Chapter 185: Let's Get This Madness Started
Su Tianhao's plan was simple yet profound.
Master Shen Bao would handle the physical crafting—the hammer work, the heat control, the structural shaping that required a Martial Master's refined spiritual energy and cultivated flame. Su Tianhao would work alongside him, channeling the Eternal Heavenforge Genesis to guide the process at a level of precision no ordinary craftsman could replicate.
Although he had never forged a genuine weapon, his knowledge had long since outpaced his practical experience. From their brief interaction alone, he could tell Master Shen Bao was a Peak Spirit Rank Craftsman—though one who had only recently crossed that threshold and wasn't yet formally recognized. In terms of raw knowledge, Su Tianhao had already surpassed him.
So he didn't need to worry about things going wrong. His own father had perfected the first stage, before abandoning the Eternal Heavenforge Genesis entirely—for reasons Su Tianhao didn't know yet, but chose not to dwell on. At least for now
What mattered was the task in front of him.
He turned to Master Shen Bao, expression settling into complete seriousness.
"Let's begin."
---
The two of them stood before a massive stone-carved table at the center of the personal forge.
"Set the sword and all your materials out," Master Shen Bao said.
Su Tianhao nodded, the silver spatial ring in his hand flashed and the materials came pouring out. After careful consideration Su Tianhao had decided to store items in the silver ring and wealth in the golden one.
Materials appeared one by one, carefully assembling on the wide surface.
First—the shattered sword fragments and the broken hilt. What remained of Shadowfang.
Then nine beast cores, each radiating a distinct aura. They clashed against each other with barely contained tension, as if fighting for dominance before the forging had even begun.
A serpent-shaped jade bottle followed, its contents a thick, vivid crimson—the same container once used by the Drifting Cloud Auction to house the Raging Viscera Tonic. Su Tianhao had repurposed it for something far more potent.
Then the three forging materials—each low-quality Spirit Rank, each drawing a visible wince from the craftsman across the table.
And finally, set apart from the rest—a blood-red crystal pulsing with sinister, restless light. The Blood Savage Serpent's soul crystal. Even at rest, it radiated the unmistakable pressure of a will that refused to be still.
---
Master Shen Bao stared at the assembled spread for a long, quiet moment.
Then he shook his head slowly, the look of a man watching something irreplaceable walk toward a cliff edge.
"So you weren't lying about your demands," he muttered. "Such senseless waste."
"Please examine them before we begin," Su Tianhao said calmly.
Master Shen Bao stepped forward and reached for Shadowfang's broken hilt first, turning the shattered fragments over in those massive hands with careful attention. His eyes brightened almost immediately.
"It really is Nightiron ore..." His voice dropped to something close to reverence. "To think I'd live to see the day I'd have the honor to work with such precious material..."
Then his expression soured. "Too bad nothing good will come of it with that reckless plan of yours."
Su Tianhao gave him a look of quiet surprise. "You call it an honor—don't tell me you've never worked with Nightiron ore before. Even though you're a Spirit Rank Craftsman?"
"Of course I haven't!" Master Shen Bao snorted. "You think Nightiron ore is something you just find sitting in a market stall? It's one of the top three most suitable materials in existence for crafting Spirit Rank weapons. Blades forged from it consistently surpass other weapons within the same rank." His voice shifted, almost persuasive. "Which is exactly why you should abandon this reckless dream and let this old man upgrade it to a High-grade Spirit Rank weapon that rivals Peak-grade ones. A sensible result from sensible work."
A flicker of hope crossed his eyes as he waited.
But Su Tianhao extinguished it immediately. "I appreciate the offer, Master Shen. But my mind is already made up. Nothing you say is going to change that."
"Tch."
Master Shen Bao grumbled and moved on to the beast cores, appraising each one with the practiced efficiency of a craftsman who had spent decades learning to read materials at a glance.
He touched the first—a deep red core radiating dry, scorching heat.
"Fire-attributed. 2nd level grade four Crimson Flame Lion."
The second—icy blue, frosted at the edges.
"Ice-attributed. 1st level grade four Frostbite Leopard."
The third—pale green with shimmering silver stripes running through it.
"Wind-attributed. 2nd level grade four Skyhowler Wolf."
He kept moving without pause.
"Earth-attributed. 1st level grade four Crimson-Eyed Rockmaw Bear."
"Poison-attributed. 2nd level grade four Mutant Venomshade Cobra."
He reached the sixth—an azure core with a calm, flowing aura. He picked it up, stared at it, then fixed Su Tianhao with a flat, unamused look.
"Water-attributed Crystal River Carp core." He paused, eyes narrowing with irritation. "For a sword? This thing is better suited for a whip!"
"I'm the customer," Su Tianhao said, a trace of impatience entering his voice. "Follow my requirements."
"Damnit," Master Shen Bao muttered, setting it down with more force than necessary.
The final three gave him pause.
Each was 2nd level grade four—yet each radiated an aura that dwarfed everything else on the table.
The first pulsed with inner electricity, blue-white light flickering within it like a trapped storm.
"Lightning-attributed. Stormrage Lightning Eagle."
The second was radiant, warm, emanating a quiet pressure that made the air around it feel almost sacred.
"Light-attributed. Dawnlight Holy Deer."
He reached for the last one and stopped.
It was pitch-black, covered in violet runic patterns that seemed to writhe when viewed directly—as though something within it was still alive, still aware. It absorbed the forge's firelight rather than reflecting it.
Master Shen Bao frowned. He turned it slowly, studying it in silence.
Then his eyes went wide.
"...A Demon Beast Core."
He looked up sharply. "Where did you find this?"
"The Verdant Mist Forest," Su Tianhao said, eyes flickering with quiet amusement. "It belonged to a Dark Nether Beast."
Master Shen Bao set it down carefully—with considerably more respect than he had shown the water core.
"You're lucky, Demon Beast cores can be used to forge powerful weapons," he explained, his voice taking a more serious tone. "But integrating it alongside eight other cores of this variety..." He exhaled. "The elemental conflicts alone will be a nightmare to balance."
Sighing heavily, he moved on without waiting for a response and turned to the serpent-shaped jade bottle. He lifted it, studying the thick crimson liquid within.
"And what's this?"
"Dragon blood," Su Tianhao said flatly.
Master Shen Bao gave him a long look, then set the bottle down. "Fine. Don't tell me."
He clearly didn't believe it. In truth, Su Tianhao hadn't lied. He carried the bloodline of a Supreme Dragon—the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Bloodline. A single refined drop of his blood held more potency than the blood of any ordinary Divine Dragon. However, blood drawn from wound or injuries carried no such power. What rested in that bottle had been drawn with intent, purified and condensed into something truly extraordinary.
Finally, the old craftsman turned to the three low-quality Spirit Rank materials arranged at the far end of the table.
The Voidtemper Obsidian was a fist-sized chunk of pitch-black stone that seemed to swallow light itself. Thin veins of dark crimson energy pulsed slowly across its surface like flowing lava beneath volcanic rock. It was mainly used to create Spirit Rank weapons, but it could also be used to reinforce blades.
The Ashenthread Silk appeared as a small bundle of extremely fine, silvery-grey threads that shimmered faintly. Despite looking delicate, it gave off a heavy, suffocating aura—as if the ashes of burned souls had been woven into every strand. It would bind to whatever spiritual energy was channeled through it and hold it there with minimal resistance or loss.
The Nightfall Quenching Oil sat in a small dark vial, its contents deep indigo—almost black, swirling slowly on its own as though alive. Occasionally, faint sparks of starlight flickered within the darkness, giving it a strange and intriguing appearance—once the blade had absorbed everything else, the oil would be the final stage, cooling and locking the internal structure before fractures could form.
Master Shen Bao glanced over the three items, his expression nonchalant on the surface, but he grimaced inwardly.
'The least this bastard could have done is get these in peak-quality,' he thought grimly. 'Would have given him a fighting chance at least.'
His gaze landed on the Blood Savage Serpent's soul crystal. Even from a distance, he could feel the volatile energy coiled within it—restless, hostile, waiting.
'This thing is remarkable but dangerous. Especially with so many components already in the mix.'
Sweat formed at his temples. A chill ran down his spine despite the forge heat all around him.
'I just hope there's no backlash.'
He took a slow, deep breath.
Then he clapped both hands together in final conclusion, straightened, and folded his arms across his broad chest—the look of a man who had argued everything he had to argue and lost every round.
"Low-quality Spirit Rank materials. Nine conflicting beast cores. Dragon blood." Each item landed like a verdict. "A Demon Beast core. And a Blood Savage Serpent soul crystal with enough residual will to bite back."
He rubbed a rough hand across his thick, wild beard.
"Right then." His voice was low, gruff, and utterly resigned.
"Let's get this madness started."