Chapter Eighteen: The Forgers' Guild

Mupu Galaxy, primary star Mupu Star — Samp City, Forgers Alliance branch. This Mupu Galaxy is situated in a remote region. If not for the Forgers Alliance branch located here, this place would be just as desolate as any other galaxy. Tang Yi was currently inside the Mupu branch of the Forgers Alliance. After gathering various materials with Ye Tianxing, Tang Yi had set off in the direction of Guanyue Star. Post-war teleportation arrays were missing nine out of ten, and building a new one nowadays was no easy feat. Furthermore, all along the journey, Tang Yi had noticed that this area had almost no traces of major sects, populated mostly by rogue immortal cultivators. Therefore, it had taken Tang Yi more than ten days to cover less than one-tenth of the distance. Of course, there was another crucial reason: the destination Tang Yi headed toward was even more remote, often requiring a lengthy personal spaceship journey across a vast distance after passing through two or three teleportation arrays before another array could be used.

Upon arriving at this Mupu Star, he discovered that his immortal stones had been mostly used up without him noticing. Apart from five top-grade immortal stones remaining untouched, he had only about eighty middle-grade immortal stones left, which were used to pay for teleportation array fees and lodging, while his low-grade immortal stones, used along the way to collect necessary materials, were nearly exhausted.

"This is still in the outer stellar quadrant, when on earth will I arrive?" Tang Yi compared his star compass and muttered. Having no other choice, Tang Yi had to stop here and find a way to earn some immortal stones.

The Forgers Alliance was established after the Immortal-Demon War by some public-spirited forgers within the immortal world who joined forces. Its main purpose was to restore and develop the profession of forgers in the immortal world. Destruction is far simpler than construction; despite the ten thousand years of turmoil and nearly sixty million years of efforts by the Artifact Refining Alliance, it still had not recovered to even fifty percent of its pre-war state.

In the immortal world, forgers are further divided into artifact refiners, alchemists, and array masters. According to the Forgers Alliance's classification, forgers are categorized as follows:

From Level 1 to Level 9, with Level 10 being the Divine Grade.
Levels 1 to 3 are called Primary.
Levels 4 to 6 are called Intermediate.
Levels 7 to 9 are called Advanced.
Level 10 is the Divine Grade.

Array masters are rather special. First, they must definitely be artifact refiners, because if an array master needs to carve arrays onto an immortal artifact, they must understand artifact refining in order to carve them. Moreover, crafting larger-scale arrays requires refining the array instruments used for the arrays. Array instruments include—
Array masters are divided simply into three grades: primary, intermediate, and advanced.

The ranking of artifact refiners corresponds to the grade of the immortal artifacts they can forge. For example, someone capable of forging a third-tier mortal-grade immortal artifact can be called a Level 1 artifact refiner. Someone capable of forging a third-tier fine-grade immortal artifact is a Level 2 artifact refiner, and so on.

Alchemists have a similar rating method. Array masters who can carve arrays for mortal-grade, fine-grade, and exquisite-grade immortal artifacts are primary array masters; those who can carve arrays for top-grade, sub-immortal-grade, and immortal-grade immortal artifacts are intermediate array masters; and anything above that is an advanced array master.

Well, advanced array masters in the current immortal world are pitifully rare.

As Tang Yi was browsing the introductory guide to forger rankings in the main hall, an elderly man dressed in a pale yellow long robe walked up to greet him.

"Little friend, have you come to take the forger rank assessment? Is this your first time? Have you familiarized yourself with the introduction here? Which type of forger would you like to be assessed for?" the old man smiled and asked.

Tang Yi nodded slightly to the old man and said, "Yes, that's right. It's my first time here for an assessment, and I wish to be assessed as an artifact refiner."

"That's fortuitous then. This old man is currently a Level 5 artifact refiner and can assess Level 1 to Level 4 artifact refiners. If the little friend wishes to be assessed for a higher rank of artifact refiner, you would need to go to a larger branch," an emblem appeared on the old man's chest. The base was shaped like a silver artifact-refining furnace, with the character for 'Medium' in the middle above, and two stars slowly twinkling below. This was the signature rank badge unique to the Forgers Alliance.

The badge itself was a sub-immortal-grade immortal artifact that could accelerate the recovery of immortal elemental energy and spiritual power for the wearer.

"This time I wish to be assessed as a Level 3 forger. Please make the arrangements for me!" Tang Yi replied with a smile.

"Then please follow this old man!" After saying that, the yellow-robed old man led Tang Yi through a doorway labeled 'Artifact Refining'.

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Blue Sea Sect, the leaders of the top four sects of the immortal world—the Blue Sea Sect, Ancient Sword Sect, Earth Flame Sect, and Myriad Beasts Sect—had gathered together.

"The selection tournament for the new session of the Divine Weapon Star is about to begin. The purpose of discussing an alliance with all of you sect masters here is to increase the probability of entering the Divine Weapon Star. However, as for how we should form this alliance, I ask that everyone put forth a concrete proposal!" Lan Qishan, sitting in the master's seat, glanced around at the other three sect masters and said.

After a brief moment of silence, Yan Zhen, the master of the Earth Flame Sect, spoke up: "To actually bring about the formation of this alliance, we owe a great deal to those few newly ascended cultivators who recently ascended. Based on past experiences from the multiple openings of the Divine Weapon Star, although anyone can enter the checkpoints, the quotas are limited after all, and the highest realm of those who ultimately enter the Divine Weapon Star is only the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal. Moreover, they can be counted on one's fingers."

"Indeed, the three checkpoints to enter the Divine Weapon Star act like three sieves, screening out higher realms over and over again," Gu Hua, the master of the Ancient Sword Sect, continued, "The first checkpoint sends everyone at the level of Immortal Monarch and above back to the starting point without exception. The second checkpoint eliminates those at the level of Nine-Heaven Mysterious Immortal and above. Those capable of passing all three stages to reach the Divine Weapon Star are generally only possible for those below the Immortal Celestial realm, while Great Luo Golden Immortals entering is a matter of extreme good fortune."

"Therefore, those who currently venture to storm the Divine Weapon Star are generally below the Immortal Celestial realm, alongside some Great Luo Golden Immortals holding onto a sliver of hope. After all, the divine weapons located there are enough to make even Immortal Emperors green with envy," Tuoba Gang of the Myriad Beasts Sect could not help sighing, his eyes glancing sideways at Gu Hua nearby.

As it turned out, Hua Ruoxue and the other four had respectively joined these four sects. Furthermore, being newly ascended individuals with immense potential, they had all become the key focus of cultivation within their respective sects. Coupled with the approaching opening of the Divine Weapon Star, their sects placed high hopes on them. Because these five individuals had ascended from the same place and maintained frequent contact, the relationship between these four sects had grown much closer over the years, which led to the formation of this alliance.

One must know that the Divine Weapon Star opens only once every epoch. If one could enter the Divine Weapon Star, to say the least, one could acquire at least one immortal artifact that multiplies their combat prowess several-fold. Back in the day, Gu Hua was fortunate enough to enter the Divine Weapon Star when he was in the mid-stage of the Immortal Celestial realm, and he obtained four immortal artifacts: two swords, a piece of armor, and a necklace. The armor was a first-tier sub-immortal-grade immortal artifact, which could be considered a very rare defensive immortal artifact, and it is currently worn by an elder of the Ancient Sword Sect. The necklace is also a second-tier sub-immortal-grade immortal artifact with an exquisite design, currently worn by Gu Hua's daughter.

Of the two swords, one is currently in the hands of the Ancient Sword Sect's Supreme Elder, while the other is used by Gu Hua himself. It is a second-tier super-immortal-grade immortal artifact. The blade features nine layers of texture, shimmering with silver light, with faint azure light flowing around it. The hilt is coiled with a silver dragon, making the blade look as though it were being exhaled from the mouth of this silver dragon. Such a super-immortal-grade immortal artifact is known as a semi-divine artifact. In today's immortal world, semi-divine artifacts are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. And this sword has a special function, which the Ancient Sword Sect only discovered by chance: the blade can separate from the hilt, transforming into nine flying shuttles, while the hilt retains the shape of a dragon.

That occurred when Gu Hua had advanced to the late stage of the Nine-Heaven Mysterious Immortal realm. While undergoing trials in the outside world, he was embroiled in a fierce battle with an ancient mid-stage spiritual immortal beast in a perilous zone, and this phenomenon happened when an excessive amount of immortal elemental energy was injected into the sword. Within less than three breaths after the separation, that ferocious beast was slain. After killing the beast, the sword automatically reassembled and returned to Gu Hua's hand, while several characters appeared on the blade: "Nine-Son Silver Dragon Sword".

"Sect Master Gu is the only one here who has entered the Divine Weapon Star, so I ask Sect Master Gu to give us a detailed account!" Lan Qishan said.

"Very well, then I shall start from the beginning so that everyone can carefully reference it together," Gu Hua nodded and said.