, seeing his family members about to fall under the Angry Dragon Beast’s fangs and armor spurs left him no time to hesitate.
With his current strength, subduing the Angry Dragon Beast wasn’t entirely implausible, but its violent nature meant that once enraged, it would enter a berserk state, losing reason, and greatly boosting its offensive power. Even if he eventually subdued it, many Yan family members would likely die amidst the chaos. Even the other elderly figures wouldn’t offer much assistance facing a berserk Angry Dragon Beast.
The most prudent approach was to strike with lightning speed before it entered berserk mode and eliminate it!
"Wait, if I help you tame this Angry Dragon Beast, will that count as completing the third task?" Mu Hanyan suddenly asked.
"What?" Yan Zishu was stunned once more, nearly unable to believe his ears.
(Visiting Chongqing for a few days. Updates continue as normal, bringing the laptop along. Praising myself, so diligent. Bringing the laptop even on trips, never missing an update! Good kid!)