Lin Qi's accidental creation of the Fragmentation Blade (Chapter 15) and his accidental mastery of Gravitational Contempt (Chapter 20) had made him the most talked-about person in the cultivation world. To capitalize on this, the neutral Treasure Assembly organization announced a Grand Exhibition of Modern Armaments and demanded that the Whispering Willow Sect display Lin Qi's "revolutionary new creations."
Sect Master Wu was desperate. He couldn't risk the highly unstable Fragmentation Blade leaving the sect, nor could he admit it was an accidental failure. He decided the only solution was to have Lin Qi create a copy of the blade—a safe, impressive-looking counterfeit to display.
"Disciple Lin Qi," Wu whispered, his voice cracking with anxiety. "You must forge an imitation of the Fragmentation Blade! It must look exactly like the original, but it must be completely harmless. Use the highest-grade Mystic Steel to ensure its luster! This is a test of your artistic deception!"
Lin Qi was promised a giant, sugary gingerbread man if he succeeded.
The Problem of Deception
Lin Qi returned to the Forge, given a massive ingot of Mystic Steel—a material known for being receptive to spiritual imprints but demanding absolute focus to forge cleanly.
Lin Qi knew how to make the original: hit it with a heavy hammer until it explodes into a single blade. He grabbed the largest hammer, but he was afraid of shattering the expensive Mystic Steel. He knew this one was supposed to be safe.
He decided to be extra gentle. He lifted the heavy hammer and, instead of striking the steel, he merely tapped it repeatedly with the hammer's handle, attempting to mold the steel through gentle persuasion rather than brute force.
The sealed Core of Infinite Density again perceived the goal: imitation and harmlessness. G-EVS's original power, the Dao of Perfect Form Replication, was triggered by the combination of the gentle repetitive motion and the visual reference (the original Fragmentation Blade).
The core understood that the goal was "perfect copy, zero danger." The gentle tapping, imbued with the immense, subtle power of the Core, instantly caused the Mystic Steel to reorganize its structure without heat or force.
The steel didn't fragment. It instantly and flawlessly mimicked the exact shape and spiritual signature of the original Fragmentation Blade. The surface acquired the same jet-black color and the same terrifying, unstable hum, but the inner core remained perfectly solid, stable Mystic Steel.
Lin Qi put down the hammer's handle. "It didn't break! Good. Now it won't scratch anyone."
The Uncanniness of the Counterfeit
In a matter of minutes, Lin Qi had created a blade that looked, felt, and sounded exactly like the original, but was utterly inert and stable. He had achieved perfect spiritual and physical imitation through the power of gentle taps.
Sect Master Wu and the inspecting officials from the Treasure Assembly rushed in. They saw the dazzlingly dark, humming blade.
Grand Elder Mu, who had arrived specifically to examine the blade's stability, cautiously used a spiritual probe. She expected chaos but found absolute, unnerving stillness within the steel.
"Unbelievable!" Grand Elder Mu exclaimed, her face pale. "The instability is only on the surface! The internal structure is utterly serene! He has achieved the Dao of External Chaos, Internal Order!"
Princess Lianhua, watching with rapt attention, saw the profound truth. "He taught us that the true art of deception is not to fake the look, but to fake the danger! His 'gentle persuasion' is the Mudra of Submissive Form Replication! He compelled the steel to perfectly imitate the desired form without risking internal conflict!"
Sect Master Wu wiped sweat from his brow. He now had a magnificent, safe, and terrifying-looking weapon to display.
Wu immediately formalized the event, recording his latest, slightly hysterical maxim:
> "If you wish to create a perfect imitation of a dangerous object, do not use force. Instead, tap it gently with the back of a hammer and rely on the sheer, devastating subtlety of your power to intimidate the material into submission."
>
Lin Qi received his giant gingerbread man, completely unaware that he had just proven the Whispering Willow Sect possessed the technological capability to create flawless, high-grade spiritual forgeries on command. He was officially recognized as the Grand Artisan of Submissive Form.