"Really?! You know?! Can you tell me?!"
Once he heard Shui confirm that he knew how to use the item, the suspicion he held was gone, completely replaced by excitement. This metal was a heirloom passed down in his family. If it wasn't for his father accidentally exposing its existence to repay debts, it would have continued to collect dust. The young blacksmith had always wondered how to use it as it didn't melt or break under any conditions, but now he finally had the chance to learn its true use.
As he looked at the excited blacksmith, Shui saw a little of himself in him. It was the part of him who would be desperate for information on anything that interested him.
"Sure, I don't mind. But this isn't the best place."
The shoulders of the men in the bar jumped as Shui glanced at them, but not a single one refuted his words. The young blacksmith nodded and brought his sister out of the bar to follow Shui.
"Will you be staying in this town?" asked Shui.
"No, we were planning on leaving to Silver City, but those guys caught us before we managed to get away."
"I see. Any luggage you need to bring?"
"Just a few stuff."
"Good. Go for it while I get a carriage."
"Really..."
Now that he knew that Shui was aware of how to use the item, he no longer cared about the fact that he took it as payment. It was better for it to be used properly, that was his thought as a blacksmith. However, based on his words, it seemed like Shui would escort them to Silver City but he couldn't understand why.
"I'm just heading to the same place. Besides, you wanna know how to use it don't you?"
The young blacksmith didn't even ask how Shui escorting them had anything to do with the object's use, he merely accepted his offer with gratitude and went back home. Shui made sure to memorize their auras in case they got into trouble, before heading off to buy their carriage. Shui didn't want to be wrapped up in anymore trouble so he used 'Hide', changed his face and avoided anyone who looked like they would get in the way. Like this he was able to smoothly get a simple bull evolved beast-driven carriage. Using an evolved beast cost more in terms of feed than a horse, but it was more comfortable and safer. With the carriage, he waited for the young blacksmith and sister at the town gate.
During the trip to Silver City, the young blacksmith served as the coachman. Since he would look back at Shui who sat beside his unconscious sister every five minutes, Shui sighed and told him that he would show him how the small pillar was used once it became night. By the time the sky was dyed orange, the carriage was stopped and the campsite was set up. Soon after, Serina woke up and dived into her brother's arms.
"Big brother! I'm so glad you're okay."
"Yes, it's thanks to Shui here."
Serina wiped the tears from her eyes and bowed to Shui to show her appreciation.
"It's fine. Since she's awake why don't we get this over with?"
"Yes please!"
As she saw the fervour in her big brother's eyes, Serina looked back at Shui in curiosity. With both of their gazes on him, Shui took out the item and placed it on his knees as he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. It only weighed about the same as a common rock of the same size, so the mass was nothing to him. After Shui finished a set of mudras, the object began to float without any assistance from him. Then, he bit his index finger so hard that it bled, and used that blood to draw a mysterious rune on the metal's shiny surface. Serina and her brother were mesmerized by his movements and couldn't tear their eyes away from him.
Once the symbol was complete, the object floated even higher before turning one hundred and eighty degrees into a vertical position and sinking into Shui's body. After it had completely merged with him, Shui opened his eyes.
"What do you think?"
"Wow, that was amazing! Did absorbing it make you stronger?!" asked the young blacksmith.
"Well, it will."
Their sparkling eyes tempted him to continue the rest of the process, but the next part couldn't be done carelessly. After all, it would have an impact on him for the rest of his life.
Shui cooked the meat of a young evolved beast for dinner. The beast hadn't become a beast spirit yet so the energy that was left inside it wasn't much, but it was still enough to invigorate the two. The injuries left in the young blacksmith's body quickly healed while Serina felt the Soul Realm boundary more clearly.
"I'll stay up and keep watch so you two can sleep."
After finishing the best meal they ever had, Shui announced to them that he would keep watch.
"But-"
"It's fine. If anything happens I'm best suited to handle it."
Serina tried to change his mind but his one point was enough to discourage her. With reluctance on their faces, the siblings entered the carriage to sleep. About an hour after they entered the carriage, Shui checked to make sure that they were asleep before setting up a protection array around their location.
'That should do it.'
Shui also created a concealment array around the campsite and then sat down in a meditative position and focused on the metal that had fused with him. What he had done so far was only the beginning. If this was compared to making clothes, then he had only picked out the cloths he would use.
For a cultivator, the item was both the best artifact material and the best artifact. It was formed with the aid of the heaven and earth and once bonded with a specific individual, it would change to match them. Mentioning it in the same line with a mere soul-bound artifact or custom artifact would be an insult because it was the supreme artifact with infinite possibilities. It might not be the strongest but that only depended on the strength of the cultivator. This metal was known as the perfect relic, incarnate metal, an artifact which grew with the user.
'I have to make my decision.'
Without much hesitation, Shui knew that it had to be a weapon, but that was where the problem started. He knew how to use many weapons but he had no favourite.
'Hmm, maybe I should change my way of thinking?'
This artifact would take his thoughts as well as his potential and combine them to make an artifact that would suit him best, so instead of imagining something exact, Shui started thinking about what the artifact should focus on.
'Sharp.'
Rather than blunt weapons, Shui preferred weapons that could cut. Therefore,
'It should be able to cut through anything.'
Since he wanted a sharp weapon, it had to be a weapon that was made to cut. One that even space would split open for.
'But how?'
It had to cut through anything, but just being sharp wouldn't make it able to do that. He either had to be strong enough to push the blade through anything or fast enough to cut without resistance. With his body, using strength would make the most sense, however,
'It's time I use that.'
It didn't matter how strong someone was if they couldn't land a hit. Luckily, Shui had something that would make him unparalleled in speed if used properly. It was slowly becoming one with him, but with the help of the perfect relic he would be able to hasten the process.
Shui's mind drifted to a discreet location near his heart where there was quiet ball of concentrated speed essence that came from the God of Speed. He still couldn't study the God of Speed's art, but the essence alone would greatly benefit him. As he led this essence to the perfect relic and absorbed the scraps, his soul sunk into a comforting feeling.