Tian Yu had meticulously arranged hundreds of forging materials, laying them out one by one and recording their corresponding numbers on each piece.
No. 1: Tianyin Profound Iron.
No. 2: Cryolite.
No. 3: Cloud Crystal Ore.
No. 4: …
If any experienced merchant were to witness the materials Tian Yu was using to forge this weapon, they'd likely scream in disbelief.
Because every single material laid out here was incredibly rare.
Some of them were so valuable they couldn't even be priced—enough to make any shinobi or merchant's eyes glitter with greed and make their thoughts spin wildly.
Only Tian Yu's father, Tianxiong, a top-tier merchant with an immense network across the Land of Fire and surrounding nations, could have possibly gathered these in such a short time.
In fact, several of these materials weren't even available on the legal market.
They could only be sourced through black market auctions, ancient ruins, or special trading deals between hidden villages.
Tian Yu began placing the minerals into the forging table according to the recorded order.
The devouring flames roared as the entire forging table turned fiery red.
Under intense heat, the materials began to melt into a glowing, viscous solution that shimmered with radiant light.
Simultaneously, Tian Yu injected his chakra into the mix.
He wrapped his chakra around each mineral,
Then drew them out into thread-like streams, manipulating them through the air.
Different solutions intertwined above the forge like glowing silk threads.
Ever since four years ago—when he advanced from a junior to an intermediate blacksmith—
Tian Yu's forging techniques had already surpassed the conventional blacksmithing knowledge known across the shinobi world.
Even Mifune of the Iron Country, known as one of the most revered weapons masters and swordsmen, famed for upholding the pure "way of the sword," wouldn't be able to match Tian Yu's current skill level in weapon crafting.
And now, Tian Yu was focused with utmost seriousness.
This wasn't just another blade.
It was a Zanpakutō.
He was pouring in 200% of his spiritual energy.
This was an attempt to craft a weapon that could truly step into the realm of divine artifacts.
In the entire shinobi world, perhaps only six ninja tools in existence could compare to what he was trying to create.
"Drink!"
Tian Yu shouted sharply,
The forging hammer in his hand struck down with a mighty clang.
His eyes were calm and focused, unwavering like a still lake, unshaken even as the intense heat threatened to sear his skin.
He let out a few more sharp cries, then gestured toward several distant materials.
Chakra burst forth from his palm, wrapping around the targeted materials.
They flew through the air, landed on the red-hot forging table, and instantly began melting into glowing liquid metal.
He continued hammering.
With each strike, impurities in the base minerals were purified out.
The original colors faded away, leaving only a pure, radiant glow.
As each element was burned, extracted, and refined,
The resulting solution took on a crystal-clear sky blue hue, gleaming like rare undersea gemstones.
This liquid was then channeled into the forming long blade.
It flowed into the weapon's growing structure like a patterned sky-blue brocade,
Seamlessly merging with the gradually forming ice-blue blade body.
The entire process was mesmerizing—an awe-inspiring sight.
Forging, burning, refinement, tempering—layer after layer, step after step.
Each time a material was introduced, it had to bond with absolute precision.
And as the blade took shape,
The sword body shimmered with a silvery-white glow—cold, pure, and majestic, like something born from the deepest part of the northern glacier fields.
The corners of Tian Yu's mouth curled into a small smile.
Though this was his first time forging a six-star difficulty weapon,
His technique had long since reached the level of artistic mastery.
The only real challenge came from the spiritual energy drain the process demanded.
The higher the difficulty of the weapon,
The more complex and extended the forging process became.
This particular Zanpakutō—Da Honglian Binglunwan (Great Red Lotus Ice Wheel Maru)—required hundreds of rare materials and involved thousands of individual forging, tempering, and infusing steps.
Each one had to be flawless.
The entire process needed to be completed in one go—no room for interruptions, no chances for do-overs.
This placed a tremendous burden on the blacksmith's mental endurance and chakra control.
Tian Yu, though already a prodigy, found himself faltering as he reached the final critical phase.
His vision blurred, and waves of splitting pain radiated from his temples.
The depletion of spiritual power felt like sharp needles stabbing directly into his brain.
"Just a little more—give it to me!"
Tian Yu gritted his teeth.
He raised his heavy hammer and brought it crashing down again,
Fighting through the pain that now threatened to overwhelm his senses.
His body trembled, but his grip never loosened.
He stood atop the forge like a warrior in battle, refusing to fall.
Then suddenly—
A wave of energy surged outward from the blade on the forging table.
A terrifying aura burst forth from within the weapon itself.
The moment this spiritual fluctuation appeared,
It marked one thing:
The weapon was complete.
"Huuh—"
Tian Yu exhaled heavily.
As soon as his focus broke, overwhelming exhaustion came crashing down on him like a tidal wave.
He didn't even have the strength left to look at the finished Zanpakutō.
Instead, he withdrew from his spiritual workspace—
His vision went black,
And he collapsed backward onto his bed, plunging straight into unconsciousness.
When he awoke,
Three days had passed.
As he opened his eyes again, everything appeared blindingly white at first.
Slowly, his vision cleared.
Only then did he realize—what he was seeing was the ceiling of a room.
There was an IV drip attached to his right hand.
He was lying in a hospital bed.
The Ninja Hospital.
What the hell happened?
As Tian Yu blinked in confusion, a loud cry rang out beside him.
"Brother! Brother, you're awake!"
It was Tiantian's voice.
She rushed to his side, practically leapt onto the bed, and held him tightly.
"Brother! You're finally awake! You scared us to death!"
Tian Yu's eyes twitched.
He wanted to push her off him.
This little sister of his—was she trying to strangle him out of love?
He tried to move her off,
But realized, to his dismay,
He couldn't muster any strength at all.
Even pushing off his younger sister was beyond him.
It was their mother, Keiko, who stepped in, gently pulling Tiantian away.
"Your brother just woke up. He's still weak. Don't hug him so tightly," she scolded softly.
Then she turned to Tiantian with a mother's command:
"Tiantian, go get a glass of water,
And bring over the food we prepared.
Your brother hasn't eaten in three days—he must be starving."
Tiantian nodded quickly. "Okay! I'll go now!"
After sipping water and eating a bit of food, Tian Yu finally felt his strength returning.
He chuckled to himself quietly.
So that's what happened.
He had collapsed from severe mental exhaustion after forging the Zanpakutō.
And since he didn't wake up for three whole days,
His panicked family had rushed him to the Ninja Hospital!