GDK 785: Refining Weapons
Sanguis, Bollands, and Gilbert practiced branches of demonic arts taught by Han Shuo. Gilbert practiced demonic arts that strengthens his soul much as a supplement to his cultivation of the energy of darkness. Although the darkness divine energy that Gilbert had was altered by his practice of demonic arts and his unique demonic body, he could use the divine weapons found in this universe just fine.
Bollands used to be a cultivator of fighting aura. He completely abandoned the cultivation of that energy after Han Shuo taught him the Godslaying Devil Path. He would place all his mind on practicing the demonic art Han Shuo bestowed upon him. Therefore, the regular weapons in this universe were no longer suitable for him. But fortunately for Bollands, Han Shuo had made him a decent flying sword that fitted him perfectly.
Sanguis’ situation was unlike that of Gilbert and Bollands’. Before meeting Han Shuo, though he tried, Sanguis could not cultivate in any energy. All along, Sanguis only cultivated Bloodgod Mantra that Han Shuo bestowed upon him. Being a Sanguis-bodied, Sanguis was able to make rapid progress in the cultivation.
It was because of the uniqueness of Bloodgod Mantra that Sanguis cultivated that Han Shuo couldn’t find or make a demonic weapon suitable for him. Han Shuo had gifted the Blood Seether to Sanguis long ago. However, as the Blood Seether was just a crude demonic weapon Han Shuo refined. Not only was Han Shuo limited by the materials accessible to him at that time, but the weapon also wasn’t made with Bloodgod Mantra in mind. Therefore, Sanguis always felt that the Blood Seether just isn’t right for him.
The demonic art that Sanguis cultivated was very unique. It was difficult to make a demonic weapon that suits him. Han Shuo had always wanted to refine a demonic weapon that was suitable for Sanguis but he could not find suitable materials.
But that was not the case anymore. The blood-red rock Han Shuo found under the stream was the perfect material!
“Master, what does this rock do?” asked Sanguis in a puzzled face. Though the color of the rock pleased his eyes, it doesn’t seem that special to him.
Suddenly, the divine guard who led Han Shuo and Sanguis to the tiny stream started acting strangely. His face was flushed and confused. He looked at Han Shuo and Sanguis and screamed, “My blood! Something’s wrong with my blood!”
Sanguis looked up and down at the divine guard with puzzled eyes. As though he had been wronged, he exclaimed, “I’m not doing anything to you!”
A big hand grabbed the divine guard and carried him into the air in an instant. When he was several hundred meters away from the stone, his face started returning to normal and he could breathe again. Han Shuo stopped and let him off. He commanded the divine guard, “Stay away from the area,” and returned to Sanguis.
“It wasn’t you. It’s it!” said Han Shuo as he pointed at the blood-red stone.
Sanguis was astonished. In disbelief, he asked, “How is that possible?!” While staring at the rock with his eyes wide open, Sanguis asked, “Why is it that I do not feel anything amiss with my blood?”
“You might be the only person in the world invulnerable to the stone,” replied Han Shuo smilingly.
Sanguis was amazed. He looked at the stone placed on the ground before him and then at Han Shuo before he asked, “But, Master, aren’t you doing just alright?”
“I’m also affected by the energy but it was bearable to my body. It isn’t enough to make my blood move abnormally,” explained Han Shuo.
Sanguis finally knew what’s so unique about the rock before him. He gazed at the rock with a beautiful blood-red color. The more he looked at it, the more he liked the rock. He felt as though the rock is just like him.
“Place your hand on it and feel it. You will sense what’s so different about this rock other than its color,” instructed Han Shuo smilingly.
Sanguis have wanted to do so and he pressed a palm on the blood-red rock. As soon as he contacted the rock, an expression of joy and surprise appeared on his face. He turned to Han Shuo and excitedly said, “There is an energy in the rock, it is just like the energy in the Bloodessence Grass. Oh, wait, it’s not exactly the same – it is purer than that in the Bloodessence Grass!”
Han Shuo nodded and explained, “This rock is called a Blood Crystal. It is thanks to this Crystal that so many Bloodessence Grasses grew here. The Blood Crystal could attract and gather the blood energy of fallen creatures nearby. If this Blood Crystal wasn’t buried deep underground, any living thing with blood that wandered to the region will be affected by its energy the same way they would be affected by your Bloodgod Mantra. They will bleed profusely and could easily lose their lives to the Crystal.”
Sanguis’ astonishment was renewed after hearing Han Shuo’s explanation. He asked, “This is miraculous! But what can it do for me?”
“At the very least, it can amplify the power of your Bloodgod Mantra attacks and very likely increase your cultivation speed. I cannot list all of the benefits it will bring as I do not cultivate in Bloodgod Mantra. You will have to figure out the rest by yourself. But I’m certain that the Blood Crystal will be tremendously beneficial to you!” explained Han Shuo. Shortly after, Han Shuo asked, “Oh, yes, what kind of weapon do you want to make from the Crystal?”
“It’s rather large in size. What can it be turned into?” asked Sanguis excitedly.
To Sanguis, a demonic weapon that could raise his attack power and cultivation speed was simply wonderful to have. He had seen Bollands becoming much more powerful after obtaining a flying sword from Han Shuo and had been admiring of the terrifying destructive power of Han Shuo’s seventeen flying swords. It would be a wonder if Sanguis didn’t get excited to learn that he will soon possess a destructive weapon of his own.
“It may be large now, but after the outer crust and impurities are removed, it will be much smaller,” replied Han Shuo. “Think about it for a moment and tell me what weapon you want it to be. I can then reshape the Crystal to the weapon of your choice.”
“A sword! I like swords!” replied Sanguis excitedly. He was influenced by the Han Shuo and Bollands who used flying swords.
“Very well, a sword you shall have!” Han Shuo then added, “I can only help you with removing the impurities and molding the sword. For the demonic weapon to be yours, you will have to complete some finishing touches and further refine the sword.”
“Understood, Master!” replied Sanguis as he nodded enthusiastically. He seemed rather impatient.
Han Shuo said nothing more and started calming his mind. Demonic yuan energy started channeling through his hands and it carried the blood-red stone off the ground. It hovered between Han Shuo’s palms and started revolving rapidly.
Roar! Two streams of blazes gushed out from Han Shuo’s palms and gathered into a sphere right under the blood-red rock. The blazes were burning at a scorchingly high temperature. Sanguis who was standing beside Han Shuo immediately felt the heat and subconsciously took a few steps backward.
As the blazes licked the blood-red rock, the solid rock seemed to have softened. The center of the Blood Crystal turned redder and redder while the outer rim charred and cracked. It was as though the flames had forced and compressed the energy in the Blood Crystal to the center.
“Eh?!” A soft cry of surprise came from the distance. Rose, wearing an amazed face, was standing quietly and staring foolishly at Han Shuo who was refining a weapon.
After arriving at Soaring Clouds Mountain Range, Rose managed to locate a hot spring. For the past few days, Rose and a few female divine guards had been relaxing at the hot spring. Rose had just completed her ritual bathing session for the day and came to this place after learning from the divine guards that Han Shuo was here. She did not expect to find Han Shuo refining a weapon.
It was common knowledge on Elysium that a blacksmith required at least several energy towers to melt the materials needed to forge a weapon. In addition, they will need to carve numerous abstruse and complicated magical matrixes on the ground, assembling various kinds of energies just to produce one divine weapon. The process was long, toilsome, and complicated.
It had never been heard of on the Elysium that a divine weapon could be produced with no mold or matrixes but one piece of raw material and a pair of hands as Han Shuo was performing. Rose could not understand how Han Shuo could turn the molten rock between his hands into the desired shape without using any unique magical matrixes or energy towers.
The astonished Rose continued to watch Han Shuo who was concentrated on refining a demonic weapon. For some reason, at least for that moment, she found Han Shuo who was fully concentrated on the task to be very attractive. She also felt that the weapon Han Shuo produced will be perfect.
With Rose and Sanguis attentively watching, pieces of dark rock cracked and fell off from the outer edge of the Blood Crystal one after another. The two-meter long Blood Crystal gradually shrunk as Han Shuo baked it with fire spitting out from his palms. The redness at the outer rim seemed to be moving towards the center as the Crystal got smaller. The scarlet light at the center of the Crystal grew more and more brilliant. It looked as though blood was flowing in the Crystal.
Gradually, the Blood Crystal started having the rough shape of a broadsword. The fire from Han Shuo’s palms grew fiercer. Little pieces of rocks continued falling off the revolving broadsword-shaped Blood Crystal.
After a while, the flame coming from Han Shuo’s palms started diminishing but the blood-red radiance coming from the Blood Crystal only grew brighter. It shone as though a red sun and turned everything around it blood-red. A faint scent of blood started emanating from it.
Impatience and excitement could be seen in Sanguis who had been watching beside Han Shuo. After Han Shuo removed the impurities from the Blood Crystal, the Blood Crystal, in its purest form, burst with blood-red light. Sanguis suddenly felt as though a miraculous connection was formed between him and the broadsword. Even the blood in his body grew unusually excited.
Thud. The Blood Crystal, now the shape of a broadsword, fell onto the ground. Han Shuo stopped spitting fire from his palms and used a force to redirect the stream nearby. Thick water vapor fizzed from the Blood Crystal broadsword as waster doused on it.
After rinsing the broadsword multiple times, the Blood Crystal was spotlessly clean and no longer hot to the touch. Han Shuo finally turned to Sanguis who was jumping up and down and said, “Go ahead!”
Sanguis was overjoyed and immediately grabbed and held up the broadsword made using Blood Crystal. He exclaimed, “It’s heavy!”
Intense bloody radiance suddenly burst from the broadsword. It even made Han Shuo’s blood travel abnormally for a brief moment. He could feel his blood wanting to escape his body and flew onto the broadsword.
“Haha, this is wonderful, I love it! Thank you, Master! Thank you!” cheered Sanguis.