Art of Pulverizing Iron

Usage: Allows the usage of (7) strand of Inner Qi to process Iron Ingots. Pulverized iron will then receive a 5% increment in their quality. Capped at 30%.

Durability: 1/1

Art of Tempering

Usage 1: Allows the usage of (1) strand of Inner Qi to temper weapons. Each hammering will increase the weapon quality by 1%. Capped at 10%.

Usage 2: Increase user physical body defense by +1

Durability: 1/1

"Not bad, not bad. I will buy these two manuals. Take this 1,000 gold coins away." Zhang Wu Ji tosses the two pouches of 500 gold coins to the attendant, and holds the two books like an idiot.

How can other people understand what he was doing by standing idly with two art manual in his hand?

"Upgrade! Upgrade!" in fact, Zhang Wu Ji was busy upgrading the first book, Art of Pulverized Iron into its +5 stage before he proceeds to the Art of Tempering to +3 first.

For the remaining two upgrades, he will either need to use the energy from the Golden Book Manual to replenish himself.

And out in the public, it will be difficult for him to ask random strangers to touch his book, thus he decided to do it later, and inspect the newly upgraded Art of Pulverized Iron first.

Art of Pulverized Iron +5

Usage: Allow the usage of (6) strand of Inner Qi to process Iron Ingots. Pulverized iron will then receive a 5% increment in their quality. Capped at 40%.

Durability: 2/2

Special: luck in finding medicinal herbs increased by 2%

"What? Why did a special ability like this appear on a book related to metal arts? My god, are you fooling with me now? So if I suddenly upgraded a sword to have the ability to hammer iron, then what use would it be?" Zhang Wu Ji wanted to faint when he saw the special ability the book obtained.

Luckily, the rain has stopped, thus he managed to find an open gap for him to quickly return to the Zhang Manor. On his way, the crowd on the road began to grow in numbers, added with the rain a while ago, the tiles were still soaked with muddy water.

Feeling unhappy if his cloth is dirtied by the water splashed by human's steps, Zhang Wu Ji took the back alleyway to return to his family manor.

But halfway pass the alleyway, he noticed a small yellowish stalk of grass growing near a wall.

"It won't hurt to touch it for a moment." he bends his knee and went to touch the grass.

Kind Heart Grass

Usage: improve the quality of soil if planted across the field. Great as a fertilizer when withered, release spores when withered.

Durability: 10/10

"What? This small little plant actually has the durability of 10! Does this means the life source of this is extremely powerful?" Zhang Wu Ji was thinking for a while but took the stalk of grass home to put them into the soil.

Since he was trying to get newer seeds from the plants he tried to cultivate, the addition of Kind Heart Grass will increase the quality of his plants.

When he went home, the item he purchased from the Smith is here. As for now, he can only order Da Zui and Da Yang to move the items into the shed and have the servants empty it so he can use it as a temporary forge for himself.

After going straight to plant the Kind Heart Grass into the plot of land, Zhang Wu Ji went to  inspect the process of turning the shed into a temporary forge.

When he reached the location, he pushed open the door and noticed that the servants of his already arranged his tools in a way it will be comfortable for him to use.

Two crates full of firestones were placed by the side of the furnace for their young master to use as he wished, but at the other side of a corner, an additional set of tools can be seen.

"These two guys are quite smart for their looks. If I managed to get something good from the exploration, I will give some to them first." Zhang Wu Ji makes a promise in mind and went back to his room.

As usual, he will ring the bell to have three servants come to him and touch his Golden Body Manual.

After two times of ringing the bells, he upgrades the remaining manual to +5, before he went to the temporary forge.

Here, he repeated the previous process once again, and end his day with almost all item upgraded into their +5.

But after a day of tiring works, he can finally sleep happily, because the preparation for his next day were already completed in just a single day.

And in his upgrading spree, he managed to get three of them with a good ability after the final manual, while the others are just considerable.

Art of Tempering +5

Usage 1: Allows the usage of (1) strand of Inner Qi to temper weapons. Each hammering will increase the weapon quality by 1%. Capped at 15%.

Usage 2: Increase user physical body defense by +5

Durability: 1/1

Special: Increase the speed of extracting metal minerals from ores by 5%

Bronze Hammer +5

Usage 1: Increase the speed of removing impurities by 1.5% each hit

Usage 2: Increase the speed of molding metal by 1.5% each hit

Durability: 27/27

Special: Every 10 hits will generate 1 Super Hit equals of 5 hits. Super Hit can be stored. (0/2)

Stone Furnace +5

Usage 1: Increase the melting speed by 1.5%

Usage 2: Increase the heating speed by 1.5%

Durability: 25/25

Special: the Heating process will only take 15 seconds to get ready.

Bronze Anvil +5

Usage 1: Increase the speed of molding metal by 5%

Usage 2: Increase the quality of molded metal by 0.5%

Durability: 27/27

Special: Each weapon hammered on this anvil will have +1 damage on their status.

In the next morning, Zhang Wu Ji headed straight into his new forge to begin processing the materials.

If he processed all the Iron Ores in the forge, he will roughly obtain a total of 1 ingot to 1 and 1/2 ingots for the Pure Iron, about half an ingot for the Sentient Iron, and a quarter of ingot for Crystal Iron.

In fact, their amount of percentage of the ores determines the rough amount of the metal he could get from them. To begin with his work, Zhang Wu Ji first utilized the Stone Forge ability to increase its speed of melting point, before he begins to transfer the molten ore into a crucible.

This was the first step for him to obtain the initial form of the ingot before he begins to remove their impurities. For a simple ingot like this, It will take him at least five times to seven times of hammering before it can be counted as a piece of Pure Iron Ingot.

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Of course, at the same time, he will need to make sure that the flame separates the Sentient Iron from the initial Pure Iron Ingots.

To complete this process, Zhang Wu Ji needed to constantly touch the metal to inspect them, making sure that the piece of ingot only contains pure Goethite and no Magnetite and Silica within at all.

This might be difficult to achieve for a normal blacksmith, but for a cheater like him, it was like a quality scanner at work.

Completely scan and determine the quality of a metal before they were sold.

With the bell in hand, Zhang Wu Ji utilized the right of being a young master of the house to its limit. Although there were only two more days before the appointed time to enter the Qing Spirit Woods, Zhang Wu Ji did not lose himself to wait for it but to work hard in a different profession.

Once, his father sneaks into the forge when he was sleeping in the Pill Making Room.

And when he took the three pieces of ingot into the hand, he was completely shocked.

"How can this brat produce such a Pure Iron of this quality? Did the teacher pass him with a special art to refine the metal into this level?" Zhang Qing Feng was shocked by the Pure Iron in their 15% Quality. Their impurity was still at 40%, which is the most difficult part for Zhang Wu Ji to process them.

And at the side of the Pure Iron, he noticed smaller quarter ingots and a tiny Pill size beads.

It was respectively the Sentient Iron and the Crystal Iron, known as Magnetite and Siderite.

The Siderite or Crystal Iron was the most difficult material to obtain in the Iron Class, where their total yield was only 1% of the total production.

But before his eyes, Zhang Wu Ji actually refined a pill-size bead of Crystal Iron!

Did he intend to craft his own magical tools? In the world of Ping An Continent, Magical Tools, also known as a spiritual cases, are one of the most magical items ever crafted by the masters of their profession.

In each profession, they have their own material to create their own version of Spiritual Casing. For example, a Pill Master can create a pill that can hold a lingering spirit within, where it can get stronger the more it was fed with pills.

A Blacksmith may create his own Weapon, Armor, or Ornament box to contain the spirit, which will be stronger as it was feed with weapons and its ingredients.

But Zhang Wu Ji is just a new student of these fields, how can he grow so quickly? This question started to bother Zhang Qing Feng, but in this world, no father will complain about his child's speedy growth, because that will means he can protect himself better in the future.

"I think it is time for me to enter the blacksmith business." Zhang Qing Feng convinced himself in his mind, as he walks back to his own room.

At the next morning, the aroma of a sumptuous breakfast successfully wakes this young master from slumber, as he quickly dresses before going into their Dining Hall.

Here, a round table was set still on the ground with the capacity to seat 16 people, it filled with over twenty different dishes for a normal breakfast.

It was the first time for Zhang Wu Ji to see such a grand meal before him after transmigrated into this world for such a long time.

After his father makes his appearance on the table, the father and son dig in, where Zhang Wu Ji was acting like a hungry wolf and cleaning the plate one after another.

If it was as before, Zhang Qing Feng would already give him a slap by now.

But since the moment he contributed to the family's apothecary, his treatment towards Zhang Wu Ji slowly became better, with each day him being filled with hope.

"What are you planning to do before tomorrow comes? You will be going to the Qing Spirit Woods right?" Zhang Qing Feng asked.

"Yes, dear father. I am busy making a tool for myself to use on the expedition so i will cave myself in the shed again until tomorrow morning." Zhang Wu Ji did not think too deeply about his father's question and continued to gulp the food after he replied.

"What are you trying to make? Do you need more ore for your works?" since he knows his child is trying to get deeper in the knowledge of Blacksmithing, it was normal for him to offer more resources that could help him further.

"It's fine, father. I can go to the smith to purchase the ore I need. No need to worry about these small matters." he replied to the question.

"If that what you say. Do you mind telling your father what you're making?" Zhang Qing Feng is curious about his child intention to smelt and purify the metals.

One needs to say, that a Pure Iron of  5% Quality was sturdy enough to be cast into metal tools that for daily use, and for weapons, a 10% Quality pure Iron is enough to make a military grade weapon.

But with the piece of Ingot in the room which reached 15% Quality pure iron, it was difficult for him to consider why would his child need such a good quality iron for.

"I intend to make an Iron Ruler from the Iron Ingot I refined," he replied.

But the moment he mentioned the word [Iron Ruler], his father's heart dropped.

"Such a good quality Iron is used to make an Iron Ruler? Are you joking with your father now?" he wanted to ask, but he controlled himself from doing so.

If Zhang Wu Ji were to let him know he wishes to refine its quality into 40% grade, his father might be shocked to death.

What was the 40% quality means?

A normal usage tool only required an iron of 5% quality to be cast, and for a military grade weapon, a minimal requirement of Iron in their 10% quality is needed.

For any Iron in their 20% quality were to be used to craft into a special weapon that will be issued to a commanding officer usage.

When an Iron Ingot went above 21% Quality, they reach the quality to be molded and crafted into a Cultivator weapon, which is known as High-Quality Iron.

As for any iron that reaches quality exceeding 40%, they will be treated as a treasure by those cultivators because the iron will be suitable to contain a spirit, and can be said to become a Spirit grade crafting material.

Below 5% - Basic Grade

Below 10% - Military Grade

Below 20% - Advance Grade

Below 40% - High Grade

Below 60% - Low Tier Spirit Grade

Below 80% - Middle Tier Spirit Grade

Below 100% - High Tier Spirit Grade

Pure 100% - Never happened in the history of Ping An Continent

"Ahem... Do you have a need to use the ruler in the expedition?" Zhang Qing Feng asked. Although he has no control over what his child wants to craft using the Military Grade Pure Iron, it won't be a problem for a father to ask what his child wanted to use that for, right?

"Nothing, I enjoy using a ruler more. It's made of Pure Iron, so it's strength should be good enough for me." although he replied in a casual way, in fact, it was because of his bad habit once again.

During the time he was working as a librarian, Zhang Wu Ji has mastered the Librarian Ruler Technique, which is so amazing when faced with the ton of books left by stupid Library visitors each night!

Each slash will move the book from their current position, each stabs will return the book into its shelf, each slap will arrange the book in order, and each strike will remove the rubbish left on the table!

This is his Four Steel Ruler Art!

This art can even protect himself if he was chased by wild dogs when trying to throw rubbish at the bin area far from the library!

Three strikes Dog Ruling Art!

He was so into his previous life, that he went into daydreaming in the middle of his reply.

"My child is still as useless as ever..." Zhang Qing Feng gives himself a facepalm, looking at how amazing his child is, to daydream in the middle of his reply.

"Leave if you're full." his father waved his palm outwards, indicating that he can leave now.

After leaving his father with some polite greetings, Zhang Wu Ji left the Dining Hall in a hurry and entered the shed.

He was slightly worried that some servant might take the piece of Iron to use for something else, but instead, it was still as of how he left it yesterday.

Without wasting his time, Zhang Wu Ji started with the heating of the ingot, and continue with the hammering process. With two additional strands of Inner Qi today, his total strands are now increased to 11 now. Since it was left with nothing else except further refining the Pure Iron Ingot, the task is completed after going through the process for half a day.

For every two times, he called for the servants, he can only apply a strike of the Art of Pulverized Iron on the piece of Pure Iron Ingot.

Every time after the first strike, he would have to collect the replenishment of Inner Qi before he reheats the piece of an ingot, and hammer it again.

Forging through this way, It was no wonder he took half a day to complete the task.

With the metal reaching a complete 40% Quality, it was a well refined High-Grade Pure Iron. His next step will be to mold the piece of ingot into the shape of a ruler.

Although it doesn't take too much Inner Qi compared to the refining process, the molding step will still take considerable time because his skill was lacking.

But luckily, the hammer and anvil to increase the speed of the molding process, which is why Zhang Wu Ji is confident he can complete his work before tomorrow morning.

The effort continues until midnight, where his two meters long Iron Ruler is completed.

He holds the Iron Ruler up above his head but noticed it was so light weighted, not putting any stress on him at all.

Iron Ruler (Unnamed)

Attack: 5 + 1

Defense: 5

Durability: 36/36

Special: When the ruler was in the creator's arms, remove the burden of weight at all. Applicable on other item placed on the ruler.

"What? Remove the burden of weight?" Zhang Wu Ji was shocked with the natural special ability his Iron Ruler possessed.

Without delay, he strings the two bucket of Firestones on a side of the Iron Ruler before he proceed to lift the two buckets up.

Unbelievably, it was still so light, as if there weren't anything on his ruler at all! The two buckets of firestones were lifted up into his shoulder-length height, as light as a feather.

The door suddenly knocked, and Da Zui pushed open the door to come in. But when he was looking at his unbelievably strong young master, he was completely shocked.

"Young... Young master! You're actually this strong!" Zhang Da Zui cannot cover his mouth and shout out loud.

"Shh!!!" Zhang Wu Ji placed the two bucket down before he went to cover that fella's mouth.

After he sees the servant has calmed down, he released his grip over him, and tell him to not reveal the fact to anyone else. Convinced that he will no longer cause any trouble, Zhang Wu Ji calms himself down and begin to upgrade the Iron Ruler.

"Eh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Come on!"

He realized that the upgrade did not work on the Iron Ruler...

"Impossible! If I cannot upgrade you, then what's the difference between a ruler and lifting wood?" he cannot believe his bad luck after putting so much effort at creating the weapon but failed to upgrade it.

"It must be my condition is too weak. It must be!" he rings the bell once, and three more servants came to him.

After he refilled his Inner Qi to the maximum capacity, he proceeds with the upgrade again.

"Poof! Upgrade success!"

"Thud..." he fainted and fell to the ground.