Chapter 110: You Take a Great Demon as the Ancestor of Blacksmithing?!
"If you ever go to the Central Plains, you'll find that in the headquarters of the Blacksmith Guild there, the Qiankun Technique is quite common. Any cauldron that can be forged with the Qiankun properties can be called a Qiankun Cauldron."
"Of course, while there are many Qiankun Cauldrons, the Qing Xuan Qiankun Cauldron is particularly special. It was through this cauldron that your revered ancestor and his group were able to research and develop the Qiankun Cauldron technique. Therefore, this Qing Xuan Qiankun Cauldron is considered the first Qiankun Cauldron, and it has been involved in many experiments, ultimately becoming what it is today, a commemorative legacy."
"Your revered ancestor thought that I was a rare talent, so on a whim, he passed it down to me. Now, I feel that your talent is about to match mine, so I'm handing the Qing Xuan Qiankun Cauldron over to you. Don't worry, it won't affect its use. I've been using it for many years." One of the advantages of blacksmiths over pharmacists is that this group can truly pass down treasures to the younger generation.
When it came to the Qing Xuan Qiankun Cauldron, Hu Lei seemed to have opened a floodgate of stories. He took Jiang Lin's hand and began explaining the legendary history of this experimental cauldron.
In terms of storytelling, it seemed that there was indeed a special teacher-student connection between them.
"Here, your Tier-3 Blacksmith badge." Hu Lei conjured a blank badge from thin air, preparing to write Jiang Lin's name on it with his Dou Qi when he suddenly paused. "Jiang Lin, or should I put Xiao Lin?"
"Xiao Lin, I've been using it for so long. Once I've made a name for myself, I'll change it to something more imposing," Jiang Lin said, looking at the badge in Hu Lei's hand with a slight pout. Hu Lei clearly had other channels of information. Since arriving here, Jiang Lin had never mentioned the name Xiao Lin.
Wolong, Chufeng, Zhonghu, Xiao Lin... Jiang Lin realized that the name Xiao Lin had a certain resonance with him, so he chose it as his code name.
"Well then, I'll write it down for you, but I have a feeling that I'll have to issue you a new one before long." Hu Lei quickly wrote "Xiao Lin" on the badge, lighting up three fire-like stars with his special purple-red Dou Qi.
He then pointed to the emblem on the badge and asked Jiang Lin, "You should have seen this pattern before. What was your first impression when you saw it?"
"Hm?" Jiang Lin was slightly confused. However, Hu Lei's demeanor didn't give him any sense of danger, so after thinking for a moment, he responded directly: "If I'm not mistaken, the illusory carving in the middle should represent the cauldron star inside the cauldron, with flames burning around it. It seems to take the stars and the moon, forging the world into a tool. That's the feeling I got when I first saw it."
"Good gracious!" Hu Lei suddenly slapped his thigh with excitement. "You're a natural-born blacksmith! The greatest aspiration of our blacksmithing ancestor was actually understood by you at a single glance!"
"Ah? Blacksmithing ancestor?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Our blacksmithing ancestor's ambition was to forge the world! The illusory square cauldron on the badge is the legendary ancestor's Emperor Artifact! The Creation Qiankun Emperor Cauldron! The Qing Xuan Qiankun Cauldron is the first imitation they forged! Though the results were vastly different, just the bit of Qiankun power within it is enough for us to use!" As Hu Lei spoke, his excitement was palpable, almost like a child boasting about his idol.
However, the Blacksmithing Ancestor didn't need to boast—being a Dou Emperor from the ancient times, he was already someone deserving of reverence.
But Jiang Lin suddenly felt something was off. "Forge the world..." he thought. That didn't sound like something a righteous person would say. And Hu Lei, you're acting so excited—this sounds like you're one of those die-hard followers of a big villain's ideals!
"The ancestor has such grand ambitions! So, teacher, could you tell me the name of our ancestor?" Jiang Lin asked cautiously, feeling a sense of tension building as if he was about to uncover a great secret.
"I don't know," Hu Lei replied.
"Ah?" Jiang Lin was completely stunned.
"But there's a nickname he left behind—'Dan Qi Zi'."
"Oh, so it's Dan Qi Zi before...?" Jiang Lin's eyelids twitched. Good heavens, it really was that ancient blacksmith! When Hu Lei mentioned the ancestor's grand ambitions, Jiang Lin had already sensed something was wrong. It seemed like the ideals of forging the world were very similar to those of the ancient blacksmith who developed the 'Demon Core Crystallized Armor'... wasn't that idea kind of eerily similar?
The research approach of blacksmiths usually follows a path from simple to complex, layer by layer, and eventually into realms no one can reach. And in this process, meticulous blacksmiths could usually tell just by looking at a few diagrams with core ideas what the forging philosophy of the creator was.
There was no doubt that Dou Jing was one of the core philosophies of Dan Qi Zi's blacksmithing techniques.
If it were just the Dou Jing, Jiang Lin wouldn't have immediately made the connection to Dan Qi Zi's earlier works. But when Hu Lei mentioned "forge the world," it was like a mental blow to Jiang Lin, and the words instantly allowed him to understand Dan Qi Zi's core philosophy!
Hu Lei, you're following the ideals of a big villain!
So the senior who spoke about being a chef must have been a great demon!
Of course, Jiang Lin didn't dare say this out loud. With Hu Lei's current enthusiastic state, Jiang Lin was certain that if he said anything negative about Dan Qi Zi, Hu Lei would immediately transform into a zealot and defend his ancestor, clearing the way for his newly accepted disciple.
"Ah, did the ancestor succeed?" Jiang Lin carefully asked, following up on Hu Lei's words.
"I don't know," Hu Lei said, his expression thoughtful. "Some say he succeeded, others say he failed. Some even say the great upheaval of heaven and earth was caused by him, while others believe he suppressed it. There are many different theories, and none of them are convincing, especially since the time gap is at least several thousand years."
"The only ones who might know accurate information are an ancient race in the Central Plains. There have been rumors in the Heavenly Craft Pavilion that they are the first ancient race after the great catastrophe, and they should know something, but no information has leaked. Also, Jiang Lin, if you go to the Central Plains, be sure to stay away from those people from the Spirit Race. They're all crazy."
"They've been quieter in recent years. When I went to the Central Plains, I heard from many seniors from various factions that the Spirit Race blacksmiths seem to have uncovered some kind of treasure, and now they're all closed off, researching formation techniques."
Spirit Race: The good days for the people of the Central Plains are coming!
(END CHAPTER)
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