1537 Gone Rogue

"How are you not aware of her situation? It caused quite the scene around the world when it happened. Are you really her friend?" The disciple doubted Tian Qiyuan being Zi Xuan's friend.

"I was in seclusion for a long time and only recently emerged, so I am still unaware of many things. If you enlighten me, I'll make it worth your time."

Tian Qiyuan proceeded to take out an Ancient-grade sword and dangled it in front of the disciple like a carrot on a stick.

The disciple's eyes immediately flickered when he saw this. He never thought he would be able to acquire an Ancient-grade sword just by answering some questions.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know, Senior!"

"You can start by telling why Zi Xuan was exiled."

"That's because she'd gone rouge and went on a killing spree, becoming a mass murderer. If the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect hadn't exiled her, it would've dragged all of us down with her."

"What? Zi Xuan became a mass murderer? Surely, there must've been a mistake. I've known her for thousands of years. She wouldn't do something like that without a good reason." Tian Qiyuan's eyes widened at this shocking revelation.

He knew Zi Xuan was an eccentric individual, but she was definitely no mass murderer. If she killed someone, she definitely would have a good reason for doing so.

"It's true, Senior. The Sword Goddess went on a rampage against those who slandered the Exalted Blacksmith, especially the Ancient Anvil Association. If anyone dared to slander the Exalted Blacksmith openly, she would show up at their door and slaughter them like pigs."

"Huh…?" Tian Qiyuan's eyes widened for a second time, as he could totally see Zi Xuan doing such a thing for him as the Exalted Blacksmith Fanatic.

"She'd killed thousands of people throughout the years, killed two of the Ancient Anvil Association elders, and even crippled the Fiery Heaven Blacksmith—to the point where he could no longer wield a hammer properly. Due to her actions, she was branded as an evil cultivator and was given a bounty."

"She would've probably gone for the God of Creation's throat if he weren't so much stronger than her. Anyway, after being branded as an evil cultivator and given a bounty, the Sword Goddess became the hunted."

"If the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect hadn't exiled her, we would've been branded as accomplices and also become the world's enemy."

"I understand her situation… and I have another question. Is she dead?" Tian Qiyuan wore a grim expression on his face as he asked this serious question.

Although they never acknowledged each other as lovers, they were certainly more than just friends and had shared moments that only lovers would. Tian Qiyuan would be lying to himself if he said he didn't have any feelings for her.

"Last I heard, they managed to destroy her physical body but failed to secure her soul and allowed her to escape. That was about twenty years ago. I haven't heard anything about it since then."

"So she could still be out there, huh…"

"Last question. Who destroyed her body?"

"That would be Fiery Heaven Blacksmith. Of course, he had help from the Ancient Anvil Association and several other parties."

"Thank you. As promised, I will compensate you for your time." Tian Qiyuan handed him the sword and quickly left the scene.

His next objective was to locate Fiery Heaven Blacksmith, which didn't take long at all.

After being crippled by Zi Xuan, Fiery Heaven Blacksmith retired as a blacksmith and became a famous playboy who frequented brothels and whatnot.

After asking around, Tian Qiyuan found Fiery Heaven Blacksmith at the Thousand Fairy Sky Pavilion, surrounded by dozens of beauties as they fed him fruits and drinks.

Tian Qiyuan examined Fiery Heaven Blacksmith's body to see how crippled he was.

Fiery Heaven Blacksmith looked healthy at a glance, but once someone noticed the condition of his hands, they would immediately understand why he had to retire as a blacksmith.

His hands not only lacked fingers, but the hands themselves appeared squashed, resembling that of meatpaste.

Normally, a cultivator at his level would be able to heal such injuries even without the help of medicine. Unfortunately for him, Zi Xuan had struck him with a sword that caused permanent damage and blocked the effects of all healing medicine. This sword was something Tian Qiyuan crafted himself, and he knew at a glance from Fiery Heaven Blacksmith's injuries that she'd used that sword on him.

Unless Fiery Heaven Blacksmith destroyed his crippled body and reconstructed it from scratch, he would have no way of recovering from his injuries fully.

However, such a method was easier said than done. Rebuilding his newly constructed body to its current level would require tremendous effort and take hundreds of thousands of years.

Fiery Heaven Blacksmith did not bother rebuilding his body since he'd already lost all motivation and passion for smithing after Eternal Blacksmith became the God of Creation.

Once he was done examining Fiery Heaven Blacksmith, Tian Qiyuan approached him.

"Hey, you bastard, are you blind?"

Fiery Heaven Blacksmith cursed at him before he could even get too close.

"Can't you see that I am busy enjoying myself here? Your presence is affecting the atmosphere. Get lost before I kill—"

Before Fiery Heaven Blacksmith could even finish his sentence, Tian Qiyuan retrieved the masterpiece he'd recently completed and swung it.

Sha!

Even though Fiery Heaven Blacksmith could follow Tian Qiyuan's movements, his body was not fast enough to react to it, and before he realized it, his physical body had been destroyed.

"AHHH!"

"MURDERER!!!"

The ladies around them screamed in terror.

However, Tian Qiyuan did not kill Fiery Heaven Blacksmith, who was now a bodiless soul.

"Y-you fucking bastard! Who do you think I am?! How dare you do this to—"

Fiery Heaven Blacksmith failed to finish his sentence a second time, but it was not because of Tian Qiyuan.

When Fiery Heaven Blacksmith subconsciously laid eyes on the sword in Tian Qiyuan's grasp after being attracted by its aura, he was struck with such profound bewilderment that words utterly failed him.

As a Divine Blacksmith, he'd seen all sorts of treasures in this world. However, he'd never seen a treasure like the sword before him at this very moment. While he couldn't tell exactly what it was made of, he instinctively knew that it was something otherworldly—something this world had never seen before.

If he had to describe the treasure, it would be flawless and without equal.

Tian Qiyuan noticed that Fiery Heaven Blacksmith was ensnared by his sword and smiled, "Are you interested in this?"

He extended his sword to give Fiery Heaven Blacksmith a better look.

"W-where did you acquire such a treasure?! Is it a natural treasure, or is it someone's creation?!" Fiery Heaven Blacksmith asked, pretending as if Tian Qiyuan hadn't destroyed his physical body a moment ago. Despite losing his passion as a blacksmith and retiring as one, he was still one at heart.

Tian Qiyuan shrugged and said, "I don't know. I found it lying on the street and picked it up."

And without saying another word, Tian Qiyuan vanished from the scene like a ghost, leaving Fiery Heaven Blacksmith utterly speechless and confused.

His purpose for visiting Fiery Heaven Blacksmith was solely to punish him for destroying Zi Xuan's physical body. He'd thought about destroying Fiery Heaven Blacksmith's soul, killing him permanently.

However, when Tian Qiyuan saw how interested Fiery Heaven Blacksmith was in his weapon, Tian Qiyuan decided to torture him with curiosity.

Sure enough, Fiery Heaven Blacksmith's encounter with Tian Qiyuan's sword left a profound and everlasting impression on him, sparking an intense desire to create something of comparable brilliance.

His passion for the art reignited, and Fiery Heaven Blacksmith announced his return as a blacksmith after reconstructing his new physical body. He used his memories to study Tian Qiyuan's sword, but no matter how much he tried, he was unable to comprehend it.

Eventually, he gave up trying to understand it and began attempting to replicate it. Alas, nothing he crafted came even close to matching the quality of Tian Qiyuan's sword, even after millions of attempts.

"If only I could see that sword one more time! If only I had looked at it for a little longer back then!!!"

His infatuation eventually turned him into a madman who traveled the Nine Heavens in search of Tian Qiyuan and his sword.

Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan visited the Ancient Anvil Association and flaunted his sword to the experts there, leaving all of them absolutely gobsmacked.

To the untrained eye, Tian Qiyuan's sword appeared to be a high-quality sword and nothing more. However, to expert blacksmiths, it was nothing short of a miracle—the true pinnacle of craftsmanship that surpassed common sense and defied all logic, as if it embodied the very essence and secrets of the art of smithing.

The experts there begged Tian Qiyuan to let them examine the treasure, but Tian Qiyuan refused even to let them touch his sword.

This drove all of the experts there mad, especially Yao Tao, who actually lost control of his emotions and attacked Tian Qiyuan in an attempt to steal the sword.

However, Tian Qiyuan easily stopped Yao Tao in his tracks, even destroying his physical body in the process. Then, without another word, Tian Qiyuan vanished into thin air.

Soon, rumors of a mysterious man with a 'perfect' sword spread throughout the community like wildfire.

"It was a sword that surpassed even Celestial-grade treasures."

"It was not something created by man but by a god—one that surpasses even the God of Creation!"

These rumors eventually reached the God of Creation, immediately piquing his interest.