Jin Shengjie looked at him and asked, “Hehe, how do you know if I wasn’t attracted to her?”
Ou Yangming was startled for some time. When he stared at Jin Shengjie’s old face, he thought, ‘This is how it is when someone’s face is as thick as a city’s wall!’
Chapter 273 - Fine Grade King
When the carriage stopped, the doorkeeper opened the small side door indifferently and looked arrogantly at the luxurious convoy as though he was looking at lambs that were about to be slaughtered.
Nonetheless, when the doorkeeper was handed an invitation card, there was a 180-degree change in his attitude.
This was because two names were written on the card.
Jin Shengjie and Ou Yangming.
Ou Yangming had just made a hit during the Blacksmith Assessment yesterday. Although he only earned the Advanced title, he was deeply respected by many blacksmiths, and people began to talk about him on equal terms with the Fine Grade King.
Yuan Lexin had instructed the doorkeeper to welcome Ou Yangming with great formality if he visited. The doorkeeper could certainly not offend a figure like Ou Yangming.
Furthermore, the name beside Ou Yangming’s was even more striking.
Jin Shengjie.
He was one of the few great Superior Blacksmiths in the capital. Not only was he renowned for the Layering Art, but he was also as famous as Wu Hongxi.
The doorkeeper could not make things difficult for either of the masters. Now that the two of them visited the Wu residence together, the pitiful doorkeeper dared not think about fawning over them to gain anything It only took a brief moment before Yuan Lexin and Yan Yuanhua came out side by side.
If Ou Yangming was the only visitor, one of them was only needed to welcome him, but given that Jin Shengjie was also present, it seemed like they were not even enough.
Jin Shengjie stroked his beard and grinned. “Hehe, Brother Wu has become more arrogant. I’ve come to his residence, but am I not able to see him?”
Yuan Lexin was helpless, and he replied to the blacksmith master with an apologetic smile. “Master Jin, please calm down. My master is smithing a weapon at the moment, and he asked our senior and junior brothers to help him. As such, the two of us are the only idle ones in the residence now.”
“Smithing a weapon?” Jin Shengjie was slightly stunned. He asked in shock, “What weapon is it that he’s making such a big fuss about?”
There was only a Fine Grade King in Wu Hongxi’s residence, but he had been famous for years and brought up several famed disciples, who later had disciples too. Among them, his first apprentice had fully inherited his teachings in smithing art and became a top-notch Advanced Blacksmith.
Nevertheless, Jin Shengjie was puzzled about why Wu Hongxi needed that disciple’s help to smith a weapon.
Yuan Lexin smiled bitterly. “Master Jin, my master told me that unless he succeeds, I should say I know nothing about it if anyone asks.”
N SO
He obviously knew some inside information, but since he said that, Jin Shengjie could not question him closely anymore.
Jin Shengjie’s eyes wandered about, and he suddenly blurted, “Judging from how you’re trying to keep it a secret, could he be smithing a magic tool?”.
Apart from a magic tool, he could not think about anything worth Wu Hongxi and his apprentices being so mysterious.
Yuan Lexin sighed. “I didn’t say it.”
Jin Shengjie’s eyes lit up. “Has Brother Wu broken through the barrier and found the way to smith a magic tool?”
“Master only has some idea, but it’s difficult to break through.” Yuan Lexin shook his head.
“It’s not just difficult; it’s simply wishful… Oh, it’s incredibly difficult.” Jin Shengjie looked gloomy.
He initially wanted to say it was wishful thinking, but he changed his choice of word in front of Wu Hongxi’s apprentices. Ou Yangming was moved. ‘Magic tools aren’t ordinary treasures at all, and there’s still a barrier in front of it. Without breaking through the barrier, any blacksmith will be said to be deceiving the people with the rumor of being able to smith magic tools.
Yuan Lexin expressed softly, “Master Jin, Master Wu heard you’re coming, so he invited you to the smithing workshop.”
Jin Shengjie was startled, then he sighed. “Ah, it looks like we’ll return without accomplishing anything today.” If Wu Hongxi could solve the issue of breaking the barrier to magic tools, he would definitely treasure it himself and would not invite Jin Shengjie inside. Despite knowing that he would fail this time, Jin Shengjie waved his sleeve and said, “Lead the way.”
Yuan Lexin glanced at Ou Yangming embarrassedly.
Jin Shengjie pulled a long face. “Lil’ Friend Ou’s attainment in smithing art isn’t inferior to mine. Since your master wants more people to brainstorm, he should come along.”
Ou Yangming grinned and uttered, “Master Jin, I’m actually…”
“There’s nothing much to say. If Brother Wu isn’t broad-minded at all, I won’t be going in too.” Jin Shengjie waved his hand.
‘I’ve smithed several magic tools already, so why would I care about Wu Hongxi’s research?’ Ou Yangming thought to himself and smiled bitterly. Despite that, he knew Master Jin Shengjie did it out of good intention, and he would be offending the blacksmith master if he still rejected the offer.
The young fellow would rather offend Wu Hongxi, whom he had not met, than disappoint Jin Shengjie, the adorable old man.
“Master Jin, you’re kidding me. Please…” Yuan Lexin forced a smile and responded helplessly. He signaled Yan Yuanhua, who took two steps back and hurried away to notify Master Wu Hongxi. Following that, they arrived at the backyard, where the guards were stricter. At one glance, Ou Yangming noticed at least three Yang Grade powerhouses.
Ou Yangming was suspicious. ‘Isn’t this just a Superior Blacksmith’s residence? Why is it guarded by many powerhouses?’ “Lil’ Friend Ou, Brother Wu is deeply trusted by the imperial family, and he’s in charge of all armaments in the world. These are powerhouses who were sent here by the imperial family.” Jin Shengjie laughed as he noticed Ou Yangming’s doubt. He added after a short pause, “If the imperial family is planning to smith a magic tool, perhaps they’ll make Brother Wu in charge of part of the important smithing task.”
Ou Yangming nodded and felt relieved. Since it was related to the imperial family, it would not be strange if even Supreme Great Ancestors appeared, let alone Yang Grade powerhouses.
‘But do they need to split the smithing of a magic tool into different parts? Isn’t that quite bizarre?’
Yuan Lexin pushed a tightly closed door after a brief moment.
Intense heat gushed out of the door at once, but Jin Shengjie and Ou Yangming were familiar with the heatwave, thus they did not furrow their eyebrows at all.
This was a massive room where eighteen casting tables were placed inside. Over thirty people worked hard, and most of them were shirtless and drenched in sweat. Evech casting table was occupied by a blacksmith, who shaped various odd materials in their hands with dancing flames.
Ou Yangming blinked and was bewildered because he could not tell that the people were smithing a magic tool. Even though he was informed beforehand, he could not tell at all.
‘Can a magic tool be smithed like this?’
A thin middle-aged man stood in the middle of the room as he quietly looked at the tables around him. A deep frown was seen on the handsome man’s face as though he was bothered by a serious problem.
The man’s eyes glowed as soon as he saw Jin Shengjie, and he quickly walked over and laughed. “Big Brother Jin, you’re finally here!”
“Brother Wu, it’s such a big scale to have eighteen casting tables work together!” Jin Shengjie remarked as he scanned the tables in the room and clicked his tongue before he continued, “Eighteen Advanced Blacksmiths; you brought over the imperial family’s foundation.”
There were many bl
acksmiths in the capital, but it was impossible to gather eighteen Advanced Blacksmiths without alarming other people.
If anyone could do it discreetly, it was none other than the imperial family, who employed their cultivated talents. calents.
Wu Hongxi forced a smile and replied to the blacksmith master, “Big Brother, please don’t mock me. Ah, I’m in a terrible fix now, and my abilities fall short of my desire…”
“It’s wishful thinking to want to smith a magic tool, so of course it’s not going to be easy.” Jin Shengjie rolled his eyes and commented coldly, “I didn’t know you’re so ambitious!”
There were not many people who had the guts to speak to Wu Hongxi like that, but the people in the room were familiar with Master Jin Shengjie. They were not qualified to be involved in the relationship between the two superb masters, hence even the blacksmiths from the imperial family pretended to be deaf, as if they could not hear what the masters were saying. “Master Jin, are you going to give up if you’re given the same opportunity?” Wu Hongxi sighed.
Jin Shengjie was dumbfounded, and he kept quiet for some time before he finally suggested, “What problems are you facing now? Tell us so that we can gather the information and examine the issues accordingly.”
The fact that he did not give a direct answer meant that he conceded to Wu Hongxi’s words. After all, top-notch blacksmiths like them dreamed about smithing magic tools their whole lives. If they were presented with such an opportunity, even if they knew it was a sweet poison, they would swallow it without any hesitation.
Wu Hongxi had a grave expression on his face. Once they got down to business, he cast aside his other concerns.
“It’s still the issue with the barrier,” he spoke in a serious tone, “I used the imperial family’s past experiences in the smithing of magic tools as references, and split up the parts for them to be smithed separately. Every part is at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five, and each of them has the space for layering. The parts are fine when they’re separated, but they begin to fracture when I try to merge them.”
Jin Shengjie was moved. “Let me take a look.”
Wu Hongxi nodded and brought him to one of the casting tables.
Standing in front of the table was a blacksmith who seemed to be around Wu Hongxi’s age. His face was as red as a date, whereas his eyes were black and shiny.
“Master, it still doesn’t work.” Seeing as Wu Hongxi walked over to him, the blacksmith shook his head and noted.
Jin Shengjie stated softly, “Lil’ Friend Ou, this is Tan Yangping, Brother Wu’s first disciple. If everything goes well, he’ll surely become a Superior Blacksmith.”
It was only then that Wu Hongxi glanced at Ou Yangming and said, “Oh, is this Lil’ Friend… Ou? The one who smithed an equipment set at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five?”
Ou Yangming responded with a smile, “Yes, that’s me.”
“You can smith a full set of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five too?” Tan Yangping was struck dumb. He scanned Ou Yangming from head to toe and asked, “Who’s your master? Why have I never seen you before?”
Ou Yangming glanced at Wu Hongxi and his disciple and noticed that there was a casual relationship between them. Instead of a master and an apprentice, they were more like friends.
The young fellow nodded and answered sternly, “My master is Old Craftsman from Changlong County’s Immense Forest Military Camp.”
Chapter 274 - Show Off My Skills
“Old Craftsman?”
Everyone else looked at each other in disbelief.
There were not many blacksmiths in Changlong County, but Master Lu was the only one who Jin Shengjie and Wu Hongxi attached importance to. It was because they had a deep impression of Master Lu, who studied the Runes Secret Technique to upgrade inexpensive pieces of equipment on his own.
As for the other blacksmiths, even if their standards were superior, Jin Shengjie and Wu Hongxi did not pay much attention to them.
“Ah…” Jin Shengjie sighed. “There are really hidden talents in the wilderness!”
On the other hand, Wu Hongxi seemed disapproving. He laughed and remarked, “Lil’ Friend Ou, you must have a deep understanding of the path of equilibrium to be able to smith five pieces of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade in the assessment.”
Ou Yangming was moved. The path of equilibrium.’
He seemed to have comprehended something from the four words, and he looked surprised and overjoyed.
Wu Hongxi was known as the Fine Grade King because he had a knack for smithing pieces of Fine Grade equipment. In fact, he was known for having an incredibly high success rate in smithing pieces of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five.
Ou Yangming perceived something when he previously studied Master Wu’s work, and the four words finally clinched the point for him.
Needless to say, this only meant that Ou Yangming figured out the key to Wu Hongxi’s lost study, and it would be another thing to be able to achieve equilibrium.
The young fellow cupped his hands at Wu Hongxi and stated seriously, “It’s not equilibrium that I’m adept in, but the path of layering.”
“Layering?” Wu Hongxi was surprised. “Big Brother Jin, that’s your expertise.”
Jin Shengjie laughed. “I’m superior to you in the Layering Art, but I’m not as steady as you are; my success rate in smithing pieces of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade is far from yours.”
“Big Brother Jin, you’re being too polite.” Wu Hongxi could not help but laugh. He asked after some thought, “Lil’ Friend Ou, if it’s possible, can you give your all and smith something that you’ve mastered?”
Tan Yangping asked in shock, “Master, are we not going to study the magic tool anymore?”
“An extra person means more help and more ideas,” Wu Hongxi responded snappily. He gently tapped the casting table and said, “Lil’ Friend Ou, please.”
Ou Yangming chuckled. He could tell that Wu Hongxi wanted to test his smithing skills.
It turned out that the Fine Grade King did not fully believe the rumor from the assessment yesterday. Nevertheless, if Ou Yangming was in his shoes, he might not necessarily believe the absurd rumor too.
“Okay, since that’s the case, I’ll show off my skills, and I hope you’ll give me some pointers.” Ou Yangming stepped forward and rummaged through the items on the table, but he felt rather strange.
Five different metals were laid out on the casting table, but none of them was featured steel, which was a commonly used material.
He realized after some thought that Wu Hongxi and his people must have a special requirement for the magic tool that they were smithing, hence the raw materials used were distinctive too.
Nonetheless, it was normal because even Ou Yangming used peculiar stones when he smithed magic tools in the past. If that was not the case, he could not have smithed the treasures even if he was able to break through the world’s barrier.
Although the unique metals on the table were not featured steel, they were superior in terms of value.
Just as Ou Yangming casually picked up one of the metals and was about to begin, Tan Yangping commented, “Have you used black steel[1] before? Don’t waste it if you haven’t!”
Ou Yangming was stunned. He picked a piece of black steel, and it was true that he had never smithed with it before, but it was quite impolite of Tan Yangping to speak like that.
Wu Hongxi smiled bitterly. “Lil’ Friend Ou, please forgive Yangping. He’s a smithing genius, but apart from smithing, he’s not good at trifling matters like getting along with others.”
“I understand.” Ou Yangming chuckled when he looked at Tan Yangping, who did not seem to be convinced. He later raised the black steel in his hand and expressed, “Brother Yan, I’ve never used black steel before, but I roughly know its properties. It shouldn’t be a problem for me to smith something at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five.”
Following that, he envelope
d the material with his Military Fire.
After hearing what Ou Yangming said, not only was Tan Yangping furious, but Jin Shengjie and Wu Hongxi seemed uneasy too. Ou Yangming made quite a big statement. If he had not used black steel before, it meant that he knew nothing about the material’s uniqueness, but he boasted on his first time smithing with it.
If the young fellow could accomplish the task, the two Superior Blacksmiths would humble themselves in front of him.
This was because one had to know the raw material inside out if one wanted to smith a piece of equipment at the peak of Fine Grade. If one had no understanding of the material at all, one would not be able to solve the various problems that would arise during the process.
Despite that, Ou Yangming’s Military Fire was different. To him, the type of material was unimportant because a material’s quality and its withstandable limit played the biggest role.
Even though black steel and featured steel were quite different, it would not be a big issue because they were materials on the same level.
“Hey?”
Next, the faces of Wu Hongxi and Tan Yangping changed all of a sudden. They saw the black steel being melted in a flash in Ou Yangming’s hands.
The Military Fire and the spiritual fire could melt metals, and they had the unique ability to shape metals according to one’s wish. Even so, the flames’ effects were completely different when they were used to melt different types of metal.
For instance, the black steel in Ou Yangming’s hands is greater than featured steel for most of the indexes. Therefore, a piece of equipment smithed with black steel would be superior to one that was smithed with featured steel. However, black steel had a near-disastrous shortcoming-its melting point was too high.
Plenty of energy and strength had to be consumed to melt black steel. In fact, even Jin Shengjie and Wu Hongxi, who were Superior Blacksmiths, could not underestimate the task at all.
That said, the black steel melted smoothly after Ou Yangming released his Military Fire.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 163