The elder held the Smoke Cloud Sky Steel, filled with countless cracks, with apparent disappointment.

Even the Second-grade Magical Treasure, famed for its perfect balance of lightweight flexibility and supreme hardness, the Smoke Cloud Sky Steel, couldn't withstand his hammering?

"State your purpose for coming here. Only people from the Xuanzhou Immortal Dynasty would know that I, Ouyang Bai, reside in this place," the elder's voice carried the distinct metallic timbre of hardened steel as if it had been hammered continuously, as blunt and direct as the hammer in his hand.

"I am a junior from the Taoist Sect, Liang Yi."

"I am a junior from the Taoist Sect, Su Youyi." Liang Yi's expression turned serious as he bowed respectfully. Su Youyi beside him mirrored the action, while Lord Orange remained indifferent.

"The Taoist Sect? Disciples of Chen Hua?" Ouyang Bai's eyebrows raised icily, and with a displeased snort, he gave Liang Yi and Su Youyi a discontented look.

"..." Liang Yi's mentality was about to explode upon hearing this. Was there anyone on the continent that his master hadn't provoked?

"What is that beast on your head?" Ouyang Bai turned his gaze to Lord Orange on Liang Yi's shoulder, or more precisely, its claws.

From those claws, he sensed an unparalleled hardness and sharpness as if the Laws themselves were solidified onto the claws.

"Who are you calling a thing, meow!" Lord Orange was furious. Why couldn't this old man speak properly?

"You selling those claws?" Ouyang Bai's interest was piqued, thinking that maybe he could continue the forging using these claws.

"I sell your mom, scram!" Lord Orange utterly lost his temper; this old man dared to ask if his claws were for sale – today, he would scratch that old face up no matter what!

"Lord Orange, Lord Orange, please calm down!" Liang Yi quickly played the peacemaker, waving a dried salted fish to soothe Lord Orange.

"Elder Ouyang, I've heard that you have an Immortal Sword embryo in your possession?" Liang Yi tentatively asked, trying to shift the topic of conversation.

Hearing her senior brother's words, Su Youyi looked at the white-browed elder in surprise. Wasn't it said that no one had been able to forge a First-grade Immortal Sword for tens of thousands of years?

"Hmm? You're rather well-informed, kid. Did Chen Hua tell you? He's the one who can't stop thinking about this sword embryo," Ouyang Bai spat disdainfully, drawing a bamboo chair towards himself and sitting down.

"So what? You're planning to take this sword embryo from me? Let me tell you, dream on!"

"Even Chen Hua begging and pleading wouldn't cut it, let alone you two juniors!"

Ouyang Bai sat with an air of arrogance, though seated, he looked down imperiously at Liang Yi and Su Youyi.

"No, no, Elder, you've got it wrong." Liang Yi smiled faintly; although this elder was from the Seventh Realm, his combat strength was tremendously terrifying, and his mastery of hammer techniques was indeed the best in the world.

"Our purpose here is to help you forge that Immortal Sword."

"Huh? Hahahaha!" Ouyang Bai was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter. He thought the young man would say something notable, but it turned out to be just an arrogant braggart; had Chen Hua gone senile to take on such a disciple, truly tarnishing his reputation in one fell swoop.

"Alright, alright, off with you. I'm in a good mood now, won't dwell on it with you juniors. When that beast is willing to sell its claws, come find me then; you can name your price."

Ouyang Bai waved them off listlessly, leaned back in the bamboo chair, and seemed ready to doze off.

"Elder, won't you reconsider? This could be your only chance," Liang Yi stood his ground unmoved, his face revealing a mysterious smile.

"Are you annoying or what, do you really have to make me..."

Ouyang Bai opened his eyes, impatient and ready to throw them out directly, but he was struck dumb the moment he saw the object in Liang Yi's hand.

"It's Freewheeling Marvelous Iron!?"

Ouyang Bai abruptly stood up, his expression ecstatic as he covered the distance in a few strides to stand before Liang Yi, gazing at the piece of celestial iron he had long dreamt of.

"Do you actually recognize it?" Liang Yi was surprised. Logically, this item should not have appeared before. How did Senior Ouyang Bai recognize it?

"Never underestimate a swordsmith's zeal for materials. Any immortal material that exists in this world, even if I have never seen or heard of it before, I will recognize it the moment I lay eyes on it." Ouyang Bai pointed proudly at his own brain, which was actually a kind of Law.

He could have used this Law to directly break through to the Seventh Realm, but he didn't want to. He wanted to reach the Eighth Realm on the strength of the Forging Law.

"What a pity... there's only this one type." Ouyang Bai excitedly toyed with the metal for a while before, somewhat despondently, handing the Freewheeling Marvelous Iron back to Liang Yi.

"If there had been no hope from the outset, I wouldn't feel so dejected. But now, given a glimmer of hope, the despair hidden behind that hope truly makes one uncomfortable."

"The Immortal Sword I wish to forge should not pale in comparison to any other, and should even surpass them, which means it requires a variety of celestial materials. Just one piece of Freewheeling Marvelous Iron is far from enough."

"May I know what materials Senior needs specifically?" Liang Yi's voice came from behind him.

Su Youyi suddenly remembered the immortal materials for refining that her senior brother had collected before, and as if figuring something out, she looked at her senior brother, her mouth covered in shock.

Could it be that her senior brother already knew...

"Besides Freewheeling Marvelous Iron, I also need Green Embroidery Cloud Stone, Untethered Secret Jade, and Moonlifting Celestial Silk, among other items. I have a fair stockpile from my travels over the years."

Ouyang Bai turned his back to Liang Yi, his voice laden with sorrow as he listed the materials, because many of them did not belong to this epoch at all.

He had ventured through countless Secret Realms in the hope of getting lucky, but luck always seemed to elude him.

"Sigh, keep the Freewheeling Marvelous Iron safe. If you want to forge other Magical Treasures, you can come find me."

"Is Senior giving up just like that?"

"What else can I do if I don't give up?" Ouyang Bai felt a profound sense of desolation in his heart. Nothing saddens a swordsmith more than possessing skill yet lacking materials.

"Could Senior take a look at these for me?"

At his request, Ouyang Bai turned around, curious to see what the youngster had brought out this time...

Four beams of light floated in front of Liang Yi, each encapsulating an item.

As Ouyang Bai examined each one, his eyes grew wider and wider, until they were as big as copper bells.

"These... these... where did you obtain these items from?" Ouyang Bai was so excited that he even started to stutter.

"These were collected occasionally during my junior's adventures. Please have a look, Senior Ouyang, and see if these items are of any use?" Liang Yi maintained his usual graceful demeanor, but to Ouyang Bai at this moment, it struck a completely different chord.

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