After confirming that the young Tiankui would not become a gold-devouring beast, Shen Changqing put his mind at ease.
After a few days, he found that feeding it just a small amount of fresh blood was a level of consumption his body’s natural recovery could easily offset.
He wasn’t concerned about whether this consumption would increase when the Tiankui grew older; I’ll deal with that if and when the time comes.
Exiting the courtyard, Shen Changqing walked towards another part of the compound.
The Demon-Subduing Division in Mountain-Breaking City was quite large. Following the information Ji Tianlu had provided, he headed deeper into the Demon-Subduing Division.
About fifteen to thirty minutes later, Shen Changqing stopped in front of a side hall.
The doors of the side hall were wide open, and a scorching aura emanated from within. The sounds of hammering and forging metal also drifted out.
Pausing for a moment, he stepped inside.
Upon entering, his field of view widened. Bare-chested men were working fervently in front of numerous forges, forcefully hammering glowing red iron blocks, sweat flying everywhere.
The blacksmiths paid no mind to Shen Changqing’s arrival.
Instead, a rather clean-cut young man approached from the side and politely asked, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
As he spoke, his eyes had already landed on the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns Shen Changqing carried. With his sharp intuition, he instinctively sensed that those two large horns were definitely not ordinary.
Shen Changqing said, "My name is Shen Changqing. I am here to find Master Gongye."
The Master Gongye he referred to was the artisan Ji Tianlu had mentioned, the one capable of forging the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns. This man was also, in essence, a Demon Hunter. However, due to his craftsmanship, he rarely went out to exterminate Demon Evils like other Demon Hunters. Instead, he remained within the Demon-Subduing Division, providing powerful weapons for his colleagues.
Towards such an individual, Shen Changqing did not regard him as an ordinary Demon Hunter, which was why he used the respectful title of ’Master.’
Hearing this, the young man’s expression changed slightly. "So, it is Elder Shen. Please wait a moment, I will go and announce your arrival."
After speaking, he hurried off.
Soon after, an older man walked out from within, with the young man trailing behind him.
Although the elder appeared advanced in years, the powerful muscles beneath his robes were still evident. He naturally exuded a fierce aura.
Upon seeing Shen Changqing, the elder’s expression remained composed. He greeted with a polite bow, "So, Elder Shen has arrived. Gongye Heng has been remiss in his welcome!"
"Master Gongye, you are too kind. I have come this time to request your help in forging a Divine Weapon. I wonder if you have the time?" Shen Changqing stated his purpose directly.
Hearing this, Gongye Heng said, "Everyone who comes here seeks to have me forge Divine Weapons. However, I have a few prerequisites. If Elder Shen can meet them, then there should be no problem."
"Please state them, Master Gongye," Shen Changqing said, without undue arrogance.
When asking for a favor, one should maintain the proper attitude. Even though, in terms of status, Gongye Heng is considerably lower than me, some matters cannot be judged by status alone.
Gongye Heng continued, "First, to commission a Divine Weapon from me, I require one hundred Merit Points as a furnace-starting fee. If there are additional expenses during the forging process, those will need to be covered separately. Second, I will not work without exceptional materials. Can Elder Shen accept these two conditions?"
One hundred Merit Points just to start the furnace! Shen Changqing’s eyebrows rose. This man is indeed not easily persuaded.
One hundred Merit Points was no small sum. Considering the value of Merit Points on the black market, this was equivalent to tens of thousands of Silver for the labor fee alone, not even including other potential costs. Anyone else might have refused outright.
However, for Shen Changqing, while one hundred Merit Points was steep, it was still within an acceptable range.
"One hundred Merit Points is not a problem," Shen Changqing replied. "As for materials, I plan to use these two horns from a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast. I wonder if these will satisfy your requirements, Master Gongye?"
As he spoke, he unstrapped the two large horns from his back.
"Horns of a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast!" Gongye Heng’s eyes lit up. Staring at the horns before him, his expression changed for the first time. He took the two large horns, his calloused palms stroking their surface, clearly feeling their texture.
"The Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast," Gongye Heng mused, "is rumored to be an existence between the late Grandmaster stage and the peak. Its horns are the hardest part of its body. To be honest, I have never seen genuine horns from a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast before. Elder Shen, these horns of yours have truly been an eye-opener."
Admiration! Unparalleled admiration filled him. For a powerful forge master, nothing was more thrilling than exceptional forging materials.
Gongye Heng withdrew his gaze from the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns and looked at Shen Changqing again.
"With two such horns," he said, "I am confident I can forge a Spirit Arm for you. However, Elder Shen, I am now somewhat inclined to propose a deal."
"Please speak, Master Gongye."
"You won’t need to pay the one hundred Merit Points," Gongye Heng said fervently. "Instead, I hope you will leave any remaining material from the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns with me after the forging. Similarly, I will not require any additional payment for subsequent costs."
Hearing this, Shen Changqing’s expression flickered. "If there’s material leftover from the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns, it’s not out of the question to leave it with you, Master Gongye. However, I wish to forge a Treasure Blade. Are two horns from a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast entirely sufficient for that?"
The horns themselves weren’t overly important to him; his main goal was to obtain a Spirit Arm. If Gongye Heng could achieve that, then there was no issue. If not, there was nothing more to discuss. After all, according to Xun Qu, horns from a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast were more than qualified to be forged into Spirit Arms.
"More than enough!" Gongye Heng assured him. "Not just one Treasure Blade, even two would be no problem! Elder Shen, you can provide me with a design sketch and any specific requirements for the blade later, and I will forge it for you."
Receiving this answer, Gongye Heng was in high spirits. It had been a long time since he had encountered a treasure on par with the horns of a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast. He was naturally elated at the prospect of working with them.
Shen Changqing smiled, "No problem. But I’d like to ask, how long will you need to forge it, Master Gongye?"
"Two months!" Gongye Heng replied without hesitation. "To forge a weapon to the level of a Spirit Arm requires extreme care, so it takes longer. Furthermore, with material like these Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns, it would be a crime against nature not to forge them into a Spirit Arm. Give me two months, Elder Shen, and I guarantee you a Spirit Arm."
"Two months? Good!" Shen Changqing quickly calculated and then nodded.
Two months. It’s a bit long, but still acceptable. I haven’t forgotten that the black market auction is in a few more months. Half a year was the timeframe, and now less than three months remain. Getting the Treasure Blade in two months and then returning to the Capital City... the timing should be just right. I can also use these two months to travel, exterminate Demon Evils, and harvest a wave of Slaughter Value. My strength will be somewhat diminished without a weapon, but even without using the Hundred-Battles Blade Technique, dealing with ordinary Demon Evils shouldn’t be a problem given my current foundation. Having a blade or not at this stage isn’t a major hindrance.
Gongye Heng then continued, "Since you’re certain, Elder Shen, let’s set the deadline at two months—sixty days. I ask that you return to the Demon-Subduing Division to find me within the last five days of that period. The final formation of a Spirit Arm requires it to drink the fresh blood of a powerful individual. While my blood could complete the process, the effect is best if it consumes the owner’s own blood."
A Spirit Arm needed to drink blood to truly take form.
Shen Changqing nodded, "Alright, I will return to the Demon-Subduing Division within the specified time."
"Then there’s no problem," Gongye Heng nodded as well.
The remaining details were handled simply. The young man behind Gongye Heng brought out paper and ink. Shen Changqing sketched a rough design for the Treasure Blade and then left the side hall.
Gongye Heng’s revised terms saved me some time and trouble. Obtaining a Spirit Arm in two months will significantly enhance my strength. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0velFire.ɴet
After leaving the side hall, Shen Changqing found Ji Tianlu. He obtained a copy of the latest dossier on the distribution of Demon Evils in the South Nether Prefecture and then departed from the Demon-Subduing Division.
Having been in the Heavenly Realm for so long, the previous dossier is likely outdated. New Demon Evils would have emerged, and old ones would have been slain.
As Shen Changqing departed, Gongye Heng lovingly turned the two Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast horns over and over in his hands.
"These are the horns of the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast! Truly an unparalleled treasure!" he exclaimed.
To the untrained eye, the horns might seem unremarkable. But in Gongye Heng’s eyes, every single line and pattern on them was filled with a mystical aura—an aura that only the finest forging materials could possess.
At his side, the young man looked puzzled. "Master, are the horns of the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast really that precious?"
Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast... This is the first time I’ve even heard of it, he thought, knowing even less about its horns.
Gongye Heng glanced at him, his tone becoming calm. "The Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast itself is exceptionally powerful, and the hardest parts of its body are the two large horns on its head. These horns are natural raw materials for forging Spirit Arms. While forging Spirit Arms from other materials carries a risk of failure, there is almost no such possibility with horns from a Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast in the hands of any skilled forge master. If complemented with other fine materials, a successfully forged weapon from these horns would be far superior to ordinary Spirit Arms."
As he spoke, his palm continued to caress the magnificent horns.
"It’s just a pity that the Red Phosphorus Fierce Beast lives within the Heavenly Realm. It is not only powerful, but such beasts are not found in every part of the Heavenly Realm, making opportunities to obtain their horns exceedingly rare."