Chapter Seventy-Five: The Clustered Wood

Without delay, Qi Xiao ran tests on the remaining residue in the crucible. Once he confirmed the potion’s efficacy was intact, he summoned Blood Lotus, handing her a letter detailing the potion’s effects and instructions for use, and asked her to deliver it to Feng’s residence.

As Blood Lotus’s silhouette receded into the distance, Qi Xiao withdrew his gaze. The blood thralls were extraordinary from birth; both Blood Ruo and Blood Lotus possessed abilities on par with novice wizard apprentices. Delivering a message posed no challenge for them. No one within the organization would dare assault beings so clearly marked as supernatural servants—no one could predict whom they might offend.

Qi Xiao settled in the laboratory, perusing the borrowed alchemy handbook. After he’d finished lunch, Blood Lotus returned.

“Master, Mr. Feng asked me to deliver this to you,” she said, holding out a pale tea-colored silk pouch. Qi Xiao glanced at it—there was no need to look closely to know it contained magic crystals.

He accepted it with a smile, saying nothing more.

[Congratulations! You have successfully completed an alchemical delivery. Reward acquired: Level 1 Cantrip—Charm Beast.]

A month earlier, Qi Xiao had gained the ability to charm birds. Such cantrips offered scant use in combat, but for wizards who delighted in wilderness exploration, they were indispensable. Qi Xiao rarely found reason to use them.

Still, a free spell was a free spell. He already possessed more than a few such minor, impractical magics; his heart remained unmoved. He simply stowed the magic crystals away and let Blood Lotus retire to rest.

Returning to the alchemy laboratory, Qi Xiao absently touched his bracers. Ideas for premium items at the next auction had begun to take shape in his mind—he intended to forge a weapon, using the occasion to relocate his shop.

He browsed the system’s feedback on stellar materials, recalling everything he’d seen in Vestalia. Thoughts surged forth like a spring. He readied paper and pen and began the first step: drafting the blueprint.

Unrolling a large sheet of drawing paper and preparing his tools—quill, ink, and ruler—Qi Xiao started sketching the weapon’s outline. He envisioned a longsword: slender blade, ornate hilt.

The blade was streamlined, its edge etched with subtle patterns reminiscent of constellations. Where hilt met blade, Qi Xiao designed intricate ornaments—rings and swirling nebulae.

He only rendered rough sketches of the runes and magical sigils, just enough for himself to understand; to fully realize them would overwhelm the paper.

Upon completing the draft, Qi Xiao scrutinized and revised the design several times until he was satisfied. Then, he commenced the forging.

He set the furnace to its highest setting and fed in Void Meteorite, his primary material. While it heated, he began preparing the hilt.

He chose rare Clusterwood for the hilt—a timber both sturdy and uniquely capable of absorbing magical shocks. Ironically, Clusterwood did not grow in clusters. On the contrary, it was fiercely competitive; where it thrived, no other trees or grass survived within a hundred meters, all nutrients claimed for itself.

Its name derived from its ability to attract birds and emit a scent that dampened their aggression, often resulting in all manner of birds—even sworn enemies—nestling together on its branches. Unfortunately, this quality did not persist after harvesting, though it remained a superb crafting material.

Qi Xiao selected a fine piece of Clusterwood, its surface smooth, its grain distinct. With a sharp carving knife, he shaped the wood into the hilt, ensuring comfort and stability in the grip.

Once satisfied with the form, he delicately etched a series of short yet elegant inscriptions, adapted from Vestalian designs, though only the star-aligned runes could be modified successfully.

He further embellished the hilt with designs of nebulae, stars, and celestial orbits. In the heart of the hilt, he inlaid a Starlight Crystal, enhancing the sword’s ability to channel stellar magic.

When the Void Meteorite in the furnace reached optimal forging temperature, Qi Xiao extracted it. Despite the extreme heat, the meteorite merely softened instead of melting—exactly as he’d expected.

He wielded a massive forge hammer, steadily shaping the glowing metal into the rough form of a blade. He did not remove the impurities within the meteorite—they were, in fact, essential.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Qi Xiao continued to hammer, adjusting the blade’s width and thickness to achieve perfect balance.

The impurities in the meteorite contained rare extraterrestrial elements. During forging, these fused with the metal, potentially resisting other magical schools but greatly enhancing the sword’s affinity for stellar magic.

Some of these impurities possessed innate stellar properties, allowing the blade to resonate with the power of the stars and amplify its magics.

Though impurities marred the blade’s appearance, Qi Xiao’s craftsmanship turned them into a virtue. Within the metal, they formed luminous patterns, so that when the sword was swung, it shimmered with a star-like radiance—a unique and striking beauty.

Throughout the process, Qi Xiao meticulously adjusted every detail to ensure the edge and spine adhered to his initial vision. As the blade took shape, he joined it with the hilt and inscribed the magical sigils, aligning them perfectly with the blade’s patterns.

Once forging was complete, he plunged the sword into a special quenching solution, hardening the steel and increasing its durability. He then tempered the blade to relieve internal stresses from the quenching.

Finally, Qi Xiao polished the blade with a soft cloth until it gleamed, casting dazzling starlight beneath its surface.

Using the leftover scraps of Void Meteorite and Star Abyss Iron, he fashioned a sheath, inlaying it with an array of star-aligned crystals and gems to nurture the blade while sheathed.

Qi Xiao moved to the adjoining room for a brief test.

He deliberately extinguished the lights. With a gentle sweep of the sword, the energy stored in the Starlight Crystal activated, releasing beams of gentle starlight that illuminated the surroundings.

Where the blade passed, trails of light lingered like meteors streaking across the night sky—brilliant, yet fleeting.

The nebula patterns on the blade seemed to come alive, flowing with each movement as though real nebulae churned within.

Qi Xiao’s knowledge of stellar magic was limited, but even when the blade’s magic clashed with the impurities inside, every swing produced resonant waves of power that rippled outward.

The extraterrestrial elements within the impurities harmonized with the blade’s magic, emitting a deep, melodious resonance—a sound like the distant whispers of ancient stars.