Chapter 46: Hair Crystal
After Tang San and Xiao Wu left, Shi Yi looked at Ning Rongrong with confusion.
"Miss, aren't you going shopping?" Shi Yi asked, somewhat bewildered.
Ning Rongrong snorted softly, linking her arm with Zhu Zhuqing's, and remained silent. Shi Yi smiled faintly at Dai Mubai, who stood still a short distance away, hesitant to speak. He understood Ning Rongrong's intentions.
Having offended this young lady, Dai Mubai clearly bore a grudge, and Ning Rongrong didn't want to give him a chance to speak.
Dai Mubai's eyes darkened as he looked at Ning Rongrong; there were things he needed to confirm in person.
Then Dai Mubai slowly came in front of Zhu Zhuqing, feeling extremely uneasy. He looked at Zhu Zhuqing with extremely gentle eyes and said softly, "Zhuqing, can we talk alone?"
Before Zhu Zhuqing could speak, Ning Rongrong opened fire: "I have seen a lot of people like you in Tiandou. Zhuqing has nothing to talk about with you."
Dai Mubai's eyes turned cold when he looked at Ning Rongrong, but he didn't dare to lose his temper in front of Zhu Zhuqing. He secretly clenched his fists and said to Zhu Zhuqing patiently, "Zhuqing, this is a matter between the two of us. Don't involve outsiders, okay?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai, and a hint of relaxation flashed in his cold eyes. There was a hint of hesitation on his face, as if he was thinking about how to say it so as not to hurt Ning Rongrong's good intentions.
"Zhuqing, don't be fooled by Sehu's sweet talk. When he escaped Xingluo, he never considered this a matter between you two. After you chased him to Tiandou, did Sehu care about you? He's even worse than that Shi Yi guy," Ning Rongrong said to Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong's defeat was so humiliating, and every word she said hit Dai Mubai's sore spots precisely. Such humiliation overwhelmed Dai Mubai. With a tiger's roar, a white light shone around him.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing quickly shielded Ning Rongrong behind her and shouted, "Dai Mubai, what do you want?"
"What do I want? Others are afraid of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but I, Dai Mubai, am not!" Dai Mubai said solemnly, staring intently at Ning Rongrong.
Shi Yi frowned at this. He wondered if there were any members of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect nearby, but this was no joke.
Just as Dai Mubai was about to attack, Shi Yi suddenly stepped in front of the two men and said calmly, "If you want to die, no one will stop you, but you, you can't touch me."
"What does this have to do with you?" Dai Mubai asked, staring intently at Shi Yi.
"You've been in Tiandou for years, don't you know whose territory Tiandou is?" Shi Yi asked, looking at Dai Mubai.
Just as Dai Mubai was about to say something, he suddenly felt his body temperature drop a few degrees, as if being watched by the Grim Reaper.
Shi Yi understood Dai Mubai's expression. It was clear that Dai Mubai had been targeted by the masters of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. If Dai Mubai dared to make any move, even at the entrance of this bustling fighting arena, he would be killed instantly.
"If you want to stay in Tiandou, I suggest you stay put." Shi Yi slowly made way and headed towards Shrek Academy.
Ning Rongrong snorted softly, "Come on, Zhuqing, let's go shopping together."
With that, she pulled Zhu Zhuqing away, unconcerned about her response. As she left, Zhu Zhuqing gazed at the figure still standing there, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
Dai Mubai stood still, feeling a slight tingle in his palms. A warmth, slightly sticky, soaked them.
Ning Rongrong held Zhu Zhuqing's arm as they walked along Soto Commercial Street.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing, who seemed dazed beside her, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but ask, "Zhuqing, are you still thinking about what happened just now?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong, nodded slightly, and whispered, "Our family, our martial spirits, have connected our destinies. I'm so glad I came to Shrek. Here, I see hope for a change in my fate. But he remains where he is, arguing over trivial matters all day. Perhaps this is my fate."
"Zhuqing, do you like him?" Ning Rongrong asked softly.
"If we can't even control our own destiny, how can people like us have the right to talk about love?" Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly.
"I'm sorry, Zhuqing." Ning Rongrong said in a low voice with some embarrassment.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head slightly and walked quietly with Ning Rongrong.
The next day, Shi Yi was running around the village as usual, and happened to see Flanders coming back with the Shrek people.
"Good morning, teachers and classmates." Shi Yi chuckled.
The Shrek teachers all nodded in response. Flanders joked to Shi Yi, "It's a good thing we didn't go directly to Tiandou Royal Academy, otherwise we would have forgotten about you."
"Oh? It seems that you had a good chat with Senior Qin Ming." Shi Yi smiled.
"You don't seem surprised." Zhao Wuji said.
"I know you well, Master. Staying stuck in a small place like this will only lead to failure. With Senior Qin's connection, and such a great opportunity, how could you let your beloved disciple fail? Besides, your little coffers are almost empty, Dean, otherwise the second phase of training wouldn't be practical combat training," Shi Yi chuckled.
Yu Xiaogang and Flanders' faces froze upon hearing this, both glaring at Shi Yi.
"Alright, stop joking, kid. We're moving to Shrek in two months," Flanders said unhappily to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi smiled and nodded, then ran off.
When Shi Yi finished his training, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were already waiting at the hut's door.
Shi Yi's face darkened as he said, "Didn't we agree on a two-week break?"
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Shi Yi and said calmly, "Just take your time and let Xiaoyi out."
Ning Rongrong, holding Zhu Zhuqing's arm, smiled and said, "I'm here to train with Zhuqing."
Shi Yi said helplessly, "Alright, but let me make this clear. It'll be very noisy here for a while, which might affect your cultivation. I also need a quiet environment, so I won't be able to cook for you."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Shi Yi and nodded. Ning Rongrong asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"Don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you. If you gave me enough hair crystals, you'd know what I did." Shi Yi chuckled.
Ning Rongrong snorted softly, "This is an order from me personally. It's definitely the biggest they can find in a short time." "
Then expect my surprise. If I don't come out for dinner, Zhuqing, please help me get some food. It's your reward," Shi Yi chuckled.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. Then, Shi Yi summoned Xiaoyi and said to her, "Xiaoyi, play with Zhuqing for the next few days."
After giving everything, Shi Yi entered his small blacksmith shop, complete with a calciner, anvil, and hammer.
In a corner of the house, a large pile of charcoal was piled.
Shi Yi then retrieved from his spirit guide the plate-crystal hair crystal Ning Rongrong had been searching for. This piece was indeed much larger than the one found in Flanders' shop, but the amount of hair crystal contained within depended on luck.
Over the past few days and months, Shi Yi had experimented extensively with hair crystal, and had a good understanding of its properties. Hair crystal is a remarkable metal: soft yet pliable without any external interference, it possesses remarkable plasticity.
However, it is also exceptionally sensitive to spirit energy, becoming extremely hard when enhanced by it. This explains why, in the original novel, Tang San, a great spirit master, was able to break through Zhao Wuji's defenses with his dragon whisker needles.
While this result could be influenced by factors such as Tang San's strength, technique, spirit energy, and the pressure created by the dragon whisker needle's shape, even under ordinary conditions, the hair crystal remained remarkably hard.
Shi Yi lifted his forging hammer from the table and slammed it against the plate crystal. With a resounding bang, golden specks of light scattered across the room, dazzling.
Outside, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, hearing the resounding noise, were both startled, then fell silent.
Shi Yi patiently collected the golden specks filling the room. Soon, he looked at the pile of hair crystals taller than charcoal in a corner and nodded. This amount was enough for many tasks.
"Let's forge a carving knife first. Natural items aren't easy to customize. A carving knife that can be transformed at will by infusing soul power can carve even a core array as thin as a hair," Shi Yi muttered.
Unlike forging ordinary objects, working with rare metals requires extremely high control of the heat. Shi Yi handled the bellows himself.
The rhythmic, powerful sound of the bellows echoed throughout the room. In a moment, a crimson flame erupted, and the forge began to function again.
Throwing that tiny speck of golden light into the furnace's flames, it soon turned red, resembling an immense ruby. Only when it reached a full red heat could its impurities be discerned. While rare metals are of higher quality than ordinary metals, that doesn't mean they're free of impurities.
The forging hammer slowly rose, and its dance began.
Dang, dang, dang, dang... the rhythmic and rhythmic tapping drifted from the hut. Shi Yi began his forging.
From that day on, Shi Yi, apart from eating and meditating, continued his relentless forging routine every day. When tired, he sat down to cultivate his soul power, and once refreshed, he resumed his work.
No one knew what Shi Yi was doing. The only person who had ever entered the hut was Zhu Zhuqing. She watched Shi Yi hammering away at the metal in front of him with unwavering concentration, never once stopping him. She silently set the warm food aside.
Ning Rongrong was curious about what Shi Yi was doing, but Zhu Zhuqing's answer was simply two words: forging.
As time passed, the hammering in the forge only grew more intense. Every day when Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong arrived, the pounding would continue for who knows how long. Shi Yi followed a regular pattern, stopping only at mealtimes and to restore his soul and physical strength.
A faint glow shimmered in the distant sky, and dawn arrived once again.
Shi Yi emerged from the hut. His tangled hair had already covered most of his ears, and his fair face seemed stained with charcoal dust. His shirt was tucked in at the waist, exposing his upper body and revealing his muscular build.
He quietly raised his hands, and as he clenched his fists, his iron-like muscles suddenly tensed, like a cheetah poised for action, brimming with power and wild beauty.
"It's done." Shi Yi slowly spread his palms, and a golden bead the size of an eye socket appeared in the center. As Shi Yi injected his soul power into it, the golden bead transformed, instantly taking the shape of a carving knife, though without a blade.
"Without a core formation, relying solely on a soul master's own control over their soul power, it would be difficult for the average person to condense an extremely sharp blade. Next, I'll try carving a core formation on the hair crystal to increase the efficiency of soul power flow and make it easier to control. Carving a core formation on this highly malleable metal is more challenging. Without soul power, it's too soft, affecting accuracy. Too much soul power will make it too hard, increasing the difficulty."
With this in mind, Shi Yi returned to his room, washed up briefly, and began researching a core formation suitable for the hair crystal.
Each metal often exhibits similar patterns in the hands of the same forger. Constructing a core formation based on these patterns will increase the success rate and yield better results.
This is why each powerful soul guide is unique: different forging techniques and understanding of the metal will result in unique carvings.
Shi Yi removed the sharp feather from his soul guide and began experimenting.
"No, it's too hard. I can't carve this thing. Soften it."
Shi Yi continuously adjusted the amount of soul power he injected, gradually softening it until the feather could leave a mark on the hair crystal.
"To increase the efficiency of soul power flow and strengthen its control, the core formation needs to cover the entire hair crystal. That way, no matter what shape he wants to form, the soul power can reach the right place quickly and accurately," Shi Yi thought to himself.
With a concrete idea in mind, Shi Yi began to work on the hair crystal, but he still felt a little uneasy. After all, the hair crystal forged with so much effort by a genius, if he damaged it, it would have to be remelted and forged again.
This was just the most basic pure metal soul guide, easy to remelt and the most basic soul guide, without considering the structure of the instrument. If it were a soul guide as complex as a hidden weapon in Huo Gua's era, a problem with the core formation would basically render the entire soul guide useless.
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