“What’s the point of selling the ore for sect points?” Nie Hanchang said with a sigh. “Yes, I might be able to get a rather significant amount of sect points from selling it, but it still won’t be enough to help me reach the next level. Rather than obtaining a supply of inferior items that can grant me a consistent but slow growth, I would rather forge a weapon with which I can earn even more sect points at a consistent pace, at the same time gaining access to more opportunities for improvement!”


    “Even then, maybe you should not rush into things,” Zhao Yunxiao tried to persuade him further. “If selling the ore for sect points is not what you want, perhaps you can look more into the smithing process, only going through with this when you have greater confidence?”


    “I know that my smithing skills are far from adequate. But that’s why I have been doing my own share of research on how the smithing process should go,” Nie Hanchang explained. “I might have neglected the part on retrieving the metal from the ore. But once that is done, I have a fairly good idea on what to do next!”


    Zhao Yunxiao: “...”


    How long had it been since Nie Hanchang excavated the rare grimiron ore?


    Even if he had been researching day in and day out without sparing a single moment since then, it was still unlikely that he would be able to successfully create a decent weapon.


    And that was if he was using a generic metal too.


    Now, the high quality of this grimiron here would only make it even more difficult for him!


    “No need to persuade me any further, Junior Martial Brother Zhao,” Nie Hanchang added. “I am not the studious type anyway, so studying more will not help me much. Even if this failed, I can always mine another one. I signed up to work at the Yellowshell Mine for this sole purpose anyway, so I will keep going until I succeed!”


    Most metals were not suitable to be made into bows, but grimiron was different.


    Unlike most metals, grimiron possessed the property of elasticity, making it suitable to be used as the main material for a bow.


    It seemed that Nie Hanchang knew about this too, which was why he even started working at Yellowshell Mine in the first place.


    In that case, it would make sense that he was unwilling to sell the rare grimiron ore that he had finally managed to obtain.


    “How about commissioning the Forge to help you with the forging then?” Zhao Yunxiao continued to suggest. “That way, won’t the chances of getting a decent bow be higher?”


    “I think you overestimate my wealth,” Nie Hanchang let out a bitter smile. “The rarer the materials, the higher the costs of commissioning the Forge to make me a weapon. How could I possibly afford to do that?”


    “This...” Zhao Yunxiao hesitated.


    It was true that Nie Hanchang would be charged quite a fortune if he wanted the rare quality grimiron ore to be forged into a weapon.


    “I appreciate the thought, but you really don’t have to persuade me any further, Junior Martial Brother Zhao,” Nie Hanchang laughed. “In any case, isn’t there a chance of spirit resonance if the user of the weapon participated in the forging process? Who knows? Maybe I will get lucky and have that happen to me?”


    “Are you really sure about this? Have you really done the proper research?” Zhao Yunxiao asked.


    “Yes, take a look at this,” Nie Hanchang showed Zhao Yunxiao what could be considered the simplified version of a weapon blueprint. “I have it all thought out, so all I need is help with extracting the metal from the ore. Will you be able to help me with that?”


    “I guess I can, as long as you don’t tell anyone...” Zhao Yunxiao took a good look at the blueprint before letting out a helpless sigh. “But don’t blame me if anything goes wrong.”


    “Of course not,” Nie Hanchang smiled in gratitude. “I appreciate the help, Junior Martial Brother Zhao. I will definitely repay you in the future.”


    Zhao Yunxiao let out another sigh.


    Extraction of the metal from the ore was considered part of the main smithing process too, so he would be going against the rules here by helping with that.


    If not because he had known Nie Hanchang for years and knew what he was like, Zhao Yunxiao would never go through with this.


    No, that alone was not nearly enough to convince Zhao Yunxiao either.


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    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


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