Everyone watched as Hu Shi carefully injected the rune sequence into the groove at the base of the sword's hilt, the very spot he had pointed out earlier. The runes shimmered faintly, nearly invisible to the naked eye unless examined up close.0

"The rune sequence is the same as the sword in his hand!" someone cried out.0

The plaza erupted into an uproar. Shock rippled through the crowd; some were amazed by Hu Shi's extraordinary blacksmithing while others were stunned by the Society's strict, methodical protocols.0

From the outset, the Society had calculated every step and anticipated every outcome.0

"What profound blacksmithing skills. If a mere disciple is this strong, how powerful are Liu Wuxie's blacksmithing skills?" someone in the crowd muttered.0

Not long ago, Bi Gongyu had addressed Liu Wuxie as "Master." Bi Gongyu was a renowned alchemy grandmaster, someone who could easily have become a chief alchemist in any top-tier force.0

Yet, such a figure willingly served in the Heavenly Dao Society as a mere alchemist. It was something many still couldn't make sense of.0

The same was true for Hu Shi. With his level of skill, any faction would welcome him with open arms. And yet, he chose to remain within the...0