PCJ – Chapter 727 Five-Thunder Sword

Zhang Jiaohua, once he had the idea, immediately began to put it into action. The techniques for handling the materials in forging a sword embryo were all ones he had learned from Kong Fangzhou. Naturally, his technique was not yet as skillful as Kong Fangzhou’s. However, Zhang Jiaohua had an advantage Kong Fangzhou lacked—his divine sense was many times stronger. Among cultivators of the same realm, Zhang Jiaohua’s divine sense was far more powerful than that of most. In terms of cultivation level, Kong Fangzhou was actually a full stage behind Zhang Jiaohua.

Zhang Jiaohua knew that to guide the materials within the sword embryo into forming a natural array, he needed to understand the properties of the molecules in each material, as well as the changes that occurred when those molecules combined. By regulating molecular motion, reactions, and structural combinations, it might be possible to form a natural array.

Although Zhang Jiaohua’s understanding of arrays was already decent, forming a natural array inside a sword embryo was no small challenge.

“Right, maybe I can ask the Mute and the others,” Zhang Jiaohua’s eyes lit up. The Mute and his group were still working on developing more advanced artificial intelligences—brains with stronger computing power and higher intelligence. Zhang Jiaohua also needed a stronger AI to assist him in designing and combining array structures.

Inside the Daoist Diagram, Zhang Jiaohua’s ability to simulate might surpass that of most artificial brains, but there was simply too much to simulate. He did not want to spend all his time locked away in the Daoist Diagram running calculations.

To simulate the details of forging a spiritual sword, every single process had to be modeled. With his divine sense, Zhang Jiaohua could monitor each individual molecule’s movement during the refining process with utmost precision. At first, he did not attempt to use his divine sense to interfere with any part of the forging—he only observed.

He watched as the refining technique merged different ores together, purging the impurities, while molecules inside broke apart, recombined, and arranged themselves. Gradually, a sword embryo took shape. Throughout the entire process, other than using basic control methods of the refining technique, Zhang Jiaohua did not use his divine sense to control anything.

After several months of experimental work—enough sword embryos to pile into a small mountain—Zhang Jiaohua finally completed the modeling process.

At the same time, he finished using an intelligent computer to optimize and combine various arrays, analyzing them against the modeling data from the sword embryos, and finally determined a plan for array placement within the sword embryo.

Zhang Jiaohua did not intend to attempt constructing a complex combined array right away. Combined arrays were much more intricate than ordinary formations. With no prior experience, if he attempted something so complicated at the outset, failure would be inevitable. So he decided to take it step by step. Divine sense truly was a wondrous thing—when he applied his divine sense to the refining materials, he discovered that every tiny change in the materials was influenced by his divine sense. He also noticed another phenomenon: his spiritual power was being consumed rapidly. After absorbing this spiritual power, the refining materials, under the guidance of his divine sense, seemed to gain a trace of spirituality.

Originally, Zhang Jiaohua intended to use his divine sense to guide the materials into the simplest, most basic strengthening array. But he changed his mind on the spot. He recited a mantra: “I respectfully invite the Five Emperors of the Five Directions and the Thunder Gods of the Five Thunders. Descend to the mortal world with heaven-shaking might. Guard the Three Thousand Realms, shield us from thunder strikes and fire burns. When evil cultivators come to do battle, let the Five Thunders smite them into dust. Your disciple now respectfully calls upon you—may the Five Thunders bestow their divine presence!”

Zhang Jiaohua infused this incantation into the molecular fragments of the materials, without trying to control them, letting them combine freely. When he finally condensed the sword embryo with the refining technique, what appeared before him was a spiritual sword that constantly crackled with arcs of lightning. At a glance, it was extraordinary. Its might was not quite equal to that of the ancient sword, but it radiated a unique and powerful aura of its own.

Seeing the sword Zhang Jiaohua had forged, Kong Fangzhou could only sigh helplessly. Zhang Jiaohua had not been practicing the art of refining for long, while Kong Fangzhou himself was the descendant of a refining clan—yet he was thoroughly surpassed by Zhang Jiaohua’s casual effort. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

“What kind of sword is this?” Kong Fangzhou asked. He did not dare to touch it; he could tell at once that it was dangerous, even more untamable than the ancient sword. When he reached out to take it from Zhang Jiaohua, the sword shot out a bolt of lightning.

“It should be called the Five-Thunder Sword. While refining, I invoked a Five-Thunder Incantation, which seems to have endowed the sword embryo with a Five-Thunder Array. Looks like our previous theories weren’t entirely correct—there’s an easier way to do this.” Zhang Jiaohua smiled.

Kong Fangzhou was stunned. “That works too?”

“Yes. Anyway, that’s exactly how this Five-Thunder Sword came about. You can try it yourself.”

Of course, Kong Fangzhou was tempted. The method sounded so simple. He immediately tried it. But three days later, with dark circles under his eyes, he went to Zhang Jiaohua. “Did you really refine the Five-Thunder Sword that way?”

“Of course. Why would I lie? What’s wrong—you couldn’t do it?” Zhang Jiaohua was a bit surprised. At that moment, he was already thinking about what other incantations he could use to forge a spiritual sword even stronger than the ancient one.

“I used your method for three days straight, and all I got was a pile of scrap metal—even worse than my previous sword embryos,” Kong Fangzhou said, ashamed and annoyed.

“No way? I thought it was really easy,” Zhang Jiaohua said in confusion. Then, right in front of Kong Fangzhou, he refined another Five-Thunder Sword with ease, devastating Kong Fangzhou’s confidence.

Kong Fangzhou was not a narrow-minded man. After thinking it through, he realized the reason and admitted dejectedly, “My divine sense is far weaker than yours. With that difference, it’s impossible for me to refine a spiritual sword using your method. I’ll just have to find one that suits me.”

Zhang Jiaohua thought carefully and realized Kong Fangzhou was right. Even though he had not consciously controlled the sword embryo during the refining process, his divine sense had in fact been subtly guiding everything all along—he just hadn’t realized it.

Once he understood this, he didn’t bother worrying about Kong Fangzhou anymore. He simply prepared more materials to refine another spiritual sword.

This time, he recited a different incantation: “Eastern Hua, Eastern Pole, Nine Qi of the Azure Palace. By decree of the Great Emperor, attended by the Nine Elder Immortals. Envoys of the Nine Dragons, riding nine dragons. Lords of the Five Directions, binding the souls of the dead. Nine Heavens and Nine Qi, venerable master of the Three Treasures. Life essence follows the talisman…”

As Zhang Jiaohua chanted the Nine-Dragon Talisman, his divine sense transformed into nine dragons that plunged into the sword embryo. The materials within began to form an extraordinary structure in a mysterious and marvelous way.