[Some people were there cursing right in your face, and some even attempted to pull out their swords, intent on giving you a harsh lesson.]

[The commotion attracted the guard warriors outside the door. Armed with crossbows, they surrounded you, ready to throw you out.]

[Suddenly, a stately man clad as a military officer stood up. His waist was adorned with a sharp sword, his demeanor impressive, and it was clear at a glance that he had formidable strength and martial prowess.]

[He raised his hand to stop the guard warriors, solemnly stating that this matter concerned the forging skills of the Ishimaru Sword Furnace and the prestige of the Great General.]

[If they were to expel you rudely, it was likely you would return to the foreign western countries and publicize today’s events, damaging the reputation of the royal swordsmith and the Great General.]

[As one of the supreme generals, he couldn’t just stand by idly. If the royal swordsmith was still available, they should let you witness the forging skills of Sakura Fall, so you could promote the strength of Sakura Fall overseas and enhance the international prestige of the Great General.]

[The supreme general’s rank and status were quite high, the guard warriors listened to his orders and hurried to the sword-forging workshop. It appeared they were going to report to the royal swordsmith.]

[...]

[Shortly after, the guard warriors returned, claiming that the royal swordsmith had agreed to your challenge and invitation for a joint exchange of skills at the sword-forging workshop.]

[Led by the warriors, you left the reception room and headed for the heart of the Ishimaru Sword Furnace — the sword-forging workshop.]

[The only person accompanying you was the former supreme general, the rest couldn’t enter the sword-forging workshop due to their lower status, thus, they could not witness this ’forging competition’.]

[The sword-forging workshop was like a huge furnace, and as soon as you entered, a wave of scorching heat hit your face.]

[What you saw was a red-hot scene with numerous sword furnaces blazing fiercely in the workshop.]

[In front of each sword furnace was a burly swordsmith swinging a hammer and forging, and next to each swordsmith, several apprentices were pumping bellows and holding fire tongs.]

[You only stayed for a moment, but you were already extremely excited and eager to use your family’s fine steel forging hammer to forge a superior sword.]

[The warrior guards led you and the supreme general deeper into the workshop...]

[Throughout your journey, not a single swordsmith glanced your way; they were wholeheartedly forging weapons, as if creating weapons was the most important thing in the world.]

[Under the severe requirements, each weapon forged in the Ishimaru Sword Furnace embodied the heart and effort of swordsmiths – no wonder the charging fee for forging was so high.]

[Upon going deeper, you and the supreme general arrived at the deepest part of the workshop...]

[There stood one large sword furnace, not surrounded by apprentices, but manned by a single middle-aged swordsmith.]

[He was bare-chested, with a goatee, meticulously inspecting a sharp blade in his hand.] 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

[The Gale Thunderclap (Epic Weapon): made mainly of Wind Light Steel and Thundering Steel, combined with various precious metals, and repeatedly forged into a priceless weapon.]

[When using this weapon, a gust of wind roars with each swing, greatly increasing the power of the attack.]

[The middle-aged swordsmith looked at the blade for a long time, regretfully shook his head, then threw it back into the sword furnace, ready to personally start remelting it.]

[The nearby warrior guard stepped forward to report in a whisper, and the swordsmith turned his gaze towards you.]

[You spotted the Fire Worshiping royal swordsmith!]

[The royal swordsmith appeared quite interested in you. He signaled for the warriors to leave and asked you if you would like to share forging techniques.]

[After your nod of agreement, its interest in you seemed to increase further; he explained to you that every time they finished a sword at the Ishimaru Sword Furnace, he is the one who did the final inspection, only delivering the sword to the client if it was up to standards.]

[He led you to the sword furnace, took out the slightly reddened Gale Thunderclap with tongs. This sword was crafted by the outside swordsmiths, and asked you if you could identify any inadequacies in its workmanship and why he had decided to return it to the furnace.]

[You understood that this was a test by the royal swordsmith, and if you couldn’t provide an answer, they would take that to mean that your forging skills were superficial and not suitable for discourse or comparison.]

[The accompanying supreme general was also interested in you, wanting to see if your real skills were as outstanding as what you spoke of.]

[You were not intimidated. You received the tongs and began a detailed inspection of the blade known as the Gale Thunderclap. After a while, you set down the weapon, confident in your answer...]

[The initial intention of the crafting of this weapon was to combine the power of the wild wind and thunder to enhance the power of the weapon. Unfortunately, when the sword was finished, only the power of the wild wind was utilized, and the power of the thunder was not integrated.]

[Otherwise, this sword, though not qualifying for the level of ’divine weapons’, could still have significantly increased power!]

[Your explanation had the royal swordsmith nodding while stroking his beard, and the supreme general beside him seemed to lose his previous contempt.]

[Your forging skills had barely reached the epic level, if the royal swordsmith were to use a higher level sword to test you, you would probably be completely humiliated and be swept out the door without ceremony.]