Jin Shengjie sighed as well. “Yes, you really understood it…”
The two Superior Blacksmiths had complicated feelings at that moment. They were half-dubious three days ago when Ou Yangming said he understood the procedure, but while they no longer doubted the young fellow, they were in awe at his unexplainable yet superb apprehension skill.
Three days were enough for him to transform the knowledge into his power. Following that, Wu Hongxi curbed his thought and expressed, “Lil’ Friend Ou, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
Ou Yangming was stunned, but he responded seriously, “Senior, please go ahead.” He owed it to the elder for being able to learn much distinctive and useful knowledge, as well as getting a rough idea to refine an interspatial bag. Thus, he would not refuse to help as long as the request was not too much.
Wu Hongxi asked solemnly, “Lil’ Friend Ou, if you achieve something greater in smithing art, can you help us smith a magic tool?” “A magic tool?” Ou Yangming blinked strangely. “Yes.” Wu Hongxi was afraid that Ou Yangming would misunderstand him, so he quickly explained, “We’re helping the imperial family smith a magic tool to save the people of the world. It’ll be a huge contribution!”
Jin Shengjie nodded. “Lil’ Friend Ou, if you agree to join us, you’ll be able to see the imperial family’s Smithing Treasure Book. It records the smithing processes of magic tools in the past generations, and its benefit is unmatched for blacksmiths like us.”
Ou Yangming wondered and questioned, “Since you have the Smithing Treasure Book, can’t you smith a magic tool?”
Wu Hongxi smiled bitterly. “Every blacksmith master is adept in different things, and it’s not easy to break through the world’s barrier. We won’t be able to succeed if we stick to the original way and adopt another person’s method.”
The young fellow’s eyelids twitched because he recalled the special feelings that he had when he smithed the magic tools.
Sure enough, a mysterious power was restraining them in this world, so they were unable to produce magic tools.
Nevertheless, Ou Yangming’s mental power was so great that he could get past the restraints. With help from his mysterious Military Fire as well, he was able to fulfill the task.
Whether it was the young fellow’s mental power or the unique Military Fire, if he had employed them separately, he could not have done it. It was only when the two complemented each other he managed to create a miracle.
At the spur of the moment, Ou Yangming noticed Jin Shengjia giving him an eye signal. It was done discreetly such that Wu Hongxi did not realize.
Ou Yangming was struck with a thought, and he immediately assured Wu Hongxi. “Master Wu, you taught me the path of equilibrium, so I won’t decline your request; I’ll surely smith a magic tool for you.”
Wu Hongxi was dumbfounded. He could not help but feel overjoyed but mad at the same time.
“This young fella isn’t one who returns kindness with ingratitude indeed, but what does he regard a magic tool as? He’s being too presumptuous to guarantee that he’ll smith one for us.’
Ou Yangming continued, “I’m currently on the move to handle an urgent matter, but once I settle it, I’ll be at your service.”
Wu Hongxi waved his hand and said, “What is it? Tell me about it.”
Ou Yangming hesitated for a while before he told the master, “I came from Changlong County and was entrusted by General Li Xinfan and Master Lu to…”
“Oh, it’s about that matter. You don’t have to continue.” Wu Hongxi sighed. “It involves a great deal, so you won’t be able to promote the matter on your own.”
“Senior, we’ve created the runes to upgrade economical arm guards, military sabers, and arrows from Common Grade to Good Grade. If we’re able to popularize the rune at a large scale, the military’s combat power will definitely be increased by a huge margin,” Ou Yangming noted sternly. During his journey to the capital, he completed the Upgrade Rune for arrows by deriving the formation in reverse in his sea of consciousness. Although he had not tested it out, he believed that it reached the standard.
“Do you think I don’t understand? But the hindrance is… Too huge!” Wu Hongxi sighed.
“It’ll benefit the country and the military. Would anyone dare to obstruct it?” Ou Yangming raised his eyebrows and asked.
Wu Hongxi scoffed disdainfully. “There are people who take the big picture into consideration in this world, but there are more people who only care about their interests!”
Ou Yangming opened his mouth but stopped. He was too young, after all, hence he did not know what else he could say.
Jin Shengjie sighed. “Lil’ Friend Ou, you have a great wish, but a change in the armaments will cause a massive effect on the country. You must know that countless people rely on the armaments to put food on their tables, so if there’s a sudden change to it, it’ll only shake up the country, and the outcome will be terrible.”
Ou Yangming looked at Jin Shengjie in confusion and wondered, ‘Why did the elder suddenly change his view on this matter?’
However, Jin Shengjie later turned around and said, “Brother Wu, Lil’ Friend Ou is doing it for the country. Let’s help him out!”
Wu Hongxi cast strange looks at Jin Hongxi and Ou Yangming, then he asked, “Big Brother Jin, did the two of you plan this beforehand and was going to drag me into it?”
Jin Shengjie laughed out loud. “You’re the imperial family’s head equipment supervisor who’s deeply trusted by the imperial family. If you agree to help us, we can achieve twice the effect by doing half the work.” Ou Yangming finally understood what was going on. He looked at Jin Shengjie gratefully and thought, ‘The elder is more experienced indeed.’
Wu Hongxi shook his head with a bitter smile. “Fine. It has almost been a hundred years since, and everyone’s preparing for it; even the imperial family is ready to gather forces to smith a magic tool. Perhaps this is the best time for a reformation.”
Subsequently, he collected himself and said, “Put this matter aside for now. Lil’ Friend Ou, I’ll teach you the final part of the path of equilibrium, but remember to practice it well. As for that matter, I’ll bear it in mind.”
Ou Yangming responded to him and paid attention to Master Wu Hongxi, who told him the main points of the path of equilibrium.
This time, Wu Hongxi did not smith anything because he had previously shown the path of equilibrium’s essence. He was only summarizing everything for the young fellow.
Jin Shengjie did not leave because he had exchanged views with Master Wu countless times already. He was familiar with Wu Hongxi’s skills, but so far nobody could do it better than Wu Hongxi.
Similar to his Layering Art, while he had passed it on to gifted young talents without any reservations, nobody managed to surpass him yet.
The two Superior Blacksmiths were not worried about other people stealing their skills, but were concerned that their techniques could not be passed on.
Ou Yangming kept nodding, and his eyes eventually lit up. He clearly benefited greatly from Wu Hongxi’s teaching, which was why he reacted this way.
Wu Hongxi finally stopped after half an hour, then he asked, “Lil’ Friend Ou, do you understand?”
“You described everything in detail, so how could I not understand?” Ou Yangming nodded and smiled.
Jin Shengjie laughed and commented, “Understanding it is one thing; applying it for yourself is another.”
Ou Yangming smiled proudly. “Since I understood it, I’ll be able to do it. Seniors, don’t worry.”
The two Superior Blacksmiths looked at each other and were moved. Wu Hongxi sighed. “Lil’ Friend Ou, go back and practice since you understand it already. If it’s going to help you, my effort won’t be in vain.”
Ou Yangming bowed at the master and took his leave.
On the other hand, Wu Hongxi and Jin Shengjie were glad yet anxious. The emotions felt were so complicated that they could not be put
into words.
Chapter 284 - An Angry Visitor Blocks The Way
Ou Yangming was rather delighted as he walked briskly on the main street.
His experience from his stay at the Wu residence affected him greatly.
Before this, though he could smith magic tools, he basically relied on the unique Military Fire’s wonderful functions. Without those magical abilities, his smithing art would decline to an unimaginable stage.
After he began to comprehend the path of equilibrium, he underwent an enormous change.
He began to not rely on the Military Fire’s properties and slowly became the peculiar fire’s owner. Though it did not seem like there was a huge difference, the meaning behind it was entirely different.
Needless to say, Ou Yangming could not achieve his goal in one move, but he was starting to work toward it.
All of a sudden, he stopped and looked around him.
He had unknowingly strayed off the main road and entered a small alley.
Of course, the alley was not narrow as a carriage could easily go through, but it was more cramped than the main road, which could fit several carriages side by side.
Ou Yangming stared with his bright eyes at a person ahead.
It was a Yang Grade middle-aged man, who stood in the middle of the alley with his hands behind his back. The man also had a faint smile on his face.
Although he did not display any killing intent, he released his aura openly and aimed it at Ou Yangming. “Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?” Ou Yangming sighed and asked. The middle-aged man questioned coldly, “Are you Ou Yangming?”
“Yes, looks like you found the right person.” “Hmph, so long as that’s you. Come with me!”
Ou Yangming could not help but laugh. “Why should I?”
“Since you’re hesitant, I can only force you to do it. I’ll seize you back to report on my mission!” The middle-aged man sneered, and his eyes looked fierce. Subsequently, he took a step forward but stepped over the distance between them, then he reached out to grab Ou Yangming.
The move was done at the speed of light, and the wind blew violently as a result. If Ou Yangming’s vital parts—his head and facewas grabbed, he would suffer a severe injury.
Ou Yangming was furious. He clenched his fists and was about to counterattack when he noticed the abnormality in the sound of the wind. He furrowed his eyebrows and shifted half a step back in a split second.
It was just half a step, but he perfectly evaded the seemingly vicious attack. “Not bad, you’re quite skilled.” The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up, but he was not going to let it be. He wielded his palms and continued to lunge at the young fellow.
Ou Yangming’s face darkened because he sensed that the person was not an ordinary Yang Grade powerhouse. The airflow around the man vaguely carried the feeling of emptiness being turned to something actual. In a way, the person’s cultivation base was at the peak of Yang Grade, and he was a half step to Extreme Grade.
The young fellow decided to not back away anymore. He got into a low stance and yelled as he punched.
An exceptionally harsh spiritual storm accompanied the punch.
At that instant, Ou Yangming’s momentum seemed to have become incredibly fearsome to the middle-aged man. In particular, the invisible pressure was like a huge mountain that almost paralyzed the man.
It was an invisible force, but the pressure was real.
‘A great-ancestor-level powerhouse?’
An unbelievable thought crossed the middle-aged man’s mind. ‘Is Ou Yangming the disguise of a great-ancestor-level powerhouse?’
Despite feeling extremely perturbed, the man kept a straight face and maintained a steady mind.
This was because he was already informed through another source that Ou Yangming’s fist-intent had a shocking and wonderful effect. Therefore, he was well-prepared for this encounter.
Following that, the man turned his wrist and used his fist instead of his nails. He ruthlessly swung his fist at Ou Yangming.
“Boom…”
The two iron fists clashed, causing Ou Yangming to fly about 10 meters away, and he rolled on the ground to disintegrate his opponent’s fist force.
Even so, the middle-aged man did not have it any better. Ou Yangming’s fist force was average such that he could not even harm a martial artist at the peak of Yin Grade. That said, the frightening pressure that came with the force did not reduce at all, thus the man could almost not breathe.
It was a spiritual pressure, which was harder to guard against and resist as compared to physical power.
Fortunately, the middle-aged man was a powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade. If his cultivation base was slightly lower, he would have escaped long ago after being frightened by the horrifying spiritual pressure.
He and Ou Yangming stared at each other in the air with a grave expression on their faces.
After Ou Yangming invented the Spiritual Fist, he had encountered two Yang Grade powerhouses, who collapsed and ran away because they could not withstand the tremendous spiritual pressure.
Now that Ou Yangming’s mental power reached a greater height, the Spiritual Fist’s might could not be mentioned in the same breath, but the powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade forcibly withstood it. The middle-aged man inhaled deeply and remarked, “That’s a great fist technique; it’s oppressive. You’re indeed Changlong County’s rising star.” “You’re flattering me.” Ou Yangming sneered and asked, “Are you still not going to tell me who you are?”
“I’m He Yicheng. My great ancestor ordered me to invite you to meet him,” the middle-aged man answered.
The look in Ou Yangming’s eyes changed as he uttered, “The He family from Linlang.”
He Yicheng said proudly, “That’s right. Please come with me.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember accepting the invitation.” Ou Yangming laughed out loud. Seeing as He Yicheng’s face took on a ghastly expression, the young fellow laughed more cheerfully. “I have something else to attend to, so I won’t be going. If you’d like to find me, come to the Yi Pavilion!”
He later flashed and walked past He Yicheng.
“How presumptuous!” He Yicheng roared madly. His eyes looked cold as he pounced on Ou Yangming once more.
Just as he took a step toward Ou Yangming, the young fellow raised his hand and launched several hidden weapons.
He Yicheng scoffed because hidden weapons could not hurt him at all. Nevertheless, he soon shrieked as he recalled something, and he dodged the weapons right away. However, Ou Yangming had plenty of tricks up his sleeves, the hidden weapons that he threw out later clashed with the ones that were thrown earlier.
“Pow…”
The hidden weapons exploded, causing countless shards to fly in all directions with high kinetic energy. As a result, He Yicheng was enveloped.
He Yicheng was appalled and yelled as loud as he could. He retrieved the bamboo hat behind him in a flash, which kept turning in front of him in the same position to block the shards that were coming at him.
Judging from the sound of metals clashing each other, it was clear that the bamboo hat was made from steel.
The moment He Yicheng sighed a breath of relief, he sensed a spine-chilling threat coming from the bottom of his heart.
It was exceptionally scary such that it felt like it came from a Supreme Great Ancestor. As such, an aura that could destroy Heaven and Earth surrounded him again.
Ou Yangming had flashed to the man’s side a while ago, and he punched a few times. He Yicheng dared not react slowly, so he quickly blocked with his hands. It was true that Ou Yangming’s fist technique was fierce, but He Yicheng felt like he would not be affected at all. Having said that, it was the spiritual pressure, which came with the fists, that made the powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade suffer.
Under the pressure, the man could not exert his full strength, by which his power and reaction speed reduced.
Normally, He Yicheng
could kill or take down a martial artist at the peak of Yin Grade in about five moves. On the contrary, he felt like he was shackled in the fight at the moment, and the sour feeling was indescribable.
Besides, Ou Yangming was not fighting He Yicheng recklessly. The young fellow kept moving around him like a slippery fish, and he kept attacking the man’s weak spot. He Yicheng was in despair because the young fellow could somehow constantly spot his weak points, where every punch and kick was made on those points.
As the two of them exchanged blows in the alley, Ou Yangming’s courage mounted. He suddenly roared and launched another hit with his fist.
He Yicheng was about to block it when the spiritual pressure rose to the extreme as though an ancient giant beast widened its mouth to devour him.
Even though He Yicheng did his best to suppress the fear inside him by not forgetting himself, he could not help but slow down a bit, thus he was punched on his shoulder.
Ou Yangming was dumbfounded. ‘When did I become so strong?’
He did give his all for the punch, but He Yicheng was a powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade, after all. Since Ou Yangming was not a Supreme Great Ancestor, how could he be so powerful?
Afterward, he heard exclamations coming from behind the walls as the residents were terrified by the sudden disaster.
Ou Yangming could not help but laugh after he twitched his ears to listen. When He Yicheng got up, instead of continuing to fight, he immediately scrambled away.
On the other hand, the young fellow was proud when he looked at his fist.
This time, he completely suppressed a powerhouse at the peak of Yang Grade by relying on his martial arts cultivation and the spiritual pressure. He had not used many other trump cards that he had.
Ou Yangming curled his lips into a smile. ‘If I use all my trump cards, I’ll do fine even if He Yicheng stays, right?
‘I’ve unknowingly become so formidable.’
Ou Yangming adjusted his clothes and retrieved a gold bar to toss it into the wall’s gap. The gold was not big, but it was more than enough to fix the wall.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 169