In the Ancestral Court, the Silent Artisan gazed upon the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground, his heart surging and falling like the tide. That ground's aura was kindred to his own; all at once layer upon layer of Dao fire blazed fierce and shot straight to the clouds!

His dantian was like a great furnace. The Dao fire he had forged within it resonated with the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground, and rose slowly from his dantian like a blazing sun!

After a moment, the sudden roar of surging water came from his dantian. A celestial river circled the sun, revealing Dao principles beyond pure yang.

Water and fire stood opposed, yet within his body they became one. Shen Mu watched the Silent Artisan, and his heart stirred.

The Silent Artisan's Heavenly Palace was the Forging Heavenly Palace; his cultivation method, too, belonged to the Dao of Forging. Heavenly artisans opening up the works of creation, with creative power most magnificent.

Yet the Silent Artisan also cultivated the Dao of Pure Yang and the Dao of Fire.

Shen Mu had not known, however, that he had already cultivated to the stage where yang reaches its extreme and yin is born! "With the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground, there still lacks a place of utmost yin. "

The Silent Artisan studied and sensed the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground, then spoke: "With so many treasures to forge your sword, the Dao fire can indeed melt them, but cooling them will be difficult. Forge once, quench once, and through the quenching the treasures' quality will rise greatly.

The Heaven Yin Realm has the Sea of Heaven Yin; its waters can be used for quenching.

"

Shen Mu said in a deep voice, "Then we go to the Heaven Yin Realm! "

The Silent Artisan shook his head.

"I also need every Heavenly Artisan in Jingping who has entered the Dao to lend their strength.

Beyond that, the finest Heavenly Artisans under heaven, to aid my forging.

"

Shen Mu hesitated, then ventured, "Emperor Shitian Li Youran? "

The Silent Artisan fell silent, unwilling to speak Emperor Shitian's name.

His surname too was Li; he was a descendant of Emperor Shitian Li Youran.

Yet Emperor Shitian's deeds had lodged in his heart, and he could not move past them. Shen Mu pondered, then said, "I will send someone to invite him to the Heaven Yin Realm. "

The Silent Artisan said, "I also need formation masters to help brand your Dao runes, Dao patterns, and domain into the sword during the forging. The Blind Elder can aid me, but your cultivation is powerful; the Blind Elder alone could hardly manage it.

Even all the formation masters of Jingping together might not accurately brand your Dao into the sword.

"

Shen Mu said, "Crown Prince Youming is deeply versed in formations, and Yan Yunxi is a master of formations as well. "

The Silent Artisan went on, "For the quenching, I need the most powerful of the ancient gods to control the water qi and help me master the quenching method.

"

Shen Mu's heart stirred.

"The two Emperors of the Black Tortoise, perhaps I can invite them to lend their strength.

"

"The Southern Emperor's Dao Fire Ancestral Ground we have, but the materials you use are too fearsome; the metal qi is too abundant.

"

"The Western Emperor, the White Tiger, is an old acquaintance of mine. Inviting her to aid my refining of treasures will not be difficult.

"

The Silent Artisan continued, "When branding your blood and qi into the divine sword, with Jingping's abilities, that step will be hard to achieve.

"

Shen Mu pondered, "Though the Eastern Emperor, the Azure Dragon, is arrogant and unruly, the Southern Emperor, the Vermilion Bird, can persuade him to come and lend his strength. "

The Silent Artisan mused for a moment, then said, "I also need the most powerful swordsmen under heaven, to hone the divine sword's edge with their own sword Dao at the moment it is nearly complete!

"

Shen Mu raised his brows and said gravely, "The Founding Emperor Shen Ye, peerless in the sword Dao; the village head Su Muzhe, a sword god incarnate; Jingping's Imperial Teacher Jiang Baigui, whose sword heart is clear and penetrating, and add to that King Yama's Fengdu Asura Sword, my father Qin Hanzhen's sword Dao, and the Yuming Sword of the First Ancestor Human Sovereign Shen Wu. Is that enough? "

The Silent Artisan shook his head. "The First Ancestor Human Sovereign's swordsmanship is mediocre; he has not comprehended the sword Dao, and is merely padding the ranks.

I need every being in Jingping who has attained the sword Dao to come together. "

Shen Mu said in a deep voice, "I will have Emperor Yanxiu help me seek out these sword Dao prodigies.

Surely they can be found!

"

The Silent Artisan set down the forging furnace he carried on his back, then lifted the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground onto his shoulders. Barefoot, carrying his box, he said in a voice like a great bell, "You may go and make preparations. I must walk, bearing this holy land on my back, so that my blood and qi and my Dao may connect and become one with it. "

Shen Mu turned and left at once to make preparations.

The Blind Elder came over and walked alongside the Silent Artisan.

The Silent Artisan said, "This is the last thing I will say before the divine sword is forged.

In the days to come, I must remain silent, striving to commune with the Dao of the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground, seeking to make man, fire, and ground one. Do not deliberately provoke me to speak, or all will be ruined! From now on, I am the Blind Elder; you lead me to the Heaven Yin Realm. "

The Blind Elder nodded hastily, with great solemnity.

The Silent Artisan closed his eyes, let the Blind Elder lead him forward, and entrusted himself wholly to him.

As the Blind Elder guided him along the road, he saw that the Silent Artisan's Dao heart had already come into resonance with the Dao of the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground.

Layer upon layer of Dao fire formed howling, spinning wheels of flame behind him, terrifying beyond measure. "He has the Blind Elder lead the way, and is not afraid of being led into a ditch.

.

. " the Blind Elder grumbled inwardly.

He had always been a loose-tongued, talkative man, and the Silent Artisan was likewise never able to keep his mouth still, and full of devious schemes to boot. That was why the Blind Elder had always gotten along so well with him.

Now the Silent Artisan said not a word. For the first few days the Blind Elder could bear it, but afterward he grew wilted and listless from holding everything in.

Meanwhile, Shen Mu and Granny Zhu came to the Heavenly Court above the Ancestral Court. The Ten Heavenly Venerables had not yet returned, and when the Heavenly Court's guards saw Shen Mu, they dared not be negligent; they bowed one after another, addressing him as Heavenly Venerable.

In the Battle of Xuandu, though Shen Mu had covered his face, most people knew it was Venerable Mu muddying the waters there, and no few Heavenly Court soldiers had died because of him. Shen Mu did not mind.

Under heaven there were many who could deal with him, but in the Heavenly Court as it now stood, no one could. He went straight to his own Venerable's Residence and contacted Jingping, asking Jingping's deities to come through the spirit-energy translocation bridge to Zaofu Palace, and from Zaofu Heavenly Palace to take the translocation bridges leading to the North Pole Heaven and the West Pole Heaven, to invite the Western Emperor and the Northern Emperor. When Ling Yuxiu received his message, she at once gathered all of Jingping's Heavenly Artisans, formation masters, and sword Dao experts, and hurried to the Heaven Yin Realm.

At the same time, Granny Zhu hurried to the Land of No Worries to invite Emperor Shitian and Yan Yunxi. Shen Mu stood on the Heavenly Court's Heaven-Watching Platform, searching.