CLANK!
A deafening impact thundered across the obsidian ptform as the colossal hammer, twice the size of the Cháng Dāo, crashed down onto the Celestial Ore.
The shockwave reverberated through the ground, causing the entire ptform to tremble violently, sending ripples across its mirror-bck surface that reflected the crimson glow of the forge like dark water.
Countless mechanical hammers dangled from chains above, their metallic bodies cttering noisily in a discordant symphony, swaying like macabre wind chimes against the cavernous ceiling where shadows danced in the flickering firelight.
CLANK!
Another earth-shattering blow nded, the quaking intensifying beneath Ji Wuye's feet. The acrid tang of heated metal filled his nostrils, mixing with the sulfurous undertones from the forge as he inhaled sharply through clenched teeth.
Ji Wuye, his crimson pupils narrowed beneath furrowed brows, wielded the immense hammer with unrelenting force, the corded muscles in his arms straining against the fabric of his sleeves.
His long white hair trailed behind him like a ghostly banner, occasionally whipping across his sweat-slicked face when he pivoted for the next strike, a stark contrast against the charred ash-colored martial robe threaded with glowing golden embers that clung to his powerful frame.
The Celestial Ore, radiating an otherworldly star-like white glow, slowly yielded to the thunderous onsught, its resilient outer shell gradually fttening into a long rectangur form.
CLANK!
With each strike, bluish-white sparks danced through the air like freed spirits, flickering like cosmic fireflies before dissipating into nothingness.
"Ftten the ore now," once again, a resounding voice commanded, reverberating across the vast ptform like a cp of thunder.
However, Ji Wuye paused mid-motion, his arm raised, a tongs in his other hand gripping the half-formed, irregurly fttened Celestial Ore.
Instead of proceeding, he turned his gaze towards the roaring forge, its hungry fmes licking at the air like the tongues of ravenous beasts.
SWOOSH!
He returned the misshapen ore to the forge's hungry fmes. The intense heat surged. The fmes greedily engulfed the imperfect creation, causing it to glow fiercely with the same deep blue hue it had before, momentarily painting Ji Wuye's calm features in ethereal cobalt light, highlighting the sheen of exertion on his skin.
"Put the ore back in the forge," the voice resounded again, a fraction too te to be of any use.
Ji Wuye did not heed the command in the expected manner. Instead, he grip on the tongs against the dark metal, he carefully pulled the glowing Celestial Ore back out of the forge.
CLANK!
Once again, the massive hammer struck the Celestial Ore with a heavy blow. This time, he meticulously rotated the fttened piece with a subtle twist of his wrists.
His eyes tracked invisible measurements, ensuring the shape became perfectly even and symmetrical. The cycle of heating, hammering, and reheating continued in a relentless rhythm.
When the fttening process was complete, Ji Wuye moved on to the subsequent steps: tapering the bde, then the hardening process, finally, he began grinding and sharpening it to perfection.
Bluish sparks fred with each meticulous stroke, dancing across his ash-covered forearms like ephemeral tattoos before fading into nothingness.
...
THUD!
Eventually, after the passage of eight incense sticks burned away—Ji Wuye colpsed onto the vast obsidian ptform. His knees struck the stone with a dull thud, followed by his palms spping against the heated surface as he tried to catch himself.
“Ha…ha…ha…” His body finally succumbed to the toll of his exertions, muscles quivering like plucked strings beneath his skin.
For the first time, his chest heaved visibly beneath the charred ash-colored martial robe, the golden ember threads pulsing erratically with each bored breath.
His long white hair was damp with sweat, tangled strands clinging to his neck and temples like pale serpents while others spyed across the dark stone floor in stark contrast to the obsidian ptform.
A few locks stuck to his parted lips as he gasped for air. His sharp jawline became more pronounced as beads of perspiration traced its contour and dripped onto the floor with barely audible plinks, accentuating the chiseled features of his face now sckened in exhaustion.
His crimson pupils flickered behind half-closed lids, diting and narrowing with each ragged breath like dying embers.
"This... is really hard," he muttered, his mouth hanging open as he spoke the words aloud. His gaze drifted upwards, fixing on the high ceiling of the massive Varkos main anvil workshop.
The distant drip of cooling water from quenching basins punctuated the retive silence, a stark contrast to the cacophony of metalwork that had filled the space moments before.
Perhaps it was due to Varkos, the effort had left him completely drained. He hadn't felt this utterly exhausted—not even during his battles against the Bck Thunder Emperor or the Windbde Emperor.
"Perhaps it's because, unlike in battle, I have no skills that helped me," Ji Wuye admitted softly.
He took a deep, steadying breath before straightening his posture to sit upright, his muscles protesting the movement with sharp pangs that radiated from his lower back to his shoulders. The charred fabric of his robe crackled as it pulled away from his sweat-soaked skin.
Before him, resting atop the anvil, was the weapon he had forged. Steam still rose from its cooling surface in ghostly wisps, carrying the unique scent of worked Celestial Ore—something like ozone after a lightning strike mixed with the crisp crity of mountain air.
Presented before him was a monolithic sb of metal, hammered relentlessly and shaped roughly into the form of a greatsword.
Its deep blue hue shimmered faintly under the forge's flickering light, revealing subtle patterns within the metal that seemed to shift and move like stars in a night sky.
The bde's edges were far from perfectly smooth—jagged in pces, uneven in others—and a shallow fuller ran down its center.
Yes, of course—a greatsword.
Ji Wuye grasped the weapon firmly, his calloused fingers wrapping around the hilt. It felt neither light nor heavy in his hands, a peculiar bance that defied expectation. Slowly, reverently, he raised the greatsword, his arm muscles bulging, veins standing prominent. And then—
SWOOSH!
Ji Wuye swung the newly forged greatsword in a single vertical ssh. The bde hummed through the air with an otherworldly resonance, like the death song of a distant star. A thunderous shockwave tore through the air.
The weapon cleaved through space with such violence that the heated air around the bde's edge shimmered and distorted, leaving a faint blue afterimage in its wake.
The vertical ssh connected with the obsidian ptform beneath him with a sound like reality itself being torn asunder—a deep, perfectly hewn imprint appeared in the dense stone, edges gssy and molten where molecur bonds had been severed rather than broken.
At that exact moment, a transparent screen flickered into existence before his eyes:
===========================
[>>[Great Sword]<<]
Type: Weapon
"A bde not crafted, but beaten into submission. A weapon not refined, but born from raw chaos."
Forged using Celestial Ore—a material revered among ancient cultivators as the "Tears of the Fallen Stars"—this exceptional weapon is unmatched in strength.
Celestial Ore, an ultra-rare metal believed to descend from the void between worlds, is said to be the fractured remnants of dead stars. These celestial bodies, once bzing brilliantly in the heavens, fell to the mortal realm after losing their divine purpose.
The forging process imbues the weapon with extraordinary durability, rendering it nearly indestructible. The greatsword's raw power allows it to shatter weaker weapons effortlessly in battle, standing as a testament both to its ethereal origins and to the skill of its maker.
===========================
Ji Wuye's narrow crimson eyes widened almost imperceptibly as they scanned the screen, the text reflecting in miniature within his pupils.
His heart subtly quickened with each word, the pulse at his throat visibly jumping beneath sweat-slicked skin. 'Cultivators, celestial bodies, and stly...' His thought trailed off.
It was different. A stark difference. Compared to the lore of the jian he had forged under Titan Lord Igrion in the previous timeline—which only offered just two pin sentences of mundane description—this greatsword's lore provided him with a glimpse of something far deeper.
"It's really interesting," he murmured, the deep wrinkles on his brow loosening as his lips curved ever so slightly upward. The subtle smile softened the harsh lines carved by exhaustion, momentarily transforming his severe countenance.
His crimson pupils, almost glimmering with intrigue, caught the blue reflections from the bde as his gaze dropped to the greatsword he held.
Gripping the unrefined handle with both calloused palms until veins bulged prominently from his hands and forearms like twisted roots beneath his skin, Ji Wuye readied himself.
His stance widened instinctively, feet pnted shoulder-width apart on the cracked obsidian. He drew a deep breath that expanded his chest, the charred fabric of his robe pulling taut across his shoulders as he centered his weight. The next moment—
BANG!
With all of his physical strength—and not a trace of his formidable Qi, deliberately withheld like a tiger restraining its true power—he swung the greatsword downward in a perfect arc, letting it crash into the anvil.
The ptform, already riddled with spiderweb-like cracks, shuddered violently as the gaps between the fractures widened with audible groans. New fissures erupted outward from the point of impact, creating even greater, jagged chasms that spider-webbed outward like lightning frozen in stone.
The impact sent tremors rippling outward in waves through the very foundation of the structure, causing the entire fortress to shake like a beast awakening from slumber.
Dust and small debris rained down from the distant ceiling, glittering like dark stars in the forge light. Behind the anvil, the massive forge groaned in protest. The streams of white molten magma it continuously poured began to spill and spsh out from their channels in a visceral dispy of raw elemental power.
Yet Ji Wuye's crimson pupils stayed fixed on the aftermath of his swing, sharp and unblinking despite the chaos erupting around him. A faint trail of white-blue smoke curled zily off the edge of the greatsword where it had struck the anvil.
"As expected," he said with a nod.
The anvil itself was completely unscathed—untouched by the blow. Not a scratch blemished its surface. But the surroundings—cracked, fractured, and trembling—told a different story.
Indestructible.
That was the conclusion Ji Wuye reached, his gaze fixed on the greatsword he held aloft. It was the very thing that made the effect of Varkos’s forge so unique. “And now for the st step…”
