Chapter 31: Observing the Crafting

Atop the Qingzhu Mountain peak, the summit stood a thousand feet high, with a vast flat expanse of several miles in radius, creating a magnificent sight!

For the first time, Lin Tianming found himself at the summit, overlooking the entire Qingzhu Mountain range. Starting from the mountain's midsection, the layers of overlapping peaks stretched for hundreds of miles, creating an otherworldly vista reminiscent of a celestial realm.

The summit itself, spanning several miles, appeared almost artificially leveled, as if a mighty warrior had cleaved the mountain's peak with a single stroke!

The spiritual energy at the summit was noticeably more potent than at the midsection. Regular cultivation here would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort.

The forethought of the ancestors in selecting this site was evident. Finding such a spiritually rich location was no small feat. Such a paradise for cultivation was undoubtedly rare within the Luoyun Mountain range.

Bringing his wandering thoughts back to the present, Lin Tianming proceeded to the massive stone plaza at the summit.

Behind the vast plaza on the Qingzhu Mountain peak were over a dozen courtyard residences, each distinctively laid out. These courtyards were arranged in a neat row, each covering an area of several hundred acres.

In the Lin family, attaining the Foundation Establishment stage entitled a cultivator to bring their immediate family to reside at the summit— a privilege reserved only for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Lin Tianming walked directly to one of the courtyards, stopped outside, and performed a hand seal, sending a beam of spiritual light into the courtyard's barrier.

Moments later, the barrier opened a path, and Lin Tianming walked in without hesitation, disappearing from sight.

Inside the courtyard, Lin Shilu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the courtyard's center, examining a spiritual sword. He occasionally infused spiritual energy into the sword, making intricate movements.

Not wanting to disturb his granduncle, Lin Tianming stood respectfully aside, waiting for instructions.

After a quarter of an hour, Lin Shilu stored the sword in his storage pouch and turned to Lin Tianming.

"Tianming, come and sit," Lin Shilu invited.

Lin Tianming respectfully greeted his granduncle and sat on the opposite cushion.

"Fifteenth Granduncle, due to the lack of suitable spiritual swords, I exchanged 20 second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo at the family's Merit Hall. I would like to ask for your help in crafting a set of flying sword spiritual weapons. I am willing to pay the appropriate remuneration, as crafting such a set will require considerable auxiliary materials and time," Lin Tianming explained.

Frowning slightly, Lin Shilu replied, "We are family; there's no need to be so formal. Crafting a complete set of second-tier spiritual swords is indeed challenging, but crafting a set of first-tier ones should be feasible."

"Back when I was still in the Qi Refining stage, I often sought your grandfather's help with alchemy. You need not worry. Bring out the second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo. Time is of the essence, and we should begin immediately," Lin Shilu said.

Moved by his granduncle's generosity, Lin Tianming thought about how much the family members helped each other, knowing it would be crucial for his cultivation and abilities in the future. He handed over the 20 second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo to Lin Shilu, preparing to leave after expressing his gratitude.

"If you are not otherwise occupied, stay and assist me. You might also learn some basics of crafting. If you have the talent for it, it could greatly aid your cultivation journey," Lin Shilu suggested.

"Yes, thank you, Fifteenth Granduncle, for the instruction," Lin Tianming responded gratefully.

Lin Shilu stood and left the courtyard, with Lin Tianming quickly following.

"Although I have never crafted anything nor watched it done, having the opportunity to observe the entire crafting process firsthand is invaluable," Lin Tianming thought.

After passing several rooms, Lin Shilu stopped before a chamber and paused.

Feeling the strong fire elemental energy in the area, Lin Tianming concluded that this must be the crafting room.

Each courtyard at the mountain peak included an alchemy and crafting chamber, utilizing branches of the earth fire brought to the summit. This greatly facilitated the family cultivators' alchemy and crafting endeavors.

Lin Shilu opened the barrier, stepped in, and Lin Tianming followed.

Inside the crafting room, a massive cauldron stood in the center, surrounded by various stone platforms holding different tools.

After a brief adjustment, Lin Shilu began the crafting process.

Skillfully opening the earth fire, a half-meter tall flame surged, positioned perfectly beneath the cauldron.

Placing the 20 second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo aside, Lin Shilu also laid out various colored ores.

He threw a large piece of spiritual iron ore into the cauldron, adjusting the fire's intensity. Over time, the bucket-sized spiritual iron melted into a pool of molten metal.

After an hour of repeated refining, the large piece of spiritual iron was reduced to 20 fist-sized, translucent nuggets, their original dark color now as crystalline and beautiful as spiritual stones.

While refining, Lin Shilu instructed Lin Tianming, "Cut the second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo at two-thirds of their length. Only the lower part is needed for crafting the swords; the tips can be kept for crafting lower-tier weapons."

Following the instructions, Lin Tianming began cutting the Green Spirit Bamboo, handing the bowl-thick portions to Lin Shilu.

Two days later, Lin Shilu had refined over ten types of colored ores, separating them into 20 transparent spiritual mineral nuggets. The 20 second-tier Green Spirit Bamboo had been trimmed to three-meter lengths, neatly lined up.

Lin Shilu placed the bamboo on a stone platform, taking a massive hammer to begin shaping the bamboo.

Over half a day, the three-meter-long bamboo gradually shortened and changed shape, transforming from thick bamboo into three-foot-long sword blanks with a more vibrant golden hue.

Lin Tianming was amazed. The changes in the ore were expected, but seeing the bamboo transform into sword blanks was truly astonishing.

During the forging, every half hour, Lin Shilu added a different type of ore to the blanks, hammering them thoroughly before adding the next.

After a long half-day, the sword blanks had incorporated over ten types of ore. Each sword blank now had two intersecting lines of green and red running from tip to hilt, the entire blade shining golden.

Feeling the faint sword energy emanating from the blanks, Lin Tianming was pleased. Once the inscriptions were engraved, their power would be formidable.

Lin Shilu, too, was satisfied. Although a mid-tier second-rank craftsman, he had forged many high-grade first-rank swords. This set of sword blanks was among his best work.

Despite the promising progress, the blanks were only halfway done. The most crucial step, inscribing the runes, still lay ahead.

After a brief rest, Lin Shilu began the meticulous process of engraving the runes.