Mu Guwuxin had previously only known Qian Jin was a master blacksmith, but he never imagined Qian Jin was a master blacksmith capable of forging Soul Weapons—a distinction that carried a different weight entirely from the usual blacksmith.

After the initial excitement faded, Mu Guwuxin returned to his usual blank expression. Qian Jin felt a pang of sympathy for the Guild Master of the Torrent War Fortress; he truly felt embarrassed to reveal that he was also a top-tier alchemist across all disciplines. Scaring the leader of the Torrent War Fortress half to death would be inhumane.

“Let’s go, let’s go eat first. You all should also prepare yourselves. After this seclusion of over a month, the High War Academy has likely already started. Get ready to pack up and head to school first to familiarize yourselves,” Fabredis said with a smile. “The accumulation of the High War Academy over so many years is not to be underestimated. It is a place for learning and reference, and it can also broaden one's horizons significantly.”

Qian Jin nodded humbly. His recent interactions with Fen Tucuangge made him increasingly aware that the existence of the High War Academy was not just about wearing the hat of the Boundless World and burying himself in a secluded spot for strenuous practice. The Academy could provide warrior candidates with better rewards and resources, such as awarding different amounts of Battle Stones, Battle Crystals, and even material ingots based on varying levels of achievement.

The High War Academy was a crucial base for nurturing warriors for the Dynasty, and most importantly! It was a place to make a name for oneself! In the Zhence Dynasty, there were two places where warriors were most likely to achieve fame.

The Human-Demon Battlefield, where endless slaughter occurred day and night! And the Zhenzhuan Newcomer King Grand Arena, jointly hosted by all the High Academies. Any warrior or mage who was advancing their studies at a High War Academy was eligible to participate in this grand event. Even those who had already graduated from the Academy could take part, provided they had never participated in this event before.

Indeed, many warriors who completed their studies at the High War Academy would temper themselves in the Human-Demon Battlefield for a period before participating in the triennial Zhence Newcomer King Grand Arena.

This arena was a stage for the academies to re-rank themselves, and it was a platform for warriors or mages to gain renown throughout the world. Not only the Newcomer King received supreme honor and rewards; the top ten, or even the top fifty, would receive various degrees of accolades.

Divine weapons, sharp tools, wealth, status, reputation! Everything one could imagine, short of the throne, could be obtained here!

Throughout the history of the Zhence Dynasty, countless great warriors had risen to fame through this very arena! The recent few sessions of the Newcomer King Grand Arena had attracted particular attention. Based on the timeline, it was anticipated that powerful individuals destined to become Ultimate Bloodline Warriors would appear on this grand stage in the future.

In the history of the Zhence Newcomer King Grand Arena, there had even been super geniuses whose bloodline power awakened with startling speed. A Three-Headed Golden Dragon Bloodline Warrior had his Ultimate Bloodline Power awaken suddenly right there on the stage, causing every other warrior to immediately forfeit.

The High War Academy! Qian Jin stretched his arms with vigor. He had been busy forging Soul Weapons for the past month. Now that things were finally quiet, he could take a trip around the Boundless World. His alchemy had reached the level of a Level Ten Alchemist, only half a step away from becoming an Alchemy Master.

Thin wisps of cooking smoke slowly rose from the chimneys of a few thatched huts, appearing exceptionally tranquil against the rosy morning sky.

Qian Jin took a deep breath, feeling his fatigued spirit instantly ease. Every time he returned here, it felt like coming home.

Entering Uncle Black’s courtyard, Qian Jin paused slightly. Next to the blacksmith's furnace lay a scarlet longsword. Merely looking at it, one could feel the piercing sharpness of its cold light.

A Soul Weapon! For the past month, Qian Jin had done nothing but wrestle with the Soul Weapon Fabredis had requested. At a glance, he recognized the scarlet longsword beside the furnace as a Soul Weapon! Furthermore, it was the Heaven-Striving Sword—the very one he had spent over a month frantically researching how to create.

Uncle Black wasn't smoking today; instead, he was curled up in a corner fast asleep, showing no sign of waking up.

Qian Jin stood before the Heaven-Striving Sword, a warmth instantly spreading in his heart. This taciturn blacksmith uncle knew what he was researching, even what he intended to do, and had forged a replica Heaven-Striving Sword for him to use as a physical reference.

While the books provided detailed explanations, comparing the notes with a physical object was countless times better than relying solely on the written guidance.

On the hilt of the scarlet Heaven-Striving Sword was a metal-forged sphere, intricately carved with complex and inscrutable magic arrays, within which thin streams of blood swayed quietly.

This is... Qian Jin turned sharply, looking towards the sleeping Uncle Black. This sword was not just a Heaven-Striving Sword! Based on the requirement for Flame Demon blood, it must have also incorporated inscription techniques and the blood of the Blazing Magic Tiger!

This sword was identical to the one he needed to forge! While Qian Jin was away, Black had forged a Heaven-Striving Sword for him to emulate, and he had even found two other masters to assist.

As Qian Jin watched, Black adjusted his posture, wrapped his arms in coarse cloth, shifted slightly, and continued snoring deeply.

Qian Jin seriously suspected whether the blacksmith uncle was truly asleep or simply feigning slumber to avoid an overly sentimental moment regarding this sword.

Gently caressing the blade, Qian Jin’s expression gradually grew solemn. His Battle Qi danced lightly within the sword, allowing him to feel the forging techniques inside the blade. It possessed a comfort akin to a small bird gliding through water.

This sensation? Qian Jin’s brow furrowed and smoothed alternately as he perceived the subtle differences between Uncle Black’s Heaven-Striving Sword and his own intended creation.

Identical appearance, same materials, yet there remained a significant disparity in their internal structure.

This Heaven-Striving Sword was forged with a single, continuous hammering process! Qian Jin looked admiringly once more at the sleeping Uncle Black. If he were forging an ordinary Level One Battle Tool, he too could manage the whole process with just one hammer. But to forge an advanced Battle Tool, one must use hammers of different sizes and weights on various parts of the weapon.

Forging a Soul Weapon entirely with one type of hammer strike! If different hammers were used, the resulting Soul Weapon would differ greatly in quality!

Qian Jin recalled that Black called this method One Breath Synthesis—a technique performed without the slightest pause, resulting in a far finer product than one hammered with countless different tools.

Touching the Soul Weapon in his hand, Qian Jin compared it with his own recollection of forging a Soul Weapon, gradually recognizing his own errors and making mental revisions. The knowledge gained from this dual comparison was a hundred times more valuable than forging two more Soul Weapons on his own.

Standing motionless for five hours, Qian Jin let out a long breath, deeply moved by the blessing of having a master. Without Uncle Black's help, he probably wouldn't have discovered these flaws.

Gently setting down the Heaven-Striving Sword, Qian Jin stretched his shoulders, beginning to understand why the teachers at Four Seasons Valley and Fabredis had repeatedly stressed the importance of attending the High War Academy. They had held back one underlying reason.

The realm! A warrior's Battle Qi did not advance naturally just by diligent practice reaching a certain level. If that were true, why would they need schools? Just like Demon Subduing Warriors attempting to break through to Demon Vanquishing Warriors, many reached the peak of their Battle Qi but could never breakthrough because they hadn't found their own Warrior's Way.

Forward! Forward! Forward! Never retreat! Qian Jin looked up at the sky. If not for the intense battle against the Dark Division's two-star leader, and if not for the chance encounter with the female bandits, it would have taken much longer to break through from the Ninth Battle of Demon Subduing to the Demon Vanquishing realm.

The High War Academy, besides imparting various Battle Qi secret manuals, was also a place where warriors could be guided to avoid unnecessary detours.

Entering the thatched hut, Qian Jin returned to examining Uncle Black’s forging notes.

"Magical Conductors?" Qian Jin raised his eyebrows slightly. He had been forging with Uncle Black for several years and had never heard of Magical Conductors.

Flipping open the chapter on Magical Conductors, Qian Jin read the introduction and chuckled wryly. This was no 'Magical Conductor' at all; it was merely hidden weaponry and mechanisms common to the Zhence Dynasty, the Demon Race, and even the Barbarian Tribes.

Sleeve Arrow: An arrow concealed in the sleeve for secret attacks. The arrow is housed in a narrow tube containing a spring mechanism; pressing the trigger causes the concealed arrow to fly out, capable of wounding an enemy within thirty paces.

"So, that's what it is..." Qian Jin’s smile was tinged with bitterness. The Zhence Dynasty did have blacksmiths producing such things, but their power was far less formidable than imagined. Especially these high-speed sleeve arrows, they would struggle to hit a warrior above the Ninth Battle of Demon Subduing even at close range.

If the armor was forged from Iron Essence into Battle Garb, the propulsive force generated by the mechanism couldn't even penetrate well-made Battle Garb. However, for mages, these items were quite useful defensive tools. He might make some similar devices for (Bìluò) and (Luó Qīngqīng), female mages with less arm strength.

Flipping another page, Qian Jin's eyes lit up—Plum Blossom Sleeve Arrows! Unlike the single-shot sleeve arrows, this weapon held twelve projectiles in an applicator, each tube containing six smaller bores. The central one was the most powerful, surrounded by five slightly weaker ones. They could be fired individually, sequentially, or all at once.

"Pity the propulsion force is still limited..." Qian Jin laughed, but the hand holding the notes froze as he flipped to the second page, his pupils contracting to pinpricks.

The third page introduced methods to improve this propulsion force. It detailed an extremely complex system of linkages and forging techniques, utilizing several, sometimes over a dozen, minute mechanisms to significantly boost the firing power.

As he turned the pages, Qian Jin's expression grew increasingly grave. The records in the notes were clearly not those of a mere blacksmith. Starting in the middle sections, the projectiles were no longer purely mechanical; they were carved with different inscription arrays. Some smaller sleeve arrows even used magic cores and demon crystals as power sources, yielding penetrating power far superior to that of strong crossbows or powerful bolts.

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