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

"This is Thor beating his drum," the parents told their children.

As if in response to that statement, a white light suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder that pierced the souls of everyone present.

Clang!

Another sound rang out, even clearer and more melodious, with a lingering vibrato, like a dragon's roar or the sound of the wind.

stab...

This is the sound of hot iron falling into coolant.

Clang!

Clang!

The clanging of metal continued, while a torrential downpour began, the countless raindrops gradually obscuring the clash of steel and fire...

The torrential rain continued until dawn. When the wind and rain subsided and the sun began to shine on the damp earth, a group of exhausted swordsmiths completed the final steps in a sweltering room.

This forging process has exhausted them, and they will probably need to recuperate for a long time afterward; some may even fall seriously ill as a result.

But no one showed any remorse; their eyes were fixed on the only person standing in the room—the strangely styled longsword that Iori was holding up.

At this moment, everyone, including Xin Kang, felt immense satisfaction and happiness. It was a transcendence of "having no further desires in this life." As craftsmen, they had surpassed their ancestors and achieved unprecedented feats.

Iori, who had participated in the forging process and exerted a great deal of energy, even expending most of her spiritual pressure and feeling mentally exhausted, forced herself to cheer up and carefully examined the sword in her hand.

"...What a fine sword!" he exclaimed sincerely.

"I have never felt such joy in my life... and I never will again."

Nobuyasu sincerely asked Iori, "May I name this sword?"

Before Iori could answer, the other swordsmiths' expressions twisted. Nobuyasu hesitated for a moment, seemingly realizing something was amiss, and then began to discuss it with the others.

Iori had no objection to this. The true name is a very important thing, but a sword prototype is a sword prototype and a Zanpakuto is a Zanpakuto. The naming of this sword by them will not affect the subsequent Shikai summoning.

It's like the relationship between a phone and its software. The phone's hardware affects the software's running speed, but it won't change the name of "Taobao" to "Taomi".

"Okay! That's it!"

Soon, a group of old men decided on the name of the divine sword based on the unusual weather that occurred during the sword forging process that day.

At that very moment, a familiar notification sound rang in Iori's mind:

[CG included]

【The Heavenly Murakumo Sword】

Category: Exclusive Armament

Information at a glance~

Basic Attributes:

Yongfeng – Always sharp without needing to be polished

Permanent – ​​extremely high strength and toughness, virtually indestructible unless subjected to pressure far exceeding its limits.

The Dragon's Sorrow sword seems to embody a certain sorrow and lament, to the point that it can influence reality. When it rains or is near a water source, the abundant water essence will increase the wielder's stamina recovery speed.

By forging a connection with the "dragon" or incorporating materials that are compatible with it, this effect can be altered and enhanced, adding new attributes to the sword.

Inherent skills:

• The precious jade at the end of the sword hilt can store additional life energy and spiritual energy and refine them to form "divine energy" of extremely high purity, which is added to the sword to amplify the power of the strikes.

• Infuse energy into the sword to unleash an arc-shaped long-range slash; the power is determined by the energy intensity.

It can accumulate power in multiple stages, continuously pouring in and compressing energy, and then releasing it in one last breath, maximizing its destructive power.

-

[CG included]

Zanpakuto: Unknown

Category: Bonds

grade:--

quality:--

award:--

Special Note: The true name has not been unlocked, but the restricted power is no longer satisfied with the sluggishness of the main body and is about to burst forth in restlessness.

-

"I see... You like this?"

Iori examined the longsword, which was difficult for ordinary people to use. Its main body was like jade and outlined with alloy lines. The spine of the sword was straight and thick. The blade was divided into a smooth front end for thrusting and a wavy rear end for tearing. Overall, it was quite different from the style of the Far East and the mainland.

This wasn't something Nobuyasu and the others intentionally designed, nor was it something Iori deliberately crafted; rather, it was as they said—

'It's as if it was born this way, just emerging from its shell.'

Meanwhile, the "other self" within Iori also seems quite satisfied with the sword.

"So there's only one thing left..."

Iori's gaze passed through the walls and windows, looking towards the distant, vast sea.

"Let us fulfill our promise, Azure Dragon of Izumo!"

Chapter 44: [A Clear Mirror and Still Water]

A strange man shrouded in a cloak arrived at the seaside. Despite his low-key demeanor, his peculiar mask made him instantly recognizable as the great swordsman who had once defeated Wang Long at sea and saved many soldiers.

He ignored the crowd that came to talk to him, bought a small sampan from a fisherman, and went out to sea, leaving his followers with endless speculation.

"He's clearly a master swordsman, yet he didn't bring a sword."

"Is he going home? I heard he came from the other side of the sea."

"A small boat cannot cross the ocean."

"He was holding something in his hands, which was wrapped in burlap."

"Could he be going to challenge Wang Long?"

—Someone's words silenced everyone, but the idea, like a seed, began to grow uncontrollably.

The Azure Dragon of Izumo was once revered as a deity, but about ten years ago, its behavior began to become strange. Not only did it leave its lair and begin to wander around, but it also took the initiative to go ashore to seek out and fight large aliens (dangerous species) living in the interior.

Each battle ended in victory for the Azure Dragon, and almost all the aliens on the island chose to submit to it.

Even so, it was not satisfied and continued to seek out targets for battle, from the sea to the land and then to the sky, as if it wanted to turn every place it could reach into its own domain.

However, its actions do not reveal any desire to become "king". It seems to be purely pursuing battles with the strong, including confrontations with human armies.

This situation lasted for ten years, causing great suffering to the island, especially the coastal countries. It forced them, who originally revered the Azure Dragon as a god, to unite and form a powerful fleet for expeditions...

As it turns out, even sending out a large army could not kill that majestic dragon. The foreigners of a thousand years ago could not do it, and the people of this island nation today cannot either.

But... can this mysteriously appearing swordsman, who single-handedly injured the powerful Azure Dragon, create this miracle?

More and more people learned that Iori had set sail in a small boat. Some were worried, some were expectant. Some feared the Dragon King's wrath, while others prayed to the gods and Buddhas for Iori's good fortune in battle.

Unconsciously, all sorts of aspirations and worries have swirled around Iori.

...At this moment, Iori was single-minded, neither caring about nor concerned about the thoughts of others. He sailed along the sea in a small boat, and before he knew it, he had moved far away from the shore. All around him was an endless expanse of ocean, and it seemed as if he was the only person left in the world.

There's no need to search deliberately; just wait quietly, because the boy knows that certain things are bound to happen!

It's like gravity, like fate, as natural as a ripe fruit falling to the ground.

The cool sea breeze became even more humid, making the hem of the cloak, which had been billowing in the wind, seem heavy, soaking up moisture and hanging down at the feet.

Clouds gradually gathered from all directions in the sky, changing from flawless pure white to gloomy gray, with the hollow edges in their centers gleaming with a faint golden light, like the eyes of a god observing the human world.

"Humans and animals are born, grow old, get sick and die, and even immortals and gods have the five signs of decay. Everything in this world is bound by time and fate. It is an incurable disease, a curse that every living being is given from the moment of birth... You could also call it a blessing."

"After all, the world isn't all beautiful," Iori said, grasping the long object wrapped in burlap.

"You are so powerful, your body as hard as steel, your scales as armor, your teeth as swords, your claws as spears. A sway of your body can stir up wind and clouds, a shake of your mane can summon thunder and lightning. You are simply the most perfect creature in the world~"

However, even you cannot withstand the erosion of time…

Roar--

As it drew nearer, a low murmur drifted from the clouds, and its majestic form peeked out from the gaps in the clouds.

"Like a beautiful flower, since it is destined to wither, let it fade away in splendor!"

boom!

A thick bolt of white lightning struck down from the sky towards the small boat!

"Is this what you've been longing for?"

Grasping the hilt, the gust of wind blew away the simple linen cloth, revealing the slender, jade-like blade—

Zheng!

The blazing white sword pressure shot out, like a crescent moon colliding fiercely with the lightning in mid-air. In an instant, strong winds blew in all directions and the lightning dissipated!

Arcs of electricity crackled around the small boat, creating waves that caused the tiny sampan to rock back and forth, but it remained firmly planted at the bow.

"Then let me, the Grim Reaper, bestow this blessing of fate upon you!"

The longsword pointed to the sky, its enormous body undulating like a mountain range floating in the sky, and with a flick of its tail it parted the gray clouds and fell with the speed of lightning.

Bang!

A thirty-meter-high wave crashed in, and the small boat head-on against it. Facing the gigantic wave that could easily engulf it, Iori slashed his longsword down from top to bottom—

break!

Like a myth come to life, the waves were split in two by an invisible force.

However, what appeared after the wave was the gaping maw of a vicious dragon with sharp teeth like mountains of knives and thorns. The energy that could cleave the waves was easily torn apart, and with a single bite, the small boat was shattered into countless pieces that scattered into the sea.

Without any hesitation, the Azure Dragon bit the small boat and plunged into the sea. Almost simultaneously, Ivan appeared in mid-air and slashed his longsword hard at the silver mane on its back.

Stab it!

Large swaths of mane were severed, hard scales were ripped open, and scalding blood gushed out, giving the sea breeze a life-giving heat.

If Iori hadn't bowed his head, his sword would have landed directly on the Azure Dragon's forehead!

Snapped!

A shadow fell swiftly, like a speeding steel chariot slamming Iori away!

With a flick of its tail, the dragon sent the boy flying, its entire body plunging into the sea. A winding wave crest swept rapidly across the surface of the water.

As Iori flew over a hundred meters, his body bouncing off the surface of the sea like a pebble, the Azure Dragon, like an arrow released from a bow, parted the ripples and suddenly burst forth from beneath the surface just as the boy was about to regain his footing—

Chi!

clang!

The dragon's upper jaw was pierced by the Kusanagi Sword, but Iori's thigh was only lightly grazed by the sharp teeth, leaving a bloody wound.

At the critical moment, beams of light as thick as spear shafts appeared around him, barely managing to withstand the dragon's bite. These were the "Hundred-Step Barriers" he summoned using the Binding Spell.

squeak--

The powerful bite force quickly crushed the hastily summoned pillar of light, but fortunately, Iori escaped from the dragon's mouth before that.

"Red Smoke Escape!"

As the boy flew out, he aimed his left hand at the dragon's head and released a large amount of crimson smoke from his palm with a soft shout, instantly depriving the dragon of its vision—although it was only a low-level binding spell, it could still play a huge role depending on the situation.

"cut!"

He instantly moved to the dragon's belly, the white mist covering the blade as if it had lengthened the sword out of thin air, and fell decisively and coldly, instantly tearing open the dragon's skin and spitting out a large amount of blood.

"Roar!!!"

The dragon, in pain and enraged, began to crackle with electricity between its scales. Iori, seeing this, was terrified. Knowing what was about to happen, he immediately changed his posture, stepped on the dragon's body, and leaped into the sea like a flying fish.