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âThis little guy is called a Nightmare Beast,â Xu Zimo said. âIt not only helps with cultivation, but also has a bit of bat ability. Weâre poor, so I canât offer anything too fancy, just make do.â
âNot at all. Actually, I like Brother Zimoâs gift even more,â Lin Qing said quickly as she cuddled the little beast.
Xu Zimo smiled. He thought he heard the sound of someoneâs heart breaking.
âŚ
Because the town had limited housing, Xu Zimo and Tianshi were sharing a room.
A dim candle flame flickered gently in the room. Tianshi was sitting cross-legged, cultivating. After all, the spiritforce in the Legendary Era was still quite abundant. The people here had low cultivation mostly because their techniques were too basic, which slowed their progress.
Xu Zimo, meanwhile, was snoring away in bed.
âŚ
The moon hung like a silver plate, and the night was unusually quiet.
Town patrols walked around the outskirts, and unknown insects chirped from the shadows.
As the night deepened, one of the patrolmen had just reached a corner of the town when a huge black shadow suddenly burst up from the ground. Before the patrolman could even cry out, he was swallowed whole by a massive mouth.
Then came the sound of bones being crunched.
At that moment in Xu Zimoâs room, the flickering candle suddenly went out.
In the darkness, an eerie atmosphere crept in.
Tianshi suddenly opened his eyes mid-cultivation. A massive black shadow shot up from the ground, lunging straight at him.
âTime Slow,â Tianshi said coldly.
A surge of temporal energy surged from his right hand. As time reversed around the beast, its speed visibly slowed.
Tianshi punched forward, an immense wave of force condensed around his fist.
With a loud âboom,â the black shadow was smashed back into the floor, creating a deep crater.
âWhatâs going on?â Xu Zimo opened his eyes groggily and got out of bed.
âJust a bug,â Tianshi replied flatly.
The candle was re-lit. The floor had split into several pieces with cracks everywhere.
At the center, a giant centipede-like creature lay dying.
The creature was about twice the size of a normal human, entirely crimson, with 18 legs and two long fangs protruding from its mouth. Its eyes were round and bean-sized.
âWhat is this?â Xu Zimo asked.
âNot sure. Probably a creature from the Legendary Era,â Tianshi said. âWeâll ask Lin Qing tomorrow.â
âŚ
The night passed without further incident.
Gentle sunlight bathed the land once again. As always, the sun rose faithfully.
A shriek shattered the peaceful morning.
Dead!
All the patrolmen who guarded the town last night were dead.
All the townsfolk rushed over. The patrolmenâs bodies had been pletely devoured, only bits of flesh and blood remained, staining the ground.
Back in Xu Zimoâs room, Lin Qing looked at the giant beastâs corpse in astonishment.
âA Blaze-Fire Centipede,â she exclaimed. âThatâs a True Veinâlevel monster, and a very troublesome one. Even my father might not be able to handle it.â
âOh, maybe we got lucky,â Tianshi said with a smile. âIt was dark last night, I must have accidentally hit its weak spot and killed it with one punch.â
âIâm not stupid. You two clearly arenât ordinary,â Lin Qing said, narrowing her eyes.
âWhatever we are, weâre your senior brothers,â Tianshi replied with a grin.
âThe night patrol was wiped out. My father is still investigating the killer. Iâll go tell him it was the Blaze-Fire Centipede,â Lin Qing said as she rushed out.
âŚ
The forge blazed with searing heat. A gentle breeze blew, making the flag hanging outside the blacksmith shop flutter.
Lin Bao looked at Xu Zimo and Tianshi seriously.
âBefore I teach you to forge weapons, I need to teach you how to temper metal. Forging is a process of refining and discarding impurities. It requires a strong waist and arms. Since you two killed that centipede yesterday, you clearly have the physical foundation.â
He pulled a glowing-hot iron ingot from the furnace.
âTry striking it with a hammer. Even if youâre strong, forging isnât easy.â
Xu Zimo and Tianshi exchanged glances. Xu Zimo stepped forward and casually struck twice with the hammer.
With two thunderous bangs, the iron ingot instantly fused together.
While hammering, he subtly used Genesis Power to alter the metalâs internal structure.
âHoly-â Lin Bao gasped, eyes wide.
He walked up to examine the iron, now a nearly flawless ingot. It was hard to believe it had only taken two hits.
âAre you a forging master?â he asked suspiciously.
âYou flatter me, Uncle Lin. Iâm just a beginner,â Xu Zimo replied calmly.
Then Tianshi tried, landing two equally heavy strikes. The ingot was refined again.
âFor beginners, youâre doing well,â Lin Bao said, coughing awkwardly. âStill need more practice. Now Iâll teach you how to shape weapons, swords, knives, and especially the edge.â
Both nodded seriously.
âŚ
In less than 30 minutes, Lin Baoâs worldview collapsed.
When the two handed over their finished swords and blades, Lin Bao could only stare blankly.
He couldnât help but sigh: âDamn it. Real geniuses do exist in this world.â
Heâd spent over ten years mastering the forge, clinging to the belief that âpractice makes perfect.â
But now, seeing the results before him, he could only think: âScrew that. Perfect my ass.â
As he stood there speechless, Tianshi said with mock humility, âUncle Lin, we know weâre untalented, but weâre willing to work hard.â
Lin Bao forced a smile through gritted teeth.
âYouâre a real charmer, arenât you.â
Just then, a man burst in, panic-stricken.
âUncle Lin! The hunting party ran into trouble!â
âWhat!?â Lin Bao turned, frowning.
âLin Qing went out with them. You should e quickly!â the man said.
âThat girl, who let her go?â Lin Baoâs face darkened as he ran toward the town entrance.
By the time they arrived, a crowd had already gathered.
A bloodied man lay on the ground being treated.
He was one of the hunters who had gone out that morning.
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