**Chapter 95: The Sword**
Qin Mu's hair finally stopped growing, reaching his waist. He took a ribbon to tie it back, his expression serious. He stepped forward to the furnace.
Grandma Si frowned, "Mute, can you really melt Cold Iron Essence at the Spirit Womb realm?"
The Mute nodded.
Grandma Si cursed, "Pervert!"
The Herbalist, the Blind One, and others also nodded in agreement, saying, "Pervert! Mute, you're truly a pervert!"
The Mute beamed with pride, unable to close his mouth.
Cold Iron Essence was even superior to Cold Iron Gold Crystal—an essence refined from it. Cold Iron Gold Crystal could be melted by furnace fire to forge weapons, but the cold of Cold Iron Essence could extinguish furnace fire directly, making it extremely difficult to refine!
The Mute threw two pieces of Cold Iron Essence to Qin Mu, meaning for him to melt them, forge them into one piece, and then craft a weapon!
If Qin Mu could accomplish this, he would pass this gate.
Qin Mu circulated his qi, transforming it into Vermilion Bird qi. His palm ignited with flame, which he placed into the furnace. With his other hand, he pumped the bellows, trying to reignite the coals.
But the moment his hand entered the furnace, he felt biting cold. His flame nearly extinguished, and even his Vermilion Bird qi was on the verge of freezing!
The Mute grinned triumphantly, gesturing excitedly to the Deaf. The Deaf translated, "You're saying that igniting the furnace fire is the first test, requiring great skill? This involves the mysteries of forging—brute force alone can't light the fire?"
The Mute smiled broadly. Suddenly, with a whoosh, flames erupted from the furnace. The coals were ignited by Qin Mu's incredibly powerful Vermilion Bird qi, overpowering the cold of the Cold Iron Essence.
The Deaf looked at the Mute sympathetically. "Mute, not being able to light the fire with brute force just means your Spirit Womb cultivation isn't strong enough. He has enough brute force to light it—no skill required."
The Mute gestured indignantly. The Deaf laughed, "Cunning. The furnace fire can't melt Cold Iron. So you had a trick up your sleeve."
Qin Mu lit the furnace fire and immediately intensified his qi, pushing the flames to their limit. But the Cold Iron Essence refused to melt, not even turning red.
Qin Mu frowned, then plunged both hands into the furnace and grabbed the two pieces of Cold Iron. He activated the Supreme Body Three-Dan Art, and his Spirit Womb also went wild. The qi surrounding his Spirit Womb became like a great furnace, pushing his Vermilion Bird qi to the absolute limit!
The Cold Iron Essence in his hands gradually turned crimson. Before long, drops of molten iron began to fall.
Qin Mu let the molten iron drip into a trough. The two pieces of Cold Iron melted faster and faster. Soon, all the Cold Iron had melted, the iron water merging together.
The Deaf looked at the dumbfounded Mute. "What were you going to test him on again?"
The Mute slumped in defeat. His original intention had been to test Qin Mu's forging skills.
Melting Cold Iron Essence required first lighting the furnace, but the furnace temperature couldn't melt it. However, with sufficient cultivation, one could use Vermilion Bird qi to soften it.
In his design, Qin Mu would soften the two pieces of Cold Iron, then hammer them together, repeatedly forging them into one piece, and ultimately crafting a weapon through a hundred refinings. He hadn't expected Qin Mu's qi cultivation to be so absurdly powerful that he simply melted the Cold Iron directly with qi!
His purpose was to test skill, but Qin Mu used brute force to overcome skill entirely, achieving the same result but more simply, leaving the Mute speechless.
The clang of hammering rang out. Qin Mu wielded the great iron hammer, sparks flying with each strike, channeling his immense qi into every blow. He used Vermilion Bird qi to soften the metal, then Black Tortoise qi to cool it, repeatedly tempering and striking.
After countless rounds of hammering, a butcher's knife gradually took shape.
The Mute inspected it and nodded reluctantly. Qin Mu had passed this gate.
Qin Mu finished the butcher's knife and tested its sharpness, very satisfied. He finally had a weapon he had forged himself.
The Blind One laughed, "Mu'er, don't test the blade yet. You haven't passed my gate. This time, we'll compete in poetry."
Qin Mu's face paled. "Grandpa Blind, I can't possibly beat you..."
The Deaf pulled out his iron ears with a pop, indicating he wouldn't listen. Grandma Si and the others also looked disdainful, saying in unison, "Blind One, change it!"
The Blind One scratched his head, unable to resist everyone's enthusiasm. "Then let's compete in spear arts. Gather qi into a spear!"
He threw aside his bamboo staff, his five fingers spreading wide. Black Tortoise qi transformed into flowing water, and a water-dragon spear appeared in his hand.
Qin Mu's qi erupted, a fire-dragon spear appearing. The two began to move, their spears trembling like poison dragons waiting to pounce from the abyss.
They circled each other, never stopping. The water-dragon spear and fire-dragon spear never touched.
Qin Mu opened the Shenxiao Heavenly Eye, his gaze falling on the Blind One, searching for an opening. But he found none—the Blind One, though blind, left no gap at all.
"No opening? Then I'll create one!"
After circling for a long while, Qin Mu suddenly stamped his foot. The ground collapsed, a great crater forming where he stood. The earth rippled, throwing the Blind One off balance.
WHOOSH—
His fire-dragon spear thrust forward. But the Blind One smiled, his water-dragon spear arriving first, striking at Qin Mu. Though Qin Mu had struck first, the Blind One's spear reached his chest before his own!
Qin Mu smiled. At his chest, water splashed and a vortex formed, blocking the Blind One's strike. The Blind One's water-dragon spear shattered instantly, and the force sent him flying backward. Qin Mu's spear lengthened, transforming into a fire dragon that struck the Blind One's chest.
The Blind One stumbled, quickly opening his sealed divine treasuries to stabilize himself. He shouted angrily, "That's cheating—you used two types of qi simultaneously! In terms of skill, you've already lost. You're just bullying me with your Supreme Body's power!"
Qin Mu stammered, "Grandpa Blind, should we try again?"
The Blind One turned from anger to joy. "The Supreme Body is meant for bullying! That's your strength. This gate, you've passed. Grandma, you're next."
Grandma Si's gaze was complex as she looked at Qin Mu, who had just won. "Mu'er, in my heart, you've long passed my gate. When you broke through the three hundred and sixty passages, you already passed."
Qin Mu was taken aback. "Grandma?"
"When do children not leave home?"
Grandma Si said softly, "When you grow up, you have to go. I can't keep you forever. These old men all let you pass. If I don't, it would be too selfish..." She carried her basket back into the house and closed the door.
Qin Mu stood stunned.
The Village Chief coughed, bringing him back. "Mu'er, if you pass my gate, you can leave the Village of Broken Elders, leave the Great Ruins, and train in the outside world."
Qin Mu turned. "Village Chief, please instruct me."
The Village Chief smiled. "What we old ones have taught you are the skills to survive in this world. Old Ma taught you strength and dignity. The Butcher taught you courage and fearlessness. The Deaf taught you art and grace. The Cripple taught you escape and cunning. The Blind One taught you to see through appearances to the truth. The Herbalist taught you to refine medicine and save lives. Grandma Si taught you wisdom and kindness. The Mute taught you adaptability and composure. And what I can teach you is a ruler, with conscience as its standard, to measure good and evil, right and wrong. Raise your sword."
Qin Mu drew the Shao Bao Sword and held it horizontally before him. The sword's spine, facing Qin Mu, divided the blade into two edges. One side reflected Qin Mu's face, and the other also reflected Qin Mu's face.
"A sword has four edges. The side facing you reflects your conscience—one side good, one side evil."
The Village Chief's expression was calm. "The side facing your enemy reflects your enemy's conscience—one side good, one side evil. The sword is your ruler, used to measure good and evil, right and wrong—both yours and your enemy's. The sword art measures your enemy's conscience, as well as yours. I will now teach you the first form of my sword art. Once you learn it, you will have passed my gate and can leave the village to train in the outside world."
Qin Mu's heart raced with excitement. The Village Chief was finally going to teach him sword techniques!
Old Ma, the Blind One, and the others were deeply moved, looking toward the Village Chief. Grandma Si also pushed open her door and looked over.
The Village Chief was finally going to pass on his sword art to Qin Mu. To others, this might seem like a small matter, but to them, it was of great significance.
Especially the Herbalist—he knew what it meant for the Village Chief to pass on his sword art!
The Village Chief's sword art was not just a legacy; it carried more responsibility!
Learning the Village Chief's sword art meant shouldering the responsibilities even the Village Chief had never completed!
The Herbalist whispered, "Village Chief, do you think he can shoulder it?"
The Village Chief laughed, "I couldn't, but that doesn't mean he can't. The Ancestor of the Demonic Sect is old and has seven years left. I'm old too, and will only die a few years after him. It's time to leave a legacy."
He rallied his spirit and said to Qin Mu, "My sword art is called the Sword Diagram. The first form of the Sword Diagram is called Sword Across Mountains and Rivers."