chsdbacks Chapter 5 The Blacksmith's Doubts
Chapter 5 The Blacksmith's Doubts
Early in the morning, Xiao Yan walked easily down the mountain along the mountain path. This was a shortcut to avoid the village, although it was a bit steep. However, for someone who was born in the mountains, it was like walking on flat ground. After all, in order to avoid Grandpa George's gossip, he could only go down this way.
Grandpa George was always worried that he was going to look for his parents or encountering a spirit beast. Ever since the village chief thought Xiao Yan could remember, he had been telling him that his parents had just gone to the big city to make money. But he had seen his parents abandon him with his own eyes, so how could he possibly go looking for them? As for spirit beasts, that was even more impossible. Apart from individuals, what spirit beast would voluntarily come out of the forest to attack humans?
No matter how he explained it to the village chief, the other party still believed in his own way. So Xiao Yan took a step back. Apart from the rare occasion when Old George would take him to Nottingham to broaden his horizons, Xiao Yan would secretly go down the mountain on his own whenever he went out.
Even if the other party can't find you, you can use the excuse of exercising your body. After all, the mountains are so big, it's not easy to find someone if they really have to run around.
"Xiao Yan, do you really think I can defeat those soul beasts you're talking about?"
Walking through the mountains was tiring for Xiao Yan, while the Rolling Beast remained comfortably perched on his head. Xiao Yan had mentioned his plan to hunt soul beasts in a few days before setting off, which stirred a sense of excitement within the beast.
"Right now, you definitely can't beat me. I need to find a spirit beast with a first spirit ring that is at least 400 years old. Your bubble would have a hard time even hitting me. So I'm making preparations in advance."
According to the timeline of the plot, Tang San will be training under Tang Dachui for three months to forge iron. He can take advantage of this break to complete some preliminary preparations.
According to Yu Xiaogang's theory of spirit ring age limits, each spirit ring has its corresponding age limit requirement, but this is obviously one-sided, since his favorite student broke his theory with the age limit of his third spirit ring.
However, the 423 years of the first spirit ring is indeed reasonable. This is the first step into the world of spirit masters. Without the physical body being strengthened by the spirit ring, forcibly absorbing a high-age spirit ring is risky. In addition, one may not be able to handle spirit beasts with too high an age.
The true lifespan of a spirit ring depends on the quality of the spirit, as well as the physical strength and mental power of the spirit master.
So, his own body, which he had been training since childhood, might be able to try using a spirit ring around 450 years old. Everything existed within his own theory. Unlike Yu Xiaogang, he couldn't use Tang San as an experiment, so it was better to play it safe. He also wanted to know what the so-called spirit ring could assign to the Rolling Ball Beast.
After all, everything was still in his speculation. If it affected the evolutionary branch, then the age requirement was not the main thing in Xiao Yan's eyes. As long as the age was acceptable, it would be fine.
After all, they've evolved well, and their racial talents are there. If what they're given are offensive moves, then they should think twice.
"And haven't I been having you train with me these past few days? Don't you feel like you're evolving faster?"
"Hmm... I think I can feel a kind of energy in my body."
"Then you've eaten too many sweet potatoes and want to fart."
If one could see the personality of a soul beast, Xiao Yan would know that his own Rolling Ball Beast must be gluttonous. After spending the past few days with it, Xiao Yan discovered that this little guy had a really big appetite. Fortunately, the training volume had not been reduced.
"But it's really delicious, and I'm so tired every day."
"Alright, don't start chattering when we get to a populated area. I've told you before, there are at least ten thousand talking soul beasts. If you scare them, I can't protect you."
"understood."
The rhythmic clanging of blacksmithing echoed from inside the house, one strike after another, the sparks from the hammering flashing intermittently.
Xiao Yan entered the house with practiced ease and turned his gaze to the burly man who was busy at work.
The burly man, busy at work, didn't notice anyone coming in. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a wet towel around his neck, then began to hammer the red-hot metal he was holding with his pliers. Sparks flew everywhere, startling the rolling beast on Xiao Yan's head, which covered its eyes with its ears.
Xiao Yan found a chair and patiently sat down. Forging iron is all about timing and heat. Since the other party was working, he didn't want to disturb him, so he waited patiently.
"Hiss~"
The glowing red metal was placed in the bucket, emitting a crackling sound. Norton also breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the metal with great satisfaction, and only then did he notice Xiao Yan sitting to the side, and the soul beast above his head.
"Uncle Norton, how's my order coming along?"
"Isn't this what I'm doing for you, kid? It's hard work." Norton walked up to Xiao Yan and handed him a roll of yarn wrapped in a knitting anvil on the workbench.
"Here are the sixty things you wanted. You brat, instead of coming to see your uncle, you sent my apprentice to deliver a message? My apprentice has been running up the mountain these past few days, saying that your ancestral hall has collapsed beyond recognition and can only be rebuilt."
"I'm sorry to have troubled you," Xiao Yan said, pulling a wine flask from his robes. "This is wine I brewed in the mountains. It smells wonderful, tsk tsk tsk, Uncle Norton, you should try some."
"You're the one who understands me best. I'm a blacksmith, but I'm also a Great Soul Master. Why don't you come work with me as a blacksmith? I'll pass on my daughter and this blacksmith shop to you."
"Uncle Norton, where did you get a daughter?" Xiao Yan looked at the blacksmith's rough appearance and couldn't imagine what his daughter looked like. He had indeed considered following the blacksmith, but since his martial soul was the Rolling Ball Beast, there was no need to go back to blacksmithing. Blacksmithing could only train the muscles in his arms and calves, and he still needed to strengthen his entire body.
"She's about to give birth, her belly is already getting round. Hehe, how come your martial soul is a soul beast I've never seen before?"
Norton bent down and stretched out his finger to tease the ball-shaped creature.
"Hey, Uncle Norton, watch out, that guy has a bad temper."
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the Rolling Ball Beast pretended to be fierce, opened its mouth wide, and breathed on the blacksmith.
"It's a pity for you. You have innate full soul power, yet you awakened an external martial soul, and you can't even retract it."
"It's alright, it's fine. This way I have a companion. And although I can't take it back, I can call it back to my side at any time." Xiao Yan reached out and touched the Rolling Beast. As long as he had a thought and spent a little soul power, the Rolling Beast would appear in front of him.
He opened the scroll Norton had handed him, which was covered with dozens of copper needles, each long and thin, with barbs at the tip.
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Your apprentice's comprehension is better than yours, Uncle Norton. I only gave him a few instructions, and Yong-ge conveyed them perfectly. If you keep teaching him, you might lose your job."
"Impossible. No matter how amazing it is, my skills are still here."
"Okay, I'll come back for the rest in a while. By the way, sir, how much are these copper needles?"
"Oh, no need! You've brought me plenty of ore lately, so for these copper needles, I'll just charge you a small processing fee. But with this wine, that's enough."
As Norton spoke, he shook the flask in his hand, and even through the cork, the aroma of the wine had clearly wafted into his nose.
"But Xiao Yan, what do you need so many copper needles for? And the barbs on them are hard to pull out once they're in."
The goal was for him to sink deeper and deeper; Xiao Yan was afraid that once the needle went in, it would be shaken out.
"Just doing this for fun, uncle. My martial spirit has no combat power, but I still need some means of self-defense, right?"
"You want to defend yourself? It's simple, isn't it? I'll give you a hammer, old man." With that, Norton tucked the gourd into his waistband and turned to rummage through his toolbox.
"No need, no need," Xiao Yan quickly refused. "Uncle Norton, there's something I'd like to ask you. Is there an easy way to obtain the Soul Hunter's Forest token?"