Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 234 – Thousand Hammer Technique, Blacksmiths are unequalled?

Seeing the graceful and gentle lady’s affectionate gaze, Qing Shui nodded towards the amused Canghai Mingyue.

The three of them once again headed for the blacksmith store. Qing Shui looked at the two ladies beside him and could not control his laughter. When the two ladies saw Qing Shui, they broke into smiles without a reason.

“What are you laughing at? Are you so happy to be moving out from my house?” Canghai Mingyue said softly, not looking at Qing Shui.

“Could it be that you cannot bear to part with me?” Qing Shui chuckled as he looked at Canghai Mingyue’s beautiful appearance.

Canghai Mingyue turned and smiled as she looked at Qing Shui before she said softly, “If I say that I can’t bear to part with you, you wouldn’t move out?”

Qing Shui rubbed his nose, smiled bitterly, and shook his head!

“Then why should I miss you?”

Qing Shui heard those words that sounded a bit seductive, coming from a beautiful and elegant lady. After their time together, Qing Shui felt that he had not gotten used to her or immunised towards her. She was like a vat of wine. The longer the time was, the more mellow and fragrant it was, to the extent that he could not bear to let another person taste it.

“Do you guys think that we’ll still be coming across something interesting today?” Qing Shui asked the two ladies amusingly.

The three of them moved on slowly, and for some reason, Qing Shui was standing in the middle with two ladies of unrivaled beauty by his side. This was something Qing Shui had never thought of.

“Why do you say this?” Huoyun Liu-Li asked, dumbfounded.

“To think that we came across Immortal Sword Sect’s Young Master Feng. That pervert’s taste is quite good, haha!” Qing Shui chuckled.

“Ahh, you rascal Qing Shui. Are you saying that we are dangerous beauties…?” Huoyun Liu-Li said, slightly displeased.

“I didn’t! You said it yourself!”

“Qing Shui, how about you get a small mansion nearby with an independent courtyard?!” Canghai Mingyue looked at Qing Shui and suggested.

“I’m thinking of the same thing. You guys will be welcome to come and stay then.” Qing Shui grinned and said.

Canghai Mingyue casted a sideward glance at Qing Shui, feeling angry that this chap was getting increasingly irresponsible and impudent in his speech. It was the first time she had met a guy who would treat her like this. Other than feeling a bit pissed, there were some other emotions mixed in.

Qing Shui saw that there were quite a number of mansions on sale, but they were not cheap. However, Qing Shui was not concerned about the cost, so he got himself a place not far from the blacksmith store. From the negotiations to the purchase, it did not even take him two hours.

What he got was an exquisite mansion with three storeys. There was a small courtyard, and three rooms on each level. However, that was sufficient for him, since Qing Shui did not have high expectations towards a house. The reason he decided to leave Canghai’s house was merely because he was not used to it.

The reason why Qing Shui chose a place not far from Canghai’s was not only because it was near the blacksmith store, but also because of the Immortal Sword Sect and Fu Clan. After all with this, they would be able to help each other out.

Walking into the limestone covered small mansion he just bought, the sight seemed very exquisite. The first level was a big lounge, with a complete set of furniture. When the afternoon sunlight shone into the lounge, it was as if the place was covered with a layer of bright golden color.

“Why do you want to move out? It’s not as if there’s anyone restricting you in my house.” After entering this lounge, Canghai Mingyue asked softly.

To think that this lady was still brooding over the fact that he was moving out. Could it be that she could really not bear to see him moving out? He looked at Canghai Mingyue, puzzled.

“Why are you still thinking about this? I’ve been a bother to your family for such a long time. While they may pamper and love you, it’s because you are their child. Unlike you, I’m not their child or their son-in-law, so I really feel bad for making myself a bother at your place.” Qing Shui rubbed his nose and smiled, looking at the Canghai Mingyue who had headed upstairs.

“Qing Shui, I had never thought that there would be anyone who would be able to talk to Sister Mingyue like this.” Huoyun Liu-Li smiled and said, before she quickly followed after Canghai Mingyue.

Looking up at the two ladies’ beautiful butts when they were ascending the flight of stairs, Qing Shui started to feel something. That light fluttering curves, especially that soft treading steps, one of them looked charming and seductive, while the other looked like a dancing fairy who was treading on the clouds.

Qing Shui made his way up slowly. The stairs in this building were all built indoors and made of wood. Qing Shui looked at the stairways which was made from 100-Year wood, but it could only be considered as wood with inferior quality in the world of the nine continents.

There was a bedroom and a guest room on the second floor, and a small toilet near the staircase. Then, they moved to the third floor which had two bedrooms and another room which seemed like a storeroom.

“Hehe, this place is really just nice for the three of us!” Qing Shui grinned and said. However, neither of the ladies replied, and Qing Shui noticed that he had been talking to himself!

Once again, the two ladies helped Qing Shui clean up the bedroom, making him feel very warm. Sometimes, concern could come from a seemingly insignificant act, just like how they were merely helping Qing Shui tidy his bed.

They did not stay for long. Qing Shui asked what the two ladies’ plan was. He told them that he was planning to head to the blacksmith store and it would be likely that he would be spending most of his time on smithing in the future.

The two ladies did not find the blacksmith store very interesting, thus they said that they would casually walk around. After bidding the two ladies goodbye, Qing Shui headed straight for the blacksmith store nearby.

Summer was almost coming, but it was not very hot. Moreover, a person at Qing Shui’s level of cultivation, and the Ancient Strengthening Technique, the freezing chill and soaring heat in the environment no longer bothered him.

Seeing Qing Shui, Hu You’s eyes were filled with excitement and passion, so much that it made Qing Shui feel very uncomfortable. Think about it, would you be at ease being stared at so passionately by a burly man?

“Brother Hu, err, I don’t know where to get Blacksmith Furnace in the vicinity and other equipments for a Forging Platform. Can I trouble you for a while?” Qing Shui tried to squeeze out a faint smile, thinking of how he had yet to get the equipments necessary for blacksmithing in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal.

“No problem, that’s easy!” Hu You agreed readily.

Qing Shui gave Hu You some silver notes, telling him to get two sets of the equipments he purchased. After Hu You left, Qing Shui picked up the hammer and started practicing. A blacksmith had his specialized forging platform.

Forging on the forging platform, one could cultivate their forging techniques, strength, intensity of fire, to prepare the forging materials before allowing them to enter the fire. Qing Shui executed the Thousand Hammer Technique, hammering the forging materials into the thickness of a fingertip.

And he would use his heart and mind to experience each and every blow. In addition to the fact that Qing Shui’s arm strength was monstrous, and also agile due to his Solitary Rapidfist, the experience bar for his forging techniques soared up at the speed of light.

After 5000 hammer blows, Qing Shui calmed his mind to recall the feeling of the whole process. He visualized himself waving about the hammer and even went through the slow motion.

Qing Shui’s dazed expression made the customers who came to take a look at weapons fall into a shock. They would then stare in surprise at the sight of this young blacksmith waving the hammer. He hammered a few times, fell into a daze, then hammered, and then fall into a daze…

The last few customers exchanged glances, smiled bitterly, and shook their heads as they left!

Qing Shui continued the path towards his Thousand Hammer, Hundred Refinements, trying to recollect the process each time before making improvements. That ancient Hammer Technique seemed increasingly more profound the more he used it. To think that a blacksmith would be able to bring about such an overwhelming impact.

This was the Thousand Hammer Technique unlocked from the Ancient Strengthening Technique. Now that Qing Shui started using it, he started to notice the profoundness of this ancient Hammer Art, and realized that it could increase his strength.

Qing Shui even felt that this set of Thousand Hammer Technique could be used against enemies in battle, and it was an extremely arrogant set of Hammer Art. The more Qing Shui thought about it, the more unbelievable he found it to be.

Following that, Qing Shui attempted to wave about that big jammer in the air, still applying the Thousand Hammer Technique, but adding on a little of the Qi of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. It immediately became a Qi which gave one a feeling of a wolf’s howls or a ghost’s wails.

After a series of waving about, Qing Shui affirmed that this set of Hammer Art was not only the best smithing technique, but it was also a top notch martial art. Qing Shui was both surprised and amazed to think that even a blacksmith in the ancient times could be so powerful.

Furthermore, Qing Shui felt excited just thinking of how a blacksmith could bash up a Xiantian, or even a Martial King with just his blacksmith hammer.

Qing Shui smelted the materials, before starting on his third attempt to create a jagged sword. This time around, Qing Shui felt a prominent improvement in his hammering, as if he had suddenly grasped a certain technique.

This time around, Qing Shui’s speed was obviously much slower. With each hammer blow he landed, Qing Shui’s expression remained extremely grim. Even that normal hammer and that tempered ordinary jagged sword started to glow a flash of faint gold.

The simple and unsophisticated feeling attracted the attention of visiting customers. They all stared at the smooth and natural movements of this young blacksmith. It felt as if they were looking at a beautiful scene.

“This blacksmith’s movements are too attractive.” A lady with a ponytail wearing a suit said, shocked.

“And it is a young and handsome blacksmith.” A seductive lady looked at Qing Shui with alluring eyes.

“Darn it, to think that one can look so handsome when smithing…” A burly young man seemed to have seen something unbelievable, as he said out in an extremely loud voice.

…

Qing Shui turned a blind ear to the surroundings, fully engrossed in his work. Each hammer blow made him feel very comfortable, as if it was an extreme itch was being relieved.

After the 999th hammer blow, Qing Shui did not stop, and neither did that glow that represented the completion of the work. The 1000th hammer blow dropped down without any hesitation.

The 1000th hammer blow was accompanied by an even stronger golden gleam compared to the previous two times. Qing Shui knew that this was the 1000th hammer blow.

When he saw the golden gleam, Qing Shui was filled with immense joy and surprise. He had finally obtained the passing mark for the lowest level of the Ancient Forging Technique.

Qing Shui looked at the jagged sword on the forging platform which seemed to be a much better quality. It had a gleam to it, like the autumn streams. While it was not very obvious, it was very beautiful, giving off a simple and unsophisticated feeling.

Qing Shui could not wait and quickly used his Heavenly Vision Technique. It gave him a great surprise. While there were no special skills or dual attribute increments, it gave an additional strength of 20!

Strength +20!

His previous attempt had only increased strength by 2. To think that after breaking through the 1000th hammer blow, the attributes of the weapons created by the Thousand Hammer Technique would improve by leaps and bounds.

Qing Shui’s greatest joy was to see his own progress. If he were to set his goal too high, it would be too easy to suffer from setbacks, so Qing Shui had not thought of attaining the 9th heavenly of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. Today, he suddenly realized that the Thousand Hammer Technique he had been using could be used in battle, and it was in no way weak.

To think that a blacksmith’s Hammer Art could be so strong, and Qing Shui could feel that this Hammer Art had a lot of potential to it. That was because a blacksmith had to hammer tens of thousands of times daily. Over the years, each hammer would be at a miraculous level.

This thought flashed through Qing Shui’s mind, and he decided to perfect this Thousand Hammer Technique in the future. It would not only allow him to create great weapons, accessories, armors, embed gemstones, but it could also be used in battles.

That jagged sword which had a +2 in strength gave one the equivalent of 20 jin of strength. Would this mean that this sword that had a +20 in strength would give one the equivalent of 200 jin in strength?

Qing Shui did not think much of it earlier, but now that he thought about it, he fell into a daze. Even an ordinarily weak lady would be able to win against an ordinarily strong person with this sword. 200 jin of strength was insignificant to a Xiantian, but to many who had yet to reach the 6th grade of the Martial Warrior level, it would be fatal.

Moreover, majority of the people in this world were Martial Warriors of grade 6 and below. A hunter would be able to have an additional hope to survival with this sword, since he would not have to worry about some ordinary wild beasts.

No matter how small a mosquito was, it could also be strong even to a Xiantian or someone at the pinnacle of Houtian. An additional 200 jin of strength was still quite considerable. A Strength-Enhancing Fruit would be able to increase one’s strength by 500 jin, and it was very precious.

Thinking about it like this, Qing Shui felt that this weapon that he had casually created was still considered quite a good one. He reached out his hand to pick up this jagged sword which was not too bad. The length of three feet was just right. This time around, Qing Shui had subconsciously made the blade wider. It had a palm’s width, a finger’s thickness, and the whole sword weighed about over 20 jin!

The moment he grabbed it, a ray of strength flowed into his body, making him feel very satisfied. Lifting his head, he saw that there were over ten people who were staring at him.

Qing Shui looked at this crowd, puzzled.

“How much for this sword?” An elegant lady with a ponytail walked up to Qing Shui and asked!

Qing Shui looked at the slender and elegant lady in a warrior suit who was likely to be below 20 years old. She looked very young but the peaks of her chest looked fully developed. However, Qing Shui did not really like those long, narrow, and sexy eyes as it made him feel that this lady was very lusty.

“It’s not for sale!” Qing Shui shook his head and said.

“Not for sale? Don’t you make weapons to sell? State your price, I’ll buy it.” The lady with a ponytail and wearing a warrior suit said while looking into Qing Shui’s eyes. She did not forget to blink that pair of considerably sexy eyes, as the hidden meaning was easily understood.

It was too bad that the charm of her eyes was far in comparison to Huoyun Liu-Li’s, let alone Canghai Mingyue’s. The two of them gave people different feelings.

[] [Table of Contents] []

Annoucement:

2 of our translators just went on indefinite hiatus because of the powerful attacks of the entity known as ‘real life’. sobs :(

Looking for 2x translators for AST, if interested to give translating this a try, please email me @[email protected]

Interested translators should be able to commit at least 1 chapter of about 3k – 3.5k words per week.

Thank you!

Recommendation:

PDG –> Paradise of Demons and Gods will be out real soon. You guys must definitely read this series it’s really good, i caught up with the raws in like one day? lol, couldn’t put the novel down the moment i started.

Here’s a short sypnosis by Yuki (new translator for PDG):

“Obtaining the topmost degree of talent in sword arts in the world requires giving up seventy-two years of lifespan, which leaves you with only five more years of your life. At the same time, you will never be able to feel love, kinship, and friendship, and you’ll end up leading a lonely life until your death, unable to procreate, or to have any descendants.

From now onwards, everything related to happiness in the human world shall no longer be of your concern. Are you willing to accept this?”

“Hahahaha, I’m already alone! Bereft of all support, my hopes dashed to pieces, shouldering only absolutely irreconcilable grudges and hatred… Why would I disagree? Why would I not want it? I couldn’t have asked for anything better!!”

His sword sweeps across the Divine Continent for seven days and nights, crossing 90,000 miles through the starry skies, unhindered.

He slays saints and buddhas in Heaven, slaughters demons and devils in Hell, sweeping away all the grievances in his heart.