Chapter 010: Cutting Through Iron Like Mud

Compared to several dozen kilograms of raw pig iron, these several grams may seem insignificant; however, for alchemy, it is essential to be meticulous.

Ge Zheng felt a stir in his heart; the shape of this iron block resembled a rare metal. He quickly performed an identification technique, and indeed it revealed: sea-sunken iron

He suddenly remembered that he still had two pieces of pyrite—waste material that Dunk regarded as treasure. Although it was waste, refining dozens of grams of raw iron from such large pieces should not be a problem. For magic forging, refining ore is the simplest step. Ge Zheng could refine iron ore more quickly than going out to buy a piece of raw iron.

However, once that person's items were revealed, Ge Zheng's gaze became fixated, completely disregarding any gold coins or magic crystals.

That person laughed heartily: "This is truly a master-level alchemist, very good! I knew that to engage a master-level alchemist would not be something that gold coins could accomplish, so take a look at this."

A few dozen grams may not seem significant when dealing with several dozen kilograms of raw pig iron, but at the critical moment of final shaping, it could mean the difference between achieving a perfect piece and falling short. Ge Zheng felt quite troubled; going out to buy it at this time would indeed be a waste of time, especially since the schedule was already very tight.

Incorporate fire magic into the gap magic, utilizing the knowledge of burning to evaporate the powder of magic mosquito eggs into gas, and inject a small amount of magical power into a closed space. Due to the effect of the magic mosquito eggs, the metal powder easily absorbs magical power, and these metals will transform into "magical metals" that are attuned to magical power.

Due to his appearance, Horns has few friends in Wangshan City, except for Ge Zheng, who can occasionally engage him in conversation. The two share a considerable common ground in the field of alchemical materials. Horns is indeed one of the most suitable members of the fairy race for business on the continent; even though Ge Zheng is one of his rare friends, he has never given him a discount of even a single copper coin

This precious metal appears no different from ordinary black iron, except for the water wave pattern on its surface, which is the only distinguishing feature visible from the outside

The blade intersected with the sea-sunken iron without any hindrance, its speed unchanged as it continued to descend. With a soft "bang," the sea-sunken iron was severed in two, and the treasured blade came to an abrupt halt, not even cutting through the cloth beneath.

Due to the shaping controlled by the magical force of thought, the form envisioned can only be maintained for a brief moment in a liquid state. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately use ice magic to freeze it; any delay, even slightly, will result in some deformation, making it difficult to achieve the optimal appearance.

The man pondered for a moment and said, "I wonder if it is possible to craft armor?" Ge Zheng appeared somewhat troubled: "There is insufficient material to create a complete set of armor. If it must be done, I can only make partial protective gear to cover the heart and back. Even so, I will need to add some additional materials, so the cost will be higher, at 10,000 gold coins." The man immediately took down the bundle from his back: "In that case, I will trouble you, Master!" At the same time, with his other hand, he placed down a bag of shimmering blue coins—magic crystals!

Ge Zheng was taken aback. It was already quite difficult to break through the protective gear made of sea-sunken iron, let alone a whole piece of it. He was well aware of the toughness of this material. The man said generously, "As long as you can forge it, you can name your price." Ge Zheng shook his head, saying, "A weapon capable of cutting through such a large piece of sea-sunken iron has already reached the level of a quasi-artifact; gold coins cannot buy it."

Ge Zheng has lost all interest in conducting herbal experiments; his mind is now consumed by that stone slab equation. The bold lines and vividly colored patterns on it seem to cast spells in Ge Zheng's mind, and no matter how hard he tries to dispel them, they remain stubbornly etched in his thoughts.

In the third step, after strictly weighing the four ingredients, mix them in the ratio of 4:12:1:1

Ge Zheng looked at his first magical forging work after leaving the Cloak of the Goddess of Wisdom, nodding with a smile, feeling quite satisfied.

The person merely showed it to Ge Zheng for a brief moment before quickly taking it back. With just a hurried glance, Ge Zheng was certain that this alchemical formula was quite extraordinary

In the world of Star Refinement, an individual possesses only one magical attribute, unless one surpasses the limits of humanity and reaches the level of a "title" like Paracelsus, making it difficult to develop a second attribute. However, Ge Zheng is different. Chinese practitioners emphasize the cycle of the five elements and the harmony of yin and yang, making it essential to have all five elemental attributes within. Therefore, he can almost cast magic of all attributes, a secret known only to Paracelsus. However, Ge Zheng is different. Chinese practitioners emphasize the cycle of the five elements and the harmony of yin and yang, making it essential to have all five elemental attributes within. Therefore, he can almost cast magic of all attributes, a secret known only to Paracelsus.

Fortunately, the ancestors had already summarized their experiences. During these six hours, Ge Zheng meticulously studied the meteorite and ultimately determined that to meet his expectations for this weapon, the optimal amount of meteorite to be added was 620 grams. Ge Zheng weighed out 620 grams of the meteorite and added it after six hours.

The magic core is used to provide magical power. If its level is too low, it will not be sufficient to support the magical power consumption of a quasi-artifact. If its level is too high, Ge Zheng cannot afford it. Having five cores of level five is sufficient. In fact, when refining magical weapons, the choice of materials does not necessarily mean that higher levels are better; suitability is what matters. If the level of the magic core is too high, the weapon may not be able to withstand the immense magical power, which could instead cause the weapon to shatter.

The only thing that can make an alchemist so obsessed is one thing: the alchemical formula. Indeed, this is an alchemical formula, and unlike ordinary formulas, this one is inscribed on a stone tablet

Ge Zheng's statement "Gold coins cannot be bought" means that you need to take out "Magic Crystals". Unexpectedly, that person misunderstood and thought Ge Zheng was being aloof

Ge Zheng smiled: It seems that this sword is even better than he had anticipated. However, the alchemist's instinct led him to ponder the reasons behind such an effect after his initial joy.

In September 2746 of the Star Origin Era, a shocking theft occurred in the southern power of the Starry Sky Continent, the Ostara Empire. The heavily guarded royal treasury of the empire was breached, with a one-inch thick sea-sunken iron door being cut open. Countless treasures of immense value within the treasury remained untouched, with only a diamond necklace, known as the "Crown of the Moon Goddess," which belonged to the emperor's late grandmother, being taken.

Despite the assistance provided by the fire garment, controlling the temperature of the furnace has always been a challenge in alchemy. For instance, a blue flame can be categorized into three major zones: light blue, true blue, and deep blue, each of which contains countless smaller subdivisions. The fire garment can only offer a general level of support to the alchemist; when it comes to the specifics, it ultimately relies on the alchemist's experience and skill.

Such a large piece of sea-sunken iron is enough to forge a round shield. Ge Zheng nodded and said, "Indeed, it is sea-sunken iron. How much are you planning to sell it for?" He thought the person was there to buy materials, but to his surprise, the man shook his head and said, "I am not here to sell materials; I just want to ask you if there is a way to forge a weapon capable of cutting through it."

The cold air surged forth, and the solution that had just been intensely hot was now frozen within a massive transparent ice block. Its form was no longer chaotic; it had transformed into a gleaming cold blade.

This magic is called "Fire Garment," and it is used exclusively by alchemists. Its function is to control the temperature of flames. The Fire Garment adheres to the flames and exhibits ten color variations: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, cyan, purple, white, silver, and gold, in that order, indicating that the temperature of the flames is increasing. Among these, the flame displayed as blue by the Fire Garment represents a threshold; the flame must exceed blue in order to melt metals. Different metals have varying temperature requirements.

With the addition of the meteorite, a plume of blue smoke rose, and the viscous solution began to churn, resembling magma bubbling with gas.

Having gathered all the materials and completed the preparations, Ge Zheng set up the furnace and began the formal magical forging. With a snap of his fingers, a spark was ignited, triggering the fire magic array within the furnace, and blue flames erupted instantly. Ge Zheng recited a spell, and a hazy light curtain descended, adhering to the flames. The originally colorless light curtain turned yellow the moment it came into contact with the flames

The reason for crushing them is to ensure they are thoroughly mixed in the furnace, which facilitates the fusion of metals during the alchemical process. The purpose of the magical blowing method is to provide a "preheating" effect on the metals through magic, which not only aids in the smooth progression of the subsequent alchemical process but also results in metals that are harder than ordinary metals.

The current fire robe is yellow. Ge Zheng is controlling the fire magic array in the furnace, and as the amount of magic injected increases, the color of the fire robe gradually changes, shifting from yellow to deep yellow, ... and then gradually transforming: light green, deep green, light blue ...

The thief is one of the three most famous thieves on the continent, the jewel thief Heinrich. It is said that Heinrich's power has greatly increased, surpassing the level of a twelfth-tier warrior and reaching the level of a thirteenth-tier titled war god. During his escape, he was struck in the back by the captain of the Imperial Royal Guard, the twelfth-tier upper-level extraordinary warrior Rogers, with the ultimate move "Nine Chants of the Dragon Slash," yet he continued to flee at full speed, demonstrating such formidable strength that only a thirteenth-tier titled war god could achieve. Rogers was left dumbfounded on the spot, too shocked to pursue further, and later received a severe reprimand from the Emperor of the Empire.

In Ge Zheng's own laboratory, there are still some high-quality iron ores. In addition to these four types of additive materials, high-quality iron ore is naturally indispensable. For an ordinary weapon, a weight of nine kilograms is already sufficient, but for that person, it would certainly still feel too light. Therefore, these materials are primarily additives, while the main raw material is still refined iron.

At first glance, this stone slab appears quite crude, with simple lines and stark color contrasts, lacking any subtle transitions. However, Ge Zheng perceives something nuanced within it: the layout. The overall arrangement of the equation is highly rational, making the image resemble an abstract artwork rather than a mere equation. This is something he had never encountered in the equations he had seen before. Even the equation of the Dragon Alchemist Albert, which was collected by Paracelsus at that time, did not possess such an effect. This is something he had never encountered in the equations he had seen before. Even the equation of the Dragon Alchemist Albert, which was collected by Paracelsus at that time, did not possess such an effect

In the second step, treat the raw material particles using the "Magic Blowing Method". Mix all the raw materials with the magic mosquito eggs, and place them in a sealed air chamber. Use powerful wind-based magic to swirl the particles, utilizing their mutual collisions to grind the particles into finer and more uniform sizes.

The first step is to crush star sand, manganese iron, coral copper, and glass chromium into particles the size of wheat, then wash and air dry them

Hahaha! That person laughed heartily: "Good, good, good!" He praised three times, clearly very satisfied: "I didn't expect that in the remote Wangshan City, there are indeed hidden talents! It is yours now." After saying this, he tossed over a box. Ge Zheng caught it and opened it to find that it was indeed the stone tablet with the alchemical formula.

The processing of raw materials is divided into three steps

The sharpness of this blade is beyond doubt, as it incorporates three layers of engraved magical arrays. Instead of employing any offensive or destructive magical arrays, it utilizes defensive magical arrays to enhance the solidity of the blade. However, at the moment of shaping, Ge Zheng had a sudden thought, leaving three holes on his body. If he could find the magic core of a high-level magical beast and embed it within, he could also unleash magic using this blade.

The raw pig iron in the furnace gradually melted into molten iron, as Ge Zheng poured the proportionally mixed additives into the furnace, re-adjusting the temperature of the flame and maintaining its color at a light purple.

That person, disregarding his astonishing twelfth-level fighting spirit, raised all his strength to its peak, yet the treasured blade in his hand slowly descended without a sound

Setting aside all his current tasks, Ge Zheng took several crystal cards and went out to procure materials. Although seven days may seem like a long time, it is not sufficient to refine a quasi-artifact capable of severing an arm's thickness of sea-sunken iron.

As the raw materials in the furnace melted into a thick, viscous liquid of bluish-red color, Ge Zheng cast five magic cores into it. The magic cores were nearly completely pure energy crystals, free of impurities, and upon being thrown in, they were immediately melted by the high temperature, transforming into the purest form of magical energy. Ge Zheng used his own magic to guide this immense magical energy, allowing it to flow continuously within the furnace. The flames gradually weakened, and just as the solution was caught between a solid and semi-solid state, a gust of wind lifted the entire solution from the furnace. A curtain of cloud-like water descended from above, accompanied by a hissing sound of white smoke. The magical force guided the bluish-red solution, which quickly solidified, while simultaneously, the magical energy inscribed three layers of formations within it.

This knife, in total, used various materials amounting to forty kilograms, yet when Ge Zheng held it in his hand, he felt it was light and weightless, without any sense of heaviness. When he was about to strike with it, however, he felt the blade was steady, exhibiting not the slightest hint of being light or unsteady.

It seems that the forging of weapons should be the responsibility of blacksmiths, but in reality, crafting a quasi-artifact is not so simple. In addition to the compatibility of various materials, there is also the need for temperature control. Furthermore, there are other methods to enhance sharpness, such as magical fusion and the application of magic circles. This is not the dual-attribute longsword that Ge Zheng uses to deal with Bomos; this is a genuine quasi-artifact. Moreover, there are other methods to enhance sharpness, such as magical fusion and the application of magic circles. This is not the dual-attribute longsword that Ge Zheng uses to deal with Bomos; this is a genuine quasi-artifact

Since the appearance of that treasured sword, the man's gaze has not shifted from it. "What a fine sword!" he praised, his voice deep as the waters of a cold pond. Even if this sword cannot cut through the iron of the sea, it is still a priceless treasure that is hard to come by.

Ge Zheng has been a regular customer at the alchemy materials shop run by Horns in the North City Gate. The fairy Horns is ugly, with a thin and short stature, large bat-like ears, and frog-like eyes. Coupled with his shriveled dark brown skin, this directly enables Horns to stop children from crying at night

Horns was taken aback: "What, are you planning to steal that old dwarf Feore's business? You should be careful; his war hammer is quite formidable." Ge Zheng waved his hand: "Someone has asked me to forge a magical weapon." Horns was stunned: "What kind of weapon requires so many high-quality materials?" "Don't worry about that; I only want to know how much time you need to prepare it."

These materials are all of high quality, such as star sand, which is also an additive in weaponry. Even in the weapon shop of the city-state of Feore, less than two kilograms of star sand are used in a year.

Ge Zheng nodded: "Settle the accounts"

Although the materials are insufficient, today Ge Zheng can carry out some preparatory work. The Magic Mosquito is a type of magical beast that resembles a mosquito, with a size comparable to that of a basketball. Although it is only a Tier 3 creature, its eggs are among the best magical media. It is essential to add magical media to enhance the metal's affinity for magic, thereby allowing for the engraving of magical arrays and the forging of sharp magical weapons

The person opened the bundle and placed a piece of the sea and a * map * book made of heavy iron on the table. He silently took the knife from Ge Zheng's hand, and with a quiet exertion of energy, a thick, golden light surged from his body like a tidal mist. Ge Zheng was greatly astonished: Level Twelve Qi! Who on earth is this person?

As the ice melted, Ge Zheng held the sword in hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp sound echoed, heralding the emergence of the treasured blade, which also revealed its own ambition to dominate the world.

The formal forging of magic began. Ge Zheng entrusted everything in the shop to Dunk, instructing him to say that he was not available, no matter who came looking for him. In the laboratory, Ge Zheng busily immersed himself in his work.

He pointed at the person's bundle and said, "Such excellent material, wouldn't it be a pity not to forge it into protective gear?" The person’s eyes lit up: "Having obtained a precious sword, I was so elated that I completely forgot about this matter. Thank you for the reminder, Master! May I ask what your fee is?" Ge Zheng smiled and replied, "That depends on what you intend to forge."

If materials that can be purchased at a small shop can be used to forge a quasi-artifact, then Ge Zheng would truly be able to stand alongside Hermes, the god of alchemy. His confidence stems from the fact that he possesses another type of material: meteorite iron

As for the remaining materials, combined with the meteorite and supplemented by one's own ideas, it should not be a problem to forge a quasi-artifact capable of cutting through sea-sunken iron

There are still some raw iron obtained from smelting pyrite. Ge Zheng scratched his head; the laboratory was already in complete disarray, and the few grams of raw material had long been misplaced. Ge Zheng was frantically searching when a knock on the door sounded: "Sir, that person has arrived"

Two pieces of pyrite indeed yielded several tens of grams of raw pig iron, with a slight excess.

The broad blade is covered with intricate fish-scale patterns, radiating a cold light from its sharp edge, which is exceptionally sharp. The spine of the knife is thick, with a two-inch long golden back hook extending near the handle. The guard is shaped like dragon wings, flamboyantly spread open, and the handle features six arc-shaped patterns, making it easy to grip while also aiding in sweat drainage

Ge Zheng felt a wave of regret; what he lacked was gold coins! Don't say that a master-level alchemist cannot be persuaded with gold coins; as long as you can provide me with 10,000 magic crystal coins, I can also forge a divine artifact for you!

On the second day, Horns delivered the remaining materials, and Ge Zheng owed him six hundred gold coins. However, he managed to gather all the materials, and his luck was quite good.

Compared to the craftsmanship of blacksmiths, the magical forging of alchemists is more profound, and the quality of the items produced is significantly higher than that of blacksmiths

This time, Ge Zheng suffered a significant financial loss, nearly 5,000 gold coins, completely depleting his recently saved assets. All of this was for that stone tablet formula. As Ge Zheng counted the gold coins, he silently prayed: May that item be worth the price.

I have always been straightforward in my dealings, clear-cut in my transactions, Master, until we meet again!" After the man finished speaking, he turned his tall figure and was about to leave. Ge Zheng had finally encountered such a plump target; how could he let him leave so easily? "Sir, please stay!"

Raw pig iron does not require the process of blowing with air, as the addition of minerals would alter its inherent properties

A total of 4,629 gold coins, thank you for your patronage, this small business does not offer credit. The latter two sentences are Horns' catchphrase; no matter who comes to patronize, he always says this.

Horns shouldered a small basket and pushed a ladder with wheels at the bottom, moving up and down the shelves in search of items. Once he found what he needed, he tossed it into the basket behind him. After a while, he climbed down and said, "Here it all is. We still need half a kilogram of star sand and half a kilogram of coral copper. I'll go look for them; if I can find them, I'll deliver them to you tomorrow. If I can't find them for now, we'll have to order from outside, and that will take a long time."

He remembered that there was still a considerable amount of high-quality raw iron ore in his warehouse, yet unexpectedly, after refining it all, he still fell short by several dozen grams.

Thirty mosquito eggs, five fifth-tier magical beast cores, two kilograms of star sand, six kilograms of Myanmar iron, half a kilogram of coral copper, and half a kilogram of glass chromium—how long will it take to prepare these?

Casually throwing a thick iron rod into the air, Ge Zheng swung his knife, and the rod broke into four pieces, falling to the ground. It truly can be said to cut through iron like mud

To refine all the impurities and fully integrate the raw materials, an additional six hours are required. The flames of the furnace blaze fiercely, and Ge Zheng is not idle. Meteoric iron is categorized into many types, and the predecessors had already conducted research on this. Different compositions of meteoric iron must be used appropriately; otherwise, the outcome may be insufficient, leading to more harm than good. It is very likely that a fine weapon, due to the inappropriate addition of meteoric iron, will not only fail to become a divine artifact but may also drop a level, turning into an ordinary weapon. Different compositions of meteoric iron must be used appropriately; otherwise, the outcome may be insufficient, leading to more harm than good. It is very likely that a fine weapon, due to the inappropriate addition of meteoric iron, will not only fail to become a divine artifact but may also drop a level, turning into an ordinary weapon

Sea-sunken iron is one of the hardest metals in the world, alongside refined gold and dense silver, which are known as the three major rare metals. However, sea-sunken iron differs from dense silver; dense silver is a "sharp" material, and adding a small amount of dense silver to ordinary weapons can transform them into formidable weapons that can cut through iron like mud. In contrast, sea-sunken iron is a "solid" material, primarily used in protective gear. By incorporating just one percent of sea-sunken iron into regular armor, its effectiveness can be increased several times.

The forging of an alchemist differs from that of a blacksmith. A blacksmith heats metal in flames until it glows red, then hammers it into the desired shape. In contrast, the forging of an alchemist, referred to as "magical forging," involves processing materials according to alchemical methods, mixing them to induce reactions, and finally shaping them all at once using magical power

"How is it, Master?" the man said with a hint of pride. Ge Zheng pondered for a moment and replied, "I need a few days to gather materials." "No problem, I will give you seven days. I will come back in seven days." "It's a deal!"

The person suddenly turned around, their gaze piercing like lightning: "Is there anything else?" Ge Zheng thought to himself: Is it really necessary to be this vigilant?

The final process of magical forging is called "Shaping." Using wind and water magic, the alchemical product is blown into the void, and then, through magical control, one can mold it into the envisioned form. Ge Zheng's "Shaping" is more intricate than that of the average alchemist, as he can employ more than two types of magic.

Ge Zheng could not spare the time to look for that small piece of material and hurriedly went with the treasured dagger in hand

Ge Zheng is very clear about the properties of the vast majority of the materials, but he does not have complete confidence regarding the meteorite. Suddenly, a thought struck Ge Zheng: Could it be those two pieces of pyrite?

The alchemist's laboratory, with its windows tightly sealed, was a stark contrast to the bright sunshine outside. Ge Zheng pushed open the door, and the dazzling light made it difficult for him to open his eyes. He did not expect time to pass so quickly; it was already the third day.

The armor was much simpler to forge, and it was completed overnight. The next day, the person came to collect the goods and then vanished without a trace.

Ah! The golden light on that person converged, and under the pressure of the twelfth level of fighting spirit, the poor Dunk had already collapsed behind the counter, his face pressed against the ground, drooling all over the floor

To refine raw pig iron, it is essential to achieve a cerulean temperature. Ge Zheng adjusted the flame to cerulean and then stabilized the magical output of the magic circle at this standard, before introducing the primary raw material, raw pig iron, into the furnace

Unfortunately, there is only this one piece. The last time I traveled with Dunker across more than a dozen rugged peaks, we did not find a second piece of meteorite.

Since he was misunderstood, Ge Zheng felt embarrassed to change his words immediately. He resolved to first see what the person would take out before making a decision. If the item did not align with his expectations, he would, even if it meant putting on a bold front, demand magic crystal coins from him.