Loyal Heart Roaming the Skies

Book 2: Chapter 40: Sword casting

Until now, Jiang Wang finally understood why even someone like Chong Xuan Sheng, with his prestigious family background, would envy Lian Que for helping him forge a sword.

Just from looking at this sword furnace, it was clear that the swords produced here were extraordinary!

Inside the Sword Forest, there was only this furnace.

And outside the furnace, there wasn't even a shed, indicating that it was not afraid of wind and rain.

Apart from Lian Que and Jiang Wang, there was no one else present.

Today, this furnace had been claimed by Lian Que.

Lian Que performed a complex and ancient ritual in front of the furnace, kneeling and prostrating himself, chanting words devoutly.

This was probably the customary ritual before the Lian family forged a sword, but it was not mandatory for others.

However, Jiang Wang also followed suit and bowed three times sincerely.

The fire in this furnace had never been extinguished, even when the homeland was destroyed and they were forced to leave.

This profound sense of weight that transcended the river of time deserved his respect.

After the ritual, Lian Que stood up and asked, "Have you decided what kind of sword you want?"

Jiang Wang was taken aback by the question.

Shouldn't this be something for the weaponsmith to consider?

Seeing his expression, Lian Que knew that he hadn't made up his mind.

Shaking his head, Lian Que said, "This is your sword. It will grow with your heart, your intention, and your hand. You must first understand your hand, your intention, and your heart."

"You should meditate here for a while and empty your mind." Lian Que walked towards the furnace. "I'll just rearrange the materials."

My hand, my intention... my heart?

Jiang Wang had always been clear about what he wanted and had been steadfast in his path.

But he had never really thought about what kind of sword he wanted.

It seemed like the stronger, the better.

Sharp? Sturdy?

Engraved with transcendent Dao techniques? Possessing infinite power?

He respected Lian Que's authority as a weaponsmith and didn't care whether the ground was clean or not. He immediately sat down and began to meditate, emptying his mind.

Lian Que was busy handling the ores at the furnace and nodded when he saw that Jiang Wang had entered a meditative state.

Regardless of the reasons why the other him in the Tianfu Secret Realm handed over the life token, at least now it seemed that he hadn't misjudged him in the Tianfu Secret Realm.

This person's talent and character were top-notch.

After Jiang Wang entered a meditative state, he lost track of time and his mind became empty.

It was a mysterious feeling, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and his thoughts became clear. But it didn't mean that he had let his guard down.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter and conversation reached his ears. A group of people walked out of the sword formation and arrived in front of the furnace.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes and saw the young man in the lead greeting Lian Que with a tone that was neither friendly nor hostile, "Oh, Brother Lian Que, what are you doing here?"

Lian Que was not someone with a good temper, but for some reason, he didn't get angry at this person. He simply said, "The furnace will be sealed for the next few days until I finish forging the sword. Lian Shao, if you want to observe the furnace, you'll have to wait for a while."

Lian Shao had the typical appearance of someone from Nan Yao City, with dark skin and a tall and strong physique. His square face and well-proportioned features were considered handsome compared to Lian Que.

Of course, being considered handsome just based on his features already made him much better than Lian Que.

"Forging a weapon in the ancient furnace, and you let it go to waste just like that?"

Lian Shao pretended to be surprised and turned his head to look at Jiang Wang, who was meditating on the ground. "Who is this distinguished person?"

He was deliberately asking.

Lian Que had participated in the Tianfu Secret Realm with great fanfare, and the fact that he came out empty-handed had already spread throughout Nan Yao. Now, many people were saying that he had kneeled and begged for mercy in the Tianfu Secret Realm, even offering his life token to save his life.

That was why he was so dedicated to forging a sword for Jiang Wang. It was a deal that was made in the Tianfu Secret Realm.

These words were spread by someone, and there was no way to refute them. After all, no one remembered what had happened in the Tianfu Secret Realm, and the fact that Lian Que came out empty-handed and even handed over his life token was undeniable.

Lian Que was not angry, and Jiang Wang didn't want to cause trouble. He just sat cross-legged and said, "I am Jiang Wang, nothing special. Just a friend of Lian Que."

"So, you're Jiang Xiong. I've heard of your name for a long time." Lian Shao clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and smiled, "Thank you for returning Lian Que's life token. You truly have great integrity!"

Since the end of the Tianfu Secret Realm, Jiang Wang was no longer an unknown figure in Qi Kingdom. Firstly, he was destined to have divine abilities in the Inner Palace, and secondly, he was a good friend of Chong Xuan Sheng.

With just these two points, unless Lian Shao was incredibly stupid, he wouldn't provoke him for no reason. Most of the hostility was directed towards Lian Que.

Jiang Wang shook his head. "Maybe you're not familiar with me now, but you will get to know me in the future. I'm not someone who likes to threaten others. If there is enmity, it usually ends with life and death. The life token is just a token that Lian Que gave me. I wouldn't be so shameless as to use it to blackmail him."

From Lian Shao's words, he realized the public opinion dilemma that Lian Que was facing now, and he had to come forward to explain.

No matter what happened in the Tianfu Secret Realm, Lian Que was now wholeheartedly forging a sword for him, and that was what he should do.

Moreover, he would be staying in Qi Kingdom for a while, so it was necessary for the people of Qi Kingdom to have some understanding of him.

These words served as a testimony for Lian Que and also showcased his own attitude and strength.

On the other hand, Lian Que himself didn't seem to care. He simply issued an order for them to leave, "Alright, Lian Shao, you can stay here until the forging begins. But now I'm about to start forging, and according to the rules, you have to leave."

Mockery was useless, provocation was unnecessary.Having brought up the family rules, Lian Shao had no excuse to linger and had to leave in a huff with his men.

Jiang Wang watched them return to the sword formation, deep in thought.

"You seem puzzled, wondering why I'm so patient?" Lian Que asked as he walked over.

Jiang Wang gave an embarrassed smile, "I am a bit curious."

"Lian Shao is not a bad person." Lian Que came over, formed a seal with his hand, and locked the sword formation.

He casually added, "He's just a pitiful man."

Jiang Wang looked at him, questioning.

"Only ten people in each generation of the Lian family can control their own life tokens, and I am one of them. He is not."

Lian Que only said this much and didn't explain further.

Jiang Wang had been puzzled ever since he heard about the life tokens outside the Heavenly Mansion Secret Realm.

It was always a sad thing to have one's life and death controlled by others, no matter where. Why would the renowned Lian family establish such a system?

But Lian Que didn't seem to want to say more, so he didn't ask further.

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

Jiang Wang naturally did as he was told.

Lian Que explained, "This is the fire stone corresponding to the sword furnace. The sword furnace itself has enough firepower. The reason for you to input Dao Yuan is to make your sword more familiar with you and more suited to your intentions during the sword casting process."

"While you're inputting Dao Yuan, it's best to empty your mind and enter a meditative state. This way, the Dao Yuan you input is purer and better represents your inner self. Stop when your Dao Yuan is exhausted. Don't force it. It won't affect my sword casting."

He added, "Of course, it would be better if you could hold on a little longer."

Lian Que didn't bring a pile of Dao Yuan stones for Jiang Wang to replenish at any time.

Because under normal circumstances, Dao Yuan stones cannot extract Dao Yuan immediately, but must go through a process of adjustment. This process itself would interrupt the input of Dao Yuan.

Each has his own expertise.

When it came to sword casting, Jiang Wang unconditionally trusted Lian Que, without presumptuously offering any suggestions or ideas.

He wasn't arrogant enough to challenge the Lian family's centuries-old weapon casting history with his shallow knowledge.

He did as Lian Que said.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion to the left of the sword furnace, closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. His Dao Yuan flowed continuously into the red round stone in his palm.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

For a moment, it seemed as if the whole world had fallen silent, except for the sound of the furnace fire jumping.

It was hard to say which was dependent on which.

In any case, it gradually overlapped with his own heartbeat.