Chapter 162: Chapter 161: Learning Refining

After Jingsheng left, Li Jain first tried to explain the theory of craftsmanship to Jingxuan.

He took out a simple blank sword mold, a few pieces of low-grade spirit iron, a bowl of prepared refining liquid, and several small tools. Then he placed them in order on the table so Jingxuan could see everything clearly.

"Refining is not as simple as melting metal and shaping it into a weapon. A weapon that can be used by cultivators needs three things. These things are: a stable material body, a proper energy flow, and a structure that can hold spiritual force."

Jingxuan nodded seriously.

Li Jain looked at him: "Do you understand? Would you like to take notes?"

Jingxuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I’m OK, let’s not make this like a real school ok? It makes my head hurt."

Li Jain laughed: "Ok, forget about the book."

Li Jain continued: "For a beginner, the most important part is not making the weapon beautiful, but making sure the energy inside can move smoothly. If the spiritual energy is blocked in one part and too strong in another, the sword will crack when used."

Li Jingxuan nodded seriously, as if he understood.

"Why will it crack?" Li Jain suddenly asked.

He wasn’t trying to make things difficult for Xuan, but if the kid wasn’t understanding what he was teaching, then he would just be wasting both of their time.

Li Jingxuan’s eyes became blank: "Because... Because the sword is not strong enough?"

Li Jain was silent for a moment: "That’s not bad. But the correct answer is the imbalance of energy. Whether you’re a Refiner, Talisman Master, Inscription Master, or Formations Master. It’s important to always maintain the balance of energy, otherwise your product won’t last long."

Li Jingxuan nodded: "Yes, Father."

Li Jain continued explaining from the beginning, but after a while, he realized that Jingxuan was not absorbing the theory fast enough. The child did not lack intelligence, but he was clearly not the type to understand refining only by listening to only explanations.

It would be better if he saw the process, thinking of this, Li Jain stood up: "Do you think it’ll help if I show you what I mean by refining a low grade weapon?"

Li Jingxuan’s eyes immediately brightened. "Father is going to refine now? I want to see!"

And so Li Jain decided to do practical teaching. He took a piece of low-grade spirit iron and placed it into the small furnace. The flame rose under his control.

The metal slowly reddened, then softened, and under the pressure of Li Jain’s spiritual energy, its impurities began to separate, dark specks floating out of molten.

Jingxuan leaned closer watching every step.

"Look carefully. This is the first step, removing impurities. If the impurities remain, it will be harder to take shape. And even though the sword may look complete, its inside will be unstable."

The dark specks gathered at the edge of the metal and were swept away by a thin thread of flame. Li Jain then added a small amount of Clear Vein Sand and Soft Spirit Ash.

"These are supporting materials." He explained: "Clear Vein Sand helps the spiritual energy pass through the sword body smoothly. Soft Spirit Ash makes the metal easier to shape at a lower temperature, so the material will not become brittle. There are other materials you can use as a substitute but these are the most simple."

Jingxuan nodded hard, afraid he would forget. Although Li Jingxuan doesn’t trust his brain, he has a lot of trust in his eyes-memories. He was sure that he would remember these steps, or most of the steps.

Li Jain smiled and continued.

The softened metal stretched under his spiritual force, gradually forming the shape of a short sword. It was not fancy. The blade was slim, the edge was neat, and the handle was simple. After that, Li Jain dipped the unfinished sword into the refining liquid, and steam rose with a sharp hiss.

"This is quenching," Li Jain said. "If the heat is too strong, the sword will crack. If it is too weak, the shape will not settle properly. When you refine, do not only look with your eyes. Feel the change in the material."

Jingxuan frowned in concentration. "Feel it?"

"Yes. Every material has a temper. Fire iron is violent. Water silver is soft. Spirit copper is steady. If you force all materials the same way, you will ruin most of them."

Jingxuan seemed to understand a little more this time.

Li Jain then drew a simple stabilizing pattern along the sword with his finger, guiding a thin layer of spiritual energy into the blade.

A faint glow passed over the sword. When the light faded, a simple Grade Zero, Level One sword lay in Li Jain’s hand.

It was not an impressive weapon to a master, but for a beginner challenge, it was already more than enough.

Jingxuan stared at it with wide eyes: "Father made it look so easy."

Li Jain handed him the sword. "That is because I have practiced for many years."

Jingxuan held the sword carefully. It was light, but not fragile. The energy inside was faint, yet smooth enough that even he could feel the difference between this and an ordinary iron sword.

"I thought you were going to hammer it." Li Jingxuan said puzzledly.

Li Jain explained: "This is a spirit sword, hammering is not necessary. But if you find it difficult to shape the weapon with your spiritual energy, then hammering is another option."

"Do you want to try?"

Jingxuan immediately became nervous. "Right now?"

"Yes. Don’t be afraid, I will guide you."

Li Zhang came in from the doorway and sat down to watch the fun. Li Cheng followed him in, although his expression was serious, his eyes still carried a little curiosity.

Li Jingxuan took a deep breath and placed his material into the furnace.

At first, he looked confident. Then the metal refused to melt evenly.

Li Jain guided him patiently: "Do not push all your spiritual energy into one point. Spread it slowly."

"Got it."

Jingxuan tried again, the spirit iron softened, but one side became too hot and began to darken.

"Lower the fire."

"How much?"

"Half, the current intensity of the flame."

Jingxuan lowered it but it was too much, the metal immediately began hardening again.

Li Zhang clutched his stomach with laughter. "Xuan Xuan, are you refining a sword or cooking chicken?"

Jingxuan glared at him but didn’t dare to take his attention away from the furnace.

"Zhang’er, don’t distract your brother."

"Yes, father."

With Li Jain guiding him step by step, Jingxuan finally managed to soften the material properly. He removed some impurities, though not all of them, and added the supporting materials.

When it was time to shape the sword, his first attempt made the blade crooked.

Li Jingxuan stared at it in horror: "Why does it look like this?"

Li Jain said gently: "Because your force was uneven."

"I don’t know how to fix it."

"Do the best you can. This stage is always the hardest."

Li Jingxuan adjusted it as best he could, then quenched it. When the blade touched the refining liquid, it hissed loudly, and a small crack appeared near the lower edge.

Jingxuan’s face fell.

Li Jain inspected it and said, "The quenching was too sudden. But it did not break completely, so it still counts as progress."

Jingxuan looked embarrassed: "I wanted it to be like yours."

"Your first attempt came out better than most people. At least you didn’t get injured."

Li Zhang nodded solemnly: "Yes. Not injuring anyone is very important."

Jingxuan turned to him angrily: "Why are you still here?"

Li Zhang smiled: "To support you."

"You came to laugh at me."

Li Zhang didn’t deny it. Li Jingxuan was too tired to argue with him.

By the time he finished the stabilizing pattern, the sword in front of him could barely be considered a Grade Zero, Level One sword. Its shape was uneven, the spiritual energy inside moved in an awkward path, and the crack near the lower blade looked very noticeable.

But it was still a sword he had refined with his own hands.

Jingxuan picked it up and looked at it for a long time. His expression gradually changed from disappointment to a strange kind of pride.

Among his brothers, he can be considered the second period who has a skill apart from his cultivation path.

"You did a great job." Li Cheng said encouragingly.

Li Jingxuan immediately raised the crooked sword: "Do you want to test it?"

Li Cheng moved away quickly: "No need. I believe in you."

This made Li Zhang laugh so hard.

It was already late in the evening. Li Jain looked at the time and realized dinner had to be prepared.

He patted Jingxuan’s head and said, "Take a break first. You’ve done enough for now. We will try the hammering method tomorrow."

Li Jingxuan looked at the sword, inspecting every angle. It was ugly and he knew he wouldn’t be able to win with this. Even so, he still did not want to sweep the campus for a week.

Hopefully, the next sword could be better.