"Tsk! Really quite spineless!" Dong Guan laughed, "That Star's weapon is truly formidable, forged personally by the Divine Blacksmith of Earth City, and infused with three of the rarest, most precious ores. Just thinking about it makes one intensely jealous!" Dong Guan continued, "However, I am genuinely curious, this Hundred Battle Blade—did you really design it? Even Uncle Lu Tong, hailed as the Divine Blacksmith of Earth City, speaks of it with such high praise."

"That's right!" The others scrutinized me with equal curiosity: "For a long time now, I felt that kid Star wasn't simple." Long Qi murmured.

"What's not simple?" Long Zhan grumbled impatiently, "He's simply a monster."

"Heh heh." Long Xin also approached with an ill-intentioned smile, "Star, spit it out! Who in the world are you? Don't tell me you designed both the Hundred Battle Blade and that strange sword!"

"How could that be!" I hastily forced a dry laugh, "Do I look like the kind of genius who could do such things?"

"That's true," Long Xin muttered under her breath, though I heard her clearly enough, "tricked into joining the guild with just a few words; how smart can he really be."

This girl really knows how to diminish a person to nothing.

"Then tell us, who designed this blade and this sword?" Dong Guan, however, latched onto the crux of the matter, his expression grave and tense. Jin Hong and Long Xin beside him also looked at me with curiosity; it seemed they held great admiration for the genius capable of designing those two weapons. Sweat! It’s just a blade and a sword, why such a fuss? I grumbled internally, but I already had an answer prepared for this question, as Chen Feng had asked me the same thing before.

"The Hundred Battle Blade and the Fencing Rapier were designed by a senior master named Huang Yi." This statement was half-truth, half-lie. The Hundred Battle Blade was indeed designed by the great Master Huang Yi, but the Fencing Rapier was absolutely my own exclusive patent. Although the Rapier’s prototype was derived from a sword in my past life, I had made significant modifications based on that foundation, making it vastly different from the original. Still, to avoid further questions on this matter later, I decided to go all the way: "And my Hundred Battle Blade Technique and Fencing Sword Style were also taught to me by this very senior." There was no choice; to avoid unnecessary trouble, I had to drag Master Huang Yi into this again.

"Huang Yi?" Long Xin and the others instinctively glanced at each other, their faces blank: "Who? Never heard of him."

"Heh heh, he is an accomplished hermit master, someone ordinary people could never hope to know," I continued weaving my tale. Honestly, my skill at deception was growing ever more refined—it worked on Chen Feng, it worked on the Half-Beast Commander, and now it was proving airtight against the shrewd Long Xin and Long Qi.

"A hermit master." Long Xin and the others looked understanding: "That makes sense. With a mind like yours, how could you possibly design such formidable weapons."

Sigh! Being underestimated, yet what they said was undeniably the plain truth.

"Alright, since the truth of the matter has been clarified, we can finally rest easy!" Dong Guan looked utterly relieved, "We'll invite your Senior Huang Yi over to Uncle Lu Tong's place some other day for some tea and a chat, and we'll consider the matter settled."

"Ha! Tea and a chat!" I choked, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Don't forget," Dong Guan reminded me, "The Guild Leader promised Uncle Lu he could meet the master craftsman who designed the Hundred Battle Blade. Do you intend to make the Guild Leader a man of his word?" Dong Guan added, not forgetting to elaborate, "Let me tell you, even though Uncle Lu is just a blacksmith, his own cultivation has reached the peak level of a Scarlet Moon Warrior. Furthermore, he has a very fiery temper. If you manage to displease him, the consequences will be very, very severe." Dong Guan punctuated this by making an exaggerated expression of fear.

"Heavens! Making Huang Yi meet Lu Tong?" I could barely remain standing, "Th-this is impossible! Am I supposed to time-travel back to the modern era and invite Master Huang Yi over?!" I desperately wished I could just faint right then and there.

"What? Is there a difficulty?" Dong Guan asked tensely.

"Difficulty! A massive difficulty," I said with a wry smile, "Because I absolutely cannot find this Senior Huang Yi."

"What?" Dong Guan was astonished, "Didn't he teach you the sword and blade styles? You should have a very good relationship with him."

"That's true," I admitted helplessly, "The problem is, this senior is an elusive hermit, one whose trace is never seen—a divine dragon that shows its head but never its tail. I don't even know where he lives. How am I supposed to find him?" I was already regretting my lies, wondering why the repercussions always arrived so swiftly after I told a falsehood—it was the same with the Half-Beast Commander last time, and it was happening again now. Even so, I had to brace myself and maintain composure. If all else failed, I’d just have to pull a 'fleeing the scene' maneuver.

"This is troublesome!" Dong Guan murmured, "Uncle Lu's greatest lifelong wish is to collect divine weapons and masterful arms, and he has poured his entire being into creating the most perfect weapon. Before seeing the Hundred Battle Blade, he always believed himself to be the most outstanding weapon smith on the continent. Only after witnessing the blade did he realize that there is always someone better beyond the horizon. He claimed that anyone who could design this blade must be a genius smith even superior to him, and he is desperate to meet them immediately. And now you say it's impossible to meet him! What is to be done!" Dong Guan’s worry seemed utterly genuine.

"Is the matter truly that serious?" I asked, feeling a pang of guilt.

"It is very serious," Dong Guan's expression grew grim, "Uncle Lu's pursuit of unparalleled divine arms is beyond what ordinary people can imagine. Perhaps you don't know the secret, but I can tell you this much: to forge the strongest divine weapons, Uncle Lu will resort to any means necessary, sacrificing everything, even his own life, without hesitation!"

"........." I looked at Long Xin and the others in disbelief: "Is this true?"

"This?" Long Xin and the others, seeing Dong Guan's grave face, realized the situation was indeed escalating.

"Fine! Since none of you know, allow me to explain!" Dong Guan sighed slowly, "You must have heard the legend of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, haven't you!"

The Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword! My heart clenched. Wasn't that the extremely wicked sword from the legends? I remembered from playing Legend in the past that if someone equipped the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, they literally couldn't take it off. In other words, players wielding it couldn't even switch weapons unless the sword's durability ran out, at which point it would vanish. Because of this, many players who possessed the sword needed special items like War God Oil or Repair Oil to maintain it, otherwise, they could only watch its durability drop until it disappeared entirely. Moreover, the sword's attributes were terrifying; I still vividly remember them: Weight 22, Durability 23/23, Accuracy +1, Attack 15-10, Magic 4-3, Taoism 4-2. Cannot be unequipped after being worn. Only War God Oil or Repair Oil can be used for maintenance. It was no exaggeration to call the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword the most wicked weapon in Legend. I just wondered what extraordinary attributes this world's version possessed.

"The Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword!" Long Xin and the others' expressions changed drastically: "Do you mean! The sword spoken of in legend that brought countless bloodshed and slaughter, also known as the Sword of Vengeance?"

"Yes!" Dong Guan's face was solemn, "This terrifying demonic sword was forged by Lu Zhi, the founding ancestor of the Artisan Sect. Legend says that to create a perfect blade, the ancestor Lu Zhi spent over twenty years traversing every mine on the Fama Continent to gather the Hundred Essence Stone. He then spent ten more years collecting the three most precious ores in the world: the Diamond Core, the Mithril Soul, and the Black Iron Essence Soul. Only then did he begin the forging. Even before this sword was released from the furnace, it caused heroes across the continent to rise up. At that time, Mo Yanru, the City Lord of Sabak, along with the two strongest noble families, the Zi and Lan clans, and the three strongest guilds—Qilin, Vermillion Bird, and Azure Dragon—and the Four Great Gates—Tiger Howl, Dragon Abyss, Eagle Truth, and Bear Power—all gathered in Dan City, just to witness the birth of the divine weapon."

"However, the forging process lasted a full forty-nine days, yet the divine weapon refused to emerge. It was then that Lu Zhi lamented, saying that the birth of a divine weapon must be drawn out by the refined blood of one whose heart holds the utmost sincerity, in order to break open the furnace. How many truly sincere people are there in this world? I, Lu Zhi, have dedicated my life to the path of sword forging; I consider my will firm and my heart utterly sincere. Thus, let my own refined blood be the guide, and let this sword break free!" Having spoken, Lu Zhi unhesitatingly leaped into the roaring furnace. Indeed, after Lu Zhi jumped in, the treasured sword, which had been tempered for forty-nine days in the fiery furnace, finally exploded forth, shooting into the sky. It is said that upon the sword's emergence, all weapons within a thousand miles of Dan City let out a strange, low hum, and then simultaneously shattered. This was supposedly because the weapon souls of all surrounding arms were devoured by this newly born divine weapon, causing the spirit-less weapons to automatically break into two pieces.

"After the divine weapon appeared, the great experts waiting nearby became restless, eager to seize it. So, following the rules Lu Zhi established before his death, they let the weapon choose its own master; only by gaining the divine weapon's approval could one hold it."

"To everyone's surprise, after circling a few times in the sky, the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword chose an inconspicuous young man among the crowd as its master, flying directly into his hand."

"The experts present could not accept this reality and immediately began fighting to snatch the divine weapon. But to everyone's shock, the youth, originally of mediocre skill, wielding the divine weapon, proceeded to kill every expert who tried to seize it. Even Mo Yanru, the City Lord of Sabak of that generation, died at the hands of the youth holding the divine weapon. After that, no one ever tried to take the youth's divine weapon again. This youth became the later renowned 'Scarlet Blood,' whom the people of the Wandering Hero world called the Scarlet Blood Demon Lord. And that divine weapon became known as the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword due to its connection with the Demon Lord."

"Many people did not understand why the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword chose the then-mediocre Scarlet Blood. It was only later, when Lu Tong's grandfather—Lu Zhi's greatest disciple at the time—spoke of the words Lu Zhi had uttered before entering the furnace, that they understood why the sword chose Scarlet Blood as its master. Because the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword was drawn forth by the blood of utmost sincerity, it was, therefore, a sword of ultimate sincerity. Only when someone's heart is filled with an extreme obsession would the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword acknowledge them as its master."

"Thus, many tried to discover what kind of person Scarlet Blood had been in the past, only to find that he was a pitiful man burdened by a blood feud, who had also sworn a vicious oath: that if his great revenge was fulfilled, he would give up everything—his life, even his soul."

"As expected, soon after, relying on the divine weapon's power, Scarlet Blood killed all his former enemies. Afterward, he used the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword to kill himself, fulfilling his promise at the cost of his own life."

"Subsequently, the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword passed through many hands over time, yet every owner gained the sword's assistance to finally achieve their desire because of some intense obsession they held. However, what these owners did shared a striking similarity: revenge. For the sake of revenge, they would pay any price. Consequently, the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword later became known as the Sword of Vengeance. Every time the sword appeared, it stirred up storms of blood and carnage across the continent, costing countless lives. Yes, among those who died by the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword were not only the owners' enemies but also many innocent people. Most notoriously, sixty years ago, Yun City in the entire Meng Zhong region was massacred, residents and enemies alike, by the sword wielder who had lost all reason, causing a global shock."

"The Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, regardless of righteousness or evil, would grant its aid to anyone whose heart held true sincerity, thereby fulfilling their wish. But what was required as payment was one's most precious life. However, once a person is driven to the point where they no longer value their own life, how can they spare a thought for the lives of others? Burned by the flames of hatred, controlled by intense killing intent, how can one distinguish good from evil, right from wrong? Thus, every generation of avengers, after obtaining the terrifying power of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, completely ignited the dark aspects within their hearts. Beyond revenge, there was only boundless slaughter, for only killing could quell the rage fueled by hatred. Therefore, every appearance of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword was inevitably followed by the demise of countless innocent lives."

"No one expected that the sword forged by the sincere Lu Zhi would turn out to be such a terrifying demonic blade. Consequently, Lu Zhi’s disciples in the Artisan Sect felt deep regret. Starting with Uncle Lu Tong's grandfather, they constantly tried to forge a divine weapon capable of defeating the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword to quell the disaster brought about by their ancestor. During this time, Uncle Lu Tong’s grandfather and father endured hardships and efforts unimaginable to ordinary people, successively forging two weapons in an attempt to counter the Demonic Sword's terrifying power. These two weapons were one, the Blade of Destiny, representing the mandate of heaven, betting one's life against fate, entrusting everything to heaven's judgment, with the only thing the wielder could do being to possess enough courage to endure that judgment. In a sense, this was fear and submission to the terrible power of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword; precisely because there was no sufficient certainty of overcoming the sword's demonic nature, the warrior who accepted the Blade of Destiny could only yield everything to fate, using their own life as a wager to challenge the Demonic Sword. This is why the sword was called the Blade of the Fated."

"And the one wielding this sword had to possess sufficient courage to dare stake their life, which is why the Blade of Destiny was also called the Sword of Courage by the wandering heroes."

"At that time, Lu Hang, Lu Tong's grandfather, once said that if one became the master of the Blade of Destiny, they must bear the mission of destroying the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword. Lu Hang also admitted frankly that the Blade of Destiny contained extremely powerful force, but this force was not strong enough to defeat the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword outright. Therefore, the warrior wielding the Blade of Destiny was not guaranteed victory even when facing the Demonic Sword, and the consequence of failure was certainly death—this prospect alone scared away many experts. Yet, someone still bravely shouldered this arduous mission. He was Tan Ru, the first owner of the Blade of Destiny. Unfortunately, three years later, Tan Ru was defeated and killed in a duel against Ling Xiao, who held the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, and the Blade of Destiny was returned to the Artisan Sect to await its second master. Perhaps in line with the fate represented by the Blade of Destiny, every time the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword reappeared, a brave warrior wielding the Blade of Destiny would always challenge it, but every instance ended in defeat and death, without exception. And until the seventh warrior of the Blade of Destiny, Huan Long, fought Kaga, the wielder of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, Huan Long was slain, and the Blade of Destiny subsequently disappeared."

"Lu Hang always wished to forge a weapon even stronger than the Blade of Destiny to counter the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, but regrettably, this wish remained unfulfilled until his death."

"However, Lu Hang's son, Lu Xing—Uncle Lu Tong's father—inherited his father's will after his death and continued the Artisan Sect's forging mission. Finally, in his sixtieth year, he forged another unparalleled divine weapon. Lu Xing named it the Blade of Prayer. Yes, Lu Xing was praying to the heavens, hoping this sword could bring an end to the disaster caused by the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword. In a way, he was like his father; Lu Xing lacked full confidence in imbuing the Blade of Prayer with greater power. But through testing, Lu Xing felt the Blade of Prayer's power should be much stronger than the Blade of Destiny. Yet, whether it could truly defeat the terrifying Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword, Lu Xing had no absolute certainty, so he could only pray for heaven's blessing."

"Regrettably, although the power of the Blade of Prayer was significantly stronger than the Blade of Destiny, it was still no match for the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword. The first wielder, Yun Shang, was still defeated by the Demonic Sword's holder and his fate remains unknown, with the Blade of Prayer vanishing along with him."