Chapter 84.2: Inspiration Bursts Forth; The Idea of a Secret Technique! (II)

Whatever. This isn't an urgent matter. As long as I have inspiration and a sense of direction, I can refine it gradually.

With that thought, Lu Changsheng placed the

Blood Devil Scripture

back into the hidden compartment. He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest properly.

In the days that followed, Nanyang City returned to its former calm. However, discussions about the demonic martial artist and Great Hero Zhuang continued to surge without end. From taverns to street corners, people spoke incessantly, and the fervor showed no sign of cooling.

Across the entire Nanyang Prefecture, Great Hero Zhuang had truly risen to overwhelming prominence. His prestige had reached an almost unimaginable height. Even so, he remained elusive and never revealed himself. Even though everyone knew that Zhuang Shisan was somewhere within Nanyang Prefecture, perhaps even somewhere within Nanyang City itself, no one knew exactly where he was.

Lu Changsheng considered that using the identity of Zhuang Shisan in Nanyang Prefecture would likely become inconvenient in the future. Fame was not always a good thing. Fortunately, he had become quite adept at disguising. If acting as Zhuang Shisan became too restrictive, he could simply assume another identity.

If Zhuang Shisan's identity was no longer advantageous, he could be Lu Shiba, or Liu Shier, or Zhao Shijiu, or countless other people. If it came to that, Nanyang Prefecture would become quite lively, with multiple Divine Strength martial artists emerging one after the other. Within the jianghu, Nanyang Prefecture could become a dragon's den or a tiger's lair—a place where no one would dare to cause trouble.

Of course, it had not come to the point where Lu Changsheng would have to switch identities. For the time being, Zhuang Shisan was still a very good cover.

During this time, Lu Changsheng treated patients, continued his cultivation, and diligently practiced martial techniques. Most of his effort went into the martial techniques, which greatly sped up his progress.

He needed to raise his Perception quickly, as he felt like the limitless secret technique he was trying to devise was missing something—something he had not yet grasped. He suspected his Perception was still not quite high enough. Even if that was not the main cause, elevating one's perception was never bad.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

At that moment, a series of metallic clangs reached Lu Changsheng's ears. He glanced toward a nearby street.

A blacksmith? I think there was a blacksmith's shop around here. It's usually quiet, so why are there so many people crowding over there?

He entertained his curiosity and walked over.

"Everyone, look. Today is the final day of the agreement between Blacksmith Ou and Great Hero Liu. Can he really forge a divine weapon?"

"

Tsk

, this time, Great Hero Liu brought out a chunk of heavenly meteoric iron and handed it to Blacksmith Ou to forge a suitable divine sword. Great Hero Liu has been watching every day. If the sword gets ruined in the process, he will not let Blacksmith Ou off easily."

"Doesn't Blacksmith Ou always brag that his ancestor was the divine blacksmith, Ou Yezi? Now we will see how much of that ancestral craft he actually inherited."

The neighbors crowded around, eager for spectacle. They never feared that things might grow serious. Lu Changsheng squeezed into the crowd as well and listened to the surrounding chatter.

"A divine weapon?"

Lu Changsheng had heard that term in the jianghu. For many martial artists, a divine weapon could greatly enhance their combat strength. Of course, Lu Changsheng had no need for such a weapon. After all, a Divine Strength martial artist's greatest weapon was their own body.

Blacksmith Ou was well known in Nanyang City. Rumours had it that his ancestor had been Ou Yezi, though whether that was true remained uncertain. In any case, Great Hero Liu wanted to forge a divine sword at all costs, and he had even produced heavenly meteoric iron for that sake. He had placed all his hopes on Blacksmith Ou.

Blacksmith Ou was a burly man with a stocky build. Bare-chested, he brought the hammer down again and again. After countless hammerings and refinements, the shape of a longsword gradually emerged.

"Great Hero Liu, the blood refining method requires extreme caution. A single misstep will lead to failure. Are you truly resolved to use blood refining to forge a divine weapon?" Blacksmith Ou asked.

"It is decided. I nearly exhausted my entire fortune to obtain this piece of heavenly meteoric iron. If I cannot forge a divine weapon from it, would all my previous efforts not have been wasted? Blacksmith Ou, please do it."

Great Hero Liu's expression remained firm. Then Blacksmith Ou had him step forward and lightly cut open his wrist. Blood immediately flowed onto the weapon—not just droplets, but a steady stream. Blacksmith Ou hammered rapidly and drove the blood into forming the divine weapon.

Hsssss...

At last, Blacksmith Out plunged the divine sword into cold water, and with that, it was fully forged. He was panting for breath, but his face beamed with excitement.

"It is done! It really is possible to forge a divine weapon with blood refining!

Hahaha!

Who dares to claim I cannot forge divine weapons, huh?"

Blacksmith Ou laughed heartily, proud of his creation.

Great Hero Liu gripped the hilt and casually swung it around, the sharp edge cutting through the air. Even the onlookers could feel the sharpness of the blade.

"Incredible... Blacksmith Ou truly forged a divine sword. With this sword, Great Hero Liu will likely find no equal among Organ Refinement martial artists."

People stared with admiration, others with jealousy. Even so, no one seriously considered acquiring a divine sword themselves. Blacksmith Ou charged an exorbitant price, and heavenly meteoric iron was almost impossible to procure. Ascending to the heavens would perhaps be easier than procuring a piece. If that weren't the case, everyone in the jianghu would wield such swords.

As Lu Changsheng observed the scene, a sudden flash of insight crossed his mind. He fell into deep contemplation, and his thoughts erupted with sparks of inspiration. The long-stalled understanding of the secret technique suddenly began to loosen, as though a path toward breakthrough had finally revealed itself.

Forging a divine weapon... A divine weapon is tempered through a thousand strikes and a hundred refinements, turning from a small piece of dull-edged iron into a sharp sword that can split hairs. If I treat blood qi as that dull iron and use the same principles of forging and refine it through repeated hammerings and refinements, could I create such a formidable divine weapon?

Or perhaps the weapon itself is irrelevant. What truly matters is that blood qi can be forged and compressed again and again. Over time, how powerful would it become? When the time comes, I would not even need any special method. I would only need to release it and strike my opponent, and the blood qi would detonate on its own to unleash incomparable destructive force.

Lu Changsheng's eyes grew brighter and brighter as the sparks of inspiration kept colliding. The rough plan he had initially devised quickly turned into a clear outline for this brand-new secret technique. He had to test it out right away.

"I should head back now!"

Without hesitation, he headed straight to Miaoshou Garden. He needed to test whether this newly conceived secret technique could truly work.