Chapter 289: The Forging Grandmaster

Chapter 289: The Forging Grandmaster

Through recent developments, the Divine Sword Palace had quietly taken shape within the Imperial City.

When Ning Xiaochuan first considered building the Divine Sword Palace, he had already resolved to establish the most grandiose forging sanctuary in the entire Yulan Empire. Naturally, no expense or effort was spared in its construction.

Located in a bustling district of the Imperial City, the newly erected palace boasted ninety-nine steps of jade, sprawling halls built from jade, nanmu wood, and golden pillars—every detail flaunting the Divine Sword Palace’s extravagance and grandeur, rivaling even the Imperial Palace itself.

Outside the Divine Sword Palace stood an 87-meter-long giant sword forged from Black Iron, weighing a staggering 185,000 kg. Embedded with mystic stones, it emitted a radiant glow, becoming a landmark of the city district.

Many Martial Artists passing by the Divine Sword Palace couldn’t help but notice the towering complex, wondering what place this was.

Now, under the cover of night, two figures arrived outside the Divine Sword Palace.

This was Ning Xiaochuan’s first visit, and he hadn’t expected the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to act so swiftly, already completing the construction. Moreover, its magnificence surpassed even his expectations.

"Who goes there?"

Six Martial Artists at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi leaped out from the Divine Sword Palace.

Brandishing their Short Swords, they encircled Ning Xiaochuan and Yue Mingsong.

Yue Mingsong glanced at the weapons in their hands, then turned to Ning Xiaochuan. "This is the Divine Sword Palace you spoke of? You want to build the world’s premier forging sanctuary in such a shabby place?"

Shabby?

The six Ninth-Level Profound Qi Martial Artists exchanged bewildered looks. Where did this arrogant fool come from, daring to call the Divine Sword Palace "shabby"?

Even Ning Xiaochuan was left speechless.

If this place was considered shabby, then the Yulan Empire’s Imperial Palace might as well be called a dump.

Yue Mingsong continued, "Divine Sword Palace? Divine Sword Palace? Look at them! Look at the weapons these six Martial Artists are holding—ordinary weapons! How dare they flaunt such trash and still claim this is the world’s top forging sanctuary?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"Like this!"

Yue Mingsong’s figure blurred into a streak of light, circling the six Martial Artists in an instant. By the time he stopped, all six Short Swords were in his hands.

"Audacious! How dare you seize our weapons!"

"Let’s join forces and kill this insolent intruder!"

Before the six could charge, they found their Short Swords inexplicably returned to their grips.

But what shocked them even more was that their once-ordinary weapons had transformed into One-Star Mystic Artifacts.

Channeling their Profound Qi into the blades, meter-long sword beams erupted from the edges—their power now tenfold greater than before!

Staring at Yue Mingsong in awe, none dared to attack him now.

In the span of a single breath, he had refined six Mystic Artifacts. This… this was the work of a Forging Grandmaster!

Every Mystic Artifact was incomparably precious, worth over a million coins—far beyond the means of mere Profound Qi Realm Martial Artists. In fact, even the descendants of some Marquises might not possess one.

Ning Xiaochuan was also astounded. Yue Mingsong had hidden depths!

This was not something an ordinary student of the Emperor's Martial Palace could accomplish.

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan's shocked expression, Yue Mingsong felt quite pleased and laughed, "Well? With my skills alone, can I single-handedly uphold the Divine Sword Palace?"

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Absolutely."

"Then shouldn’t you treat me like a revered elder?" Yue Mingsong said.

Ning Xiaochuan responded, "Aren’t you already Elder Yue?"

"Hahaha!" Yue Mingsong burst into laughter.

The Divine Sword Palace’s chief steward, Liu Wenyu, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Ning Xiaochuan. "Palace Master, who is this esteemed senior?"

Liu Wenyu had just witnessed Yue Mingsong forge six Mystic Artifacts in an instant, leaving him utterly stunned. Having dealt in Mystic Artifacts for years, he had met many respected high-level forging masters, but never someone like this.

He speculated that this must be a forging grandmaster Ning Xiaochuan had befriended.

Ning Xiaochuan introduced, "This forging master... Elder Yue, is a senior I specially invited to help build the Divine Sword Palace. You’ll have many opportunities to collaborate in the future, Steward Liu. Make sure to take good care of him—assign more servants to attend to him as if he were a revered elder."

Liu Wenyu was even more astonished and overjoyed. "No need for your instructions, Palace Master. I will naturally treat Elder Yue as our most honored guest. Does this mean Elder Yue will be permanently stationed at the Divine Sword Palace?"

Liu Wenyu had never met a forging master of this caliber before. Excited, he mentally reviewed the names of the Yulan Empire’s top ten forging masters, trying to guess this senior’s identity.

A forging grandmaster was a figure of immense prestige, on par with a Marquis. Even princes might struggle to persuade one to forge a single Mystic Artifact. Yet Ning Xiaochuan had invited one to reside permanently at the Divine Sword Palace! Just spreading this news alone would elevate the palace’s reputation significantly.

Yue Mingsong, hands clasped behind his back like a true elder, walked beneath the 87-meter-tall giant sword and boomed, "What is this thing?"

Liu Wenyu, treating Yue Mingsong as a revered forging master, approached with a bow and said, "Esteemed Senior, that is a giant sword I ordered to be forged as the emblem of the Divine Sword Palace."

"What? The emblem of the Divine Sword Palace? This pile of scrap metal? Are you sure you’re not ruining your reputation?" Yue Mingsong sighed and shook his head.

"Whoosh!"

Yue Mingsong soared into the air, landing atop the giant sword.

"Boom—!"

Purple-red flames erupted beneath his feet, forming a fiery cloud that enveloped the sword.

Within the flames, streaks of purple-red lightning crackled.

The fire refined the sword’s body, emitting sharp crackling sounds.

"Purple Flame Lightning Fire!" Liu Wenyu gasped.

The Purple Flame Lightning Fire was an exceedingly rare forging flame, said to only emerge within storm clouds where lightning raged.

Previously, Liu Wenyu had only read about it in ancient texts.

This was his first time witnessing such a flame in reality. Filled with awe, he thought, Truly, a forging grandmaster is someone to be revered beyond reach.

Half an hour later, the flames enveloping the giant sword gradually dissipated, retracted back into Yue Mingsong's body.

The giant sword had undergone a dramatic transformation, its entire body now crimson red, with tendrils of flames licking its surface, causing the surrounding air temperature to rise significantly.

"Whoosh—"

A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, merging with the giant sword, making it appear like a true divine blade standing tall on the earth, radiating an overwhelming sword aura.

Yue Mingsong landed on the ground, stroking his beard and shaking his head with a sigh. "The material of this sword is too poor. It can only be temporarily forged into a Five-Star Mystic Artifact. In a couple of days, when I have time, I’ll add a few rare ores and treasures to it, aiming to upgrade it to a Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifact. After all, it’s the face of the Divine Sword Palace—it can’t be too shabby."

The six guards were utterly stunned. "Just like that, a Five-Star Mystic Artifact was forged? Is crafting a Mystic Artifact really this easy?"

Liu Wenyu, having seen greater spectacles, quickly composed himself and whispered, "Palace Master, if Elder Yue truly refines this giant sword into a Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifact, won’t it be stolen?"

After all, even some Martial Venerables didn’t possess Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifacts, which spoke volumes about their rarity.

A Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifact left standing openly on the street would surely attract the covetous eyes of many powerful figures.

Ning Xiaochuan chuckled. "Report this matter to the Old Marquis. I’m sure he won’t mind acquiring another Seventh-Grade Mystic Artifact. Let him deal with the headache."

Yue Mingsong began discussing the principles of forging with the six guards, rambling on without caring whether they understood or not.

The six guards revered Yue Mingsong immensely, showering him with praise and nodding eagerly at everything he said, making Yue Mingsong feel immensely pleased, as if his bones had lightened by 100 grams.

Ning Xiaochuan whispered to Liu Wenyu, "Elder Yue’s forging methods are extraordinary. Select a few young forging talents and hand them over to him for training. Let’s cultivate a few elites for the Divine Sword Palace."

"Understood," Liu Wenyu nodded in agreement.

Ning Xiaochuan called out to Yue Mingsong, "Elder Yue, if you have any matters, discuss them with Steward Liu. I’ll take my leave first."

Yue Mingsong, still enthusiastically lecturing the guards, casually responded, "Go on, go on… Oh, and next time you come, remember to bring me a few more copies of the 'Mystic Gate Artifact Codex.'"

Without even checking if Ning Xiaochuan had left, Yue Mingsong continued vividly expounding on the essence of forging, like a revered master. "What’s the most important thing in forging? It’s the heart! 'Sincerity leads to success, even metal and stone will yield.' Heh, do you know what that means? It means..."

Not wanting to watch Yue Mingsong show off any longer, Ning Xiaochuan left the Divine Sword Palace.

Late at night, the streets and alleys of the Imperial City grew eerily quiet, with not a soul in sight on the broad roads.

In the past, even at night, the Imperial City had been bustling with activity.

But ever since the appearance of the Millennium Ancient Demon, Martial Artists in the city dared not venture out at night, fearing their hearts would be ripped out.

On Wulong Avenue, an ornate carriage rolled forward, the sound of its wheels echoing through the silence.

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old noble youth sat inside the carriage, covered in wounds with a bloody gash on his forehead, his eyes still bright with defiance.

"The people of the Cloud Marquis House are utterly arrogant! How dare a mere general injure this Marquis? I will have my revenge!" The noble youth felt deeply aggrieved. Despite being a Marquis, he held no real status.

Yue Wuyang was also a Marquis, yet everyone treated him with reverence, kneeling in respect.

Both were Marquises—why such a vast difference?

"My Lord, the Cloud Marquis is a favorite of the Emperor, and his cultivation has reached unparalleled heights. No one in the Imperial City dares to provoke him. It would be wiser for us to avoid him in the future," a servant timidly advised.

The noble youth glared, clenching his fists tightly. "Who says no one dares to provoke him? Doesn’t Young Master Chuan openly defy the Cloud Marquis House?"

The servant stammered, "Young Master Chuan is a ruthless demonic path overlord who kills without blinking. Of course, he dares to challenge the Cloud Marquis. But our Marquis Qi Tian House is no longer what it once was. It’s best not to provoke the Cloud Marquis House."

Suddenly, the entire carriage shook violently, followed by the agonized shriek of a mystic beast.

The noble youth and the servant stepped out, only to witness a horrifying scene—the mystic beast pulling the carriage had been cleaved in half, and the three drivers lay decapitated in pools of blood.

The remaining servant screamed in terror before collapsing unconscious.

"Who? Who’s there?" The noble youth gritted his teeth, staring into the pitch-black night sky, his heart turning cold.