Immortal Refiner

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed. Li Qing had hammered the rough shape of the sword into a smooth and even form, and it was now clearly recognizable as a sword.

The prolonged high-temperature forging had made the entire Ink Gold sword scalding hot, just reaching the point where it could be quenched.

It’s worth mentioning that quenching is divided into two methods: the most common Water Quenching Method and the less common Oil Quenching.

The former cools the metal quickly but requires repeated heating and quenching to enhance the weapon’s rigidity.

However, considering the difficulty of heating Ink Gold, Li Qing chose the Oil Quenching method, which allowed him to complete the quenching of the entire Ink Gold sword in one go.

He picked up the tongs and clamped the Ink Gold sword, which had been reheated in the furnace, slowly immersing one edge into the prepared cold oil.

Sizzle!

The moment it touched the surface, the oil temperature began to rise, and bubbles started to roll up.

Unlike the Water Quenching Method, Oil Quenching didn’t produce billowing white steam; instead, there were only bubbles gurgling upward.

After waiting for a short while, Li Qing lifted the Ink Gold sword again and began quenching the other edge.

Oil Quenching required patience because the cooling process was slower, and the edges needed to be repeatedly immersed.

Time and time again, as the edges of the Ink Gold sword gradually cooled, fine wave-like patterns emerged.

This was a unique characteristic of Ink Gold cooling in oil, with each wave pattern representing a single quenching.

Li Qing was like an old hunter in the mountains, extremely patient, treating this sword as if it were a piece of art.

By now, both edges of the sword had cooled, but the middle of the blade was still scorching hot.

It was precisely this temperature difference that would make the sword’s edges harder and sharper.

Next, he immersed the entire sword into the oil. Once the blade was completely submerged, the overall temperature began to drop again.

After a long while, when the oil no longer bubbled, Li Qing finally pulled the sword out.

Drip! Drip!

The blade gleamed with an oily sheen, and oil dripped from the tip into the oil bucket.

”This Qing Hong Sword is likely one of the top Peerless Divine Weapons in the entire martial world,” Li Qing thought with a fiery gaze as he looked at the nearly finished sword.

He casually picked up a towel and wiped away the oil layer from the blade.

Once the oil was removed, the Qing Hong Sword still retained a dark, glossy sheen, a result of the Ink Gold’s inherent material.

Hum!

Li Qing habitually flicked the blade with his finger, and a clear, resonant sound rang out.

A fine sword indeed!

The next steps were sharpening the blade and crafting the hilt. Due to the nature of Ink Gold, sharpening the blade was bound to be an extremely time-consuming task.

So, Li Qing decided to make the hilt first, as holding it during the sharpening process would make the work more comfortable.

He didn’t need to deliberate over the hilt’s design. Li Qing simply referenced the original Qing Hong Sword’s hilt, only slightly altering the materials.

The hilt was made from a combination of Red Sandalwood and brass, which not only enhanced the grip’s comfort but also ensured the hilt’s durability.

Li Qing meticulously carved a piece of red sandalwood into the shape of a sword hilt, leaving a groove at the junction where the brass would fuse with the blade. His movements were precise and methodical. When the entire Ink Gold blade was embedded into the hilt, it was as if he had completed a mortise and tenon joint. The entire process was seamless, leaving no flaws whatsoever.

The hilt felt comfortable in his hand, and Li Qing, satisfied, began to carve intricate patterns into it, matching the design of the original Qing Hong Sword hilt.

”Now, all that’s left is the polishing and sharpening,” Li Qing exhaled deeply. At this stage, the Qing Hong Sword was nearly complete.

As expected, the polishing process proved to be extremely time-consuming. It took him a full thirteen days to complete the sharpening of the Qing Hong Sword.

Hum!

Li Qing gripped the hilt with one hand and held the Qing Hong Sword horizontally before his eyes. A cold glint of light flashed across the blade’s edge.

[Successfully forged a Superior Mundane Tool: Qing Hong Sword. Reward: +3 years of lifespan!]

Three years!

Li Qing hurriedly checked his remaining lifespan. The number jumped from 146 to 149!

Lifespan +3!

Including the year he had spent in the World of Eternal Night, he was now nearly nineteen years old, and his remaining lifespan had not decreased but instead increased, leaving him with nearly 150 years to live.

”All of this is thanks to my persistent dedication to forging! Indeed, hard work truly changes one’s life. This isn’t just an empty saying!”

A satisfied smile spread across Li Qing’s face. If he did nothing else, he could now live to nearly 170 years old.

To put it bluntly, even a pig living that long would probably become a spirit!

It was worth noting that a feudal dynasty typically lasted only about two to three hundred years at best.

To speak a bit irreverently, Li Qing felt it was entirely possible that he might witness the decline and fall of Maple Country.

Li Qing shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present. He caressed the completed sword and pondered:

”It seems that weapons forged with such special materials are indeed highly regarded. Even as a Superior Mundane Tool, it directly increased my lifespan by three years.”

Hmm, it seemed his decision to choose that Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron had been the right one.

Next, Li Qing gripped the sword with one hand and swung it forcefully at a suit of armor in his shop.

Swish!

The sword’s light flashed by so quickly that the blade itself was barely visible. The armor was cleanly and smoothly split in two.

Cutting through iron as if it were mud—this was the epitome of such a feat.

”Invincible! If this sword were wielded by a Martial Grandmaster, they would truly be unmatched in the world.”

The extent to which a Peerless Divine Weapon could elevate a martial artist was evident from the armor that had just been cleaved in two.

Several days later, Qian Hong of the Maple Guard finally received a response.

After waiting an entire month, the sword she had ordered was finally completed!

A surge of joy welled up in her heart, followed by disbelief. She even wondered if she might be dreaming.

Yes, a Peerless Divine Weapon of her own—this was something she had only ever dreamed of.

Without hesitation, she rushed to Chiming Street as quickly as possible.

Seeing the open door of the blacksmith’s shop, Qian Hong’s steps suddenly halted. She pursed her lips and walked in with light footsteps.

Before her eyes lay a sleek, straight sword of jet-black hue, gleaming with a lustrous sheen, presented without any concealment.

The hilt retained its familiar design, with patterns identical to those she knew so well. Yet, the cold glint reflecting off the blade made it abundantly clear, even without touching it, that this was undoubtedly a Divine Weapon—a Peerless Divine Weapon!

In theory, once one’s Martial Path cultivation reaches the level of Inner Strength, trembling hands should be a thing of the past.

However, Qian Hong’s hand, reaching out to touch the hilt, trembled slightly, unable to contain itself—a mix of excitement and unease.

Her hand seemed as though it was born to wield a sword—slender and delicate, with skin that, though not pale, bore a healthy wheat-like hue.

When her hand made contact with the hilt, her entire body stiffened as if struck by an electric shock.

After a long moment, she finally wrapped her slender fingers tightly around the Red Sandalwood hilt of the Qing Hong Sword.

”What a fine sword!”

(End of the Chapter)

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