However, it would be different if he cultivated a blade technique and a fist art unrestrained.
If anyone else were to cultivate as hard as Ou Yangming did, one would suffer an extreme deficit in Qi and blood, which would only be harmful.
Similar to an athlete, there must be a limit to one’s difficult training. Above the limit, one would get hurt easily, and would be forced to bid farewell to the field in advance.
Sui Hezhi had no choice but to teach Ou Yangming a blade technique and a fist art since he received benefits. Even though he intended well, he was actually harming Ou Yangming.
Nevertheless, Ou Yangming was out of the ordinary.
Once Ou Yangming sensed that his Qi and blood could not compensate for their loss, he immediately stopped without forcing himself to continue. This was because he knew better than anyone else that he was not a talented genius in martial arts. The only reason people started looking at Ou Yangming differently was that he devoured blood and flesh to maintain the richness of his Qi and blood.
Without abundant Qi and blood, which was Ou Yangming’s greatest reliance, he could not achieve anything.
Countless thoughts crossed his mind when he looked at the military saber in his hands.
It was impossible for him to secretly kill pigs, because he would be exposed one day. His actions would be inexcusable if that happened.
Ou Yangming could not ask Sui Hezhi to send him quarries more frequently too.
He was already receiving a ferocious beast once in ten days, and if he asked to receive one in three days, it would seem suspicious as he actually turned the beasts into Qi and blood for his own usage.
Besides, how would he explain if Old Craftsman asked him about it?
Ou Yangming stomped his foot when he finally made a decision.
He returned to his house, then burned steel with his Military Fire to turn it into armor.
[Upgradable composition found, upgrade?]
‘Upgrade.’
Ou Yangming chose to upgrade it without hesitation, and he wanted to test where his limit was.
As a result, the purple lights in his mind gradually reduced. Other than the Toughness attributes, he added some Power attributes too. In the past, he would have stopped, but this time, he concentrated on attaching more Unique Attributes.
Agility +1, Power +1 again, Agility +1 again…
After adding the Power and Agility attributes to 2 points each, Ou Yangming’s Military Fire swayed a little as if it was about to be uncontrollable.
His face changed, and he quickly understood that the armor had reached its limit for attributes.
If Ou Yangming upgraded it further forcefully, the armor would likely be ruined.
As he calmed his mind, the Military Fire disappeared, and a brand new armor was produced.
[Item: Distinguished armor (Orange)]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, High Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Toughness +15, Power +2, Agility +2, Durability 15]
Ou Yangming was overjoyed. As expected, the Unique Attributes in each equipment can be overlayed, and they were not limited to 1 point.
Nonetheless, the better the equipment’s quality, the lower the success rate, and the higher the smithing difficulty.
It was an unchanging theory. The process of attaching a Unique Attribute was already very difficult for normal Military Fire Blacksmiths, so if one counted on them to do better than that, one would simply be forcing them to do the impossible.
Perhaps there were actually blacksmiths who could achieve excellence, but definitely not the ones in the military camp. In fact, even Old Craftsman could not do it.
The armor smithed by Ou Yangming was a size smaller than the ones usually forged in the camp because he had forged it for himself. There were only a few in the entire military camp who could fit in the armor.
Nevertheless, the armor was already at the limit of the grade that could be achieved by using normal steel, and the attributes that were attached were at a maximum. Ou Yangming needed to use a better raw material if he wanted to upgrade it further.
That being said, this was only one of the equipment he prepared to upgrade himself.
Without further ado, Ou Yangming continued to work.
Through the burning of his Military Fire, other pieces of equipment that were a size smaller than the usual ones were produced.
He was able to attain such an amazing result due to his accumulated experience.
An armor, a military saber, greaves, arm guards, and a helmet.
The five pieces of equipment formed an equipment set that could only be possessed by the most elite soldiers. Normally, only a general’s Guard like Sui Hezhi had the full set.
Of course, they only possessed pieces of White Slate Equipment, which were completely different from the ones Ou Yangming was wearing.
Ou Yangming had a pair of greaves and arm guards. If he only had one of each, he could only attach 1 point of Power and 1 point of Agility, but since they were in pairs, their attributes were above the armor’s attributes.
He was even more surprised by the helmet and the military saber smithed.
[Item: Distinguished helmet (Orange)]
[Equivalent rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Toughness +15, Power +3, Vision +1, Durability 14]
Apart from the Toughness and Power attributes that he was familiar with, the helmet had an extra attribute, which was Vision.
Ou Yangming had no idea where the Vision attribute came from, and he did not possess any precious ore that contained such an attribute.
While looking at the orange helmet, he began pondering.
He thought about the various explanations about the Military Fire. The fire was an extremely peculiar thing, and there were special situations during the smithing process where its ability to attach attributes occasionally increased.
However, the situation was extremely rare, and it could not be viewed under normal circumstances.
Ou Yangming did not understand it before, but he slowly began to fathom it.
In spite of that, he could not figure out what was the abnormality that caused the surprising outcome earlier.
He could not make sense of it even after thinking for a long time. As such, he cast the thought aside for now.
Other than the amazing helmet, the military saber turned out great too as it was the equipment that he smithed the most.
[Item: Distinguished military saber (Red)]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, High Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Sharpness +15, Toughness +15, Power +4, Durability 14]
If Ou Yangming put on all five pieces of equipment, he would have 11 points of Power and 4 points of Agility in total.
Although the points for Agility were lesser, there was nothing he could do. He heard that some masters created miracles by adding the Agility attribute to boots, but it was beyond his capability.
Ou Yangming was thrilled when he looked at the pieces of equipment smithed using his ultimate power.
He took a deep breath, then packed them into a bag.
If he simply put them on, he would definitely attract a lot of attention in the camp. Even though people would stare at him too if he carried them in a bag, it would be less eye-catching.
When Ou Yangming tried to carry the bag, he gasped.
The bag was much heavier than he imagined, and he could not lift it easily due to his current power. In other words, he would likely become an unmovable fort if he put the pieces of equipment on.
He could at least put them on since he was already in Force Grade Class Two, because his past self could not have lifted them at all.
After hesitating for a while, Ou Yangming did not give up. He retrieved the arm guards to put them on.
As he released his essential Qi, hot streams flowed into the guards then back into his body.
Power. Ou Yangming sensed strong power at that instant. It was indescribable, and he felt like h
is power increased by a few times. With that, he could carry the heavy bag easily with one hand.
Ou Yangming’s eyes glowed. This was the magical effect of equipment, which was his biggest reliance at the moment.
Afterward, he looked for a long robe to cover his swollen wrists, then left the military camp confidently.
In the past, when Ou Yangming was still a helper, he would surely be checked if he left the camp with the bag. This time, he left the camp without obstructions by showing the waist tag of an official Military Fire Blacksmith. Even if someone was suspicious about what he carried, nobody would displease him because of a small matter.
This was the unapparent treatment that could be enjoyed by Military Fire Blacksmiths in the military camp, and Ou Yangming was extremely happy about it.
After leaving the camp, he took a small path to head to the dense forest in the west.
The dense forest was 15 kilometers away from the military camp. Ou Yangming paused after walking for 15 minutes, and upon noticing that nobody was around him, he put on the greaves too.
Ou Yangming was delighted when he channeled his essential Qi. When he moved his legs, he naturally dashed forward as though an arrow left its bow.
Chapter 31
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Swoosh…”
Ou Yangming zoomed in a flash with his hands in the air and widened his eyes.
His body twisted mid-air in an extremely awkward way before he fell hard to the ground.
When he groaned while getting up, he realized that he was more than a meter away from his original spot.
Countless thoughts crossed his mind as he looked behind him dumbfoundedly.
Through the martial arts cultivation that Ou Yangming underwent, he had a certain understanding of his body quality. His external power and speed became much more valiant ever since he achieved Force Grade Class Two, and especially when he condensed essential Qi, his power increased to more than twice of what it was.
Besides, his physical power was much better than before, which was extremely obvious when he used the Military Fire. Without the assistance of his essential Qi, he could not have smithed many pieces of equipment at once.
Nevertheless, his performance today exceeded his own expectations as well.
The 2 points of Power on his arm guards allowed him to carry the heavy bag easily, and it seemed like the points increased his power by a few times.
However, the change was inferior to the change from Agility.
Ou Yangming’s body became as light as a sparrow’s due to the 2 points of Agility, such that his usual acceleration made him feel like he was flying this time.
The change was more obvious than the effect of the increased power, so much so that it was unbearable for him. Hence, he could not control his body when he flew forward, and ended up falling and rolling like a gourd.
After clapping his hands to get rid of dirt, Ou Yangming stood up to pick up the bag that was thrown aside when he flew, then put on the helmet and armor.
He finally knew the importance of equipment, and that Attribute Equipment and normal equipment were completely different when worn.
Whether it was the increased power or agility, it would make a new martial artist like him feel like he was born again. Although he did not acquire those abilities through cultivation, the power that he possessed was real.
Nonetheless, Ou Yangming needed an adaptation process to familiarize himself with the power.
Fortunately, nobody was around him at that moment. If he had experienced this in the dense forest where ferocious beasts lurked, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, Ou Yangming got rid of his concerns once he noticed the hidden trouble and put on the other equipment.
He put on the helmet, the armor, and held the military saber.
When his essential Qi circulated in his body and entered the pieces of equipment, his face could not help but redden.
It was then when he finally understood how it felt to have every piece of equipment stimulated.
The equipment set was smithed using steel, and each of them was a piece of top-notch High Grade equipment. They were considerably heavy, where Ou Yangming could not have carried them without the additional power gained.
With the overlapped Power attribute that amounted to 11 points, he felt that the pieces of equipment were weightless.
Yes. Whether it was the military saber of the armor, they were as light as rice straw.
When Ou Yangming swung his hand, if not for the military saber that came into view, he would have doubted if the object was carved from wood.
He decided that he would forge a heavier saber once he returned because the weight of his current one did not make him feel secure.
Subsequently, he kept the empty bag and took a step forward.
As expected, there was a tremendous change in Ou Yangming’s speed due to the increased power and agility.
He could leap far with a slight move, all while wearing heavy armor. Although he could not really feel the weight, the actual weight was not a joke at all.
Having 4 points of Agility might not seem much, but it did more than just doubling Ou Yangming’s speed.
The main objective of smithing the equipment set was to allow him to hunt in the dense forest, but before he could do that, he had to adapt to the sudden power and speed improvement.
Ou Yangming took a deep breath after slowing down, and the purple light in his head shone.
He then strode and moved forward according to the steps taught by Sui Hezhi.
In the military, one must pay attention to taking concise steps to move forward and backward quickly, and the steps were done perpendicularly without any flashy moves. They were perfect for Ou Yangming at the moment.
When his consciousness split into two again, he suddenly realized that he became better at controlling his body.
With sufficient mental preparation, he did not have to end up not knowing where he would land after taking a step. Moreover, he began experiencing the extra power and agility in a new way with each step taken.
In actual fact, a normal Force Grade Class Two cultivator would definitely take ten to thirty days to adapt to the newly gained power. However, due to the split consciousness that allowed Ou Yangming to observe as an outsider, his body and his consciousness were able to get used to it at an unbelievable speed.
Slowly, he spread his legs and increased his speed to the maximum.
Although he had heavy armor on him, he was as fast as a galloping horse. The essential Qi in his body circulated slowly to provide a powerful backup force for him.
While it seemed like the improved power and agility had nothing much to do with Ou Yangming’s physical power, they were in fact closely related to each other. Without sufficient power, he would have panted long ago from sprinting in the equipment set.
By the time he traveled 15 kilometers in his fastest speed, though he was tired, he did not feel as exhausted as he thought he would be.
Apart from being in Force Grade Class Two, the equipment set was the most important key.
Upon seeing the dark and gloomy dense forest, Ou Yangming stopped subconsciously.
He knew very well that the place was full of danger, and a slight mistake could cost his life.
Despite that, he regained his confidence after looking at his thick and solid equipment set.
After gritting his teeth, Ou Yangming used his Military Fire to attach the Devouring ability on his military saber. Following that, he stomped his feet, then entered the dense forest. Needless to say, he was not going to act recklessly, so he drew up a plan before entering. He would only linger in the periphery without going deeper than that.
Once he was in the dense forest, he suddenly exclaimed.
This was because he realized that his vision underwent a wonderful change, by which he could see further and deeper. Additionally, the detection ability was not
affected by the trees around him at all as though he could see past them.
[Vision +1]
Ou Yangming quickly recalled the magical Unique Attribute in his helmet.
The Vision +1 attribute could not be experienced in an open field, but when he was in a much narrower space in the forest, the attribute changed his vision.
When Ou Yangming looked around him, he made a shocking discovery that not only his front vision was increased, but the angle of his line of sight increased too when he used the attribute.
Even though it did not let him have an extra pair of eyes on the back of his head, Ou Yangming was glad about the change.
He was struck with a strange idea. ‘If I increase the Vision attribute further, will it form a visibility range with no blind spots?’
Ou Yangming later shook his head to get rid of that thought and focused on observing his surroundings.
After taking more than ten steps quietly, not a single sound was made. He benefitted in many ways as he could now use the Power and Agility attributes on his equipment set very well.
At the spur of the moment, Ou Yangming noticed a gray shadow at the end of his sight.
He instantly stopped and stuck close to the side of a big tree.
The gray shadow did not notice him as it hopped past the big tree. It was a gray hare that was looking around cautiously as if it was ready to escape anytime.
Ou Yangming’s eyes flowed. The moment the gray hare hopped past the big tree, saber-light was seen as he slashed his saber at it.
Without the upgraded equipment, his slash would not be slow, but he would have to depend on his luck if he wanted to hit the gray hare.
At the moment, his attack was as fast as lightning, and he successfully hit the hare before it could react.
With no ability to resist at all, the unlucky gray hare became Ou Yangming’s first capture in the dense forest. None of its blood, flesh, or skin were wasted because its energy was completely devoured to transform into Ou Yangming’s Qi and blood.
However, Ou Yangming was not satisfied after absorbing the gray hare’s Qi and blood.
As compared to the really powerful ferocious beasts in the forest, the hare was too small and weak, and it could not compensate for the loss of Ou Yangming’s Qi and blood.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 19