The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

The scrap metal workshop, as the name suggests, is a place where sects process scrap metal.

Damaged weapons, obsolete alchemy furnaces, discarded farm tools... all kinds of trash with the word "iron" in their name will eventually gather here, either to be recycled or disposed of as waste.

This place was even dirtier and more chaotic than the abandoned alchemy room, with a pungent smell of rust and coal ash permeating the air all year round.

The furnace inside the workshop burns all year round, black smoke billows into the sky, and the clanging sound of hammering can be heard from a great distance.

The place was managed by several burly, muscular craftsmen and laborers.

Their tempers were as volatile as the furnace fire in the workshop. If things didn't go their way, they would pick up iron hammers and start a fight. They were a group of "brutes" in the miscellaneous service area that even Du Qiang and others were unwilling to provoke easily.

Ye Sheng changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth outfit and disguised himself with the [Thousand Faces Illusion] technique before quietly arriving at the scrap metal workshop.

He did not go inside directly, but observed from the outside for a long time.

He discovered that although the scrap metal workshop was poorly managed, it had its own rules: ordinary laborers who wanted to borrow the furnaces and tools had to pay a hefty "rent" and also had to be mindful of the attitudes of the craftsmen.

Ye Sheng didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he went around to the back of the scrap metal workshop, where there were small mountains of scrap copper and iron.

Using his scavenging skills, he quickly found several pieces of decent quality refined iron ore and some 'fire-patterned carbon' containing a weak fire attribute spiritual power among a pile of rusted ironware.

He learned about the basic materials required for weapon crafting by using the skill panel.

Late at night, when the craftsmen in the scrap metal workshop were already drunk and fast asleep, Ye Sheng sneaked into the workshop silently like a cat.

He skillfully lit a fire in a secluded corner and threw in the charcoal.

"Whoosh—" The fire in the furnace suddenly surged, and the original orange-red flames took on an eerie crimson hue, with the temperature soaring accordingly.

[Skill: Weapon Forging (Beginner) Progress: 1/1000]

Just as Ye Sheng successfully ignited the furnace fire, a brand new progress bar quietly appeared on the skill panel.

Ye Sheng was overjoyed; it was just as he had expected. Activating the skill panel was not bound by any particular form; as long as the behavior was logical, it could be conceptualized, thus opening up a new path for growth.

Immediately, he threw the fragment of the black iron shield into the furnace fire.

This fragment comes from a ritual implement, and its material is far superior to ordinary iron. It might not change even after being burned in an ordinary furnace for half a day, but under the high temperature generated by the fire-patterned charcoal, its rusty surface begins to slowly turn red and gradually becomes soft.

The time is almost right.

Ye Sheng used pliers to pick out the fragment, placed it on the anvil, and swung the octagonal hammer down hard!

With a loud bang, sparks flew everywhere.

At the same time, a tremendous force of recoil came through the hammer handle, making his tiger's mouth numb and his arm weak.

The fragment of black iron on the anvil was only slightly deformed, and not a single hammer mark was left on its surface.

"So hard!"

Ye Sheng thought to himself, shaking his numb arm. Instead of being discouraged, his eyes were filled with excitement.

The more difficult it is to forge, the higher the quality of the material.

He took a deep breath and slowly channeled his inner energy into his arms.

This time, he no longer relied solely on brute force, but combined internal energy with physical strength.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The heavy, rhythmic clanging of hammers echoed through the silent scrap yard.

Fortunately, the furnace was far away, and the craftsmen were as drunk as dead pigs. Therefore, the noise Ye Sheng made did not wake them.

Each hammer blow struck precisely at the core of the fragment of black iron. Internal energy, channeled through the heavy hammer, surged like an invisible undercurrent, constantly impacting and dismantling the fragment's solid internal structure.

This is an extremely physically and mentally demanding process.

Sweat quickly soaked through Ye Sheng's clothes, sliding down his bronze cheeks and dripping onto the scorching anvil with a sizzling sound.

After an unknown amount of time, the hard fragment of black iron gradually stretched and deformed under countless hammer blows, slowly taking on the shape of a knife.

However, at that moment, an accident occurred.

Due to prolonged exertion of internal energy, Ye Sheng's internal energy and blood became slightly disordered.

He was momentarily distracted, and the hammer fell an inch off course.

"Snap!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out. A tiny crack appeared on the nearly formed blade blank.

Upon seeing this, Ye Sheng's heart sank, and he immediately stopped.

He knew that cracks were the worst thing in weapon forging, and although this crack was small, it had damaged the entire structure of the blade.

If forging continues, this knife will eventually become scrap metal, which is already considered a forging failure.

Ye Sheng stared at the glaring crack and remained silent for a long time.

After a long pause, he muttered to himself, "What a waste of a fragment of black iron."

With that, he tossed the knife blank into the cooling water tank beside him and didn't look at it again.

Ye Sheng's first attempt at weapon forging ended in failure, but he did not give up. For the next few nights, he repeated the same process: sneaking into the scrap metal workshop, starting a fire, and forging.

He used all the refined iron ore he had collected to practice.

The second failure was due to an imbalance in the molten iron ratio, resulting in scrap iron full of bubbles; the third failure was due to improper quenching timing, making the blade too brittle and breaking easily; the fourth failure…

With each failure, he would calmly analyze the reasons and improve for the next time. His [Weapon Forging] skill progress bar also slowly advanced with each failure.

[Weapon Refining: Beginner 5/1000]

[Weapon Refining: Beginner 15/1000]

[Weapon Refining: Beginner 20/1000]

[Weapon Refining: Beginner 28/1000]

Early that morning, Ye Sheng dragged his weary body back to Willow Garden from the scrap metal workshop. Just as he reached the vicinity of the Hundred Herbs Garden, he bumped into a familiar beautiful figure.

"Junior Brother Ye?"

A clear, cold voice rang out, causing Ye Sheng to pause in his tracks.

He looked up and saw Shen Qingqiu standing not far away, her light blue sect disciple robes making her even more beautiful and refined.

She looked like she had just returned from her morning exercise; fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead, adding a touch of vibrancy to her otherwise cool and aloof demeanor.

"Senior Sister Shen."

Ye Sheng clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, surprised to encounter Shen Qingqiu here.

This is the first time the two have met since their last parting at the abandoned alchemy room.

Shen Qingqiu's gaze swept over Ye Sheng, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she asked, "Why do you look so pale?"

She paused, as if remembering something, and then asked, "Have you offended anyone recently?"

Ye Sheng's heart stirred slightly, but he remained outwardly calm, asking in return, "What makes you say that, Senior Sister?"

"Junior Brother Ye, I've actually heard about what happened to you."

Shen Qingqiu walked to his side and lowered her voice, saying, "That Du Tao is causing you trouble, right? Moreover, he even threatened to find He Ping to deal with you in the selection competition to avenge his cousin."

She looked at Ye Sheng, a hint of worry in her cool eyes. "As far as I know, He Ping was a ruthless man before joining the sect. He came to our sect to escape his enemies and the government's pursuit after killing too many people in his early years. Although you have some strength, you are likely to be in grave danger if you face him."

"You look so haggard today, are you troubled by this matter? Why not ask Junior Sister Liu Qing to stand up for you and smooth things over?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng was surprised to learn that even Shen Qingqiu knew about it. It seemed that Zhu Zhang wanted to make this matter widely known so that he could suppress Pang Fu and profit from it.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Shen. I have my reasons," Ye Sheng replied calmly.

Looking into his calm eyes, Shen Qingqiu was slightly surprised: This young man's composure was indeed extraordinary, no wonder Liu Qing took a liking to him.

"To be honest, Junior Brother Ye, the first time I saw you, I could tell you possessed powerful internal energy and were not just an ordinary servant. Although you tried to conceal your aura at that time, it was useless against us cultivators."

"Your current strength should be that of a martial artist in the late stage of the entry level, right?" Shen Qingqiu asked softly.

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng was startled: it seemed he had underestimated the abilities of cultivators. No wonder cultivators were seen as immortals with immense supernatural powers by mortals and martial artists.

Seeing that Ye Sheng remained silent, Shen Qingqiu paused for a moment, then waved her hand and took out a thin booklet from her storage bag at her waist, handing it over.

"This is the 'Wind-Breaking Blade Technique,' a low-grade Yellow Rank martial art. I observe that your qi and blood are currently abundant, and you are about to break through to the Bone Forging Realm. This martial art might be of some help to you."

She said calmly, "I obtained it from a martial arts guild when I went down the mountain to carry out a sect mission in my early years. Although its rank is not high, its strength lies in its sharp moves and varied techniques."

It's actually a low-grade Yellow Rank martial skill!

Ye Sheng's pupils contracted slightly.