“Senior, you mean...?”
Qi Tianchen nodded slightly, tearing his gaze away from the spear to rest once more on Chen Zui's face.
In those eyes that had just undergone an epiphany of life and death, there was now a heavy, profound solemnity.
“Young Hero Chen, as this old man said earlier, that spear strike of yours saved my life and saved my Martial Dao.
This debt of gratitude cannot be repaid with mere words of thanks.”
He paused, his withered fingers gently stroking the Fengri scabbard.
“In this lifetime, this old man has no other great skills, but I do have some attainments in the craft of weapon forging.
Furnace-Listening Pavilion was founded a century ago, built upon the foundation of casting weapons.
Sabers, swords, axes, halberds, hooks, forks, whips, and maces.
Nearly half of all divine weapons and peerless armaments under heaven originated from our casting furnaces at Furnace-Listening Pavilion.
Even the Son of Heaven Sword worn by the current Emperor was forged with my own hands.
This old man dares say I have not shamed the name of Furnace-Listening Pavilion.”
He spoke these words calmly, yet not a single person felt he was boasting.
Every weapon personally forged by Qi Tianchen was a priceless treasure in the martial world that money could not buy.
The prized Suiyue in his hands was universally recognized as one of the top three divine sabers in the world today.
At this point, Qi Tianchen's tone sank slightly, a rare trace of shame flashing through his eyes.
“However, the Way of the Spear has declined for centuries, and spear masters in the martial world have grown increasingly scarce.
Those who come to Furnace-Listening Pavilion seeking a spear are fewer still.
Over time, Furnace-Listening Pavilion's techniques and heritage for spear forging have largely dwindled away.
I speak without fear of your laughter: though this old man has forged weapons his whole life and produced divine artifacts among sabers, swords, axes, and halberds alike,
the spear alone is something for which I have never forged a single piece truly worthy of the title 'divine weapon.'”
He looked up and met Chen Zui's eyes, his tone imbued with an undeniable certainty.
“Yet this old man leaves his word here today.
All of Furnace-Listening Pavilion, from this old man who just stepped into the Earthly Immortal Realm down to the youngest apprentice pulling the bellows before the casting furnace, will unite as one to forge a spear for you, Chen Zui.
A spear truly worthy of you.”
As soon as these words were uttered, an uncontrollable wave of sharp gasps rippled through the space before the mountain gate.
The eight martial artists in martial attire exchanged looks, their expressions filled with both shock and complexity.
Having Qi Tianchen personally forge a weapon was already a coveted opportunity that countless martial artists across the martial world could only dream of.
To say nothing of his promise that “all of Furnace-Listening Pavilion will unite as one.”
This meant this spear would draw upon the entire foundation accumulated by Furnace-Listening Pavilion over the past century.
Such a promise had never been made to anyone since Furnace-Listening Pavilion was founded.
“There is just one thing I must ask of your understanding.”
A rare hint of uncertainty crept into Qi Tianchen's tone.
“This old man does not know how much time it will take.
Forging a divine spear capable of matching your Way of the Spear is no ordinary blacksmithing that can be finished in three to five days.
Merely rediscovering, refining, and perfecting the spear-forging techniques and heritage will likely consume a great deal of effort.
On top of that, selecting materials, smelting, forging, quenching, sharpening...
Not a single step can suffer the slightest carelessness.”
He looked at Chen Zui, his eyes earnest and sincere.
“This old man can only promise to do his utmost.
However, the time frame cannot be guaranteed.
It may require Young Hero Chen to wait patiently for a period.”
“Then I shall thank Senior Qi in advance.”
Chen Zui smiled faintly and offered a calm word of thanks.
Seeing his calm and unhurried demeanor, the admiration in Qi Tianchen's eyes deepened even further.
Having lived in the martial world for most of his life, he had seen countless young prodigies.
Some would have their eyes light up at the mere mention of “Furnace-Listening Pavilion,” eager to drop to their knees and kowtow on the spot.
Others would grow incoherently excited at the name “Qi Tianchen,” stumbling over their own words.
“Grandpa Qi!”
Hearing this, A-Tong ran over and grabbed Qi Tianchen's arm, his eyes shining brightly like two lit lanterns.
“You're going to forge a spear for Big Brother Chen? That's amazing! I want to help too! I'll pull the bellows for you!”
Qi Tianchen looked down at A-Tong's flushed, excited little face and flicked him on the forehead.
“You pull the bellows at erratic speeds and mess up the heat control every time, yet you still want to help?”
“I've already gotten good at it!”
A-Tong protested stubbornly.
“If you don't believe me, ask my martial uncles! I've been practicing before the casting furnace every day for the past few months!”
Upon hearing this, the martial artists in martial attire all wore pained expressions.
Evidently, what A-Tong considered “getting good” was still quite a distance from his actual skill level.
Qi Tianchen let out a soft laugh and removed A-Tong's hands from his arm.
He then turned around to face the people of Furnace-Listening Pavilion, his expression returning to its usual solemnity.
“Just now, Ling Xiaozi and I came to an agreement with Murong Qingnü, and she has agreed to let us pass.
From here to Jinyang City is barely over three hundred li along smooth official roads, which can be reached in three to five days.
This old man will not be going with all of you.”
At these words, everyone froze in unison.
The Staff Grandmaster instinctively tightened his grip on the wrought bronze staff in his hand and asked urgently,
“Elder Qi, you aren't coming with us?”
Qi Tianchen turned his head and glanced at Ling Xiaozi, who was leaning against a pillar of the memorial archway chugging wine, a faint smile touching the corners of his lips.
“This old man is going with this old Daoist to the capital.
While the duel between Sword Immortal Shen and Sword God Lü is certainly important,
for Ling Xiaozi to come down the mountain this time means the situation in the capital has likely reached a point that can no longer be ignored.
Now that this old man has entered the Earthly Immortal Realm, I cannot simply stand by and watch.”
He paused before continuing,
“If anything happens on the road, consult more with Young Hero Chen and heed his advice.”
At these words, the expressions of the eight martial artists in martial attire shifted slightly at the same time.
They exchanged glances, their eyes darting back and forth between Chen Zui and Qi Tianchen with complex feelings.
How could Qi Tianchen fail to see what was on their minds?
These juniors were all elite martial artists carefully selected from Furnace-Listening Pavilion, each proud and haughty.
To have them obey the directions of a young spearman in his early twenties who had appeared out of nowhere naturally left them dissatisfied.
Yet he said nothing more.
For certain matters, stating them once was enough.
As for whether they listened or not, that was their own cultivation.
Qi Tianchen turned around, his gaze resting on Chen Zui.
“Young Hero Chen, this old man has a favor to ask.”
“Please, speak.”
“A-Tong is the closed-door disciple of this old man's closed-door disciple,
and a child I watched grow up.
He has decent talent, but he has been spoiled by this old man. He is stubbornly willful and not nearly steady enough.
On this journey to Jinyang City, I trouble you to look after him.”
Chen Zui glanced at A-Tong, who was making faces at him, and the corners of his lips curved slightly.
“Rest assured. With me around, no one will bully him.”
Just as A-Tong was about to cheer with joy, Chen Zui added,
“However, if he stirs up trouble himself, I won't necessarily clean up after him.”
The smile on A-Tong's face instantly froze.
Qi Tianchen, however, burst into laughter.
He patted Chen Zui on the shoulder, his withered palm resting on the young man's shoulder with a warmth as gentle as water.
“That is more than enough.”
At that moment, Ling Xiaozi tucked the wine gourd back into his robes.
“All right, Qi Tianchen. You've given all your instructions, and you've indulged in enough sentimentality.
If we don't leave now, dawn will break.
That mess in the capital is still waiting for this old Daoist to clean up.”
Hearing this, Qi Tianchen nodded.
In the next instant, both of their figures vanished from the spot simultaneously.
There was no sonic boom, no explosive blast of air, and not even a speck of dust was stirred.
The two figures that had just stood under the moonlight were already far at the edge of the horizon in the blink of an eye.
With another blink, nothing remained but the empty night sky and a canopy of stars.
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