Chapter 149: Crafting the Divine Weapon

"The heartbeat of a blade?" Gu Chutong asked, puzzled. "How can a blade have a heartbeat?"

Nangong Qun stared intently at the iron case on Gu Mo's back, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of faith and yearning. He said in a low voice, "No, Miss Gu, weapons do have heartbeats. A weapon without a heartbeat is dead, incomplete."

Gu Chutong asked, confused, "Aren't all weapons inanimate?"

Nangong Qun simply shook his head, offering no explanation.

Gu Mo, however, directly took the iron case from his back and said, "I heard from Miss Nangong that Manor Lord Nangong is willing to use the Ice Jade on this blade..."

"Yes, yes, yes, it must be used!"

Nangong Qun could no longer suppress his inner excitement. Seeing Gu Mo nonchalantly holding the iron case, his heart leaped into his throat. His hands instinctively reached out, wanting to take the case, fearing Gu Mo might accidentally drop it. To him, the iron case seemed to hold not an incredibly sturdy blade, but a piece of extremely fragile jade.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Forgetting all etiquette, Nangong Qun eagerly said to Gu Mo, "Great Hero Gu, I've already retrieved the Ice Jade; it's in the Divine Weapon Pavilion. I'll take you there now..."

Nangong Yuexi quickly interjected, "Father, Great Hero Gu has honored us with his presence. You should first prepare a welcoming banquet for him. We can discuss other matters later. How can you be so impolite?"

A rare flicker of clarity appeared in Nangong Qun's frenzied eyes. He quickly said, "Right, right, yes, yes, Great Hero Gu, please..."

"No need," Gu Mo said. "A meal can be had anytime. Manor Lord Nangong is a true devotee when it comes to weapons. To have a divine weapon before you and not be able to see it fully would be an agony, every extra moment a torment. Manor Lord Nangong, let's go to the Divine Weapon Pavilion first."

"Excellent, excellent!" Nangong Qun exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "Great Hero Gu, please, quickly!"

Immediately, Nangong Qun didn't even give Nangong Yuexi a chance to speak. He ushered Gu Mo into the manor, walking so quickly it was almost a run.

Seeing this, Nangong Yuexi sighed helplessly. Without another word, she quietly followed them.

The Divine Weapon Manor was vast and opulent, featuring numerous pavilions, towers, rock gardens, and lakes.

However, Gu Chutong had no time to admire the scenery because Nangong Qun was extremely eager, leading the way at a brisk pace. She and Gu Mo had no choice but to keep up.

Soon, they arrived at a large pavilion.

The moment they stepped inside, Gu Chutong was astonished by the sight before her. The great hall was filled with an overwhelming display of weaponry, arrayed like mountains and seas. Various weapons were meticulously arranged on numerous racks: long spears and great halberds stood menacingly, sword blades gleamed with cold light, and short knives and daggers shimmered with exquisite craftsmanship. Every single piece was of superior quality, clearly far from ordinary. It was like entering a world dedicated to weapons.

Nangong Yuexi instructed the guards to remain outside. Only she, Nangong Qun, and the Gu siblings entered.

Nangong Qun's expression remained unchanged as he led the way. Reaching a certain point, he lifted open the door to a hidden chamber, and a wave of intense heat instantly rolled out.

Nangong Yuexi explained, "Below our Divine Weapon Pavilion lies an underground chamber where a natural earth fire is constantly nurtured. This fire is a refined essence born of heaven and earth; many materials require its intense heat to melt and be forged into weaponry."

After walking for a short while, their surroundings suddenly opened up into a vast hall. Inside, roaring fires blazed, and a massive forging furnace radiated intense heat. Several artisans moved skillfully through the space, diligently crafting weapons. The glow from the furnace fires cast a red hue on everyone's faces, and the rhythmic clang of hammers echoed ceaselessly. In the center of a fiery pit, a long blade floated silently. Its broad body and the cold gleam of its edge shimmered in harmony with the flames, emanating an extraordinary power.

Even from several yards away, the blade's extraordinary presence was palpable.

"What blade is that?" Gu Chutong asked.

Nangong Yuexi replied, "That's the Startling God Blade. Have you heard of it, Miss Gu?"

Gu Chutong thought for a moment. "Blade Emperor Ye Jinglan's blade?" she inquired.

Nangong Yuexi nodded slightly. "This blade is my father's proudest creation," she explained. "He gifted it to Sect Master Ye three years ago. Over these past three years, the Startling God Blade has accompanied Sect Master Ye through numerous campaigns, sustaining some damage. Soon, Sect Master Ye is scheduled to duel Alliance Leader Chu Tianqing of the Nine Rivers Alliance, so he asked my father to repair this blade. He wants it in peak condition for the decisive battle, as a sign of respect for both his opponent and himself."

Gu Chutong nodded. "I've heard of the Startling God Blade," she acknowledged. "It's truly a rare and potent divine weapon..."

Nangong Qun suddenly interjected, "It's merely a dead blade. What kind of divine weapon is that? It's just a bit harder and sharper, nothing more. Only weapons with souls, like the Gouchen Blade, can truly be called divine weapons!"

Nangong Yuexi looked utterly helpless and whispered, "Miss Gu, please don't mind my father. He's quite eccentric. I have no idea where he got this notion, but he insists that all weapons in the world fall into two categories: divine weapons with souls, and everything else, which he deems mundane. Ever since then, he's been obsessed, almost to the point of madness, with forging and seeking weapons with souls. He's usually alright, but the moment weapons are mentioned, he becomes rambling and will argue with anyone. Please, whatever you do, don't engage him, or he'll talk your ear off without stopping!"

Though Gu Chutong didn't quite understand, she showed respect.

Fortunately, Nangong Qun wasn't currently interested in debating his theory of divine versus mundane weapons. After a brief exchange, he quickly entered a small room and soon emerged, carrying a sandalwood box.

Nangong Qun rushed to Gu Mo, almost skipping steps. "Great Hero Gu," he began, "this is the Ice Jade. The 'Ice Jade,' as it's called, is actually a refined jade sourced from the depths of ancient glaciers, formed by concentrated cold energy—the coldest substance in the world. Generally, it serves no grand purpose; it's mostly used by royalty to preserve bodies from decay.

"I purchased this particular piece of Ice Jade from a Western merchant over a decade ago. The moment I saw it, an inexplicable thought occurred to me: I believed it could be applied to weapons. Many weapons, you see, possess a soul upon their creation, but that soul often proves too fleeting, causing the weapon to eventually become mundane. However, this Ice Jade, I theorized, might be capable of nurturing and preserving such souls.

"Unfortunately, over these past ten years, while I've forged many weapons that initially possessed souls, those souls were invariably too fragile. Not even the Ice Jade could preserve them. Even the Startling God Blade I gifted to Ye Jinglan, its blade-soul was too weak, and the Ice Jade couldn't be effectively utilized. But now, reflecting on it, perhaps it was destined all along that my Ice Jade was meant to await its true purpose: the arrival of the Gouchen Blade. I've already heard the Gouchen Blade's call; its soul needs a host, its burning essence needs a place to reside!"

As he spoke, Nangong Qun opened the box. Instantly, a surge of intense cold permeated the air, causing the fiercely hot hall to turn chillingly cold. Even the roaring earth fire seemed to dim at that moment.

Inside was a fist-sized, transparent stone, clear as crystal, radiating a faint blue, icy glow.

In that very instant, Gu Mo felt the Gouchen Demonic Blade within the case in his hand become wild. It hummed ominously, unleashing terrifying waves of heat that instantly began to melt the icy seal Gu Mo had reinforced with his Ice True Qi just that morning. Cold water began to seep out from the case.

"It's responding! It's responding!"

Nangong Qun trembled, his face flushed crimson. He urgently cried out, "Great Hero Gu, please don't suppress it any longer! Let it out! Quickly, let it out!"

Gu Mo frowned slightly. "That might not be wise, Manor Lord Nangong," he said. "This blade possesses a wicked nature; it can control a person's mind. If left unsealed, it could cause serious problems."

"No, Great Hero Gu, please don't worry," Nangong Qun assured him. "Just let it out; I have ways to calm it. Furthermore, it must be released to fuse the Ice Jade into the Gouchen Blade. Moreover, Great Hero Gu, the Ice Jade isn't meant to suppress the Gouchen Blade's soul but to integrate with it—essentially creating a physical form for the blade's essence. Since you are a master of internal cultivation, I can describe it this way: you can consider the Gouchen Blade's demonic power, or its soul, as an uncontrollable, rampant, supreme Yang true qi. The blade itself, then, acts as the martial artist's dantian, currently being battered by that supreme Yang true qi. At this point, integrating the Ice Jade is akin to introducing a supreme Yin true qi into that dantian. With the two forces intermingling, it will not only resolve the issue of the rampant supreme Yang true qi but also lead directly to a state of Yin-Yang harmony. If it progresses even further, it could reach a level of power that defies creation!"

"How does one progress further?" Gu Mo asked.

Nangong Qun's eyes gleamed with aspiration. "I don't know," he confessed. "I've never successfully forged a divine weapon with a fused soul in my entire life, so I have no insight into higher realms. However, Great Hero Gu, please rest assured: just give me time. Once I've fused the Ice Jade with the Gouchen Blade, I am confident I will discover how to further enhance the divine weapon's essence. You must believe me, Great Hero Gu. Entrust this blade to me, and I promise to use all my life's knowledge to forge the most perfect divine weapon, Great Hero Gu..."

Though Gu Mo could not see, he could keenly sense Nangong Qun's fervent obsession, as intense as a devoted admirer facing their idol.

"Let's proceed with fusing the Ice Jade first," Gu Mo said.

"Excellent, excellent!"

Nangong Qun took the iron case from Gu Mo's hands and slowly opened it.

Without Gu Mo's True Qi to sustain it, the ice inside rapidly melted, revealing a blade engulfed in roaring flames.

Nangong Qun held his breath, his eyes filled with reverence, and slowly reached out to grasp the hilt. In that very instant, Gu Mo's senses sharpened, prepared to act at a moment's notice.

However, to his surprise, the moment Nangong Qun touched the demonic blade, it instantly calmed. The pervasive, roaring flames vanished, revealing its true form for the first time.

It resembled a nimble black dragon. The blade itself was pieced together from countless irregular black scales, each shimmering with a deep, dark luminescence. These scales undulated and overlapped along the blade, giving it the appearance of a living creature. Its surface was covered in bizarre patterns, like ancient runes or sinister demonic sigils.

Nangong Qun's breathing grew rapid. He shouted, "Everyone, stop what you're doing! Open the bellows, feed the earth fire, activate the Blazing Fire Array!"

A blacksmith quickly said, "Manor Lord, the Startling God Blade isn't..."

"Never mind that," Nangong Qun said, holding the demonic blade in one hand and the Ice Jade in the other, as he walked toward the forging furnace in the earth fire. "Yuexi, go and inform everyone later: no matter what happens outside, no one is to disturb me for the next half a month!"

"Father, I'm getting married in three days!"

"Your master and grandmaster will be arriving; let them see you off. Your father will not be available!"

Nangong Yuexi was speechless.