When it comes to inscribing runes, the first ones are the easiest. They can be placed randomly as long as there is space, the order doesn't matter, the size doesn't matter, the calligraphy doesn't matter.
But, Lingyun wanted to start properly, not like those who do it crookedly before doing it right. After all, in a sense, if you can start properly, you will have it easier when going to the next stage. You don't need to change the habits that formed until then.
Before starting, he took out a paper and then wrote down all the runes he knew – in fact, they were very few. In the whole inheritance of three bamboo weapons and four black iron weapons. Although there are two high-grade weapons that can reach the ranks of being used by foundation building cultivators, it's a very low-level inheritance.
There is a total of 48 runes for the black iron weapons. They all stack upon each other and have a perfect synergy with the iron… unfortunately, the difficulty of refining becomes higher and higher, while the weapon itself isn't that strong.
It's more of an inheritance meant for qi refining cultivators who dedicate their whole life to this, so that they can proudly say they can refine weapons for foundation builders. Well, in fact, any proper foundation building refiner could refine many better weapons with less difficulty.
As for the three bamboo weapons, they have a total of 41 runes. This was a different kind of weapon with great abilities, but the end result is a wasteful sword with the wrong element.
"The inheritance is so bad; I really wonder who gave the Zhu clan the right to live on this Blue Fire Continent which is rich in refining inheritance. It can only be said that if it wasn't for these useless people, then the true refining forces wouldn't have enough customers inside."
Then, Lingyun broke down the twelve runes designated for the sword and looked at them. Besides the three basic runes of Sharp Blade, Durability and Light Weapon, there is basically nothing else. The rest can be added at a later time.
He looked at them and felt that the order of Blade, Durability and Light Weapon was wrong – it should start with a durable core, then comes the lightness, and finally the edge could be inscribed. The order was important for the linkage of the runes.
He shook his head and looked at the runes. They were easy enough to copy, the strenuous part was inscribing them with spiritual power and consciousness combined. The runes have to be written smoothly and in one part, else they will be broken. The best case is that the weapon degenerates, the worst is that it becomes scrap metal.
From his spatial bag, he took out another tool, this time it was a pen with a sharp tip. It was white all over with small silver inscriptions on it. He got these many tools from his grandfather when he accepted the mission. If it wasn't for this, then it would be difficult to get pristine tools. Second-hand would be the best he could afford.
He put his hand on the sharp blade and felt the sword with his hand. It couldn't cut him just yet, his body was stronger, so this blade without any enhancement was very weak. After feeling a bit and seeing that it was truly cut perfectly, he turned it over.
On the back, one could see how the blade smoothly went from thick to thin from left to right.
Then, he looked at the edge on the left. He felt that this part was actually the most durable and also important part – as long as the foundation remained strong, even if the blade is chipped, it can still function with a bit repair. If the spine of the weapon itself broke, then the weapon was scrapped.
Although this was the thick side, it was still somewhat difficult to write on it, but Lingyun had an idea. He pulled a second anvil from the back of the room, it wasn't really used, someone probably created it as a test and then left it here.
He pulled the two anvils together and put the sword in the middle. He could only do such a construct because he was too lazy to go through the process of ordering new equipment.
Then, he took his brush and wrote what he wanted to inscribe. He started with the spine – Durability. The rune was long and consisted of many, with the inscription written inside the solid construct.
The durability rune consisted of three squares together, this was the most stable form. Inside the three squares, different things were written. They were all ones that aligned themselves with the element of Earth.
There were several groups of three squares all along the spine, in regular distances. In fact, one rune is one rune, just inscribing the first three squares is enough. Doing more doesn't mean there are more runes, they are still only one rune, but the rune in the middle was the central rune while the rest were sub-runes that enhances this first rune and spread the range of it.
The first rune to be inscribed is the main rune, every rune group has to be written in one go, but one doesn't need to write the whole inscription in one try.
Lingyun then went ahead and took out his pen. He wanted to write directly. Focused on the middle-point of the weapon, breaking here would have the biggest impact. Then, he breathed in and out, calmed his heart, and put his mind and energy into the pen.
He pressed his hand that held the pen on the drawn symbol and wrote the first square, not adding the content just yet. He wrote two more in an alignment of a triangle, then connected them with lines that truly formed a triangle.
Now came the part of the spiritual consciousness – while writing, one has to concentrate deeply and imagine the scenery of the symbol perfectly. These were all earth symbols representing durability, so Lingyun thought about the mountains in his past life.
The three mountains that came into his mind were the Mount Everest that stood at the tallest with a white peak, Mount Hua with a green and flowery peak, and lastly the Zugspitze with a very rocky and hard mountain peak. These three combined the idea of earth reaching the sky, earth supplementing wood and earth's density.
After finishing the inscription, Lingyun breathed a sigh of relieve, his consciousness very exhausted. He looked at the sword – it was shining in an earthy yellow light, but here was a deep white and also green colour hidden beneath.
He smiled, then took a small break.
"The first inscription is… successful! Hahaha, it seems I still got some talent!"
He didn't wait long for the next – unlike the main rune, the sub runes could just be written with concentration and energy, one didn't need to add extra artistic conceptions. He had nine rune groups in total – on in the middle, four on each side.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't with him this time. He failed twice afterwards, his power wasn't evenly distributed, but he started with the lower half, which was less likely to be hit in the first place. The upper half was done perfectly fine.
He looked at this and still nodded – when he said the best case is being degenerated and the worst is being scrapped, he meant that as long as the main runes are done perfectly, then the best result will always be achieved, it will just be a difference of quality. If the damage is too big, it might fall from grade… but well, as a low-grade weapon, it can't really fall, but the pit of quality is very deep.