The meditation/cultivation methods involved moving soul power through the body's circulation.
It's not surprising that creating such methods from scratch was extremely dangerous.
For example, reversing the flow of soul power against the blood's natural direction while making the cultivation method would be a suicide attempt. Or it would lead to a breakthrough that rapidly increased the speed.
I obviously choose the safe path.
"72,"
"7-73,"
"74,"
"7-75."
THUD
I fell on the ground from sheer exhaustion, unable to continue the workout. While my daily life in the last 3 months was monotonous, I was thankful that I no longer need to do the servant work in the mansion.
Apparently, any child with innate soul power was directly given a basic cultivation method and basic combat training to encourage them to walk on the path to the soul master.
[Current soul power: level 6]
It kind of made sense, especially when you started considering the benefits in exchange.
Anyways, I broke through yesterday thanks to the custom cultivation method made by AI. This breakthrough gave me an all-round improvement to me.
Basic physical fitness, hearing, vision, etc.
It was not an insane increase, but attaining the same with training would take more than a year for me. Now, the next step in improving the meditation method, so that it could be considered a true cultivation method was to make the method run in conjunction with my martial soul.
My body changed a lot, after the martial soul awakening, especially the pathways for soul power. In fact, the martial soul gave me the safe paths that I didn't even dare to attempt but it also didn't mean my hard work was useless. For example, my focus on the pathways in eyes, made them far ahead than pathways inherent to the martial souls.
THUCK THUCK
I walked out of the training grounds among the shouts of punching kids. Thankfully, my days of training under solider Hu bore fruit and made me exempt from joining the rest of the newly awakened kids.
"For fuck's sake, I can't hear you."
""12.""
""13.."
"Damn it, brats, I said louder. Didn't you brats eat carts' worth of food? LOUDER."
"""14"""
"""15""""
———Huang Town, near Star Luo, Star Luo Empire———-
"..La.. La…. Laa. halala….."
I hummed random things to pass the time as I went to the merchant shop to purchase the herbs. While it was an embarrassing habit, I felt like doing that whenever I was in the mood.
"Little Zhang, are you here for the herbs?"
I nodded while silently passing him a gold coin. He happily took them and stored it away.
"So?"
I sighed and gave him the info. "Yes, apparently there will be an order placed for the new recruits by the royal family. The head servant already received an order to co-ordinate with the head of the military base."
The fat guy rubbed his palms as if preparing for a feast. I inwardly felt disgusted at his dripping saliva but held on for the sake of herbs.
I asked him the question, "So?"
The merchant nodded and looked at his guard, who according to the rumours was a soul ancestor but considering his white hair and wrinkled body, he was nearing the end of his life span.
The guard closely monitored the outside surroundings while the merchant took out the bag in response to my question.
"The bag contains all the herbs you requested. Fire grass, blue silver grass, Ice worm meat. And of course, the most precious of them, the meat of Mind eye chicken."
The meat of Mind eye chicken took 20 gold coins: it better be worth it. Even a slight improvement in spiritual energy from it was enough for me.
I took the bag of herbs and was about to leave when the merchant said, "I could get the blue silver grass and mind eye chicken. But why are you taking fire grass and ice word meat altogether? Using them together is plain stupid?"
I didn't answer and came out of the store. After all, the reason I bring in information was so that he would leak nothing about me still possessing my gold. Not for him to poke his nose into my business.
SIGH
It was suffocating to hide and plan for using my money, but I have no choice. As I long as I had any support, I wouldn't have to be so cautious, but the cruel reality was that I was an orphan who was luckily recruited into the vacation mansion of Dai family.
—————Blacksmith Association, Huang town branch. —————————-
CLANG
CLANG
CLANG
CLANG
The metals ringing from the blacksmiths hammering away at the metals was becoming familiar to me by now.
Because of the demanding military training and the continuous exploration of the star duo forest, it came as no shock that the town had drawn in a blacksmith association.
Therefore, the establishment of a branch of the blacksmith association was a logical move to meet the army's demands and, of course, earn money.
I guess the status of blacksmiths was really low in this era; they need every opportunity to survive, including running behind the army and nobles. Quite unlike their status in the soul land 3 and others.
""Little Zhang!""
"Hello Uncle Mo, Uncle Tian."
"Zhang boy."
"Hello Old Yao."
"*cough* * cough* Fucking brat."
"You know that kid. Why are you trying to tease him? You are asking for the insult and disrespect. Old Yao."
"I am not old! And, I didn't start this."
SNORT
As if. It was the old guy who started the insult war first. Besides, it was fun for both him and me. He kept calling me a brat or boy, ending with me calling him as old man or something worse. But, he always got the short end of the stick in the cussing.
I was proud user of various social media in my previous life. A devourer of trolling content. So, I won. Every. Single. Time.
I took in the forging hammer provided by the association and got to metals storage. I was not even a junior smith. Just a temp who at most repaired the crooked and bent tools of everyday people. But, it would do.
So, I got to setting a bent rod back in shape. While doing so, I decided that today was the day.
While forging was looked down by the world, I knew that by time of soul land 2 and soul land 3, it would rise rapidly until they reach the canon peak where the blacksmiths could craft divine weapons or equivalent armour. So, I took up the chance to learn to forge.
However, forging was not something that could be done blindly. Information regarding various metals, forging techniques and even channels to get the metals was difficult to find. But, luckily, the branch head is a Grandmaster smith. Hence, it brings a large amount of profit. So, becoming his student was a definite path to get all of them.
[Author's note: Grandmaster smith is SS1 term= master craftsman in SS3. The blacksmith can forge spirit refinement metals. More info at end of chapter.]
After completing the tasks assigned, I finally got to my goal of the day-Becoming the branch head student.
BLOW
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG
"WTF! Who started a hundred refinement so suddenly? Are they stupid to do this in such chaos?"
I ignored old man Yao and continued my task at hammering at the spot pointed out by AI.
[Based on the lightness of metal colour in the right edge, it has 10 % impurities.
Calculating the amount of hammering required based on host strength and speed- 2 strokes downwards, one stroke from sideways an inch below.]
I did as the AI suggested.
While identifying the impurities and adjusting the hammer strokes during forging requires experience. I luckily got my AI, who could process it from the information I collected as an apprentice in the last 3 months.
Such precise changes to level of inches would be jarring to anyone. But I was used to following them in all aspects of my life. It had interesting side effect of me having good control over my body.
"Stupid brat, what are you doing? Messing up with the metal ingots is way above your paygrade. Even you're sucking up to the head servant can't save you from being banned from blacksmith association."
SMACK
"Idiot! Look at the metal."
I could hear old man Yao exclaim, "Fucking hell! The brat is doing good."
A deep voice from before, which scolded old man Yao, resonated in the forge once more, "Not just good, He is succeeding. By the purity score of the metal, he needs 28 stokes more to achieve a hundred refinement."
I smiled internally as I inwardly read the AI displayed the Purity score.
[72.4]
CLANG
[72.68]
CLANG CLANG CLANG
[73]
-
-
-
"Fucking hell! Purity score of 90."
My mood was like the balloons in the clouds until it burst by the third comment of the deep voice. "A pity. He failed."
CLANG
I was surprised at the comment at first, then didn't accept it because my AI and the information I collected while looking at the various blacksmiths was correct. So, I grew angry and continued with renewed force.
CLANG
CLANG
CL-CLUCK
I looked at the hammer that slipped and my hands that are swollen beyond words. Impossible! According to the AI and my past data collection, it was within my limits to forge a hundred refinement.
I moved towards the hammer, but my legs gave way to a familiar feeling. Soul power exhaustion.
THUCK
The answer came to me as the owner of a deep voice stood in front of my fallen body. "You wasted far too much soul power. While it is mild in between each stoke, the overall loss led to the failure."
He was right. While AI is calculated based on ideal stokes, the reality is not ideal. Thankfully, I recognised this now. If I messed up in combat, for example, I would have been dead.
The thought sent a chill ran down my spine.
"Don't worry, kid. With enough experience and training, you can avoid soul power loss. Though be prepared for years' worth of effort and pain."
I finally saw the owner of the deep voice, a gruff middle-aged man with black clothes, but the most eye-catching feature of him is the Blacksmith badge- purple stars with a white background and hammer outline.
A Grandmaster smith and the branch head of this branch, Mo Tian.
"Well kid. Do you want to be my student?"
—————Time Skip- 3 months [ 6 Months since Martial soul awakening] ——————
I gained much from accepting Teacher Mo Tian's offer.
Far too much.
One a Grandmaster smith's inheritance, two- a backing of a level 39 Soul grandmaster.
Yep, Teacher Mo Tian was a soul grandmaster stuck at rank 39 because of his martial soul, a lightning hammer. While the name looks cool, its potential frightened me. An innate soul power of 5. Yes, just like mine. Making me scared if I would be a middle-aged soul grandmaster stuck for life.
You must know within the next two decades; 3 gods will be born and fight to death. Multiple more would ascend with the help of Tang San.
"You are really fated to be my disciple. We have the same innate soul power, achieved the same progress at the same time. HAHAHA."
Looking at the shining hundred refined metal forged by me, I bit down a sigh from his comparison.
Unfortunately, my teacher was a braggart. Yes, it took me 6 months to achieve a hundred refinement if we count from the day I first took up forging. But, the first half of 3 months was spent without guidance and any resources.
While Teacher Mo Tian was a soul ancestor in his late twenties when he took up forging and had abundant resources. Yet, he still took 6 months.
Though I still hold him dear. Because of these beauties.
ZING
[ Spirit Refined Magic Silver Hammers: A pair of hammers made by blacksmith Mo Tian, using magic silver as base.
Host-Zhang Kun's blood was used during the spirit refinement to make the tools life connected to Host.]
Since they were made by magic silver, their weight is manageable for me. If these were made of heavy silver like Tang Wulin, then I couldn't even lift them.
Still, I had to say, "You really spoiled me with these gift teachers. Otherwise, I couldn't do a hundred refinements until I broke through level 10."
I mean a spirit refined tools were almost like the flesh and blood of the user.
ZING
Just like now, with a thought from me, the hammers entered my hands. Becoming a part of my flesh. Seriously, the only reason they aren't popular like in soul land 3 is because-
SNORT
"What's the use? I could only sell them for a thousand gold coins for some Nobel or an auxiliary soul master passing by. At least by giving you the hammers, you can finally get the experience you need. Unlike normal blacksmiths, your knowledge is more than sufficient for the next level but is held back by your low strength. Quite opposite to the normal."
I gave a nervous chuckle or two. He was really pissed off that his life achievement was looked down upon. I guess there was a reason for the inferior status. The spirit refinement tools without the advanced support of battle armour tech in Soul land 3, was really pitiful..
According to the teacher, a soul master (above level 10) with a good tool spirit could break the spirit refined tools with a single blow.
Still, the teacher really differs from the general populace. Not in a good way. He literally used all his wealth and influence to splurge a lot of resources for me to train blacksmithing and cultivate. Fuck, he directly bought a house for me.
You know this type of raising was terrible. If the target of this raising was a normal child, in the future he would become a spoiled trash seen in novels.
Though, for me, it was a heaven-sent opportunity. His behaviour towards me directly made the head servant give back my money and give me a guard post of the mansion.
While the money is secondary, the guard post for the mansion means I was directly employed by the royal family. You must know all the guards are soul masters (above level 1) and an occasional soul grandmaster.
Of course, my cultivation must also be a factor. I was currently at Level 7.
While it might look like a hard-working prospective soul master. I know the truth of reality. I need another year to get to level 8. It becomes tough to break through with each level. Especially for soul masters with normal martial souls.
The only way to increase the speed was two options- resources and cultivation method.
Resources were already used to the current limit by me. Any further increase needs higher quality herbs. As for the consequences, I stopped caring long ago.
So, I found my cultivation method could actually improve by adding the hidden meridians to the cultivation paths, which were like the shortcuts in human circulations- third duct, circle of Willis, portal vein.
Unfortunately, it was also a dead end because these arteries/veins are too delicate and also need an injection of large amount of soul power before stabilizing.
Fuck.
The only way for me to breakthrough was having more resources. Because with more resources I could solve these issues. The way to attain this was also done by me once.
It was simple -Increase my status.
I had gone from being an orphan servant to the student of the Blacksmith association's branch head.
My new status was already better than 10% of people.
Surpassing my current status would involve becoming a noble or achieving an equivalent position.
It was apparent that without significant strength or exceptional war merit, attaining nobility is impossible.
So, I must attain status equivalent to nobility.
Everyone knows that in an empire, equivalent to a noble was becoming the confidant of the royalty.
It's convenient for me that the prince with most resources in the empire gives regular visits to his vacation mansion.
His purpose was also obvious, to win over the military officials in the conflict for the throne.
Sorry! Dai Mubai. My current circumstances forced my hand; we would be enemies in the future.
I choose you, Prince Dai Weisi.