Chapter 32
Great Opportunity
Chu Shen was bare chested inside the forgery. His eyes were closed as he concentrated. Opening his eyes he started a fire underneath the forge. The fire was a deep purple with hints of blue on the outside of the flame.
This flame was a special flame that could only be started using the ‘Hundred Year Old Iron Wood Tree’. It was the best type of flame to be used to refine low grade treasures.
The metal on the forge gradually melted until it was a liquid. Carefully Chu Shen poured out the metal into a cast of a sword. The metal cooled and slowly the sword was visible. He took out the sword blade and placed it back on the forge and heated it up,
Taking out his forging hammer he struck downwards with the hammer, pounding out the swords impurities and hardening it. After it was pounded out flat enough he folded the sword over itself. He repeated the process ten times, making the blade over 100 times stronger than before.
After the metal was folded over he once again shaped it into the blade of a sword and placed it inside another cast. This cast also had a sword handle sticking out of it.Then he began working on another piece of metal. The metal was even harder than that of the blade.
He repeated the same process as he had done with the other blade. Then he placed the melted metal in the same cast as the other, covering the sword with the second, harder metal and placed the top of the cast over it. Then he poured all of the metal out into it and sealed the cast.
Chu Shen waited for 30 minutes while carefully listening and watching the cast. Eventually he undid the cast and peered inside. The outer covering and the inner part of the sword had successfully bonded together and had also bonded with the sword handle.
Chu Shen had finally forged a Low-Tier Martial Weapon, or at least it would be if he could set the inscription on it right. Gathering up some materials he set them up inside a beaker and boiled them. Eventually the materials melted down to become a gold metallic ink.
Using the ink Chu Shen drew several mystical runes on the sword. Biting his tongue he concentrated fiercely on the runes. If anything went severely wrong they could explode and damage Chu Shen’s soul.
After a while Chu Shen put down the ink. As soon as he put it down the ink flashed a bright gold color making it look like the sun. Then the runes faded into the black steel of the sword, becoming invisible to the eye.
Studying the sword and the ripples of power emanating from it Chu Shen nodded. It was indeed a Low-Tier Martial Weapon. As he was inspecting the sword a door opened in the forge before someone walked in.
It was Master Lang. Upon seeing him Chu Shen bowed slightly. “Master Lang, I have finished the sword.” Chu Shen was indeed surprised once he found out that Master Lang was a teacher at the academy. The way he found out was indeed a little weird.
Upon entering the Artificing Cla.s.s they had everyone craft their best weapon. When they saw Chu Shen create a High-Tier Mortal Weapon they immediately sent him to an advanced cla.s.s for geniuses. He was the only student in the cla.s.s and when his teacher walked in he saw it was indeed Master Lang.
Master Lang was surprised at Chu Shen being in his cla.s.s. Didn"t his disciple not know how to use inscriptions?However, when Master Lang found out that he could now inscribe inscriptions he was overjoyed. He knew that Chu Shen had his reasons for not telling him sooner and didn"t pry. He started teaching Chu Shen in earnest and provided the best materials.
Master Lang looked at the sword and nodded. “The sword and inscription match each other very well. The hard outside will make it exceedingly sharp and strong. The soft inside will absorb shocks and allow it to bend instead of break. Altogether it is a very fine sword.”
“However, there are still some flaws in your purification methods and your control over the ‘Iron Flame’ is lacking. Study those in your own time. Now, besides your forging I can tell you have reached the 10th level of the Dragon Stage, correct?”
“Yes Master I have. I reached it yesterday so I still have to stabilize my cultivation level.”
“Excellent. You’ve only been at the Majestic Sword Academy for a month and a half and already at the peak of the Dragon stage. In that case you will indeed go. There is a special opportunity that I have prepared for you to go. Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion?”
“No Master I have not. Is it a store?”
“No it’s not a store but rather a trial area. Every five years a mysterious pavilion appears on a certain mountain peak for a day. No one knows where it comes from but everyone knows of it. Anyone may go in and can choose items from Heavenly Treasure Pavilion but be warned, it is not as simple as choosing random items.”
“Upon selecting a treasure there will be a trial you must pa.s.s before you take it. If you fail the trial you will be immediately rejected from the pavilion and instead lose your chance to gain more items, if you choose a trial you cannot handle you may even lose your life. The more powerful the item the harder the trial so be careful in what you choose.”
“It sounds interesting Master but what has that got to do with me?”
“Well Chu Shen, the Majestic Sword Academy along with the Chu Sect laid claim to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Every five years the allow the top 5 most talented students of the academy from every grade to enter. Since there are five grades that is a total of 25 students that will enter the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.”
“As you know you are the most talented of the Freshmen this year so you will be going. It will be open in another week and they will be announcing it privately to the students that have been selected so get ready.”
“Yes master. Thank you for the warning.”
“It was actually my job.”
“Thank you anyways. Excuse me master but I must deliver this sword to Jian Kuai, I promised him one if I could forge it.”
“Alright, go on. Just be diligent okay?”
“Yes master, I will.”
Chu Shen found Jian Kuai and gave him the sword. As a dedicated swordsman a proper sword was precious to him. He thanked Chu Shen profusely for it. Ever since the fight at the trials he had been friends with Chu Shen and for a short time rivals before Chu Shen became too strong to spar with.
After they had become close Chu Shen had gifted Jian Kuai with the items he had forged along with Bei Fong and Tai Long. The reason he gave Jian Kuai this sword was not because he valued him above his other friends but rather that he had promised the next sword to him.
Eventually Chu Shen went back to his room after talking with his friends. Suddenly a long dormant voice spoke up in his head.
“Okay brat I have some interesting news for you….”