Chapter 100

Chapter 100: The King of Metal Forging

Translator: Ash Editor: Geoffrey

At every hill, every lake, every farmland, every town, Li Yao saw many bizarre things and met

many strange people .

One time, he had encountered an old man of 130-years of age . Obviously, he was just an

ordinary person; however, he had a pet “Whistling Sky Hawk”, a spirit beast with a length of 4-5

meters .

When the old man was 4 years old, he had inadvertently picked up a palm-sized bird whose

wings were broken . As the bird was very pitiful, using branches, the man had helped connect its

broken wings and had also smeared healing ointments .

From then on, the little bird always stuck to him, accompanying him all the way through

adolescence, marriage, childbirth, and old age .

From the beginning to a century later, the little bird had always remained palm sized . The old

man had also gotten accustomed to the existence of this small thing that was always around

him .

But who would have known that after its 104th birthday, the height of the little bird would

suddenly soar; in just a short span of three years, the bird grew to be 5m long, revealing the

lofty appearance that many spirit beasts had .

Only then did the old man come to realize that he had picked up an amazing thing .

"I was just an ordinary wage earner . My house was small, and there was also my son and

daughter-in-law as well as my grandchildren who were soon to be married . So, where would I

be able to raise such a big bird?"

"I was forced to secretly raise it on the roof of the house . Because of this, I had been nagged by

my wife, my son, and my daughter-in-law, and the neighborhood committee had even come

looking for me several times—they had even alerted the police!

"A few cultivators from the cultivation sects had come knocking at my door, stating that they

were willing to pay an exorbitant price for this guy, but how could I be willing to part with it? In

the eyes of cultivators, it is just a spirit beast, but in my eyes, it's my whole youth, my whole life!

I will not sell, I will absolutely not sell!"

The old man gently caressed the Whistling Sky Hawk's head and laughed as he spoke .

The Whistling Sky Hawk, which was known for its fierceness, very gently leaned on the old

man .

The left wing was slightly twisted and signs of having been seriously injured in the past could

be seen .

"And just like that, after another twenty years, I retired . My children and grandchildren don't

need to worry about me, and my old woman has also left a step earlier . Finally, I can fulfill my

childhood dream! Little bird, oh little bird, ever since I was a child, I have always wondered how

much better it would have been if you were a spirit beast . If you were a spirit beast, then I could

ride you and continue to fly—fly across the mountains, over the rivers, above the clouds, and

even fly throughout the Heaven Origin Sector . "

The old man jovially laughed, revealing the lack of front teeth as he climbed up on the back of

the Whistling Sky Hawk with difficulty .

"Preet——"

The old man blew a whistle laden with rust . The Whistling Sky Hawk gave a long whistle before

flapping its wings and soaring into the sky .

The Whistling Sky Hawk had suffered an injury to its wings, and the old man was not a

cultivator and simply didn't know any skills for riding spirit beasts . A man and a spirit beast

slowly soared into the sky; the way they flew was full of twists and turns, it was simply too

horrible to watch .

The old man simply didn't care . He sang a song which used to be popular a century ago as their

silhouettes slowly disappeared into the pile of cotton-like layers of clouds .

Along the way, Li Yao had encountered no small number of people who were no different that

this old man .

He had met a sword cultivator with tyrannical strength that was both accomplished and wellknown,

but as the age of 90 dawned upon him, he suddenly came to a realization and had

discovered that what he truly wanted to become was a scholar-type cultivator—he wanted to be

a poet .

And so, this sword cultivator put down his sword . In the desolate and vast land of snow, he

hiked on a mountain of snow, searching for inspiration .

Occasionally, he would encounter some highway robbers or bandits, but only as a last resort

would he use the sword . On the contrary, he would try to use poetry filled with warmth and love

to reform the evildoers .

Over time, everyone near the snow mountain had heard of a "Devil Poet" who had excellent

sword arts as they came to fear his poems and even moreso dreaded the 3-feet-long sword in

his hand .

Li Yao had also met a village doctor who had graduated from the Empyrean Capital School of

Medicine and had once worked in many cultivation sects . He was a renowned master in the

cultivation world and was most skilled in unblocking the eight extra meridians as well as

treating Qigong Deviation .

But after the age of 180, feeling obligated, the peak Building Foundation Stage cultivator

rejected many high salary offers from major hospitals and cultivation sects, concealed his

identity, and started traveling to every remote village in the federation in order to treat the

patients in the backwater villages .

"Three millenniums ago, I had once acted as a protector for a sect leader of a major sect during

his breakthrough and had helped him successfully step onto the Core Formation Stage . Later

on, the sect leader had gifted me a luxurious seaside villa in addition to five shops on the

busiest commercial street in a major city!"

"I used to think that it would be the largest consultation fee I would ever receive in my life . "

In a shabby brick house, the village doctor, while grilling sweet potatoes in the fire furnace,

laughingly said to Li Yao, "That is, until yesterday when I had received the most valuable

consultation fee . ”

"What was it?" Li Yao very meticulously peeled the sweet potato as the hot air blurred his vision .

"I helped a little boy who had lost vision in both his eyes when he was playing with fireworks,

helping him see the light after four years . He gave me a fierce kiss right here . "

Pointing at his cheek, the village doctor had the most brilliant smile hanging on his face; it was

truly a very natural and serene smile .

A retired old man riding a Whistling Sky Hawk, a sword cultivator who wanted to become a

poet, a peak Building Foundation Stage village doctor . . .

There were many, many people like this .

During the day, Li Yao, in this picturesque paradise of mortals, would listen to all kinds of

strange stories from these people .

During the night, even while sleeping, he would not forget to cultivate; he would zealously

assimilate Ou Yezi's memory fragments .

Each memory fragments contained ten days to one month worth of Ou Yezi's memories .

And, every night, Li Yao would approximately assimilate one or two memory fragments .

If he tried assimilating any more, he would exhaust his spiritual power and would feel as if his

whole neural field was on fire, causing him to feel excruciating pain . Assimilating more than he

could handle would do more harm than good for his cultivation .

In this long trek which spanned for three months, Li Yao had assimilated about 70-80% of Ou

Yezi's memories of the time when he was a forge worker .

Compared to the previous illusory dreams, this was different . This time, the memory fragments

had completely integrated with Li Yao's, completely integrating with his own memory .

As if he had truly been a forge worker of the Hundred Smelting Clan, practicing the superior

metal forging techniques forty millenniums ago .

Although each time in the process of assimilating the memory, Li Yao, as Ou Yezi, would be

tortured inhumanely to the point where he wanted to die .

But, the harvest he reaped was also enormous .

He had learned all of Ou Yezi's forging skills . In addition to Chaos Gale Hammer Technique> as a foundation, Li Yao had finally reached the peak of

perfection on the road of metal forging .

In today's world where various advanced magical equipment refining techniques were used in

mass production, taking a broad view at the entire Heaven Origin Sector, it would absolutely be

impossible to find a second Li Yao, one who would so foolishly learn some antique forging

techniques from forty millenniums ago .

Therefore, Li Yao could also be known as "The Star Glory Federation’s Top Expert in the Ancient

Art of Manual Forging Techniques"!

Although it sounded like a pretty prestigious title, it didn't have much practical value . But still,

Li Yao found a little satisfaction in his heart .

"Today is forging techniques, and tomorrow will be the most sophisticated refining equipment

techniques . After I assimilate all of Ou Yezi’s memories about forging divine equipment and

sharp equipment, even Deep Sea University will be nothing! And finally, one day, the title of

Holy Land for Refiners will belong to my Grand Desolate War Institution's Refining

Department!"

After three months, in a nameless small mountain village in the northern reaches of the

federation .

"Moo . . . "

"Baa . . . "

"Woff, woff! Woff woff!"

At the entrance of a village, a large group of the wooden oxen[1] reeled left and right as they let

out feeble bellows in the grain drying field .

The wooden oxen were all generic metal beast puppets made for farming purposes .

Taking the sheep that kept bleating “Baa baa” as an example, its entire body was built from

metal, its joints were inlaid with various crystals, and its entire body was engraved with dozens

of array glyphs, allowing it to automatically walk and look for dead branches, leaves, and straw .

After swallowing, everything would be broken down into plant fibers and would again be

entwined together, turning into woolen-shaped fibers in its belly .

These kinds of fibers could be used to weave nets, and in the economically backward places,

they could even be directly used to sew clothes . It was an extremely valuable puppet beast .

And the huge copper bull next to it, needless to say, was not only used to plow the fields; during

the harvesting season, so long as some common parts were installed, it was possible to change

its body, turning it into a harvesting machine .

Through the horn-like blades on its head, rice stalks could be completely cut off which would

then enter its stomach through its mouth, where it would be processed before shining rice

grains were discharged from behind .

In poor areas, these metal beast puppets were the life and blood of an entire family and would

often be used for a good several generations .

The same was true for this small nameless mountain village .

The few dozen metal beast puppets were antiques from a hundred or so years ago and had

already passed their life expectancy . Either their mechanical limbs were broken, or their

crystals had been stolen by thieves, or some crucial place of engraved array glyphs was worn

out due to the passage of time .

"Young Master Li[2], can you help auntie check whether or not this iron bull can be salvaged? It

was the dowry my grandmother brought when she got married!"

"Young Master Li, if you have time, can you help this grandpa check this big dog? Although it is

not alive, it had accompanied me ever since I was born . This is but 130 years of feelings!"

Li Yao was surrounded by bright and honest villagers . On one side of the house, a villager was

killing a pig to make pork stew for Li Yao . It was the most delicious meat in the entire grains

drying field .

It was not easy to find a master who could repair magical equipment in this kind of backwater

village .

The honest villagers didn't know how to thank Li Yao, so a villager was simply butchering the

big, fat pig which was prepared for the new year celebration .

Many foolhardy kids thought it was the new year as they ran around in the drying grains field

with their runny nose, jumping and shouting in joy as they giggled in a sound that was as sweet

as the rings of a silver bell

"Hold on for a moment, hold on for a moment, uncles and aunts! I am going to slowly check,

one by one . However, I also have no way . Some are completely worn out . But as long as there is

still some breath in me, I will try to completely repair these wooden oxen and flowing horses!"

Li Yao said while happily smiling .

After three months of experience, Li Yao's current appearance was completely different from

the time when he had just departed . If his friends came to see his current appearance, they

would absolutely be surprised .

Compared to 100 days ago, he seemed to be a bit taller, about a half centimeter . He was slightly

skinny, and due to living and traveling in the wilderness for a long time, his skin had become

quite tanned . His hair was in a mess, and a beard has grown on his face . All in all, it completely

gave off a slightly sloppy appearance .

He was dressed in workwear sown from ordinary coarse cloth which was covered in dust and

grease . At first glance, he looked no different than most of the common field workers .

But, the biggest change could be found in his temperament .

Translator notes-

[1] – 木牛流馬 – Wooden Oxen and Flowing Horses, a detailed information can be found here .

[2] – Here, the young master doesn’t refer to a child of a wealthy family; the master here is like

expert or professor .

[3] – On another note, I was hospitalized due to food poisoning when I ate outside, so there was

a delay in the translating of the chapter .