Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Forging

Suddenly hugged by Li Shuang, Luo Ming Yue was caught off guard.

Li Shuang’s eyes shone as she said with a smile: “First Senior Sister, you’re so nice.”

Luo Ming Yue felt flattered. [I… I had some thoughts I should not have, yet Li Shuang still says I’m nice?]

With curved brows and steady tone, Li Shuang said: “Those thoughts are not your own, First Senior Sister. You don’t need to feel troubled.”

Her firm words eased Luo Ming Yue’s heart. Luo Ming Yue had told the truth earlier; it was just hard to get over that hurdle inside. But since Li Shuang trusted her so much, the worry vanished.

Tilting her head, Li Shuang asked softly: “So, First Senior Sister, does that mean you don’t need to walk with me anymore?”

Luo Ming Yue coughed and waved: “No need, no need! I’ll go back to watch the fun with those people from Ling Xu Peak. Junior Sister, go handle your own things.”

She could not hide her gloating, which made Li Shuang laugh.

As Luo Ming Yue left in high spirits, warmth rose in Li Shuang’s chest. Those ten years were when she doubted herself the most. At the same time, she even started to doubt this world. But the people of Emotionless Peak made her understand that the Mortal Realm is worth it.

Liu Jun Cheng leaned closer and asked in a low voice: “First Senior Sister, why did Junior Sister suddenly hug you?”

Jiang Yi also looked over, unable to hide her curiosity.

Feeling smug, Luo Ming Yue said: “Isn’t that normal? What about you two? Has Junior Sister not hugged you? Maybe your bond isn’t deep enough.”

Liu Jun Cheng raised a brow and said calmly: “In the Langya Secret Realm, Junior Sister gave me a gift. And you? Did Junior Sister give you one? Maybe your bond isn’t deep enough.”

Both of them looked at Jiang Yi.

Flustered, Jiang Yi held it in for a long while before squeezing out two words: “Childish!”

Luo Ming Yue and Liu Jun Cheng ignored her and kept arguing about who Li Shuang liked more, the Senior Sister or the Senior Brother. Jiang Yi’s face darkened. [They really are too childish! I may be the youngest, but I would never do something so silly. Yes, never!]

Not knowing she had sparked their childish contest, Li Shuang had already reached the forge rooms.

She handed over her Sect Token and said to the disciple on duty: “Rent a Class C chamber.”

The disciple took the token and said politely: “Class C chambers are rented in three day blocks. One rental costs 5 Contribution Points.”

Li Shuang said without hesitation: “I’ll rent three days first.”

The disciple nodded: “The Contribution Points have been deducted. Your room is C-5. Senior Sister, you can head there now. Your information is recorded, so you can open the door with your token.”

“Thank you,” Li Shuang said.

Inside the sect, almost everything required Contribution Points, but she still had plenty for now.

This was not her first time here. She went straight to room C-5, pressed the token into the slot by the door, and the door opened on its own. Heat rushed over her face.

Deep underground, a fire vein was channeled here. A Sword Sect Elder refined it into different grades to meet different needs. Class C chambers could forge First to Third Tier swords. Class B chambers could forge Fourth to Sixth Tier swords. Class A chambers could forge Seventh and Eighth Tier swords. As for the legendary Ninth Tier, other methods were needed. Even at full power, this earth fire could not melt Ninth Tier materials.

There were basically two ways to forge a Ninth Tier sword. First, a cultivator with a top grade Fire Spiritual Root, who, after reaching the Tribulation Crossing Stage, could use their own flame to handle Ninth Tier materials. Second, if one lacked a Fire Spiritual Root, one had to find the legendary Heavenfire to help.

Of course, these were still too far away for Li Shuang. Her goal now was to upgrade the Black Abyss Sword to Second Tier.

A steady earth fire burned day and night in C-5. All kinds of tools were neatly arranged and ready to use. But Li Shuang did not start right away. She sat cross legged in a corner and set out the Black Abyss Sword with the chosen upgrade materials.

Perched on Li Shuang’s shoulder, Li Li looked tense. [Am I about to advance?]

Li Shuang closed her eyes. Locking onto the Black Abyss Sword and the materials with her spiritual sense, she silently willed: [Use the Black Abyss Sword plus Second Tier Frostforged Stone, Second Tier Keen Gold Ore… and one bottle of Spirit-Tempering Water to exchange for a perfectly forged Second Tier Black Abyss Sword!]

She could not help but pray a little in her heart. The Heaven and Earth Furnace had said it clearly: everything in heaven and earth could be exchanged. So far that seemed true. As long as she paid the price, there was nothing the Heaven and Earth Furnace could not exchange.

[Can the Heaven and Earth Furnace skip the forging and directly fuse the Black Abyss Sword with the materials to make a Second Tier Black Abyss Sword?] If it could, then in the future, as long as she gathered materials, the sword’s upgrades would never be a problem again. Sometimes skill was harder to get than materials. Across the Nanlan Continent, many could collect Ninth Tier materials, yet few had Ninth Tier artifacts. It was not that they did not want to upgrade, but that there was no suitable master smith. The same went for alchemists. High level alchemists were rare, so high level pills always stayed expensive. If the Heaven and Earth Furnace could skip the process and hand out finished items, [that would be heaven defying.]

As Li Shuang waited, words appeared from the Heaven and Earth Furnace: “Values are not equal. Success rate is ninety three percent.”

Her eyes flickered. She checked again. The two sides still differed by 100 Value Points. She added one top grade spirit stone. Now the values matched.

“Values are equal. Success rate is one hundred percent.”

“Choose: 1) The furnace forges directly. 2) The furnace guides, and you complete it yourself.”

With equal value, the furnace gave her two options. One was to let it finish the job and skip the forging. The other was to have the furnace guide her so she could forge a perfectly crafted Second Tier sword herself.

Li Shuang chose without much thought: “Option 2. The furnace guides, and I do it myself.”

The instant she decided, knowledge poured into her mind, and she stood up as if moved by an unseen hand. She was already good enough to forge a Second Tier sword. But now, as she looked at the materials, she felt something strange, like a door opening.

She stepped forward and took a lump of Five-Color Clay with practiced ease. This common material worked as a binder in forging. She already knew how to process it, but this time, many new details appeared in her mind.