Chapter 208 Qin Emperor: I Am Invincible (2)
If he joined the Huaxia Pavilion, he would be able to forge and do miscellaneous chores. He would be good as a head steward!
"Marquis, I'm willing to join the Huaxia Pavilion. Can you impart your star fixing technique to me?" another Forging Master in the team suddenly said.
"You?" Zhou Shu glanced at this person. "When the Huaxia Pavilion officially opens, you can register. If you can pass, you can join."
This person: "…" Why is the treatment different?
Why doesn't Shi Songtao have to apply?
He glanced at Shi Songtao.
Shi Songtao noticed his gaze and puffed out his chest proudly.
Are you kidding me? Are you comparing yourself with me?
No matter what, I, Shi Songtao, am the previous Great Xia's number one forging genius. Although you have some skill, you're still far off compared to me!
Shi Songtao flicked his hair and walked proudly into the group.
As Zhou Shu deliberately sped up, everyone quickly reached the next checkpoint.
At this time, the challengers from the other nations were still racking their brains for the fourth checkpoint.
The fifth checkpoint was to repair damaged weapons.
This checkpoint allowed Zhou Shu to faintly sense something. But after carefully studying the nine damaged weapons provided by Great Qin, he still couldn't figure out what they had to do with Great Qin's imperial cauldron. It wasn't too difficult to repair the nine damaged weapons. As long as one had some skill, they would be able to do it.
If it was only at this level, then Great Qin's imperial cauldron would have long been repaired by Great Qin's forgers.
But even Wang Xin didn't know the exact situation. With the information Zhou Shu currently possessed, he was unable to deduce the final situation.
Zhou Shou didn't continue to take part in the fifth checkpoint. Instead, he handed it over to Shi Songtao and the other Forging Masters.
As long as it didn't involve star positioning, Shi Songtao and the others were still very fast.
we
After they successfully passed the fifth checkpoint, the other challengers were still nowhere to be seen.
Zhou Shu didn't wait for them.
He knew that there was no chance for him to gain anything from the other challengers for the checkpoints ahead.
The sixth checkpoint was also to repair weapons. But it had gone from standard weapons to ranked weapons. For standard weapons, as long as the weapon body was repaired, it was fine.
Ranked weapons involved the repair of the star paths.
It was just like people. External injuries were easy to treat, but once their meridians were damaged, the difficulty of treating them was on a completely different level.
Meng Bai was a second-rank expert, yet he became old and weak. Wasn't it precisely because his meridians were damaged that his cultivation completely disappeared?
The star paths of ranked weapons were similar to the meridians of the human body. Furthermore, they were even more complicated. After all, although the human body was different, it was made up of muscles and bones.
But the forging materials of weapons were different. Different forging materials resulted in different structures. Each of them was unique. Naturally, the 'meridians' would not be identical.
Theoretically speaking, the cost of repairing a defective ranked weapon was greater than forging a new one.
But this was a challenge, so there was naturally no need to consider the cost.
In any case, Great Qin handled all the costs. At the sixth checkpoint, it became apparent how capable everyone was. Great Xia's Forging Masters had all been carefully selected. Among Great Xia's Forging Masters, they were the more skilled ones.
But compared to former Great Xia's former number one Forging Master, Shi Songtao, the difference was obvious.
When the other Forging Masters were at a loss as to what to do, Shi Songtao had already found a direction and began to attempt to repair it.
Seeing that Shi Songtao was able to resolve the issue, Zhou Shu was happy not to have to do anything.
After a bit of effort, with Zhou Shu's help, Shi Songtao successfully solved the problem at the sixth checkpoint. Everyone continued forward with momentum.
Just as the people of Great Xia were clearing the checkpoints, the relevant information had already been sent to the Qin emperor in the Great Qin imperial palace.
In the imperial study, the Qin emperor sat behind a desk.
He still looked pale, but he was no longer as pale as before.
In front of him stood a court official surnamed Xu.
"Great Xia's forging techniques were once glorious for an era. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Their young generation of Forging Masters is really quite skilled."
The Qin emperor asked, "Xu Qing, have you gotten any inspiration from these people?"
Although the performance of the people from Great Xia was a little stunning, the Qin emperor wasn't surprised.
After all, the Qin emperor was very clear about the design of the nine checkpoints. There were some difficulties, but the difficulty was not high.
After all, it was only the qualifiers. If the difficulty was too great, it would easily arouse suspicion.
The middle-aged man surnamed Xu shook his head slightly and sighed. "I took it for granted previously."
"It's not your fault." The Qin emperor shook his head. "If it was so easy to repair the imperial cauldron, I wouldn't have to spend so much effort."
"Your Majesty, the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament is imminent. If the imperial cauldron can't be repaired, then…" the middle-aged man surnamed Xu said worriedly.
"It's fine." The Qin emperor waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Even without the imperial cauldron, I am still invincible!"
"Your Majesty is mighty." The middle-aged man surnamed Xu bowed.
"Your Majesty, the imperial cauldron has been damaged. What if it won't last until the Martial Arts Tournament…" The middle-aged man surnamed Xu still looked worried.
"Don't worry," the Qin emperor said in a low voice. "It won't be a big problem for the imperial cauldron to last through the Martial Arts Tournament.
"Since it's impossible to repair the imperial cauldron, there's no need to waste your energy on it." "Xu Qing, think of a way to let the Martial Arts Tournament be held in Great Xia."
"Your Majesty, why is that?" the middle-aged man asked. "You don't need to know why. Just do as you're told," the Qin emperor said.
Compared to Emperor Yuan Feng's gentleness, the Qin emperor was simply overbearing! "Actually, there's no need for me to do anything," the middle-aged man surnamed Xu replied. "That You Marquis of Great Xia is so skilled that even I can't tell how skilled he is. The other nations won't be able to defeat him." Although the Qin emperor was worried about the imperial cauldron, he still asked curiously, "Is he really that strong?"
"Half of the top ten weapons in the Yellow-grade Armament Manual were forged by him," the middle-aged man surnamed Xu said. "When he creates black, earth, and even heaven-grade weapons, there will probably be another battle in the armament manuals.
"At least, in my opinion, no one among the younger generation of Forging Masters can compare to him."
"I rarely hear you praise someone so much." The Qin emperor laughed. "Could it be that you want to take him in as a disciple?"
"Your Majesty, you must be joking. He's not from Great Qin." The middle-aged man shook his head.
"So what? So long as he's willing to join Great Qin, it won't be a problem to offer him a high position or a generous salary," the Qin emperor said with an imposing manner.
"Yuan Feng is just a petty person for fooling him with just the title of a marquis.
"Xu Qing, if he can help Great Xia win the rights to hold this Martial Arts Tournament, tell him that if he joins Great Qin, I will betroth my daughter to him and let him live a life of luxury!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" The Qin emperor laughed out loud before coughing uncontrollably.
On the other side…
Under Zhou Shu's lead, Great Xia charged through the checkpoints like a hot knife through butter. Zhou Shu also faintly noticed the change in Great Qin's attitude. The difficulty of this checkpoint seemed to have changed.
It became easier and somewhat… perfunctory?
When he entered the Wang Xin dream, although he didn't understand the exact situation, he could vaguely guess that at the ninth checkpoint, Great Qin would eliminate at least half of the nations.
But after they passed the ninth checkpoint, Zhou Shu felt that even the weakest Great Liang would be able to pass.
Could Great Qin have already repaired the imperial cauldron? So, there's no need to seek anything from the various Forging Masters?
Zhou Shu had some doubts in his heart. But the matter of the imperial cauldron was too confidential, and the information he could obtain was too little. Even Wang Xin could only come into contact with superficial things.
Who cares? I'm not here for the imperial cauldron anyway. I'm here to recruit workers.
With the benefits from the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Flaming Sunset Saber, Zhou Shu should be able to return from this trip with a full load.
Chapter 209 Iron Smelting Hands, Edgeless Mo Mei Sword
(The Flaming Sunset Saber you forged effectively completed a kill. You are rewarded with the Iron Smelting Hands Technique!)
Zhou Shu recalled the message that flashed before his eyes that day during the process of slaying demonic beasts.
At the time, there were too many people, and Zhou Shu didn't have time to carefully examine his harvest.
Over the next few days, he had continued on his journey. Furthermore, Lu Wenshuang and Yin Wuyou were almost always by his side, so he didn't have time to check his gains.
Ever since Yin Wuyou joined the diplomatic mission and saw that Lu Wenshuang never left his side, she followed suit.
At night, Lu Wenshuang would meditate beside Zhou Shu's bed while Yin Wuyou moved her bed to Zhou Shu's room.
Anyway, no one in the diplomatic mission of Great Xia dared to say anything about her.
After they arrived at Great Qin's capital, although the two of them insisted on being Zhou Shu's guards, Zhou Shu finally had some personal space.
The room Great Qin had prepared for them was a suite. Zhou Shu let the two of them stay in the outer room. He used the excuse that he wanted to comprehend forging techniques to enter his own room.
Iron Smelting Hands! A thought flashed through Zhou Shu's mind, and pieces of information appeared in his mind.
Fire could generate energy; Qi could generate strength; strength and energy coexist; melt metal and liquefy gold!
As his true qi circulated, Zhou Shu's hands suddenly burst into flames. Soon after, his hands turned fiery red, as if they were red-hot steel.
The temperature in the room rose several degrees.
Zhou Shu raised his hand and pressed them on the table.
Crackle! Crackle!
There was the sound of a fire burning, and the wooden table turned to charcoal. Zhou Shu's eyes flashed with amazement. This Iron Smelting Hands Technique is truly formidable!
Let me try again!
He raised his hand and slapped the floor.
Earth-shattering thunder!
In an instant, the floor was burnt to a crisp.
Puu
Zhou Shu's hands shook, and the flames disappeared. His hands returned to normal.
Cultivating the Iron Smelting Hands Technique was extremely difficult and painful.
If Zhou Shu cultivated the Iron Smelting Hands Technique on his own, he reckoned that he wouldn't be able to withstand the pain of being burned by the flames.
But with the benefits from the Legendary Armament Canon, he directly possessed the cultivation of the Iron Smelting Hands Technique and passed the most painful cultivation stage.
With this Iron Smelting Hands Technique, it will be much easier for me to forge weapons in the future, Zhou Shu thought.
His hands separated and once again turned scarlet red.
He casually picked up the Great Destroyer Sword and swiped his palm across the blade.
The Great Destroyer Sword's blade instantly turned fiery red.
Impressive!
His Iron Smelting Hands Technique was still at basic mastery, but a casual strike could almost destroy a yellow-grade weapon. If he cultivated it to perfection, he could melt metal, liquefy gold with a single palm, and even smelt them into weapons. Its power was simply unimaginable.
When my Iron Smelting Hands Technique reaches perfection, I won't even need a furnace. My hands will be the best furnace!
According to the information about the Iron Smelting Hands Technique, Zhou Shu was almost certain that the temperature of his palms wouldn't be below that of the True Fire used by Forging Masters when he cultivated the Iron Smelting Hands Technique to perfection.
In other words, as long as his true qi could withstand it, he could directly forge weapons with his hands!
I can save money with this…
I won't have to waste money on forging furnaces and True Fire seeds anymore…
Later, I still have to urge Yin Chengshan to kill more enemies. This Iron Smelting Hands Technique is absolutely useful to me.
Currently, Zhou Shu's cultivation of the Iron Smelting Hands Technique was still insufficient to forge weapons. He could only use it as support. The greatest benefit of this Iron Smelting Hands is that it will be easier to fix stars in the future.
Zhou Shu loved his Iron Smelting Hands Technique.
Normally, when Forging Masters fixed stars, they would melt the Heaven Refining Stone in the forging furnace. Then they would use their spiritual essence to absorb the Heaven Refining Stone's solution through the air and place it on the weapon. Although it was possible for ranked martial artists to control objects remotely, if their cultivation wasn't high enough, the accuracy of controlling objects remotely was actually not
high.
With the Iron Smelting Hands Technique, Zhou Shu could directly melt Heaven Refining Stones in his hand and then use his hands to fix the solution against weapons.
This accuracy and control were much better than controlling objects through space.
I can't use my Iron Smelting Hands Technique to forge directly yet, but I should be able to pinpoint the location of stars.
Before we set off, I've already prepared a few weapons that I haven't fixed stars on. I can give it a try.
I haven't even given Yang Hong the ranked weapon I promised him.
Zhou Shu couldn't help laughing when he thought of Yang Hong's resentful gaze every time he saw him.
Back then, he had indeed told Yang Hong that as long as he joined the diplomatic mission, he would equip him with a ranked weapon.
In that case, let me test the power of the Iron Smelting Hands Technique and complete the ranked weapon prepared for Yang Hong!
Zhou Shu got up and took out a wooden box.
He had brought this wooden box from Chang'an and kept it with the diplomatic mission.
After the trials ended, he met up with Great Xia's diplomatic mission in the capital and naturally took back the wooden box.
He took out an incomplete ranked weapon and a small piece of Heaven Refining Stone from the wooden box.
His eyes were bright as flames rose from his hands. One of his hands was entirely red, as if it was burning.
The weapon gradually turned red in his hands. As for the small piece of Heaven Refining Stone, it gradually turned liquid.
Zhou Shu's consciousness was like water as it covered the weapon.
At the same time, he used his finger as a brush, and the Heaven Refining Stone solution followed his fingertip and landed on the sword.
Chapter 210 Iron Smelting Hands, Edgeless Mo Mei Sword (2)
Boom!
Streams of aura continuously rippled on the sword.
Outside, Yin Wuyou and Lu Wenshuang stood up at the same time and looked inside.
"What's happening?" The two of them looked at each other but didn't rush in.
They didn't sense any danger. Furthermore, Zhou Shu had said that he wanted to study forging techniques, so they shouldn't disturb him.
"Little Senior Sister Lu, do you think he's forging?" Yin Wuyou asked doubtfully. She could feel waves of heat coming from inside.
But Zhou Shu didn't bring a furnace.
Lu Wenshuang rolled her eyes and harrumphed.
"Call me Senior Sister Lu!" she corrected patiently. "How would I know? Don't you know him better?"
Yin Wuyou blushed slightly. "No, I'm just his superior."
Lu Wenshuang pursed her lips. Anyone can tell what you're thinking.
"My mission is only to ensure he doesn't die. What he does has nothing to do with me," Lu Wenshuang said. I am only interested in swords. Men?
Men will only affect the speed at which I draw my sword!
She glanced at Yin Wuyou with contempt. Your aptitude clearly isn't inferior to mine. Instead of putting your heart and soul into cultivating your Sword Dao, you revolve around a man all day. What future prospects do you have!? Thinking of this, Lu Wenshuang suddenly felt an ache in her heart.
This infatuated junior sister seems to have broken through to the second rank of the Martial Dao before me!
Lu Wenshuang frowned slightly. Could it be that men have such uses?
She frowned and looked in the direction of the inner room. An indescribable expression flashed across her eyes.
Zhou Shu stayed in his room for several days.
If not for the fact that they could still sense Zhou Shu's aura, Yin Wuyou and Lu Wenshuang would have already charged in.
During this period of time, the challengers from the other nations had already arrived at Great Qin's capital.
Just like what Zhou Shu had felt before, the nine nations, in addition to Great Qin-which wasn't allowed to host the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament in succession according to the rules-gathered in Great Qin's capital.
They would compete for the right to host this year's Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament.
Now that everyone had arrived, and Great Qin had prepared the final venue, they informed the diplomatic missions of the various nations to prepare for the final competition. Just as Yin Wuyou and the others were hesitating about whether or not to interrupt Zhou Shu, the heat waves in Zhou Shu's room suddenly subsided, and he rushed out excitedly.
"Huh? Why is everyone here?" Zhou Shu said as soon as he left the room.
"Wait." Without waiting for everyone to speak, he said directly, "Have you seen Yang Hong? Where is he?"
"Yang Hong?" Everyone was slightly stunned.
"Who is Yang Hong?" Shi Songtao asked.
Zhou Shu glanced at him. "You're not capable enough to be the head steward. You don't even know the people in our diplomatic mission?"
Then he walked away.
Shi Songtao was a little confused. When did I become the head steward?
I am the deputy envoy of Great Xia's diplomatic mission!
Yang Hong, which one is Yang Hong?
I really don't know!
"Yang Hong is a divine constable of the Divine Constable Bureau. He is among the guards of the diplomatic mission." With that, Yin Wuyou chased after Zhou Shu. Shi Songtao was going crazy. Chen Ji is in charge of the guards, not me! Why are you looking down on me!?
Zhou Shu's gaze agitated him.
I am not capable enough? This is intolerable!
Just you wait! I will get to know everyone in the diplomatic mission later!
I, Shi Songtao, can remember tens of thousands of forging materials. How can I not remember these mere two thousand people? Shi Songtao didn't realize that he seemed to have become a head steward.
Because of what Zhou Shu said, he made up his mind to get to know everyone in the diplomatic mission. The key was that he didn't feel that there was anything wrong with this matter!
When Zhou Shu found Yang Hong, Yang Hong had just gotten off duty. "Greetings, Marquis, Your Highness, and Deputy Envoy Lu." Yang Hong bowed while secretly giving Zhou Shu a thumbs up. As expected of the marquis, the two beauties are inseparable from him. He is my role model. "Catch this!" Zhou Shu laughed. He raised his hand, and a black shadow flew toward Yang Hong
"What?" Yang Hong was shocked and subconsciously reached out to grab it.
His hand felt a little heavy, and a cold sensation came from his palm.
Yang Hong realized that he had a sheathed sword in his hand.
This is… A thought appeared in his mind, and joy appeared on his face uncontrollably. He could even hear his own heartbeat. Is this what I think it is?
"Divine Constable Yang, try it and see if it suits you." Zhou Shu smiled. "I think this sword is more suitable for the divine constables of the Divine Constable Bureau. If you don't like it, then-11
"I like it! I like it!" Yang Hong was already shouting before Zhou Shu could finish.
His face flushed red as he gripped the sword in his hand tightly. The sword was already in his hands. He would never return it.
Live or die, my sword will stay with me…
I will never be without it!
"Try it first." Zhou Shu was speechless. Why is everyone so excited?
They're just yellow-grade weapons.
It won't be too late for them to get excited after I've upgraded them to heaven-grade weapons.
Yang Hong noticed his loss of composure and smiled awkwardly.
Only then did he unsheathe his sword with a
clang.
When he saw the sword, he was clearly stunned.
Not only him, but even Yin Wuyou and Lu Wenshuang looked surprised.
Rather than calling it a sword, Yang Hong's weapon was more like a ruler.
It was more than three feet long, completely black, and rectangular. It was a longer version of a ruler.
"Like a sword it attacks, Edgeless Mo Mei Sword," Zhou Shu said loudly. "This sword is called Mo Mei.
Divine Constable Yang, you are a divine constable of the Divine Constable Bureau. The Divine Constable Bureau is not part of the three armies. Even if you encounter enemies, you need to capture and interrogate them first. This Mo Mei Sword is suitable for divine constables.
"Although it is edgeless, as long as there is enough spiritual essence, it can produce invisible sword qi with infinite power. Killing and capturing people will all depend on a single thought."
"The Mo Mei Sword?" Yang Hong muttered. He gripped the sword hilt as the spiritual essence in his body surged into the sword.
Several profound lines lit up on the body of the ruler-like sword.
Swish!
A stream of sword qi slashed out from the tip of the sword, landing on the rock garden several meters away.
With a soft sound, a ten-foot-tall boulder was cut in two.
Yang Hong panted heavily, looking surprised and delighted.
"Marquis, this sword is too valuable. I can't afford it…" Yang Hong said with a pale face while panting heavily.
With his ninth-rank cultivation, he could only use the Mo Mei Sword three times before his spiritual essence was depleted.
Yang Hong knew in his heart that it was a waste for Zhou Shu to give him the Mo Mei Sword.
If given to a seventh-rank or even sixth-rank martial artist, the power that the Mo Mei Sword could unleash would definitely be ten times or even a hundred times greater than his!
Even though he was reluctant to part with it, he didn't want to do the Mo Mei Sword injustice.
It was true that he couldn't afford it…
"Didn't I say before that you can pay in installments?" Zhou Shu said. "You are a divine constable of the Divine Constable Bureau. I don't have to worry about you running away without paying for it."
"But I don't deserve it." Yang Hong's face flushed red.
To ordinary people, ninth-rank martial artists were already experts. But Yang Hong really didn't dare to say that he was an expert. Furthermore, he estimated that the Mo Mei Sword would rank in the top ten of the Yellow-grade Armament Manual.
Chen Ji was a fifth-rank martial artist, but he had only just gotten his hands on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, one of the top ten weapons in the Yellow-grade Armament Manual. Yang Hong didn't dare to imagine owning the Mo Mei Sword.
"This Mo Mei Sword is from me to you. Who dares to say that you're unworthy of it?" Zhou Shu said. "If you feel that you are not worthy of it, then work hard on your cultivation and strive to be worthy of it as soon as possible.
"Divine Constable Yang, I believe in you!" Zhou Shu patted Yang Hong's shoulder.
"Marquis!" Yang Hong's eyes instantly turned red as tears welled up in his eyes. A gentleman is ready to die for his bosom friend. I, Yang Hong, will be the marquis's lackey in the future. If the marquis ask me to head west, I will absolutely not head east! "Divine Constable Yang, keep the Mo Mei Sword well. If anyone dares to lay their hands on your sword, tell me, and I'll stand up for you," Zhou Shu continued.
"Marquis!" Yang Hong immediately knelt on one knee, looking like he was offering his life.
"Well, now that you have a ranked weapon, I have something that I would like you to help me with…"
"Marquis, please give me your orders. I will do whatever you ask of me!"