Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 303: Chapter 172: Silencer for the Stone-breaking Crossbow_2

Gu Sheng counted the iron plates carefully after hearing this and discovered there were only six in total. He asked curiously, ”Why are there only six iron plates?”

Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh. ”Because a crossbow that can pierce through six iron plates at once has already surpassed the scope of ordinary weapons. Only treasures have such terrifying power! Tests for treasure-grade items aren’t conducted here.”

Gu Sheng suddenly understood and couldn’t resist asking, ”Does your Mu Trading Company sell treasure-grade crossbows?”

Qingqing’s face showed a hint of pride. ”Of course we do! Our Mu Trading Company is the largest in the Red Cloud Prefecture region. The most powerful casting family in the region, the Helian Clan, is closely partnered with us as our premium supplier. Besides them, our company also employs Forging Masters capable of crafting treasures. However, ranged weapons like crossbows have very low demand, so there are no ready-made pieces—custom orders are necessary! If you need one, you can place a custom order with us.”

Gu Sheng gave an awkward smile after hearing that. ”Uh, I’ll consider it if I need one!”

Gu Sheng was just casually asking, as he didn’t have much money left. If he didn’t find a way to earn some soon, he wouldn’t even be able to afford the pills needed for cultivation, let alone a treasure-grade item.

Not forgetting his purpose, Gu Sheng lifted the Stone-breaking Crossbow in his hand, aimed at the iron plates, and pulled the trigger.

”Pang!”

The crossbow arrow shot out, and the sound of the Stone-breaking Crossbow changed from its original loud bang to a muffled thud. Although the sound was still quite loud, it was indeed about one-third quieter than before. However, before Gu Sheng could celebrate, he smelled a burnt odor. At the same time, black smoke began emerging from the silencer. He quickly opened the cover, and a strong burnt smell hit him in the face. The beast fur used for energy absorption inside had been ignited by the high-speed friction of the arrow, and the Purple Vine spacers were almost completely ruined.

Despite the silencer’s failure, Gu Sheng’s face was still full of smiles. Judging from the experiment’s outcome, his direction was correct! Improving the materials was all that was needed!

”Young friend, was that a Stone-breaking Crossbow you were just using?”

Gu Sheng looked over to see a hunched old man with neatly combed hair staring intently at his modified Stone-breaking Crossbow.

Qingqing was visibly shocked when she saw the old man. ”Elder Huang!”

Gu Sheng noticed Qingqing’s expression and realized this old man’s identity must be significant. He adopted a curious expression. ”And you are?”

Qingqing hurriedly introduced him. ”This is Elder Huang, the head of the casting department of our Mu Trading Company in Holy Pill City! He is a Yellow Level Top-grade Casting Master!”

Gu Sheng’s attitude toward the old man immediately became respectful.

While both were Casting Masters, the rank made all the difference! Ordinary Casting Masters crafted ironware in the realm of mundane tools, but ranked Casting Masters produced treasures!

The gap between them was like a chasm!

Gu Sheng’s tone turned courteous. ”Yes, it’s a Stone-breaking Crossbow.”

With a somewhat puzzled look, Elder Huang pointed at the crossbow in Gu Sheng’s hands. ”Can I take a look at this?”

This old man was a Yellow Level Top-grade Forging Master—a giant in the field to someone like Gu Sheng. He respectfully handed over the Stone-breaking Crossbow. ”Of course!”

Elder Huang took the Stone-breaking Crossbow without showing any disdain for the pungent smell. He carefully disassembled Gu Sheng’s crafted silencer, then returned the Stone-breaking Crossbow to him. It was clear his true interest lay in the silencer rather than the crossbow itself.

After examining it for a long time, Elder Huang looked astonished. ”Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!”

He fixed his blazing gaze on Gu Sheng. ”Young friend, who crafted this? Could you perhaps introduce me to them? The design is too exquisite. I’d like to exchange insights!”

Gu Sheng scratched his head awkwardly upon hearing this. ”I made it myself.”

Elder Huang’s face froze in surprise. ”You made it?”

Gu Sheng nodded. ”Yes! The Stone-breaking Crossbow has considerable power, but its noise is too loud. I thought about modifying it to see if I could reduce the sound. Preliminary tests show some success, but it hasn’t yet reached my expectations. Based on experimental results, the direction is correct—it should just be a material issue.”

Hearing this, Elder Huang became visibly excited and started clapping. ”Young friend, you’re a genius! This design is so intricate. If successfully developed, it could solve a major pain point for high-power specialty crossbow arrows! Would you be willing to share your initial ideas and the crafting process for this? Though I’m not unaccomplished in the forging field, perhaps if we brainstorm together, we can truly bring this concept to life!”

Elder Huang was indeed a true treasure-crafting master, unmatched in his field. With his help, the chances of success would significantly increase. Gu Sheng couldn’t have wished for more. He immediately recounted every piece of knowledge about the silencer in his mind, regardless of accuracy—it was better to share everything he could remember.

The phrase ”every trade has its master” truly held here. After listening to Gu Sheng’s explanation of the silencer, Elder Huang quickly grasped its work in principle, deducing its mechanics in no time.

After carefully examining Gu Sheng’s initial prototype for a long while, a look of joy suddenly appeared on Elder Huang’s face, and he let out a hearty laugh.

”I’ve figured it out! I’ve figured it out! Follow me to my forging workshop immediately!”

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Gu Sheng’s arm and bolted away.

Though Elder Huang appeared elderly and hunched, the moment he moved, it was as if he had transformed into a different person. His strength was astonishing, and Gu Sheng felt like a helpless chick being carried along. For the first time, Gu Sheng sensed just how profound Elder Huang’s power was—far beyond the Golden Bone Realm!

Elder Huang was incredibly fast. The scenery shifted into a blur, and within just over a dozen breaths, they stopped before a rock wall. Elder Huang extended a hand and pressed it against the stone wall.

The wall suddenly began emitting halos of light. It receded into the ground, revealing a massive forging workshop spanning two to three hundred square meters.

There were numerous cabinets inside, filled with all kinds of forging materials. Many of these were utterly foreign to Gu Sheng, but he could sense an aura unlike ordinary materials emanating from them—these were clearly materials used for crafting treasures.

At the far end stood an enormous forging furnace with roaring flames. Strangely, the room lacked the scorching heat typical of such workshops. Instead, there was a refreshing cool breeze.

Gu Sheng looked around and discovered a giant air vent near the wall. Through the vent, he could see an external bellows—this was the source of the cooling breeze.

Elder Huang placed the prototype silencer on the workbench and began darting around the cabinets, rapidly fetching materials. Soon, he returned carrying an armful of seemingly random substances.

He selected a piece of silvery-white metal from the pile and threw it directly into the forging furnace. While controlling the heat, he introduced the unique metal to Gu Sheng.

”This is Deep Sea Silver, a Yellow Level Low Grade forging material. Its internal structure is relatively loose, but its surface structure is extremely dense—likely offering excellent energy absorption properties.”

Once the Deep Sea Silver was softened, Elder Huang retrieved it and placed it on the forging table, beginning to hammer it.

His experience was undeniable—his efficiency was leagues beyond Gu Sheng’s. Within minutes, Elder Huang had perfectly replicated the prototype silencer. Though it appeared similar, there were subtle differences—it was much more refined, and he had ingeniously integrated a rolling mechanism for loading arrows. The technique was so advanced that even after watching, Gu Sheng couldn’t comprehend how it was done.

Once the Deep Sea Silver had cooled, Elder Huang took out two other materials to craft additional spacers and fillers!