It was then that Jiang Wang truly understood why even someone from a powerful clan like Chong Xuan Sheng expressed envy at the prospect of Lian Que forging a sword for him.

Merely from the sight of this sword furnace, it was clear the product would be absolutely extraordinary!

Within this sword forest, there was but a single furnace. And outside the furnace, not even a shed was present, as if it feared neither wind nor rain.

At this moment, besides Lian Que and Jiang Wang, no other souls were present. This furnace was clearly booked by Lian Que for the day.

Lian Que performed a set of complex ancient rituals before the sword furnace. He knelt, he prostrated, and his lips moved in a silent chant, displaying deep piety. This was likely a ritual inherent to the Lian clan before casting a sword, one not forced upon others.

Yet, Jiang Wang also followed suit, bowing three times with solemnity. The fire within this furnace was a remnant of an ancient, destroyed nation, a flame that had never been extinguished since their exodus from their homeland. This kind of heavy sentiment, spanning across the river of time, was worthy of his respect.

Once the ritual concluded, Lian Que rose and asked, “Have you given thought to what kind of sword you desire?”

Jiang Wang was taken aback by the question. Should this not be a matter for the forging master to consider?

Seeing his perplexed expression, Lian Que knew he had not yet decided. He shook his head and said, “This is *your* sword. It will grow to be your heart, your intent, your hand. You must first understand your hand, your intent, your heart.”

“First, sit here in meditation for a while, empty your body and mind.” Lian Que turned and walked towards the rear of the sword furnace. “I will just organize the materials once more.”

My hand, my intent… my heart?

Jiang Wang had walked this path by questioning his own heart, and he was very clear about what he wanted. He had always pressed forward with unwavering determination. But as for the type of sword he desired, he truly hadn’t given it any thought. It seemed to him that the stronger, the better. Sharp? Sturdy? Inscribed with extraordinary Dao techniques? Endowed with endless power?

He respected Lian Que’s authority as a forging master and, not caring whether the ground was clean, immediately sat down cross-legged and began to meditate, emptying his body and mind.

Lian Que, on the other side of the furnace, was stroking an ore. He turned his head and saw Jiang Wang had already entered samadhi, and couldn’t help but nod. Regardless of the reasons behind the self from the Heavenly Secret Realm surrendering his life plate, at least from the present perspective, the self in the Heavenly Secret Realm had not misjudged the person. This individual possessed both talent and nature of the highest caliber.

After Jiang Wang entered samadhi, he lost all concept of time, his mind clear. It was a mysterious feeling, like shedding a burden, his thoughts lucid. But this did not mean he lost his vigilance.

The sound of laughter and chatter suddenly reached his ears. A group of people had walked out of the sword array and approached the sword furnace. Jiang Wang opened his eyes and saw the young man leading the group greeting Lian Que, his tone neither warm nor cold: “Yo, Brother Lian Que, how come you’re here too?”

Lian Que did not seem like someone with a good temper, but for some reason, he wasn’t angry with this person. He merely said, “The sword furnace will be sealed for the next few days until I finish forging. Brother Lian Shao, if you all wish to view the sword furnace, I fear you’ll have to wait a while.”

Lian Shao had the typical appearance of someone from Nan Yao City; his skin was relatively dark, and he was tall and robust. His face was square and broad, his features considered upright. Of course, merely having upright features already made him infinitely more attractive than Lian Que.

“Forging a soldier with the ancient furnace, even for you, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To just give it away like this?” Lian Shao feigned surprise and turned to look at Jiang Wang, who was sitting in meditation on the ground. “May I ask who this sacred person is?”

He was asking knowingly.

Lian Que’s high-profile participation in the Heavenly Secret Realm, and his eventual return with nothing gained, had already spread throughout Nan Yao. Now, many people claimed that he had knelt and begged for mercy in the Heavenly Secret Realm, even offering up his life plate to preserve his life. The reason he was wholeheartedly forging a soldier for Jiang Wang was because this was the transaction reached within the Heavenly Secret Realm.

These words, disseminated by who knows whom, were impossible to refute. After all, no one remembered what happened inside the Heavenly Secret Realm, and the fact that Lian Que returned with nothing and surrendered his life plate was undeniable.

Lian Que wasn’t angry, and Jiang Wang wasn’t about to aggressively step forward. He simply sat cross-legged and said, “I am Jiang Wang, not counted among the sacred. Merely a friend of Brother Lian Que.”

“Ah, so it’s Brother Jiang. I’ve long admired your great name.” Lian Shao cupped his hand in a form of greeting and then laughed. “Many thanks for returning Brother Lian Que’s life plate! Truly a person of high moral integrity!”

Since the conclusion of the Heavenly Secret Realm, Jiang Wang was no longer an unknown figure in Qi Country. Firstly, he had pre-ordered a Divine Passage Inner Mansion, and secondly, he was a close friend of Chong Xuan Sheng. With just these two points, Lian Shao, unless foolish to a certain degree, would not provoke him without reason. His hostility was mostly directed towards Lian Que.

Jiang Wang shook his head. “Perhaps you are not yet familiar with me, but later you will all know me. I am not a person who likes to threaten others. If there is a grievance, I generally only consider life and death. The life plate must have simply been a token given to me by Brother Lian Que. I would of course not be shameless enough to use this to threaten him.”

From Lian Shao’s words, he realized the public opinion predicament Lian Que was currently facing, and felt it necessary to step forward and clarify the situation. Regardless of what happened inside the Heavenly Secret Realm, Lian Que was now wholeheartedly forging a sword for him. This was the right thing for him to do. Furthermore, he would be staying in Qi Country for a period of time, and it was necessary for the people of Qi Country to understand him a little. This speech served both to testify for Lian Que and to display his own attitude and strength.

On the contrary, Lian Que himself seemed unconcerned by this. He simply issued a faint command to leave: “Alright, Lian Shao, you can stay here until the forging begins. Now I will begin casting the sword immediately. According to the rules, you must all leave.”

Sarcasm was useless, and provocation received no response. Bringing up the family rules left Lian Shao with no further excuse to stay. He could only angrily lead his group away.

Jiang Wang watched the figures walk back through the sword array, somewhat thoughtful.

“You seem quite puzzled as to why my temper is so good?” Lian Que asked as he walked towards him.

Jiang Wang smiled awkwardly. “I am a little curious.”

“Lian Shao is not a bad person, in fact.” Lian Que walked over, formed a seal, and sealed the sword array. Then he said casually, “He is simply a pitiful person.”

Jiang Wang looked at him, expressing doubt.

“Only ten people in each generation of the Lian clan can control their own life plates. I am one of them. He is not.”

Lian Que said only this one sentence and offered no further explanation.

As early as the time he heard about the life plate outside the Heavenly Secret Realm, Jiang Wang felt a sense of unease. Regardless of the location, having control over one’s life and death in the hands of others was a tragic thing. The Lian clan was renowned, so why would they establish such a system? However, Lian Que showed no inclination to say more, and he also found it inconvenient to ask for details.

“Come over here and sit on the cushion to the left of the sword furnace,” Lian Que instructed, handing him a red, round stone the size of a baby’s fist. “Cover it with both hands and infuse it with your Dao Yuan.”

Jiang Wang naturally followed his instructions.

Lian Que explained, “This is a fire stone that corresponds to the sword furnace. The furnace itself has enough fire power. Having you infuse it with your Dao Yuan is simply so that in the process of forging, your sword will become more familiar with you, more attuned to your heart’s intent.”

“As you infuse your Dao Yuan, it is best to empty your mind and enter samadhi. This way, the infused Dao Yuan will be purer and better represent your inner heart. You can stop when your Dao Yuan is exhausted; there is no need to force it, and it will not affect my forging.”

He then added, “Of course, it will be better if you can persist for a little longer.”

Lian Que did not bring over a pile of Dao Yuan stones for Jiang Wang to replenish himself at any time. This was because, under normal circumstances, Dao Yuan stones could not instantly extract Dao Yuan; there had to be a process of regulating one’s breath. This process itself would interrupt the infusion of Dao Yuan.

Different trades had their specializations. In the matter of forging a sword, Jiang Wang unconditionally trusted Lian Que and did not self-righteously offer any suggestions or ideas. He was not so arrogant as to challenge the Lian clan’s thousand-year history of forging with his shallow knowledge. Whatever Lian Que said, he did.

He currently sat cross-legged on the cushion to the left of the sword furnace, closed his eyes, and entered samadhi. And his Dao Yuan continuously flowed towards the red, round stone in his palm.

Bang bang! Bang bang! Bang bang!

For a time, it seemed as if the entire heaven and earth were silent, save for the leaping flames of the furnace. It was unclear which influenced which, but slowly, the rhythm of the furnace fire began to overlap with his own heartbeat.