Chapter 2010 - Intercepted in the Streets

The air above Yuan Guanghuan shimmered with countless luminous runes, their interwoven patterns forming a dazzling display.

"Master, the Young Master has made considerable progress with his forging technique," the chief steward whispered beside Yuan Xiangtian.

Satisfaction softened Yuan Xiangtian's features as he nodded. Given a few more years, Yuan Guanghuan would undoubtedly lead the Yuan Clan past the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion. But would their rival grant them that time?

Over the past year, the Yuan Clan had watched its weapon sales plummet. At the same price, cultivators naturally favored superior quality. The clan had to lower its profit margins to attract more sales, but the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion had matched its price cuts the very next day. With every matching reduction, the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion pushed the clan farther out of the market.

Only the Yuan Clan threatened the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion in Azure Cloud City. Unlike Mulberry Sea City, second-tier factions wielded absolute power here. With the Yuan Clan out of contention, the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion could monopolize the market while the smaller forces scrambled for whatever scraps remained.

A melodious chime rang clear from Yuan Guanghuan's workbench. Intricate runes threaded through the air before sinking into the glowing blade.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie had only just finished refining his final material. He left the molten metal unpoured and casually traced a strange, ancient rune in the air, then sent it into the crucible.

Yuan Xiangtian narrowed his eyes. Even a lifetime of studying blacksmithing hadn't taught him enough to decipher that rune. As it merged with the molten metal, the alloy churned and bubbled violently.

A flick of Liu Wuxie's wrist lifted the molten metal and guided it smoothly into the sword mold. His fingers worked through a succession of complex seals, forming runes of still greater profundity. They intertwined overhead into a luminous canopy.

Disbelief flickered across Yuan Xiangtian's and the steward's faces as they exchanged a glance. Neither had encountered a technique like this, but they would have to wait to judge its quality before the weapon was finished. Many elaborate methods yielded only mediocre results.

As the last runes sank into the blade, a dragon's resonant roar rolled through the stone chamber.

Under that tremendous pressure, Yuan Guanghuan's sword trembled and whimpered. Yuan Xiangtian's expression changed at once. He quickly formed a series of seals, raising a barrier between the two just in time to stabilize his grandson's weapon.

Liu Wuxie continued forging without haste. Each rune he sent into the metal drew another low dragon's cry from the blade. Long Yuanxiong relaxed as his anxiety gave way to growing excitement.

For an hour, tense silence filled the chamber.

Yuan Guanghuan finished his work first. Cold, murderous light gleamed along his blade as fierce sword energy radiated from it.

Moments later, Liu Wuxie finished his. His longsword was broader and more substantial than Yuan Guanghuan's, though slightly shorter. It seemed like a divine dragon in deep slumber, one that would unleash unimaginable destruction upon awakening.

Yuan Guanghuan glanced at the weapon, and his pupils contracted to pinpricks.

In one last fluid motion, Liu Wuxie traced a Solar Rune and a Lunar Rune simultaneously, then sent both into the blade. A deafening cry burst from the longsword, shaking the chamber walls and forcing Long Yuanxiong to cover his ears.

"What a fearsome longsword!" the steward gasped, awe and fear mingling in his voice. As steward of a clan whose livelihood depended on blacksmithing, he knew the craft. He needed only a glance to recognize how overwhelmingly superior Liu Wuxie's creation was.

Silence settled over the chamber once more as Yuan Xiangtian lowered the barrier.

Long Yuanxiong fetched the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's sword and set it on the central table. Beside it, Yuan Guanghuan and Liu Wuxie laid the weapons they had just forged.

Then came an astonishing sight.

No sooner had Liu Wuxie's sword touched the table than the other two began to tremble uncontrollably, as if instinctive terror had seized them. Artifacts had their own spirituality, and Yuan Guanghuan felt the sword's oppressive aura seep into his body.

Yuan Xiangtian moved closer to examine the three swords, his attention settling on Liu Wuxie's creation. The instant his hand closed around its hilt, an icy chill shot up his arm and into his meridians.

Forging with Azure Cloud Fire generally left weapons with a strong fire attribute. This drawback restricted the local market, since such weapons were unsuitable for cultivators with wood or water spiritual roots. Yet Liu Wuxie's method had united fire and ice in perfect harmony.

Correcting this flaw alone would send any clan's sales soaring.

"This is a true masterpiece!" Yuan Xiangtian said in soft praise. The outcome was already clear to him; he had no need to inspect his grandson's sword.

The steward came forward, lifted the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's sword, and held it horizontally.

Yuan Xiangtian struck down with Liu Wuxie's blade without a moment's hesitation. The other sword broke on impact, its upper half falling to the stone floor with a sharp clang.

All the color drained from Yuan Guanghuan's face.

"Huan'er, apologize to Young Master Liu this instant," Yuan Xiangtian ordered sternly. With a forging method like this, surpassing the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion would be as effortless as turning his palm.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Yuan Guanghuan stammered. He stepped forward and bowed deeply, apologizing for his earlier rudeness.

"Do you still remember what we agreed on?" Liu Wuxie asked, nodding slightly to accept the apology.

Embarrassment sent a flush creeping up Yuan Guanghuan's neck. He knew exactly what losing their wager meant. From now on, he would have to address Liu Wuxie as Master Liu.

"Get on with it!" Yuan Xiangtian snapped, kicking his grandson in the back. He refused to let the boy squander such an extraordinary opportunity out of pride.

"Master Liu," Yuan Guanghuan blurted reluctantly, lowering his head.

"Patriarch Yuan, can we discuss our cooperation now?" Liu Wuxie asked with a faint smile, turning toward him.

"Please, come this way!" Yuan Xiangtian said, gesturing. His manner had changed completely. Earlier, respect for Liu Wuxie's identity had prompted his courtesy. Now, his deference and eagerness reflected his wholehearted conviction.

Back in the main hall, Yuan Xiangtian extended every courtesy to his guests. They worked through the details one by one, their discussion lasting until dusk. Only after everything had been settled did Liu Wuxie get up to leave.

Liu Wuxie had won Yuan Xiangtian over completely. Setting cultivation aside, everyone present fell far short of him in intellect, eloquence, knowledge, and experience. At last, Yuan Xiangtian understood why the Azure Jade Palace had entrusted him with collecting the debt. What could lie beyond the reach of a mind like his?

"I'll leave everything else in your hands, Patriarch Yuan," Liu Wuxie said.

Liu Wuxie had only limited resources at his disposal. On their own, he and Long Yuanxiong couldn't shake a faction as deeply rooted as the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion. Securing a tournament victory for the Yuan Clan would strike a heavy blow, but it would take more than that to bring the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion down.

By putting the Yuan Clan's influence to work, however, he could compel the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion to repay its decades of debt without needing to take further action himself.

"I've had a feast prepared in your honor. I hope you'll stay and dine with us," Yuan Xiangtian said, rising to attend to his duties as host.

"With the tournament so close, you must have plenty to prepare, Patriarch Yuan. We shouldn't impose on you any longer," Liu Wuxie replied calmly. After tapping his storage ring, he took out a jade slip containing the forging technique and handed it over. "This contains the method. I expect your clan to have mastered it within three days. Remember, you must never share it with anyone unless you have my consent."

A terrifying aura burst from him the moment he finished speaking.

Yuan Xiangtian's heart lurched into his throat as the pressure caught him off guard. It drove him back a step and set his knees trembling. An Immortal Emperor's will lay behind that pressure. Everyone trapped within the suffocating domain felt as though they stood at the edge of an abyss, with darkness about to swallow them whole.

Violent shudders seized Yuan Guanghuan. The oppressive atmosphere crushed every trace of defiance before it could even take shape.

"Rest assured, Master Liu! We won't tell anyone a single word!" Yuan Xiangtian swore before everyone in the hall. The Immortal Emperor's suppression left his brow drenched in cold sweat, which ran down his cheeks.

Turning away, Liu Wuxie strode from the hall, and Long Yuanxiong hurried after him.

Only when their figures had vanished into the distance did Yuan Xiangtian lift his head. Unbeknownst to him, sweat had soaked his robes. Beside him, Yuan Guanghuan and the steward could barely remain standing, their legs trembling as though they had just returned from the gates of the underworld.

"Who... who exactly is he?! What was the source of that terrifying pressure?!" the steward gasped, his voice still trembling.

Yuan Xiangtian answered with a silent shake of his head. For all his cultivation as an Immortal Lord, he still couldn't identify the true nature of an Immortal Emperor's will. Before such an existence, an Immortal Lord amounted to no more than an ant.

"Old Rou, take this sword to our raw material suppliers in person. Carry out the plan we discussed and cut off the Tigerwood Blacksmith Pavilion's supplies. Whatever terms they demand, agree to them," Yuan Xiangtian instructed, focusing back on the business at hand.

He was the patriarch of a prominent second-tier clan. Once he committed himself to a course of action, he pursued it with unwavering resolve.

"B-but Patriarch... our clan might never recover if this plan fails," the steward cautioned anxiously. He feared Yuan Xiangtian was gambling far too much.

"Tell me this, then. How much longer can the Yuan Clan survive if we don't claim first place in this year's tournament?" Yuan Xiangtian asked sternly.

The steward answered with silence. Over the past year, the clan had sold barely a few hundred weapons, leaving its income far below its expenses. If things continued at this rate, it would collapse within a year or two regardless.

Ruin already awaited them at the end of their present course, making this gamble their only escape. Besides, Liu Wuxie's masterpiece and his status as an Azure Jade Palace disciple made the opportunity too valuable to refuse.

......

"Where do we head next, Brother Liu?" Long Yuanxiong asked as they stepped out onto the bustling streets beyond the Yuan Clan's estate.

"Now we wait," Liu Wuxie answered.

There was nothing more to do but wait patiently for the tournament to start.

The approaching competition had drawn a flood of cultivators from neighboring cities into Azure Cloud City, leaving its streets teeming with activity.

A sudden whistle cut through the air as sharp wind blades hurtled toward Liu Wuxie and Long Yuanxiong. The shockwave swept nearby pedestrians off their feet. Several hit the cobblestones coughing blood, their faces blanched with shock.

"I've found you at last, brat!" Ran Chenghua roared. Fury contorted his face as he strode through the parted crowd.

After leaving the Nine Crane Pavilion the previous day, he had taken his companion elsewhere. He had stationed three hired mercenaries outside the restaurant with orders to kill Liu Wuxie the instant he emerged.

Yet after waiting all night at the Myriad Blossom Pavilion, he hadn't heard from them. The three mercenaries had disappeared without leaving a trace. Then, by chance, he had turned onto this street and spotted Liu Wuxie in the distance.

"Who are these people, Brother Liu?" Long Yuanxiong asked.