Wang Defa picked up the refining method for the Thunderclap Sword and studied it for a moment.
“Done.”
Lu Ming asked somewhat skeptically, “Done? You don't want to study it a bit more?”
Wang Defa flicked his sleeves, brimming with confidence. “No need. This old man has spent half his life forging. I might not be able to refine magical artifacts, but a mere spiritual artifact is no match for me.”
With that, Wang Defa began to refine according to the steps.
Watching Wang Defa’s smooth, flowing movements, Lu Ming nodded.
Hmm! Not bad.
He certainly had the air of a master.
As the materials were added, Lu Ming watched as the shape of a sword slowly began to form.
Perfect! The old man really does have some skill.
Just then, Wang Defa added the final material, the Thunder Vine.
With the Thunder Vine added, the Thunderclap Sword would gain lightning attributes, and the refining would be complete.
Crackle, pop... crackle, pop...
A flurry of sparks and lightning flashed...
Then, Lu Ming and Wang Defa stared at each other, then back at the newly refined Thunderclap Sword.
“Wang Defa, is this a Thunderclap Sword?”
Wang Defa swallowed hard. “It... should be?”
Lu Ming pointed at a rectangular, glittering gold brick and yelled, exasperated, “Tell me, whose Thunderclap Sword looks like this?!”
He liked gold and money, sure, but he couldn't have the sect's standard weapon look exactly like a gold brick!
If they took this out to fight, outsiders who didn't know better would think he, the Sect Master, was utterly obsessed with money.
Wang Defa smacked his lips. “How about... I try again?”
“Fine!”
With that, Wang Defa began to refine another Thunderclap Sword.
Before starting, he made sure to study the refining method for the Thunderclap Sword once more.
Following the familiar sequence, Wang Defa executed each step meticulously.
Lu Ming also watched closely, comparing his actions to the refining manual.
The Thunderclap Sword smoothly reached the final step.
“Great Sect Master, watch closely. My techniques are completely standard...”
Lu Ming nodded, staring without blinking.
The moment Wang Defa added the Thunder Vine, Lu Ming watched as the sword-shaped weapon, which was already fully formed, once again transformed into a gold brick amidst the crackling lightning.
It was just that smooth, just that absurd...
Lu Ming and Wang Defa stared at each other again. Wang Defa said with a look of pure grievance, “Great Sect Master, you can't blame me for this! I, Old Wang, have forged countless weapons in my life, but I've never made something that ruins my reputation like this...”
Hearing Wang Defa's complaints, Lu Ming was speechless. I haven't even questioned your forging skills yet, and you're already complaining?
“Great Sect Master, are you doubting my forging skills?” Wang Defa suddenly blustered, his face flushing red.
“Haha... No, of course not. I'm just wondering why it turned out like this.”
“Hmph... I think you just don't trust me. Just you wait.”
Saying that, Wang Defa pulled out some refining materials from his storage bag and began to forge.
Once again executing smooth, flowing movements, he successfully refined a glowing spirit sword a brief moment later.
Seeing this, Lu Ming was also puzzled. What was going on here? Was there a problem with the materials, or was there an issue with the refining method?
Or was it that the Thunderclap Sword simply lacked fate with the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lu Ming helplessly picked up a Thunderclap Brick. Surprisingly, it actually felt quite nice in his hand. It felt exactly like holding a solid gold brick, filling him with the absolute sense of security that only wealth could bring.
“Great Sect Master, why don't you test its effects?” As he spoke, Wang Defa handed the spirit sword he had just made to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming took the spirit sword reflexively. Sure, why not?
Channeling the same amount of spiritual energy, he held the spirit sword in one hand and the Thunderclap Brick in the other, and brought them together.
Crack...
The moment the spirit sword collided with the Thunderclap Brick, it snapped in half.
Lu Ming’s eyes lit up. It's this powerful?
Refusing to believe his eyes, he took out a beggar-beating staff from the Xiaoyao Sect—a leftover from his previous encounters.
Crack...
The Thunderclap Brick easily smashed the beggar-beating staff to pieces as well.
Oh, I don't believe this.
Lu Ming then brought out several other spiritual artifacts, but none of them could withstand a single blow from the Thunderclap Brick.
As for magical artifacts, Lu Ming couldn't bring himself to test them. After all, magical artifacts were still very expensive.
However, this was enough to prove that aside from its peculiar appearance, everything else about the Thunderclap Brick was excellent. It was definitely a top-tier weapon among spiritual artifacts.
Lu Ming slapped his thigh. “Old Wang, start mass-producing them! From now on, this will be the standard-issue weapon of our Heavenly Demon Sect...”
“You got it! Just watch me!” Wang Defa agreed readily and went back to forging more Thunderclap Bricks.
While Wang Defa was busy, Lu Ming set about designing the identity tokens for the Heavenly Demon Sect. Since they now had a dedicated forger, it was time to finally get their tokens made.
“Woof, woof!?”
After Lu Ming and Wang Defa left, Big Yellow hopped onto the large gold chair and sat down.
Diao San stood behind Big Yellow, acting as its translator. “Name?”
“Fei Jiujin,” a burly man answered.
“Specialty?”
With Wang Defa's interview as a precedent, everyone now understood what a "specialty" meant.
Fei Jiujin hesitated for a moment before saying, “I can eat a lot.”
Diao San's mouth twitched. What kind of specialty is that?
Just as he thought Big Yellow would reject him, the dog nodded. Being able to eat is a blessing. This guy has good fortune, recruit him.
Seeing Big Yellow nod, Diao San didn't understand why the Second Sect Master wanted him, but he announced anyway: “You've been accepted. Stand to the side and wait.”
Fei Jiujin thanked them excitedly. “Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior! Sniff... I've finally found a place that will feed me. Mom doesn't have to worry about me starving anymore.”
“Next.”
“Name?”
“Zhang Shangfei.”
“Specialty?”
“I run fast.”
Big Yellow nodded. Running fast is good. It gives an advantage when fleeing for your life.
...
As Big Yellow's interviews continued, all kinds of cultivators with bizarre specialties were recruited.
As time passed, only one person remained.
“Name.”
A youth with a cold, fierce gaze spoke up. “Fu Chen.”
Diao San was startled when he heard the name. Is this one of those respectable names the Great Sect Master mentioned?
“Specialty?”
Hearing the question, Fu Chen pursed his lips. “Killing.”
Hearing this specialty, Big Yellow nodded in satisfaction. Killing is good. If anyone dares to bully the members of our Heavenly Demon Sect in the future, he can just kill them.
With Fu Chen's acceptance, the interviews finally came to an end. Only a few normal cultivators without any special talents were rejected.
They walked out of the Heavenly Demon Sect's courtyard, utterly speechless. Is this sect run by lunatics? They don't want normal people like us, yet they recruit low-cultivation weirdos instead.
Among them, a cultivator with a scar on his face left and walked through the low-lying houses, eventually reaching the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.
“Who goes there?”
The scarred-face cultivator quickly cupped his hands. “I'm looking for Seventh Master Ma.”
“Wait here.”
A moment later, an old man wearing the uniform of the Black Tiger Gang walked out.
“Scarface Qiang, what do you want with me?”
“Seventh Master Ma, your nephew is dead.”
A sharp light flashed in the old man's eyes. “What?!”
He had a nephew whom he had tried to recruit into the Black Tiger Gang, but the boy had refused, insisting on joining a proper sect instead.
Recently, with the All Beings Equal secret realm about to open, many sects had arrived in Black Fiend City. His nephew had been constantly looking for an opportunity to join one of them.
How could he suddenly be dead?
Had he offended some major sect? If so, his death would have to go unavenged.
He was merely a low-ranking manager of a gang in the slums of Black Fiend City. He didn't have the power to seek revenge against a major sect.
Rate on N.U.
