In the Forging Chamber, the furnace roared with fiery intensity, its crimson flames capable of reducing anything to ashes. The sweltering heat radiated from the blazing inferno, bathing the space in a crimson glow.
"The Four Essentials of Blacksmithing form the foundation, and you've mastered them all. In that regard, this old man has nothing more to teach you."
"But sword forging requires more than just the basics. Now, I'll impart a superior technique—the Four Transformations and Five Hammers Technique."
After explaining the sword forging process to Chen Zong, Elder Lie began teaching him the Four Transformations and Five Hammers Technique.
This advanced forging method evolved from the Four Essentials of Blacksmithing. The Four Transformations represent a deeper understanding and application of those fundamentals, while the Five Hammers encompass five distinct techniques for wielding the hammer.
The Four Transformations are: Light, Heavy, Swift, and Slow.
The Five Hammers are: Precise, Illusory, Pressing, Crushing, and Grinding.
Combining the Four Transformations with the Five Hammers creates the complete Four Transformations and Five Hammers Technique.
Chen Zong learned quickly. In truth, over the past two to three months, while primarily teaching Chen Zong the Four Essentials, Elder Lie had also subtly imparted fragments of the Five Hammers techniques to him.
"Alright, you've grasped the basics of the Four Transformations and Five Hammers Technique. Forge a sword for me right now," Elder Lie barked brusquely.
Chen Zong, long accustomed to the elder's blunt manner, paid it no mind.
Sword forging differed significantly from forging iron ingots. While the latter involved heating crude iron until it glowed red-hot and became malleable, then repeatedly hammering it into shape, sword forging required melting the iron ingot into molten iron, pouring it into a mold to solidify into a rough blade blank, and then gradually shaping it through repeated hammering. Finally, the blade would be quenched and the edge sharpened to complete the sword.
The common iron ingot had already melted into molten iron. Under Chen Zong's guidance, the fiery liquid, glowing crimson like lava, flowed into the sword mold, radiating terrifying heat that drenched him in sweat.
Staring intently at the molten iron in the mold, Chen Zong watched it slowly cool and solidify. When the time was right, he removed the rough blade and placed it on the anvil. Gripping the hundred-pound hammer with his right hand, he raised it high and brought it down with a thunderous blow.
The first hammer technique, True, involved gripping the hammer firmly in a proper grip, the most commonly used method.
The second, False, required a looser grip with minimal force. Though the hammer fell with seemingly fierce momentum, the actual impact was light, accompanied by a gentle vibration.
The Press technique involved preventing the hammer from rebounding after striking, instead applying a second burst of force to hold it firmly against the sword blank.
The Compression technique was an intensified version of the Press.
The Grind technique entailed pressing the hammer against the sword blank and then rubbing it back and forth in short, controlled motions.
Elder Lie observed from the sidelines, nodding in approval. Though this was Chen Zong's first attempt at sword forging and his technique was still a bit raw, his overall performance was remarkably solid. Elder Lie was particularly impressed by Chen Zong's exceptionally strong foundation, his unique mastery of force, and his innovative application of power.
After repeated hammering, the sword blank took shape and solidified completely. Further hammering would be futile, so it was time for quenching.
Cold spring water was used for the quenching process, requiring precise timing, precise angles, sharp eyes, keen instincts, and abundant experience.
Chen Zong possessed sharp eyes and keen instincts, but his lack of experience held him back. To Elder Lie, the quenching process was merely adequate.
"Is this... the sword I forged with my own hands?" Chen Zong retrieved the sword from the cold spring water and examined it closely. The blade was uneven, far from straight, and its crooked, warped appearance resembled nothing so much as a gnarled firewood poker.
"Terrible! You need to work much harder!" Elder Lie barked, his gaze piercing. He dared to say that his own first attempt at sword forging had produced something even worse than a firewood poker.
From then on, Chen Zong stopped forging refined iron ingots and focused solely on sword forging.
Elder Lie had assigned him the task of forging at least ten ordinary iron swords within the month to earn two hundred Contribution Points.
Leaving the Forging Hall, Chen Zong meticulously reviewed every detail of the sword-forging process in his mind.
"How can I comprehend the Dao of the Sword through sword forging?" he wondered.
Clearly, forging swords and practicing swordsmanship were two distinct disciplines. What, then, was the connection between them? Chen Zong didn't yet know, but he was determined to find the answer.
Ten days passed in a blur. Chen Zong forged one ordinary iron sword each day, each attempt falling short of his expectations.
Molten iron was poured into the sword mold, extracted, and hammered. The sword blank took shape, then underwent quenching.
A cloud of white mist rose as the water vaporized. Once the quenching was complete, Chen Zong retrieved the sword and examined it closely.
The blade was straight, uniform, and smooth—a slight improvement over the first ordinary iron sword he had ever forged.
"Finally, a success!" Chen Zong wiped the sweat from his face and smiled genuinely.
Having successfully forged a sword, Chen Zong suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the blade. He now grasped every step of its creation, having controlled each stage of its formation.
"Next is edge sharpening."
Edge sharpening—grinding the blade to a razor's edge—would transform the sword from a mere decorative piece into a true weapon.
Edge sharpening also required skill; careless grinding would ruin a sword.
Once the edge was sharpened, Chen Zong gently touched the blade, testing its keenness. He smiled again, then suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, swung the sword. Qi Blood Power surged through him, erupting in a unique, controlled burst.
Four distinct sword lights flashed forth, accompanied by four fainter, blurry afterimages.
"Good!" Chen Zong quickly laid down the ordinary iron sword, barely pausing to collect himself, snatched up the Precious Iron Sword, and hurried out of the Forging Hall.
The successful sword forging had granted him a deeper understanding of swords. This insight subtly enhanced his comprehension of sword techniques. Though still somewhat hazy, it didn't hinder his imminent breakthrough in Dividing Light Shadowing.
The Forging Hall wasn't a place for sword practice. Driven by this newfound understanding, Chen Zong raced to a corner of the Martial Training Ground with the speed of a galloping horse. He drew his sword, seized the lingering feeling, and immediately began training.
Again and again he practiced, the four blurry sword lights gradually becoming sharper.
After fifteen repetitions, his Qi Blood was completely depleted. Chen Zong paused to recover, then resumed his tireless practice.
Back and forth he went, seemingly tireless, until the sun dipped below the horizon, night fell, and the bright moon silently rose into the sky.
"Dividing Light Shadowing!"
With another swing of his sword, eight distinct sword lights slashed forward. Upon closer inspection, four shone with dazzling clarity, while the remaining four appeared noticeably dimmer.
"Dividing Light Shadowing... I've finally reached the Great Mastery Realm," Chen Zong exhaled, drenched in sweat, his stomach growling fiercely. He quickly swallowed a Vitality Pill and hurried to the Dining Hall.
"Just one use of Dividing Light Shadowing at the Great Mastery Realm consumes one-fifth of my Qi Blood Power. If I were to reach the Great Perfection Peak, the drain would likely be even greater."
Despite the increased Qi Blood Power consumption, the Great Mastery Realm version of Dividing Light Shadowing undeniably surpassed the peak of the Lesser Mastery in destructive force.
Sword practice, Sword Forging, Cultivation Technique refinement.
Every day, Chen Zong could feel his progress advancing.
Yet the True Secret Realm remained as elusive as ever, and his True Sword Eight Forms continued to stagnate at the peak of Perfection, stubbornly refusing to break through.
December 28th, 395 of the True Martial Era.
Another year drew to a close. Wind Martial City, located in the eastern part of the Eastern Continent, experienced less pronounced seasonal changes. However, even in this relatively mild climate, the biting winter winds carried a piercing chill.
In a corner of the Martial Training Ground, Chen Zong unsheathed his sword. The blindingly sharp blade sliced through the frigid wind, splitting into eight separate streams that surged forward with deadly precision.
With another strike, the eight sword lights aligned in sequence, each aimed at the same point as if cleaving through space itself. A distinct sword mark lingered for several breaths before vanishing.
Having exhausted his Qi Blood Power, Chen Zong began cultivating the Fierce Tiger Art.
His Qi Blood surged like a raging tiger, each circulation delivering a powerful impact. A formidable aura of fearlessness coalesced within him, accelerating the replenishment of his Qi Blood Power.
As his Qi Blood Power fully recovered, Chen Zong felt a tremor deep within his body, as if a tiger's roar reverberated through the mountains and forests, shaking the world with its ferocity. His Qi Blood Power vibrated violently in response.
"What's this...?" Once his Qi Blood Power had stabilized, Chen Zong carefully sensed the changes within him, his face lighting up with delight. "Have I truly mastered the first layer of the Fierce Tiger Art?"
The Fierce Tiger Art, a Mid-Grade Human-Rank Cultivation Technique, was divided into three layers. Mastering the first layer allowed one to cultivate up to the seventh level of the Qi Blood Realm, the second layer up to the eighth level, and the third layer up to the ninth level.
However, Cultivation Techniques are often more difficult to master than Martial Arts of the same grade. Many disciples in the Clan Hall have yet to master even the first level, let alone the second. Within the entire Chen Clan, only a select few have fully mastered all three levels of the Fierce Tiger Art.
The higher the level of a Cultivation Technique, the higher the cultivation base one can achieve, and the faster one's cultivation progress and Qi Blood Power recovery become.
"I have enough Contribution Points to exchange for the second level of the Fierce Tiger Art," Chen Zong thought to himself.
He immediately set off for the Martial Repository.
"The Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts on the second and third floors of the Martial Repository only have names and brief descriptions—no detailed content. Make your choice and then inform me," the Martial Repository administrator told Chen Zong.
This measure was in place to prevent anyone from entering the second and third floors and using covert methods to record more techniques than allowed.
"I choose the second level of the Fierce Tiger Art," Chen Zong said.
Given this rule, there was no need to enter the second floor.
"Chen Zong, five hundred Contribution Points deducted." The administrator then retrieved a silk-bound scroll and handed it to Chen Zong. "This is the second level of the Fierce Tiger Art. It must be returned within ten days."
The second level of the Fierce Tiger Art was significantly more profound than the first, yet it built upon that foundation. It introduced additional and altered Qi Blood circulation patterns to enhance efficiency.
However, attempting to cultivate the second level directly without mastering the first would be far more challenging, as the foundational understanding would be lacking.
Chen Zong swiftly replaced his first-level practice with the second. He immediately noticed that his Qi Blood recovery rate after exertion had increased by roughly fifty percent. This meant that with continued cultivation, the second level's training speed would also be fifty percent faster compared to the first.
In other words, the second level of the mid-grade Human-Rank Fierce Tiger Art rivaled the first level of a high-grade Human-Rank Cultivation Technique in both training speed and recovery rate.
Moreover, Chen Zong sensed that channeling Qi Blood Power through the second level transformed his Qi Blood into a tiger-like force, its aura even more formidable than before.
"My cultivation base is nearing the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm," Chen Zong mused inwardly, feeling invigorated. "With the accelerated cultivation speed from the second level, I might reach the fifth layer within two months."