Chương 58: Mantis Arms, Beast Form

"Yes, Master. I've been considering exactly that," Su Zhe replied with a nod. Weapons used by martial artists were, at their core, consumables. In the course of combat and training, they inevitably wore down—chips, dents, fractures. Once the damage became severe, a warrior had no choice but to replace their weapon. The Iron Smith Gang would collect these discarded martial weapons, but their only use was to be melted down and reforged as raw material.

Over time, the Artisan Hall had accumulated a large stockpile of broken weapons. Su Zhe proposed buying them back at a price ten percent higher than the market rate. That alone shocked Sun Tiexin.

"You mean to say—you'll personally pay for all these discarded weapons? And you just want me to coordinate the purchase?" Sun Tiexin stared at him, eyes wide like a bull's.

"Yes, Master." Su Zhe nodded again.

"Then what do you need all these scrap weapons for? Wouldn't your time be better spent cultivating or refining your forging skills?" Sun Tiexin frowned, completely puzzled. Su Zhe had already prepared his answer long ago. He waved his hands casually.

"Ah… I'm not entirely sure myself."

"It was all arranged by Sword-Casting Manor Li Shanyun. If you have questions, Master, you should ask her." He threw the responsibility away without hesitation. In truth, Su Zhe and Li Shanyun had an agreement. Once he entered the Sword-Casting Manor, she would study his unusual "bone-meridian transformation physique." In return, he could conveniently shift all blame onto her whenever needed. Sun Tiexin was momentarily speechless. Ask Li Shanyun?

That woman had already returned to the Sword-Casting Manor to report on the genius from Luxian County. There was no way he could confront her now—even if he wanted to, he couldn't even get through the gates.

"This… isn't a major matter," Sun Tiexin finally said after a pause.

"As long as the gang's profits aren't harmed, I can approve it." But then he narrowed his eyes again.

"Still… does Li Shanyun really have that much money?"

"She does," Su Zhe said lightly, raising an eyebrow. Sun Tiexin immediately recalled the scene. A sword valued at four taels of pure gold had been casually paid for with forty taels instead. At that memory, his expression stiffened.

"Hmph. So what if she's rich?" he muttered stubbornly.

"We martial artists shouldn't be obsessed with worldly wealth anyway." Su Zhe said nothing, only smiled faintly. He could hear the sourness leaking from those words. As the head of the Iron Smith Gang's forging operations, Sun Tiexin could make decisions like this on his own without consulting the others. At that moment, he continued:"In two days, I'll be taking your two senior brothers to Yandang Mountain to eliminate the Blood Refining Cult."

"You stay put during this time. Don't cause trouble."

"That cult has existed in the shadows for years, but recently their movements have become unusually bold."

"You're someone Li Shanyun values. Since I'm not letting you go, then you'd better behave yourself." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Su Zhe felt a faint warmth in his heart.

"Yes, Master. I understand."

"I've never been one for fighting or causing trouble." Sun Tiexin nodded in satisfaction. True enough—this disciple had been unusually obedient since joining the sect. No trouble, no scandals. Unlike Xiao Xunhuan. Su Zhe's talent even surpassed Xiao Xunhuan's, yet he required far less attention. The only thing Sun Tiexin disliked a little… was that this disciple seemed too cautious. A bit timid. But then again—fearful people lived longer.

With Su Zhe's talent, he would likely reach the third rank within three years. Even without entering the Sword-Casting Manor, he could dominate Luxian County effortlessly.

"I've already sent your senior brother to handle the scrap weapons," Sun Tiexin added.

"The first batch will be delivered today to Warehouse No. 19. You'll settle the payment directly."

"Come see me again tomorrow. I have something else for you."

"Understood. I'll take my leave, Master." Su Zhe bowed respectfully and departed. Iron Smith Gang – Warehouse No. 19 The warehouse was vast and had long been unused. By evening, Senior Brother Gu Ju arrived with thirty discarded martial weapons. After valuation, Su Zhe paid two hundred taels of silver. Most of these were either unranked or first-grade mortal weapons. As usable weapons, they were valuable. But as scrap, they were nearly worthless. Even cheaper than raw forging materials.

This was because once materials were forged into weapons, they underwent structural loss and "solidification." Even when broken down again, they could no longer fully return to their original quality. Weaponsmiths found such recycled materials difficult to work with, often avoiding them entirely for high-grade forging. In truth, Su Zhe's actions were beneficial to the Iron Smith Gang.

"Junior Brother," Gu Ju said after receiving the payment, frowning slightly.

"This is only one-third of the gang's scrap stock. If it all gets sold to you, I'm afraid even your finances won't hold up."

"It's fine," Su Zhe replied with a smile.

"If it's only silver, then yes—it might be tight. But I can offset it with other valuables too."

"That works," Gu Ju nodded. Then Su Zhe added casually:"Don't worry, Senior Brother. This is all Li Shanyun's money anyway. I'm just handling the errands." Gu Ju's expression softened at the mention of the Sword-Casting Manor. He said no more and left. Su Zhe watched him go. His senior brother was the kind of man who would shed tears over tragic stories in novels—too kind-hearted for his own good. Two days later, Sun Tiexin would leave for Yandang Mountain. And for now, everything proceeded smoothly. Warehouse No.

19 – Night Su Zhe stood alone inside the warehouse. At this rate, the warehouse will eventually be completely filled with scrap weapons. But once I refine them using the Creation Immortal Cauldron, they will simply vanish. That could raise suspicion. He frowned slightly. But soon relaxed. What does it have to do with me? In less than three months, Li Shanyun would return. By then, he would already have left Luxian County for the Sword-Casting Manor.

By the time anyone noticed, there would be no evidence left to question. And with Sun Tiexin personally assigning this warehouse to him, no one else could even enter without permission. That alone was enough to hide things temporarily. Most scrap weapons were damaged and required repair before reuse. But Su Zhe didn't repair them. He refined them directly. No need for restoration—just a drop of "precious blood" to imprint the desired traits into the weapon essence. Cost: roughly six taels of gold per item.

And so, his gold-consuming cultivation began again. Two hours passed. All thirty weapons were refined into his body. A flood of martial insights surged into his mind, leaving him dizzy. He rested for half an hour before fully absorbing everything. Total expenditure: five thousand taels of silver. Quantity creates qualitative change. The accumulation triggered a dramatic transformation in his martial foundation, comprehension, and talent.

Status Panel User: Su Zhe Realm: Third Rank Mid-Stage – Inner Force Realm Bone Structure: Lower tier "One in a Thousand" (natural talent), Upper tier "One in a Thousand" (equipment-enhanced; low/mid/high tiers exist) Cultivation Techniques: Savage Ox Hammer – Mastery (Perfect) Fierce Tiger Blade – Mastery (Perfect) Spirit Snake Sword – Mastery (Perfect), Inner Force formed Flood Dragon Method – Intermediate (near breakthrough) Shadow Mantis Slaughter Art – Beginner"Spirit Snake Sword is now fully mastered.

The Flood Dragon Method is close to completion."

"And the Shadow Mantis Slaughter Art has reached beginner level." Inner force surged through his body like thunder rolling across his muscles. His physique subtly changed. His arms became thicker, wrapped in inner force that shimmered like weapon-grade brilliance. Yet his waist remained slim—coiled with explosive power.

"Mantis arms, mantis form… beast-like structure." He struck out with a palm like a blade. A large stone before him split cleanly in two. Like it had been cut by a divine weapon. His palm, empowered by inner force, was now no weaker than a mortal weapon. Even his equipped bone structure had reached the upper "One in a Thousand" tier. And beyond that, the thirty scrap weapons had gifted him countless combat insights and battle instincts. A massive boost to real combat ability. Too expensive.

More than twenty thousand taels of silver… it will only last me three or four days. But after three or four days… even a mid-third-rank cultivator like me should be able to kill someone like the Three Great Pillars of the Iron Smith Gang. He reflected quietly. Third-rank peak experts also had tiers. The Three Great Pillars of Luxian's Iron Smith Gang were already half-step fourth rank—true elite peak warriors. In the past, Su Zhe could only look up to them.

But in just three and a half months, he had already reached their level. Previously, what he lacked most was combat experience. Now, that weakness had been filled by absorbing countless weapon memories. The Next Day A group of county guards stormed into the Iron Smith Gang's Artisan Hall, armed with sabers. Leading them was a man in an official robe embroidered with a golden leopard. His presence alone carried overwhelming authority.

"I am County Lieutenant Wang Hai!"

"Who is Su Zhe? Step forward!"

"I have questions for you!"