บท 21: Looming Danger
Shi clan, Shi Zhang's smithy.
"Master! Master!" Shi Li happily ran towards his master's smithy while showing off his newfound strength.
"Oh? Well if it isn't Shi Li," Shi Zhang, who was currently carrying materials to the furnace to forge another sword, stopped doing what he was supposed to do and looked at Shi Li with a smile. "I see that you've attained a breakthrough in your strength!"
"Indeed I have, Master," Shi Li couldn't help but smile. Circulating all of the strength within his body, he exuded an aura that was significantly stronger than his previous aura. "I have achieved the state of wood for my skin after cultivating the [Iron Vessel Tempering Manual] through the ways of your forging."
"[Iron Vessel Tempering Manual]? Ah, so that's why you wanted to learn forging. You wanted to learn forging so you can speed through your cultivation, right?" Shi Zhang felt guilty all of a sudden after knowing that Shi Li wanted to learn forging for his cultivation.
"Well yes but, I also want to learn forging because I want to make a great weapon for myself someday!" Shi Li didn't dare to be some sort of mysterious person in front of his master and just said what was on his mind. Since he inherited Tian Zhenfei's memories, it did affect his personality, but that didn't stop him from being him.
"A great weapon huh..." Shi Zhang couldn't help but sigh as he smiled. He continued to lift the materials into the furnace and then asked Shi Li, "Since you're here, that means we have to start our one week of training again, right?"
Shi Li couldn't help but shudder in fear after hearing those words. "Master, you might not know this but..."
"During this past week, I have finally achieved the first level of the [Energy Condensation Art]!" At that instant, he mustered his courage and started breathing like usual.
With every breath he took, a large amount of the energy from the surroundings would enter his lungs and be transformed into usable energy, which would then be spread throughout by his heart.
Shi Zhang's eyes widened from the shock of his news. Even though he made it certain that Shi Li wasn't the type of person who would lie to him, he still sent out a few wisps of qi which traveled all over Shi Li's body as it monitored everything that happened within.
After a few seconds, those wisps of qi were recalled as Shi Zhang looked at the information within those wisps. He then looked at Shi Li as if he was a monster and said, "Indeed, you have achieved the first level. That means you're ready to start learning how to forge."
'Although I know that a cultivator having an aptitude at the Quasi-World level would be some sort of monster, I didn't expect that their level of genius would be this high!'
If Shi Zhang knew that Shi Li's Quasi-World level aptitude was improved by the red pearl Shi Li held, he would probably cough out blood and pass out.
Hearing that he was going to start learning forging, Shi Li felt elated to know that his hard work paid off in the end. "When do we start, Master?"
"What do you mean when?" Shi Zhang frowned, "We start now!" Afterwards, he laughed as if he met a long lost friend.
"Is there anything you want to specifically learn right now? Like how to craft a spear or a hammer? I may be well-known when it comes to forging blades, but I still know how to forge a lot of things."
After hearing that question, Shi Li pondered for a bit. As he pondered, he remembered the red pearl he obtained. Everyday, he had to carry it with him around by putting it in his pockets or by lifting it up, which still takes a little bit of Shi Li's time.
Once he thought of the red pearl, he couldn't help but say, "I want to learn how to forge a pearl holder."
"A pearl holder?" Shi Zhang was quite confused. "Is it like a stationary pearl holder or a pearl holder meant for making necklaces?"
"The latter, Master," Shi Li respectfully replied. "If possible, could you teach me how to craft one?"
Seeing the unusually firm determination in his disciple's eyes, Shi Zhang couldn't help but chuckle and agreed. "Sure, if that's what you want. I'll also teach you a lot of hammering techniques so you can progress through your cultivation faster. The higher your strength, the more materials you can use in forging and the stronger the equipment becomes!"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start!"
...
A few days have gone by after Shi Li announced to his master that he succeeded in cultivating the first level of the [Energy Condensation Art]. At this moment of time, a wisp of qi passed through Shi Xingwan's room and entered his brain.
Seeing that it was a wisp of qi that held urgent news, Shi Xingwan didn't reject the qi and read through every single article found on the qi.
"WHAT THE?! HE REALLY SAID THAT?!"
After reading through the news on the qi, Shi Xingwan couldn't help but stand up and scream from the shock. According to the news found on the wisp of qi, Huang Tiankong, the Huang clan's patriarch, proposes that the three great clans of Verdant Breeze Town shall hold a Tri-clan Tournament three months later.
The minimum cultivation needed was to be at the Martial Adept stage and the maximum cultivation must not surpass the Martial Elite stage. Not to mention, the Huo clan has agreed to this competition already.
"This...This is bad news..." Shi Xingwan couldn't help but mutter. Since he was the patriarch of the Shi clan, he would usually read between the lines of everything since sometimes news he has read or objects he obtained were actually deadly blades underneath.
And after reading news on the Tri-clan Tournament, Shi Xingwan knew that the Huang clan was trying to target not just the Shi clan as a while, but Shi Li as well.
"With the Martial Adept stage being the minimum cultivation needed to enter, Shi Li would probably be at the second stage of the Martial Adept stage three months later, allowing him to enter the tournament. This definitely feels extremely odd..." Shi Xingwan couldn't help but sigh.
"First, they wanted to assassinate my son so they could obtain information on our Sky grade technique but my son miraculously survived that incident and is now cultivating. Then, they want to hold a tournament so they could kill my son another time? Judging by this, they must have obtained information on Shi Li's aptitude already."
"I don't know why they're targeting my son, but Huang clan, you have made the worst decision." A sharp killing intent radiated out of Shi Xingwan's body, making it seem like the room was a tattered battlefield.
After regaining his composure, Shi Xingwan sent out multiple wisps of qi with this message imbued within them.
"To the Elders of the Shi clan, we shall be holding an urgent meeting later in the Shi Ancestral Hall. If anyone dared to not come, they shall face the consequences!"
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TrueDawn
TrueDawn And so, this is the start of Volume 2. Of course, Shi Li starts to learn how to forge...which means he will be cultivating faster (I think). Will his father's prophecy become truth, find out as you read.
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