In a forge, Ling Wuxie, standing at a mere 1.50 meters tall, tried to lift a stone hammer about a meter long. It was extremely heavy; he could barely raise it, but after much effort with his arms, he managed to lift it.
Right after raising it, he staggered toward the anvil, a flat piece of iron. A chunk of red-hot ore rested on top of it. Using the large hammer, Ling Wuxie struck down.
"Boom!"
A metallic sound echoed, and the motion repeated several times. Ling Wuxie didn't stop for a second, even with aching arms and sweat pouring down his body.
After a while, he dropped the hammer upside down on the floor, and in the next second, collapsed. His breathing was heavy, his white clothes soaked, and his tired face displayed a pure smile.
"I did it! I shaped the blade!" He was overjoyed, feeling proud. "If Dad finds out, he'll be happy... Hehehe."
He laughed, then stood up and continued refining his weapon, grabbing a black pair of tongs with two handles and a metal clamp at the end. Then he walked back to the anvil.
Carefully, he grabbed a crimson blade, clamping it between the tongs' jaws. Seeing that it was secure, Ling Wuxie walked slowly toward a pool filled with a pitch-black liquid.
With caution, he dipped the tongs into the oil, which began to bubble. A few seconds later, he pulled it out, and after a few more seconds, repeated the process. Each time he did, his eyes grew more serious. 'If I slip up even a little, I might ruin the blade's durability.'
According to his father, one of the hardest steps for a blacksmith was the quenching process, because the blade might stay in the oil too long and get ruined—or not long enough and come out coarse.
"What's the perfect timing for the Bloodstone?" Ling Wuxie wondered. The Bloodstone is the coagulated essence of beasts, which, due to the Blood Qi, doesn't dissipate but instead solidifies into a stone.
These stones have various grades. The one Ling Wuxie was using was a lower-grade stone, made from the blood of beasts that had, at most, reached the Martial Realm.
"Let's quench it until the blood drips from the blade." He reached this conclusion. After a minute, the blade became lighter, and its red color turned transparent. It had lost most of its essence.
Seeing this, Ling Wuxie's eyes sparkled. Without wasting time, he pulled the tongs out and ran back to the anvil, dropping the blade. Then he turned around and ran to the forging tools, grabbing a small, lightweight wooden hammer.
Returning to the same spot, he began striking the blade, making it sharper. After many hits all over the surface, the blade gleamed, and its thickness was reduced to a maximum of half a centimeter. Its horizontal length was fifty centimeters.
"Now for the hilt!" Ling Wuxie, proud of his hard work, wanted to finish his sword. To make the hilt, he went to the stove, where the fire was still burning. In front of it, there were tongs with a square tip.
Grabbing the tool, he carefully placed it in the fire, then pulled out a black scale. He spun around and returned, placing the scale on the anvil and restarting the refining process.
Some time later...
Ling Wuxie finished the hilt, which was black in color. Carefully, he fitted it into the blade—they matched perfectly. He had taken measurements before starting the process.
Looking at the red sword, Ling Wuxie couldn't stop smiling, satisfied. Then, to complete the refining, he added the final touches.
'First, paint the blade with silver ink to trick people!'
"Hehehe! Underestimate my sword and be shocked by its durability!" Ling Wuxie was mischievous—a little devil with an angelic face.
The little devil, after eliminating all traces of the Bloodstone, made a fake black cover and placed it over the hilt. Then, with a grin, he grabbed the weapon and raised it high.
"My first sword is complete! Its name will be... will be..." He ran out of ideas for a name. "Work, brain!"
He shouted at himself, his neurons firing desperately.
After a while, he finally came up with a cool name.
"Silver Illusion Sword."
"A sword that looks ordinary, but once drawn... it changes completely. And once Qi and Blood are used... it glows red!"
With that idea, Ling Wuxie's grin widened... a bit too much, making him look possessed by a demon.
After a few seconds, he stopped, grabbed a plain white sheath, slid the sword into it, and strapped it to his waist before leaving the forge.
...
Outside...
Ling Wuxie looked up at the sky, which was sunny at that moment. A vast expanse of blue stretched above, dotted with clouds of different shapes. The light came from a sun shining brightly.
"Haa."
Feeling the fresh air, he couldn't resist and took a deep breath, enjoying the morning breeze. Then he headed toward the martial arts school.
Walking along a stone sidewalk flanked by red wooden buildings, he reached a large mansion that stretched over a kilometer. Its walls were white, and at the front, there was an entrance resembling a traditional gate.
Upon entering, Ling Wuxie straightened his posture, standing upright with a calm expression. His steps changed, becoming more elegant.
Walking on the wooden floor, he saw several teenagers practicing martial arts. The place was filled with the smell of sweat. To avoid the unpleasant odor, the little devil wrinkled his nose.
After a while, he positioned himself, puffed up his cheeks, and in the next instant, shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Today, the Ling Forge is giving away free weapons! All you have to do is defeat me! Whoever beats me gets their dream weapon! But if you lose... you'll have to pay twenty spirit stones!"
The sound made everyone stop and look at the little boy standing at the front, calm, with his hands behind his back. After a brief silence, the place erupted in chatter.
In front of everyone, Ling Wuxie sat on the ground, waiting for the first challenger. He wasn't afraid no one would show up.
The offer was too tempting. In the city, his father was the best blacksmith, and many dreamed of owning a weapon forged by him. But they were expensive—the cheapest one cost a hundred spirit stones.
So for these youths, this was a rare opportunity.
'Come on! Fight me! I want to test the strength of my Silver Illusion Sword... and make some easy money!'