Chapter 137: Rules Are Meant to Be Broken!
It wasn't strange for Jiang Lin to have such a thought. After all, if the object of cultivation became a spiritual weapon, the unique aspects of the Flame Tempering Technique would suddenly become much easier to understand.
No meridians, only blood circulation? Spiritual weapons had no meridians—what they had were energy-conducting patterns, which in the human body corresponded to blood vessels.
'Of course, the current Flame Tempering Technique might not necessarily be meant for spiritual weapons. At the very least, this version seems to have been modified to better suit the human body.'
As Jiang Lin cultivated, he silently examined himself internally. Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he would take out his weapon-crafting manual and jot it down. Who knew—perhaps one day he'd suddenly gain insight and understand it?
'But what's truly troubling is why the Flame Tempering Technique's cultivation speed and body tempering consumption balance out only when reaching the Da Dou Shi stage, the third realm.' This was a question that puzzled Jiang Lin—and also other members of the ancient races.
'If we change our perspective and use modern understanding of the relationship between the brain and body… if we see Dou Qi as energy, then perhaps the Da Dou Shi's physical vessel is already at the limit of what that realm's Dou Qi can sustain? After all, if even one's own body can't be sustained, then naturally Dou Qi cannot continue to accumulate and be tempered, thus preventing breakthroughs to higher realms.'
'After all, spiritual weapons start from Tier Seven, with incredible materials and terrifying Dou Qi intake, while I started at Tier Zero.'
'At that point, an external energy source must be connected for the long term. One dantian isn't enough—so we need to connect an additional dantian to "lighten the load." If a Da Dou Shi can't support the cultivation speed, then that dantian must be expanded… to Dou Ling, or even Dou Wang.'
Unknowingly, as he cultivated, Jiang Lin once again entered an enlightened state. Through the current Dragon Flame Art, he began to draw parallels and understand the various oddities of the Flame Tempering Technique from new perspectives.
This silent state of enlightenment continued for three whole days. During this time, aside from cultivating, Jiang Lin spent his time reading cultural magazines from the Jia Ma Empire and records from the Weapon Craftsmen Guild.
Jiang Lin still had two Xuan Spirit Pills that could enhance his Dou Qi cultivation. He wasn't ready to consume them yet. These pills would have the best effect when taken at the Seven-Star Dou Shi stage. If the medicinal effect was good, he might directly break through to Nine-Star Dou Shi. Then, by consuming a Three-Stripe Green Spirit Pill, he could soar in one step and become a One-Star Da Dou Shi.
Of course, that was the ideal scenario. Reality might be cruel. Jiang Lin wasn't sure when he'd reach Seven-Star Dou Shi.
But none of that mattered now. He had more important things to do.
"Jiang Lin, come with me." In the Weapon Craftsmen Guild, Hu Lei led the now-rested Jiang Lin to the Heaven-ranked crafting area. Along the way, Jiang Lin heard the constant sound of forging from nearby rooms. Clearly, everyone had been busy lately, rushing to craft their own Four-Leaf Feather Sheath Wings, with no time for anything else. Even the usually idle Vice President Han Yu and the plump Yuan were nowhere to be seen.
Han Yu was busy trying to forge a Tier Five Four-Leaf Feather Sheath Wing, building on the Tier Four version perfected by Jiang Lin and the others, using the Spiritual Forging Method to craft his own Tier Five version. Yuan was no longer in the guild—he'd gone out in search of Gu He and wouldn't return for a while.
As a result, the Heaven-ranked crafting area was unusually quiet—perfect for Hu Lei's lesson. Since he was going to teach Jiang Lin the Spiritual Forging Method, even if others wanted to observe, he'd drive them away. Soul-related secret arts weren't suited for an audience. Onlookers would only create pressure for Jiang Lin and lower his learning efficiency.
"Have you been resting well lately? I'm about to teach you a secret art related to the soul. If you haven't rested well, learning soul arts will only yield half the results for twice the effort—it'll be thankless and exhausting." Hu Lei casually sat down on a stone block and gestured for Jiang Lin to relax and find a seat.
Soul arts, generally speaking, required cultivators to maintain strong essence, energy, and spirit. If any of those were lacking, training would be more difficult.
"Teacher, I've rested well," Jiang Lin replied with a respectful bow. To ensure his essence and spirit were full, he had even skipped his morning Flame Tempering cultivation.
Hu Lei had no idea how fast Jiang Lin's essence and spirit could recover. If he did, he'd be shocked. He had given Jiang Lin three days to rest and return to a full state based on a soul realm of the Common Grade Intermediate level. But for Jiang Lin, his essence and spirit were constantly cycling between depletion and fullness. At night, they were consumed through cultivation. By morning, they'd be fully recovered again. A bit of cultivation in the morning would consume them slightly, but he'd regain full condition during the day. Though recovery during the day was slower than the meditation recovery after nighttime cultivation, it was still sufficient.
If he entered a rigorous cultivation mode, Jiang Lin could train with the Flame Tempering Technique three times a day. But since he needed to study during the day, he chose not to follow that regimen.
"Hmm, I can tell you've rested well. Learning soul arts requires a full and focused spirit." Hu Lei glanced at Jiang Lin's brilliant, sharp black-blue eyes, easily recognizing the overwhelming vitality in the youth. Though it was habit to ask, he already knew the answer from Jiang Lin's gaze alone.
"Before we officially start learning the Spiritual Forging Method, I need to introduce you to the classifications of soul realms." Hu Lei began explaining soul realms to Jiang Lin.
"Generally speaking, those who become alchemists or craftsmen are born with strong soul power. Though there are exceptions—some strong cultivators forcefully reach the threshold of alchemy or crafting—but those are rare and can be disregarded."
"Traditional alchemists and craftsmen are judged primarily by their soul talent. Dou Qi attributes and cultivation aptitude are secondary. As long as your soul talent is exceptional, then even if your Dou Qi has no fire attribute at all, you can still refine pills by force using special cauldrons. Of course, this is inefficient and unrewarding. The reason I'm telling you this is to break your preconceived notions—to plant a seed in your mind that will always question the rules of the world."
Many so-called "innate conditions" in this world are designed to filter out ordinary people. But for true geniuses, rules are meant to be broken.
And craftsmen, throughout the history of the Dou Qi Continent, have more often than not played the role of rule-breakers—and rule-makers.
As for the background of craftsmen, I will eventually tie it into major events in the original work to provide a brand-new perspective from the viewpoint of a weapon craftsman.
I have no intention of belittling alchemists or comparing them unfairly. It's just that I'm writing from the viewpoint of a craftsman, so naturally I'll highlight the strengths of craftsmen. I'd have to be crazy to praise alchemists here. The protagonist will dabble in alchemy at most, but will primarily focus on crafting and formations.
If you want to read about alchemists, then go find alchemist fanfics. There are so many sites—you can read however you like.
As for me, this will only be from a craftsman's perspective—reconstructing the Battle Through the Heavens worldview from the lens of a weapon craftsman.
(END CHAPTER)
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