I Want to Forge Armaments

Su Yu continued following Zhao Li's disciple. He paid no attention to the others and made no move to see Hong Tan and his companions. At this moment, they were the center of attention, with countless eyes likely fixed on them. After walking for a while, Zhao Li's research institute came into view ahead. Seeing the familiar institute, Su Yu was momentarily lost in thought before quickly composing himself. Ahead of him, Senior Brother Wang, who was leading the way, smiled and said, "Brother Cui, this is my teacher's research institute. When Teacher saw Brother Cui's work today, he admired it greatly..." Su Yu smiled and asked, "Senior Brother Wang, didn't Master Zhao call it trash? An assembly-line product?" "..." Senior Brother Wang felt a wave of embarrassment. *So you know my teacher's personality too?* *Well, so much for trying to smooth things over.* As they were speaking, the institute's main gate swung open. Zhao Li glanced at the disguised Su Yu and said indifferently, "Mediocre. For your age, it isn't complete trash. But if an established armamentsmith forged it, it would be the trashiest of trash!" "Teacher!" Senior Brother Wang bowed. Taking a light breath, Su Yu brought a slight smile to his face and said, "Greetings, Master Zhao!" Zhao Li opened the gate and turned to enter, speaking over his shoulder, "Come in." Su Yu and Senior Brother Wang walked inside together. The courtyard and surroundings were thoroughly familiar. Compared to the research institutes in the Great Ming Prefecture, Zhao Li's institute looked like a scrap heap. Yet arriving here brought an overwhelming sense of intimacy. Passing through the courtyard, they reached the living quarters. The couch in the reception room was just as shabby as ever, looking as though it hadn't been replaced in decades. Zhao Li entered the house and, without waiting for Su Yu or his student to speak, headed straight for the underground hall, remarking indifferently, "Come. Follow me to the forging room. Forge an armament once for me so I can see what level you're really at!" His student was utterly helpless. His teacher truly lacked any tact whatsoever. The guest had only just arrived. You might not even know his name, yet you're demanding he forge an armament for you to inspect. In this industry, that was a massive taboo. If you ran into someone narrow-minded, they might even think you were coveting their forging methods. Su Yu had no objections at all. He smiled and said, "Then it would be disrespectful to decline. I would also welcome Master's guidance." The three of them proceeded forward, soon arriving in the vast, empty underground hall. With a wave of Zhao Li's hand, a furnace rose up. Su Yu smiled and said, "There is no need for subterranean fire. I possess armament-forging divine characters and can forge on my own." Zhao Li nodded slightly. Su Yu hadn't possessed them in the past; it seemed he had formed them after heading to the Great Ming Prefecture. He turned to look at his disciple and asked in surprise, "Why are you still standing here?" "..." Senior Brother Wang stared in astonishment. *If I'm not here, where else am I supposed to go?* "Get out! Are you planning to pry into someone else's forging method? Do you think our Zhao Clan Forging Method is inferior to Great Ming's?" "..." Senior Brother Wang was rendered completely speechless. *I... damn it, I have nothing to say.* *My teacher's double standards are simply outrageous.* *There's just no arguing with him!* Resigned, Senior Brother Wang cupped his fists toward Su Yu. "Brother Cui, I will take my leave for now. You and my teacher can have a thorough discussion." Su Yu also cupped his fists with a smile. "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother!" "Don't mention it!" Senior Brother Wang looked back every three steps as he slowly left. In truth, he genuinely wanted to see Cui Lang's forging techniques. Unfortunately, his teacher didn't want him getting in the way here. *Honestly, it's not like I don't know the Great Ming Prefecture's forging methods.* ... Once Senior Brother Wang had left, Zhao Li glanced at Su Yu, choosing not to expose his identity. He said indifferently, "Hurry up. Forge an armament and show me." Su Yu smiled. "Don't be impatient, Teacher. My forging methods are quite formidable!" With that, he waved his hand, and a massive pile of materials appeared on the floor. In the next instant, the Five Elements divine characters manifested. Zhao Li's eyes flickered. Water and Fire divine characters surged forth, lifting the materials from the ground into midair. In the blink of an eye, Su Yu's Water and Fire divine characters extracted the essence from each material, reducing them to liquid. A hammer appeared in Su Yu's hand. As the Five Elements divine characters merged into it, he promptly began striking the extracted materials in rapid succession. The rhythm was remarkably strong. The current Su Yu was vastly different from before. During his month in the Pavilion of a Hundred Dao, he had forged armaments hundreds of times. Even figures like Zhao Li didn't forge every day, as they lacked the resources to squander so freely. Under normal circumstances, forging once every three to five days—while also needing time to recover—meant that an armamentsmith who forged a hundred times in a single year was already considered extraordinarily diligent and eager to earn money. At this moment, Su Yu's forging technique was no worse than that of armamentsmiths who had studied for years. Zhao Li watched silently from the side. He truly had improved, and by a wide margin. In the past, Su Yu had simply lacked the time to study forging in the Great Xia Prefecture. Let alone proficiency in forging, he hadn't even been proficient at extracting materials. The hammer fell in a crisp, rhythmic cadence. Essence after essence of material was integrated under Su Yu's strikes. Hammer blow after hammer blow, combining the Heavenly Forging Method with the Zhao Clan Forging Method, Su Yu focused entirely on forging the armament. Zhao Li watched silently as well, neither of them speaking another word. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Stroke by stroke, a golden pattern began to emerge on the gradually forming short blade. Unrushed and unperturbed, Su Yu struck again and again. Willpower drained continuously as the divine characters tempered the piece, causing a divine resonance to flow across the blade. The Five Elements Tempering Technique! One pattern, two patterns... Gradually, more and more golden patterns appeared. Beads of sweat began forming on Su Yu's brow as his willpower depleted rapidly. After watching for a while, Zhao Li suddenly frowned. "Too rigid! A fixed heat is like a machine—it has no soul! Adjust it. When forging the thirty-sixth golden pattern, increase the heat by thirty percent and temper it with fierce fire!" Su Yu didn't say a word, but he followed Zhao Li's instructions, ramping up the fire as he forged the thirty-sixth golden pattern. "Wood generates Fire. Use wood as kindling and ignite it!" Su Yu continued to comply. "Fan the flames. Do you have a 'Wind' character?" "Yes!" Su Yu fanned the flames. Zhao Li shot him a glance and cursed inwardly, *Fuck, he has every divine character imaginable. The kid hasn't even been gone that long, so how did he form so many more?* "Polish it with a 'Metal' character!" Su Yu followed the command. By now, the civilized armament possessed forty golden patterns. Zhao Li continually gave pointers to introduce modifications, which differed slightly from Great Ming's forging methods, and Su Yu adhered to them entirely. Another hour passed before Zhao Li shouted, "Strike with the Mind Expansion Hammer! Don't stop! Strike with everything you've got—the more, the better! Let's see how long you can last!" "Understood!" By this point, the civilized armament had reached forty-five golden patterns, the absolute limit for an early Profound-rank civilized armament. Su Yu hoisted the heavy hammer and began hammering frantically. Sweat poured like rain! His white robes were instantly soaked through, thoroughly stripping away any dignified appearance. His medium-short hair drifted as sweat cascaded down, sticking strands to his forehead, but Su Yu didn't have the luxury to brush them aside. Zhao Li watched in silence. One strike, two strikes... Gradually, the forty-sixth golden pattern was on the verge of manifesting. However, on Su Yu's next strike, the golden pattern warped slightly. Zhao Li frowned and struck out directly, knocking the civilized armament away. He barked, "Worthless! Start over!" "Teacher..." "Hurry up!" Zhao Li shouted, "The golden pattern is warped! You could still forge forty-six patterns, but such a civilized armament would be garbage—a piece of trash! When a Civilization Master uses it, nothing might seem amiss under ordinary circumstances, but during a major battle, it could snap mid-clash and cost them their life! Will you shoulder that responsibility?" "On the very first day you attended my lecture, I told you never to pass off inferior goods as quality items. That is what garbage armamentsmiths do! If you consider yourself garbage, then keep forging!" Su Yu felt helpless. *Garbage?* *That was at least a top-tier early Profound-rank civilized armament, barely shy of the mid-tier Profound rank.* *Forget it, start over then.* This time, Su Yu concentrated with undivided attention. The willpower drain remained immense; in total, he had already been forging for nearly three hours, a duration exceeding even some Lingyun Realm experts. However, Su Yu recovered quickly. Furthermore, Zhao Li had lit an incense stick at some point. As it burned, it actually assisted Su Yu in replenishing his willpower. Zhao Li said nothing more, continuing to observe in silence. Yet inside, his admiration deepened. *A genius!* *A true genius, prime material for an armamentsmith. If this kid devoted himself to forging, he would definitely become an Earth-rank armamentsmith in three to five years.* *What a pity!* On this second attempt, Su Yu's forging became even smoother: igniting the fire, extracting essence, water-refining, metal-tempering... More than two hours later, Su Yu was drenched. Sweat dripped onto the floor, gathering into a small puddle. Paying no heed to this, Su Yu swung his hammer as sweat continued to pour. He had reached forty-five golden patterns once again. Zhao Li said calmly, "Keep going. Endure and keep hammering! Back then, I took a liking to you because I saw your perseverance and tenacity. I didn't see much natural talent in you, but having sheer tenacity was enough. Being able to endure hardship is the prerequisite for any profession." The first time he met Su Yu, the youth had unleashed his willpower in coordination with the Great Xia military to slaughter a large number of All-Races Cult members. Even when his willpower was completely exhausted, Su Yu had still managed to stand and converse with him. At that moment, Zhao Li knew the boy was a diamond in the rough. He was weak, but his tenacity was incredible. Today, Zhao Li wanted Su Yu not to forget these fundamental virtues. Zhao Li said in a deep voice, "Keep forging. Let me see just how many golden patterns you can produce." "Yes..." Su Yu barely managed a response. The *thud-thud-thud* of heavy blows rang out repeatedly. The short blade was hammered increasingly compact. The Mind Expansion Hammer inherently possessed an extraction effect, expelling impurities. When forging civilized armaments, the purer, the better. Three hours passed... Su Yu had now forged a civilized armament with forty-six golden patterns—mid-tier Profound rank! This time, it flowed naturally and with great ease. All the experience he had accumulated in the Pavilion of a Hundred Dao was thoroughly absorbed and digested during this session. Since Zhao Li didn't call a halt, Su Yu continued forging. The forty-seventh golden pattern gradually emerged. After another half an hour, the forty-eighth golden pattern took shape. ... By this point, Su Yu was utterly drained. Even maintaining his "Transform" divine character was becoming difficult; his facial features shifted intermittently as his willpower ran dry. Zhao Li, however, was unfazed. He glanced at him and said coldly, "Foolish! Who says only Civilization Masters can forge armaments? Do you think warriors have no way to forge? Wrong! Warriors can forge too! Willpower is power, and isn't yuanqi power as well?" "King Tianzhu's forging method relies solely on willpower because of his narrow horizons! Our Zhao Clan Forging Method doesn't necessarily rely only on willpower; yuanqi can be used to forge as well. Possessing a body full of potent yuanqi yet being incapable of using it is pure foolishness..." Feeble and breathless, Su Yu continued hammering the blade, speaking in ragged gasps, "Teacher... the transition... if the willpower output is interrupted to switch powers, the forging will fail..." Zhao Li said indifferently, "That's due to a lack of experience. When you successfully forge a golden pattern, switch powers at the exact instant the pattern forms, without affecting the forging of the next one! Alternate like this several times: when your yuanqi is exhausted, switch back to willpower, and then switch back to yuanqi..." A slight smile surfaced on Zhao Li's face. "Back then, when I forged that Earth-rank civilized armament, do you think I, a mere Lingyun, could have held out for several days on willpower alone? It was precisely through this continuous cycling. Of course, in the end, I truly exhausted everything and couldn't recover in time, which was why I failed!" "Even among Shanhai cultivators, few can forge Earth-rank civilized armaments; usually, it requires the Sun Moon Realm. Why must it be Sun Moon? Because Sun Moon experts possess immense strength, and after fusing their acupoints into one, their regenerative capacity is tremendous, rapidly recovering both yuanqi and willpower." "..." Zhao Li continued lecturing, "Wait a moment. Once you successfully forge the fiftieth golden pattern, switch your power as you begin forging the fifty-first. Of course, the more golden patterns you have forged, the greater the recoil. Rashly switching powers carries a high risk of ruining the armament! But it doesn't matter—you have plenty of money, so squander it to your heart's content. Since you've returned this time, forge a truly powerful civilized armament for me to see!" Forging fifty-five golden patterns would place it at high-tier Profound rank. Su Yu felt it was virtually impossible for him to forge a high-tier Profound-rank civilized armament. At present, he lacked sufficient cultivation, experience, and technique... Still, since Zhao Li had said so, he would give it his all. Even if he failed, it didn't matter; at worst, he would simply scrap an armament. A mid-tier Profound-rank weapon wasn't cheap, but no matter how expensive it was, anything that could be bought with money wasn't truly priceless. Furthermore, Su Yu was gradually finding his rhythm. Relaxed! At ease! Back in the Great Ming Prefecture, he had adhered so strictly to the techniques of the Pavilion of a Hundred Dao that his forging had become somewhat rigid. The phantom's style in the Pavilion of a Hundred Dao didn't entirely suit him, but Su Yu had been forced to study and emulate it, as the projection wouldn't specifically adapt its guidance to what suited him best. Feeling his willpower truly on the verge of exhaustion, Su Yu's body suddenly trembled slightly. He tossed out a sphere, and in the next instant, a massive surge of Heaven Yuan Qi enveloped him. Zhao Li was stunned for a moment before cursing, "Wasteful!" *Fuck!* *What the hell are you using to recover?* *Heaven Yuan Qi?* *Did you rob someone's Sky Origin Fruit tree?* "Body-casting!" Su Yu replied, instantly absorbing a massive amount of Heaven Yuan Qi. He recovered, cast his flesh, and forged all at the same time. Rich and headstrong! He lacked many things, but money wasn't one of them. Forging was also a form of cultivation. Armamentsmiths generally possessed formidable physical bodies precisely because, during the forging process, the weapon's sharp intent and Five Elements Qi constantly struck back at the body, acting as a method of physical tempering. A golden glow manifested on his flesh. At this moment, the fiftieth golden pattern was nearing completion. *The moment it finishes, I'll try switching to yuanqi.* The instant the fiftieth pattern was complete, Su Yu swiftly converted the willpower on the hammer into yuanqi. But right after the switch, the fifty-first pattern that was about to sprout suddenly exploded with a sharp *crack*! This triggered a chain reaction, and with a thunderous *boom*, the entire armament blew apart! Su Yu was instantly blown backward! Zhao Li wasn't particularly bothered. It was completely normal; accidents happened in forging just as furnaces exploded in alchemy. The kid's power conversion had failed, causing the civilized armament to shatter. As long as he hadn't blown himself to death, it was fine. Not far away, Su Yu stood covered in soot and grime. Zhao Li ignored his appearance, grabbed a fragment of the ruined armament, inspected it, and said, "You switched too abruptly. The yuanqi was slightly too violent. Ease into it a bit more—reduce the power by half and increase it gradually..." "I understand." "If you understand, why haven't you started again?" Zhao Li snapped. Su Yu wore a face full of helplessness. *Teacher, since entering, I've been hammering armaments for nearly eight hours straight!* *Even a man made of iron couldn't take this!* Zhao Li said coldly, "Didn't you want to help me forge an Earth armament? You certainly can't do it right now! With your meager ability, you think you can forge an Earth armament? Besides, do you really think it was that easy for me, Zhao Li, to fail at forging an Earth armament?" "Do you think the Earth armament I'm forging is ordinary trash?" "I am preparing it for future advancement into a Heaven-rank civilized armament! Do you know what Heaven rank means? Over a hundred and eight golden patterns—only then is it Heaven rank! Do you know why I failed? My ambitions were too grand! I wanted to forge the embryonic forms of the seventy-third to the one hundred and eighth golden patterns so that this Earth armament could grow on its own!" "That way, once my strength improves, I can advance this Earth armament directly into a Heaven armament!" "What needs to be forged isn't just those seventy-three golden patterns, but an additional thirty-five embryonic patterns afterward!" "You are an armamentsmith yourself, so you know that the further you forge, the harder it gets and the stronger the recoil becomes. My ambitions were too grand, and I was too greedy, which was why I failed. Now, if I don't want that Earth armament ruined, I must forge those thirty-five embryonic golden patterns again, just like last time..." Su Yu was astonished. This was the first time he had heard of this. At this moment, he couldn't help asking, "Teacher, why not ask Mansion Master Zhao Tianbing for help?" Such ambitions were simply too grand; it would be best to seek Zhao Tianbing's assistance. Su Yu had previously assumed he could assist his teacher in forging an Earth armament, but only an ordinary, low-tier one, not an embryonic Heaven armament like this. "Him?" Zhao Li said indifferently, "Why look for him? He could help, certainly, but that isn't what I want to see. If he takes the lead and I play secondary, then in the end, did he forge it, or did I?" "You are different. You are my student, your forging lineage aligns with mine, your strength is weaker than mine, and you also cultivate the Expanding Will Art lineage. Forging it this way ensures the civilized armament is best suited for me." Su Yu nodded, having no choice but to stand up again, take out another large batch of materials, and prepare to forge. Zhao Li glanced at him and added, "Since you're back, don't rush off. Stay for a few more days. You're still slightly lacking if you want to help me forge the Earth armament. Once you can forge a high-tier Profound-rank civilized armament, we can give it a try. Your willpower must also become stronger. Don't rush into the Lingyun Realm—continue using the Expanding Will Art..." "Teacher, I want to go see Martial Uncle Feng Qi. He was captured and is going to face a public trial..." "I heard about that from your Senior Brother Wang." Zhao Li was aware of the matter, though he hadn't paid much attention to it before. Pondering for a moment, he said, "You want to advance to Lingyun and then hide it from the Invincibles? That will be extraordinarily difficult. In truth, watching the trial is meaningless anyway." After a brief pause for consideration, he continued, "However, since you've come all this way, I probably won't be able to talk you out of it. In that case, it would be best to delay the public trial by a few days..." "Delay it?" This was a public trial conducted by Invincibles! How could it possibly be delayed? The Invincibles were elusive figures. For them to gather here was already no small feat, so they naturally intended to resolve matters swiftly. According to Su Yu's estimation, the public trial would likely take place within a day or two. Zhao Li scoffed. "Solutions are made by men. Why wouldn't it be possible?" He quickly followed up, "It's simple. If you can advance to high-tier Profound rank within these few days, I will publicly announce that I am going to forge an Earth armament once more!" Su Yu looked at him silently. *Teacher, you're overestimating yourself.* *Forging an Earth armament... doesn't seem quite that sought after.* *Would Invincibles really come watch you forge an armament for the sake of that?* Earth-rank civilized armaments were typically used by Shanhai and Sun Moon experts. To them, such weapons were treasures, but to Invincibles, only Heaven-rank civilized armaments were of interest; Earth rank simply didn't make the cut. "Foolish! Do you think I'm forging an ordinary Earth armament?" Zhao Li's face brimmed with pride. "If I truly wanted to become an Earth-rank armamentsmith, I could have done so decades ago, but that holds little meaning! This time, just watch me. I guarantee even the Invincibles will wait a few days and have no interest in attending any public trial..." With that, he glanced toward the back of the hall, where his Earth armament was stored. He smiled and said, "Later, once you've advanced, follow me to the Yuanqi Secret Realm... Actually, forget that. I'll go move the Yuanqi Secret Realm over here. If we're forging an Earth armament this time, we'll do it inside the Yuanqi Secret Realm! We'll make a massive scene. You might even have a chance to advance your cultivation during the forging process. Furthermore, once this Earth armament is successfully forged, there will be a feedback effect, granting you several benefits and allowing your body-casting to progress. Afterward, when you appear as a high-tier or even peak Profound-rank armamentsmith, hardly anyone will dare probe you. I'll praise you with a few words, saying you have the potential to become a Heaven-rank armamentsmith..." He chuckled. "That would be equivalent to an Invincible in combat, an Invincible among armamentsmiths—even more sought after than ordinary Invincibles! I, Zhao Li, don't praise people lightly. Whether they believe it or not, they'll have to accept it! When that time comes, the Invincibles won't pry into you carelessly. With your elevated status, if their probing were discovered and you truly became a Heaven-rank armamentsmith in the future, even they might end up begging for your help!" It would be exceedingly difficult for Su Yu to hide from Invincibles relying solely on divine characters. In Zhao Li's view, if you were weak and had low status, Invincibles could probe you whenever they pleased, and what could you do about it? However, if your cultivation was low but your status was high, even Invincibles had to show some respect. If you possessed a strong chance of becoming a Heaven-rank armamentsmith, wouldn't Invincibles need weapons too? At present, King Tianzhu was the only one in existence. Although Zhao Li wasn't yet an Earth-rank armamentsmith, he would certainly become one if he succeeded this time. His senior brother was also at the peak of Earth rank. As a grandmaster in this field, if Zhao Li claimed Su Yu had potential, people would believe him. Su Yu nodded at his words, though he said helplessly, "B-but... I don't feel I can become a high-tier Profound-rank armamentsmith so quickly. Even forging fifty golden patterns felt like my absolute limit just now." "Everything is possible!" Zhao Li ignored his hesitation. "Keep forging. I'll go find someone to help move the Yuanqi Secret Realm over, then retrieve the Earth armament. It'll all depend on you, kid. Let me warn you: that Earth armament has been sealed by me, and it can only be unsealed for a single attempt. If we fail this time, the armament will be completely ruined. And if it's ruined, my primary divine character will be destroyed. Think carefully about that!" "..." Su Yu bared his teeth. *I... I don't have that kind of confidence.* *If this fails and his primary divine character shatters, Zhao Li will suffer severe backlash. Given his advanced age, that would spell disaster.* *Is this really necessary?* ... Paying him no further mind, Zhao Li quickly left the research institute and headed straight for the Secret Realm Area. The Yuanqi Secret Realm. Elder Nie stood guard here. The moment Zhao Li arrived, Elder Nie hurried over. "Old Zhao, what brings you here..." "Give me the yuanqi mirror. I need to relocate the secret realm. Also, have everyone inside come out. I'm moving it back..." Elder Nie was stunned. "Old Zhao, th-this... why don't you think it over? If there's anything you're dissatisfied with, you can talk to us. Right now, the students all need this..." "I want to forge armaments!" "Forge armaments?" Elder Nie froze for a moment before his gaze flickered. "Your Earth armament?" "Correct!" Elder Nie frowned. "Who will assist you? Mansion Master Zhao?" "No, an outsider—a genius armamentsmith assisting me. Anyone else won't do; their strength would be too high and overshadow my position as the primary smith. They must be weaker than me." Ignoring Elder Nie, he frowned and snapped, "Hurry up. I need it. Once I'm done, I'll bring it back!" "Old Zhao, this... this is too reckless. Finding an outsider to assist you, someone weaker than you at that—it's far too easy to fail." "If it fails, it fails. What the hell does it have to do with you?" Zhao Li cursed. Helpless, Elder Nie had no choice but to hand over the yuanqi mirror, the key and core mechanism for controlling the Yuanqi Secret Realm. Without wasting words, Zhao Li manipulated the yuanqi mirror, rapidly executing hand seals toward the Yuanqi Secret Realm. Soon, the void trembled, and a moment later, the secret realm cottage was directly dismantled! A translucent space instantly manifested, disappearing into the yuanqi mirror the next second. In the blink of an eye, Yuan Qingdong and several elders rushed over. Seeing this scene, an elder couldn't help saying, "Old Zhao, what are you doing? We can talk things through. The Yuanqi Secret Realm may belong to you, but during these difficult times for the academy, isn't taking it away going a bit too far?" Zhao Li shot him a glare and retorted foully, "What business is it of yours? It's mine. If I want to take it, can you stop me?" "..." The elder was left speechless. Yuan Qingdong also frowned slightly. "Teacher Zhao, you plan to take the Yuanqi Secret Realm away?" If it was taken, the students would cause an uproar again! Ever since he took charge of academy affairs, nothing had gone smoothly. Currently, the Library Pavilion had been seized by Hong Tan and shut down entirely, driving the students and instructors to the brink of explosion. If the Yuanqi Secret Realm was hauled away on top of that, wouldn't chaos erupt? Zhao Li ignored him. A flash of anger crossed Yuan Qingdong's eyes. He was a Sun Moon expert, yet in this godforsaken place, no one treated him like one. Even a mere Lingyun could ignore him! "Teacher Zhao Li, even if the Yuanqi Secret Realm is to be relocated, it must pass through an Elder Council meeting, correct?" Yuan Qingdong said calmly, "It is true that the Yuanqi Secret Realm was left behind by the Fourth Principal, but over the years, the academy and the Quest Realm have poured countless resources into it to achieve its current rich density of yuanqi..." Zhao Li looked up at him. He could have explained that he would return it later, but he refused to do so. Hearing those words, he cursed directly, "So what? I'm taking it away! Do you want to rob me? Try it! If you dare rob me of my Yuanqi Secret Realm, I'll bash my head against your Dayuan Prefecture's city gates and die right there! I want to see what King Dayuan has to say! Can something left behind by my father not even belong to me? Did anyone sacrifice their life to save my father? Do I owe you bastards anything?" Zhao Li roared furiously, "Fuck off! Do you really think I'm easy to bully? Does the Yuan family get to seize my belongings? And Zhao Tianbing, that worthless dog shit—his master's belongings were stolen, yet he still poses as the second-greatest armamentsmith! A total waste! I might as well smash my head against Dayuan Prefecture's gates and end it all!" "..." Yuan Qingdong shut his mouth instantly, not uttering another word. *It has nothing to do with me; take it if you want.* It wasn't that he feared Zhao Li, but dragging this onto his own head was truly unnecessary. *Fine, I shouldn't have spoken up, all right?* The second-greatest armamentsmith... indeed, that wasn't an exaggeration. Zhao Tianbing truly was the second-greatest armamentsmith. If Zhao Li really went and bashed his head to death at Dayuan Prefecture's gates... King Dayuan would likely execute Yuan Qingdong as an apology. Seizing someone's secret realm to the point where the second-greatest armamentsmith's junior brother killed himself at your doorstep—without an explanation, even an Invincible couldn't justify it. Yuan Qingdong didn't need the Yuanqi Secret Realm himself; he was merely worried about student unrest. Now that Zhao Li had put it this way, what else could he say? The other elders also held their tongues. *Fine!* *Take it if you want!* No matter how reluctant they were, Zhao Li had an eccentric temper. If he genuinely went and killed himself in Dayuan Prefecture, Zhao Tianbing would fly into a rage, and they would all suffer the consequences. Though Shanhai cultivators were formidable, an armamentsmith at the Sun Moon Realm who ranked second in the realm had plenty of ways to make their lives miserable. Zhao Li snorted. Seeing that they had fallen silent, he grumbled with a curse, "A bunch of ungrateful wolves. Daring to calculate how much you invested with me—if you have the guts, hand over all the money you've collected over the years! The Yuanqi Secret Realm has nurtured the academy for decades, yet you fuckers want to settle accounts with me? Shall we pull out the ledgers and calculate it bit by bit? If you have the ability, why don't you die and leave behind a Yuanqi Secret Realm of your own!" "..." Zhao Li huffed. "What are you staring at? I'm taking it back to forge an armament, and once I'm done, I'll bring it back! However... from now on, your students and family members are barred from entering! The bastards who spoke up just now can forget about ever setting foot inside! Little Nie, note them down for me. If their people enter, I'll haul this Yuanqi Secret Realm away permanently!" One of the elders who had spoken wore a face full of helplessness. *I only said a single sentence.* Elder Nie also smiled bitterly in resignation and nodded. "Understood." Elder Qi asked curiously, "You're going to forge an armament?" "Bullshit! What else would I take it for?" Rebuffed so bluntly, Elder Qi wasn't angry. He chuckled and said, "Why do you need the Yuanqi Secret Realm to forge an armament? If you lack yuanqi, the academy has reserves of yuanqi liquid. We can just send some over." "I'm forging an Earth armament! Send me a hundred thousand drops of yuanqi liquid!" "..." Silence fell. An Earth armament! In the next instant, Elder Qi said solemnly, "Old Zhao, what are you thinking, suddenly deciding to forge an Earth armament now?" "I'm in a good mood, and I feel like it! What of it?" Zhao Li continued barking at everyone and everything. Regardless, this was his personality; even if they were dissatisfied, they had to swallow it. He might not have an Invincible backing him, but he wasn't afraid. Even though he was dissatisfied with that senior brother of his, that senior brother could indeed shield him, and that was enough. Tossing those words behind him, Zhao Li carried the yuanqi mirror and walked back. The secret realm couldn't be moved too far, but across such a short distance within the academy, it posed no problem. The crowd could only watch him leave. Before long, a translucent world manifested in the sky above his research institute. Moments later, the entire research institute vanished! All that remained in its place was a transparent dome. Nothing inside could be seen; it was entirely clear, offering a view of the landscape behind it as though nothing existed there at all. Yet powerful experts could clearly sense the energy fluctuations within. Just as they stood in resignation, a formidable aura surged out from the dome in the next instant! Above the dome, a colossal hammer gradually materialized—incredibly massive! It, too, was somewhat translucent! Someone sighed softly, "Old Zhao really is going to forge that Earth armament again!" Yuan Qingdong was dazed. Though he was a Sun Moon expert, he was still somewhat stunned. "Th-this... is an Earth armament?" He possessed one himself, but could an Earth armament really look like this? Could it truly be this powerful? Elder Qi smiled faintly. "The Earth armament Old Zhao forges is different. His ambitions are grand; back then, he aimed straight for a Heaven armament. Once this Earth armament is forged, it will be alive, possessing the foundation of a Heaven armament!" "Alive?" "Indeed!" Elder Qi sighed softly. "Alive, because... Old Zhao's primary divine character is inside it! Uniting man and armament—Old Zhao is practically forging himself! Back then, had everyone not held him back when the forging failed, he would have forged himself right into it! Had he died, he might have left behind a peak Earth-rank armament!" Yuan Qingdong clicked his tongue. *What a madman!* Coming to the Great Xia Prefecture had truly opened his eyes. At this moment, he felt secretly fortunate that he hadn't continued arguing with that lunatic. If that lunatic was crazy enough to forge himself into a weapon, he truly might have bashed his head to death at his doorstep, leaving Yuan Qingdong with no way to account for it. He wasn't some nobody either. While the armamentsmith lineage might not possess overwhelming combat strength, Civilization Masters genuinely couldn't do without them. They were even more essential than medicinal pills. One could manage without pills, but someone who didn't use weapons... was not one in a hundred. Meanwhile, this massive disturbance caught the attention of many. Yuanqi began to churn wildly, and the colossal hammer swayed gently in midair. ... At that exact moment. Several powerhouses discussing affairs in the Prefecture Lord Manor suddenly turned their gazes toward the Great Xia Civilization Academy. King Dahan said indifferently, "This is..." Marquis Xia had also spotted it and felt the resonance. He smiled and said, "Zhao Li is going to forge an armament?" "Zhao Sanchui's son?" King Dahan recalled something, while King Miecan chuckled and remarked, "Rather interesting. What kind of forging method is this? From the looks of it, it seems as though he's forging a Heaven armament, not an Earth armament. This couldn't be a Heaven armament, could it?" On the other side, an elegant young man of modest height holding a fan smiled and said, "This is the fusion of a divine character into a civilized armament—the human-armament forging method? This Zhao Li possesses quite the daring spirit. I heard of him in the past; he failed last time, yet he intends to try again. If he succeeds, stepping into the Shanhai Realm won't be difficult. As long as the civilized armament isn't destroyed, he can nurture himself through the armament, giving him hope of reaching the Sun Moon Realm as well. He is treating the civilized armament as his unified acupoint..." Marquis Xia nodded slightly, smiling. "Presumably so! Uncles, should I call a halt to this? That fellow ignores everything else and is used to doing whatever he pleases. With him causing such a ruckus, attention will be drawn away from Feng Qi's public trial..." "No need." King Dahan sipped his tea and said indifferently, "There's no rush. Feng Qi happens to be injured, so we can wait until he recovers. We can afford to wait a few days, and in the meantime, see how this human-armament forging method turns out. Had Zhao Sanchui not died back then, the Human Realm's second Heaven-rank armamentsmith might have emerged by now. The Great Xia Prefecture certainly produces remarkable talents." Marquis Xia chuckled. "Naturally! In the Great Xia Civilization Academy, across six generations of principals, aside from Old Wan who is somewhat useless, none of the first five generations were trash!" "..." The three Invincibles remained silent. *Wan Tiansheng?* They all glanced in that direction. *Wan Tiansheng... what scheme is that kid brewing now?* They had arrived, yet that fellow remained in seclusion, never once showing his face. Furthermore, was Zhao Li's decision to forge an armament at this exact moment purely a coincidence, or something else? Was the Great Xia Prefecture intentionally trying to delay the public trial? Was there any point to that? In their eyes, there was no real point. Were it not to observe the armament forging, they could hold the public trial at any moment—even right now. The Invincibles simply weren't in a hurry. Feng Qi was not the crux of the matter; the key lay with Chen Yong, as well as Hong Tan, who had yet to speak up. The multiple divine character faction—specifically Great Xia's branch—was a headache even for them. Otherwise, why would several Invincibles need to arrive in person? The Great Xia Prefecture could have handled it on its own! This matter involved Chen Yong and implicated Hong Tan. Though Ye Batian was dead, it wasn't as if his influence had vanished entirely. The slightest misstep could still trigger unforeseen upheavals. Even in death for so many years, Ye Batian's influence among Civilization Masters remained staggering.