He smiled bitterly and went forward to ask Ou Yangming softly, “Master Ou, how confident are you?”
Ou Yangming answered after some thought, “More than 50%.”
Feng Guangyuan was stunned. ‘How dare you take up the task when you’re only 50% confident about it? You’re too daring!’
Yi Yucheng forced a smile too. “Master Ou, I know you’d like to gain prestige for the Yi Pavilion. Ah, one can earn 3,000 Prestige Points from this task, so it makes sense that people will covet it…”
Apart from a monetary reward, one would earn a certain amount of Prestige Points each time one completed a task from the Smithing Hall.
Nevertheless, the prestige for normal tasks was not high because one could only obtain a few 10 Prestige Points from smithing even a piece of Fine Grade equipment. Only if one smithed an item at the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five or something that was layered with Unique Attributes, one could secure over 100 Prestige Points.
In a way, the simpler the smithing task, the lower the Prestige Points. On the contrary, the harder the task, the higher the Prestige Points, so much so that the points would skyrocket.
If an Advanced Blacksmith put down one’s dignity by accepting normal tasks here, one would still be considered hardworking to be able to clinch 1,000 Prestige Points in a day.
It was hard to imagine that the smithing task that Ou Yangming was looking at was worth 3,000 Prestige Points, but the task’s difficulty was also unimaginable.
Feng Guangyuan cleared his throat and stated, “Master Ou, we’d be delighted and you’ll be more reputable if you succeed this time, but if you don’t… You won’t fall into disrepute, but your reputation will be more or less damaged!”
Ou Yangming nodded. “Thank you for your pointers, Master Feng, but I did research this aspect.”
Yi Yucheng and Feng Guangyuan smiled helplessly when they heard the young fellow because they knew he was determined to accept the task.
“Master Ou, the patron made a request. If you complete the task, other than the 3,000 Prestige Points from our Blacksmiths Association, he’ll reward you with another 1,000 Prestige Points; if you fail the task, it’s fine if the Unique Attribute isn’t lost or damaged, but if there’s a problem with it, 2,000 Prestige Points will be deducted from you!” The blacksmith that ran off earlier returned in a hurry after a brief moment. After he told Ou Yangming about the situation, he shook his head and added, “So if you’d like to accept the task, you need the Yi Pavilion’s approval.”
Feng Guangyuan was rather mad. “Who’s the patron? How could he make such a request! Hmph, Prestige Points to be deducted? I’ve never heard of this! What are you doing?”
The Intermediate Blacksmith turned pale, and he said with a bitter smile, “Master Feng, the information came from those behind the scenes, and I’m nothing but a messenger!”
An Intermediate Blacksmith was considered notable in the capital, but one could not be proud in front of someone like Feng Guangyuan.
“Master Feng, don’t make things difficult for him anymore.” Just as Feng Guangyuan was going to reply to the blacksmith, Ou Yangming reached out his hand to stop him. He paused for a while and told the Intermediate Blacksmith, “Help me ask the Yi Pavilion’s young pavilion master from their lounge. If she agrees to it, I’ll accept the task.”
The blacksmith instantly responded to him and left. Given that he was an Intermediate Blacksmith, although would be teased at for running errands for someone else, he was unwilling to face the angry Advanced Blacksmiths at this moment.
Before long, Bai Shixue was informed of the situation.
Her eyes wandered about as she asked, “Betting on 4,000 Prestige Points with 2,000 Prestige Points—what do you think?”
She did not speak loudly, but her voice was naturally alluring such that one would fall for it.
The other people looked at each other. Those who could speak to Bia Shixue were elders from the Yi Pavilion. They knew the importance of the Myriad Treasure Meet to the Yi Pavilion, and they were aware of what 4,000 Prestige Points represented.
“Young Pavilion Master, judging from how the patron offered extra 1,000 Prestige Points just like that, I’m sure he mustn’t be underestimated,” an elder went forward and remarked in a deep voice. He stroked his long beard and added, “I’m only worried that the task is a trap!”
The other people were shocked at first, but they soon exchanged glances and became alert.
If the task was a setup from a huge force, one could easily imagine the outcome.
Bai Shixue smiled and asked, “Shopkeeper Du, what’s your thought on this?”
Du Gaoge pondered for a while and said, “Young Pavilion Master, I won’t have high hopes if someone else asks to take up the task, but I think we should give it a go since it was Master Ou who asked.”
“Oh, why do you think so?”
“Because it’s Master Ou,” Du Gaoge explained, “I’ve been serving him since he arrived at the capital, and I witnessed his abilities and… Luck, so I’m optimistic about this.”
“Hmph, you’re optimistic about this?” The elder from before scoffed. “He’ll lose 2,000 Prestige Points if he fails, and it’s equivalent to two days worth of an Advanced Blacksmith’s hard work!”
Du Gaoge uttered, “But if he succeeds, he’ll gain 4,000 Prestige Points.”
The elder was furious, but just as he was going to reproach the shopkeeper, Bai Shixue said with a smile, “Elder Xu, please calm down. Hehe, don’t forget that Master Ou’s not only an Advanced Blacksmith, but an appraiser as well. He was the one who appraised the Super Gem today, which is worth 1,000 Prestige Points.” She looked around with her beautiful eyes and continued gently, “Even if he makes a mistake, he’ll only lose 1,000 points, and he can catch up by finding another Super Gem.”
‘How can someone find a Super Gem so easily?’ The elder pouted and thought.
Despite that, since Bai Shixue had made it clear, there was nothing he could do. After all, she was the Yi Pavilion’s young pavilion master, and he could not brazenly oppose his boss.
Bai Shixue waved her hand and announced, “Since it’s Master Ou’s request, let’s agree to
it.”
The other people were discussing the matter before she decided, but the questioning stopped once she made the decision.
This was the prominence of the young pavilion master, where nobody from the Yi Pavilion dared to disobey her.
Bai Shixue curled her lips into a smile after the other people left. She was previously wondering when Ou Yangming would surprise her, so she did not expect it to happen in the blink of an eye.
‘4,000 Prestige Points, hehe, this is interesting…’
****
Ou Yangming did not wait too long in the Smithing Hall for a clear answer. Feng Guangyuan and Yi Yucheng persuaded him out of good intention, but they gave up seeing how persistent Ou Yangming was.
Following that, Ou Yangming entered a room in the hall along with the Intermediate Blacksmith. He felt a powerful conception around him the moment he entered the room, and he had goosebumps as though he got an electric shock.
When he suddenly looked up, he noticed a lady with a veil on her face sitting in a corner
Even though Ou Yangming could not see through her face, he noticed a pair of hollow and unpredictable eyes.
He had met numerous powerhouses before this, but even when he encountered a formidable Supreme Great Ancestor like Elder Universe, he never saw such eyes.
Ou Yangming felt like he was looking at a sky full of stars when he fixed his gaze on the lady’s eyes as if a vaster world could be found inside them.
The young fellow froze a little, and he involuntarily released his hidden mental power.
This was a rebound that would only happen when he was pressured by a powerhouse, by which his mental power surged out, and his eyes lit up.
The blacksmith who led Ou Yangming here wanted to give them a simple introduction, but he s
uddenly felt an enormous change in their surroundings. That said, he was not powerful enough to figure out what was going on, but he knew his body seemed to have been confined by an invisible power.
Not to mention moving his body, he could neither speak nor blink.
It only took an instant for the blacksmith to be drenched in sweat, and he collapsed to the ground as his knees went weak.
Two similarly forceful powers contacted each other in the void, but they moved away from each other after the contact instead of going into a life-or-death battle.
However, the two parties knew from the brief contact what kind of freak they were facing.
Subsequently, the lady stood up slowly and looked at Ou Yangming. “Master Ou from the Yi Pavilion, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Her voice was clear and sweet, which was as pleasant as a yellowbird’s.
Ou Yangming was moved because he was certain the lady was quite young. Even so, it was quite shocking that she possessed great mental power, which was not inferior to his at all.
‘Sure enough, there are plenty of masters in the world. I truly underestimated the heroes of the world.
Chapter 295 - The Imperial Family’s Princess
Chapter 295 The Imperial Family’s Princess
Ou Yangming nodded with a smile and asked, “How should I address you, miss?”
Although there was a brief confrontation, they developed a form of respect or each other.
“I’m Wu Hanning.”
Ou Yangming was shocked. “Ah, you have the dynasty’s surname. I was being discourteous.”
Back then, the Wu family rose and fought for the throne, then they built the dynasty from the capital, and their inheritance was passed on for thousands of years. The Wu family’s ancestor was a proud person, who adopted the family’s name as the title of the reigning dynasty. From then on, the Wu dynasty controlled the people in the world and was known as the irresistible lord.
Needless to say, there were many people with the surname Wu in the world, but not all of them were disciples from the imperial family. Even so, the fact that the young lady had such an appalling mental power proved that she was a blessed disciple from the imperial family.
The Intermediate Blacksmith, who collapsed to the ground, was baffled. He was the blacksmith assigned to run errands for the imperial family, hence he was naturally aware of Wu Hanning’s identity.
Nonetheless, Her Royal Highness had ordered him not to expose her identity, so he dared not reveal anything even when Advanced Blacksmiths like Feng Guangyuan pressured him just now.
Who knew, the princess disclosed it herself. Even though she only told Ou Yangming her real name, how was it different from exposing her identity as a part of the imperial family?
At that moment, the blacksmith thought that Her Royal Highness and Master Ou Yangming were too profound to be understood.
Wu Hanning waved her hand gently and said, “You may leave.”
“Yes.” The Intermediate Blacksmith, who led the way, forcefully stood up and left while trembling in fear. It was not that he wanted to embarrass himself in front of Her Royal Highness, but he could not help it. Besides, he had reached his limit by dragging his shivering legs out of the room. “Master Ou, I’ll be at ease if you’re the one who’s taking up the task.” Wu Hanning fixed her gaze on the young fellow and said, “My uncle told me that your talent in smithing art is unparalleled. If anyone can perfectly upgrade my weapon’s equivalent rank, it’ll only be you.” Ou Yangming twitched his mouth, and he was at a loss.
“Young Lady Wu, who’s your uncle?”
Wu Hanning chuckled. “My uncle parted with you not long ago. Did you forget him already?”
The young fellow was stunned, but he quickly reacted to the situation. “Master Wu Hongxi?”
“That’s right.”
Ou Yangming had a strange look on his face because he was confused. “But according to my knowledge, when Master Wu Hongxi debuted, he told some people that he was not part of the imperial family.” Master Wu Hongxi’s title as the Fine Grade King was so famous that his past achievements were spread far and wide, so Ou Yangming heard of him even when he was in Changlong County. “He focuses on the smithing path wholeheartedly and is proud, so he’s indifferent toward getting support from the imperial family. Though he didn’t change his surname, he never admitted his identity as part of the family,” Wu Hanning explained while she shook her head. She paused and added, “But this isn’t a secret among the higher-ups in the capital.”
Ou Yangming’s eyelids twitched and thought, ‘No wonder Wu Hongxi was able to transfer many Advanced Blacksmiths from the imperial family to his workshop to study the smithing of a magic tool. On top of that, Master Jin Shengjie wasn’t too surprised when he knew about it as well, so he must’ve known.’ He nodded and cast aside his thought. “Young Lady Wu, where’s your weapon?”
Wu Hanning brushed her hand across her waist. Next, a vague light flashed for a split second, then a peculiar longsword was seen in her hand.
The longsword was slightly shorter than ordinary longswords, but its handle was much wider. It seemed like Wu Hanning could not fully control the weapon with her slender hand, but for some reason, Ou Yangming felt like the lady became one with the sword.
It was as though the longsword was a part of Wu Hanning’s body but was extended out.
Nevertheless, what shocked Ou Yangming was not the longsword but Wu Hanning’s motion when she retrieved it.
Ou Yangming gasped and uttered word by word, “An interspatial bag!”
Yes. He was certain that the longsword was drawn from an interspatial bag. Not only because Wu Hanning looked like she was performing magic when she retrieved the longsword, but most importantly, it was because he recognized the faint fluctuation of space.
Wu Hanning grinned and said, “It’s a secret treasure passed down in my family. Please keep it a secret for me, Master Ou.”
Ou Yangming nodded and hesitated for a while before he used his Military Fire to view the longsword’s attributes.
[Item: Distinguished longsword (Yellow)] (Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, High Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Sharpness +15, Toughness +15, Power +3, Ice Attribute Might +2, Durability 14]
(Skill: Freeze Combo (Rank One)] Ou Yangming’s face changed because the longsword’s attributes were astounding and unbelievable.
Perhaps High Grade Rank Five was an extremely rare equivalent rank for ordinary people, but it was not a big deal to blacksmith masters like Ou Yangming.
However, the three special properties on the longsword were moving.
Power +3 was the layering limit for most Advanced Blacksmiths, but as compared to the two other properties, 3 points of Power were not that great.
It was Ou Yangming’s first time seeing the Unique Attribute of Ice Attribute Might +2. He could not fully understand it, but he figured out its function based on its literal meaning. It was an attribute that allowed a certain increase in might when one released ice series power.
‘Looks like Young Lady Wu cultivates the Ice Series Essential Qi Secret Technique,’ he thought. As for the last skill…
Ou Yangming immediately thought about his Blood Flight waist sash. This was his second time seeing a piece of equipment with skill, but the might of the Freeze Combo Skill was not something he could fathom.
He looked deeply at Wu Hanning and finally understood why she made such a strange request.
The three properties were incredibly rare indeed. In a way, half of Wu Hanning’s strength depended on them.
Despite that, the longsword’s quality made him speechless.
High Grade Rank Five… Could not match the weapon at all.
Ou Yangming pondered and blurted all of a sudden, “Young Lady Wu, I have a presumptuous request.”
“Master Ou, please go on.”
“If I’m able to upgrade your weapon to a perfect state, can I take a look at your interspatial bag?” Ou Yangmi
ng asked seriously then added after some thought, “I don’t want to take it away; I only want to observe it for an hour.”
Wu Hanning hesitated for a while before she asked, “What’s a perfect state?”
Ou Yangming answered without any hesitation, “Upgrading an item to the peak of Fine Grade Rank Five while retaining the Unique Attributes.”
“Are you confident about achieving it?” Wu Hanning’s eyes lit up.
It was her long-cherished wish to be able to improve her weapon, which suited her the most, to the extreme, but even Wu Hongxi was not confident about accomplishing the task.
Ou Yangming nodded with a serious face. “I can do it indeed.”
Wu Hanning’s heart skipped a beat when she looked at Ou Yangming’s bright eyes, and an unusual thought crossed her mind.
It was not because she was moved by Ou Yangming, but because the young fellow could fulfill her long-desired wish, hence she could not suppress the excitement.
“Very well. As long as you deliver on your promise, I’ll let you take a look at my interspatial bag,” Wu Hanning responded sternly. Ou Yangming was elated, so much so that gleams of light could be seen in his eyes. ‘An interspatial bag—it’s an interspatial bag!’
While he acquired an interspatial bag’s refining method from the crystal ball and possessed the basic materials, knowing the process was one thing because it would not be easy to carry it out.
If he could observe and refer to a finished product, the outcome would be entirely different.
Ou Yangming nodded and curbed his thought. “Young Lady Wu, I’ll be starting the process soon, you…”
Wu Hanning walked toward the casting table and brushed with his hand again, revealing many materials on the table.
“Master Ou, all materials have been prepared, so I’ll just wait for your good news.” Following that, she nodded and left gracefully.
She seemed relaxed when she left, but her nervousness could not be put into words.
After all, the weapon was too important to her, so she could not bear it even if it was slightly damaged.
If the person was not Ou Yangming, who was highly recommended by Wu Hongxi, she would not have taken the risk.
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