Bai Zhiyi stroked his long beard and pointed at the person-in-charge. “Lil’ Ou, this is a junior of mine, Xia Zizhen. Hehe, Zizhen, tell him.”
Xia Zizhen immediately responded to him. He could not understand why Bai Zhiyi cared so much about a little Spiritualist, but he dared not object to the elder’s order.
“Brother, to cultivators like us, resources are the most important thing. Among all resources, wealth is unquestionably ranked first.”
“Wealth?” Ou Yangming blinked but disagreed with it.
Throughout his 2 years in the military camp, it was indeed tough because he was supervised by Old Craftsman. Even so, he never worried about wealth anymore after acquiring the Military Fire. This was because the young fellow was remarkable in smithing art so as long as he put in the effort to smith items, wealth would naturally come to him.
Xia Zizhen furrowed his eyebrows and thought, ‘Who’s this good-for-nothing young man? Why doesn’t he understand such a shallow principle…’
He cleared his throat. If the young fellow was not being taken care of by Bai Zhiyi, he would not have bothered about him at all. For the sake of Elder Bai, Xia Zizhen continued, “Lil’ brother, you’re a cultivator too, so have you worried about the lack of resources throughout your cultivation?”
Ou Yangming pondered seriously. His path of cultivation had been quite smooth, and it seemed like cultivation resources were never a concern to him.
Whether it was the Ni family from the lower realm or the Yi Pavilion and the imperial family, whom he met after, they sent him plenty of cultivation resources for free. Although he made it clear that he did not lack any of them, they never stopped providing those resources for him.
Moreover, when he used the Simulated Spiritual Fist, which he had learned from the imperial family, to help powerhouses at the peak of Yang Grade to advance to Extreme Grade, they also sent him precious gifts to thank him.
Even though gifts from a person would not be much, when the gifts from everyone were accumulated, he had so many that it was unimaginable.
In a way, cultivation resources were nothing but a drifting cloud to him.
He could get as many as he wanted, so why would he lack them?
Ou Yangming curbed his thought and looked at Xia Zizhen, then he shook his head seriously and answered, “I never lacked cultivation resources.”
Xia Zizhen was struck dumb, and his face twitched. He screamed internally, ‘Can you speak properly?’ Nevertheless, after noticing Ou Yangming’s expression, he suppressed his anger and noted, “Alright, you might not be short of any resources in the past, but you will in the future.”
“I won’t.” Ou Yangming shook his head.
“What?”
“I won’t be short of cultivation resources.” Ou Yangming tapped his chest. He had many interspatial bags with him, and the total number of resources could let him cultivate to a higher level.
Besides, he could continue to smith. As long as he still had the Military Fire, he would not lack anything.
Xia Zizhen took a deep breath of cold air, then he turned and smiled bitterly at Bai Zhiyi.
At this moment, he even had the urge to beat up Ou Yangming.
Bai Zhiyi was somewhat overjoyed when he listened to their conversation. He laughed out loud and noted, “Lil’ Ou, I know you’re very gifted in smithing art, so you don’t lack ordinary cultivation resources. Hehe, as long as we’re successful as blacksmiths, we won’t be poor.”
Xia Zizhen was stupefied. “Elder Bai, he-he’s a blacksmith?”
“Yes, he’s a blacksmith—a powerful blacksmith. He’ll definitely overtake me in the future, so you mustn’t underestimate him,” Bai Zhizhen answered seriously.
Xia Zizheng’s expression changed. He was not dispirited anymore, but he looked at Ou Yangming strangely.
‘I see, he’s an outstanding blacksmith, so no wonder he said he never lacked cultivation resources.
‘But does a young fella like him really have an excellent standard in smithing art?’
Bai Zhiyi said in a deep voice, “Lil’ Ou, we certainly have enough ordinary cultivation resources, but precious treasures can only be discovered but not sought. If someone makes a request with a treasure, hehe, you mustn’t miss the opportunity!”
Ou Yangming was smart, thus he instantly understood what the elder meant. “Elder Bai, are you saying that this is the case this time?”
Bai Zhiyi nodded with a smile. “Zizhen, what did that person request, and what did he bring? Tell me.”
Xia Zizhen nodded. “Yes, a friend from the Disaster Saber Sect has sought help from us; he needs a unique weapon.” He hesitated for a while and stole a glance at Ou Yangming.
The elder waved his hand snappily and remarked, “Lil’ Ou’s not an outsider, so you don’t need to be wary.”
“Yes, a friend from the Disaster Saber Sect needs a weapon with strong toxicity, and he asked that it must have a poison-series skill,” Xia Zizhen continued.
“A poison-series skill?” Bai Zhiyi frowned. “This won’t be easy…”
Among human blacksmiths, one would grasp the smithing technique for pieces of Skill Equipment after arriving at a certain level. Despite that, they normally mastered Rune Skills related to the natural changes of the universe.
As for poison-series skills, they were quite rare.
Xia Zizhen quickly added, “Elder Bai, it’s obviously not an easy task, or I wouldn’t have asked you for help. Hehe, I recall that you’ve learned a skill from this series before.”
Bai Zhiyi glared at him then sighed. “I’ve learned a bit in the past, but it’s the lowest-level poison-series Rune Skills. Since someone from the Disaster Saber Sect made a special visit here, he’s surely not asking for this.”
Ou Yangming was moved, but he did not recommend himself right away. Instead, he watched quietly and coldly on the side.
Xia Zizhen was startled, and he was rather anxious. “Elder Bai, he’s willing to pay a huge price for it!”
Bai Zhiyi questioned coldly, “What rewards did he prepare?”
“He prepared 3 sets of materials, as well as a spiritual herb that can produce immortal liquid!” Xia Zizhen answered seriously.
“Oh?” Bai Zhiyi stopped frowning as he was really moved.
Spiritual herbs were not much in the Spiritual Realm, but they were categorized into different levels. If a spiritual herb that could produce spiritual liquid was found, everyone would fight for it for sure.
“That fella’s quite lucky to be able to find such a precious item.” Bai Zhiyi then responded after some thought, “Fine, I’ll meet him first. Whether or not I’ll succeed, I’ll give it a go.”
Xia Zizhen was elated. “Thank you, Elder Bai.”
After getting the elder’s permission, he quickly left.
Bai Zhiyi chuckled and said, “Lil’ Ou, looks like the fella from the Disaster Saber Sect has not only prepared rewards for the blacksmith, but he also provided generous gifts for Zizhe, or he won’t be so diligent.”
Ou Yangming nodded and asked, “Elder Bai, are you going to do it?”
“I plan to try. If it isn’t difficult, I’ll fulfill his wish.” Bai Zhiyi nodded.
“Elder Bai, I’d like to observe the process, can you…” Ou Yangming asked probingly.
“Haha, if you’d like to spectate, go ahead; I won’t object to it.” Bai Zhiyi was secretly happy. He was a blacksmith too, hence he understood what Ou Yangming was thinking. The more eager the young fellow was, the happier he was.
As long as he displayed great abilities, why should he worry about not being able to recruit Ou Yangming into his sect?
Before long, Xia Zizhen brought a middle-aged man into the residence. “Elder Bai, he’s my good friend, Poisonous Saber Gentleman from the Disaster Saber Sect.”
Ou Yangming glanced at the man and wondered, “The Disaster Saber Sect, Poisonous Saber Gentleman. What are they…’
However, everyone had their preference i
n titles. He was not used to them, but he would not say anything.
On the contrary, Bai Zhiyi was not bothered at all. He asked in a deep voice, “What weapon are you looking for?”
Poisonous Saber Gentleman bowed and answered seriously, “Elder Bai, I’d like a poisonous saber.” He retrieved a parchment, where the saber’s model was drawn. Whether it was the saber’s length, weight, or materials, they were also clearly stated.
Bai Zhiyi held the parchment and frowned. After a brief moment, he noted, “I’ll consider for a while. You may leave first.”
Poisonous Saber Gentleman responded to him, then he opened his interspatial bag to retrieve the materials and place them on the ground. “Thanks for your effort, Elder Bai.” Subsequently, he left with Xia Zizhen.
The elder stared at the parchment and knitted his eyebrows more than before. He sighed after a long time and commented, “Ah, the spiritual herb can’t be obtained so easily indeed…”
Ou Yangming pondered for some time and finally moved his head over to take a look.
After seeing the request, a faint smile could be seen on his face. “Elder Bai, how about you let me attempt it first?”
Bai Zhiyi was taken aback. He looked up and asked in confusion, “You…”
Chapter 607 - Distracted
Ou Yangming was a genius—an unparalleled God-favored one in smithing art.
At such a young age, he could layer pieces of Half-Silver Equipment. Moreover, after watching the smithing technique of Good Grade magic tools once, he could figure out a draft formula according to the proportion of minerals. As far as Bai Zhiyi knew, the young fellow was the only one capable of doing those.
He regarded Ou Yangming with special respect because he witnessed the young fellow’s talent.
Even so, no matter how much Bai Zhiyi valued Ou Yangming, he did not think that the young fellow could smith the equipment on the parchment.
Poisonous Saber Gentleman made a strict request; the poisonous saber had to be a Good Grade magic tool, and it must be attacked with at least 2 offensive poison-series Skill Runes. He did not ask that they must be Intermediate Skill Runes, but it was clear that at least one of the skills had to be an intermediate one.
It was difficult to carve a Skill Rune on a piece of equipment, but many blacksmiths could do it.
However, if 2 skills were to be engraved, even if they were from the same series, the difficulty would increase by a few times. In comparison, it would be much simpler to change the request for the skills into a request for a piece of White Silver Equipment.
Not to mention a young blacksmith like Ou Yangming, even Bai Zhiyi dared not make any promises.
Bai Zhiyi sighed and responded, “Lil’ Ou, I know you’re young and fearless, so you want to give it a go, but you saw Poisonous Saber Gentleman’s request. If anything goes wrong, my reputation will be ruined by you.”
Ou Yangming flushed and replied to the elder, “I was being unmindful. Please forgive me, Elder Bai.”
Indeed, the one that agreed to smith the equipment was not him, but Bai Zhiyi. If he smithed and succeeded, the elder would feel uneasy about taking the credit; if he failed, the elder would have to take the blame too.
Bai Zhiyi waved his hand and said, “It’s fine; it’s great for young people to be ambitious. Hehe, I lack that drive.”
He looked at the materials on the floor and furrowed his eyebrows.
There were fine minerals that could be used to smith Good Grade magic tools, but 2 of them were different from what Ou Yangming normally used. It was not strange; Poisonous Saber Gentleman requested a poisonous saber, hence the 2 materials were definitely suitable for attaching poison-series spells.
Nonetheless, the most eye-catching items were 3 poisonous pills. They did not know where the pills came from but since Poisonous Saber Gentleman brought them here, they were evidently unordinary.
To Bai Zhiyi, 3 sets of materials were enough to let him smith a Good Grade magic tool according to his wish.
Despite that, the difficult part was to attach 2 skills to the equipment. On top of that, the fact that they had to be poison-series spells exceeded the elder’s capability.
Ou Yangming hesitated for a while before he uttered, “Elder Bai, I actually know a poison-series spell, and it’s also an Intermediate Spell.”
Bai Zhiyi, who was deep in his thoughts, looked up abruptly and asked in shock, “What? Are you being serious?”
“I won’t dare to lie to you, Elder Bai.” Ou Yangming nodded.
The elder looked deeply at Ou Yangming and finally sighed. “I understand now; no wonder you wanted to give this a go.” He was undecided at first, but he finally said, “I’d like to discuss something with you.”
Ou Yangming knew what the elder wanted, but he responded with a smile, “Senior, please go ahead.”
Bai Zhiyi laughed and asked, “I’d like to exchange a Skill Rune with you, are you…”
“I’ll accept it,” Ou Yangming answered without any hesitation.
The elder was dumbfounded, then he uttered with a smile, “Good fella, thank you.”
Given the situation, Ou Yangming could have made extra requests, but he agreed with the exchange right away. Therefore, Bai Zhiyi was grateful.
Ou Yangming shook his head and expressed, “Elder Bai, you guided me before this, so don’t worry about it.”
Bai Zhiyi pointed at him and laughed cheerfully, “Alright, what Skill Rune would you like to learn?”
“Am I allowed to choose?” Ou Yangming asked after some thought.
The elder smiled bitterly. “There are numerous Skill Runes in the world, but I’m not a know-it-all, so I don’t know all of them. I’m adept in wind-series and water-series Rune Skills. It’s okay if you’re not talented in them; once you return to the sect with me, I’ll make arrangements for you to learn an Intermediate Rune Skill from the library.”
Ou Yangming nodded. Bai Zhiyi’s arrangement was beneficial for him, but he still asked, “Elder Bai, the specific Rune Skills that you’re adept in are…”
Bai Zhiyi answered in a deep voice, “The Intermediate Runes that I’m skilled at are the Waterfall Attack and the Water Arrows Chain from the water series, as well as the Great Windstorm from the wind series.”
The young fellow waited quietly for a brief moment but did not hear anything else, so he could not help but ask, “And?”
Bai Zhiyi glared at him and rejoined, “Being adept in 3 Intermediate Skill Runes is quite a lot. The other runes I know are rudimentary ones, so they can’t be used to exchange for your poison-series spell.”
“Ah? 3?” Ou Yangming had a weird look on his face.
“Why do you have that look on your face?” Bai Zhiyi frowned.
Ou Yangming curbed his thought and forced a smile. “Nothing—I recalled something, so I lost myself.”
The 10,000 Beasts Venerable One had told him that the ability to fathom Skill Runes from spirit beasts’ innate abilities was not a trivial matter. He did not attach much importance to it at first, but he now knew that the ability was truly significant.
Bai Zhiyi was not a simple person. Not only was he an elder from the Beast King Sect, but he was also an elder from Danzhou’s Smithing Alliance. In a way, he had a certain status among the blacksmiths in Danzhou.
In spite of his status, he could only grasp 3 Intermediate Skill Runes.
It was certainly not a special case, thus Ou Yangming figured that every blacksmith could only learn limited Intermediate Skill Runes. Needless to say, those of Bai Zhiyi’s rank had surely grasped numerous Rudimentary Runes, which might be able to satisfy Rudimentary and Intermediate Spiritualists, but they would be not worth mentioning to Advanced Spiritualists.
Ou Yangming raised another question as he recalled something, “Elder Bai, can you learn intermediate poison-series Skill Runes in a short period?”
Bai Zhiyi smiled bitterly, “I dare not guarantee it, but I’ve learned a rudimentary one before and have some ta
lent in poison-series runes, so I might succeed if I try.”
Nevertheless, it was clear from his tone that there was not much hope in that.
Ou Yangming immediately shut up and thought.
‘If he finds out how I learn Skill Runes, I’ll probably get burned.’
Bai Zhiyi turned around and asked, “Which one of the 3 Intermediate Skill Rune would you like to learn?”
Ou Yangming was slightly stunned, and he shook his head. “Elder Bai, frankly speaking, I’ve grasped those 3 Skill Runes already.”
“Oh, what?” Bai Zhiyi was in disbelief. “You’ve grasped them already?”
“Yes.” Ou Yangming nodded.
“That’s impossible,” Bai Zhiyi commented without any hesitation, “You’re so young, so how’s it possible…” His voice suddenly lowered because he recalled the time he met Ou Yangming during the Trading Meet.
The young fellow smithed a piece of equipment that was a half step to White Silver by using ordinary Power Ors.
Bai Zhiyi was as shocked as he was at that time.
According to Ou Yangming’s age, he could not have done it, but he did.
Since the young fellow created a miracle once, could he do it twice?
Bai Zhiyi fell silent for some time then asked, “Lil’ Ou, can you show me those 3 Skill Runes?”
Ou Yangming chuckled and answered, “Of course.”
He did not want to expose the way he learned them, but it would not be a problem for him to show his abilities.
Displaying runes and carving runes were entirely different things; it would be extremely easy for him to do the former. With that, he straightened his body and quickly made strokes in the air with his hands.
When his hands began to move, wonderful energies surged in the air and underwent marvelous changes according to his gestures.
Ou Yangming’s eyes lit up all of a sudden. It was at this instant he experienced a queer feeling.
Back when the Six-armed Giant Beast and Ghost Mo fought, they easily triggered changes in the universe’s spiritual power. As their fight progressed, it even felt like they were controlling the space.
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