"Clang---clang---clang---clang---"
Just like that, with the rhythmic clanging, an hour passed by.
Although, when blacksmithing, itâs quick at the start, but the further it goes, the more time and effort it requires.
These eighty-one strikes took a whole hour.
Xu Binghuâs face showed tiny white spots.
These white spots were sweat, evaporated sweat!!!
Finally.
"Clang---"
With the final hammer strike, the once palm-sized armor now grew to thirty centimeters, just the right size for Xu Ran to wear.
Moreover, the armor made from Exotic Snake Demon Scales could adjust according to the wearerâs size, so there was no need to worry about it being too big or too small.
Xu Binghu placed the armor into cold water.
"Sizzle----"
A burst of white steam emerged.
This was the quenching process.
Only after quenching would the armor become sturdier.
Master Yang, who had been watching from the side, widened his eyes at this scene and approached Xu Binghu.
"Young man, interested in learning blacksmithing?"
That smile, as if he had seen a peerless beauty, eyes unblinking, and he could almost drool like a lecherous old rogue.
Xu Binghu was startled at first, then politely declined, "Master Yang, blacksmithing? I donât think I can do it."
"If you canât, who can?" Master Yang said earnestly.
Xu Binghu, "Master Yang, itâs you."
"Me?" Master Yang raised his hands, "With these hands, I canât even hold a hammer steady, how am I supposed to blacksmith?"
Xu Binghu immediately caught the key point, "Since Master Yang canât do it, then how can you teach me blacksmithing? Letâs forget it, Iâll obediently go back to hunting!!"
Having said that, Xu Binghu took the newly crafted armor and dashed out to avoid being followed.
When Master Yang saw him run off, he was completely stunned and didnât react for a long time.
"In this world, there are so many people who want me to teach them blacksmithing, and I didnât fancy any of them. I never expected that the only one I did fancy didnât fancy me!!!"
...
Nightfall.
Xu Binghu returned to Great Wilderness Border Village and immediately went to Old Qiâs house.
"Old Qi, Iâm back," Xu Binghu said.
Old Qi opened his eyes, his once cloudy eyes now clear, and his previously wrinkled skin had smoothed out significantly.
"So, did you get it done?"
Xu Binghu lifted the package in his hand and said, "Itâs done, just that..."
"Just what?"
"Master Yang said he wanted to take me as a disciple, but I didnât agree and ran off."
Hearing this, Old Qi circled him, observed carefully, then nodded.
"Your physique is indeed a good budding talent for blacksmithing, no wonder he wanted to take you as a disciple," Old Qi said.
"However, you are currently a body refiner, with great potential to advance to the Qi Refining Stage, how can you go into blacksmithing? Running off was the right choice! Absolutely the right choice!!" Old Qi laughed heartily, not caring about his own image.
"Thinking about it, today is exactly the third day, the time Xu Ran said for issuing the Body Refining Manual, judging by Old Qiâs condition, the body refining should have been a success," Xu Binghu speculated.
"Old Qi, not seen for three days, looks reinvigorated!" Xu Binghu complimented.
No mention of how happy Old Qi was hearing that.
"This is all thanks to Xu Ran, if it werenât for him, I wouldnât have succeeded in body refining! This matter weighed on my mind for thirty years, and Xu Ran resolved it!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
The sound of laughter couldnât be happier.
"Congratulations to Old Qi on succeeding in body refining," Xu Binghu cupped his hands and bowed.
"Alright," Old Qi waved, "You havenât been home yet, quickly take the armor you made for Xu Ran back."
"Okay!"
Again bowing, Xu Binghu retreated.
Not long after, he returned home.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, the smell of hotpot lamb wafted in, and upon looking, it was Xu Ran, Lian Ji, and Little White, the two of them and a falcon.
Hearing movement at the door, the two of them and the falcon looked up and saw Xu Binghu.
"Dad (Husband), youâre back."
Xu Binghu nodded, "Iâm back."
The next moment, he sat to the side, picked up a piece of lamb, and started eating, "Walking all day, Iâm starving."
Lian Ji asked, "Husband, where have you been for these three days?"
While eating, Xu Binghu placed the package beside Xu Ran, "Xu Ran, this is the armor I crafted for you, made from Exotic Snake Demon Scales, it has very high defense."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ranâs eyes widened as he opened the package and took out the armor inside.
The armor emitted a faint golden gleam, with a red crest in the center.
Xu Ran ran his hands over the armor, feeling deeply moved, "Thank you, Dad!"
Right now, for Xu Ran, the armor was most suited to him.
After all, he was not lacking in attack skills, what he lacked was defense. After all, he was just a one-year-old baby, though an Innate Divine Body, still too young.
Moreover, as Xu Ran knew, Xu Binghu never knew blacksmithing before, meaning in these three days, Xu Binghu not only learned everything about blacksmithing, he also crafted a suit of armor for him.
Such a favor, enough for him to forever remember it in his heart.
Xu Binghu patted Xu Ranâs head, "Silly boy, what are you talking about? Youâre my son, itâs meant for you."
Xu Binghu kept talking, continuously eating hotpot lamb.
His peripheral vision swept to the other side of the courtyard, noticing the large pot in the dark appeared slightly red, he inquired.
"Xu Ran, did you do the second body refining?"
Xu Ran was surprised, "Dad, how did you know?"
Xu Binghu pointed to the pot in the corner, "I saw that pot, and it has a slight redness in the dark, a sign of being boiled at high temperature, so I deduced it."
Xu Ran was a bit amazed.
Only three days had passed, and his dad could already tell a pot hadnât been boiled; that was boiled at noon, it has been cooling for half a day.
Even so, he could see a hint of redness.
Xu Ran, "Dad, you learned quite a bit at blacksmithing!"
Xu Binghu asked, "Just small tricks, did your second body refining yield anything?"
Xu Ran thought for a moment, then said, "My gains are modest as well."
Xu Binghu raised an eyebrow, "Oh, letâs hear it?"
"Mm." Xu Ran said, "My strength reached 1500 jin."
"Pfft---" On hearing this, Xu Binghu spat out the lamb in his mouth.
"Husband, what happened?" Lian Ji said.
Little White looked regretfully at the spat-out lamb.
"1500 jin?" Xu Binghu asked once more.
Xu Ran nodded, "Yes."
Although Xu Binghu had also increased his strength from 500 jin to 1000 jin in his second body refining, his sonâs, Xu Ranâs, had increased from 1000 jin to 1500 jin, both a 500 jin increment.
But Xu Ranâs 500 jin was not like his 500 jin.
When Xu Ran said 1500 jin, he meant that each punch could exert a force of 1500 jin, and if combined with other techniques, like the warmth flowing through his body, the strength would increase, 2000 jin? 3000 jin? Or even 4000?
He couldnât be certain since he had never seen Xu Ranâs limits.
This was why Xu Binghu was so shocked.
But that wasnât all.
"Actually, thatâs not the biggest improvement," Xu Ran said.
Xu Binghu, "What else?"
"I feel my bones are lighter than before, and soon, I should be able to move like a cat on walls and rooftops," Xu Ran said calmly.
Xu Ran spoke calmly, but Xu Binghu wasnât calm at all!
"Moving like a cat on walls and rooftops?!! Do you mean what I think you mean?!" Xu Binghu asked.
Xu Ran nodded, "Yes."
Moving like a cat on walls and rooftops.
This was something he had heard Old Qi talk about, those with extreme body refining from the deepest parts of the Great Mountain.
Being able to move with cat-like grace meant having the ability to enter the deepest parts of the Great Mountain!!
Entering the deepest mountains had been every hunterâs dream in Great Wilderness Border Village.
As kids, they heard from the elders, they heard from Old Qi.
In the deepest part of the Great Mountain, there were deities, deities protecting them.
Though they didnât know the truth, for those who could move with such grace, or were demon beasts with such skills, what difference did it make from being deities?
"Gulp--"
In the silence, a gulping sound broke.
This sound wasnât from Little White being hungry but from Xu Binghuâs surprise.
Who would have thought that in such a short time, Xu Ran would be close to having this ability.
Even though he hadnât done it yet, when Xu Ran spoke of these things, even if they hadnât been realized yet, it wouldnât be long before they were.
"Ah, Xu Ran!" Xu Binghu said.
Xu Ran, "Dad, whatâs wrong?"
Xu Binghu, "I feel like calling you Dad..."
Lian Ji, "Husband, what are you talking about..."