Chapter 276 – A Few Strands of White Hair Give Rise to a Demonic Blade, Lofty Dreams are a Young Man’s Game - Part 1
Heavensense and Earth Appraisal, these were the two secret arts of smithing that Li Yuan had encountered—ultimate skills that weaponsmiths pursued so tirelessly yet seemed unable to master.
The former tapped into the Yang of Heaven, the latter into the Yin of Earth. Apparently, only by harnessing both Heaven and Earth could one smith something that transcended the limits of an ordinary spiritual artifact.
Li Yuan never imagined there could be a third path. Yet here it was, laid out before him—Life Devour, a method in which the weaponsmith sacrificed their own lifespan to complete the weapon.
He’d heard of similar tales in his past life; legends like the one of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye came about this way.[1]
However, Life Devour and other methods like it were considered sinister. They were doomed to be lost and forgotten. Coupled with the presence of that Ghost Hammer, an evil item, it was a wonder if this smithing lineage lasted even three generations. After all, to wield such an item, one either had to be an undying husk or at least sixth rank.
Weaponsmiths were already extremely difficult to train; after all that investment, if they still had to give up their lives to forge a weaponsmith...well, the conditions were so punishing that it was no surprise that Life Devour existed now only in fragments, shoved in some neglected corner. If it hadn’t provided a valuable perspective on attaining greater heights, it would likely have been discarded completely. Even so, leaving it in this vault was practically the same as throwing it away.
Li Yuan took the book and left, carefully locking the door behind him. He climbed back up the vines, tossed the large key to Xiang Qingyu, then waved the tome in his hand. “I borrowed a book to read. That okay?”
Xiang Qingyu replied, “Take whatever you like. Everything in that tree hollow is practically junk by now. In a few more years, maybe ten, they’ll haul it all out anyway.”
Suddenly, Li Yuan asked, “When they haul it out, where do they take it?”
Surprised, Xiang Qingyu stared at him. “You’re not serious, are you...?”
He smiled. “I just think it’s a pity to toss out all these old texts. I’d like to see them first.”
“They bury them,” Xiang Qingyu said, “box after box in the ground. And trust me, there’s nothing useful in those crates.”