Chapter 221: The Overlord Lifts the Cauldron (Please Subscribe, Please Support)

Seeing the two characters "Abyssal Rainbow" engraved on the sword's blade, Master Xu's gaze grew solemn. He lightly traced the blade with two fingers, and the sword seemed to respond, emitting a series of clear, resonant sword sounds.

"Hey! That's my uncle's sword, give it back quickly!" Tianming, noticing the sword was being taken away, crossed his arms and called out in displeasure.

Master Xu ignored Tianming's words, holding the sword carefully, his eyes filled with longing.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" Tianming shouted angrily.

"Could it be that you are—?" Gai Nie suddenly had a thought, pulling Tianming along as he addressed Master Xu.

"My surname is Xu. Out of respect, my brothers call me Master Xu," Master Xu said quietly, stroking his white beard.

"So you are the famed Master Xu, revered as the Sword Sovereign. The treasured swords you forge are the very weapons that swordsmen dream of possessing," Gai Nie bowed respectfully. For a swordsman, a swordsmith capable of forging divine swords commands great respect.

"Compared to this Abyssal Rainbow, I have only scratched the surface," Master Xu waved his hand modestly.

"Then who is the predecessor who forged Abyssal Rainbow?" Gai Nie inquired.

"That was my mother. This is the last piece she ever made," Master Xu said slowly, his voice tinged with nostalgia. Then turning to Gai Nie, he added, "Having this sword in your hands means it has found a worthy master."

With a metallic sound, Master Xu sheathed the Abyssal Rainbow and paused before saying to Gai Nie, "There is another sword in the city called ‘Coldwater.’ It is the polar opposite of your Abyssal Rainbow, from its materials to its forging techniques. These two swords are destined to be like fire and water, incompatible. Coldwater ranks seventh on the Sword Manual, five places below Abyssal Rainbow. However, all top ten swords have their unique merits; rank does not equate to strength. You should be cautious."

"And who wields Coldwater?" Gai Nie asked.

"Xiao Gao," Master Xu replied.

"Xiao Gao again?" Tianming muttered curiously from the side.

"Let’s enter the city," Master Xu said, turning toward the gates.

"Everyone, hurry up! Beyond this heavy gate lies the inner city of the Mechanism City," Old Ban said.

As the massive gate slowly lifted, a strong light poured through. Passing beneath, the group finally entered the inner city. The vibrant scene before them was full of life, much like the area around the Ink Regulation Pool. The winding red corridors clung to the mountainside like a coiled dragon resting on the peaks.

At that moment, some people rushed past ahead, appearing quite hurried.

Old Ban looked puzzled and asked, "Brother Xu, what’s going on?"

"I don’t know! It’s probably not an enemy attack; otherwise, there would be alarms," Master Xu replied.

Meanwhile, Dao Zhi used his lightning-fast Divine Step technique. Having taken the Heavenly Sage Pill from Xiao Xie, his internal injuries had healed, allowing him to move freely. He instantly teleported in front of a Mo Clan disciple and halted him. "What’s happening? Why is everyone in such a rush?"

The disciple, seeing Dao Zhi, responded respectfully, "Leader Dao Zhi, a young boy with innate divine strength has arrived. He has already defeated many brothers from the Forging Department and even drawn out the Iron Leader for a contest!"

After speaking, the disciple hurried off to witness the commotion.

"The Iron Hammer is having a strength contest," Dao Zhi said as he teleported to Old Ban’s side.

Old Ban asked with surprise, "Who lured the Iron Hammer out?"

"Hurry, I can’t wait to see who this mysterious figure is," Dao Zhi urged eagerly.

"Sister Rong, let’s go see too!" Yue’er, full of curiosity, said. She wanted to see just how formidable this newcomer was, since Iron Hammer was known as the strongest in Mechanism City.

"Young master?" Murong Feng and Murong Huang also looked toward Xiao Xie with interest.

"Let’s go see. If I’m not mistaken, it should be our old friend," Xiao Xie said with a smile. He knew the one fighting Iron Hammer was likely Shao Yu, but his real interest was in the upcoming appearance of the Snow Maiden—the former mistress of the Feixue Pavilion and the legendary Zhao Wu number one.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tianming, eager to join the excitement, waved to the others and quickly followed the Mo Clan disciples toward the Forging Department.

Xiao Xie and the others smiled and followed. Upon arrival, they saw a large crowd gathered around a circular arena, brightly lit, unlike a cavernous setting. The area was packed tightly with people.

"They’re coming! They’re coming!" several Mo Clan disciples exclaimed excitedly as Xiao Xie and the group pushed forward.

Looking into the arena, they saw a burly man, muscular and imposing, with a massive iron hammer strapped to his back. The hammer’s handle was connected by an iron chain wound around his body. His hair was styled into a towering topknot, and his skin was a dusky yellow. He slowly entered the arena.

"Isn’t that Shao Yu?" Tianming exclaimed upon seeing the man facing Iron Hammer.

The heavy footfalls thundered, shaking the ground beneath them.

"Make way up front! Hey, make way!" Suddenly, voices came from behind. Xiao Xie and the others turned.

Twelve Mo Clan disciples were carrying a large bronze cauldron forward, their breaths heavy and steps labored. Sweat dripped from their faces, instantly swallowed by the dust kicked up from the ground. The leader shouted as if a single misstep would cause the cauldron to crash through the earth.

Witnessing this, Tianming’s eyes widened, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"Oh my, twelve people carrying that! How heavy must it be?"

"At least a thousand jin," someone estimated.

"I think even more! These twelve are all brothers from Iron Hammer’s forging team, known for their strength. If they struggle this much, it must weigh way beyond a thousand jin."

...

After placing the cauldron at the center of the arena, Iron Hammer approached it and grabbed one of its ears with one hand, the other hand clasping a leg. After a moment’s silence, he shouted, “Ah!”

The bronze cauldron, weighing two thousand five hundred jin, was slowly lifted overhead by Iron Hammer.

Xiao Xie watched with interest. He could tell Iron Hammer was not using internal energy; he was relying solely on his own strength.

"Impressive," the surrounding Mo Clan disciples cheered.

"Heh, you can still quit now," Iron Hammer said, dropping the giant cauldron in front of Shao Yu, sending dust flying. He clapped his hands and dusted off, smiling at Shao Yu.

Shao Yu paid no attention to Iron Hammer’s words. He circled the cauldron slowly, scrutinizing it carefully.

"Ah... up!" Shao Yu half-kneeling, grasped two legs of the cauldron. After gathering his strength, he suddenly exerted all his power through his arms in a burst.

The bronze cauldron soared into the air, leaving the Mo Clan disciples stunned. It rose to its highest point, carrying immense force, and plummeted rapidly toward Shao Yu below.

Before the cauldron landed, the fierce wind whipped Shao Yu’s garments, stirring dust in a swirling storm around him.

"Hey!" The bronze cauldron grew larger in his eyes as he exhaled sharply. Stretching out his hands like the ancient Pangu holding up the heavens, he met the descending cauldron.

With a thunderous crash, the cauldron struck his hands. Shao Yu’s body immediately sank, his legs bending as cracks radiated from the ground beneath his feet like spiderwebs.

"Ah..." Shao Yu gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes blazed with determination. Straining with every ounce of strength, though difficult, he slowly lifted the bronze cauldron above his head.