Outfitting the Sword

"Senior! Senior, please wait!"

Ming Yue called out to Mei Zhen but her words fell short. The senior of the Forge of 81 Fires rushed up to the highest floor where Zhang Guang stood, studying a plethora of silver colored gems that he laid out on a stone workbench..

"Try it."

Mei Zhen quickly unwrapped the sword and placed it on the workbench.

With tweezer in his hands, Zhang Guang worked quickly and skillfully, inserting one of the gems in before frowning and replacing it with another. However, all of the gems he chose were unsatisfactory and he went into deep thought.

"Really? None of them work?"

Mei Zhen looked at him incredulously, she did not expect such a thing.

"They do work but not perfectly."

"How can that be? It can't be that hard to find a core that fits. Are you sure none of them can do the job?"

"Hah, whose the expert here? There is a lot of intricacy when you insert gems into someone's personal sword. If it was the core of a tool then it wouldn't matter but this is different."

As the two spoke, Zhang Guang noticed Ming Yue waiting by the door. Noticing his eyes, Mei Zhen turned around as well.

"Ming Yue? When did you come here?" she asked.

"I... saw you leaving your store and running in here. I tried to call for you but you did not respond so I followed you."

Mei Zhen felt slightly embarassed that she ignored Ming Yue but explained her hastiness.

"Ah, I see. I was in a bit of a rush trying to get the sword outfitted with a gem. I had just finished altering it and went to get it done while the blade was still warm. Though it seems that my efforts were in vain."

Zhang Guang snorted at her remarks.

"You don't have to worry about that. New or old, It doesn't matter to me, I can still do good work. In any case, did you come to check on your sword?"

Ming Yue nodded, telling them that she had just come from the Wildwood Pavilion.

"Ah, checking on the Cheng Wei's work right? Heh, he always does good work. Well here is your sword."

Mei Zhen grabbed Drifting Sky by the hilt and gave to her.

Looking at it, there wasn't much difference. In fact, it was identical to before.

"The work of the Forgelord of Rong Lu City is impeccable. The ancient techniques he used really does make this blade incredible. You would be hardpressed to find a blacksmith that can work on it. Give it a try, in fact, try it on me but remember to cycle your energy through the blade."

Mei Zhen stood in front of Ming Yue, wielding her one handed monster of a hammer. She held up her arms and guarded herself, standing tall and towering over Ming Yue. She gave off a powerful aura, it was vigorous and dense. Flames rose from her body causing the room to rise in temperature.

Hei Yue immediately bared his fangs as Xiao Yin flew up, star energy began to gather at her claws. However, Ming Yue looked at the two, telling with her eyes to not make a move.

"Hey wait, this is my workshop!" Zhang Guang tried to stop them but he spoke too late.

Ming Yue took up the sword and power coursed through the sword. She used her first technique, "First Wind, Phantasmal Wind" and the blade was encased in a thin coating of sharp winds.

She stepped forward and disappeared from their eyes, reappearing at the blade met the head of Mei Zhen's hammer. Mei Zhen stood her ground but her eyes had widened in surprise as Ming Yue seemingly vanished and reappeared like a phantom. She held her ground against Ming Yue, not giving an inch.

A sharp ring followed by the grinding of metal was all that they heard before the Ming Yue backed off.

She looked at the sword in surprise and began inspecting closely, empowering the blade with more and more of her power.

"What a move!" Mei Zhen exclaimed, Zhang Guang was just as surprised.

"If your cultivation was higher, I would've had to exert a bit of strength."

Mei Zhen grinned before looking at Zhang Guang. Along with Cheng Wei, these three seniors were all at the Sky Realm though Cheng Wei was above them by a fair bit.

Ming Yue didn't hear those words as she was too entranced by her sword. What did Mei Zen do to it?

She found it strange that upon using her technique, the energy running through the blade had been amplified. The strength that she exerted had nearly doubled but the blade also drained much more of her energy.

"How did you do this?" asked Ming Yue.

She looked to Mei Zhen with both curiosity and surprise.

Mei Zhen's grin grew wider.

"That is the result of years of study from me and my peers. If you didn't already know, we three have specialized in different things. I focused on improving the flow of energy in weapons and armor. Zhang Guang here, focused on the gathering energies of gems and other physical manifestations. Senior Cheng studied the natural energies of flora."

Zhang Guang coughed and chimed in.

"We were formally in high positions as Division Heads and led the three largest departments. We more or less, towered over every other department heads. You know I-"

"Ahem, now isn't the time to listen to your tales. I still have to explain a few things."

Zhang Guang felt stifled as Mei Zhen no longer gave him a chance to speak.

Hooking her hammer onto her belt, Mei Zhen walked up to Ming Yue and held the sword in her hands.

"Considering the unique structure that this sword has, I had to take some measures to make sure that I wouldn't compromise any part of it. In simple words, I had bathed it in the natural energy of the world, tempering it and making it a better conduit for your energy. There were a hundred other little steps but that is the gist of it. You should have found it much easier to execute your techniqes and that the strength of them had increased."

Then she pointed at two little holes on either side of the blade. This must have been where Zhang Guang had been inserting his gems.

"Unfortunately, without filling these gem slots, this blade is still at the Peak Divine Grade. If it weren't for that, then this blade would have reached the Lower World Grade maybe even the Middle World Grade."

"I see."

Ming Yue looked at Drifting Sky, studying the little gem slots.

"You don't have to worry, I have many gems in reserve. I will find a pair that works, mark my words."

Zhang Guang looked prideful as he spoke those words, puffing out his mediocre chest.

"I cannot thank you enough for the help", Ming Yue bowed to the two seniors.

She did not think that they would be willing to do this much for her.

"Don't worry about that. Your journals have contributed a lot to us seniors and to the Dark Water Kingdom. Besides, you're the student of Shen Zhong, the High Assayer."

"Indeed! Cheng Wei kept secret of the Evergreen Heart's abilities but wth everything about cultivating plants and breeding them, he added it to the archives."

The two seniors showed their gratefulness and stopped her from bowing.

"Anyways, you should return to Cheng Wei. I'm sure that he is done now."

"Take the sword with you too. Zhang Guang here, will have to search through his inventory again."

Mei Zhen returned the sword to Ming Yue and suddenly remembered something rather important.

"I almost forgot! You can insert more than just your Quintessence Force now. It should be much more compatible with Mental Force, Soul Energy, and Heart Energy."

"What?" Ming Yue paused and turned around.

"Yes, while bathing the blade in the World's Energy had improved its conductivity it is also much easier to feed it different types of energy. What's wrong? Have you never tried?"

"No, I haven't."

Ming Yue's mind began to run with thoughts as something crossed her mind.

What would happen if she fueled her sword with Soul Energy?