Hair Crystal

Hair Crystal

After Tang San and Xiao Wu left, Shi Yi looked at Ning Rongrong in confusion.

"Miss, weren't you going shopping?" Shi Yi asked, puzzled.

Ning Rongrong merely snorted and hooked her arm through Zhu Zhuqing's without speaking. Shi Yi glanced at Dai Mubai, who was still standing in the distance, clearly wanting to speak but hesitating. He smiled faintly, roughly understanding Ning Rongrong's intentions.

Dai Mubai had offended Ning Rongrong, and this young lady had clearly kept it in mind. That was why she did not want to give him a chance to speak.

At that moment, a trace of gloom darkened Dai Mubai's gaze as he looked at Ning Rongrong. There were some things he had to confirm personally.

Dai Mubai slowly approached Zhu Zhuqing, his heart filled with unease. His gaze was exceptionally gentle as he said softly, "Zhuqing, can we talk alone?"

Before Zhu Zhuqing could answer, Ning Rongrong immediately went on the offensive. "I've seen plenty of men like you in Heaven Dou. Zhuqing has nothing to talk about with you."

Dai Mubai's eyes turned cold as he looked at Ning Rongrong, but he did not dare lose his temper in front of Zhu Zhuqing. Secretly clenching his fists, he patiently said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhuqing, this is between the two of us. Could you not drag outsiders into it?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai. A trace of wavering flickered through her cool eyes, and hesitation appeared on her face, as though she were considering how to speak without hurting Ning Rongrong's good intentions.

"Zhuqing, don't let Lustful Tiger's sweet talk fool you. When he fled Star Luo, he never considered it something between the two of you. After you chased him all the way to Heaven Dou, did Lustful Tiger ever care about you? He's not even as good as Shi Yi." Ning Rongrong said to Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong was rubbing his face in it, and every word struck precisely at Dai Mubai's sore spots. Unable to endure the humiliation any longer, Dai Mubai finally lost control of his emotions. A tiger's roar sounded, and white light rose around his body.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly shielded Ning Rongrong behind her and shouted, "Dai Mubai, what do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing? Others may fear the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but I, Dai Mubai, do not!" Dai Mubai stared fixedly at Ning Rongrong and said in a low voice.

Shi Yi frowned slightly at those words. He did not know whether there were people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect nearby, but this was not something to joke about.

Just as Dai Mubai was about to make a move, Shi Yi instantly stepped in front of the two girls and said flatly, "If you want to die, no one will stop you. But you can't touch her."

"What does this have to do with you?" Dai Mubai said, glaring at Shi Yi.

"You've been in Heaven Dou for years. Do you still not know whose territory Heaven Dou is?" Shi Yi asked in return.

Just as Dai Mubai was about to say something, he suddenly felt the temperature around him drop several degrees. It felt as though Death itself had set its eyes upon him.

Seeing Dai Mubai's expression, Shi Yi understood. Dai Mubai had clearly been locked onto by an expert from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If he dared make any suspicious move, then even at the bustling entrance to the Great Soul Arena, he would likely die on the spot.

"If you want to stay peacefully in Heaven Dou, I suggest you behave yourself." Shi Yi slowly stepped aside and headed toward Shrek Academy.

Ning Rongrong also snorted. "Come on, Zhuqing. Let's go shopping together."

With that, Ning Rongrong dragged Zhu Zhuqing away without caring whether she agreed. Before leaving, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the figure still standing there, and a trace of complicated emotion flickered through her eyes.

Dai Mubai stood where he was. Stinging pain came from his palm, and a warm, slightly sticky liquid soaked it.

Ning Rongrong walked along Suotuo Commercial Street with her arm linked through Zhu Zhuqing's.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing somewhat absent-minded beside her, Ning Rongrong could not help asking, "Zhuqing, are you still thinking about what happened just now?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong, nodded slightly, and said softly, "Family and Martial Souls have bound our destinies together. I'm fortunate to have come to Shrek. This place has let me see hope of changing my fate. But he is still standing in the same place, arguing over trivial matters every day. Perhaps this is my fate."

"Zhuqing, do you like him?" Ning Rongrong asked softly.

"When people like us cannot even control our own destinies, what right do we have to speak of liking someone?" Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly.

"I'm sorry, Zhuqing," Ning Rongrong said quietly, somewhat embarrassed.

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head slightly and continued walking silently with Ning Rongrong.

The next day, Shi Yi was running around the village as usual when he happened to see Flender returning with the Shrek group.

"Morning, teachers and classmates," Shi Yi said with a smile.

The Shrek teachers all nodded in response. Flender jokingly said to Shi Yi, "Good thing we didn't head straight to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, or we might have forgotten about you, brat."

"Oh? It seems you had a good talk with Senior Qin." Shi Yi smiled.

"You don't seem surprised at all, brat," Zhao Wuji said.

"I know my teachers well. Staying cooped up in a tiny place like this won't lead anywhere. With Senior Qin's connection, such a good opportunity is right in front of us. Would you let your adorable disciples go nowhere? Besides, Dean, your little treasury is almost empty, isn't it? Otherwise, the second stage of training wouldn't have been practical combat." Shi Yi said with a chuckle.

Yu Xiaogang and Flender's expressions stiffened. Both glared at Shi Yi with dark faces.

"Enough, brat. Stop fooling around. Shrek is moving in two months," Flender said irritably.

Shi Yi smiled and nodded. Before long, he had run off into the distance.

When Shi Yi finished his training, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were already waiting outside the little house.

Shi Yi's face immediately fell. "Didn't we agree on a half-month break?"

Zhu Zhuqing shot him a glance and said indifferently, "You can take your break. Just send Little Ant out."

Ning Rongrong, who had her arm linked through Zhu Zhuqing's, smiled. "I came to train with Zhuqing."

Shi Yi said helplessly, "Fine, but let me make this clear first. It'll be very noisy on my side for a while, and it might affect your training. I also need an environment where I won't be disturbed. I won't be able to cook for you during this time."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi and nodded. Ning Rongrong asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you. If that Hair Crystal you gave me is large enough, you'll find out what I've done." Shi Yi said with a smile.

Ning Rongrong snorted. "I gave the order myself. It's definitely the largest one they could find in such a short time."

"Then look forward to my surprise. If I don't come out to eat when it's time for meals, have Zhuqing bring me something simple. Consider it your payment to me." Shi Yi said with a smile.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded at those words. Then Shi Yi summoned Little Ant and said, "Little Ant, keep Zhuqing company these next few days."

After settling everything, Shi Yi entered his small Blacksmith Shop. A smelting furnace, an anvil for hammering, and forging hammers were all there.

A large amount of charcoal was also piled in one corner of the room.

Shi Yi then took out the piece of Board Crystal Hair Crystal that Ning Rongrong had someone find from his Soul Tool. Compared to the piece he had found in Flender's shop, this one was indeed much larger. But how much Hair Crystal it contained would depend on luck.

Over the past few months, Shi Yi had conducted quite a few experiments with Hair Crystal and had more or less understood its metallic properties. Hair Crystal was a very magical metal. Without external interference, it was soft yet tough and highly malleable. At the same time, it was exceptionally sensitive to Soul Power. When reinforced with Soul Power, it became extremely hard. That was why Tang San, as a Soul Grandmaster in the original story, had been able to use Dragon Beard Needles to break Zhao Wuji's defenses.

Of course, Tang San's strength, technique, Soul Power, and the pressure created by the Dragon Beard Needle's shape could not be ruled out as factors. But even under ordinary conditions, Hair Crystal's hardness remained extremely high when influenced by Soul Power.

Shi Yi picked up a forging hammer from the workbench and smashed it down at the piece of Board Crystal Hair Crystal. With a tremendous boom, golden specks scattered throughout the room in a dazzling display.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, outside the room, were both startled by the thunderous noise within. Then everything fell quiet again.

Looking at the golden specks filling the room, Shi Yi patiently gathered them up. Before long, he looked at the pile of Hair Crystal fragments in the corner, taller than the charcoal pile, and nodded. This amount was enough for him to do many things.

"First, I'll forge a carving knife. Natural materials are never as easy to use as something custom-made. A carving knife that can freely change shape when infused with Soul Power could carve even Core Formations as fine as hair," Shi Yi muttered.

Unlike forging ordinary items, rare metals placed extremely high demands on heat control. Shi Yi had no choice but to personally work the bellows.

The rhythmic, powerful sound of the bellows began echoing through the little house. In no time, blazing red flames surged up, and the smelting furnace resumed its function.

After he tossed the specks of golden light into the fire, their golden color gradually turned red. They resembled an enormous ruby. Only when they had been completely heated red could the impurities within be seen. Rare metals might be of higher quality than ordinary metals, but that did not mean they were entirely without impurities.

Shi Yi slowly raised the forging hammer, and its dance began.

Clang, clang, clang, clang... Rhythmic strikes drifted from the little house. Shi Yi began his forging.

From that day onward, apart from eating and meditating, Shi Yi spent every day forging without pause. Whenever he grew tired, he would sit down where he was and cultivate his Soul Power. The moment his energy recovered, he resumed his work.

No one knew what Shi Yi was doing. Zhu Zhuqing was the only person who entered the little house. Every day, she watched Shi Yi hammering the metal before him with utter focus. She never interrupted him, merely placing warm meals silently at his side.

Ning Rongrong was extremely curious about what Shi Yi was doing, but the only answer she got from Zhu Zhuqing was two simple words: forging.

Day after day passed. The hammering inside the forge only grew denser. Whenever Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong arrived each day, they had no idea how long it had already been going on. Shi Yi followed a strict routine, stopping only at mealtimes and when he needed to restore his Soul Power and physical strength.

A faint, hazy glow appeared on the distant horizon as dawn arrived once more.

Shi Yi walked out of the little house. His messy hair covered most of his ears, and his fair face seemed smudged with charcoal ash. His shirt was tied around his waist, leaving his upper body bare and his powerful muscles especially prominent.

He quietly raised his hands. As he clenched his fists, the steel-like muscles across his body suddenly tightened, like a cheetah poised to pounce, brimming with strength and wild beauty.

"It's done." Shi Yi slowly opened his palm. A golden bead the size of an eyeball rested in the center. As Shi Yi infused it with Soul Power, the golden bead transformed instantly into the shape of a carving knife—though it had no edge.

"Without a Core Formation, relying purely on a Soul Master's control over Soul Power, it would be difficult for ordinary people to form an exceptionally sharp blade. Next, I'll try carving a Core Formation onto the Hair Crystal. That should improve the efficiency of Soul Power flow and make it easier to control. But a metal with such high malleability will be harder to carve. Without Soul Power, it's too soft and affects precision. With too much Soul Power, it becomes overly hard, making the carving more difficult."

With that in mind, Shi Yi returned to his room, washed up quickly, and began studying a Core Formation suitable for Hair Crystal.

Each metal often displayed similar patterns in the hands of the same forge master. A Core Formation constructed according to the patterns formed after forging had a higher success rate and better effects.

That was why every powerful Soul Tool was unique. Different forging techniques and different understandings of metal resulted in different engraved formations.

Shi Yi took out the sharp Spirit Feather from his Soul Tool and began experimenting.

"No, too hard. I can't carve this thing. Softer."

Shi Yi continuously adjusted the amount of Soul Power he infused, gradually softening the Hair Crystal until the Spirit Feather could leave marks on it.

"To improve Soul Power flow efficiency and strengthen control, the Core Formation needs to cover the entire piece of Hair Crystal. That way, no matter what shape it becomes, Soul Power can reach the necessary place quickly and precisely," Shi Yi thought to himself.

With a clear direction in mind, Shi Yi began carving the Hair Crystal. Yet he still felt somewhat uneasy. After all, he had spent so many days forging this piece of Hair Crystal. If he ruined it, he could only melt it down and start again.

This was only the most basic pure-metal Soul Tool. Refining it again would be easy, and it was also the most elementary kind of Soul Tool, without involving any structural design. In Huo Gua's era, however, those Soul Tools with structures as complex as hidden weapons would be essentially ruined entirely if anything went wrong with their Core Formations.