"Chu Long, I still need elite heavy silver, gale iron, and mystic iron essence..."
Watching the craftsmen brawl over materials, some even coming to blows, Li Mo sighed. Then, like reciting a menu, he listed a string of materials.
I have Little Jiang, the treasure girl with innate sword bones—whatever I need, she can find it. How will you all compete with that?
Young Li raised his chin proudly.
"Sister Bing, I’ve found all the materials Brother Li needs."
Swish—
One after another, broken weapons flew from the mountain of blades, as if weary birds returning to their nest.
I even have my big treasure, the ice block—ten thousand swords bow to her will. Just name it, and it comes. How will you all compete with that?
Young Li puffed out his chest, wearing the same aloof expression as the ice block.
If it were his master here, she’d be roasting everyone present, hands on her hips, demanding, "Haters, speak up!"
But Young Li was different. He preferred to stay low-key.
He’d rather say nothing and play the expert.
Admittedly, Young Li had mastered the essence of the "Fighting King’s" teachings—surpassing the master himself. Standing there silently, he gave the ice block’s slender hand a gentle squeeze, a faint smirk on his lips.
As if saying:
"I’ll take the materials, and you’ll all eat this dog food too. Whatcha gonna do about it?"
Normally, no one could see his expression clearly, but the Rivers and Mountains Scroll was projecting it live. This silent arrogance was visible across the entire imperial capital.
Those who witnessed it couldn’t help but lean back, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Is there no justice? No law~~~?"
"Are you kidding me? I came here for a weapon-forging competition, not to get murdered by romance!"
"Refund! Refund!"
"Hahaha, damn it! If I were the Emperor, I’d exile one of you to the Northern Sea and the other to the Southern Border!"
The audience was furious, their indignation palpable.
"Tch, a bunch of amateurs."
In the stands, a white-robed swordsman snorted coldly, clearly disdainful of the crowd’s shock.
"You talk so big—you must know a lot about weapon forging, huh?" someone nearby retorted, glaring.
"Nope."
"Then what gives you the right to—"
"I’ve long since gotten used to this kind of dog food. I don’t get why you’re all making a fuss."
Bai Jinghong remained unperturbed.
Beside him, Cao Mu nodded while hugging his sword, and Wu Chushu wiped drool from his mouth before quickly schooling his expression.
"..."
The bystanders fell into deep thought.
What exactly are you all so proud of?
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Sword Furnace Plaza...
"Just made it in time."
Xiao Qin, carrying a broken sword, had a black eye on his left side.
Beside him, Huang Donglai sported a black eye on his right.
Xiao Qin had been traveling nonstop, barely making it to the weapon-forging competition’s opening. Luckily, he’d run into Huang Donglai along the way.
To be honest, he’d first noticed Huang Donglai because his teacher had warned him—this guy carried at least several dozen types of poison on him.
Why "at least"? Because there were over a hundred more he couldn’t identify.
Xiao Qin’s approach to the martial world was all about caution and prudence.
Using his teacher’s soul-sensing technique, he detected this guy tailing him, so he set up a trap, lying in ambush...
But he never expected...
Huang Donglai’s approach to the martial world was also all about caution and prudence.
The little stone in his pocket detected an unusual soul fluctuation.
That handsome guy with the broken sword seemed to be probing him with a secret technique!
He decided to counter-trap him, lying in ambush...
Two top-tier schemers, running into an ultimate schemer, should’ve led to an epic battle...
Except they couldn’t even break each other’s moves!
After half a day of skirmishing, each ended up with a black eye before realizing—oh, we’re both friends of Brother Li.
And neither had actually been stalking the other; they were just heading the same way...
So they teamed up and came together.
"We didn’t come to the wrong place, right? This is about the weapons we’ll use in the Hidden Dragon Tournament—can’t afford mistakes."
"We’re in the right place."
"How can you be so sure, Brother Huang? Have you been to a weapon-forging competition before?"
Xiao Qin was puzzled.
Huang Donglai pointed into the distance and handed him a telescope.
When Xiao Qin saw the two figures on the stage, his lips twitched, and he put away the instant noodles he’d just pulled out.
Ah, that familiar feeling of being force-fed.
Back at the competition...
Before Li Mo lay a pile of broken weapons.
Others had only taken two or three, but he’d grabbed over a dozen.
"Taking so many—are you planning to forge a hammer?"
"The best-quality broken weapons all went to him..."
"Do you even need that many? Refinement matters more than quantity—what’s the point of hoarding?"
"Too much will ruin the craft."
Many craftsmen and weapon-forging experts eyed Li Mo skeptically.
Does this guy even know how to forge?
"This kid... is he seriously trying my technique on his first try?"
Du Wufeng sounded uncertain.
Attempting his method right off the bat—this kid couldn’t be that monstrous, could he?
"Light the furnace!"
A dragon of flame, fueled by Falling Starfire and wrapped in Karmic Flame True Energy, surged from the sword furnace and coiled around the Mica Heavy Cauldron.
"Ice Block, once I hammer out the sword blank, the quenching is up to you!"
With that, Forty (the hammer) rose!
Clang—
The gale iron, softened by heat and melted by intense forging, erupted in sparks under the hammer’s blow. Impurities spewed out like wolf smoke.
The craftsmen gasped, nearly forgetting their own work.
The essence in that single strike...
They turned to the judges’ panel.
"Not bad. He’s grasped the basics, but the next step..."
Du Wufeng murmured, his eyes gleaming.
Li Mo closed his eyes, but the flames, the hammer, the metal—all resonated vividly in his mind.
This was the feeling of wielding Forty.
Just swing the hammer—as if guided by divine will. This was talent.
Maybe this was how Little Jiang felt with a sword, or how Ice Block comprehended martial arts...
"Why am I stuck with a hammer?!"
Young Li hammered down, blow after blow.
The onlookers gulped.
The Hammer Tyrant lived up to his name.
If he’s this intense forging metal, imagine him in a fight...
But it wasn’t just the intensity—his technique was extraordinary.
The host, a complete layman, deferred to Du Wufeng for commentary.
The Divine Craftsman explained:
"What Li Mo is doing is called the sandwich method, or 'three-layer fusion.'"
"Three-layer fusion uses three metals with different properties—each excelling in specific areas—for the outer layer, core, and blade edge. This creates a weapon that’s both tough and sharp."
"But he’s not stopping there. After combining the metals, he’s twisting and repeatedly forging them."
"The final quality depends on how many layers he can stack through this process."
"This tests the craftsman’s skill to the extreme. Initially, it’s about understanding the metals’ traits, but to truly unify them, one must harmonize their spiritual essence!"
"This is why, when I forged that famed weapon earlier, it bore dragon-scale patterns!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
