The Violet-Gold Handgun

The young man played three consecutive rounds, losing every single one. Each time, he would insist on ‘just one more game.’

“Senior Brother, you must keep your word. I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ve already played three rounds with you; may I enter now?” Luo Yingkong rose, unwilling to continue.

“Uh… Junior Sister, go ahead. It’s Refining Room Number One. Here’s the restriction token; keep it safe. I need to continue my research…”

Taking the token, Luo Yingkong stepped into the mountain cave. The moment she entered, a wave of intense heat washed over her.

There were about twenty refining rooms. She located Room Number One and used the token to enter.

The room itself was only twenty to thirty square meters. In its center, a small opening revealed a churning pool of magma below! Yet, it differed subtly from ordinary magma.

This magma contained very few impurities and boasted an exceptionally high temperature. A mere iron block would instantly melt into liquid iron upon falling into it.

“This is earthfire?”

She took out the Violet-Gold Iron, using her Attraction Art to make it levitate above the opening. Then, with a flick of the token, fierce flames erupted from the orifice!

The Violet-Gold Iron was roasted for an hour without any change. Luo Yingkong, feeling a touch of confusion, took out a piece of ordinary iron and tossed it above the opening.

She watched as the iron block visibly reddened, eventually transforming into molten iron! This could only mean the Violet-Gold Iron was extraordinarily hard…

Maintaining an object in the air for extended periods with the Attraction Art was no easy feat. Luo Yingkong had to rest every hour, yet the Violet-Gold Iron still refused to glow red.

Such strenuous practice was inefficient. She promptly retrieved a generator and wound copper wires around it to create two electromagnets, using their magnetic force to suspend the Violet-Gold Iron. Now, all she had to do was wait…

A full day passed, and still, the Violet-Gold Iron showed no signs of change. Luo Yingkong decided to dedicate herself to cultivating the Mad Soul Art instead. She was on the verge of mastering its first layer, and her spiritual sense already spanned twice the area of others at her stage!

Seven days later, her fuel supply ran out, and the generator ceased functioning. The Violet-Gold Iron had finally turned fiery red, almost ready. Luo Yingkong continued to refine it with her Attraction Art.

When her mind grew hazy, she switched to the Lightning Guiding Art to generate electricity, using magnetic force to maintain the iron’s position…

Many forging methods existed, but Luo Yingkong opted for the simplest: shaping with molten metal. Guns, after all, were incredibly precise instruments that could never be crafted with a hammer.

After another day of intense heating, Luo Yingkong was utterly exhausted. Seeing the Violet-Gold Iron nearing liquefaction, she grit her teeth and persevered.

“Almost there!” The Violet-Gold Iron gradually softened. Luo Yingkong unleashed her full spiritual sense, focusing it entirely on the metal, while pushing the Mad Soul Art to its limits!

Indeed, she intended to directly mold the handgun with her Attraction Art! The Violet-Gold Iron would harden rapidly once it left the earthfire, so she had to act now!

She had previously practiced shaping water into a pistol model, so working with molten metal should pose no significant issue.

A surge of blue spiritual energy enveloped the iron block. Luo Yingkong stared intently, her eyes burning and faintly aching from the fire’s glare.

Under the precise control of the Attraction Art, the Violet-Gold Iron gradually took the form of a handgun. She had no intention of forging separate parts for assembly, as that would risk it falling apart.

However, etching intricate springs and various minute components within the handgun’s interior presented a formidable challenge. A slight lapse in concentration could cause parts to fuse, demanding immense perseverance and exceptional spatial control.

As a dedicated scientist, Luo Yingkong possessed all these qualities. She was confident she could accomplish this, not just with her spiritual sense guiding her, but even if she had to sculpt it blind with her Attraction Art!

“It’s done!”

With the handgun’s basic functionalities completed, beads of sweat dotted Luo Yingkong’s pristine forehead. She patiently inspected it, and once satisfied, immediately withdrew the handgun from the flames!

Some scraps remained, which Luo Yingkong didn’t waste, fashioning them into five bullets…

“Hoo~”

She extinguished the earthfire and instantly cooled the handgun with the Ice Coagulation Art, filling the secret chamber with a sudden burst of smoke! Despite her exhaustion, her eyes gleamed with sharpness and a hint of excitement.

After nearly nine days of roasting, the cooling was instantaneous. She picked up the handgun from the ground to inspect it. The trigger and magazine were fine; it was fully functional.

It was a bit large, but that couldn’t be helped; smaller designs were far more difficult to craft. This was already an excellent result.

The handgun was semi-automatic, capable of rapid fire.

The bullets, also forged from Violet-Gold Iron, were exceptionally precious. Their extreme hardness granted them a destructive power and impact far beyond ordinary rounds.

These were to be reserved for moments of crisis. Luo Yingkong fitted casings onto the five bullets, using high-purity TNT explosive for the gunpowder within. This would amplify the explosive force and significantly increase the bullet’s velocity.

Now that it was complete, she needed to test it. This refining room wasn’t suitable, so she decided to wait until she returned to her cave dwelling.

The young man who had been guarding the cave entrance was gone, replaced by a young woman. Luo Yingkong greeted her and returned the token. To her surprise, the young woman even reimbursed her fifty spirit stones.

The token was valid for a month, and any unused time would be refunded in spirit stones. Free usage and a refund? Luo Yingkong found herself caught between laughter and tears.

Upon returning to her cave dwelling, she found Jiaofeng cultivating medicinal herbs with spirit spring water. The number of butterflies seemed to have multiplied several times over! There were now at least eighty of them! Controlling such a swarm would require a powerful spiritual sense.

“What artifact did you refine? It’s finished so quickly?” Jiaofeng asked, stepping forward.

“Of course. A weapon usable by mortals wouldn’t be too complex,” Luo Yingkong replied, taking out the purplish-black handgun. Its large barrel suggested formidable power.

“You should test this gun. I doubt I could handle the recoil.”

“How should I test it?”

Luo Yingkong loaded a regular bullet, infused it with spiritual energy, chambered it, and handed it to Jiaofeng.

“You’ve seen me use it, right? Pull the trigger below to fire,” Luo Yingkong explained.

The two then went to an open space to test its power. Conveniently, there was a large boulder. Jiaofeng, standing a thousand feet away, raised the handgun.

“Fire!”

“Bang!!”

Flames erupted from the muzzle, and the recoil numbed Jiaofeng’s palm. A bullet infused with spiritual energy possessed at least fifty times the power! What did this signify? Its maximum speed could exceed fifteen thousand meters per second!

However, this was merely theoretical; the faster the speed, the greater the resistance. Even so, not even a Core Formation cultivator could match such velocity, making it more than sufficient against Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The bullet was so fast that it left a diamond-shaped streak in the air, emitting a sharp sonic boom, but its trajectory was slightly off, soaring tens of thousands of feet away in an instant! It vanished from sight…

Jiaofeng felt a chill of fear. The speed of this thing was indescribable. If it were used against him, he would have no means of resistance.

“How was it?” Luo Yingkong asked.

“At that speed, its power should rival some magical treasures. But you can’t use it; the recoil is too immense. If I weren’t strong, that artifact might have flown backward.”

“Then, Brother Jiao, you should keep it for now. I’ll give you two special bullets. Their power is at least five times greater than the previous one, and if you infuse them with your spiritual energy, their power might increase tenfold!” Luo Yingkong took out two Violet-Gold Iron bullets and handed them to him.

“Tenfold!? If that’s the case, wouldn’t it threaten Core Formation cultivators?! Perhaps even Nascent Soul cultivators!”

“It’s not that exaggerated. I’ve heard that Nascent Soul cultivators can fly at such speeds. This small bullet poses no threat to them,” Luo Yingkong said.

“If it truly has tenfold the power, I expect my hand would be crippled after one shot,” Jiaofeng said, his hand still tingling.

“So, only use it in critical moments…”

Luo Yingkong also felt the recoil issue needed addressing. Considering existing weapons, there was an electromagnetic pulse gun that fired bullets using magnetic force, eliminating recoil and increasing power.

However, without spiritual energy to fuel it, its power would likely not match the current weapon’s.

Shaking her head, Luo Yingkong walked towards the Thousand Mechanisms Tower: “I need to go into seclusion for a while. The medicinal herbs and spirit insects will be entrusted to Brother Jiao.”