Chapter 1506 Three Major Paths 1506 Three Major Paths "Have you heard? The Sword Saint, Ju Mingye, met his demise when his weapon shattered mid-battle against the Spear Devil, Lei Zhen." Yuan could hear the people around him mumbling as he casually enjoyed his food in a noodle shop. "How is that possible? He wielded the Heaven Splitter, a Mythic-grade spiritual treasure, a creation of the Heaven and Earth Blacksmith, Han Bing! Such a formidable weapon would be unbreakable even by a True Immortal!" "Well, the Spear Devil has the Heaven Piercer, an Empyrean- grade spiritual treasure created by the Eternal Blacksmith, and it specializes in breaking weapons." "The Heavenly Blacksmith and the Eternal Blacksmith, huh? They've been rivals since they were mere Apprentice Blacksmiths thousands of years ago, fighting for the title of God of Creation. Now, they both stand at the top of the world as Divine Blacksmiths, being one step behind their goal. However, the Eternal Blacksmith managed to create an Empyrean-grade treasure first, so I guess he's better." "They may be amazing, but are they worthy of the God of Creation title? Only those who can create Celestial-grade treasures should be worthy of that position." There are three major secondary paths a cultivator can pursue.The first and most popular involves studying medicine to support the world with their pills. They are Alchemists. The second path belongs to Array Masters, whose formations and arrays can influence the world on a grand scale. The most common and sought-after formations are defensive ones, typically established around Sects and powerful family households. The third and final path, which is also the least popular and most difficult to master, is that of the Blacksmiths. They are responsible for crafting the weapons and artifacts that aid cultivators in battle. There are other paths one could take, but those are considered niche when compared to the major three. While one could argue which of these three major paths benefits cultivators the most, it is undeniable that all are foundational to the cultivation world and even the mortal world. The world would look vastly different if even one of these paths were missing. Suddenly, someone spoke up, "The Heaven and Earth Blacksmith and Eternal Blacksmith are impressive, no doubt, but their names are already well-known. I've heard rumors of a rising Blacksmith with a mysterious background. They say that he'd crafted a Spirit-grade weapon that could outshine even peak quality Earth-grade weapons." "Huh? What kind of nonsense is that? As if a weapon like that could exist! Unlike cultivation, a treasure's grade is absolute, so if a Spirit-grade weapon can outshine an Earth-grade weapon, it should be classified as Earth-grade!" "Who even is this mysterious Blacksmith? I consider myself quite knowledgeable in this field, but how come I've never heard of him?" People immediately doubted this information. "I don't know much about him. All I know is that he appeared out of thin air with weapons of unparalleled perfection that make everything else look fragile and imperfect in comparison." Yuan, who had been silently listening to their conversation this entire time, suddenly spoke, "That Blacksmith's name is Tian Qiyuan! You better weld that name into your soul because he'll eventually conquer the world with unrivaled treasures!" Everyone in the store turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Tian Qiyuan? Never heard of him. What about you?" "Nope." "He's definitely a nobody." Hearing their words, Yuan stood up and approached their table. With a nonchalant expression, he retrieved a sword from his storage pouch and placed it on the table before them. "T-this is—!" As the doubters beheld the perfect sword before them, their eyes widened in shock. They swallowed nervously, and their hands subconsciously reached out to touch it. However, before any of them could touch it, Yuan reclaimed the sword and tossed it inside his storage pouch. "T-that sword! Where did you get it?! I have never seen such a perfect sword before!" "Please! Let me see it again! Just for a few more seconds!" "I-I'll buy it off you! How much do you want?!" This noodle shop was frequented by the city's Blacksmiths, and they were all experienced enough to gauge a weapon's quality with a single glance. Despite the sword being a mere Heaven-grade treasure, it surpassed all expectations, transcending even the pinnacle of peak-quality treasures they had encountered before. "That sword was crafted by none other than Tian Qiyuan!" Yuan announced proudly. "And where did you find him?! I must confirm his skills with my own eyes!" Yuan shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, Tian Qiyuan is a wandering Blacksmith, so you'll have a hard time tracking him. When I encountered him by chance, he gave me the sword, asking me to spread his name in exchange." "T-then I'll buy the sword off you! I'll pay you what a peak- quality Divine-grade weapon would cost for it!" Someone there offered. "I'll pay you enough to purchase any low-quality Ancient- grade treasure!" It quickly turned into a bid, as if they were at an auction house. However, Yuan merely shook his head and said, "Sorry, the sword's not for sale." And before any of the Blacksmiths could utter another word, he vanished from the store like a ghost, leaving everyone speechless. Rumors of Tian Qiyuan began spreading like wildfire among blacksmiths worldwide after that event, which took place at Starforged Sanctuary, a renowned city dedicated to training blacksmiths and where countless famous blacksmiths were created. It was also the birthplace of the Heaven and Earth Blacksmith and the Eternal Blacksmith. Shortly after Tian Qiyuan's name became widespread, his weapons started showing up in auction houses. At first, only Spirit-grade treasures were sold, but the quality and grade of the treasure gradually increased throughout the years. These treasures were highly sought after not only by cultivators but also by blacksmiths eager to study them. However, despite countless attempts at analysis, nobody was able to replicate their craftsmanship. Even peak blacksmiths, such as the Heaven and Earth Blacksmith and the Eternal Blacksmith, were unable to replicate Tian Qiyuan's creations. This further skyrocketed his fame and reputation to heights most blacksmiths could only dream of.