Author Note: By the way, regarding Yasenia's skill at the professions, she is not that talented compared with her other dears, and Yasenia will not be a jack of all trades and be excellent at all of them. She will be passable, but compared to the girls, she will reach a level enough to be their helper and not much more.
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Yasenia kept advancing in the forging process. Soon, she arrived at the point where everything would become waste material previously.
This step was known as Spirit Vein engraving and was Particular to the Sky Continent. Yasenia learned it in the past during the Academy classes.
The previous method was similar to the current practice in Distancia Continent.
Andrea observed the other day how the harpies forged. They did it not by engraving spirit veins but by enhancing the materials with energy traces and using the forging hammer to shape the sword and the energy itself.
The results were similar, but with the Spirit Vein engraving, a product's enhancement durability increased. Moreover, it was easier to give extra skills to the items. The metal sword that splintered and regenerated was a good example.
Regardless of which method, this step required delicate energy control. The previous Yasenia was helpless in this aspect, and thus, her forging products always became waste.
Andrea guided her from behind, whispering the steps softly and unhurriedly. "Now, you have to engrave the Spiritual Veins in the sword, love. The shape is perfect, so you have to follow the mineral's natural patterns and the alloy's structure."
Yasenia nodded and poured her energy into the sword handle to spread it across the sword.
Her right hand had a carving knife and slowly moved across the heated metal, creating lines and runes across it.
The energy Yasenia powered worked in the inside where the knife couldn't reach.
These inner Spirit Veins helped the item and user connect easily because a cultivator usually poured the energy through the handle.
With care and a calm heart, very thin lines appeared on the surface and inside of the weapon.
These lines were naturally much more elementary than the ones in Andrea's previous work.
However, the paths were semi-perfect in Andrea's eyes.
Andrea made sure that there weren't any problems and smiled. "Good girl. Continue, don't be nervous. You are doing great."
Yasenia leaned on the hard body behind her as she continued engraving the spiritual veins and simple runes.
Andrea whispered again. "The [Hard Ocean Mercury] characteristics are those of a soft and malleable material. Therefore, you have to weave the spirit veins between the metal's inner structure so that they don't break when the user swings the sword."
Yasenia's breath slowed down, and she listened to Andrea's voice. "This step will reinforce the metal and give it the ability to harness the Water energy the material naturally gathers."
Yasenia's mind got rid of every thought and focused on the sword and the voice behind her.
Andrea felt a change in Yasenia's aura, but she didn't stop guiding her. "This sword has a peculiar ability to bend, so it is not good for stabbing. However, the slashing power is much higher as it acts as a semi-whip."
Yasenia's aura became even more profound as all the information about forging she knew began interlocking together.
Andrea saw Yasenia's amateurish but neat moves change and become more fluid with each second.
Not only that, but the patterns Yasenia engraved became more and more complicated. Andrea's eyes shone with delight. 'Is this what I think it is?'
Nonetheless, she didn't stop speaking until she shared everything she knew about this sword.
Yasenia's movements were not fast, but the fluidity increased exponentially as some hints of when Yasenia was formation building appeared.
The tanned woman didn't dare breathe loudly for fear of interrupting her. She even activated the protective formation outside to avoid outside interruptions.
Later Andrea would be glad she did so as a harpy came to ask questions, but after feeling the sealed state of the smithy, she left.
Meanwhile, Yasenia's mind was working with unprecedented clarity. 'I see. The art of smithing is similar to the first cultivation realm. You must give the item life by carving its meridians, bones, and body, creating a perfect balance.'
Yasenia's [Celestial Yin and Yang Body] activated and helped Yasenia envision how the material and meridians balanced. 'The hardness problem can be solved if I carve this set of runes, and to compensate for the loss of flexibility, I have to increase the density of Spirit Veins across the center area. Then…'
The process lasted for twenty minutes between reheating, melding, and engraving.
Andrea stepped aside and looked at the working Yasenia, completely mesmerized.
After twenty minutes, Yasenia stopped working, and the energy of the smithy began gathering toward it.
The effect was visual, which surprised Andrea. 'Only Earth-rank items and above can produce this effect.'
After the energy turbulence stopped, Yasenia slowly retrieved the sword from the cooling liquid.
The surface of a beautifully carved oceanic green sword with blue markings appeared before their eyes.
Yasenia woke up from her strange state, and her lips arched as she called it. "[Ocean Mercury Wave Sword]."
The sword shone with a beautiful blue shine, illuminating the forge with a pleasant luster.
This lasted for five seconds, and then it came back to normal.
The moment Yasenia finished, both of them focused and tried to decipher the level of the sword.
Andrea's lips raised as she kissed her dragoness's cheeks. "As expected, you are a genius, my love. A mid-level Earth Ranked sword! Hahaha, your first sword is Earth ranked!"
Yasenia felt Andrea's bliss and turned around to kiss her lips.
"Thank you, darling. This is all thanks to you. I love you."
Andrea lifted an eyebrow. "Thanks to me? What do you mean?"
Yasenia laughed and rested her head on Andrea's comfortable shoulders. "While you spoke and guided me, I could enter a clear-minded state. Hence, it is obviously thanks to you that it turned out like this."
Andrea smiled. "Even then, this means you can forge mid-level Earth-ranked items, right?"
Yasenia shook her head. "Don't expect the same quality to occur every time. This time it was a fluke as my comprehension was enhanced. My level should be on the peak magic grade for a short while. However, I'll probably stabilize after gaining experience at the mid-level Earth rank."
Andrea was surprised. "What happened back there? I felt your aura become profound, and your movements became completely different. To be honest, if it weren't because this sword can't reach Heaven ranked, you would probably have been able to complete a Heaven-ranked sword."
Yasenia blinked and looked at Andrea carefully. "What's wrong, Yasenia?"
Yasenia smiled somewhat shyly and spoke. "Well, I've probably had an enlightenment."
Andrea's eyes widened. "An enlightenment!? That state where you study something is worth hundreds of times more each second? I've heard people increasing their comprehension by years for each hour of enlightenment."
Yasenia chuckled and nodded. "I've had them before, so I'm pretty sure."
Andrea was stumped. "You've had them before… Do you have enlightenments often? Don't you know that there are some cultivators that go their whole life without having one?"
Yasenia asked curiously. "Have you had any?"
Andrea shook her head. "I haven't."
Yasenia was surprised. "You are this good at forging without having an enlightenment? What kind of monster are you, darling?"
Andrea's lips twitched. "I don't want to hear it from you! So? How many enlightenments have you had until now?"
Yasenia explained. "I've only had a total of six, I think."
"SIX!?"
Yasenia burst into laughter. "Haha, yes."
Yasenia used her fingers and began counting. "My first enlightenment was when I understood the [Celestial Coat]. Back then, I grasped how to use my constitution to help me balance the three elements inside me."
Yasenia lifted another finger. "The second one happened when I understood swordsmanship while training with Master Madeleine. Cecile was present at that time."
The third finger stood straight. "The third time it happened was when I created the [Celestial Dress], the evolved version of the [Celestial Coat]. I've also comprehended the hint to create the battle dance I showed when fighting the harpies."
She straightened her pinky and commented. "My fourth enlightenment happened when I was reborn. I could comprehend myself then and escape many shackles, not to mention helping me unlock my Celestial Energy."
Her thumb also straightened, showing her palm to Andrea, and she said. "Then, the one I had recently allowed me to comprehend [War Intent]. You saw how I almost went berserk. That's because enlightenment helps comprehend the thing you are trying to with the most efficiency, so creating a battlefield and massacring people would've helped me level up my [War Intent]. However, Mom, Sierra, and Valeria stopped me."
Andrea was glad about that. "Will you enter that state when you activate it in the future?"
Yasenia was unsure. "I don't enter that crazy state. However, I do lose my ability to feel any emotion. I hope darling isn't scared when she sees my cold self."
Andrea kissed Yasenia's lips and smiled. "How can I be scared of my dear dragoness? Don't be silly, my love."
Yasenia nodded, and her tail wagged happily.
Yasenia wound her arms around Andrea's neck again and kissed her chin. "The final enlightenment happened right now, and it was about blacksmithing."
Andrea was honestly shocked.
She had never had an enlightenment in her life, yet the beauty in her arms had so many of them!
'Some people are just born with talent. A genius that challenges the Heavens!'
Andrea knew that the current enlightenment was related to forging, so she asked excitedly. "What did you understand about blacksmithing, love? Explain it to me."
Yasenia saw Andrea's excited expression and couldn't resist lowering her tall darling and raining kisses on her.
After playing a bit, she said thoughtfully. "Treasures are not any different from living beings. What a blacksmith does is meld their body, give it shape, give it veins, and allow it to gain life by completing a cycle. In short, a blacksmith is a creator that can eventually even give life to weapons. I think that only when a blacksmith can create Soul Weapons will they be able to be called real Spiritual Blacksmiths."
Andrea blinked twice and opened her eyes. Then, she became serious as she felt a nagging feeling in her mind.
She tried to think hard about it, but the idea kept slipping, frustrating our tall woman.
She felt somewhat anxious because she knew that this was what she needed to increase her comprehension to the next level!
Sadly, after a while, Andrea had to give up.
Yasenia didn't move and leaned in Andrea's embrace, closing her eyes with a satisfied expression. She was very tall herself, so only Andrea could give her this feeling of being hugged in an embrace, and Yasenia loved it to bits.
If it weren't because she had to do other things, she would love to stay all day between Andrea's arms.
Yasenia heard her darling sigh and looked up with a tender smile. "Did you get it?"
Andrea nodded but then shook her head. "I understand what you said, but I feel an idea slipping and can't understand it."
Yasenia chuckled and used her arms to force Andrea to lean in her arms.
Andrea had to bend her body a bit to land in the dragoness's soft embrace, but she soon buried her face in the beauty's neck and hugged the tender and voluptuous body pressing against her. "Don't worry, darling. You know that we have to take one step at a time. Mull over it, write your thoughts down, and practice creating items without fear of failing. Eventually, you'll understand whatever is stumping you. I trust you."
Andrea hugged her tightly and sighed with a content smile. "I know. I won't disappoint you or myself. Hard work is the basis for success, so I'm not hasty."
Yasenia nodded and felt her darling straightening her body and leaving her arms. 'I wanted to hug my darling a bit more~.'
Andrea smiled and spoke. "Let's continue, love. Since we know that you can create swords, let's try other shapes and forms. I'll also work with you side by side."
Yasenia nodded and listened to her.
They deactivated all the formations that prevented people from entering and continued forging for the rest of the day.
The harpies also joined later, and the day went by like that.
Yasenia and Andrea kept working until late into the night.
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As always, the monthly thanks to all Patreon! By the way, we are almost at 100! Very excited to see it grow. Also, there are tens of illustrations there, including NSFW ones
I will put the benefit beside it for those interested in it. Both novels have sketches, illustrations, and up to 15 advanced chapters!
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