Su Xin and others stood at the entrance of the weapons shop for a while,waiting for Nie Fang to completely finish forging the sword blank in his hand before they entered.
Seeing Tao Qian,Nie Fang casually said,"Old Tao,didn't your martial arts school just order a batch of weapons from me last time?Why do you need more now?"
Tao Qian shook his head and said,"It's not me who's looking for you;it's Young Master Meng here."
Su Xin cupped his hands and said,"I am Meng Qingze.Nice to meet you,Brother Nie."
"Meng Qingze?"Nie Fang frowned.While he had heard of Meng Qingze's reputation,they had no direct connection.Why would Meng Qingze seek him out?
"I wonder what business Young Master Meng has with me?"Nie Fang also nodded politely towards Su Xin.
Su Xin smiled and said,"It's simple.I would like to invite Brother Nie to join Miss Yan's side.In the future,Miss Yan can provide all the materials you need for refining."
Upon hearing this,Nie Fang's tone became less polite.He directly said,"Sorry,I'm just a blacksmith.I just want to forge iron well.I don't want to get involved in the intrigues of the business city.Please leave,Young Master Meng."
Su Xin said in a deep voice,"Brother Nie,this is not something you can choose to get involved in or not.With your strength,you are already a prominent figure in this Business Mountain City.In the future,you will have to choose sides,and you can't avoid it."
Nie Fang sneered,"Let's talk about the future when it comes.For now,I don't stand with anyone."
"Then,I'm sorry,but I can only resort to some extreme methods,"Su Xin said calmly.
"What do you want?"Nie Fang asked.
Su Xin pointed at the weapons shop and said,"If you don't agree,I'll stand here and not leave.I'll scare away one customer each time someone comes.You must believe that I have the power to do this."
"Meng Qingze!You're shameless!"Nie Fang's face turned red with anger.
As a preternatural martial artist and a renowned figure,Su Xin indeed had the ability to carry out such threats.If he did so,Nie Fang's weapons shop would have a hard time staying open.
Tao Qian and Fang Hao behind Su Xin stared at him in astonishment.They didn't expect him to resort to such a despicable tactic.Wasn't it a bit too low?
Su Xin said,"Brother Nie,I'm already being polite.In the martial world,there are means far more shameless than this.Besides,rankings are based on strength,not character.The fourth-ranked'Fire Domain Demon God,'Yan Na Luo,once slaughtered tens of thousands of people in the Western Region,and he still ranked in the top ten.Although I am not a demon,I never claimed to be a noble knight.My master did some shameless things too,like forcibly marrying someone.As his disciple,occasionally acting shamelessly should be fine."
Nie Fang couldn't find words to respond.Su Xin had made it clear that he was shameless,so what could he do?
Suddenly,Su Xin proposed a bet,"Brother Nie,I don't want to force you too much.Let's make a bet.We'll have a duel here.If you can make me move even half a step within ten moves,I'll leave.If not,you agree to join Miss Yan.What do you think?"
Calculating the strengths of both sides in his mind,Nie Fang knew Su Xin was powerful.Even Zhang Guang and the others combined might not be a match for Su Xin.However,the bet wasn't about defeating Su Xin;it was about forcing him to move half a step within ten moves,a challenge Nie Fang believed he could achieve.
"Fine,I accept this bet,"Nie Fang agreed.
Su Xin grinned,"Brother Nie,find a place.It's not suitable to stay on this busy street."
The streets of Business Mountain City were already crowded,and the conversation between the two,attracting attention,made the crowd even larger.Nie Fang snorted,"Ah Chen,close the shop door.Let's go to the backyard."
One apprentice immediately closed the large door of the weapons shop.The rest followed Nie Fang to the backyard.
Originally meant for storing ore materials,the weapons shop's backyard was about a hundred steps long.This space was more than enough for the two to have their showdown,considering the condition that Su Xin couldn't move.
Su Xin stood still and drew a circle next to his foot with the Dragon Sword,saying,"Alright,Brother Nie,you can make your move."
"I won't hold back!"Nie Fang's hands suddenly turned black and red,emitting intense heat.This was his unique skill,the Iron Refining Hands.Ordinary weapons would shatter when he grasped them.During the Wind and Cloud Tournament,Nie Fang often broke his opponent's weapon,not just for business reasons but also to avoid fatal conflicts.
Otherwise,once it becomes real,his Iron Refining Hands could seriously injure the opponent,and its power is terrifying.
Nie Fang's palm struck towards Su Xin,and the powerful heat from his Iron Refining Hands resembled a furnace,descending upon Su Xin.
However,Su Xin remained calm.The Dragon Sword in his hand seemed light as it stabbed forward,but it carried a force that clashed with Nie Fang's Iron Refining Hands,sparking numerous flames.The collision between the palm and the sword emitted a thunderous roar,almost like an explosion.
Under this strike,Nie Fang suddenly felt a tremendous force,making him sense that Su Xin was not wielding a nimble and agile long sword,but a heavy and powerful broadsword!
A slight smile appeared on Su Xin's lips.His Dragon Elephant Wisdom Technique had already reached the second level.Although his strength was not small,Su Xin always adhered to the principle of using the least effort to cause the greatest damage.He believed that attacking an opponent's weak points was more effective than directly confronting them.
However,with his current strength,Su Xin was not afraid of direct confrontation either.
Unable to land a successful blow,Nie Fang wildly swung his palms.The surrounding area of several steps turned into a giant furnace under the frenzy of his Iron Refining Hands,creating waves of heat and even sparks bursting out.His apprentices hurriedly moved some precious ores away to avoid damage,realizing that if those treasures were harmed,their master would definitely be furious,even if it was his own doing.
Su Xin didn't dodge at all.The bright sword aura on the Dragon Sword burst out,and although his movements seemed slow and steady,each sword precisely landed on Nie Fang's Iron Refining Hands.He didn't allow a single palm to land within three feet in front of him,almost causing Nie Fang to cough up blood.
In Su Xin's eyes,Nie Fang's strengths and weaknesses were apparent.His strength lay in the terrifying power of his Iron Refining Hands,and Su Xin dared to confront him directly relying on the strength brought by the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Technique.The Dragon Sword in Su Xin's hand also played a significant role.If Su Xin had wielded any other ungraded long sword,instead of the Dragon Sword,it might not have withstood Nie Fang's barrage and might have been broken.
However,Nie Fang's weakness lay precisely in his reliance on the Iron Refining Hands.Su Xin felt that the so-called Iron Refining Hands was like an enhanced version of Iron Sand Palm.Nie Fang's focus on perfecting his Iron Refining Hands led to neglect in his footwork and hand techniques,which were ordinary and even inferior to an ordinary martial artist.
As Nie Fang continued to sweat,his forehead getting wetter,Fang Hao below started shouting,"Ten moves!We've reached ten moves;it's already thirteen moves!"
Discouraged,Nie Fang stopped.Ten moves had passed,and he hadn't even forced Su Xin to move half a step.
However,then he looked at Su Xin's Dragon Sword in amazement and exclaimed,"Your sword is a Yellow-grade weapon!?"
During the previous match,he hadn't paid much attention,but now he realized that a weapon capable of withstanding over ten strikes from his Iron Refining Hands couldn't be an ordinary weapon.
"My sword is indeed a Yellow-grade weapon,"Su Xin said,looking at Nie Fang,puzzled by his excitement.
Nie Fang,his eyes shining,looked at the Dragon Sword in Su Xin's hand."Young Master Meng,as long as you agree to let me study your sword for a few days,I'll immediately leave with you,no questions asked."
Su Xin was taken aback and asked,"It's no problem for you to study it,but why do you want to borrow my Dragon Sword?"
Excitedly,Nie Fang explained,"Of course,it's to study the forging method of this sword,to understand how the master successfully forged this Dragon Sword.I have attempted countless times to forge a Yellow-grade weapon,but unfortunately,all ended in failure.So,I've always wanted a chance to observe a Yellow-grade weapon up close,and today I finally got that opportunity!"
Nie Fang had long desired to get his hands on a Yellow-grade weapon for research.Unfortunately,he had never found an opportunity.Although Yellow-grade weapons were the lowest in the graded hierarchy,they weren't easy to come by.Only master blacksmiths could produce graded weapons,and the annual output of such weapons was extremely low.Even a prolific master blacksmith wouldn't create more than three pieces a year.Getting a Yellow-grade weapon was even more challenging,and Nie Fang had no connections with those possessing such weapons in the martial world.
