Xu Zhou’s consciousness emerged from endless darkness into a strange, old room devoid of any modern appliances. He had been fighting a crucial battle at his computer when a relapse of an old ailment struck from prolonged all-night gaming, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness. Instead of waking in his home or a hospital, he found himself in this unknown place. After accepting a familiar yet unfamiliar flood of memories, he realized he had died suddenly and transmigrated into a world where Martial Dao exists. Accepting the fact quickly—having no close ties in his previous life—he was excited to explore this new realm, especially the prospect of mastering martial arts.The closed wooden door suddenly knocked, startling him. He opened it to find a burly middle-aged man, his father in this life, Xu Zhenshan. Xu Zhenshan scolded him for oversleeping and reminded him to come to the blacksmith shop for work. At the shop, Xu Zhenshan announced that by the Xu family’s hereditary rule, every descendant must forge a weapon themselves at the age of sixteen as a coming-of-age ceremony. After that, they are free to pursue their own path. Xu Zhou, eager to learn martial arts, was thrilled—until his father specified that the weapon must be a Yellow Grade Low-tier Profound Tool, the Clear Wind Sword. Xu Zhou protested, knowing his skills only allowed forging ordinary steel ingots, and that he had never been taught to forge such a treasure. But his father insisted, saying the rule was absolute and that if he could not meet it, he should forget about learning martial arts.Suspicious but desperate, Xu Zhou accepted the challenge. His father handed him an actual Yellow Grade Low-tier Clear Wind Sword to use as a model, claiming he himself had forged one with just a sample and ordinary iron ore. Xu Zhou was incredulous but had no choice. His father left, giving him full control of the blacksmith shop and telling him to come back when he succeeded or gave up. Alone, Xu Zhou examined the Clear Wind Sword and the pile of standard iron ore, realizing the task seemed impossible. Then his attention was drawn to a strange palm-like pattern on the sword. Instinctively touching it, a light screen appeared: “You are using Collection Technique on the Yellow-grade Low-rank Profound Tool ‘Clear Wind Sword’!” After a progress bar filled, the collection succeeded and he obtained one “Yellow-grade Low-rank Profound Tool - Clear Wind Sword Blueprint.” Elated, he discovered that the Collection Technique and a backpack interface had accompanied him from his gaming past. Using the blueprint instantly imprinted all forging knowledge into his mind, revealing the hidden complexities his father had omitted.Recognizing that his father had set him an unfair trap, Xu Zhou nonetheless felt empowered with his cheat. He then turned to the mountain of iron ore and used Collection Technique repeatedly, collecting “Refined Iron” from each lump—1315 pieces in total. The description called it one of the best materials for forging ordinary weapons, but he was unsure if it could produce a Yellow Grade Low-tier Profound Tool. He also collected from the coal pile, obtaining “Refined Coal” (1558 pieces), described as pure coal capable of burning at terrifying temperatures. With these materials, his confidence grew.Finally, he remembered a book his father had used for blacksmithing—Thousand Hammer Refinement. It was a martial arts cultivation method but specialized for hammering techniques. Using Collection Technique on it, he obtained a skill book for Thousand Hammer Refinement (Yellow Grade High-tier, auxiliary). Upon use, its knowledge merged into his mind, revealing techniques to remove impurities from iron ore and improve refined iron quality. Though its offensive power was negligible, it was perfectly suited for blacksmithing.With the blueprint, refined materials, and advanced hammering technique, Xu Zhou prepared to forge the Clear Wind Sword. He lit the blazing furnace with refined coal and placed refined iron inside, ready to begin. This marked the start of his journey: forging the required weapon to finally earn the freedom to learn martial arts in a world filled with Martial Dao. By overcoming his father’s cunning obstacle, he would unlock the path to his true ambition.
