Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

If one wanted to form a major family in Huaxia standing at the peak of the social hierarchy, they had to have a significant foundation.

What was the underlying "foundation"?

Power, money, resources, connections, talent reserves, etc. were all factors that const.i.tuted the strength of a family.

But these were undoubtedly superficial. If a family had only these, they would at most be a reputable n.o.ble family.

Simply put, they were the families whose affairs were circulated virally across different media outlets, spurring chains upon chains of nuclear reactions.

As the adage was in Huaxia: "True substance never flaunts."

Truly powerful characters rarely appeared on a screen. They controlled, manipulated, and enjoyed everything in the dark, unbeknownst to commoners.

Those who frequently appeared in the media were at most their spokesperson, giving speeches as ordered. The real games were those that happened under the table.

The true foundation of a secular family wasn't in their power, money, or connections.

The number of martial arts masters in the family, the amount of resources controlled, the physical storage of artifacts within the family. These were some of the factors that const.i.tuted the true foundation of a major family in Huaxia!

Out of all of these, martial arts talent was, of course, the most important. However, other resources, like weaponry, were crucial.

Of the seven major families in the capital, each family had its own weapons workshop. They employed their own craftsmen, combining the ancient craftsmans.h.i.+p pa.s.sed down by the ancestors with the most sophisticated science and technology to create the weapons suitable for their martial arts masters.

Where else would the weapons used by the Houtian and Xiantian Realm experts come from? They surely couldn't have fallen from the sky.

Ling Yun had followed Cui Lao, pa.s.sed through a small door with the warning "Heavy Construction Ongoing, Unauthorized Entry Restricted", and entered a small quiet courtyard. Then he watched Cui Lao as he keyed in a complicated pa.s.sword. Once the door opened, the two stepped foot into an entire enclosed factory.

The factory was as large as a standard football field. It was piping hot inside, but the ventilation system was constructed very well.

Brilliant! Absolutely ingenious!

"Inconceivable… I would never have thought of it…"

a.s.sessing the various furnaces here, as well as a variety of advanced weapon production lines—swords, spears, axes, hooks, and forks—Ling Yun was in awe!

Everyone in the secret factory was busy with the work in their hands. Some were busy testing the performance of metal, some were busy smelting steel, while some had decided to just forge iron s.h.i.+rtless. It seemed that the arrival of the two didn't attract the attention of these workers.

Cui Lao said solemnly through telepathy, "Young Master, this is the weapons workshop of our Ling Family. The original workshop was over ten times larger than this. Unfortunately, it was occupied by the Ye Family. "

"The Ye Family?" Ling Yun frowned slightly. Indeed, still water runs the deepest. The Ye Family has been low-profile, but they possess such a strong foundation! Ling Yun thought to himself.

A 40-year-old elder came over. He was handicapped, his left leg gone at the knee. Ling Yun could tell that he was at the mid-stage of Houtian Realm Level Seven. Just like Cui Lao, his meridians and various parts of his body were damaged.

Cui Lao smiled and told Ling Yun through telepathy, "He is the only fighter left out of the nine in the fierce battle at the Ling Family that year, which took his left leg. Young Master may address him as Ling Seventeen."

"Ling Seventeen has met Cui Lao before, I wonder which blade you would like this time?" He limped to Cui Lao, speaking faintly. Ling Seventeen was old-fas.h.i.+oned, his eyes were dull, and he looked ordinary.

"Take me to the production site of bows." Cui Lao smiled faintly.

Ling Seventeen looked up, gazed at Ling Yun momentarily, then turned away without a word.

Ling Yun followed Ling Seventeen silently and soon reached the corner of the workshop, where he saw the mold for a longbow.

For the making of a bow, high-tech machines and other developments were unnecessary. Ling Yun only needed a melting furnace for the metal and a suitable mold.

Only the body of the bow and the arrows had to be made; the string of the bow was already there ⁠— the Golden Black Devilish Silk.

Ling Seventeen took them to the front of a row of bows. There were various bows — short bows, longbows, and composite bows — neatly placed.

"These bows are ready-made. The tension ranges from 50 kilograms to 500 kilograms, which type would you like?" Ling Seventeen pursed his lips, his tone conveying intense emotions. As he looked at the row of bows, vivid memories from 18 years ago flashed before his eyes — the silhouettes of the 200 fighters who fought and died by his side.

Ling Yun finally spoke. "These bows are too light, I'll make one myself…"

"Uhm…" Ling Seventeen was shocked. A trace of uncertainty emanated from his eyes. He had no idea who the younging in front of him was, and he couldn't question Cui Lao excessively. By the looks of it, however, Ling Seventeen was certain that Ling Yun was a descendant of the Ling Family.

When had the Ling Family produced a descendant who regarded a 500-kilogram longbow as "too light"?

In fact, wielders of the bow had to at least be at Xiantian Realm Level One to even pull the bowstring.

Ling Seventeen knew that, up until that point, only Ling Lie, Ling Zhen, and Cui Lao could barely do it.

"Make one yourself?" Ling Seventeen repeated after him.

"Yes, I'll make it myself, but I'll need professional a.s.sistance since I don't know how to use these electrical appliances…"

"When do you intend to do it?"

"Now is fine…" Ling Yun said with a smile as he went over to the longbow mold that was one and a half meters long.

Ling Yun was surprised that the Ling Family had this treasure cove. The making and refining of weapons would be way easier for him in the future.

Ling Yun covertly asked Cui Lao, "Is this Ling Seventeen guy trustworthy?"

Cui Lao quickly nodded. "Young Master, every single one of the remaining nine men of sacrifice from back then is trustworthy. These nine people only take commands from the old master. Even your uncle doesn't have the power to order them directly."

That would do. Ling Yun turned to look at Ling Seventeen, twitched his mouth, and smiled at him. Then he said, "I need something, let's do some rearranging…"

Soon, with the help of Ling Seventeen and Cui Lao, he got some ready-made steel ingots and iron blocks — thirty-six pieces of them, of course. He quickly formed an Armillary Sphere Maze Formation at the location the longbows were made.

Aside from the furnace and the mold, Ling Yun still needed to use some secret techniques in the production process, which would involve the usage of his spatial ring. Naturally, he blocked out the line of vision so people couldn't see it.

"This…"

After Ling Yun formed the Armillary Sphere Maze Formation, he isolated the corner of this weapons workshop, stunning Cui Lao and Ling Seventeen in the process!

"This is the Armillary Sphere Maze Formation," Ling Yun told them truthfully.

Ling Seventeen was at a loss for words and stared at Ling Yun, overwhelmed by shock. He couldn't even hear Ling Yun's request for him.

Cui Lao patted the shoulder of Ling Seventeen. "Ling Yun, the biological son of Third Master, has returned!"

Ling Seventeen's body trembled vigorously, and petrified rays shot from his eyes. He threw away his crutches and, in one motion, slammed into the ground and bowed to Ling Yun.

"Ling Seventeen from the Ling Family be d.a.m.ned! I didn't know that Young Master had returned. I offer my respects to Young Master!"

Ling Yun accepted the respects of Ling Seventeen. He stared at Ling Seventeen for a while, sighed slightly, and faintly said, "Please get up, you put your life on the line to protect the Ling Family and my parents. Why would I condemn you? I haven't even offered my grat.i.tude!"

"It was and has always been my duty to protect the Ling Family. Please don't worry about it, Young Master!"

Ling Seventeen's shaking was becoming uncontrollable — even his voice was shaking! He had never expected that the son who came from the Holy Virgin of the Devil Sect would have grown up and returned to the Ling Family!

"Get up now, as I urgently require a longbow. Get someone over to help me!" Ling Yun smiled.

"If the young master doesn't mind my clumsiness, Ling Seventeen is willing to volunteer his services!" Ling Seventeen was still on the ground, refusing to get up.

"Okay, but please get up. We'll start now!"

Ling Seventeen tapped the ground with his arm, and his figure immediately flew up, standing firmly on the ground with only one leg.

Ling Yun leaned over and handed the crutches to Ling Seventeen respectfully and solemnly.

He found it hard to believe his eyes as he took the crutches, teeth chattering incessantly.

Ling Hao, a young master of the Ling Family, had been here several times, but he had never treated Ling Seventeen with such respect. Hence Ling Seventeen was greatly moved by how the other descendant of the Ling Family, Ling Yun, treated him.

Ever since his recovery from the severe injury, his limited ability on one leg meant that he was restricted to manning the weapons workshop. For 18 years, he had been stationed here, and naturally, he knew every corner of the place. With his and Cui Lao's help, Ling Yun started making his own golden bow.

When the electric lever was lifted, Ling Yun took out the two gold bricks and directly put them into the furnace to melt the gold.

When the gold had completely melted into a liquid, the furnace was turned on, and the gold water was poured into the mold of the longbow. After everything was done, the cooling began.

When the cooling was almost finished, Ling Yun drew the Dragon Vein Sword and carved Immortal Spiritual Energy on the bow with the sharp tip of the sword.

With the energy, arrows could be fired several times faster than from a normal bow!

When the golden water was done cooling to normal temperature, so was the body of the golden bow. Ling Yun retrieved the bow from the mold and took out a bit of Golden Black Devilish Silk that had the thickness of a linen thread.

The bow's body was slightly curved, and the two ends were quickly tied. After letting go, the bowstring was taut and straight, and the gold longbow was instantly made!