Chapter 49: Seize the Stars and Moon, Forge the World into Weaponry!
Is forging truly such a troublesome craft?
In Peso's blacksmithing journal, it was recorded that every capital city on the continent had a Blacksmith Guild—on par with the Alchemist Guild in status. The guilds had also standardized ranking systems: Alchemists were ranked from Grade 1 to Grade 9, while blacksmiths were ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 9 (though some regions used stars or grades instead).
Currently, the strongest blacksmiths known on the Dou Qi Continent were at the peak of Tier 6, which corresponded to Earth-rank blacksmiths at the Dou Zong/Dou Zun level. No one had reached Tier 7 or Tier 8—these were nonexistent.
Jiang Lin now understood how blacksmith rankings were classified by the mainstream.
Although modern blacksmiths hadn't reached such heights, the ancient tier system had always been preserved within the inheritance records.
Tier 7 (Earth-rank Low): Blacksmith Master (corresponds to Dou Zong)Tier 8 (Earth-rank Mid–High): Blacksmith Sovereign (corresponds to Dou Zun and above)
Weapons of this level were also called "Sovereign Artifacts" and could be passed down as ancestral weapons.Tier 9 (Heaven-rank): Known as "Saint Artifacts," blacksmiths at this level were called "Saint Smiths." Their works could rival the longevity of Saint-level cultivators.
"The rankings were always there—it's just that there are no known inheritance records beyond Tier 6."
The blacksmith badge reignited Jiang Lin's curiosity. He pushed down his excitement and reread Peso's journal. Though it didn't contain info on higher tiers, Jiang Lin was smart enough to deduce from it the logic behind the titles of Master Smiths, Artifact Sovereigns, and Saint Smiths.
"This transparent square at the center of the badge... kinda looks like a cauldron. Do the stars inside represent celestial bodies? And the outer flame engraving represents smelting... To seize the stars and moon, to forge the heavens and earth into weaponry. Even if nobody has surpassed Tier 6, our ambition shouldn't lose to the past."
Jiang Lin toyed with Peso's badge with a strange expression. The Jia Ma Empire's capital had the nation's only Blacksmith Guild. According to the guild's grading, Jiang Lin was now a late-stage Tier 2 Blacksmith, the same level as Peso.
"When my strength and equipment improve, I'll go to the imperial capital to get my official badge—and learn everything the guild has on blacksmithing."
That guild surely held the knowledge he sought. Just look at Peso's Bluefeather Bow and Bluefeather Archery Technique—such a rare weapon-and-technique combo. It proved blacksmith heritage in this world was deep, merely limited by an artificial ceiling.
"Big Bro Peso was too good to me… I better get to reviving him quickly."
Jiang Lin stowed everything in his precious storage ring, glanced at the corpse in the alchemy pool, and began the first step of the Mystic Armor Puppet Art.
The process had four stages:
Corpse-to-Artifact Conversion – Using special liquids and powders to eliminate life traits but preserve structural elements like meridians. Biological decay is slow; forged parts resist corrosion better.Artifact-to-Vein Integration – Rebuild meridians and fill them with a special mercury-like metallic fluid to serve as artificial blood. Jiang Lin had already researched this step before.Soul Imbuement – Normally the hardest part, but the senior blacksmith had wisely prepared a Soulhide parchment in advance. (Say thank you, kids.)Ignition Ritual – High heat fuses all materials and activates the puppet's "veins," allowing it to move without a heart. The downside: its lifespan is tied to the fuel. Under normal conditions, a full charge lasts three years.
Now Jiang Lin understood why the technique was called Mystic Armor Puppet—you had to armor it well. If it bled too much, it'd shut down.
—
Two days later, while still processing Peso's body, Jiang Lin glanced over at the Blue Eagle and suddenly remembered—it was time to let it go.
"You leaving?"
Outside the valley, Jiang Lin watched the eagle flex its wings.
"Coo?"
"Can you… not leave?"
"Coo coo coo coo coo?!"
Jiang Lin fell silent as the eagle took to the sky.
"I'll feed you!"
Blue Eagle: "…"
"COO!"
It let out a cry and bolted without a glance back—no attachment at all.
Fair enough. To it, Jiang Lin was a food-wasting madman. Being near him as a magical beast was terrifying.
Jiang Lin scratched his head and sighed, then returned to the valley, changed clothes, and used his heightened senses to slip past the magical beasts. He sneaked back to the battlefield only to find it had already been picked clean by fearless mercenaries. The Goldfeather Bow and Profound Ice Shield were both gone.
"Tch, fast hands. Oh well, I've got better stuff anyway."
He glanced over the charred mountain, then slipped down a path back toward Qingshan Town.
Normally, people saw Jiang Lin as someone with brute strength and stamina—but they forgot he was fast. Now, without heavy armor or sword, wearing only battle boots and using Explosive Step, not even a regular Dou Shi or Tier 2 beast could catch him.
"Thank the boots… Otherwise, that would've been annoying."
He vaulted into Wan Yao Zhai from the rear, only to get caught by Mr. Yao, who was relaxing in Jiang Lin's courtyard, sipping tea.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Mr. Yao didn't seem the least bit surprised by Jiang Lin's appearance. He simply asked if he'd eaten.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, I did."
Jiang Lin nodded and began to explain the past few days to Mr. Yao.
(END CHAPTER)
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