Using external objects to arm a Spirit Soul, enabling it to undergo an evolution impossible through the normal Spirit Beast path!
"Can it really be done?"
Zhu Jiuyang took a deep breath, also feeling a trace of doubt about this idea.
"Teacher, when you resolutely chose the blacksmithing industry back then, wasn't it because you believed metal could also undergo a qualitative change through repeated forging?" Su Ming said.
Zhu Jiuyang fell silent.
Indeed.
Even ordinary iron could be transformed into divine iron.
This was the philosophy of that young Divine Blacksmith over a decade ago. When proposed, it had shocked the Blacksmith Association.
The high-level blacksmiths within the Association all held similar beliefs.
In the past, Zhu Jiuyang would have also considered the transformation of ordinary iron into divine iron as illusory. Only those special metals that were inherently divine iron could potentially be imbued with spirituality through a blacksmith's craftsmanship.
But now, he no longer felt this was unachievable.
The Spirit Refinement system Su Ming pioneered through Spirit Souls directly solved the material problem. Metals capable of being imbued with spirituality were no longer limited to just a few rare, divinely favored pieces of divine iron. Instead, most high-level metals, or what Su Ming defined as rare metals, could be used.
Were rare metals actually rare? Yes, but at least it wasn't to the exaggerated extent of there being only a few pieces on the entire continent. On the contrary, they existed in clearly defined categories and could be mined and excavated in large quantities. Their so-called rarity referred to their unique properties, capable of awakening distinctive characteristics through Thousand Refinements with Spirit.
Previously, materials were limited, and Thousand Refinements with Spirit was the limit. But with the material problem solved, was Thousand Refinements with Spirit truly the limit?
Zhu Jiuyang took a deep breath. Images of the thousand-refined metals forged by Su Ming flashed through his mind, the nascent spirituality seeming to leap right before his eyes.
He had his answer—Thousand Refinements was definitely not the limit!
"This teacher understands."
While Zhu Jiuyang understood, Little Gold let out a confused growl.
"Roar."
He was asking Su Ming what Spirit Skill he could possibly bestow upon him.
"Basic property Spirit Skills are best, like metal attribute control-type Spirit Skills. If you can materialize such a skill and bestow it upon me, it would be the most important Spirit Skill for me," Su Ming said.
"Roar!" (That's an innate talent, I can't give it to you!)
"Then develop that innate talent. Once successfully developed, an ability you control yourself can also count as a Spirit Skill."
"Roar"
Little Gold felt the pressure.
"My first Spirit Skill has, strictly speaking, mutated because of you. It's now Dark Gold Power. You can start with my first Spirit Ring, see if you can claim ownership of it too. With that experience, you'll be able to bestow the third Spirit Ring upon me more according to your will later," Su Ming suggested.
"Roar." (Spirit Master, you're making things difficult for me.)
"Keep it up, Little Gold. I'm planning to place all three Spirit Ring slots on your shoulders. Don't disappoint me." Su Ming patted Little Gold's shoulder.
At this moment, Little Gold felt like a massive mountain was weighing down on his shoulders, incredibly heavy.
He nodded with a serious expression.
"Roar!" (I'll do my best!)
"Don't worry, I'll help you too."
After arranging things for Little Gold and pumping him up, Su Ming let him return to the Sea of Consciousness to begin cultivation.
For at least the next six months, Little Gold would be cultivating twenty-four hours a day.
Spirit Beasts cultivate slowly?
Sleeping all day and resting on the laurels of their bloodline, of course progress is slow. How could someone as hardworking as Little Gold not improve?
Moreover, Su Ming knew the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear had further advancement paths. They could later tap into the Behemoth bloodline. The Behemoth race once preyed on giant dragons. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was born from the perfect combination of Behemoth bloodline and the Extreme Metal attribute. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw was even more outrageous, a perfect fusion of power and the metal attribute. It was precisely this innate ability, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, that made Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears not inferior to pure-blooded Behemoths. But tapping into the Behemoth bloodline would absolutely count as an enhancement for a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, allowing for continuous evolution.
The most important innate talent of the Behemoth race was Devour.
This was also the aspect Su Ming planned to focus on improving for Little Gold. In subsequent forging sessions, he would try to forge thousand-refined works with similar characteristics to incorporate into Little Gold's Spirit Soul Armor, stimulating his Behemoth bloodline.
"Teacher, you need to work hard too."
Su Ming looked at the still-deep-in-thought Zhu Jiuyang and spoke in an encouraging tone.
Zhu Jiuyang felt something was off.
But he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong at the moment.
"Teacher, a blacksmith is still a blacksmith, but Spirit Souls can allow us to shed the title of 'blacksmith'. We are forgers." Su Ming said seriously. "The pressure on me alone is immense. I need your help, teacher."
Zhu Jiuyang also felt the pressure.
"This teacher will find a Spirit Soul as soon as possible."
After mutually encouraging each other, they redoubled their efforts.
Su Ming directly returned to Gengxin City, entering seclusion for intense cultivation. He dedicated himself to forging daily, gambling on creating that Devour characteristic. He also began to move beyond just metals like Heavy Silver. Drawing on knowledge from the future, he selected rare metals most likely to exhibit the Devour characteristic and continuously experimented.
Meanwhile, Zhu Jiuyang personally ventured deep into major Spirit Beast habitats, excluding the Star Dou Great Forest, frantically searching for a suitable Spirit Soul.
Under Su Ming's constant pressure and motivation, Little Gold first worked hard to master the Dark Gold Power. Then, he cooperated with Su Ming in non-stop forging and attempted to tap into his own Devour ability, simulating scenes of devouring every time he absorbed the spirituality of metals.
In the blink of an eye, four months passed.
Little Ming's Forging Shop.
Ning Yuan stepped into the forging shop with his left foot and immediately heard the young man inside sighing.
"Ten years old, and still not a Spirit Elder."
The corner of Ning Yuan's mouth twitched.
This...
"Uncle Ning? Here to place another order?"
Su Ming stretched and walked towards the door to welcome today's valued guest.
When Little Ming's Blacksmith Shop first opened, Ning Yuan was the first customer and a major one at that. He had been placing large orders consistently until now. It could be said that ninety-eight percent of Su Ming's forging income came from Ning Yuan.
"Heh, although I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, I don't have that many forging orders. Our clan has its own blacksmiths, you know," Ning Yuan said helplessly. "If the quality of your finished products wasn't truly exceptional, even as the steward in charge of clan procurement, I wouldn't have a reason to keep placing orders with you."
"No orders? Then why are you here?" Su Ming asked, surprised.
"To pay more," Ning Yuan said. "The ten sets of armor you recently forged are all top-grade. The Clan Leader specifically instructed me to come and pay you the price difference."
"Uncle, please, have a seat inside."
Su Ming brought a stool for Ning Yuan.
Ning Yuan waved his hand. "I won't stay long."
As he spoke, he took out a golden card and handed it to Su Ming.
"This gold card contains one million Gold Spirit Coins."
"How much?"
"One million Gold Spirit Coins. The Clan Leader said the metal used in those ten sets of armor you forged is very special. A Spirit Master's Spirit Power integrates into it very smoothly, even able to freely reinforce the user themselves. He's temporarily calculated the price at one hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins per set. This one million is your reward. You don't need to refund the few thousand Gold Spirit Coins from before."
...
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(End of Chapter)