by <unknown>
However, for him to suddenly propose the collision test, it was obvious that Jin Quan had ill intentions.
The flames in the depths of Li Yao’s eyes burned more and more furiously, as he too was eager to test his own strength. He nodded while clenching his teeth:
"Alright, I don't have a problem! Although the nail forged by me looks ordinary, I believe it can withstand three to five collision with the dragon scale nail."
‘He took the bait!’
Jin Quan burst into excitement.
He believed that the crafting furnace was derived from Yuan Manqiu's hand.
Looking for a bone in the "Deep Sea Goddess's" egg was very difficult![1]
However, Jin Quan had absolute confidence in the dragon scale nail forged by him. He muttered to himself, 'Is there any need for three to five collision? Isn't it alright as long as Li Yao's rotten nail explodes in the first collision?'
This way, he could more or less vent his hatred and also restore some face, and incidentally, also let everyone get a clear look at Li Yao’s, this braggart's, true appearance.
Elder Lie Yongming raised his white eyebrows as he deeply stared at Jin Quan. His eyes flickered with an extremely complex look. Suddenly, he said, "Jin Quan, since you are going to be using the collision test, it is not appropriate for you to conduct it, let me do it!"
Jin Quan was surprised for a moment before his face beamed with happiness.
'Did the old man also realize that Li Yao is a crazy braggart and wants to teach him a small lesson?'
The more Jin Quan thought of this, the more he found it reliable as he happily carried the dragon scale nail:
"Grand Master, please!"
Elder Lie Yongming stretched out his emaciated-like-a-stick hands, and with a slight move of his ten fingers, the two nails jumped out of Li Yao's and Jin Quan's hands and flew into the air as though they had been dragged by invisible wires!
All the silver-white hair on Elder Lie Yongming's head stood erect as though his entire body was shrouded in an invisible static electricity. As he snapped his ten fingers, the two nails started to pull apart from each other bit by bit before they were separated by twenty meters and rotating at a high speed.
Under the direction of Yuan Manqiu, the high school students retreated by a dozen meters and stood behind a defensive array glyph.
Many of them were witnessing such a stimulating collision test for the first time, and soon, they began whispering to each other:
"What do you think? How many times can that weirdo's rotten nail collide with the dragon scale nail?"
"Up to five times?"
"Three times I think, up to three times. The dragon scale nail is highly rigid. I have heard that some cultivators who move their weapons with their thoughts specially buy a large amount of dragon scale nails and use them as a hidden weapon which could even pierce the shell of demon beasts!"
"I wonder whether this weirdo's nail will bend from the collision."
"It should… be impossible. This weirdo still has some ability. I think his nail can collide with the dragon scale nail up to two times!"
Jin Quan stood proudly and comfortably with his arms crossed as though a gentle breeze was caressing his face.
He seemed to be looking up at the two nails; however, most of his attention was on Li Yao.
He didn't want to miss the stunned, embarrassed, and ashamed look on Li Yao's face when that rotten jet-black nail explodes!
Li Yao, on the other hand, was staring at the sky with rapt attention while his fists were tightly clenched to the point that thick green veins had emerged on his arms; he was extremely tensed.
"Fizz!"
With the move of Elder Lie Yongming's thoughts, the two nails rotated to the limit and made an ear-piercing noise from the friction with the air!
Suddenly, Elder Lie Yongming's eyes opened widely as they radiated with a lustrous and dazzling brilliance as though two crystal searchlights were instantly switched on!
"Whizz!"
"Whizz!"
In the front of the two nails, a mass of white mist respectively appeared.
It was the sound barrier!
The two nails broke through the speed of sound!
Under the speed of sound, the twenty meters gap was engulfed in the blink of an eye as the two nails ruthlessly collided with each other!
Everyone didn't hear anything and only saw a resplendent ball of light suddenly expand, following which something broke into pieces and was shot out.
A few fragments struck upon the defensive array glyph and burst forth with a "crack" noise.
Only now did the deafening sound of the collision, the grating noise from the high-speed air friction, as well as the sound of a nail blasting into pieces bombard their ears!
"Ah, it broke into pieces!"
"Li Yao's nail could not withstand even one collision and was broken by the dragon scale nail!"
"It's too disappointing, right? Damn, I thought he was someone with peerless skills. Obviously, the many theories he has spoken of sounded plausible!?
"What's the point of exaggerating theories in superlative terms if he can't even forge a nail? Refiner my ass!"
"That's right! Although our Empyrean Terminus Sect's dragon scale nail has high rigidity, an ordinary nail should be able to withstand at least three to five collision, right!?
"In just one collision, it broke into pieces. Isn't that disgraceful?"
The Li Yao's wrapped-in-a-shroud-of-mystery image in the hearts of the teenagers collapsed and was completely reduced to nothing but that of a rhetorical theorist.
Oh, so he was a theorist with great strength.
"Haha, it broke into pieces in just one tenth of a second. It's even weaker than I imagined!"
Jin Quan bit his tongue hard while laughing before he forced a smile on his face as he gazed at Li Yao's face.
'Never would have thought that this madman's face would be so thick that there wouldn't even be an ounce of expression on his face, but instead, with a shining bright pair of eyes akin to black crystal, he would thoughtfully stare into the air.'
"Stupid, stupid… how could I be so stupid!"
Just as Jin Quan, who was fired with boundless enthusiasm, wanted to open his mouth, two screams suddenly came from behind—it was the chubby boy.
During the collision, some fragments shot at the defensive array glyph and bounced off, which just so happened to fall not too far from him.
The young, fat boy was momentarily excited and stretched out his fat ass as he bent over to the ground to pick up the fragment.
However, he didn't know that due to the high-speed rotation and collision, the nail had accumulated a lot of heat and was just like a red-hot nail. Immediately, a bunch of blisters emerged on his fingers.
The first scream was precisely due to this.
The second scream, however, was due to the shocking discovery made by the young, fat boy. The fragment on the ground was of dark blue color and was completely covered in thin golden threads as though it was covered in a layer of dragon scales.
To his dismay, it turned out to be a fragment from the dragon scale nail!
During the high-speed collision, was the nail which exploded instantaneously... the Dragon! Scale! Nail!?
The young, fat boy was flabbergasted as he fell down on the ground with his legs apart while distractedly looking at the dragon scale nail's fragment and even forgot the piercing pain on his fingertips.
His mouth opened wider and wider to the point that the uvula in his throat was showing.
"Li Shanhao, what happened to you?"
One by one, the students noticed the strange appearance of the young, fat boy before they gathered around him
The young, fat boy kept blinking his eyes. His Adam's apple moved for a long while, but he could not utter one word. He could only use his thick and short trembling finger to point at the fragment of the dragon scale nail.
After half a second, everyone had fallen i
nto the same panic-stricken and dumbfounded state as the fat boy!
Everyone looked at each other; they did not dare to believe their eyes.
Professor Jin Quan, who was the most handsome, the coolest, and the strongest in their mind had actually lost... he had thoroughly lost?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Numerous gaze simultaneously shot towards Jin Quan.
Everyone wanted to see how Jin Quan was going to respond. How would he fight back?
Chapter 163: Seven Layered Heavens, Hidden Dragon Scales! |
Jin Quan did not respond in the slightest, seemingly as if he had just been struck by lightning; he was at a total loss and didn't know what to do.
From head to toe, every part of his body was trembling, and even his two rows of teeth were clattering.
His handsome face was completely distorted, revealing an embarrassed smile which was even uglier than crying.
Elder Lie Yongming heaved a sigh as he pulled Li Yao's nail as well as the fragments of the dragon scale nail into his hand before walking in front of his apprentice grandson and waved his hands to the high school students, gesturing for them to come over.
"Jin Quan, do you know where you lost?"
Jin Quan felt like weeping but had no tears. His lips quivered, but how could he answer half a word?
Elder Lie Yongming earnestly said:
"Casting Dragon Scales is an exemplary skill of our Empyrean Terminus Sect, and I am very pleased by the fact that you, at such a young age, have mastered it as well as being able to apply it so skillfully and forge a dragon scale nail."
"However, Jin Quan... kid, you have been proud and arrogant since you were a child. You are too impatient to do everything and had been negligent in your work. Take a look at these fragments. Can you see the 'dragon scales' you had cast are somewhat scattered? Due to this, the dragon scale nail was irregularly heated inside the crafting furnace, and there is a 0.01% difference in the weight on both sides."
"The internal structure is also unstable, so what's the use of laying three to five layers of dragon scales on the surface?"
"It doesn't necessarily mean that there is a problem with your method. It is quite possible that the reason for you to forge a flawed dragon scale nail is because it was your first time using this crafting furnace and you had been too arrogant and proud. You had forged it before even familiarizing yourself with the performance of the crafting furnace!"
"And the nail forged by Student Li Yao..."
Elder Lie Yongming slightly smiled as he beckoned and said, "Student Li Yao, what's so special about your nail?"
Having approached, Li Yao said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:
"The forging method of this nail is derived from an ancient book and is called 'Seven Layered Heavens'!"
Elder Lie Yongming's eyes flickered with a sharp gleam as he repeatedly nodded:
"Good, good, very good—Seven Layered Heavens!"
"Students, don’t be fooled by the jet-black ordinary surface of this nail. In fact, there is a universe inside!"
"The so-called "Seven Layered Heavens" is using seven levels of hidden strength. In other words, seven different kinds of material are mixed with each other layer after layer. If you cut this nail in the middle, you will be able to see a seven layer structure spanning from inside to outside. Seven Layered Heaven, each level supporting the other, softness with hardness, flexibility with rigidity. It is absolutely a notch above the dragon scale nail!"
"Furthermore, Student Li Yao has personally modified this crafting furnace and is perfectly familiar with each and every performance parameter. The nail forged by him is of uniform density, and its dimensions are accurate; there isn't a single flaw. It has a first-rate quality and can also be considered a peerless nail!"
"Jin Quan, if you had spent a dozen minutes and tried to figure out the performance of the crafting furnace, then the dragon scale nail refined by you would not have had a single flaw. Perhaps, it would have been able to collide with Student Li Yao's 'seven layered heaven nail' a dozen times, and it would have been difficult to tell who the winner would be."
"However, you were impatient and didn't place Student Li Yao in your eyes, thereby refining a flawed dragon scale nail. Of course, it could not be a match for the seven layered heaven nail."
"In other words, you didn't lose to Student Li Yao—you lost to yourself!"
"Oh..."
Upon hearing this reasoning, the high school students were caught by surprise. They had never imagined that the jet-black nail forged by Li Yao would be so exquisite.
Seven Layered Heaven Method?
It sounded quite domineering!
In the blink of an eye, Li Yao's image in their mind once again grew big and tall, turning into a humongous monster that was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.
Jin Quan lost his wits. The lines on his forehead simply composed a "三" character as a downcasted look was painted on his face.
Patting his shoulder heavily, Elder Lie Yongming said:
"Jin Quan, don't blame Grandmaster for intentionally making a fool of you. Your Grandmaster has watched you grow up since childhood. In the past, your grandfather and father have also followed Grandmaster and learned refining. In Grandmaster's eyes, you are just like a grandson!"
"And your refining talent in the Empyrean Terminus Sect is also outstanding!"
"In the first place, Grandmaster has high hopes for you, I hope that you can become a top-tier refiner and lead the Empyrean Terminus Sect to greater heights."
"However, from the beginning to end, you have been too impetuous. Although graduating from Deep Sea University's Refining Department is pretty good in the eyes of ordinary people, in Grandmaster's eyes, it’s still far from reaching your limit, let alone breaking through your limit!"
"Hopefully, today’s duel can wake you up. I hope that the impatience and arrogance deep down in your heart can be swept away once and for all so that you can walk on the true road of refining with firm footing!"
"Now, take your dragon scale fragments to the side and self-reflect, ok?"
Jin Quan's face turned red to purple and then purple to black. One by one, his face turned into seven to eight colors.
Finally, he was as silent as a grave as he walked to a corner in a crestfallen gait before squatting down, whereupon holding his head, he stayed down.
"Student Li Yao..."
Elder Lie Yongming's eyes bloomed with a magnificent brilliance. His entire body was as though it had donned an invisible battle suit as he faintly smiled and said, "In the last couple decades, this old man has never seen such exquisite modifications to a 1st Generation Tai'e Furnace, so this old man is itching to give it a try. Can you lend it to this old man to try a hand?"
Just a while ago, from Yuan Manqiu's introduction, Li Yao came to know that this old man had been immersed in refining for over a century. Although his cultivation was not that high, his experience, on the other hand, was extremely rich. He was an old ginger that could not be underestimated.
Just a moment ago, Jin Quan had lost a great deal of face for the Empyrean Terminus Sect, so of course, this old ginger would like to recover it!
Promptly nodding his head, Li Yao respectfully said, "Old Lie, please!"
"Wow, Grandpa Lie is going to refine!"
The high school students were all excited to the extreme.
Lie Yongming was an elder of the Empyrean Terminus Sect and had an aloof status. For a long time, he had never crafted anything in public. Nobody would have imagined that he would make an exception for Li Yao.
Everyone stretched their neck as they held their breaths.
Elder Lie Yongming appeared before a console as he intently observed the refining interface.
His eye revealed a deep love just like a hot-blooded young man looking at his beloved girlfriend.
Suddenly, his emaciated pair of hand started to move.
Compared to Jin Quan, he was several
times slower. His every action was neither too fast nor too slow and appeared extremely ordinary.
His actions were neither crazed nor maddening like Li Yao’s, and neither was it elegant or comfortable like Jin Quan’s.
It was like an old worker who had rich experience, finishing everything with persistence and consistency; so calm, so accurate, so relaxed.
But when Li Yao was watching, the words "Governing the whole country like cooking a small fish!" emerged from the depths of his heart.
As far as Elder Lie Yongming was concerned, refining to him was perhaps just like frying a little yellow croaker; it was nothing more than simple and boring day-to-day work.
After a moment, the elder walked out of the steam, calmly holding a "nail" in his palm!
"Student Li Yao, this old man had also forged a nail. Please tell me what you think."
The eyes of the teenagers sparkled. They had never expected for Grandpa Lie to also forge a nail.
It must be a dragon scale nail—a flawless dragon scale nail!
Li Yao's eyes contracted as he solemnly used both hands to hold the nail forged by the elder.
Li Yao was a bit surprised as the nail was jet-black on the surface, appearing as ordinary as the nail forged by him. He could not see even a single thread of dragon scales.
"What?"
Many students were perplexed and could not help but shout.
Li Yao, on the other hand, was as though he was holding a masterwork weapon. His eyes were madly trembling while cold sweat emerged on his forehead.
Suddenly, he flicked his fingers, making it seem as if the nail had been struck down by lightning seven times.
"Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding!"
A strange thing occurred.
To everyone's dismay, with the flick of his fingers, the solid nail burst forth with cries of tigers and dragons that shot through the roof and lingered in the air.
"Sounds from the flicks of fingers?"
Elder Lie Yongming was truly astounded as he muttered to himself, "Such an unorthodox testing method. I thought that it had already been lost. I did not expect—"
