Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

The blacksmith and his apprentice looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Master, what should we do?" Da Niu looked at the broken sword with great worry.

His master was clearly much more experienced. He squatted down, examined the broken part carefully, and exclaimed "Eh!"

"The sword broke...it seems just right. As long as the wielder swings the sword fast enough, the cold energy will pour out from the break."

"Da Niu, is the man you're looking for to forge a sword brave enough?"

Da Niu looked at the broken section with some skepticism, feeling that his master was trying to fool him, but he still answered honestly:

"She's a girl who doesn't seem very strong."

"Hey, you little rascal, why didn't you say so sooner?" Master looked at the dark, ancient greatsword and shook his head.

"If I had known, I would have forged it to be lighter and more delicate, so that it would not only be more agile but also more beautiful when I danced."

Da Niu chuckled and said, "Master, I think she'll like it. That girl is simple and honest."

The two found an open space and tested the sword that night, and were both astonished by its power.

In the dead of winter, when the frost breaks and the cold is sudden and intense, the black chill is like a poison that clings to the bone, obstructing one's spiritual energy. In a life-or-death battle, this weapon would be the perfect choice!

"Ninety-six taels, what a loss..."

The two men looked at each other in silence, clearly interested in the sword, but since the young girl had been introduced by Ji Daoting, they dared not easily keep it for themselves.

When the master has a sudden inspiration, instead of openly taking it, he can try to find a way to make her give up on her own initiative!

“Da Niu, come here, I’ll teach you. When she comes the day after tomorrow, just say this…”

While the two were whispering to each other, the "simple and unpretentious" Zhu Wuyao was cultivating.

She focused her mind and spirit, allowing her spiritual energy to circulate through a full cycle and return to her dantian.

The eight extraordinary meridians have been slowly nurtured by spiritual energy, and the flow of energy has gradually become familiar. However, the spiritual energy in the dantian can only support the completion of one cycle, far from being able to continue indefinitely.

Unfortunately, despite his own diligence, Zhu Wuyao's spiritual energy accumulation in his dantian was extremely slow.

As for the part in "The Art of Peeping at the Heavens" that mentions "transforming the heavens and earth into a bag, like a fish drinking water, breathing freely, inexhaustible and inexhaustible," she couldn't grasp it at all.

She had tried the operating methods and incantations of the Qi Refining stage chapter, but they were completely useless.

It's better to practice breathing exercises on your own; at least you can slowly accumulate spiritual energy at a snail's pace.

On the contrary, the "making a connection by placing a piece" mentioned in this celestial observation technique is quite mysterious.

She read it carefully several times and roughly understood what it meant.

If you cultivate good relationships and sow seeds of kindness in your daily life, the probability of those you have connections with coming to your aid by chance will increase when you face difficulties.

Perhaps the other party casually threw a stone, which happened to hit the enemy?

Zhu Wuyao seemed to be deep in thought, feeling that this "move to form a bond" had great potential, but was practically useless in the early stages.

She is currently in the Qi Refining stage, and according to this book, she can only "fall into the body" of mortals. However, in the battles between cultivators, mortals can play a negligible role.

Unless, like a few days ago, she shouts out in her mortal form and summons Ye Xiaozhou.

Moreover, how exactly does this "falling fate" occur?

With doubts in mind, Zhu Wuyao got up and went out, knocking on the door of the house next door.

Shen Anzhi was also not asleep.

He wrapped himself in a blanket, yawned, and invited people in.

"I remember cultivators don't need to sleep?"

Shen Anzhi nodded and said:

“Cultivators don’t need to sleep, but they can. It’s mainly because they’re bored at night, and I’ve finished reading your storybook, so I have no choice but to sleep.”

Zhu Wuyao felt a little embarrassed, but decided to continue bothering him anyway.

After hearing her question, Shen Anzhi seemed to understand, and murmured, "I see..."

"What has come to mind, Brother Shen?"

Shen Anzhi said, "I saw those extra beggars on the roadside a few days ago, and I felt something was mysterious about them. There was a causal line on each of them that vaguely pointed to you."

“I had a feeling this would be good for you, but I didn’t expect it to happen here.”

That was before Shen Anzhi was injured and could wander around aimlessly.

Zhu Wuyao looked somewhat bewildered and asked:

"Because of the stories I wrote, they earned money as beggars, so that's... forming a good karma?"

Shen Anzhi nodded and said, "It may sound unbelievable, but it's true."

This isn't just unbelievable... it sounds like utter nonsense.

Zhu Wuyao rubbed her temples, feeling like she was about to grow a brain. She got up to say goodbye and decided to write some more stories that night.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Two days later, Zhu Wuyao arrived at the alley where the blacksmith shop was located, seemingly familiar with the place.

"Brother, I've come to get the sword."

She had a smile that made everyone happy, and Zhu Wuyao was also very polite today.

Even the blacksmith Da Niu, who had intended to "test" Zhu Wuyao, felt a little embarrassed to bully him.

But just as his master had taught him, he held a sword in each hand, stood before Zhu Wuyao, and tried his best to appear kind, asking:

"Lucky little girl, would you rather have this simple, unadorned broken sword, or this sharp sword that can cut through iron like mud?"

Zhu Wuyao: ? Could you perhaps be the newly crowned River God...?

She glanced at the blacksmith in front of her with a "sneer" and felt inexplicably uneasy.

"I wonder... which of these two swords is mine?"

Da Niu smiled憨厚ly and said, "Little girl, the tip of your sword made of cold black iron was accidentally broken. Our blacksmith shop has always been honest and trustworthy, so we have given you two options."

"Do you want the broken sword that rightfully belongs to you, or this sharp sword that I'm giving you as compensation, capable of cutting through iron like mud?"

Zhu Wuyao looked up.

That dark, unadorned iron sword was dull and lacked luster, and its tip was broken off.

But the sword the blacksmith held in his right hand was sharp and in perfect condition; it looked like a peerless divine weapon.

Seeing Zhu Wuyao looking at the sharp sword with longing, the blacksmith Da Niu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This smile brought Zhu Wuyao back to her senses.

She remembered what the blacksmith had just said about "our blacksmith shop," and then looked at the burly man in front of her, who was holding a long sword in each hand and grinning maliciously.

Zhu Wuyao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he guessed that there was a trap involved.

This blacksmith must have ruined his own sword and was unwilling to pay compensation, so he pretended to offer two options, just waiting for me to fall into his trap.

As soon as she says she wants "that sword that can cut through iron like mud," the blacksmith will immediately turn hostile and accuse her of trying to steal something. Meanwhile, her accomplice is probably lying in ambush, ready to join forces with the blacksmith to capture her.

She sneered inwardly—

You really overestimate me. You even have to conspire together to take me, little do you know, I can't beat any of you!

Zhu Wuyao felt a bit resentful; this was the consequence of not being strong enough.

Her sword was destroyed, and she didn't dare to ask for compensation or seek justice. She, Zhu Wuyao, accepted this loss today!

She calmed herself, suppressed her emotions, and said with a smile:

"Brother... I just need this broken sword."