The First Forging
Luo Zheng was preparing himself for the arrival of Su Ling Yun, hoping that Drafting Cloud Academy's master could offer a path to greater strength.
But then, rumors spread.
"Su Ling Yun will not be coming after all."
"The Academy sent word—something urgent came up."
Luo Zheng's hopeful thoughts crumbled.
But he quickly shook off his disappointment.
It doesn't matter. I'll forge my own path.
With that, he focused on his next step—selling the beast cores he had gathered.
Luo Zheng walked through the bustling streets, arriving at the Beast Core Merchant Hall. The hall was a large building with the scent of dried herbs, ink, and metal.
Behind a wooden counter, an elderly man with a sharp gaze inspected cores under a glowing blue crystal.
"Show me what you've got."
Luo Zheng laid out his cores—five very low-rank beast cores and one low-rank middle-level core.
The old man tapped the cores with a spirit-measuring tool.
"Hmph. These small ones aren't worth much. Ten soul coins for all five."
Luo Zheng expected that.
Then, the merchant examined the larger beast core. A faint glow pulsed from it.
"Not bad. A low-rank middle-level core. I'll give you forty soul coins for this one."
Fifty soul coins total.
Luo Zheng nodded and took the money. It wasn't much, but it was enough for his next step.
Buying a Refining Book and Materials
Luo Zheng made his way to the Black Iron Pavilion, a store that specialized in weapon-crafting materials.
Inside, shelves were stacked with metal ores, forging tools, and dusty books.
A clerk approached him.
"Looking for something specific?"
"A book on weapon refining and materials to forge a sword." Luo Zheng replied.
The clerk smirked.
"Forging, huh? Beginners usually fail their first attempt."
Luo Zheng ignored him and browsed through the books.
After some searching, he picked up:
Fundamentals of Weapon Refining" – A detailed guide on low-tier forging.
Then, he selected the materials:
Black Iron Sand – A common refining material for beginners.
Spirit-Infused Coal – Used for maintaining the forge's heat.
Cold Steel Ore – A sturdy but flexible metal for sword-making.
Refining Hammer – A necessary tool to shape the weapon.
The total came to forty-eight soul coins.
With only two coins left, Luo Zheng left the shop, his bag now filled with his future sword's components.
The First Attempt at Refining
Back at his courtyard, Luo Zheng set up a makeshift forge.
He opened the refining book and carefully read through the process.
"To forge a weapon, three things must be controlled: heat, hammering, and the balance of materials."
He memorized each step before beginning.
Luo Zheng placed the Cold Steel Ore into the forge and fed the flames with Spirit-Infused Coal.
Slowly, the ore began to glow red.
He carefully watched the temperature—too much heat would ruin the metal.
Once the ore was soft enough, Luo Zheng took out the Refining Hammer.
He began hammering.
Each strike flattened and lengthened the heated metal.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His arms burned with effort, but he continued.
After an hour, he could see the rough outline of a sword.
The book explained:
"Once the metal is shaped, it must be cooled rapidly to strengthen it."
Luo Zheng lifted the glowing blade and plunged it into cold water.
Ssssshhhhh!
Steam rose as the metal hardened.
Using a whetstone, Luo Zheng slowly honed the blade's edge.
With each stroke, the metal became sharper and smoother.
By the time he finished, the sky had darkened.
Luo Zheng lifted the sword.
It was not perfect—the balance was slightly off, and the blade had a few rough edges.
But it was his.
His first forged weapon.
Holding it in his hand, Luo Zheng felt something stir in his heart.
Luo Zheng held his sword, examining its weight and balance. It was rough, but it was his own creation.
"A sword should have a name," he murmured.
He thought back to his battles, to the way he fought—swift and relentless, like a shadow striking its prey.
"Shadow Fang."
The name felt right. A blade that would strike from the darkness, fast and precise.
Luo Zheng smiled faintly. My journey has truly begun.
But then, an idea struck him.
"It can be stronger."
He thought back to a certain moment from his past.
Years ago, when Luo Zheng was a child, he had wandered deep into Hamiana Forest and gotten lost.
For days, he survived on wild berries and rainwater, his body weak from hunger.
One night, he stumbled into a small cave hidden behind thick vines. The air inside was damp, and a strange, faint blue glow illuminated the walls.
He saw it—a shimmering liquid seeping from a crevice in the stone.
The liquid pulsed with an eerie energy.
Even as a child, Luo Zheng could sense its power.
He had bottled some of it before making his way back home.
Now, years later, he uncorked the vial.
The liquid shimmered, releasing a faint, ancient scent.
"This might be the key."
With steady hands, he poured a few drops onto Shadow Fang's blade.
Sssszzzzhhh!
The blade hummed. A faint, dark-blue aura wrapped around it.
Luo Zheng felt a strange connection to the sword—his grip on it felt lighter, smoother.
"Stronger... It's definitely stronger now."
With his newly enhanced sword, Luo Zheng decided to return to Hamiana Forest for a real test.
But first, he needed to sell his previous haul.
Walking through the bustling market streets, he arrived at the Beast Core Merchant Hall.
The merchant, an old man with sharp eyes and a wrinkled face, was counting coins behind a wooden counter.
He glanced up and smirked.
"Back so soon, boy? Let me guess—another handful of worthless cores?"
Luo Zheng smirked back and placed a heavy pouch on the counter.
"See for yourself."
The old man untied the pouch and poured the contents onto a bronze plate.
Fifty-eight beast cores tumbled out.
For a moment, the merchant's brows lifted.
"Hah! You've been working hard, haven't you?" He picked up one of the cores and held it under a spirit-measuring crystal.
The crystal emitted a faint golden glow.
"These are all low-ranked cores... but this one—" He picked up the low-rank middle-level core.
The crystal glowed brighter.
"A middle-level beast core, huh? Where did you find this?"
"Hamiana Forest. Deeper in."
The merchant stroked his beard.
"Not bad. For the low-rank cores, I'll give you two
soul coins per core. That makes 116 coins."
"And the middle-rank one?" Luo Zheng asked.
The merchant tapped the core against the counter.
"A good one. I'll give you sixty-four coins for it."
Luo Zheng did the math quickly—180 soul coins total.
He nodded. That's more than enough.
The merchant tossed him a heavy pouch of coins.
"Here. Keep hunting like this, and you might actually become someone worth remembering."
Luo Zheng chuckled and left the hall.
With Shadow Fang strapped to his back, Luo Zheng set out for Hamiana Forest once more.
This time, he was not hunting for survival—he was hunting for power.
Twin-Tailed Vipers fell to his blade.
Bloodclaw Apes attempted to surround him—he cut them down.
Stoneback Boars, whose thick hides once troubled him, were no match for Shadow Fang's enhanced sharpness.
By the time he returned, he had fifty-eight beast cores.
He sold them again—earning another 180 soul coins.
With Shadow Fang in his hand and his pockets heavier than ever, Luo Zheng knew—
After returning from his hunt in Hamiana Forest, Luo Zheng made his way back to the Beast Core Merchant Hall.
The old merchant, the same one he had dealt with before, narrowed his eyes.
"Back again, boy?"
Luo Zheng dropped a heavy pouch onto the counter.
"Fifty-eight cores. Count them."
The merchant untied the pouch and let the beast cores spill onto the bronze plate.
His eyebrows lifted.
"Hah! Not bad. You've been working hard, I see."
He picked up the highest-quality core and examined it under the spirit-measuring crystal.
A faint golden glow emitted.
"I'll give you two soul coins per low-rank core, and for the better ones… let's say sixty-five soul coins total."
Luo Zheng nodded.
The old man tossed him a heavy pouch.
"So, what are you buying this time?"
"Pills," Luo Zheng answered.
The merchant chuckled.
"Ahh, finally focusing on cultivation, huh? Let's see what I have…"
He pulled out a small wooden box and opened it. Inside were several jade bottles filled with pills.
Luo Zheng picked up one of the bottles and read the label:
Qi Refining Pills – Enhances energy circulation, accelerating breakthroughs.
Iron Bone Pills – Strengthens bones, essential for early Body Refinement stages.
Vitality Restoration Pills – Helps recover after intense cultivation.
"I'll take all of these," Luo Zheng said.
The merchant smirked.
"That'll cost you one hundred soul coins."
Luo Zheng handed over the amount without hesitation.
He had enough left for future purchases, but for now, these pills were all he needed.
Luo Zheng returned to his courtyard.
He sat cross-legged in meditation, placing the pills beside him.
"I will not leave this place until I break through."
Time passed slowly.
He swallowed Qi Refining Pills, allowing their energy to flow through his meridians.
His bones and muscles strengthened under the effect of Iron Bone Pills.
Day after day, he trained tirelessly, circulating his energy, refining his body.
Weeks turned into months.
Months turned into a year.
Inside his secluded chamber, Luo Zheng's aura fluctuated, growing stronger.
His body, once thin and lean, became more defined and powerful
Far from Luo Zheng's secluded training, in a place unknown to him, a battle raged.
The sky was split apart as two figures clashed violently in midair.
The force of their attacks tore through the landscape, reducing entire mountains to rubble.
One of the fighters was shrouded in darkness, wearing a flowing black robe and a black mask. His eyes glowed faintly behind the mask, filled with killing intent.
His opponent was a young man.
But his face was obscured—shadows concealed his identity.
"You think you can stop me?" the masked man sneered, his voice cold.
The young man remained silent.
A moment later, they clashed again.
BOOM!
A devastating shockwave rippled across the battlefield, turning everything into dust.
The sky cracked. The ground split open.
Then—
A blinding explosion of light erupted.
For a moment, everything vanished.
Breaking Through: The Viscera Stage
Back in his secluded courtyard, Luo Zheng's body trembled.
The year of intense cultivation had brought him to the peak of the Body Refinement Layer.
Now—
He was on the verge of breaking through.
His Qi surged violently, rushing through his meridians.
His internal organs burned, a sign of the transformation into the Viscera Stage.
"This is it!"
Luo Zheng gritted his teeth, focusing all his willpower.
Then—
BOOM!
A wave of energy burst from his body.
His muscles tightened. His breath steadied. His aura intensified.
When he opened his eyes, they shone with new power.
Luo Zheng had finally stepped into the Viscera Stage.