Zhao Yunxiao already had everything mapped out, so the entire array creation process went rather smoothly.
By the time they were done, the sun was only just peeking out from beyond the horizon.
"Ah! Much better!" Hua Xian exclaimed in joy as he swayed in the wind, basking in the orange rays of the morning sun.
Zhao Yunxiao had transplanted him to the edge of the pond, at a spot where Gu Qiansi had clearly left vacant for him.
As Hua Xian's roots slowly penetrated deeper and deeper into the earth, he could feel the touch of fresh soil tightening around him in response, wrapping firmly around his roots.
That, in addition to the warm sun rays and fresh mountain air... how intoxicating!
Not just that, but he also could not help but notice that the world origin energy density here was significantly higher than that at Ghost Fog Valley, which would only serve to help him cultivate at a faster rate.
Perhaps that was to be expected of a famous faction like the Black Tortoise Sect. For them to have selected this spot as their base, there must be something special about this land!
Thankfully, while he could still feel Zhao Yunxiao's array constantly draining him of his demonic energy, that would only reduce his combat capabilities, not his cultivation rate.
As long as he ignored the fact that he was currently being held as some form of prisoner, this was actually quite a good place to reside at for the time being!
"Let me warn you one last time – don't try anything funny," Zhao Yunxiao cautioned. "There might not seem to be anyone around, but the sect administrators are always watching. And if they are ever forced to take action, neither of us will get away unscathed. At that point, I might be punished a little, but your life would most likely be forfeit!"
"I know, I know. How naggy!" Hua Xian answered impatiently. "If one did not know better, they would surely think that you are the older one out of us!"
"When you regain enough strength, perhaps you can help Senior Martial Brother Nie break through to the Advanced Essence Gathering realm as well," Zhao Yunxiao added.
Hua Xian: "..."
Just because he had done it before, did this kid think that doing such a thing was easy?
Maybe he needed to reevaluate if it was truly a good place to settle down at.
"Now then, it's time for me to get going. Do you want to come along as well, Junior Martial Brother Zhao?" Nie Hanchang offered.
"I'll pass," Zhao Yunxiao shook his head. "And I will probably be spending the next few days forging my halberd, so do help me keep an eye out for any significant news in the sect."
Zhao Yunxiao knew that with Nie Hanchang's way of life, he would most likely be the last to know about any interesting news in the sect. However, there was no harm in asking.
"I see. Will you be using your original plan or that famous designer's?" Nie Hanchang asked out of curiosity.
"I think I will follow his blueprint. I have to admit that it is actually quite impressive," Zhao Yunxiao shrugged.
"Is that so?" Nie Hanchang snickered. "I guess the trip is well worth it then."
"Indeed," Zhao Yunxiao answered with a smile.
Nie Hanchang was right.
It had originally been a trip meant solely to harvest the grimoire fruit. Who knew that by detouring a little for a simple mission, they would actually end up obtaining so many benefits?
Well, perhaps not so much for Nie Hanchang, but at least Zhao Yunxiao had obtained quite a bit of benefits!
With that, the duo parted ways.
Nie Hanchang went on his hunting trip as always, while Zhao Yunxiao headed straight for the Forge.
Now that Hua Xian's matter had been dealt with, he could finally focus on the task at hand.
As always, Zhao Yunxiao did not spend sect points hiring an assistant, choosing to occupy a free furnace room instead.
He carefully laid out all his materials and inspected each of them individually, comparing them against the blueprint as a final inventory check.
Zhao Yunxiao had enough materials to make three separate attempts at forging the halberd, but he was definitely not aiming to use up all three chances.
Unlike Nie Hanchang's Grand Annihilator, which was created solely with grimiron, Lou Yuan's halberd blueprint comprised various materials.
Each of these materials naturally had to be treated separately, making the forging process far more complicated in comparison. This meant that the time required would also increase in comparison.
Of course, while it was true that creating basic equipment out of a single material was simpler, creating high-quality equipment in that manner was actually countless times more difficult. That only made the completion of the Grand Annihilator even more of a miracle!
Calculating the amount of time needed to process the materials, Zhao Yunxiao surmised that each attempt would take around ten full days.
Succeeding in one attempt would definitely be ideal, but that was even more the case since the Four Symbols Mystic Realm would be opening in less than two weeks' time. If he wanted to get this out of the way by then, Zhao Yunxiao would only have time to complete this within a single attempt.
Huu-!
Zhao Yunxiao let out a deep breath and took a recovery pill.
The energy expenditure required to process this many materials was not a joke. In order to maintain his condition at peak condition throughout the forging process, he had no choice but to start taking recovery pills right from the very start. Otherwise, the recovery rate could fail to keep up with the rate of expenditure.
Zhao Yunxiao might be careful with his wallet, but he knew when it was necessary to spend as well.
This halberd would probably be his main weapon for years to come, so he was definitely not intending to skimp on resources regarding its creation!
[Earthen Clone Technique]
Zhao Yunxiao Two rose from the ground and immediately got to work. For this forging process, he would be the one in charge of heat control.
In the end, there were only so many things that could be done with two hands.
But rather than hiring an assistant, having a clone that he could control with a single thought made things that much more efficient!
Of course, this method was not for everyone as it would result in a greater mental strain. Thankfully, this was not a problem that Zhao Yunxiao would need to worry about.
Flames raged as Zhao Yunxiao Two fired up the furnace.
To refine meteor steel from the outer layer of the celestial meteorite – this was the first step of the forging process, and also the step that Zhao Yunxiao had the least amount of confidence in.
While he had already run this through countless mental simulations by now, it remained a fact that this was still the first time that Zhao Yunxiao was actually doing it in person. All he could do was trust in Lou Yuan's methods, and try to handle any complications along the way with his own gut feeling!
Thankfully, while standing in for the administrative deacon Tian Guiren in the past, Zhao Yunxiao had accidentally come across the Sky Fortress Forging Formula, which had helped to mentally prepare him for what was to come.
The Sky Fortress Forging Formula was a high-level forging manual reserved solely for inner disciples and above in the Sect Library, and contained plenty of information about materials that seemed to share similar properties to the meteor steel.
While it was not exactly the same thing, they still provided a basis upon which Zhao Yunxiao could take reference to when reading the situation.
In the end, most things in life did not have a hard formula that could ensure success.
Instead, it was mainly about understanding underlying concepts and applying them wherever necessary. This went for cultivation, and the path of smithing was no different either.
Steeling his resolve, Zhao Yunxiao dived right into it and tossed the outer layer of the celestial meteorite into the furnace.
Sizzle-!
Subjected to the intense heat within the furnace, even the hardy outer layer of the celestial meteorite began to break down. Catalysts flew in to speed up the process, yet it was still a rather long wait before a layer of impurities could finally be seen floating on top of the liquid metal.
The molten liquid is then removed from the furnace and poured into another, repeating the process again and again to ensure the complete removal of all impurities.
This was an important step where heat control was absolutely vital.
Just a little too cool and the metal would not be able to melt completely, which naturally meant that that separation of impurities was impossible. Bits of unmelted metal could also be filtered out along with impurities, drastically reducing the output of refined metal.
Yet just a little too hot and the entire mixture might start to stir violently. In that case, the best-case scenario would be the failure to separate the molten impurities from the molten metal, while the worst-case scenario would be the explosion of the furnace!
It was definitely the toughest portion of the forging process.
Not only did this process require a good control of the fire, but it also required a good understanding of the material he was dealing with.
The ideal temperature differed from material to material. Even for the same material, it would differ from ore to ore. After all, the composition of impurities would never be exactly the same.
And the fact that this was Zhao Yunxiao's first time dealing with this material only made it all the more difficult.
To make up for that, Zhao Yunxiao focused his senses to the limit, making sure that he did not miss even the slightest change that was happening within the furnace.
At the same time, he constantly injected essence energy into the furnace, refining the material with his own spiritual mark even as it was being created.
By doing this, he was trying to increase the compatibility between him and the resulting weapon, which would make it easier for his energy to flow through the weapon in the future.
After half a dozen repetitions of refinement, Zhao Yunxiao finally brought out the grimoire plant and plucked a fruit off of it.
He carefully cut open the tough skin of the silver and brown fruit, then extracted what seemed like silver coloured juice from within.
Zhao Yunxiao then released the liquid metal from the furnace, pouring it into a mould to take the shape of the halberd. In its molten state, the black liquid metal had been heated to a bright golden state, looking like liquid gold as it filled up the mould.
While it was still in its molten state, he quickly poured the silver coloured juice onto the metal.
There was no sizzle this time despite the drastic difference in temperatures.
The silver juice entered the golden molten metal like water into the ocean, silently disappearing without a trace.
Zhao Yunxiao could not help but frown – he had no idea if it worked!
Nevertheless, he could not afford to stop here simply because of mere uncertainty. Instead, he quickly moved on with the next few steps before the metal had a chance to cool down completely.
The shaft, beak, blade, and point of the halberd were all designed to be part of one whole piece of meteor steel, so the shape was mostly there after having it solidify within Zhao Yunxiao's pre-made mould.
However, that alone was not perfect.
Edges needed to be sharpened, and corners needed to be rounded off. Not just that, but there were also nooks and crannies that had to be engraved into the metal for various reasons. And that was only the main piece.
Apart from that, there were also various separate parts that had to be smithed and attached. These parts might not seem to have too big of an impact if looked at individually, but the overall effect after they came together as a whole was not to be underestimated.
Not to mention things like weight distribution, grip management, or subtle guards, each piece's existence had been calculated into the overall design.
Only with everything in place would the energy flow within the halberd be pushed to an optimal state – not only increasing the ease of using the halberd, but also amplifying the abilities of its user!
From time to time, Zhao Yunxiao would pop another recovery pill or some small pieces of food, ensuring that his energy and hunger levels remained at an optimal level.
Completely focused on the forging process, Zhao Yunxiao inevitably lost track of time.
The only thoughts that filled his mind were related to the current status of the forging progress, as well as the steps and materials that he had to prepare next.
Before he knew it, only the final step remained.
The pentagon-shaped joint had been crafted successfully. Now, all that remained was to add it onto the shaft right below the blade.
That would finally mark the completion of the halberd.