Starting from iron smelting

The moonlight poured down, coating the ancient bamboo forest with a layer of silver. Lu Xiuyuan, dressed in a green shirt and with a firm gaze, stood among the bamboo shadows, as if blending into the quiet night. His gaze penetrated the bamboo forest and pointed directly at the ancient stone house deep in the bamboo forest where Qingming lived.

"Qingming, today is the day for us to settle our grievances!" Lu Xiuyuan's voice sounded like it came from the Netherworld, coldly and ruthlessly echoing in the quiet bamboo forest. His eyes flashed with a light of determination and resoluteness, as if he wanted to tear everything in front of him apart.

Qing Ming, who was standing opposite him, had a look of indifference and disdain. She looked at Lu Xiuyuan quietly, without any fear in her eyes, only endless hatred.

The wind blew through the bamboo forest, making a rustling sound, which seemed to add a touch of tension to the upcoming decisive battle. However, for Lu Xiuyuan, these were no longer important. He had only one belief in his heart - to personally end this long-standing feud.

As the words fell, a figure flew out of the stone house. It was Qing Ming. He was dressed in a black robe, had a sinister look on his face, and held a long sword that flashed with cold light in his hand.

"Lu Xiuyuan, do you really think that you can compete with me by reaching the Nascent Soul stage?" Qing Ming's voice was filled with disdain.

Lu Xiuyuan did not answer, but moved his body and turned into a green shadow, rushing towards Qingming. He flipped his palm, and a powerful force condensed in his palm, turning into a sharp sword energy, going straight for Qingming's throat.

Qingming raised his mouth slightly, revealing a disdainful smile. His body twisted in a strange and flexible way like a ghost, easily avoiding the opponent's attack. At the same time, the long sword in his hand flashed with cold light, and he swung it violently. Suddenly, a dark sword energy whistled out, like a ferocious venomous snake, pouncing towards Lu Xiuyuan with its fangs and claws.

This sword energy was extremely fast, carrying a fierce killing intent that made people shudder. Wherever it passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, making a sharp whistling sound. Lu Xiuyuan's face changed drastically. He felt the powerful force of this sword energy, and a strong sense of crisis surged in his heart. However, he did not retreat, but gritted his teeth and exerted his defense with all his strength.

Lu Xiuyuan retreated violently, narrowly avoiding the sword energy. He was secretly shocked. Qingming's strength was indeed unfathomable. Although he had reached the Nascent Soul stage, it was not easy to win easily.

The two fought again, sword energy was surging, and Yuanli was surging. In the bamboo forest, bamboo leaves were flying, as if they were caught in a storm. Every collision was accompanied by a loud noise, shaking the entire bamboo forest.

Lu Xiuyuan became more and more courageous as the battle went on. The energy in his body continued to flow out, transforming into sharp sword energy and attacking Qingming. However, Qingming relied on his strange body movements and exquisite swordsmanship to escape danger again and again.

The battle lasted for a whole night, and both of them were already covered in wounds. However, neither of them had the slightest intention of retreating, and their eyes were only focused on the increasingly blurred figure of the other.

At this moment, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly jumped up, and the whole person turned into a green light and rushed towards Qingming. His speed was so fast that it seemed to break through the constraints of time, making it impossible for people to react.

Under the cover of night, the battle in the bamboo forest became more intense. Lu Xiuyuan was wearing a mechanical exoskeleton that he invented himself. The silver and black armor shone coldly in the moonlight. This exoskeleton not only greatly enhanced his speed and strength, but also enabled him to display combat skills far beyond that of ordinary people.

Seeing this, Qingming looked solemn. He knew that Lu Xiuyuan's mechanical exoskeleton was not an ordinary thing, and the power increase it brought was enough to change the situation of the battle. Qingming took a deep breath, clenched his sword with both hands, and prepared to use his secret method to fight against Lu Xiuyuan.

Lu Xiuyuan moved, his mechanical exoskeleton made a slight roar, and he rushed towards Qingming in an instant. Sword Qi streaked across the night sky like a meteor, attacking Qingming. Qingming's body was erratic, dodging the attacks with his strange body movements, while also looking for opportunities to counterattack.

However, Lu Xiuyuan's attacks became more and more intense and fierce. Qingming knew that he could no longer be passive like this. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to silently recite the secret formula. As he recited the formula, Qingming's body began to emit a faint light, and his momentum continued to rise.

When the light reached its brightest, Qingming suddenly opened his eyes, and the long sword in his hand also burst into dazzling light. He shouted, swung the long sword, and a huge sword energy slashed towards Lu Xiuyuan like a rainbow piercing the sun.

Seeing this, Lu Xiuyuan did not dare to be careless. He controlled the mechanical exoskeleton, exerted his strength to the extreme, and also swung out a sword energy to collide with Qingming's attack.

The two sword energies collided in the air, causing a deafening roar. The surrounding bamboo forests collapsed under the impact of this force, and the entire battlefield seemed to be shaken by this force.

After the collision, Lu Xiuyuan and Qingming both took several steps back. They stared at each other, with a determined light in their eyes. Lu Xiuyuan knew that Qingming's secret method was indeed extraordinary, but he couldn't just give up. He took a deep breath and attacked Qingming again.

In this way, the two started a fierce battle in the bamboo forest. The collision between the mechanical exoskeleton and the secret method made the battle more exciting.

The night was as dark as ink, and the battle in the bamboo forest had reached a fever pitch. Lu Xiuyuan, wearing a mechanical exoskeleton, was like a silver god of war, and every strike was as powerful as thunder. Although Qingming used his secret technique, he still couldn't resist Lu Xiuyuan's overwhelming attack.

Qingming's face became paler and paler, his eyes were filled with reluctance and despair. He knew he was already at a disadvantage, but Lu Xiuyuan showed no mercy. Qingming tried his best to fight back, but was easily defeated by Lu Xiuyuan every time.

Just when Qingming was about to run out of energy, Lu Xiuyuan suddenly flashed and appeared in front of him. He stretched out his mechanical arm, and a silver energy gun instantly appeared in his palm. Qingming's eyes widened, and he wanted to dodge, but it was too late.

"Bang!" With a gunshot, the energy bullet instantly pierced Qingming's chest. Qingming's body stiffened, and then slowly fell down. His eyes were full of shock and unwillingness, but in the end, it turned into dead silence.

Lu Xiuyuan looked at the fallen Qingming, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He knew that the grudge between him and Qingming was finally over. But at this moment, he did not feel the slightest joy, but instead felt a deep sense of exhaustion and emptiness.

He put away the energy gun, and the mechanical exoskeleton gradually returned to calm. He turned and left the bamboo forest, leaving only Qingming's body and the mess on the ground. This night was both a moment of victory and a moment of loss for Lu Xiuyuan. He knew that his path of cultivation was still long, and Qingming's death was just an episode. But he would remember this moment and let it become his motivation to move forward.