The Magical Blacksmith - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Netherworld Soul Summoning

Back to Zhang Zhi’s side, right after he closed the shop, he received a notification in his head.

“Sub-mission completed. Acquired authentication seal.”

A rectangular seal appeared in his hand. Based on the texture that he felt, it must be something extraordinary. He flipped it over for a closer look and wanted to see what words were carved on it.

However, he realized there was nothing carved on it.

“System, do I need to carve my signature on it myself?” Zhang Zhi knew nothing about carving.

“Host, please give me four words and I’ll carve it onto the seal for you,” the system said.

‘I can set it myself?’

A quick thought later, Zhang Zhi jokingly said, “What about ‘Zhang Zhi is handsome’?”

“Ding Dong. Carving completed.”

Zhang Zhi was speechless. He was joking but the system took it for real. He flipped the seal over and saw ‘Zhang Zhi is handsome’ carved on it in ancient Chinese characters.

“Can I change it?” Zhang Zhi felt extremely helpless against the system.

“The signature cannot be changed once carved,” the system stated in its cold and mechanical voice.

Zhang Zhi basically shot himself in the foot. As the future God of Forging, the signature on his seal seemed a little informal but after some thought, he consoled himself. “I’m handsome anyway, there’s nothing to be afraid of!”

Once again, Zhang Zhi had strayed further on the path of cheap narcissism.

Zhang Zhi grabbed his Nouveau Riche and stamped his seal on it.

‘Zhang Zhi is handsome’ appeared on the blade in red, it looked clear and protruding as though it was carved on it.

After stamping the seal, the flying sword’s power was raised by 10%. Zhang Zhi strongly believed Nouveau Riche could rival a low-tier spirit artifact by now.

One thing worth noting was that the Grand Elder only added a layer of camouflage on the sword, not sealing away its powers. As long as Zhang Zhi kept Nouveau Riche from reaching its full potential, it would be similar to a high-tier artifact.

Zhang Zhi went to bed and had a good sleep with Nouveau Riche in his hands.

On the second day, the sun rose from the east as usual. Zhang Zhi energetically welcomed the sun from the door.

He had closed the shop for two days now, so it was time for him to resume business. After all, his forging level required him to work continuously to gather experience.

Right after he opened the shop, the cultivators who were waiting swarmed into the shop and bowed at him with cupped fists.

“Congratulations Owner Zhang for forging a high-tier artifact!”

“Owner Zhang is indeed a young and promising blacksmith, he’s a role model for all of us!”

…

Even though Zhang Zhi had been restoring and refining flying swords for them, he had never been praised and admired to this level.

Zhang Zhi realized that even though he possessed outstanding forging skills in the past, he was just someone better than the common, but when he forged a high-tier artifact (epic-tier artifact), the achievement boosted his status to master.

At least he had already surpassed Elder Ouyang in forging flying swords, of course the cultivators wanted to flatter him.

After understanding the situation, Zhang Zhi nodded at the cultivators, he did not take the flatteries seriously.

Many cultivators noticed Zhang Zhi’s calm and cool temperament, he did not act like a proud and arrogant young man who had great achievements, instead, he presented himself as a humble master, which attracted more admiration from the cultivators.

One of the cultivators said, “Owner Zhang, I didn’t get to see it yesterday, can you show us what the high-tier artifact looks like?”

“Yeah, Owner Zhang, show it to us. After knowing a high-tier artifact had been forged, I couldn’t sleep the whole night. Just a glimpse will do!”

“Yeah! Owner Zhang, are you selling the high-tier artifact?”

“Are you dumb? Even if Owner Zhang wants to sell it, can you afford it?”

The cultivators ridiculed each other but they sounded like they were trying to flatter Zhang Zhi even more. They hoped that Zhang Zhi would display the high-tier artifact to widen their vision.

“I’m not showing it.” Zhang Zhi simply denied their requests.

Deep in his heart, he thought, ‘I forged the sword myself and it’s not easy, why must I show it to you people just because you are asking for it?’

The cultivators grumbled.

“Owner Zhang, come on. We are already regulars of your shop, it won’t hurt by showing it to us.”

“Yeah, Owner Zhang, why don’t I pay you just to have a look. You can make it a pay-per-view event.”

…

The cultivators continued to persuade and even tempt him.

It was then Zhang Zhi said, “Who wants to have a look at the sword? Raise your hand.”

“Me me!”

“Me too!”

The cultivators thought Zhang Zhi finally compromised and raised their hands.

“Great. Those who raised their hands, leave my shop. What you are asking for is not within my service,” Zhang Zhi said with a stern tone.

The cultivators who raised their hands were stunned and shocked.

“Damn it. Owner Zhang, you tricked us…”

They shook their hands in denial and shifted the topic away from the sword viewing.

“Oh, actually, I am here to restore my flying sword!”

“I’m here for maintenance!”

“Yeah yeah! The inner competition is starting soon, restoring and maintaining won’t delay our training, instead, it will provide a great boost!”

Zhang Zhi smiled without saying a word. He started to pick the cultivators at the front for the restoration and refinement.

Zhang Zhi was a workaholic. Once he started his work, he barely took any breaks. After he finished his daily refinement quota, he continued working on the restoration of flying swords.

Since he had gained a reputation for himself, the cultivators who came for restoration were almost endless even though his restoration fees remained expensive.

Throughout the restoration process, someone mustered enough courage and asked, “Owner Zhang, when are you planning to increase your services? Like selling flying swords or taking forging requests for high-tier flying swords?”

It was the question that everyone was concerned about.

Currently, Zhang Zhi’s blacksmith provided only restoration and refinement, even though Zhang Zhi could already forge high-tier artifacts, he did not seem to have any intentions of opening the service to the masses. The cultivators were curious and anxious about it.

“Depends on my mood.”

Zhang Zhi did not tell them the truth. Forging a high-tier artifact was nothing to him with his current skills, as long as he had the suitable material, he could easily forge an epic-tier artifact or even a low-tier spirit artifact.

To not shock the world and attract unwanted attention, he thought of opening the forging service at a later time because it was better for him to keep a low profile.

The cultivators sighed. Owner Zhang’s strange mood could be considered as one of the 10 unsolved mysteries of the cultivation world.

While Zhang Zhi was busy working, Han Ling’er’s father, Han Wushuang, rushed back home after he got the news.

“Greetings Grand Elder!” Han Wushuang bowed respectfully. He did not know why the Grand Elder summoned him on such short notice, he shifted his attention to his daughter who was beside him.

Han Ling’er was not in a position to explain the situation because the Grand Elder was around, but she did signal her father with her eyes to tell him to calm down.

Grand Elder stroked his long beard. “At ease.”

He then took a scroll out from his sleeve. It was the Soul-Gathering Banner. “Wushuang, I heard you want to use the Soul-Gathering Banner to revive Xiao Ya?”

Xiao Ya, or Zhao Ya formally, was Han Ling’er’s mother.

Han Wushuang looked shaken when he saw the Soul-Gathering Banner, it was the only possibility that he could think of to revive his wife. He excitedly muttered, “Yes.”

The Grand Elder nodded. “You and your wife had done us a great deal in the domain war, it is the sect who had failed you and forgotten our duty. So, here I am with the Soul-Gathering Banner to give it a try, let’s see whether we can summon Xiao Ya’s soul.”

Han Wushuang’s eyes got red and teary, he was at a loss for words. He kowtowed to the Grand Elder and expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Grand Elder!”

The Grand Elder shook his head. “You don’t have to thank me now. The Soul-Gathering Banner was badly damaged in the domain war, it has fallen from a high-tier artifact to a mid-tier artifact, it’s not as powerful as before. So, I dare not guarantee its success.”

Han Wushuang nodded. He knew Lingtai Sect’s Soul-Gathering Banner was damaged in the war. It was not exaggerating to say that the usage of the banner would decrease with every use, eventually becoming useless.

That was the reason why one must use many credits and achievements in exchange for a single use of the banner.

He said, “Succeed or not, my gratitude for the Grand Elder’s generosity is endless!”

“You should thank your daughter instead of me. You and Xiao Ya really are blessed with a kind girl.” The Grand Elder smiled generously.

Light energy started to swirl from his hand and the Soul-Gathering Banner grew longer when the soft wind touched it.

Han Wushuang found the Grand Elder’s words strange. He devoted himself to completing the sect’s mission in exchange for the Soul-Gathering Banner, yet he had not gathered enough credits for it. He did not expect that he was granted the change by the Grand Elder not because of his hard work but because of his daughter.

The Soul-Gathering Banner had been activated, Han Wushuang temporarily put the question about his daughter aside and looked at the glowing banner with anticipation.

The banner turned black and emanated a vicious sha energy. The banner grew into the size of a sail before it stopped.

Han Wushuang saw the damage on the banner with his own eyes. The banner at its prime state could shroud the sky when activated, unlike its current discounted form.

Nevertheless, he clenched his fist tightly. He believed that with the Grand Elder here, his wife’s soul would be resummoned, it was what he had been obsessed with since the war.

The Grand Elder performed a hand seal and the banner started to flutter. It was a sign of resistance from the spirit within the artifact.

“Filth! How dare you resist my orders!?”

The banner fluttered for a few more seconds before it calmed down.

The Grand Elder reacted with a stern look. He told Han Ling’er, “Han Ling’er, use your blood essence and guide your mother’s soul!”

“Aye!” Han Ling’er bit her finger and a drop of blood flew towards the banner.

It was then a black skeletal figure appeared from the banner and devoured Han Ling’er’s blood. It was the artifact spirit within the banner, the Grand Elder scolded it earlier when it tried to resist.

The skeletal figure swallowed the drop of blood but it looked reluctant to carry out the order. However, after a glare from the Grand Elder, the skeletal figure shook in fear and put its hands out.

It grabbed the air in front of itself and tore it apart as if it was opening a gate to another world.

Through the opening in the void, mountains of bodies and a sea of blood were shown. The place was the legendary Netherworld.

Han Ling’er almost threw up at the sight of it, even Han Wushuang looked as pale as paper.

It was then a female figure appeared from inside the opening.

Han Wushuang reacted excitedly and tears rolled down his cheeks. “Xiao Ya!”

Han Ling’er also saw that figure, it was her mother.

The woman looked kind and at peace but when her figure slowly took form and became clear, she opened her eyes in shock and sized up her surroundings. She saw Han Wushuang and Han Ling’er, she tried to speak but no one could hear her, as if there was an invisible barrier blocking out the two worlds.

“Haste!” The Grand Elder performed another hand seal and a golden light was fired towards the banner.

The skeletal figure wailed and it put its skeletal arms inside the opening.

It managed to grab Zhao Ya’s soul and was slowly coming out. Everyone present at the scene sighed a breath of relief.

Zhao Ya could be revived as long as her soul crossed the opening.

However, a horned rakshasa appeared from the opening. It looked angry.

It raised its huge scythe and cut off the skeletal arms mercilessly.

The skeletal figure wailed in pain before it dispersed into black smoke and retreated back into the Soul-Gathering Banner.

“NO!” Han Wushang grasped his head and screamed in pain. They were a step away from bringing Zhao Ya’s soul back, but they ran into the guards of the Netherworld, the rakshasa.

The Grand Elder sighed. He performed another hand seal to close the opening.

Just when the opening started to shrink, the Netherworld rakshasa took notice of the world outside. It reached out to the opening and stopped it from closing.

It roared menacingly and it seemed like it was trying to break the opening and cross into this world.

The Grand Elder reacted in shock. “This is bad!”