Tianyu Stone? Qian Jin had heard of it in a lecture. Even if all of this massive Flowing Cloud Stone before him were used, it wouldn't be enough to trade for one piece of Tianyu Stone the size of a human head. That stone was rumored to be capable of reviving weapons on the verge of death from severe injuries.

But such Tianyu Stones were very fragile, and each use caused significant depletion. Therefore, even the great clans of Bloodline Warriors generally did not use Tianyu Stones lightly.

Qian Jin poured the water he had prepared next to the stone over the Flowing Cloud Stone. Holding the hilt in one hand and the blade in the other, he carefully placed the Tianlu Sword onto the Flowing Cloud Stone and began recalling the Edge-Washing technique he had learned.

For those who only knew the sharpening technique, the Tianlu Sword was indeed dead. But for those who knew the Edge-Washing Art, the Tianlu Sword was still alive!

Clang! Metal scraped against water as it slid across the whetstone, and Fabredis’s heart lurched violently as he watched the Tianlu Sword in Qian Jin’s hands with intense tension.

For Fabredis, this was a gamble! Over the years, every time he saw the Tianlu Sword fall in battle beside him, his heart ached fiercely. Many times he had considered risking everything to re-sharpen it.

As the sword's master, Fabredis could sense his War Weapon; it would rather have its blade shattered than lie dormant on the display rack as if dead.

Gamble! Fabredis had never been able to make up his mind. Facing Qian Jin at that moment, a sudden surge of confidence flooded him—he had to take the chance, no matter the outcome!

With every friction between the blade and the Flowing Cloud Stone, Fabredis's heart clenched painfully, fearing that the next scrape would bring about the final farewell of his War Weapon in shards.

Clang…… Clang…… Clang……

The grating sound of metal against stone continued unabated. A woman, dressed in a pure white, long, one-piece gown and as still as an ice sculpture, had somehow appeared next to Fabredis. She lightly grasped the skirt of her dress, and for the first time, a hint of anxiety flickered in her eyes.

“Is it really… can the Tianlu Sword truly be revived?” As time wore on, Fabredis lost more and more confidence. Even the Red Robe Elders of the Blacksmith Guild, even with Tianyu Stone, might not be able to bring the Tianlu Sword back. After all, reviving a truly dead War Weapon was immensely difficult. How could he have placed his trust in this young warrior trainee?

The sun had moved from morning into noon; wisps of cooking smoke were already rising from the chimneys of many houses in the city.

A flash of sword light, so sharp it seemed capable of wounding people in mid-air, suddenly reflected the fierce midday sun off the Flowing Cloud Stone, causing the courtyard, which had been moderately warm, to instantly drop several degrees in temperature.

“Haha! Success!” Qian Jin flicked his wrist. The six-level Battle Qi poured into the Tianlu Sword, and he immediately felt a sense of seamless pleasure, like a fish returning to water. This was completely different from the Battle Qi conduction felt when gripping a blacksmith’s hammer.

“Alive… alive… it’s really alive…” Fabredis stared blankly at the Tianlu Sword, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted the battle sword back. He gently kissed it, then poured his Battle Qi into it, only to freeze in shock: “This…”

“How is this possible?” Fabredis stared at the Tianlu Sword in his hands, utterly stunned. So many master smiths had examined it and declared it truly dead. Even the Red Robe Elders of the Blacksmith Guild had stated that the Tianlu Sword was irrevocably finished, impossible to revive by any means!

It was actually revived! A War Weapon, pronounced dead by the Blacksmith Guild—the most authoritative body in the world when it came to metalworking—was brought back to life in the hands of a young warrior, a mere fifth-rank blacksmith!

The woman, whose eyes usually showed disinterest in everything, revealed a flicker of curiosity for the first time. Hadn't the Tianlu Sword come back to life? Why was her father stunned? Could it be that the Tianlu Sword was only falsely revived?

“This… how is this possible?” Fabredis’s rigid expression instantly transformed into ecstatic joy: “Heavens! Tianlu has advanced! That’s right! I can feel it, my War Weapon is stronger than before! Because this re-edging has made it stronger than at any time previously! Qian Jin, Qian Jin, how did you do it?”

Fabredis was so excited he nearly fainted. Reviving the Tianlu Sword felt like a dream come true! Someone had resurrected a dead War Weapon and actually improved its quality in the process! Was this kid a Divine Craftsman? He must be insane! Otherwise, how could the sword have come back to life? That group at the Blacksmith Guild weren't fools!

Stronger? Qian Jin stared blankly at the Tianlu Sword. Could the Edge-Washing technique increase a weapon’s rank? Or was it the influence of this Flowing Cloud Stone? It seemed he needed to find time to ask Uncle Black about this.

“Uncle Fabredis…” Qian Jin rubbed his stomach, changing the subject, “Well, I’ve been working all morning, and I’m hungry.”

“Hungry?” Fabredis immediately slapped his forehead, “Yes, yes, that’s my oversight! Come, come, let me treat you properly. Qian Jin, you resurrected Tianlu for me. How can I ever thank you?”

The woman in plain clothes followed closely behind Qian Jin, her gaze thoughtful, fixed solely on his retreating figure as he entered the room.

Qian Jin, how should I thank you?

Offering gold coins seems too vulgar. Perhaps I should simply take you on as my apprentice? I believe you will have the opportunity to surpass me in the future and take over my role as the Guardian of Oakland!

Not interested? Then perhaps I can recommend you to the Warrior Guild later?

Or maybe…

Qian Jin shook his head repeatedly with a wry smile. He had already turned down Fabredis’s offers of reward more than ten times just for this single meal. Although he had explained to Fabredis that reviving the Tianlu Sword was entirely due to being moved by his spirit as a warrior, Fabredis kept proposing alternatives.

Fabredis was beside himself with joy that the Tianlu Sword was restored! If he were a woman, he would gladly marry Qian Jin right then and there as repayment!

The moment his hand closed around the Tianlu Sword, Fabredis felt that sensation of blood connection once more. He even felt an urge to take Tianlu to the Human-Demon Battlefield, slay ten or eight Demon race heads, and let the long-dormant and starving Tianlu Sword taste that long-missed fresh blood!

To lose Tianlu was like a man losing an arm.

What did losing an arm feel like? Over these years, Fabredis had blamed himself countless times for the Tianlu Sword's demise, waking up repeatedly from nightmares of regret.

Now, Tianlu was alive again! How could Fabredis not be overjoyed?

Qian Jin finished the most extravagant lunch he’d had since arriving in Oakland, gently patting his slightly bloated stomach. As a warrior, he should only eat until he was eight-tenths full; overeating was bad for the body. But the lunch was simply too delicious, and for a moment, he couldn't control himself.

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