Chapter Fifty: The Return of All Laws

  Ding——

  Ding——

  As the hammer struck, Lu Qing suddenly froze, and in his eyes, the old man's bronze hammer seemed to transform into a sword that pierced through the heavens, striking the black iron ore with each blow. However, this sword was strange - when it fell, it was as heavy as a giant sword descending from the sky, its power unforgettable, yet when it landed, it seemed as light as a feathered sword woven from bird feathers, gentle as a floating cloud.

  This large hammer, as if it had become a long sword in the hand of an extraordinary swordsman, swung freely with yin and yang complementing each other, evolving into countless profound and mysterious moves. On its surface, a faintly hot and majestic sword intent gradually spread out, the sword intent was vast and mighty, even stirring up a faint breeze indoors.

  But Lu Qing has now successfully refined his innate nature, and whether it's his spiritual will or his sword yuan Shen consciousness, they have all undergone a transformation. As for this sword intent, he can no longer bear it like before, but instead feels an enormous pressure emerging from his heart. However, with his current mental state being more focused, he is able to withstand it.

  But what shocked Lu Qing the most at this moment was not the sword's mighty and intimidating aura, but that this sword aura was actually emanating from this large hammer. The entire handle of the hammer was emitting an extremely sharp and piercing energy, and even if something were to approach it at this moment, Lu Qing believed it would be instantly torn to shreds.

  What hammer method? What sword meaning?

  Lu Qing was momentarily stunned, but he immediately thought of the family's traditional Da Yun 36 hammer swordsmanship, which had wind and thunder following each other, with hardness and softness complementing each other, and its power unmatched. Could it be that all hammer techniques in this world can be used as sword techniques?

  Under Lu Qing's gaze, the black iron ore under the old man's hammer changed color constantly, from its original dark gray to a deep, lustrous black, with a soft glow on top. This was because the impurities in the raw ore had been hammered out to almost nothing, yet the old man still didn't let up, his hammering continuing unabated. A strange rhythm floated out along with the sound of his hammering, and Lu Qing gradually sensed a flavor that was both yin and yang, perfectly rounded.

  In the end, the black iron ore on the furnace fire changed from its original fist size to an infant's fist size. The original dark color turned into a glossy ink-like appearance, and even the original mineral color disappeared without a trace.

  However, Lu Qing, who was well-versed in smelting and refining, knew that this was a symbol of the complete loss of impurities in the ore, and it had basically approached the origin of the material. It could even be used to forge swords that exceeded its own shaping ability. However, reaching such a level was extremely difficult, and even his father, Lu Yun, who had spent his entire life studying, and had even created a golden heavenly sword with his heart's blood, had not reached the old man's current level.

  This is a hidden and unobtrusive master, Lu Qing thought to himself. It's hard to imagine that in this declining corner of the city, there would be such an astonishing person, with sword intent and hammer methods that are all top-notch in the Zixia Sect region.

  "Did you understand?" The hammering sound stopped abruptly, and the old man threw the well-forged black iron into a slightly smaller wooden basket by the furnace with tongs. The furnace fire was still dark red, neither seeing it dimming nor suddenly surging, burning fiercely.

  With a thoughtful expression on his face, facing the old man's question, Lu Qing was stunned for a long time before frowning and saying: "I only understand a little bit, not even skin-deep."

  "Oh?" The old man raised an eyebrow, as if he had encountered something extremely interesting, and asked, "Then tell me, what is this thing that you have realized, which is not just superficial?"

  "This hammer technique seems like it can be transformed into a sword style and used."

  The old man suddenly let out a surprised cry, his eyes became sharp in an instant, and then became calm as water. He looked at Lu Qing deeply and said, "You're not bad, not bad."

  "These three days hammering iron with me, I hope you can really gain some insight."

  Then, for the next three days, Lu Qing began practicing ironwork with Ji Lao. Ji Lao somehow managed to get a black iron furnace and a yellow copper hammer of the same size. When Lu Qing held it in his hand, he felt that it was somewhat light, incomparable to the fifty-kilogram fine iron large hammer he had used before. The lack of weight made Lu Qing feel very uncomfortable, but the old man disagreed with giving Lu Qing a heavier hammer. Lu Qing had no choice but to use it as is.

  Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and without any feeling, they lost their trace. During the day, Lu Qing followed the old man to forge iron in the house. At first, Lu Qing used his years of accumulated hammering experience to temper, but was stopped by the old man, who instead had him follow his movements and exert his strength.

  At first, Lu Qing felt very awkward. Even though he tried to incorporate his mastery of swordsmanship into the hammer, following the old man's hammering trajectory still made him feel extremely strained, just like a child trying with all his might to lift a 100-jin boulder, unable to control where it would fall, and even in danger of being crushed by the falling boulder.

  However, Lu Qing himself was a man of unwavering determination, which could be seen from the fact that he had forged a sword for his father. Giving up halfway was something that did not exist for him, and this was also what he had learned from reading ancient books since childhood. A scholar should advance bravely like a torrent, with a strong will like a mountain, in order to have the strength to cut through thorns and brambles.

  This also made the old man who was practicing beside him nod secretly, and then he opened his mouth to point out his strength, footwork, posture, and mental changes, letting Lu Qing carefully comprehend the sword intent revealed in his hammering, and try to practice under the envelopment of this sword intent.

  As the sword intent spread out, Lu Qing felt that his hammer seemed to have become several hundred kilograms heavier in an instant, almost reaching the limit of what his physical body could withstand. This also made him understand the old man's intention at the time. It turned out that the old man had seen through his physical limits and therefore did not give him a heavier hammer. Now if he were given his original familiar iron great hammer, he would probably suffer severe injuries and have his tendons and bones broken in an instant.

  Even so, under the old man's sword intent, the air in the Sword Casting House seemed to solidify and press down on Lu Qing, making every step difficult. However, at this moment, Lu Qing's heart calmed down again. He felt as if he had returned to the Mingyue Pool behind the mountain of Chaoyang Peak, where the flying waterfalls cascaded down, bringing a tremendous force that pressed down on him. It was the same feeling, except that this sword intent added a kind of pressure on his soul.

  That was a test of the swordsman's willpower, but now it is impossible to shake Lu Qing's mind. Lu Qing finally calmed down in his heart, and the trajectory of the old man's big hammer also became much clearer at this moment.

  Three days later, Lu Qing felt that his entire body's aura had changed a lot. If he was previously just a swordsman who had just stepped into the second realm of the sword path, with his sword energy becoming stronger but his sharp sword aura still being only a temporary progress or a means to control his momentum, then now he was fully revealing a faint sword aura all over his body. It was indeed a sword aura, as if a newly forged and tempered sword, although it was young and tender, but it revealed a unique and refreshing quality that belonged to the sword alone.

  It was already the fourth morning, and the winter sunshine was particularly precious and warm. However, a few rays of sunlight struggled to pass through the eaves and walls, shining into the alley, adding a faint warmth to the cold alley.

  Inside the sword-casting house, two hammering sounds alternated, one was gentle and rhythmic, like the sound of spring rain dripping from the eaves, penetrating into people's hearts. The other was slightly immature, although it also had a subtle taste of harmony between gentleness and firmness, but seemed to lack something, the sound produced by the hammering was like the turbid wine flowing out of a wine pot, not pure.

  Suddenly, the two hammering sounds stopped at the same time. The old man's gaze was calm, yet revealed a subtle warmth that was not easily noticeable. "In these three days, your progress has exceeded my imagination. Although your innate talent is only slightly above average, your comprehension is one of the best in the world. This might also be due to your exceptionally strong spiritual awareness."

  After the three days, Lu Qing's temperament became even more refined and gentle. The sharp edges that were originally hidden on his body had completely disappeared, and at first glance, he looked like a elegant young master from a noble family with a soft and delicate temperament.

  "Thank you, senior, for the kindness of teaching me the sword. In the future, I will treat you as a teacher." Putting down the copper hammer in his hand, Lu Qing bowed to the old man with three bows. He had already understood many things and knew that the old man's hammer method was an extremely profound and exquisite sword technique. However, during the third bow, he was blocked by the old man's sword intent and could not bow any further.

  "Since you can come here, it's fate and heavenly destiny. You've learned my swordsmanship, which is also a testament to your extraordinary wisdom, so let's not mention it again."

  The old man paused for a moment and then said: "Now tell me, what have you gained from these three days of forging?"

  He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, and the faint glow in Lu Qing's eyes was stored. He raised his head and said: "Swordsmanship, hammer method, or all things in the world, are actually mutually evolving, I remember reading the ancient Taoist classic 'Tao Te Ching' which says that one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives birth to all things. It seems that all things in this world are complementary and can be combined into one."

  A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes again, the old man's gaze was distant, as if he had thought of something and was stunned for a long time. He then let out a light sigh and said: "Yes, the Heavenly Way gives rise to the Sword Way, and the Sword Way can also give rise to the Heavenly Way. One gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, transforming into all sorts of sword techniques. However, it can also return to its origin. A swordsman cultivates to the point where he merges with Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, and in the end, what he seeks is still four words: 'The Return of All Things to Their Origin'."

  All laws return to their origin!

  Lu Qing's mind was greatly shocked, as if a door full of light and warmth had opened before him. However, the strong light obscured his vision, making it impossible to see or determine the direction. His anxious heart didn't calm down until much later, but by then he was drenched in sweat and exhausted.