Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

Master Li took the sword and ran his fingertips over it.

After a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he nodded, saying:

"Not bad. Although some details still need polishing, considering the short timeframe, this is already quite an achievement. As for the grade of the swordsmith..."

He paused briefly, pondered for a moment, and then continued:

"The Sword Forging Pavilion has a rule that, under normal circumstances, a swordsmith's rank must be promoted one level at a time and cannot be skipped. Therefore, we can only grant you the status of a first-rank swordsmith for now. By the way, may I ask how to address you, young man?"

"Alright, junior Chen Mo."

Xu Yan, however, said with dissatisfaction, "Master Li, you said it was under normal circumstances. Chen Mo's performance just now already showed the level of a second-grade swordsmith. Please be lenient."

Master Li said helplessly, "Grandma, this is not a rule I made. Although it is possible to upgrade one's rank for someone of extraordinary status, that right is reserved for scions of aristocratic families, disciples of sects, and those with exceptional talent. Chen Mo is indeed... not at that level."

Chen Mo immediately said to Xu Yan, "It's alright, Senior Sister, I'll have plenty of time to advance my rank later."

He had already held back during the sword forging process; at the very least, if he had used the Blazing Fire Technique, the quality of the finished sword would have been even higher.

However, the Fire-Separating Mystery Technique should be shown to others sparingly.

Therefore, it is more reasonable to obtain the first-grade swordsmith qualification first, and then take the exam for the second-grade one later.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yan stopped pressing the matter.

Afterwards, Master Li led the two to a spacious room. He spoke a few words respectfully to an elderly man with white hair, who then glanced at Chen Mo and took out a silver square plaque, which he began to carve with a knife.

A short while later.

The words "Chen Mo, First-Rank Swordsmith" were engraved on the silver plaque.

The old man handed over the silver token, saying, "This represents your status as a first-grade swordsmith. Take it safe."

Chen Mo accepted it respectfully and thanked him.

The old man asked, "Do you know the rights and duties of a first-grade swordsmith?"

"I know that," Xu Yan answered quickly.

"A first-class swordsmith is required to forge three high-quality swords each month and submit them to the Sword Forging Pavilion."

"As for rights, swordsmiths have priority in purchasing minerals from the Swordsmith Pavilion. The higher the swordsmith's rank, the better the minerals they can purchase."

"In addition, the Sword Forging Pavilion holds a sword forging competition every year, which can only be attended by sword forgers, and the prizes are quite generous."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo was slightly moved.

It's worth it to prioritize purchasing just one type of mineral material.

The old man chuckled and asked, "Little girl Xu Yan, will you be participating in this year's sword-forging competition?"

Xu Yan counted on her fingers, "Five more months. Of course I'll participate. Please have the Rank 4 Swordsmith badge ready then; I'll come to collect it anytime!"

"Very well, I'll see how you perform then. Now that you've won the silver medal, you can go back now. I need to rest for a while."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the white-haired old man leaned back in his armchair and fell fast asleep.

Master Li gestured for them to be quiet, indicating that they should leave quietly.

After the three came out, Master Li counted out four iron ingots and handed them to Chen Mo, saying, "These are the materials for three swords this month. One of them is a spare. If we don't need it, it's yours."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement.

The two bid farewell to Master Li and left the Sword Forging Pavilion.

On the way, Chen Mo asked, "That old man just now...?"

"He is the oldest living treasure of the Sword Forging Pavilion," Xu Yan replied.

"what?"

"What I mean is..."

Xu Yan explained, "He is a fifth-grade swordsmith. Although he is at the lower end of the fifth grade, he is old, so he has a very high status in the Sword Forging Pavilion. Look closely at the silver token in your hand."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo placed the silver medal in his palm and examined it carefully. "The patterns are extremely skillful and very difficult to imitate."

Xu Yan said, "So, the Sword Forging Pavilion entrusted him with the task of carving the identity silver plaques. His name is Bai Zhuo. Don't get it wrong when you hear this name in the future."

"Okay," Chen Mo replied. "By the way, Senior Sister, what rank of swordsmiths participated in the sword-forging gathering you mentioned earlier?"

Xu Yan held up three slender white fingers and waved them in front of Chen Mo. "At most, it's grade three. Swordsmiths above grade three can participate in other competitions and won't compete with us for jobs."

Chen Mo nodded in understanding. "Senior Sister, what rank are you?"

Xu Yan replied, "I already reached the third rank last year. There are probably no more than ten third-rank swordsmiths in the entire Nine Swords Mountain, but I think you can be the next one."

Chen Mo grinned.

She added, "The top ten in the sword-making competition receive a good reward of minerals, and that's my goal."

"If you make it into the top three, you will receive a cultivation technique that is said to suppress evil energy within your body, because swordsmiths often temper rare and precious materials, making them prone to being tainted by evil energy."

"tainted by evil influences..." Chen Mo murmured softly.

He suddenly remembered the crescent moon array on his body; wasn't that an evil object?

He pondered to himself, what if that technique was effective against the Crescent Moon Formation...

We should strive to be among the top three in the sword-making competition.

With that in mind, the two walked to where the horses were kept, then mounted their steeds and galloped towards Hachimiya Town.

As dusk fell.

The setting sun casts its rays, making it appear as if molten gold.

As the last rays of the setting sun were withdrawn from the sky, dusk quickly descended, and a sense of desolation swept across the land.

……

"Whoa—"

Amidst the neighing of horses, the two arrived at Hachimiya Town.

After landing, Xu Yan bought some local delicacies in town, and Chen Mo also benefited from the sale.

After a satisfying meal, the two embarked on their journey back up the mountain.

The two returned to the courtyard only when the stars were shining brightly across the sky.

Chen Mo bid farewell to Xu Yan and returned to the old mine.

Just as he was about to enter the cabin, he suddenly heard a rustling sound not far away.

He stared intently at the source of the sound, which appeared to be behind a large rock.

He immediately held his breath and focused his mind, clenched his left fist, and reached for the peacock feather beside his leg with his right hand, slowly approaching.

Halfway there, the other person seemed to have noticed him, and the rustling sound suddenly stopped.

All was silent.

The air was so heavy it felt like it could condense water.

With the Crane Cry skill not at hand and the Peacock Feather skill focused more on surprise attacks, he can only rely on his fists and feet.

Chen Mo is getting closer and closer to the other party's position.

Twenty steps... ten steps... seven steps... five steps...

Suddenly, a black shadow the size of a fox darted out from behind the rock and fled in the direction away from Chen Mo.

Upon seeing the other party's appearance, Chen Mo paused slightly, then stomped heavily on his foot and shot out.

Using the Luo Yan Step, he covered twenty feet in a single step, and within a few steps, he had caught up with the other person from behind.

Sensing the threat behind him, the other party immediately turned around, opened its sharp fox claws like hooks and scythes, and stabbed towards Chen Mo's heart.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Mo unleashed a stone-shattering strike that flew out like lightning, passing precisely between the two fox claws and landing on the opponent's head.

boom!

The other party let out a miserable scream, then crashed heavily onto the gravel ground, its whole body convulsing.

A few breaths later, the convulsions stopped, and the fang was lifeless.

Chen Mo stepped forward, and when he saw the other person's appearance clearly, he was secretly shocked.