Entering the Valley
Mucheng and Xueqin continued traveling, now with the new regime of practicing secondary jobs. Xueqin's knowledge about them was increasing day by day. For what he could see incrementing the initial ranks in any job was quite easy and fast. Stepping in the first rank was simply as learn to do job and advancing to the 4th rank was about learning different techniques and designs and master them.
Following Mucheng's words "The true worth is only seen at the 5th rank. That when you can call yourself worthy of the profession." It was also the best rank to start forging a Battle Armor, nothing less would create a costly garbage.
It did not even take a month for Xueqin to become a rank-1 Designer. His learning ability and memory were top-notch thanks to his high spiritual power, making very simple to learn the necessary concepts and drawing them out in his mind. He even instantly reached the peak, being able to already design some mecha parts.
For the Manufacturer, it took him exactly a month to reach rank-1. This was more about acquiring familiarity with the techniques of carving and tools than nothing else as his precision was already up to it. While he wouldn't be able to carve complex soul circuits, he would be able to shape the mecha parts, making them ready to carve.
With that two reaching rank-1, Mechanic could be considered also having reached. It's only at rank-3 when it learned to repair damaged parts.
However, the problem continued being the Blacksmith. Mucheng, continued negating to help. He only silently observed how Xueqin hit the metal and at the end of the time, he would repair the metal leaving like before. For himself, Xueqin was becoming more familiar with the metal, being able to control its color at least with the first hits, but the laters... Let's say that he had a long path ahead of him.
"We are close to arriving" After two months of travel, Mucheng finally said.
"You will tell me where are we going now?" Xueqin asked with a mix anger and curiosity.
Mucheng pointed at the distance. Xueqin focused his eyes squinching them towards that direction. We could see what seemed to be the peak of two mountains, one white and another black. "Are we going to climb a mountain now?"
Mucheng shook his head "You already had listened about the Sword God, no?"
Xueqin nodded "The Angel Goddess's lover and the one that reached the peak of the sword, controlling all kind of intents."
"Like the Angel Goddess let her legacy as the Dawn Church, like the Sea God created the Tang Sect or like Ning Maya and Huo Yuhao founded the Spirit Pagoda, the Sword God also let part of his legacy behind. We are going to his place the Sword Valley."
"I never listened about it. It's such an important place?" asked curiously Xueqin.
"What would you know? You didn't even go to the primary academy" Mucheng answered "It's considered the holy land of swordmasters, every strong swordmaster surging from it. You remember when I explained about the continent forces?"
Xueqin nodded "The Federation, the Tang Sect, the Spirit Pagoda and the Dawn Church."
"The Sword Valley could be considered a fifth force. However, it's not an organization, it's a place for training and evolves where only the strength of the sword arts matters. So it would never directly attack other powers, but as individuals, the members of the Sword Valley usually decided to join one of the other organizations. Every swordmaster that left the Valley very sought for any force." Mucheng explained.
Xueqin's eyes shined "So we will go to train my sword art?"
"And much more. It has a peculiar way to work so I will explain it as we reach it" Mucheng said.
(Another later!) Xueqin lowered his face pissed.
As they were approaching, Xueqin could recognize better what the mountain peaks were. They were giant swords! Xueqin could recognize that the peaks were in truth the pommels of giant's sword, he now being able to see long guards extending from the grip.
They climbed a little hill, being able to see a big plain "This is Sword City" Mucheng said looking at the city in front of him with a strange face.
Xueqin made a strange face. In front of them, expanded a normal looking city, it was much different than he expected. It was really similar to his birth city, Greenground City. It even had big orchards around it.
Over 50 kilometers away from the city, a great number of giant different colored swords like mountains surged from the ground. Some pierced over the ground and other the tips surging from it. It was certainly spectacular and awe-inspiring, even when it truly lacked any kind of aura, but the normal city broke that image.
"I don't know, but I think of myself as wronged. I expected something more dangerous. This seemed like a normal city." Xueqin confessed his feelings.
"This can't be considered part of the Valley" Mucheng told "The Sword Valley had over 20.000 years of history. In these years it had evolved and changed countless of times. Nowadays, becoming at it peak of popularity and strength. Sword City is a place of rest and is in charge to send the essential supplies to Sword City, like food and first need necessities."
Mucheng started walking "Let's go, our objective is ahead."
Xueqin followed him, but the emotion that he had was greatly dismissed. Such a peaceful and normal city how could it be important? It was nothing compared to the enormous Shrek City and the powerful Spirit Pagoda.
The passed away the city, approaching the different mountains "It's sure a peculiar view, but it seems more like a tourism attraction" Xueqin said observing the closing mountains.
Mucheng sighed shooking his head "Say the same after 10 seconds" He continued walking.
"10 seconds? What are you referring" Xueqin followed Mucheng "I don't sense anything fro-" "Ag!" Xueqin fell to the ground over his knees. All his body was trembling, all his hairs standing, his eyes flicking with light madly, seemingly to burn.
Suddenly, a great pressure had fallen ver Xueqin, a thick sword aura filling over all the air, making it difficult to even breathe.
"Welcome to the Sword Valley" Mucheng said.
It was like he had stepped into another completely different world, the floor was all gray and seemed extremely hard. The sun and blue sky had disappeared, being replaced with a different colored sky that twisted in itself, the colors always flowing.
Xueqin's face paled, all his complaints about the place disappearing. This was truly a legendary place!
"Calm down, sat down and breathe" Mucheng ordered "It's normal for the first time to have such a reaction to it."
Xueqin gritted his teeth, with difficulty slowly crawling, sitting down on the ground. He looked at Mucheng "You could have warned about it!" He focused on himself. Over his eyes, different flashes of light were continuously flickering, making him want to vomit, forcing him to close his eyes.
"After some time, you would get used to it. So don't worry." Mucheng said as he stood guard over Xueqin.
Xueqin felt as his body was about to burst open, his eyes about to burn. His bones were cracking under such pressure. It was like endless torture. "How can I get used to this!?" he shouted angrily
It took over 10 hours for the pain to finally to lessen until it disappeared. Finally, Xueqin was able to stand up by his own feet. Strangely, even if his body was all sore, he was actually fine. After getting used to it, he found the air of this place kind of comfortable. In a second, his perspective of the place made a turn of 180º, changing from hell to heaven.
He breathed loudly and found his spirit soul trembling in joy, like it liked the place very much. "Strange" said Xueqin.
Mucheng was looking at him with a difficult face, trying to hide his surprise. Once people enter the Sword Valley's domain, it's normal to take some time to get used. The pain was incredible intense and long for two kinds of people. The first kind was completely untalented by the swords, that hated by the sword would be attacked by the sword aura of the air, even having their life at risk. The other group was the extremely talented by the sword, that loved by it. Like they said pain and love can hurt alike. The greatest pain caused usually by love.
Xueqin clearly being from the latter group. Mucheng himself had a strong reaction the first time that he entered, a pain subsisting over 6 hours. Xueqin had endured close to double, he truly was loved by swords. There was also...
"Are your eyes in pain?" Mucheng asked, seeing even blood surging from it. Xueqin's eyes seemed especially sensitive to the sword aura.
"Yes" Xueqin said panting "They had gone mad when stepping, I see flashes of light from everywhere, like shining spots surrounding the ground and air, they are especially bright at the mountains. It's like seeing directly at the sun."
Mucheng lifted an eyebrow (This boy being the descendant of the Angel Goddess and the Sword God is becoming incredibly difficult to negate. First, the Seraphim and then that talent for the swords, now adding the same capacity of the Sword God, being able to see the sword quality as part of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda inheritance).
"Take it" Mucheng threw towards Xueqin some glasses. They had thick lenses and were black in color.
Xueqin wore it with doubt. His sight wasn't greatly affected, but the shining auras disappeared "Yu had already prepared for this" Xueqin said with astonishment "Thanks, master."
(Exactly the same as Xiaoran) Mucheng sighed "Don't depend too much in them. You should slowly get used and learn to control it. It would be good for your future and wearing those glasses would affect your sight. Even if it seems little now, as you improve, the negative effect would become more apparent."
Xueqin nodded.
"Let's go. We will rest in the city today, tomorrow we will go to the trial" Mucheng told him.
"Trial?" Just as Mucheng was about to say something "I will find it when I arrive. The same as always."
Mucheng rolled his eyes "Be wary of this place, while the security here is more or less controllable. There are a lot of battle junkies that would try to pick up a fight."
Then, they walked towards a little city at the feet of the mountains.