188: Chapter 40 Casting the Sword_1 188: Chapter 40 Casting the Sword_1 Only now did Jiang Wang understand why even the family of Zhongxuan Sheng would envy Lian Que for helping him forge a sword.
rely judging from this sword furnace, what it produced was certainly no ordinary item!
Within the Sword Forest, there was only this one furnace.
Outside the sword furnace, there wasn’t even a shed, probably unafraid of wind and rain.
At this mont, aside from Lian Que and Jiang Wang, there was no one else.
Today, this furnace had been reserved by Lian Que.
Lian Que perford an elaborate ancient ritual towards the sword furnace, kneeling and prostrating, muttering words under his breath, very devoutly.
This was likely Lian’s fixed ritual before forging swords, not requiring the presence of others.
But Jiang Wang also followed suit, respectfully bowing three tis.
The fire within this furnace had never been extinguished, not even amidst the destruction of the old country and exile from ho.
This sense of depth that transcended ti deserved his respect.
After the ceremony, Lian Que stood up and asked, “Have you thought about what kind of sword you want?”
Jiang Wang was taken aback.
Shouldn’t this be sothing the sword forging master considers?
Seeing his reaction, Lian Que knew he hadn’t thought about it.
Shaking his head, he said, “This is your sword; it will grow into your hand, your will, your heart.
First, you must understand your hand, your will, your heart.”
“Sit and ditate here for a while, empty your mind and body.” Lian Que walked towards the back of the sword furnace, “I’ll take the opportunity to organize the materials once more.”
My hand, my will…
my heart?
Jiang Wang had co all this way with a clear sense of what he wanted, steadfast in his pursuit.
But he indeed hadn’t contemplated what kind of sword he wanted.
It seed like the stronger, the better was sufficient.
Sharpness?
Durability?
Inscribed with Transcendent Dao Technique?
Bearing infinite might?
He respected Lian Que’s authority as a forging master, and without caring whether the ground was clean, he imdiately sat down cross-legged and began to ditate, emptying his mind and body.
Lian Que was fondling ores at the furnace and looked back to see that Jiang Wang had entered ditation, and nodded involuntarily.
Regardless of the reasons his other self in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land handed over his life token, at least for now, he didn’t seem to have misjudged the person.
This man’s talent and disposition were indeed among the finest choices.
After Jiang Wang entered ditation, he lost all concept of ti, his spirit emptied.
It was an inexplicable feeling, as if unburdened, with a mind clear and serene.
However, this didn’t an he had let down his guard.
The sounds of laughter suddenly entered his ears—it was a group of people erging from the Sword Array and approaching the sword furnace.
Jiang Wang opened his eyes and saw the young man leading the group calling out to Lian Que with an insincere tone, “Yo, Brother Lian Que, what are you doing here?”
Though Lian Que didn’t seem to be a man of good temperant, for so reason, he didn’t get angry with the newcor but simply said, “The sword furnace will be sealed for the next few days, until I finish forging the sword.
Lian Shao, if you want to observe the furnace, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for a while.”
Lian Shao had the typical appearance of a Nanyao City resident, with a darker complexion and a big, sturdy build.
His face was broad, his features considered handso.
Of course, just the fact that his features were handso was already much better than Lian Que.
“Ancient furnace forging, even for you, only three chances in a lifeti.
Are you really giving one away just like that?”
Lian Shao feigned surprise, then turned to look at Jiang Wang sitting on the ground in ditation, “And who might this distinguished person be?”
He was asking rhetorically.
It was already well-known throughout Nanyao that Lian Que had co back from the Heavenly Abode Secret Land with nothing to show for his participation, and now many gossiped that he had knelt down and pleaded for rcy in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, even offering up his life token in exchange for his life.
The reason he was forging a sword for Jiang Wang with such dedication was because of a deal made in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land.
Who spread these rumors was unclear, and they were not easy to refute.
After all, nobody rembered what happened in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, and the fact that Lian Que returned with nothing and had given up his life token was the truth.
Lian Que didn’t get angry, and Jiang Wang didn’t feel the need to assert himself too strongly.
So, sitting there with his legs crossed, he said, “My na is Jiang Wang, not so saint.
I am simply a friend of Brother Lian Que.”
“So you are Brother Jiang,” Lian Shao said as he clasped his hands in greeting, which served as a formal acknowledgnt.
Then, with a smile, he added, “Thank you for returning my brother Lian Que’s life token.
Truly an act of noble character and unimpeachable integrity!”
Since the end of the Heavenly Abode Secret Land affair, Jiang Wang’s na was already well-known in Qi Country.
For one, he was reserved for the position in God’s Inner Mansion, and secondly, he was a good friend of Zhongxuan Sheng.
With just these two points alone, unless Lian Shao was foolish to a certain degree, he would not provoke Jiang Wang for no reason.
Most of the hostility was directed towards Lian Que.
Jiang Wang shook his head and said, “You might not be familiar with now, but in ti, you will know who I am.
I am not one to threaten others; if there is a grievance, it usually cos down to a life and death situation.
The life token is rely a token Brother Lian Que gave , which I would certainly not stoop to use as leverage.”
From Lian Shao’s words, he realized the difficult public opinion Lian Que was now facing and felt he had to step in to explain.
No matter what had happened in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, Lian Que was now wholeheartedly casting a sword for him, and that was what he should focus on.
Moreover, he was going to stay in Qi Country for a while, so it was necessary for the people there to get to know him better.
His words served as both a testimony for Lian Que and a display of his own attitude and strength.
Even Lian Que himself seed undisturbed by it all, rely giving a firm order to leave, “Alright Lian Shao, you could stay here before the sword-casting began.
But I’m about to start now, and according to the rules, you all need to leave.”
Mockery is useless, provocation not warranted.
With the family rules invoked, Lian Shao had no excuse to linger and had to leave resentfully with his n.
Jiang Wang watched as they returned to the Sword Array, lost in thought.
“You seem quite puzzled by my good temper,” said Lian Que as he walked over and asked.
Jiang Wang smiled sheepishly and admitted, “I am a bit curious.”
“Lian Shao is not a bad person,” said Lian Que, coming over and forming a Seal Technique, sealing the Sword Array.
He casually remarked, “He’s just a pitiful person.”
Jiang Wang looked at him, questioning.
“In the Lian family, only ten individuals in each generation can control their own life token.
I am one of them.
He is not,” explained Lian Que.
With just those words, Lian Que chose not to elaborate further.
Ever since he had heard of the life tokens outside the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, Jiang Wang had felt this puzzlent.
In any place, having one’s life and death controlled by another is a very sorrowful matter.
Why would the illustrious Lian family establish such a system?
But seeing as Lian Que did not want to elaborate, it was not Jiang Wang’s place to pry further.
“Co here, sit on the cushion to the left of the sword furnace,” Lian Que instructed, passing him a baby fist-sized red round stone, “Cover it with both hands and infuse your Pri Stone.”
Jiang Wang naturally followed the instructions.
“This stone corresponds to the sword furnace.
While the furnace itself provides sufficient firepower, having you infuse Pri Stone is simply to make your sword more familiar with you during the forging process, and more suited to your intent,” explained Lian Que.
“While infusing Pri Stone, it’s best to empty your mind and focus, allowing for a purer infusion that better represents your inner self.
Stop when your Pri Stone is depleted; don’t force it, as it won’t affect my sword-casting,” he added.
He further advised, “Of course, the longer you can maintain it, the better.”
Lian Que chose not to provide a pile of Pri Stone for Jiang Wang to replenish his energy.
That’s because under normal circumstances, Pri Stone cannot be imdiately extracted for energy and requires a period of rest, which would interrupt the infusion.
Specialization is important in every field.
When it ca to sword-casting, Jiang Wang trusted Lian Que unconditionally, without offering any self-assud suggestions or ideas.
He was not so arrogant as to challenge the Lian family’s centuries of history in sword crafting with his superficial understanding.
As Lian Que instructed, so Jiang Wang did.
He sat cross-legged on the cushion to the left of the sword furnace, closed his eyes, and entered a ditative state while his Pri Stone continuously flowed into the red round stone in his palm.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
It was as if the whole world had quieted down, leaving only the sound of the leaping flas.
It was hard to say which was supporting the other.
In any case, in ti, the rhythm synced with his own heartbeat.
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