Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Li Qing had smoothed and polished the forged long sword prototype, and its shape was now clearly recognizable as a sword.
The prolonged high-temperature forging had made the entire Mo Jin long sword extremely hot, reaching the perfect temperature for quenching.
It is worth mentioning that there are two methods of quenching: the most common is the water quenching method, while the other is the less common oil quenching method.
The former cools down quickly but requires repeated heating and quenching to enhance the weapon's rigidity. However, considering the difficulty of heating Mo Jin, Li Qing chose the oil quenching method, allowing him to complete the quenching of the entire Mo Jin long sword in one go.
He picked up the fire tongs and clamped the Mo Jin sword, which had been reheated in the furnace, slowly immersing one edge into the prepared cold oil.
Sizzle!
As soon as it touched the surface, the oil temperature began to rise slowly, and bubbles started to roll out.
Unlike the water quenching method, oil quenching does not produce visible steam; instead, there are only bubbles rising and popping.
After waiting for a moment, Li Qing lifted the Mo Jin sword again and began to quench the other edge.
The oil quenching method requires patience, as the cooling rate is relatively slow, necessitating repeated immersion of the edge.
After several immersions, as the Mo Jin sword's edges gradually cooled down, intricate wave-like patterns began to appear.
This unique manifestation occurs when Mo Jin cools in oil, with each wave pattern representing a quenching process.
Li Qing was like an old hunter in the mountains, extremely patient, treating this long sword as if it were a work of art.
At this point, both edges of the long sword had cooled, but the sword body in the middle remained scorching hot.
It was precisely this temperature difference that made the sword's edges harder and sharper.
Then, he submerged the entire long sword into the oil, and as the sword body was completely immersed, the overall temperature began to drop again.
After a long while, when the oil stopped bubbling, Li Qing finally pulled the sword out.
Drip! Drip!
The sword body glistened with a layer of oily sheen, and oil continuously dripped from the sword tip into the oil barrel.
"This Qinghong Sword must be among the top divine weapons in the entire martial world," Li Qing said, his gaze fixed on the nearly completed Qinghong Sword. He casually picked up a towel to wipe the oil off the sword body.
Once the oil layer was removed, the Qinghong Sword still gleamed with a dark luster, a result of the Mo Jin material itself.
Buzz!
Li Qing habitually flicked the sword body with his finger, producing a clear ringing sound.
A fine sword!
Next came the sharpening and the making of the sword handle. Due to the Mo Jin material, polishing the blade would undoubtedly be a time-consuming task.
Thus, Li Qing decided to make the sword handle first, allowing for a more comfortable grip while polishing.
He didn't need to ponder the style of the handle; he directly referenced the original Qinghong Sword's handle, only slightly changing the material.
The handle was made from a combination of rosewood and brass, which not only increased the comfort of the grip but also ensured the handle's sturdiness.
Li Qing focused intently as he slowly carved a whole piece of rosewood into the shape of the sword handle, leaving a groove at the junction with the long sword for the brass to merge with the sword.
His movements were meticulous, and when the entire Mo Jin sword body was embedded into the handle, it was as if he had completed a mortise and tenon joint.
The entire process was seamless, leaving no flaws!
The handle fit perfectly in his grip, and Li Qing was satisfied as he carved some patterns on it, identical to those on the original Qinghong Sword's handle.
"Ah, next I just need to polish and sharpen it," Li Qing sighed, feeling relieved. At this stage, the Qinghong Sword was infinitely close to completion.
As Li Qing had anticipated, polishing indeed turned out to be an extremely time-consuming task.
He spent a full thirteen days before finally completing the sharpening of the Qinghong Sword.
Buzz!
Li Qing held the handle with one hand, positioning the Qinghong Sword horizontally in front of him, the cold light from the blade flashing quickly from his eyes.
【Successfully forged a fine ordinary weapon: Qinghong Sword, reward: three years of lifespan!】 Three years!
Li Qing hurriedly glanced at his remaining lifespan, the number changing from 146 to 149!
Lifespan +3!
Considering the year spent in the Eternal Night World, he was now nearly nineteen years old, and his remaining lifespan had not only not decreased but had instead increased, with nearly one hundred fifty years left to live.
"All of this is thanks to my persistent efforts in weapon forging! Indeed, hard work changes one's life; this saying is truly not just empty words!"
A satisfied smile spread across Li Qing's face. Now, if he did nothing, he could live to nearly one hundred seventy years old.
Not to mention, even a pig living this long should have become a spirit by now!
One must know that a feudal dynasty can last for two to three hundred years, which is already quite remarkable.
To speak heretically, Li Qing felt that it was highly possible he might witness the decline of the Maple Kingdom.
Li Qing shook his head, adjusting his thoughts as he caressed the completed long sword, pondering:
"It seems that weapons forged from such special materials indeed hold a high evaluation. Even as a fine ordinary weapon, it directly increased my lifespan by three years."
Hmm, it seems that my choice of that piece of extraterrestrial meteorite was indeed correct.
Then, Li Qing held the sword in one hand and struck fiercely at a piece of armor in his shop.
Swish!
The sword light flashed by, even the shadow of the sword body was barely visible, and the armor was cleaved open with a neat and smooth crack.
Cutting through iron like mud, nothing more than this.
"Invincible! If this sword fell into the hands of a martial arts master, it would truly achieve unparalleled supremacy in the world!"
A divine weapon of unparalleled quality can greatly enhance a martial artist's capabilities, as evidenced by the armor that was just cut.
Days later, Qian Hong from Fengwei Gate finally received a response.
After waiting a whole month, the sword she desired was finally forged!
A wave of excitement surged within her, followed by disbelief, as she felt she might be dreaming.
Indeed, a divine weapon belonging to her; she had only ever dreamed of such a situation.
Without any hesitation, she hurried to Chiming Street at the fastest speed.
Upon seeing the open door of the blacksmith shop, Qian Hong's footsteps suddenly halted. She bit her lip and lightly stepped inside.
Before her stood a long, slender, jet-black sword glistening with light, presented without any concealment.
The handle was still the familiar style, with patterns identical to the original, but the cold light refracting from the blade made it clear, even without touching it, that this was undoubtedly a divine weapon, a divine weapon of unparalleled quality!
Logically, once martial arts cultivation reached the level of internal energy, trembling hands should be impossible.
However, as Qian Hong reached out to touch the handle, her hand trembled slightly, both excited and somewhat apprehensive.
Her hand seemed destined to wield a sword, long and delicate, with skin that, while not pale, displayed a healthy wheat color.
When this hand touched the sword handle, she felt as if she had been electrocuted, freezing in place.
After a long while, she finally tightened her slender fingers around the Qinghong Sword's rosewood handle.
"Good sword!"
The evening will bring another chapter~ Seeking recommendation votes!
(End of Chapter)