The extremely weak remnant will of the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm fluttered its two pairs of tiny transparent wings from time to time and charged forward.
Within his mental sea, Long Qianming sidestepped it with ease, then threw a punch. His fist felt as though it had struck a soft cotton cushion, which dispersed some of its force.
Even so, the terribly sluggish and feeble Four-Winged Nether Silkworm was sent flying by that punch. It rolled several meters, its remnant will growing even weaker.
"Isn't this a little too pathetic?"
"Still, it's understandable. Who knows how many years this soul bone spent in that storage space? The energy inside it was slowly dissipating, so naturally, its remnant will lost its original strength."
Although Long Qianming looked at the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm's remnant will with utter disdain, on second thought, he could understand its situation.
Even being kept inside a Storage Soul Tool did not mean a soul bone would remain unchanged under the erosion of time, let alone inside a damaged one.
Long Qianming immediately ran toward the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm, which had just righted itself and was about to flap its wings.
"I'll grant your wish now and free you from your suffering sooner."
Long Qianming clenched his fist and punched at the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm, which had only just managed to take flight. Under three consecutive punches, its remnant will shattered, turning into a stream of the purest energy that merged into his mental sea.
As the soul beast's remnant will disappeared, the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm's horn soul bone fused completely with Long Qianming's head.
At that moment, the Four-Winged Nether Silkworm Horn lent Long Qianming a trace of a dragonman's imposing might.
All the information about the soul bone became known to him. Long Qianming slowly rose, his smile deepening.
"What a surprise! My Soul Power actually went up another level."
"This external soul bone is actually a ten thousand year soul bone, too. Unfortunately, too much of its energy has dissipated, leaving its skill with only around a thousand years' worth of power. Still, this soul bone skill is pretty interesting."
As soon as he finished speaking, a yellow soul ring slowly rose from beneath his feet. As he activated the soul bone skill, the yellow soul ring turned into a purple soul ring, then into a dazzling red soul ring.
It could even imitate the might of a hundred-thousand-year red soul ring perfectly. Even a Titled Douluo present would have found it difficult to tell the difference.
And this was only one effect of the soul bone skill-Simulation. Its second effect also targeted the Soul Master himself, allowing him to freely imitate other people and even change his gender at will.
However, imitating others was more like a three-dimensional projection. It had only the form, not the substance. The moment someone touched him, the simulation would vanish.
"What a shame! The soul bone skill isn't quite comprehensive enough. If it could let my Martial Soul change form at will, that would be wonderful."
Long Qianming sighed and withdrew the external soul bone into his body. His eyes returned to the Soul Tool Ring in his hand, which shone with a deep blue light. He had roughly pieced together why the deep blue gemstone had been damaged, and why it had repaired itself after receiving a drop of his heart's blood.
"Perhaps the dissipating soul bone energy caused it, and the Soul Power in my blood just happened to be compatible with the soul bone's energy, triggering the soul bone's Soul Power to repair it."
"I can only put it down to luck!"
After straightening his slightly disheveled clothes, Long Qianming walked out of the courtyard. The scorching sun hung high overhead.
"Open for business!"
He opened the shop door and began another day of treating patients at his clinic.
Time flew, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Now fifteen by nominal age, Long Qianming arrived at the top floor of the Blacksmith Association with a delighted expression. Although he was neither a blacksmith nor someone who held an authorization token from the Blacksmith Association,
over these nearly eight years, Long Qianming had become well liked by all the blacksmiths in Gengxin City, not merely because of his relationship with Lou Gao, but also because of his medical skills, which could turn decay into wonder.
Thus, the Blacksmith Association placed few restrictions on him.
"You're here, kid! Come take a look at this preliminary piece I made recently. What do you think?"
The Divine Blacksmith excitedly handed Long Qianming a lightweight suit of soft armor he had made for inspection, then opened the food box Long Qianming had brought and ate as he waited for his suggestions.
Long Qianming, however, could do little about this. He had told Lou Gao many times before that he did not know how to forge weapons.
Yet ever since Lou Gao saw the repaired Storage Soul Tool, he had firmly believed that Long Qianming was a genius with Soul Tools and an excellent master blacksmith who simply liked to hide his abilities.
"Senior, I really don't know how to make Soul Tools! And this time, after three months away, I've come here to ask you for a small favor!"
Hearing this, Lou Gao, who had only eaten a few mouthfuls of his medicinal meal, looked curiously at Long Qianming.
"Kid, I have countless matters to attend to every day. I'm very busy. If you want my help, you must join my Blacksmith Association and spend at least two hours a day learning forging from me!"
"Here we go again. I'm busy too!"
At those words, Long Qianming was utterly speechless inwardly. Lou Gao had invited him to join the Blacksmith Association more than three times already. Why was a Divine Blacksmith like him so persistent?
Besides, Lou Gao had already taken the four Si brothers as his personal disciples during this time. How could he still have the energy to teach him?
Moreover, Long Qianming truly had no time. In the mornings, he needed to catch up on sleep, buy medicinal herbs, and practice his spear techniques. In the afternoons, he had to open his shop, and at night, he had to go soul hunting. Sometimes, he also had to deliver specially prepared medicinal ingredients to the Si Family Hotel. Where would he find the time to learn forging?
But after pondering for a moment, Long Qianming could only compromise.
"All right. Since you've treated me with such sincerity, Senior, refusing again would make it seem like I was taking a mile after being given an inch."
"Good lad. Tell me, what's your request?"
Lou Gao was quite surprised by Long Qianming's answer. Still, as long as the boy learned forging from him, right under his nose, he would inevitably reveal his method for making Soul Tools.
Don't you like hiding things? Let's see how you hide them right under my nose!
Long Qianming scratched his head and said with a hint of pride, "Senior, I happened to break through to level twenty Soul Power today, so I need to borrow your Eight Treasures Soft Armor."
"You've broken through to level twenty Soul Power!"
Although Lou Gao had expected it, he still felt somewhat shocked when he heard the news with his own ears.
For a commoner whose Innate Soul Power had not even reached level five to reach level twenty at fifteen, without receiving specialized training from an academy, sect, or the like, was already no easy feat.
Lou Gao set down his bowl and chopsticks and draped an arm around the shoulders of Long Qianming, who was about his height. Delighted and curious, he said,
"Kid, I've seen all your hard work. Tell me, what sort of soul ring do you want to obtain?"
"Senior, I wasn't asking you to help me obtain a soul ring. I only came to borrow your Eight Treasures Soft Armor. As for the soul beast, I can hunt it myself."
This was not merely a matter of Long Qianming's confidence in himself. He also did not want Lou Gao to take risks alongside him. During their time together, he had come to understand Lou Gao's Martial Soul.
His Martial Soul was not the Diamond Chisel, but a top-tier auxiliary Tool Martial Soul that consumed its Soul Master's life force-the Holy Forging Brush.
The older the soul rings this brush used, the more of his lifespan it cost. No wonder Lou Gao had become a Divine Blacksmith and forged the Tang Sect's finest hidden weapons through his own efforts alone.