Chapter 663: Chengtian Sword Platform, Live Broadcast of Qionghua Sect Equipment Crafting

"Greetings, Elder Thork."

"Where are Tix and Her Ladyship Adolf?"

The dwarven elder pointed somewhat confusedly toward the direction of 'Handsome Sword Immortal, Crafting Online': "They just said they were going to take a look..."

Several dwarves cast a strange glance over: "Why has it taken them so long?"

"Uh..." The blue-robed old man felt a surge of awkwardness. Was the alchemy outside not interesting enough?

"Pardon our neglect, my apologies," the old man offered hurriedly. "We shall go and call her over."

Ten minutes later...

A few dwarves stood to the side, exchanging strange looks: "What is taking them so long...?"

"Good heavens, is this not Elder Thork...?" Just then, several alchemists suddenly noticed the situation over here.

"To think you would actually come to this place!"

"Where are the people from the Alchemy Guild?" One of the alchemists frowned. "They are becoming increasingly undisciplined. To think they didn't even send someone to receive you."

"Uh..." The dwarves exchanged a look. "I originally came together with Her Ladyship Adolf. Adolf has always been a friend of ours."

"So that is how it is," those alchemists said. "Then Her Ladyship Adolf..."

Elder Thork pointed toward 'Handsome Sword Immortal, Crafting Online'.

"Should I go remind her? Oh, neglecting guests like this is a bit too much."

"Pshaw, why are they watching that instead of the spectacular alchemy out here?"

With that, the alchemists also walked over.

"..."

Twenty minutes later...

"What in the world is going on?!" Left completely out in the cold, the dwarves scratched their heads in bewilderment.

...

Inside the main hall of the Alchemy Guild, Leo held a bottle of deep green liquid, which was bubbling and frothing inside. He wore a metallic mask over his face, evidently to block out the odor: "When you handle the venom of this poison dart frog, you must be careful, my friends. This stench will absolutely make you question your life choices."

"Our Master Leo is handling it with perfect order. It looks as though an excellent reagent is about to be born. What does Your Ladyship Leo intend to make next?"

"The Glimmer Reagent," Leo said, brimming with confidence. "The Glimmer Reagent that can engrave the 'Paragon Edge' spell formulation onto weapons."

...

At the same time, Master Rum the sword-smith—that muscular master smith wearing a gray waistcoat—had a massive silver metal block resting upon his forge. He pumped the bellows with all his might, and the flame burning hotter within the forge was a white-tinged blue, clearly distinct from ordinary fire.

"What we are about to forge is an excellent composite war-sword," he said while pulling the bellows. "We must hammer this piece of star-patterned iron flat, allowing it to completely encase this piece of black ink-steel."

In the projection, only a rhythmic clanging of hammer blows could be heard.

...

And by this time, a few dwarves had also subconsiously drifted over to the projection of 'Handsome Sword Immortal, Crafting Online' and begun to watch.

In the projection before them lay a massive circular platform. The platform bore the likeness of the Taiji Yin-Yang fish; the Yang fish represented fire, resembling a vast subterranean vein of magma where red-hot flows of lava could even be seen pulsing through the dark red ground.

Directly opposite, clearly demarcated ice clung to the edges of the scorching, dark red rock. The Yin fish represented ice, and looking up, one could even see a vast, frozen expanse right beside it.

This was the Heaven-Bearing Sword Terrace of the Qionghua Sect.

At the very eye of this sword terrace's Yin-Yang fish, cradled by crags and mountains, sat a colossal circular sword-forging altar.

"Just moments ago, we prepared all our materials." Within the magical projection, the youth dressed in blue and white attire, wearing a green jade crown and bearing a sword-case upon his back, stood before that scorching sword-forging altar and produced the materials he had readied earlier.

"What we are refining today is the relatively simple Ghost-Wraith Blade." As he spoke, he drew forth various materials. One was hematite, an orange-red metal whose dull mineral hue shone with threads of spiritual energy. Another was wondrous cloud-crystal, an amber-colored stone with a jade-like smooth exterior. Together with two portions of Kunwu charcoal, which bore a tinge of purple within its dark green, Murong Ziying pinched a sword-hand sign in the projection and channeled his spiritual energy, causing these materials to float slowly above the sword terrace.

"Next, we use the spell-sign to open the sword furnace." Murong Ziying utilized the sword-forging techniques of the Qionghua Sect. His fingers flowed through hand-seals, his ten fingers moving so nimbly they seemed like bees dancing through the air. Very quickly, within the massive sword furnace ahead, the orange-red flames surged more violently, and the materials lay quietly within the furnace, slowly softening.

Inside the sword furnace, cluster after cluster of flame rose high, resembling a blooming lotus of blazing fire.

With fingers gesturing and pointing, beams of spiritual light fell into that lotus-like blaze, and a sound like clinking pearls and jade could faintly be heard. The materials within seemed drawn by an inexplicable power, blending together, stretching, and reshaping.

Ultimately, they dissolved beneath the furnace into a thick, coarse sword-embryo that resembled red jade crystal.

"At this stage, the sword has only taken its initial shape. To hammer and forge it completely into form, we can employ some rather common methods. For instance, gathering the power of wind and thunder to forge it." With that, Murong Ziying chanted softly as his robes billowed. His entire body seemed lifted into midair by a wild wind. Upon this Heaven-Bearing Sword Terrace at the peak of Kunlun, an altar perilously close to the heavens, thunder soon boomed and lightning flashed. The wild wind seemed to come at his bidding, striking fiercely against the sword-embryo on the terrace.

The wind was like invisible giant hammers, striking the sword-embryo time and again. That crisp resonance sounded like a flowing musical movement. Before long, the sword-embryo, which had been as coarse as a long staff, gradually grew thinner and sharper.

By this time, a massive circle of people had gathered around the magical projection of the Alchemy Guild.

Was the alchemy of this 'Eastern Continent' actually like this?! How did we not know about this?!

"How marvelous!"

"Can sword-forging actually be done this way?!"

"Ah—! I think I've already fallen in love with this Lord Sword Immortal! He is too handsome!" a young girl shrieked.

Several dwarves exchanged glances, then looked over at Master Rum, who was swinging his hammer over there, and clutched their foreheads: "By our God!"

...

And at this moment, Master Rum was swinging the hammer in his hand, strike after strike, pouring sweat as he beat the glowing star-patterned iron. He casually wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced around, and instantly left a smear of black soot across his forehead.

He continued hammering: Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Ladies and gentlemen! Do you see it?! Master Rum's masterpiece is about to emerge!" The alchemist from the Alchemy Guild cried out in a high-pitched voice.

"..." Inside the Alchemy Guild hall, around that magical projection in the most prominent central position, only a scattering of a few dozen people remained.

"I imagine the hall of the Alchemy Guild is already packed to the brim with a sea of people by now!" that alchemist shouted at the top of his lungs. "Let the cheers ring out, shall we?! Let me see your enthusiasm!"

"Let's go, let's go..." Several mercenaries jostled each other. "Go watch that 'Crafting Online,' that one is spectacular!"

...