The sword exhibition was a great success, and everyone was very satisfied. However, the main event was yet to come.
The exhibition is only meant to promote friendship and exchange. Even brothers compete with each other, let alone countries where interests come first.
The real highlight was the subsequent sword-making exchange.
Over the course of five days, each country's delegation will forge a sword, which will serve as a testament to the exchange and remain in the ancient capital of China's museum.
It appeared to be a very harmonious exchange, but those who actually participated knew that it was a contest.
Five days is enough time to forge a sword. Everything is ready; all that's needed is the manpower.
The forge had enough furnaces for all the swordsmiths in the delegations, and everyone forged swords under one roof.
When Chen Yang and his group arrived at the sword-making workshop, they couldn't help but marvel at how modern craftsmanship far surpassed that of the ancients. At least, the blacksmith workshops in the micro-world were far inferior to the ones before them.
While the technology may not be as advanced as in ancient times, the hardware is certainly far superior.
Before the sword-making begins, there is a pre-event activity: a showcase by renowned swordsmiths.
The so-called master craftsman showcase is not about bringing out these swordsmiths to introduce themselves, but rather about presenting their best works.
This is also why Zhang Guoan asked Chen Yang to bring the Su Xin Sword, because China really didn't have anyone capable of holding the line in this aspect.
Everyone took out their swords and placed them on their respective display stands. In addition to his Suxin Sword, Chen Yang also had a Longquan Sword forged by a swordsmith in his fifties.
Monte left these tasks to others and began to appreciate the swords forged by swordsmiths from various countries.
Although none of the people present were as famous as him, everyone had different forging methods, and swords from different countries were also different. The people here were all top-notch forgers, and their skill level was not much worse than his, so they were still very valuable for reference.
The swords on display were indeed of all kinds: longswords, short swords, broadswords, and two-handed swords. Each type of sword had a different forging method and a different level of difficulty, but they were all made by master craftsmen.
"I wonder what the swords made by those two swordsmiths in China are like?" Monte couldn't help but wonder.
He had some knowledge of Chinese sword-making techniques and knew that China had declined. He hadn't come here with high hopes, thinking he wouldn't see any swords that would amaze him. However, those two swordsmiths were indeed quite interesting, and perhaps they could surprise him?
He saw the Chinese booth, but only a few swordsmiths and staff from other countries were there; the two Chinese had gone to other booths.
Monte noticed that the swordsmiths in front of the booth were staring intently at the swords on display, which made him curious. Could there really be a surprise?
He strode over, and the first thing he saw was a sword, the Longquan sword.
He knew about the Longquan sword from China; it was indeed excellent, with an amazing forging method. Unfortunately, the forgers lacked skill, and most of them were commercial forgings. There weren't many who actually made swords. The one in front of him could be considered a masterpiece among them.
Unfortunately, this did not meet his expectations.
However, the swordsmiths were not looking at this sword.
"Move aside, let me see."
With his imposing physique, which was considered quite large even among Europeans, Monte pushed aside several members of the exchange group and squeezed his way to the sword.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.
How could that be!
Monte stared intently at the sword in front of the booth, just like the other swordsmiths.
This sword... is so beautiful!
The sword was a single, seamless piece, seemingly crafted by nature, radiating a faint, cold light. Its blade was incredibly sharp, truly as cold as autumn frost. He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
This sword seemed to have its own soul, revealing its sharpness to them.
Just like... the Sword of Goujian, King of Yue!
This was definitely not built in recent years!
The sword-making techniques of China could not have developed so quickly.
It wasn't that Monte's thoughts stemmed from jealousy, but rather that he genuinely didn't believe it.
The sword before me seems to be of inferior craftsmanship to the Sword of Goujian, King of Yue, but it has the advantage of being as if it were made by nature itself. It is as if the swordsmith perfectly controlled the state of the metal during the forging process and created it in one go.
This is almost impossible. It would require at least three swordsmiths to take turns striking the blade, and the swordsmiths would need to be highly skilled, united, and, most importantly, have good fortune.
This sword can only be described as a masterpiece of craftsmanship, the work of a divine artisan.
Therefore, Monte did not believe that the sword was made in modern times; only ancient China could have such a level of craftsmanship.
Perhaps this sword was forged a hundred years ago, when many ancient Chinese techniques had not yet been lost. Perhaps some reclusive craftsmen forged this sword, and it was only recently discovered.
Thinking of this, Monte felt a surge of anger.
He had thought he got along well with those two boys and even invited them to his sword-making workshop. He never expected that these two would do such a thing. Has China fallen so low that it has to rely on the things of its ancestors to save face?
Monte was very disappointed, realizing he had completely misjudged the man. He had thought they were two like-minded people who would get along well, but it turned out they were two people who were just seeking fame and fortune.
He lost interest in looking at it any longer and left the display stand. No matter how good the sword was, it had been tarnished by China's actions. He didn't want to see it again, because it would make him feel sad, sad for the sword.
Just as Monte was about to walk out, he bumped into Chen Yang and Hong Gui. He snorted coldly, "You just wait and see. A true craftsman can only prove himself through his own works. Everything else is just empty talk."
Monte left without looking back. Chen Yang and Hong Gui exchanged a glance, neither of them understanding what Monte meant.
"Chen Yang, didn't you sense anything?"
“I didn’t use natural inspiration just now, but I think I felt a bit of disappointment, so strong that I could feel it even without using natural inspiration.”
"Disappointed?" Hong Gui was even more confused. How could he be disappointed? He and Chen Yang were showing off the Pure Heart Sword, a divine artifact recognized by the Micro Realm. Would Monte be disappointed by that?
Hong Gui didn't understand, and Chen Yang was also a little confused for a moment.
“The other exchange groups all said that Monte was a bit strange. I didn’t think much of it at first, but now it seems that it really is,” Chen Yang muttered.
However, they weren't really friends with Monte, so it didn't matter to them. Monte could do whatever he wanted; they wouldn't contact him again after the exchange meeting.
As Monte left the sword-making workshop, he made up his mind that he would go all out in the sword-making that afternoon and give those two a good thrashing. He had originally wanted to save face for China, but it seemed there was no need for that anymore.
“The entire production process will be developed by then, let’s see how you cheat then,” Monte said with a sneer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com