A Few White Melons as a Small Token

"I'm exhausted."

Tang Zhixue sat beside the fireplace and let out a long breath. "One soaked up too much water, and the other wouldn't wring out. Nothing but troublesome hides."

Fortunately, he had finished everything he could do now. Whether it actually worked would have to wait until tomorrow.

"Huh?"

Tang Zhixue hadn't noticed anything while he was busy, but now that he had a moment to himself, he quickly spotted something unusual.

"Why is this lamp so bright?"

[Item: Clear Radiance Oil Lamp]

[Level: First Tier]

[Description: Originally an ordinary animal-fat oil lamp, it underwent a mild mutation after prolonged exposure to the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra, as its fat and wick gradually absorbed the mantra's purification power. When lit, its flame gives off a pale golden halo that dispels darkness and has a weak suppressive effect on eerie auras with cold yin attributes.]

"The Clear Radiance Oil Lamp?!"

Tang Zhixue grinned broadly. "Good, good. This is really good!"

He opened his friends list and sent Luo Hongcai ten White Melons straight away.

Luo Hongcai: "What's going on? Cousin, why are you..."

Tang Zhixue: "Nothing much. The Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra helped me out a lot, so I'm sending you a few White Melons as a small token."

Luo Hongcai: "You're too kind, Cousin. As long as the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra helped, that's enough. You don't need to send me anything."

Tang Zhixue: "Just accept them. Compared to what I've gained, these few White Melons are nothing."

Luo Hongcai: "All right, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Tang Zhixue: "Go ahead and take them."

Tang Zhixue meant every word. Looking back over his gains during this period, apart from his own talent abilities, the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra had brought him the most.

After closing the friends interface and roasting some meat to reward himself, Tang Zhixue picked up the single bed and carried it back into the bedroom.

"Exhale... inhale... exhale... inhale..."

In the bedroom, Tang Zhixue gradually drifted off to sleep.

The Warm Spring Pearl clutched in his hand provided a comfortable warmth.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the Dream Space.

Before going to sleep, he had successfully replenished the energy the Dream Space needed.

This time, however, he had still only replenished fifty points, though that was enough to last the night.

The Dream Space was as empty and quiet as ever.

With a thought from Tang Zhixue, the Forging Furnace, Anvil, and Purification Golden-Pattern Iron emerged from the void and settled firmly before him.

He took a deep breath, tossed the ore into the Forging Furnace, and began reciting the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra.

The furnace fire flared up, engulfing the ore.

As he recited the mantra, large amounts of clear qi gathered from every direction and poured into the piece of Purification Golden-Pattern Iron as it heated red.

More and more white patterns appeared on the Iron Ingot's surface, growing ever brighter, like a web of light being woven.

Once the Iron Ingot was glowing red all over, Tang Zhixue lifted it out with tongs and placed it on the Anvil.

Clang!

The forging hammer slammed down, sending sparks flying.

As he hammered, he kept reciting the divine mantra without pause.

Every hammer strike followed the rhythm of the mantra. Each blow was a note, each phrase a beat, and the two gradually fused together during the forging process.

This was a trick he had discovered through repeated hammering.

The recoil from the forging hammer continually tempered his body as well. Clear qi flowed into him with every breath, carrying away the impurities within and leaving behind pure vitality.

He did not know how much time had passed, but as he repeatedly hammered that piece of golden-pattern iron, Tang Zhixue suddenly realized that the Blazing Tiger Fist's method of exerting force had become smoother and more natural than ever during forging.

"This is..."

Tang Zhixue froze for a moment, but joy soon filled his face. "Master-Level!"

[Blazing Tiger Fist · Master (1/1000)]

As Tang Zhixue looked at the information that appeared before him, an indescribable joy welled up inside him. From beginner to proficient, from expert to master, every step had been earned through sweat and perseverance. Along the way, the fusion of forging and the divine mantra had played an indispensable role.

He did not stop, picking up fresh ore and putting it into the furnace.

His fist technique had advanced, but this was not the end. He still needed to keep working!

Morning.

Tang Zhixue opened his eyes and recited the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra once while still lying in bed, refreshing the duration of the Shelter's purification effect.

"Haah..."

Tang Zhixue sat up with a yawn, then opened his personal panel out of habit.

[Name: Tang Zhixue]

[Level: First Tier]

[Talents: Vitality Absorption, Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent]

[Crafts: Bow and Arrow Crafting · Uninitiated (0/1), Prey Processing · Proficient (53/200), Blazing Fire Sect Basic Forging · Beginner (15/100)]

[Skills: Blazing Tiger Fist · Master (59/1000), Linked Pearl Archery · Master (11/1000), Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra · Master (687/1000), Big Dipper Ghost-Slaying Incantation · Beginner (8/100)]

"After Blazing Tiger Fist reached Master-Level, its proficiency started growing much more slowly. But the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra's proficiency growth hasn't changed at all. It's still progressing at the same rate as before."

Whether it was because the mantra was special or because of Tang Zhixue's personal talent, he was learning the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra quite quickly.

"And then there's this Big Dipper Ghost-Slaying Incantation..."

While chatting with others in the regional chat channel last night, he had discovered that, apart from a few unlucky people, those who had killed Junweng the previous day had generally not seen the Junweng Weird again the next day.

"I hope Junweng doesn't show up today either..."

Tang Zhixue did not want to be fighting those weird beings just yet. At the very least, he wanted to raise his level before going after low-level weirds.

After leaving the bedroom, the first thing Tang Zhixue did was check the two Animal Hides he had rolled up and set aside last night.

[Item: Spirit-Patterned Tiger Hide]

[Level: First Tier]

[Description: Tiger hide tanned using traditional methods in conjunction with the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra. It possesses excellent toughness and comfort, along with a weak purification effect that slowly dispels cold yin auras around the wearer.]

[Item: Spirit-Patterned Pig Hide]

[Level: First Tier]

[Description: Boar hide tanned using traditional methods in conjunction with the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra. Tough and thick, it offers good protection against piercing and cutting, making it suitable for crafting footwear, belts, or armor components.]

"The Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra really can be used for tanning..."

Tang Zhixue stroked the tiger hide coated with wood ash, filled with emotion.

With this craft, the hides of Mutated Beasts he hunted would no longer go to waste. Moreover, leather treated with the divine mantra came with its own purification effect. Wearing leather armor made from it would be like having an extra layer of protection.

The wooden basin he had filled with clean water yesterday was still in the main room, and the water could still be reused.

He immersed the tiger hide and pig hide together and quickly rinsed them twice, washing away the remaining wood ash.

Then he gripped both ends of each hide and twisted hard, squeezing out the excess water.