Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When the blazing hot Military Fire was slowly suppressed, the temperature in the workshop reduced as well, but the heat inside Old Craftsman and Ou Yangming’s eyes did not go away.
This was the first Attribute Armament forged by Ou Yangming. Similar to the first time he generated the Military Fire, restored an armament with the fire, and smithed an armament with the fire, it was a meaningful milestone. Of course, this only applied to him because it was insignificant in the history of smithing with the Military Fire.
Nevertheless, the master and his apprentice were extremely excited. Old Craftsman asked, “What do you think?”
Ou Yangming waved the saber around and identified the treasure saber’s attributes through the afterglow of his Military Fire.
[Item: Outstanding military saber (Red)]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Sharpness +10, Toughness +10, Power +1, Durability 9]
He was overjoyed. “Old man, I did it! Yes, I did it!” He repeated his words excitedly as he could not express his emotions in any other way.
In actual fact, when his Military Fire enveloped the previous ore and the drawable composition was found, Ou Yangming knew that he would succeed, but he only confirmed it in the end. As such, he cheered happily.
Old Craftsman took the military saber, then looked at it happily for a long time.
Ou Yangming then questioned, “Old Man, didn’t you say that the Power Stone will let a user gain extra power? But…” He pointed at the saber in confusion. “Why didn’t I feel it?”
Old Craftsman scoffed disdainfully. “Do you think just anyone can use this power?” He tossed the saber back to Ou Yangming. “Take it.”
Ou Yangming accepted the military saber, then fixed his gaze at Old Craftsman.
Old Craftsman wondered. ‘This apprentice of mine is too talented, he actually succeeded during his first try at smithing an Attribute Armament. This is more just talent, his luck is simply law-defying. If this goes on, he’ll learn all my tricks, and I’ll have nothing left to teach him.’
“Channel your Dantian Qi into the military saber, then try it,” he mentioned with a smile.
Ou Yangming was slightly moved. After a month of hard work, his Dantian Light was much more solid than it was before, and due to his constant effort, he could control it easily.
Following that, he used his mind to release light from his dantian, which entered the saber through his arm’s meridian.
He instantly sensed a peculiar power being born in the saber, which was connected with his aura. Additionally, he felt that his body was filled with power.
Yes, it was an indescribable feeling that was so strong that it could not be questioned.
A brief moment later, Ou Yangming finally confirmed that it was not an illusion.
It turned out that the unique attribute could only be activated by a martial artist’s power, but once it was triggered, it would be easy to maintain it because he realized that Dantian Light was mainly required during the activation. As long as he held the saber, the power remained, and the Dantian Light consumed to maintain it was negligible.
“Swoosh…”
When he swung the saber casually, a light was seen, and the blade was sharp and threatening.
Old Craftsman’s face changed, and he quickly yelled, “Stop!”
Ou Yangming was stunned. “What is it?”
Old Craftsman snapped. “Where are you? Is this a place for you to test your saber? Are you trying to wreck my smithing workshop?”
It was then that Ou Yangming realized that they were in the smithing workshop that Old Craftsman valued the most. Since the military saber was sharp, and he had gained extra power, an accident might actually happen.
Feeling embarrassed, he put the saber down, but the instant the treasure saber left him, the extra power vanished into thin air.
The disappointment made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
Old Craftsman giggled. “Young fella, you’ll get used to it after you try a few times. Now, strike while the iron is hot, and practice to get more adept at it.”
Ou Yangming responded to him. His physical power, Dantian Light, and mental power had clearly improved, and the duration of his Military Fire usage was at a point where even Old Craftsman commended him. Hence, he could continue forging.
He retrieved another featured iron ingot, then reached for an Agility Ore.
However, Old Craftsman reached his hand out. “No!”
Ou Yangming was startled. “Old man, what’s wrong?”
“The martial tool you’re matching it with is wrong.”
Ou Yangming was puzzled when he looked at the item in his hand. ‘How is this wrong?’
“You want to create another military saber, right?”
Ou Yangming nodded, but he thought, ‘Why are you asking the obvious?’
“The military saber is a violent weapon on the battlefield and is mainly used to kill. Such a weapon can’t be matched with an Agility Ore,” Old Craftsman explained patiently. “If you match them together forcefully, there’s a high chance that it’ll fail.”
Ou Yangming widened his mouth. He realized that there was still much to learn about Smithing Art.
Although he had worked under Old Craftsman for two years, he just obtained the Military Fire, and there had been no point for the old man to teach him a lot. Therefore, he had only grasped some basic theories and knowledge and knew nothing about anything beyond that.
Ou Yangming nodded slightly. “Old Man, are you saying that a military saber can’t have the agility attribute?”
Old Craftsman shook his head. “Nonsense. Smithing technique is as vast as the ocean, so anything is possible. It doesn’t matter if a military saber has the agility attribute, but…” He paused for a while, then continued, “The success rate for it isn’t high as they don’t match. I don’t want you to waste it.”
Ou Yangming nodded, but he said to himself, ‘It’s unlikely that I’ll waste it.’
Of course, he was not going to mention it because Old Craftsman would lecture him and hit him with Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.
Afterward, he asked, “Old Man, how should the Agility Ore be used then?”
Old Craftsman rolled his eyes. “Don’t ask, think.”
Ou Yangming mumbled, “Armor, knee pads, greaves, boots… No, not boots.”
Armors, knee pads, and greaves could be made with steel, but not boots.
However, Old Craftsman stared at him. “Although normal boots can’t withstand the process, beast-skinned boots with strong Qi and blood, as well as rare boots made from magical beast skin and spirit beast skin can have the attribute attached. Moreover, equipment like boots is favored more than armaments.”
Ou Yangming was shocked. “Why?”
Old Craftsman snapped. “Didn’t you get a taste of power earlier? What did it feel when you let go of the saber?”
Ou Yangming hit his head. “I understand.”
Boots and military sabers were different. As long as one was not lying in bed, one would be wearing boots, and only by wearing a piece of equipment then activating it with essential Qi could one enjoy an attribute’s benefit.
One would not attract any attention if one continuously wore boots, but if one never let go of a military saber…
If someone were to hold a military saber while looking for a general in the military camp, one would probably be chopped into pieces before one could meet the general, but if one were to wear a pair of boots with attributes… Nobody would pay any attention.
Thus, even if a military saber and a pair of boots had the same attribute, the boots would be more favored than the saber.
Nonetheless, this only applied to normal people. For those in the military, who licked the blood off a saber, their first choice would always be a killing weapon.
Old Craftsman smiled. “It’s good that you understand. Don’t make a military saber this time, try a knee pad.”
Ou Yangming nodded, then turned his wrist to produce the Military Fire.
A whole iron ingot was required to smith a military saber, but if one wanted to forge a knee pad, less than a quarter of the same iron ingot was needed.
Ou Yangming mostly created military sabers as he had a special liking for them, but he never went overboard because of Old Craftsman’s guidance. It was not his first time smithing a knee pad, hence he finished it successfully using the Military Fire.
By applying the same method on the Agility Ore, and through the prompts of his fire’s drawing and upgrading abilities, a knee pad was produced.
[Item: Outstanding knee pad (Red)]
[Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank Five]
[Attributes: Toughness +10, Agility +1, Durability 8]
Ou Yangming smiled happily. Though its durability was less than perfect, its toughness was 10, and it had the attribute of agility +1. The knee pad was definitely presentable.
Old Craftsman was delighted when he took the knee pad. His eyes sparkled, and he appeared to be happier than Ou Yangming.
He strapped the knee pad on his knees, then connected with his Dantian Light, and felt lighter instantly.
Afterward, he laughed and tapped Ou Yangming’s shoulder a few times. “Nice, this is great! You’re really capable. You’re very amazing to have succeeded twice, you’re almost better than me!”
All of a sudden, Ou Yangming’s smile froze because he had a very important question to ask.
Even Old Craftsman could only guarantee a thirty-percent success rate when he smithed Attribute Armaments. If he maintained a hundred-percent success rate, what would happen?
