"..."
Faced with such a serious reason, Luo Su found himself at a loss for words.
And that illusory figure had already dissipated again, turning into a pitch-black Flying Bird. It spread its wings, skillfully passing through layers of seals and defenses, crossing a vast distance, and returning beneath the Sky Dome of the Ivory Tower.
After finding its bearings, it began to descend, piercing through layers of walls.
Descending from the sky, it arrived in the tightly sealed Alchemy Workshop.
There, it beheld the riot of darkness.
Despair contracted. Under the catalysis of the Alchemy Fire and the Hand of Confinement, it transformed, gradually undergoing a qualitative change and remolding...
In Huai Shi's hands, between fingers forged of steel, the previously heavy iron ingot had solidified into an ephemeral silhouette, which he grasped tightly.
Within the Forger's furnace, the transformation between Source Substance and iron began anew.
Gradually, it became ever more distinct, and the outline of a Sharp Blade emerged.
At that instant, the despair proliferating and spreading wildly in the air suddenly trembled. Then, pulled by an invisible force, it collapsed inward, condensing...
The sharp sound of growing steel burst forth.
In Huai Shi's hands, metal crystals proliferated, extending swiftly forward. Despair was given a shell, hatred an edge, and a Curse a form.
The darkness vanished in the blink of an eye.
And as the Alchemy Fire burned in Huai Shi's hands, a pitch-black blade finally revealed its ferocious contours.
The keening of the cracking Mystic Ritual spread.
A sharp aura emerged from it, instantly bringing with it a chilling sense of oppression.
Tangible slash marks burst forth from the ground and walls.
"OHHHH!!!"
Usually Degree, unheeding the piercing aura leaking from the Mystic Ritual, widened his eyes. He stepped forward, almost pressing himself against the boundary, gazing intently at the weapon in Huai Shi's hands.
"What ferocity, what marvel! A blade that could rival Muramasa! Is this the legacy of the Forgers?"
The old man's eyes burned with a fervent flame, staring fixedly at the blade in Huai Shi's hands as it gradually grew dimmer, nearly dancing with excitement.
In the flowing darkness, a cold and elongated Tachi body emerged from Huai Shi's hands, extending forward... After spanning an exaggerated length, it sketched out a fierce contour.
That was... a Tachi!
But even for a Tachi, this length was truly excessive.
With just a glance, Usually Degree had obtained absolutely precise measurements.
"Seven chi, nine cun, and six fen!"
The aged Alchemist's eyes swept over the blade, focusing on every detail. "Such form, is it a Divine Sword? Truly an eye-opener!"
But before he could finish, a snapping sound came from Huai Shi's hands.
Everyone froze in place.
The ridiculously long great Tachi in Huai Shi's hands had unexpectedly shattered!
Snapped right in the middle, it fragmented into thousands of pieces, flying in all directions, quickly blurring and dimming.
Eventually, it vanished without a trace.
Usually Degree stood there dazed, as if turned to stone, unable to accept this outcome. "Failed... it failed?"
"No, on the contrary…"
From a corner, the silhouette of a Flying Bird emerged with a smile. "It's a success!"
At that very moment, Huai Shi finally lifted his hand. Banners unfurled, the Buried Sacred Place roared open, and a tide of Steel Crows, accompanied by overwhelming darkness, surged forth.
But this time, the sea of crows reflected not the light of steel, but returned to the primordial, chaotic darkness... however, this expanse of darkness was far too ferocious!
Once again, a tide of despair surged.
The Steel Crows spread their wings, their bodies entwined with tangible darkness, their crimson eyes brimming with ferocity. When they let out their piercing cries, the sharp sounds tore through fragile defenses, spreading in all directions.
Greedy predation.
In an instant, for hundreds of meters around the entire laboratory, all deposits from the Abyss, all inexplicable entities, all invasive species lurking and writhing in the shadows, were utterly devoured by the ravens!
And when Huai Shi raised his hand, the massive tide of crows converged. Shedding their physical bindings, countless heavy steel feathers rained down and returned once more to Huai Shi's hands.
The overlapping patterns of the feathers formed intricate and majestic blade patterns.
The sword's body, growing and extending as if mechanical, formed a sleek arc. The ferocious blade reappeared, the Curse becoming a violent stream of bloody color flowing over the edge, trickling downwards, dispersing, and vanishing into the air, leaving behind streaks of crimson.
"A great success!"
Huai Shi swung the ferocious iron in his hands with ease, a satisfied smile on his face.
But when he turned around, he saw his own student stepping back in horror. Only the elderly Usually Degree, head held high, stood excitedly in place, gazing at what was, in his eyes... an Evil Ghost.
Indeed, it was a vile ghost god walking among humans!
Unaware of how fearsome his present self was, he was even smiling.