Divine Weapon Peak

"No," Su Ye slowly shook his head, his folding fan snapping shut with a crisp sound as he pointed at the massive axe in Iron Ox's hand, which still radiated intense heat and glowed faintly red. He spoke with heartfelt anguish:

"Your bodies may be unharmed, but..."

His voice suddenly rose, carrying the urgency of "a physician discovering a major epidemic":

"Your weapons are sick! Gravely ill!"

"Look at this axe!" Su Ye took half a step forward, ignoring the scorching heat waves, and pointed at the axe's surface. "It's completely crimson, steaming with heat, and scalding to the touch—clearly a severe case of 'evil fire invading the body, with a persistent high fever'! Feel it, isn't it burning hot? Listen closely, can't you hear it emitting a painful hum?"

Iron Ox instinctively tightened his grip on the axe handle. Hmm, it was indeed quite hot—freshly pulled from the forging furnace, how could it not be? A hum? That was just the natural flow of spiritual power in a fire-attribute Spiritual Artifact!

"Now look at this Junior Brother's sword!" Su Ye pointed at the gleaming blue sword in the hand of a nearby Disciple. "The blade trembles slightly, its spiritual light unstable, sometimes blazing, sometimes dim. This is a sign of 'alternating chills and fever, with disrupted Yin and Yang'! And that Junior Brother's spear—its tip is inexplicably bent, surely a case of 'misaligned bones and joints, with abnormal growth'!"

He scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally settling on Iron Ox's face, and declared resolutely:

"These weapons, having been eroded for years by the violent fire Qi of this place without proper guidance or regulation, are already terminally ill! If not treated promptly, at best, their spiritual power will dissipate, reducing them to mere iron; at worst, their artifact spirits will go mad, turn on their Revered Masters, and cause a tragedy!"

Su Ye spoke with genuine sincerity, as if he were not looking at a collection of gleaming Sharp Weapons but a group of critically ill patients lying on sickbeds.

Iron Ox opened his mouth, looking at the battle axe that had accompanied him for years in his hand, then at the weapons in his Junior Brothers' hands. For a moment, he felt dazed. Could it be... they were really sick? But they've always been like this?

But the next second, he shook his head fiercely and roared, "Su Ye! Stop spreading your demonic nonsense here! My Iron Ox Axe has been with me for twenty years, always fine! Your tricks might fool those herb-tenders on Hundred Herbs Peak or those accountants on Many Treasures Peak, but you can't fool this blacksmith!"

He swung his massive axe horizontally, its crimson blade pointing at Su Ye as scorching heat waves surged forward:

"Brothers, form the Formation! 'Blazing Vajra Formation'! We must not let this Purple Bamboo Peak bandit take another step forward!"

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

Over a dozen Divine Weapon Peak Disciples roared in unison, their voices shaking the valley. They quickly shifted their stances, their seemingly clumsy movements surprisingly agile, instantly taking positions according to a specific arrangement. Each thrust their weapon into the ground before them and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Hum—"

Blazing flames erupted from beneath their feet, rapidly connecting to form a massive, burning circular Formation. Within the Formation, the temperature soared sharply, the air distorted, and heat waves transformed into visible red ripples that spread outward layer by layer. The auras of over a dozen people linked through the Formation, their spiritual power surging tumultuously, faintly coalescing into the phantom of a flame giant that exuded suffocating pressure. This 'Blazing Vajra Formation' was one of Divine Weapon Peak's mountain-protecting battle Formations, combining offense and defense, harnessing the power of earth fire to double its might. Even an ordinary Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator caught within it would be flustered and suffer greatly.

Iron Ox stood at the Formation's core, his figure seeming to swell further, faintly overlapping with the flame giant phantom. He glared at Su Ye: "Su Ye, leave now, and I can pretend this never happened! Otherwise, don't blame us for the Formation's mercilessness!"

Faced with this imposing Formation, Lin Waner shrank back in fear, clutching the Black Iron Shovel in her arms. Lin Qianxue, however, took half a step forward, her hand already resting on the hilt of her ice sword, a chilling aura beginning to emanate from her.

Only Su Ye remained calm, even letting out a soft sigh. His demeanor resembled that of a helpless doctor seeing an uncooperative patient refusing treatment.

"Stubborn and refusing to acknowledge the illness, avoiding the doctor."

He slowly put away his folding fan, tucked it into his waist, and then took a step forward.

Just one step.

"Hum—"

An indescribable, terrifying pressure originating from the level of life and the essence of the Soul descended upon this scorching mountain path without warning—like an ancient behemoth awakening from slumber or a Nine Heavens deity casting a glance downward!

Supreme Bone!

Su Ye did not fully activate the divine power of his Supreme Bone, nor did he expend much spiritual power. Merely with this step, a trace of the Supreme aura deeply hidden within his bones and Bloodline naturally leaked out.

This trace, for Spiritual Artifacts and Magic Treasures with sentience and considerable grade, was no different from mortal soldiers facing an emperor's arrival or wild Yao Beasts encountering the roar of a true Dragon!

It was the Supreme suppression within the Dao of artifacts!

"Clang! Clang! Clatter—!"

A series of dense, crisp metallic clangs and clattering sounds suddenly erupted!

Within the Formation, the weapons tightly gripped or thrust into the ground by over a dozen Divine Weapon Peak Disciples—whether heavy axes, sharp swords, or fierce spears—all began to tremble violently without warning! The next moment, they either broke free from their Revered Masters' grasps and flew into the air or shot out from the ground on their own, completely out of control. Some skewered into the earth before Su Ye, while others simply fell onto rocks by the roadside.

The edges of all the weapons were slightly oriented toward Su Ye's direction, trembling faintly and emitting low, almost whimpering hums. This was certainly not an aggressive posture but more like an... instinctive submission and worship? As if paying homage and fear to a sovereign among artifacts.

The flames of the Blazing Vajra Formation abruptly stalled, then shook violently, flickering unsteadily. The flame giant phantom let out a silent wail before collapsing with a crash. The Formation's connection was forcibly severed from within, causing all dozen-plus Disciples forming the Formation to grunt simultaneously, their Qi and blood churning. Under the Formation's backlash, their faces paled.

"My Thunderbolt Sword! Come back!"

"Damn it! Why won't my Sunblade obey?"

"Demonic Technique! This is a Demonic Technique that controls metal!"

The Divine Weapon Peak Disciples were horrified, frantically trying to recall their weapons, only to find their connection to them had become obscure, as if separated by a thick barrier. The weapons merely trembled and hummed lowly, indifferent to their original Revered Masters' calls. Without their trusted weapons, these Divine Weapon Peak Disciples, who focused on Artifact Refining and usage, lost most of their combat power instantly. They were shocked, furious, and somewhat bewildered.

Amidst this chaos and stunned gazes, Su Ye strolled forward as if taking a leisurely walk. His pace was not fast but carried a peculiar rhythm. Wherever he passed, the weapons skewered in the ground or fallen by the roadside trembled even more violently, their hums growing clearer, as if agitated or fearful.

He walked through the not-yet-fully-dispersed scattered flames, past the dumbfounded Disciples, and straight up to Iron Ox, who was still in shock.

The crimson massive axe in Iron Ox's hand was now trembling violently, its handle scalding hot, almost about to fly out of his grip. Iron Ox's face flushed red, the muscles in his arms bulging and veins throbbing as he desperately gripped the handle, barely preventing it from escaping. But he could sense that his life-bound spiritual axe, usually in sync with his will, was now conveying not Battle Intent but a deep fear and... longing?

"You..." Iron Ox looked up at Su Ye, who stood close with a faint smile, feeling a chill from the depths of his heart for the first time.

Su Ye merely gave him a gentle nod, as if acknowledging his effort to hold onto the "patient," then looked past him toward the upper part of the mountain path.

"Light Snow." Su Ye instructed without turning his head, his voice calm.

"Senior Brother."

Lin Qianxue, who had been quietly following behind, flashed like a ghost. Without any afterimage or sound of breaking wind, she appeared before a Disciple who was futilely forming hand seals to summon his own sword.

The Disciple was startled and about to retreat when Lin Qianxue's gaze fell upon the blue sword still skewered in the ground and trembling lightly.

"Your sword," Lin Qianxue's clear, cold voice rang out, like ice beads falling on a jade plate, "has an unsettled heart, impetuous Qi, and fire poison has infected its spiritual core."

She extended her fair, slender hand and grasped the still-struggling sword hilt.

The power of a Supreme Grade Ice Spirit Root, even slightly invoked, was enough to alter local weather phenomena.

"Crack... crackle..."

Centered on Lin Qianxue's palm, a layer of crystalline frost rapidly spread, instantly covering the entire sword. The sword's previously agitated spiritual light and steaming heat quickly dimmed and subsided under the erosion of extreme cold. The blade stopped trembling, emitted one final low hum, and fell completely silent, becoming cold as jade.

"Since it's sick," Lin Qianxue said matter-of-factly as she pulled the frost-covered sword from the ground, examined it briefly, and casually stored it in the seemingly ordinary yet spatially expansive sword sheath on her back, "it should go to Purple Bamboo Peak to recuperate peacefully. The cold Qi will cleanse the fire poison; it should recover in three months."

The Disciple watched helplessly as his beloved sword was "confiscated," his mouth agape but unable to utter a word. He could sense that after being frozen, the sword's previous subtle agitation had indeed vanished, becoming exceptionally calm... but what was this all about?

"And this one, this one, and that one." Lin Qianxue pointed at several Spiritual Artifacts on the ground that had the most abundant spiritual light but now showed the most obvious "symptoms"—a spear with flame patterns, a heavy shield carved with mountain motifs, and a pair of Mother-Child Mandarin Duck Blades. Her expression was serious, her tone firm: "Deeply infected with fire poison, spiritual nature obscured—all need to be taken back for treatment."

On the other side, Lin Waner could no longer hold back. Since Senior Brother Su Ye and Senior Sister Light Snow had taken action, how could she lag behind?

She took out a large, rustic-looking burlap sack embroidered with complex spatial Formation patterns—a "Super Universe Bag" she had hastily crafted last night using Void Spirit Silkworm Silk "borrowed" from Many Treasures Peak mixed with Purple Bamboo Peak's specialty Ink Gold Thread, boasting astonishing capacity.

"Time to get to work!" Lin Waner cheered, hoisting the sack and charging toward the weapons that had lost their Revered Masters' control and were temporarily in a "confused" state.

Her movements were so fast they left only afterimages. As she stuffed items into the sack, she muttered diagnostic results:

"Oh dear, this big axe is so heavy, yet its spiritual power circulation is so sluggish—definitely a case of 'spiritual power accumulation-type bloating.' Must take it back to soak in Purple Bamboo Spirit Spring for weight loss!"

"This spear—why is its tip a bit crooked? Must be 'organic scoliosis' from years of poor posture. Need to take it back for bone-setting on a cold jade bed!"

"This shield... tsk tsk, its spiritual light is scattered, and there's an old crack—this is definitely 'congenital deficiency plus Acquired malnutrition.' Must take it back to simmer with Spirit Medicine for a good tonic!"

"These throwing knives, one Yin, one Yang—now the Yang Qi is excessive, Yin Qi weak, a classic case of 'Yin-Yang disharmony, marital discord.' Must take them back to Purple Bamboo Peak for separate rooms... no, separate sheaths for quiet recuperation to harmonize Yin and Yang!"

She spoke rapidly, her hands moving even faster. Wherever she went, not a single piece of metal was left behind. Not only the "sick" weapons but also some scattered Artifact Refining Materials, tools dropped by the Disciples, and even a few high-quality Hematite Ores embedded in nearby rock crevices were spotted by her sharp eyes, pried out, and stuffed into the sack.

What was even more impressive was that as she whirled past Iron Ox, who was still stubbornly gripping his giant axe and 'wrestling' with it, her small hand naturally brushed against the bulging Storage Pouch at his waist—

Iron Ox only felt a sudden lightness at his waist. Looking down, he saw that his securely tied Storage Pouch had vanished without a trace! Lin Waner had already darted several yards away and casually tossed his Storage Pouch into that seemingly bottomless large sack. The entire process was smooth and natural, as effortless as picking an apple from one's own table.

"My Storage Pouch!!" Iron Ox froze for a moment before letting out a heart-wrenching cry of despair. Inside were the precious Materials he had accumulated over the years, his private forging notes, and several meticulously crafted semi-finished Spiritual Artifacts! "Little thief! Give it back!"

Iron Ox's eyes turned bloodshot. Ignoring the strange state of the giant axe in his hands, he roared and lunged toward Lin Waner.

However, the moment he took a step, Su Ye, who had been standing with his hands behind his back as if merely supervising the 'treatment process,' cast a faint glance in his direction.

That gaze was calm and unrippled.

But in Iron Ox's perception, it was as if he saw boundless darkness sweeping in, stars collapsing, and all things falling into silence. An irresistible sense of devouring and annihilation, originating from the depths of his Soul, instantly seized his heart and froze his Divine Soul!

The terrifying deterrence of the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art! Even if it was just a wisp of intent, one part in a hundred million!

Iron Ox felt as if struck by lightning; even his Nascent Soul trembled. His Spiritual Qi instantly stagnated, and his blood nearly froze. He remained in his lunging posture, frozen in place like a statue, unable to move even a finger. Only his eyes were filled with boundless fear. It was a power beyond his comprehension, as if one more glance would make him vanish from this world entirely.

Su Ye withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at him, as if he had merely shooed away a buzzing fly.

Meanwhile, Lin Waner and Lin Qianxue had efficiently completed the 'preliminary screening and patient containment work' in this area.

"Senior Brother, done!" Lin Waner patted the bulging sack, which emitted a dull metallic clinking sound, her small face flushed with excitement.

Lin Qianxue also nodded; four Spiritual Artifacts with impressive auras had been added to her sword case.

Su Ye nodded in satisfaction, and the folding fan reappeared in his hand, gently waving.

"Let's go. The critically ill patients are all up there. We mustn't delay their treatment."

With that, he ignored the disheartened Divine Weapon Peak Disciples who had lost their weapons and the frozen Iron Ox, who was glaring furiously but unable to move. He leisurely led his two Junior Sisters toward the square where the giant furnace was located halfway up the mountain.

Along the way, several waves of Disciples rushed over to block them upon hearing the news. But under Su Ye's invisible Supreme pressure and the terrifying deterrence of the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art, they often found their weapons 'betraying' them before they could even get close, and they themselves stood frozen as if trapped in a nightmare. Occasionally, some with fiery tempers tried to attack directly, but Lin Qianxue's sword didn't even fully leave its sheath; relying solely on Sword Qi and extreme cold, she temporarily 'frozen and rested' both the person and their weapon.

Thus, the three of them advanced as if entering an unguarded territory, unimpeded all the way to the core area of Divine Weapon Peak—the vast square in front of the Divine Weapon Hall.

---

The square was paved with a heat-resistant black mysterious stone, incredibly spacious, capable of accommodating ten thousand people. At that moment, hundreds of Disciples were busy in different forging areas, with furnaces standing like forests, bellows wheezing, hammers thundering, and waves of heat rolling.

In the very center of the square stood a colossal furnace as towering as a small hill—the symbol of Divine Weapon Peak and a famous Artifact Refining treasure of Taichu Holy Land: the earth core fire essence furnace!

The furnace was a hundred zhang tall, entirely cast from an unknown dark red metal, naturally inscribed with countless flame Dao patterns that flickered like breathing. The furnace mouth resembled a volcanic crater, spewing terrifying flames of blazing white with golden glints—purified Earth Core Fire Essence refined by Formations, with temperatures high enough to instantly vaporize ordinary metals and stones. The furnace body had eighty-one observation ports, from which the roiling golden-red light of the internal magma-like substance shone through.

The dense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi had almost formed tangible red mist, spreading across the entire square. The air distorted from the high heat, making distant scenes appear slightly wavering.

However,

This enduring heat and clamor, which had persisted for who knows how many years, came to an eerie standstill the moment Su Ye set foot on the square.

Su Ye stood at the entrance of the square, hands behind his back, his white robes gently fluttering in the hot wind. He looked up at the towering earth core fire essence furnace, then swept his gaze around the dazzling array of weapons and semi-finished products glowing with spiritual light on the square. Finally, he shook his head regretfully.

"Too hot, too hot." His voice wasn't loud, yet it strangely pierced through the noisy forging sounds, clearly reaching the ears of every nearby Disciple.

A look of compassion for the world appeared on his face, as if witnessing a human tragedy:

"Alas! How tragic! Every weapon here is suffering in the fierce flames, weeping under the high temperatures! Their spirituality is scorched, their Origin consumed, like placing fresh flowers in raging fire or throwing fine jade into molten lava!"

Su Ye spread his arms, his tone growing even more sorrowful:

"They yearn for coolness, for tranquility, for an environment where spirituality can grow freely, untainted by violent fire Qi! They yearn... for the embrace of Purple Bamboo Peak, with its babbling spiritual springs and swaying bamboo shadows!"

These words were spoken with such sincerity that, if one didn't know the context, one might truly think he was the president of a weapon protection association making a personal visit.

At that moment, Su Ye silently recited in his heart:

"System, perform a deep scan of this square, with a focus on marking the 'patients' with the highest value, greatest potential, or most unique qualities."

[Ding! Detecting that the Host is actively fulfilling 'resource optimization allocation and social responsibility,' the System is deeply gratified. Scanning function fully activated.]

[Scanning...]

[Ten o'clock direction to the left front, distance one hundred fifty zhang, third layer of the black mysterious iron weapon rack, that spear with a dark red body coiled with dragon patterns: Name 'Fire Dragon Spear,' rank Heaven Rank Low Grade (damaged). Originally the life-bound divine weapon of a fire-attribute war general, its artifact spirit is dormant, and its fire source core has cracks, causing violent Spiritual Qi leakage and presenting a 'high fever' illusion. Can restore to Heaven Rank Low Grade power after core repair. Value assessment: Extremely high.]

[Straight ahead, inside the earth core fire essence furnace, within the core melting pool, a sword embryo is being nurtured using seventy-two Materials including Thousand-Year Flame Heart Iron, Star Sand, and Li Fire Essence Gold. The sword embryo hasn't yet taken shape but has already developed initial spirituality. Its core incorporates a trace of rare 'Space Crystal Dust,' giving it the potential to grow into a holy weapon with spatial attributes. Current state: Critical nurturing period, fire intensity too strong, risk of 'premature birth' damaging potential. Value assessment: Supreme.]

[Right area, distance eighty zhang, discarded Materials Storage area, that palm-sized, irregular-edged black-gray metal piece covered in furnace ash on the surface. Upon scanning, it retains an extremely ancient, extremely domineering aura of slaughter and destruction Laws. It is a fragment of a weapon used by an ancient deity or demon. After endless years, the Laws are nearly worn away, but the fragment's material itself exceeds the current world's understanding and contains a barely detectable trace of artifact Dao Origin Law. For Artifact Refiners, it is a Supreme treasure. Value assessment: Special, immeasurable value to specific groups.]

The System's prompts were clear and rapid.

Su Ye's eyes lit up slightly.

A Heaven Rank Spiritual Artifact (though damaged)! A sword embryo with holy weapon potential! A fragment of an ancient deity-demon weapon!

Good, very good! This 'free clinic' trip was indeed the right decision!

"Waner," Su Ye's expression unchanged, he transmitted a message secretly.

"Here, Senior Brother!" Lin Waner immediately perked up.

"See that largest mysterious iron weapon rack to the left front? Go, 'invite' that red spear on the third layer, along with any 'fellow patients' above, below, left, or right that catch your eye, back to Purple Bamboo Peak for 'hospitalization.' Remember, be quick, look cool, and diagnose professionally."

"Understood!" The green light in Lin Waner's eyes grew brighter as she tightened her grip on the sack and the mysterious iron shovel.

"Shallow Snow."

"Senior Brother." Lin Qianxue responded.

"Can you sense it? Inside the furnace, a sword is calling." Su Ye pointed at the earth core fire essence furnace. "It's in pain, the fire Qi is too intense, it's about to be 'burned out.' Go, 'rescue' it. Use your Ice Spirit Qi to cool it down and stabilize its spirituality."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qianxue's delicate body trembled slightly. In truth, the moment she entered the square, her sword heart had been faintly drawn to something in the furnace, but she hadn't dared to be sure. Now, with Su Ye's confirmation, an astonishing brilliance instantly burst in her eyes—a Sword Cultivator's instinctive desire for a peerless sword.

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

"Go ahead. Be careful; that furnace fire is a bit hot." Su Ye gently reminded, as if truly sending his Junior Sister to aid the wounded.

"Okay, Senior Brother!"

With their orders, the two girls immediately dashed toward their respective 'patients' like unleashed... ahem, like dutiful medical practitioners.

Lin Waner was now fully in the zone. First, she pulled out a crumpled Talisman from her Storage Pouch that emitted profound spatial fluctuations—this was the 'Restriction-Breaking Talisman (Trial Version)' Su Ye had slipped her before departure, said to have been obtained by Revered Master Yun Yuzhen during her early travels to some ancient ruins, capable of temporarily disrupting and shielding most non-attack Formations and Restrictions.

She crouched low, using the various forging furnaces and Material piles on the square as cover, quickly approaching the heavily guarded mysterious iron weapon rack shimmering with Formation light. The guarding Disciples were nervously watching Su Ye's direction, completely unaware of what was happening at their feet.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Waner stuck the Restriction-Breaking Talisman onto the Formation light screen.

A soft 'pop' sounded, like a bubble bursting. The protective light screen, capable of withstanding the full-force assault of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, flickered a few times like a punctured soap bubble and quietly dissipated.

"Oh my, how did this protective shield break on its own? The quality is really poor!" Lin Waner exclaimed softly, her voice just loud enough for nearby Disciples to hear. Simultaneously, she deftly opened the mouth of the sack and aimed it at the weapon rack—

Not taking items one by one, but directly lifting the entire rack along with its contents. Using her strength (and employing Spiritual Qi), she gave a low shout: "Up!"

The mysterious iron weapon rack, a full zhang tall and incredibly heavy, along with the twenty to thirty displayed weapons—at least Spiritual Artifact-grade swords, spears, and halberds—was all 'loaded' into the sack by Lin Waner in one go! The spatial patterns on the sack's surface flashed urgently a few times before quickly calming down, though the sack looked even more bulging.

"Done!" Lin Waner clapped her hands, looking at the now-empty ground with satisfaction. "So many critically ill patients; they'll need special care wards." With that, she hoisted the sack onto her back, flashed away, and slipped toward another corner that seemed rich in collectibles.