Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725

by Heaven's White Crane

  It was like an illusion that existed in an abstract manner.

  However, this was real as it was the Military Fire that he released.

  All of a sudden, Ou Yangming sensed Master Wu Hongxi reaching out to probe the Military Fire’s temperature, as well as the fascinating look on the master’s face that followed.

  Nonetheless, everything was only a small interlude to Ou Yangming. His thoughts were still focused on the mysterious state because the glowing purple Military Fire was the most important thing to him at the moment.

  ‘Ice-cold!

  As Ou Yangming changed his mind, the fire on his palm shrunk abruptly but carried a harsh chill.

  He did it-he did it indeed.

  Instead of stopping, Ou Yangming continued to think.

  ‘Scorching hot!’

  “Woosh…”

  The Military Fire grew bigger and spread toward and enveloped his whole arm. Nevertheless, the fire’s most important property was it could not hurt the person who released it, hence even Ou Yangming’s clothes were not damaged at all.

  That said, the fiery waves extended outward with him as the center, causing the space around him to be filled with heat surges. Consequently, the silk cloths and furs shook slightly as though they were going to be lit by the heat.

  Wu Hongxi frowned and moved his arms to hurl the flammable items to a corner so that they could stay away from Ou Yangming. Who knew, right after he did that, he realized that the searing heat waves disappeared, and the fire in the young fellow’s hand lost its temperature. Whether it was the heat waves or the cold waves, they were nowhere to be found.

  Ou Yangming was moved. He did not adjust the flame’s size on purpose, but he came across an interesting pattern during the process.

  The flame had a significant property, where it would expand when it was hot and contract when it was cold.

  The hotter the flame, the more it expanded; the lower its temperature, the smaller its range. Eventually, Ou Yangming’s mental conception went back to its spot. When he opened his eyes, he could not hide the look of surprise in his eyes.

  “Master Wu, I did it!” Ou Yangming turned his wrist to curb the Military Fire, then he approached Wu Hongxi while he uttered in excitement.

  Wu Hongxi moved his lips. He was so in awe that he did not know what to do, but he forced himself to look calm and responded, “Not bad, not bad. You’re the first person who’s able to grasp the Military Fire’s hot and cold natures so quickly.” He sighed and was somewhat envious and jealous when he looked at Ou Yangming. The path of equilibrium was something that he discovered, and he underwent numerous hardships and problems throughout the process. Despite that, it was those difficulties that helped him encounter the Military Fire’s path of cold and heat in the end. Ultimately, he also followed up his research on the coupling of hardness with softness and arrived at the final path of equilibrium.

  Wu Hongxi had taught many students in the past, but even his twelve official disciples never truly inherited his legacy.

  It was not because his disciples did not work hard, but because it was tough for them to understand the concept. Even if they did, it was not easy for their subconscious to acknowledge it.

  Lowering the Military Fire’s temperature to display its cold property was not something that could be done by normal blacksmiths. Even though Wu Hongxi’s other disciples managed to achieve it after practicing hard for a long time, the disciple who comprehended the concept best and worshipped him the most took at least half a year to grasp it.

  As for releasing coldness through the Military Fire… To this day, not all of Wu Hongxi’s disciples could do it.

  After all, Wu Hongxi’s experience was unique and his Military Fire was one of a kind; they could neither be replicated nor reproduced.

  Therefore, Wu Hongxi had always thought that his greatest path of equilibrium might be lost once he died.

  However, he saw hope at this very moment; a hope that could perfectly inherit his lifelong learnings. Although the person was not his disciple, the person was young enough.

  Ou Yangming subconsciously shrank away a little as he sensed Master Wu Hongxi’s strange look. Even so, he felt that the look in the master’s eyes was similar to Jin Shengjie’s and Old Craftsman’s, but he could not figure it out.

  Based on Ou Yangming’s age, it made sense that he could not understand the moods of Old Craftsman, Jin Shengjie, and Wu Hongxi yet.

  “Uhm, Master Wu, what should I do next?” Ou Yangming asked with respect.

  He attempted to stimulate the Military Fire’s potential and gain something from it, but he also felt that there was more potential to be uncovered.

  Nonetheless, this was not a good time for him to continue his attempt, thus he wanted to learn the way to cultivate the path of equilibrium as fast as he could while Master Wu Hongxi was still around.

  Wu Hongxi nodded and replied to the young fellow, “I told you that the key of the path of equilibrium is the coupling of hardness with softness, and the key of that is to grasp the Military Fire’s changes… Ah, you already have an unordinary understanding of the fire’s changes, so slowly think it through and ask me if you have any questions.” Ou Yangming immediately uttered, “Yes.”

  The Military Fire’s changes were endless. Whether it was Wu Hongxi or Ou Yangming, they dared not say they had a comprehensive understanding of it.

  Nevertheless, one would be qualified to cultivate the coupling of hardness with softness if one fathomed the change between the hot and cold temperatures.

  Wu Hongxi picked up a piece of silk from the corner and noted, “This is the most basic material for the production of a cloak. It’s not the best, but it’s more than enough for you to practice now.”

  Following that, he turned his wrist, causing his Military Fire to burn and spread such that it wrapped around the material.

  Ou Yangming paid attention to the master’s every move. The Military Fire seemed like it was fiery, but it did not carry any heat. As such, it could not light up the silk even if it was enveloping the material. That being said, an unusual change soon took place.

  The silk cloth suddenly rolled up, and its borders were filled with smoke, which was sweeping toward the center.

  Ou Yangming widened his eyes right away, and an odd look was seen on his face.

  The Military Fire somehow split into two, where the middle part naturally did not have any temperature but the corners were scorching hot. Due to the intense flames, the silk cloth’s corners were burned.

  In spite of that, the smoke around the material did not disperse as though it was drawn and bound by a certain power. In fact, the smoke began to gather at the center. It was worth noting that Ou Yangming was incredibly sharp-eyed. He knew nothing about smithing a cloak, but by taking a glance at the material, he was certain that the burnt parts were only the cloak’s corners. As for the remaining parts, they made up a cloak’s real form.

  Wu Hongxi’s eyes were bright. Whenever a blacksmith became fully immersed in smithing, one would naturally cast aside all distractions, revealing an awe-inspiring expression.

  Subsequently, he waved his hand and sprinkled some peculiar powder, which happened to fuse with the dust in the middle.

  The two queer substances merged and changed wonderfully at that instant. Afterward, they fell evenly on the cloak as if they were sprinkles of rain.

  Ou Yangming watched quietly as the cloak slowly turned in Wu Hongxi’s hands. Everything was controlled by an invisible power.

  The integration of Heaven and man-it was actually the integration of Heaven and man.

  ‘Didn’t he say it’s just a practice? Does he need to be so serious?’ The young fellow was puzzled.

  He did not know that his outstanding performance triggered Wu Hongxi.

  The boss in the smithing trade did not want to admit defeat, and he did not want to seem inferior to Ou Yangming. Hence, he gave his all when he refined the cloak, by which he performed his greatest skil
ls.

  Having said that, it was exactly because he refined the item without any reservations OU Yangming could take a look at the core content of the coupling of hardness with softness.

  Wu Hongxi was displaying softness at the moment.

  The smithing of ordinary equipment involved hardness instead.

  If one wanted to smith wearable and usable pieces of equipment by using tough featured steel and black steel, one must grasp hardness just right.

  For now, the refinement of the cloak involved softness.

  Judging from Wu Hongxi’s technique and how he controlled the cloak with ease, it was clear that he had a high level of attainment in the soft aspect. The coupling of hardness with softness. Numerous bizarre thoughts appeared in Ou Yangming’s mind.

  Sure enough, the secret smithing technique could make one’s imagination run wild, and it seemed like it was quite a waste to only use the secret technique on smithing art. It was not smithing art that could unleash the secret technique to its greatest extent, but martial arts.

  Needless to say, Ou Yangming dared not say it to blacksmith masters like Wu Hongxi and Jin Shengjie, or he would be mercilessly reproached.

  Master Wu Hongxu stopped after 15 minutes. The cloak floated high in the air for some time before it slowly descended, and it landed in front of Ou Yangming. Ou Yangming knew Master Wu had done it on purpose, so he reached out to grab the cloak. The instant his hands touched the cloak, his Military Fire burned and displayed the item’s properties in his mind.

  [Item: Outstanding cloak] (Equivalent Rank: Ordinary Tool, Good Grade, Rank Three]

  [Attributes: Toughness +8, Durability +8]

  Much to Ou Yangming’s surprised, the cloak was of Good Grade Rank Three.

  He looked at Wu Hongxi in astonishment, but the elder, who was also known as Fine Grade King, blushed and sighed. “If I’m able to accomplish the same result with hardness as I have in softness, perhaps I’ll be able to smith magic tools.”

  Chapter 279 - Arrived At The Threshold

  Chapter 279 Arrived At The Threshold

  Ou Yangming raised his eyebrows and came to a sudden realization.

  It turned out that Master Wu Hongxi had not practiced the coupling of hardness with softness to a perfect state, and his path of equilibrium was flawed. Although Ou Yangming and the other amateurs could not tell the imperfection, Master Wu was well aware of it.

  Nonetheless, Ou Yangming could not help but feel shocked after some thought.

  Wu Hongxi was already a top-notch Superior Blacksmith before he truly perfected the path of equilibrium. By relying on his title as Fine Grade King, he was equally famous or even slightly superior to Jin Shengjie and the other blacksmiths in the capital. If the master eventually fully grasped the coupling of hardness with softness and derived the path of equilibrium to a perfect state…

  Perhaps he could break through the world’s barrier and smith the magic tool as he said.

  Apart from his purple Military Fire, it was Ou Yangming’s first time encountering a situation where the world’s barrier might be broken through.

  Seeing the look of regret on Master Wu Hongxi’s face, Ou Yangming sincerely respected him.

  Ou Yangming could smith magic tools because of his unique Military Fire. In terms of his knowledge, experience, and even his intelligence, he felt inferior to Master Wu Hongxi.

  “Lil’ Friend Ou, I’m teaching you everything not because I hope you’ll inherit my knowledge, but because I hope you’ll advance further on my path of equilibrium’s foundation,” Wu Hongxi expressed in a deep voice as he looked up with bright eyes. He pondered before he continued, “If I’m able to know while I’m still alive that the path of equilibrium can get past the world’s barrier, allowing one to smith magic tools, I’ll die in peace.”

  Ou Yangming felt a chill in his heart because the inauspicious words were somewhat hair-raising.

  He smiled bitterly and replied, “Senior, you have extremely high hopes for me…”

  Wu Hongxi shook his head without saying a word, but he thought, ‘You’re the first person who can fathom the Military Fire’s natural change between hot and cold. Based on that speed alone, I can place all my hope on you.’

  “Okay, I’ll teach you the way to refine cloaks and boots, and you can try it here later,” Wu Hongxi stated seriously, “If you’re able to refine High Grade Rank Five cloaks and boots one day, I’ll… Let you pass.” It was worth noting that High Grade Rank Five was more than just a grade away from Fine Grade Rank Five.

  Even so, at that stage, one could attempt the path of equilibrium.

  Ou Yangming nodded in excitement and began to learn from Wu Hongxi the way to produce cloaks and boots.

  The two types of equipment were not ordinary pieces of equipment and were not mandatory for official blacksmiths to learn. Normally, only special blacksmiths, who changed their paths, would refine them. Needless to say, since not many people made cloaks and boots, they were more expensive than other pieces of equal-ranked equipment.

  Despite being tempted by the money, there were only a few blacksmiths who were willing to change their careers.

  If it was possible, most blacksmiths would stick to smithing with iron and steel.

  wa

  Nevertheless, under Master Wu Hongxi’s guidance, Ou Yangming slowly realized that it was not easy to make cloaks and boots. There was plenty of knowledge that needed to be grasped, so much so that there was more to be learned than smithing with iron and steel.

  In particular, it was also much tougher to produce cloaks and boots of high grades and ranks.

  Of course, it was not because the smithing techniques were difficult, but the raw materials could not be found and obtained easily.

  Even though there were not many featured steel and black steel as well, there were still more of them in this world. Besides, many people were in the mining industry, thus the materials could be gathered through combined efforts. On the other hand, high-quality cloaks and boots required furs from half-spirit beasts.

  Ou Yangming was disheartened after he heard Wu Hongxi’s statement.

  The values of featured steel and half spirit beasts’ furs were Heaven and Earth apart.

  It was no wonder the prices of high-quality cloaks and boots were much higher than other pieces of equipment; there was an inevitable reason behind it.

  Once Wu Hongxi told Ou Yangming everything, he left the young fellow in the room.

  Ou Yangming had shown great potential, but unlike smithing with iron and steel, it was difficult to yield the desired effects in the production of cloaks and boots.

  Especially for an ordinary person who had never stumbled on the materials, one must practice for some time before one could make qualified pieces of equipment.

  Since Ou Yangming was given the right to use the materials in the room, he picked up a piece of silk cloth without further ado.

  The silk cloths in the room were distinctively tailored to be similar in size, hence they were great materials for cloaks.

  Ou Yangming’s Military Fire instantly burned as he turned his wrist, and it enveloped the entire cloth.

  The Military Fire had no temperature, causing it to feel like a breeze. It blew the silk cloth such that it fluttered, but the cloth was not damaged at all.

  Ou Yangming became incredibly focused because the next step was crucial.

  The edges of the Military Fire changed color all of a sudden, and its temperature increased abruptly, to the extent that it could melt metals. As a result of the temperature, the silk cloth began to burn as it could not resist it.

  This was one of the steps in the production of a cloak where the extra corners were removed through a special technique. Following that, its essence would be mixed with mysterious powder, and they would attach to the cloak’s body. While the technique was tedious, the cloak’s equivalent rank could be increased if the process was successful.

  According to Wu Hongxi, it was an exclusive techniqu
e that he came up with. Ou Yangming was dubious about it, but he would spare no effort in practicing it since it could promote a better effect in the coupling of hardness with softness.

  Some smoke quickly gathered and spread toward the center of the cloak.

  Everything seemed like a reproduction of Wu Hongxi’s performance earlier.

  Just as everything seemed smooth, Ou Yangming’s face changed, and he shouted, “Oh no!”

  Next, a scorching flame burned on the silk cloth, and it made the material disappear in an instant.

  That said, Ou Yangming reacted fast enough to curb the Military Fire before it spread further.

  This was another one of the Military Fire’s unique abilities, which he discovered when he almost destroyed Elder Universe’s vegetable farm back then. With this ability, the young fellow could protect himself even if he was up against a huge fire, let alone a small flame in the room.

  Ou Yangming furrowed his eyebrows and carefully recalled the change that took place. Sure enough, Wu Hongxi’s special refining technique could not be imitated with ease.

  It was true that Ou Yangming could change his Military Fire’s temperature, but it was an overall change. When he refined the cloak, he needed to display two different temperatures in the fire.

  One was no temperature or room temperature

  -a temperature that would not give off a hot or cold feeling.

  Another one was a high temperature that could burn the silk cloth to ashes in an extremely short time. The two different temperatures had to appear concurrently during the process, and it was so difficult that it exceeded Ou Yangming’s control.

  Even so, since Wu Hongxi could do it, it only made sense that Ou Yangming could accomplish it too.

  However, Ou Yangming needed time to try and practice it as it could not be achieved in one move.

  When the young fellow thought about how Wu Hongxi simply left after guiding him, he knew that the master foresaw this already.

  Ou Yangming sat down, then he retrieved a rune paper and gently tore it.