CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43 FORGING_1

[You conversed with Guo Zhao, discussing the techniques for controlling heat during weapon shaping. Guo Zhao provided a detailed explanation, leading to your enlightenment. Your understanding of Forging deepened, increasing your Forging experience by 34.]

[You asked Guo Zhao for guidance on determining the right time to open the furnace during Forging. Guo Zhao responded with a detailed explanation, resulting in further enlightenment. Your understanding of the Forging process deepened, increasing your Forging experience by an additional 22.]

...

The two of them chatted until late at night before parting ways.

After bidding farewell to Guo Zhao and returning to his room, Shen Mo opened his Destiny Panel, his gaze falling on the experience bar for Forging.

[Forging: Grade V (288/500)]

The experience bar is slightly over half full. Progress has been smooth during this period.

Despite not having formally started forging weapons yet, he already had 288 experience points.

This significant gain in experience points could largely be attributed to the teachings from the *Basic Forging Manual* and Guo Zhao’s generous, unreserved personal guidance.

But... working in isolation can only get me this far.

I shall formally start Forging tonight.

Shen Mo let out a breath, thinking to himself.

Knowledge gained from books always feels shallow; one cannot know the difficulty of a matter without experiencing it firsthand.

The Forging experience he could gain merely from reading books and consulting Guo Zhao was already approaching its limit.

To continue increasing his experience, he had to personally forge weapons; that was the only way to make further progress.

CLICK! CLICK!

He took off his outer robe and removed his inner armor. Let’s start with this inner armor!

His hand caressed the ’Heart Protector’ inner armor. Looking at the numerous cracks on it, he thought, I’ll start by repairing these cracks for practice.

He had bought this inner armor from an inner sect senior brother in the Market for thirty Spirit Stones.

Its grade was low-grade Profound Level.

It was already severely damaged when he bought it. Later, when hunting the Double-headed Silver Ring Python in the Zhao Family’s Spirit Field, it had suffered another heavy blow from the python.

At this moment, the ’Heart Protector’ inner armor was in tatters.

Nearly seventy percent of its original protective capability had been lost, rendering it almost useless.

With a flip of his palm, he took out several translucent, pale-yellow ores from his Universe Bag.

Dark Crystal Mine Essence!

He had obtained them when he and Chen Mengze encountered and killed a Stone Spirit during a night patrol.

This was an excellent, all-purpose material for Forging, perfectly suited for repairing the ’Heart Protector’ inner armor.

It must be smelted first before repairs can begin.

He then took out a furnace used for Forging.

This furnace belonged to Guo Zhao.

For some Forgemasters, a forging furnace was optional.

They could use their palms as furnaces, capable of smelting even Dark Iron.

However, for beginners, such an effortlessly stylish technique was far too sophisticated.

It was completely impossible for them to master, so a forging furnace was indispensable.

Shen Mo had never bought any Forging equipment, so naturally, he did not possess a forging furnace.

So, he had borrowed one from Guo Zhao. Not just the furnace, but also many of the tools and materials required for Forging, he had managed to borrow.

Because Guo Zhao sought a favor from Shen Mo, he had been very generous.

After setting up the furnace, he stacked firewood underneath. Then, with a light tap of his fingertip...

WHOOSH!

A faint blue flame immediately ignited amongst the dry wood.

The fire was initially weak, but it quickly spread, transforming into a blazing inferno. The inner wall of the furnace gradually heated up, slowly turning a deep red.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

He placed the four prepared pieces of Dark Crystal Mine Essence into the furnace one by one.

Then, he waited by the side for the Dark Crystal Mine Essences to be smelted into molten Dark Crystal.

This process would take a very long time.

As a Forgemaster, all he could do at this moment was wait patiently.

One Shichen.

Two Shichen.

Three Shichen.

Shen Mo stood before the furnace, occasionally adding fresh firewood. He would also stand on tiptoe, peering intently into the furnace, his eyes filled with anticipation.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

After roasting for three Shichen, the Dark Crystal Mine Essence finally showed signs of melting.

But this was just the beginning. To completely transform it into molten Dark Crystal, he still needed to wait some time.

It’s truly too slow.

Having waited for so long, Shen Mo couldn’t help but grow impatient. In the future, if my Forging becomes accomplished, I must find a way to obtain special flames. Otherwise, Forging with ordinary mortal fire is far too inefficient.

Forging and Alchemy, these two major professions, both had a critical need for flames.

And in the cultivation world, flames were also categorized by different qualities and tiers.

The better the quality of the flame, the greater the benefit to Forging and Alchemy.

According to Shen Mo’s current knowledge from his time in the Riverside Sect, flames in the cultivation world were divided into three grades.

The first grade was Earthly Fire.

The second grade was Spiritual Fire.

The third grade was Heavenly Fire.

Earthly Fire, as the name suggested, was flame that originated from the earth. Some master Alchemists or senior Forgemasters would spend fortunes at auctions or even brave perilous journeys across mountains and rivers to find and subdue a desired Earthly Fire.

Besides naturally occurring Earthly Fire found in unique locations, some powerful sects that employed and cultivated a large number of Alchemists and Forgemasters would also set up Spirit Gathering Arrays, using special array diagrams to nurture Earthly Fire.

This allowed the sect to possess specialized fire-lands for Alchemy and Forging.

As one of the Five Great Sects of the Red Flame Country, the Riverside Sect possessed such financial power.

Shen Mo had once heard that within the sect, both the Forge Hall and the Alchemy Pavilion each possessed an Earthly Fire source. The subterranean flames within were nurtured by Spiritual Qi, burning unceasingly day and night deep underground.

However, both the Forge Hall and the Alchemy Pavilion were located in the Inner Door, and outer disciples were not qualified to enter.

Therefore, Shen Mo had never seen it with his own eyes; he had only heard Cao Ren mention it frequently in the past.

Spiritual Fire, then, was a tier higher than Earthly Fire.

It also typically originated in unique, wondrous locations.

Alternatively, cultivators practicing certain divine Skills or techniques could, after many years of arduous cultivation, condense it within their own Dantian.

For instance, the legendary Samadhi True Fire was considered a top-tier Spiritual Fire.

As for Heavenly Fire, it was exceedingly rare and scarce; there were no records of its existence ever being found in the Red Flame Country.

Extraordinary flames like these could not only provide significant assistance to cultivators in the Alchemy Path and Forging but could also augment their own combat prowess.

The benefits were innumerable.

But obtaining them was no easy feat.

Even the most common, lowest-grade Earthly Fire was extremely precious and valuable.

If Shen Mo wished to obtain one in the future, it would require considerable effort and many fortuitous opportunities.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

Another one and a half Shichen passed. Finally, inside the furnace, the four pieces of Dark Crystal Mine Essence had melted into molten Dark Crystal.

The pale-yellow molten Dark Crystal lay quietly in the furnace.

The heat is sufficient!

Seeing the successful smelting, Shen Mo quickly extinguished the fire and made a grasping motion with his palm from a distance.

SLOSH! SLOSH!

The molten Dark Crystal, still carrying sparks, was held suspended in his palm.

Next, I’ll use this molten Dark Crystal to repair the ’Heart Protector’ inner armor!

With this thought, Shen Mo placed the inner armor on a wooden table and took out the special brush used for engraving runes.

CRACKLE!

The brush, dipped in the molten Dark Crystal, danced under Shen Mo’s control, transforming into a faint, fluorescent rune that hovered and spun in the air.