You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

He's lost his compass now and is relying entirely on this group of people to guide him!

Besides, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda!

"Waaah... Finally, finally I can go home..."

"I thought I was going to die like this in vain..."

"Swordsman! He defeated Wang Long and saved us!"

"A hero who defeated the dragon!"

"Onboard!"

[CG included]

【Dragon-Slaying Swordsman】

Category: Art Style

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Rewards Overview:

Art style value +3

Calculation in progress...

Current spiritual pressure limit: 520!

-

Iori fought off many dangerous creatures along the way and finally landed with the guidance of the survivors, arriving at the island nation he had longed for.

Before he could fully experience the local customs and culture, he received a series of enthusiastic invitations, and even samurai generals and lords came to his door to "make friends" with Iori.

It turned out that the sailors he had saved had spread the news of his feat of slaying the dragon's eye. Many of them held high positions in nearby city-states, making the rulers aware of Iori's strength, and naturally they couldn't wait to extend an olive branch.

This is because the island nation is currently in a "Warring States period," with dozens or even hundreds of countries of varying sizes attacking each other. There are alliances and betrayals, and amidst the deceit and treachery, people's hearts have become corrupted. Only overwhelming military force is the most trustworthy.

A powerful swordsman who can fight against the ocean tyrant Wanglong (as they call that dragon) is absolutely worth the daimyo paying any price to win him over!

Iori had no intention of taking up an official post here. He first went back to Soul Society to regroup, and after returning, he kept a low profile, inquiring about information such as "Teigu" and "Orichalcum" along the way. Then, he inadvertently learned that this island nation had inherited a method for making a special weapon called "Meibo".

Furthermore, the broken sword "Koyuki" in his hand, judging from the markings on the hilt, was a creation of the "Ise Kuwana" sword-forging family. It was also a ghost treasure, and of above-average quality.

He disguised himself as a ronin swordsman undergoing martial arts training, traversed the territories of six countries, and finally arrived in Ise Province, where he successfully found the Kuwana family, who were highly respected in the area.

Although the visit was somewhat complicated, it went smoothly overall. When Iori took out "Koyuki," the servant of the Kuwana family, who recognized the origin of the broken sword, quickly welcomed Iori inside and then went to inform the person in charge.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Mr. Aizen."

After Iori stayed in the tea room for a quarter of an hour, a tall, robust old man with rough hands and feet, but dressed in a respectable haori kufu, walked in.

His pure white hair and beard revealed his advanced age, but his physique would put many young men to shame. This is probably what it means to be a powerful general who remains strong even in old age.

However, he was not a professional samurai. Although he was listed as a member of a prestigious samurai family, he was essentially a craftsman. He was able to become the lord of a castle in Ise Province, a place known for its martial spirit, solely through the contributions and reputation accumulated over generations.

Kuwana Nobuyasu, the current head of the Kuwana family, sat down opposite Iori. After a brief exchange of pleasantries and names, Nobuyasu asked to see "Koyuki".

Iori readily complied and took out the broken sword. The swordsmith recognized it at a glance and sighed in admiration.

"As expected, it is 'Jiang Xue'... This is my younger brother's work. He always wanted to create the most powerful 'Nether Treasure', but due to his lack of talent and impatience, he gradually went astray and even tried to use evil methods to make up for the shortcomings of the sword itself, which resulted in this Jiang Xue sword that needs to be 'sacrificed'."

But who could have imagined that the first person to be sacrificed would be himself... Alas..."

Incidentally, the blood sacrifice method proved to be completely useless, which was the most embarrassing thing for the Sang family.

"So, who was the user of this knife, and who cut it to hide it..."

“I’ve already killed him,” Iori said calmly.

"it is good!"

Nobuyasu took a deep breath, pushed himself up with his hands and moved backward, then bowed to Iori in gratitude.

"Although my younger brother has fallen into the demonic path, he is still my blood relative. Since you have avenged him, I, Kuwana Nobuyasu, must repay this kindness no matter what. If you ever—"

"No need for later, let's do it now."

"Ok?"

Xin Kang looked up in surprise, but quickly recovered: "Alright, since you are a swordsman, you must need a divine weapon from the Netherworld Treasure, right? Please leave that to me!"

Do you have any special requirements? Do you prioritize sharpness, resilience, or any special effects?

"Hmm... do you know 'Wang Long'?"

“Wang Long… are you referring to the dragon god ‘Izumo Azure Dragon’ that is worshipped and feared by the seven coastal kingdoms?”

"Your naming conventions are a bit different, but this is definitely it."

Iori nodded and said earnestly, "My request isn't high, just make a weapon that can slay dragons."

Xin Kang: "………………Ah, the Dragon Slayer Blade, me?"

Chapter 42: The Dragon's Jewel

Izumo Seishoryu, also known as Wanglong, Qinglong, and Ibuki Tenseijin—due to the long-standing chaotic situation in the eastern island nation, its name varies in different places.

Some countries regard it as a guardian deity, while others depict it as a demon king who brings natural disasters, but one thing is certain among the many legends and records:

This majestic and powerful dragon existed and dominated this sea area long before the Warring States period, and even before the concept of "nation" appeared on the island.

It can be said that it is a transcendent being with a history equal to that of the "Far Eastern Civilization," and it witnessed the growth and rise of this island nation's civilization. Given this, it's not surprising that some countries worship it as a god.

However, the Azure Dragon of Izumo itself had no feelings for the island nation; it merely regarded it as its own territory and did not allow other super-dangerous species to trespass upon it. The one-sided offerings from humans did not establish any close relationship.

About a thousand years ago—an era so distant it seems like myth to the many small nations on the island—a large army crossed the sea to attack the Azure Dragon of Izumo. The island's rulers at the time viewed this foreign army as invaders.

As a result, the imperial army was annihilated in the battle between the foreign army and the Azure Dragon of Izumo, and the rulers lost power, ushering in a chaotic era of division. There were brief periods of stability over the past thousand years, but they could not last long, and even now, the two sides are still constantly at war with each other.

The battle between the foreign army and the Azure Dragon ended with the complete annihilation of the fleet, and the overlord of the sea and sky once again established its supreme position!

However, the foreigners were not completely wiped out; a small number of elites managed to return, and the Azure Dragon himself suffered the most serious injuries of his life.

According to ancient records, those foreigners used many magical and powerful weapons in the battle, and many superhuman strongmen appeared, which was the main reason why the Azure Dragon Society was injured.

The islanders gathered some surviving foreigners and learned from them that it was a special weapon called "Imperial Arms," ​​and only warriors who could take on a thousand men on the battlefield were qualified to be bestowed one upon them by their emperor.

Afterwards, some islanders risked their lives to cross the sea to the mainland to learn how to make this weapon. Although the vast majority never returned, some eventually came back successfully. They integrated the learned techniques with the island's native forging techniques, and through generations of improvement, this became the "Nether Treasure" lineage we know today.

Compared to the "Imperial Arms", the power of the Hades is much weaker, mainly because no one in the island nation can hunt monsters of the Super Dangerous Species level, and they can only use some High Dangerous Species or Ordinary Dangerous Species as materials.

This results in most underworld treasures being inferior even to "ministerial implements," with the famous sword Jiang Xue already considered a top-grade one... Of course, even so, it still far surpasses ordinary weapons and remains highly sought after in Japan.

The Kuwana family of Ise Province was the most renowned blacksmiths of the underworld, and among their many styles, "swords" were the most outstanding.

As the head of the family, Kuwana Nobuyasu might not be the strongest blacksmith in this island nation, but he was definitely not out of the top three. He himself was confident of this and had never doubted his skills.

until today!

When Iori said he wanted the "Dragon Slayer Blade," he thought he had made a mistake and fell silent after confirming it several times.

His first reaction was "absolutely impossible," because a ghost treasure of this caliber has never appeared in history!

But then he couldn't help but think that he had already mastered and innovated his family's skills, and believed that he was no less than the craftsmen of a thousand years ago. He was just limited by various conditions, otherwise he would have achieved unprecedented greatness!

"This request...I'm sorry, I cannot grant it."

Kuwana Nobuyasu said apologetically, "I'm afraid no one in the entire Far East can do that."

"Why?" Iori asked earnestly.

"Because of the source material!"

Nobuyasu said seriously, "Whether it's Ise or other countries, the alien (dangerous species) materials that can be found in the treasury are at most level two. Level one... there might be some, but level one aliens can already destroy a fortress. Only the most elite armies and generals can drive them away or even subdue them."

However, level one and two alien materials are completely inadequate to compare with the Izumo Azure Dragon. Even with the addition of special alloys, the strength is still insufficient, so…”

Is it just a material issue?

"Not only that, we also lack experience in forging this kind of weapon... but generally speaking, everything can be overcome except for the materials!"

"But what about using this?"

Iori took out her personal bag, took out the box inside, opened it, and pushed it in front of Nobuyasu.

"This is……"

The old swordsmith peered inside, and the refreshing aura that hit him made his eyes widen in surprise. Inside was the blue gem that Iori had obtained after the last battle.

A hazy mist swirled around the clear pearl, emitting a mysterious and beautiful faint light. One could vaguely see dragon-like energy swirling around it—even an illiterate beggar could recognize it as a rare and extraordinary treasure, let alone a knowledgeable craftsman like Nobuyasu.

"These are 'Dragon Balls'! Only alien creatures like dragons, serpents, and clams have a very small chance of giving birth to Dragon Balls!"

The size isn't particularly astonishing, but the crystal-clear texture and this wondrous feeling... what exactly is it...?

Nobuyasu had seen more than one "Dragon Ball," including a clam pearl the size of a human head, but intuitively he felt that compared to the one in front of him, they were all worthless junk. He couldn't help but look at Iori with curiosity.

"Excuse me, what kind of bead is this?"

"Didn't you say it? Dragon Balls."

"I know it's Dragon Ball, but I'm asking about the alien—hiss!"

It was as if a lightning bolt struck Nobuyasu's mind, and all sorts of thoughts rushed in. Looking at Iori's calm and composed expression, the most unbelievable one came to mind.

"Could this be the Dragon God... Ah, you are... The other day, there were rumors circulating that a great swordsman riding lightning and slaying dragons had appeared in the coastal country. Could it be true?!"

Riding thunder to slay dragons? While it's not entirely wrong... it's a bit cringeworthy.

"I don't know how this bead came to be, but it was definitely left behind by the Azure Dragon of Izumo... or rather, given to me."

Iori also said seriously, "If I give it to you, can you help me forge a dragon-slaying blade?"

"The Dragon's Jewel..."

These words came out like a groan, and Nobuyasu felt as if he were about to collapse. He felt that he had never been so happy in his life, but he quickly rallied himself, not wanting to lose his composure in front of Iori, lest he lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"If that's the case, then I'm willing to stake everything I have on it, even my life, to fully unlock the potential of the pearl!"

"it is good!"

Iori then added, "But I have one more request."

"Speak freely." Nobuyasu didn't care. At this moment, even if Iori asked him to follow the example of the sages and die for his sword as a swordsmith, he would probably be willing.

"I will do my best to assist you in forging this sword. I will collect the necessary auxiliary materials. You only need to consider how to bring it to its limit."

In addition—I also want to join the sword-forging process and shape it with my own hands!

Chapter 43: Birth, Dragon Sword - Kusanagi!

From the moment Iori handed the "Dragon Ball" to Kuwana Nobuyasu, twenty days passed quickly. Iori learned forging techniques from him while hunting dangerous creatures to use as materials.

Meanwhile, Nobuyasu Kuwana was also busy. Although he was confident in his skills, no one in the island nation had ever handled such high-grade materials before. To increase his chances of success, he invited nine master blacksmiths he was close to to gather in Ise Province.

The Dragon Gem is priceless to any swordsmith, and to forge a dragon-slaying blade from it would be an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

Xin Kang used the precious jade as bait to invite them to participate in this forging. They naturally agreed without hesitation and dismissed their attendants, staying alone at the Sangming residence to keep the news secret and avoid unnecessary trouble.

With Xin Kang as the main person in charge and Master Jiu Ming as the assistant, before processing the precious jade, they used a precious but inferior "dragon pearl" to conduct experiments, constantly verifying the shortcomings of the previous techniques, and then using their own wisdom to improve them.

Iori threw almost all the materials she collected into this bottomless pit...

After repeated simulations and deductions, they determined the specific forging process and basic materials:

The main material is the Dragon's Jewel, with a special alloy as the core, and the auxiliary materials are "the heart of the Diamond Man", "the tender branch of the Penglai Tree Demon", "the fur of the Flame Heart Rat" and "the eggshell of the Flying Blood Swallow"!

These are all level two or even level one dangerous species unique to the island, and they are extremely difficult to collect. Fortunately, these craftsmen are quite famous, and they collected some from the treasuries of powerful clans from various places under the pretext of crafting funerary treasures to present to the daimyo.

However, the "Diamond Man" and the "Hōlō Tree Demon" were powerful and dangerous species that were between level one and level two, and there were no supplies in any place. In the end, Iori had to go there herself.

-

On this day, the city's residents noticed that the originally clear sky had unknowingly gathered a large number of dark clouds, and the air had become increasingly humid. They rushed home to await the arrival of the rainstorm.

Strangely, the wind and rain that should have come and gone quickly were delayed. Instead, the clouds grew thicker and thicker, hanging low as if they were about to press down on the ground. A heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire city, causing all the residents to fall into a state of fear.

Clang!

Clang!

……

For some reason, the people around the city lord's mansion could vaguely hear the sound of hammering iron. But unlike the usual sound of forging iron, the sound was rhythmic and clear. Instead of being annoying, they couldn't help but listen and immerse themselves in it.