Chapter 5

Arriving at the old craftsman's forge, the elderly man began to explain in detail.

To forge a qualified weapon is by no means a simple task.

Take the military saber that Ouyang Ming is most familiar with, for example. Without military-grade materials, one must first turn the iron raw materials into balls, place them in a furnace with charcoal for high-temperature heating to form sponge iron, then forge it into long strips, and select the material from multiple pieces. The good strips are used for forging sabers, while the inferior ones are used for farming tools, etc.

Next, the best materials are used to forge the blade using the folding hammering technique. Additionally, the blade, the back of the blade, and the blade back must be forged together, etc.

The entire process is not only complex but also slow, and it cannot be accomplished in a single step.

However, everything changes with the possession of military-grade materials. Once military-grade materials are used for forging, the process can be greatly accelerated. If one has sufficient strength and skill, even forging a military saber in an hour seems not so difficult.

Of course, what is ordinary to the old craftsman is not something the current Ouyang Ming can achieve.

"Boy, what do you think is the most important thing to do now?" the old craftsman asked seriously.

Ouyang Ming thought for a long time and said, "Prepare to forge armor."

The old craftsman snorted and said, "Wrong. The most important thing for you now is to learn how to use military-grade materials. Using military-grade materials is not a simple matter. If you don't know how to control it or pay attention to the details during the forging process, it will be very difficult for you to become a qualified military-grade material forger."

Although Ouyang Ming is usually a bit impulsive, he can still calm down and make some decisive decisions at critical moments. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to endure the military-grade materials under Zhang Yinfan's watchful eyes.

Under the old craftsman's meticulous guidance, Ouyang Ming devoted himself entirely to the use and control of military-grade materials.

Controlling military-grade materials is definitely a technical skill. Although it may seem like just a ball of flame, how to use it to unleash its maximum power is a science.

For an entire day, the old craftsman corrected Ouyang Ming's small movements in using military-grade materials. Some of these small movements may seem insignificant, but the savings come from these tiny details.

For a military-grade material forger, this is their basic skill, and it is worth the effort no matter how much energy is spent.

Sweat poured down his body like raindrops. After multiple practices with military-grade materials, his body was drenched in sweat.

Although his mental strength gave Ouyang Ming a much better starting point in controlling military-grade materials and time than ordinary people, he had only just mastered it and was still far from a complete transformation.

Seeing Ouyang Ming, whose eyes, body, and movements all showed signs of fatigue, the old craftsman's eyes flashed with a hint of pity and said, "Boy, can you handle it?"

Ouyang Ming panted heavily and laughed, "Old man, what are you talking about? It's just a bit of hard work. This small matter won't defeat me!" He took a deep breath, and his gaze became incredibly focused.

Another small flame rose from his palm. Even though his body and mind were extremely tired, his willpower became even stronger.

The old craftsman nodded in satisfaction, looking at the meticulous Ouyang Ming and deciding to give him an extra meal in the evening, even if it meant losing face, to let this boy eat the best food.

***

For three whole days, under the old craftsman's supervision, Ouyang Ming devoted himself entirely to practicing the use of military-grade materials. At first, even though he was giving it his all, he still couldn't control the military-grade materials as he wished.

According to the old craftsman, he had only touched the surface and was still far from the essence.

However, after three days, although the old craftsman still had a stern face, the smile in his eyes could not be hidden.

"Boy, you've done very well," the old craftsman said with satisfaction. "In just three days, you can release military-grade materials at will and instantly unleash their maximum power. Yes, very good."

Ouyang Ming's eyes sparkled, "Old man, how do I compare to you?"

The old craftsman's expression stiffened, but then he sneered, "Hmph, you brat, you dare to compare with me, an old man?"

However, although the old craftsman was harsh in words, he was very satisfied in his heart.

It usually takes at least a month for an ordinary person to successfully activate military-grade materials. If one can succeed in ten to fifteen days, they are already quite talented.

However, Ouyang Ming, due to his mental strength, had a much higher starting point than ordinary people. But being able to activate military-grade materials the next day and repair weapons was unprecedented.

"Old man—" Suddenly, a loud voice came from outside the door.

The old craftsman asked irritably, "Who is it?"

"Old man, General Chen has returned, and he asks you to come over."

"What's the matter?" the old craftsman asked, frowning.

Ouyang Ming was taken aback. General Chen, whose real name was Chen Yifan, was a deputy general in the army.

Although the position of deputy general is not significant in the entire empire, he is a well-known figure in this military camp.

"Old man, General Chen seems to have found a good piece of ore on his trip..."

Before the voice finished, the old craftsman's eyes lit up, "Alright, I understand. Tell him I'll be there right away."

He had been a forger all his life and truly loved this profession. Hearing about good materials, he was immediately excited.

"Boy, it's getting late. We'll stop here for today. Clean up and go back to rest," the old craftsman said and left in a hurry.

Ouyang Ming shook his head with a bitter smile. This was not only the old man's work but also his greatest hobby, so he wouldn't interfere.

After the old man left, Ouyang Ming calmed down and was about to continue practicing the control of military-grade materials when a light knock came from the door.

Ouyang Ming was startled but didn't mind. He went to the door and opened it.

However, when he saw the person standing outside, his face changed dramatically.

Zhang Hanru, the handsome young man, was looking at him with a cold smile.

Ouyang Ming's mind raced with countless thoughts. He opened his mouth to shout, but Zhang Hanru suddenly reached out and slapped him.

Although Ouyang Ming tried to dodge, Zhang Hanru's palm was as fast as lightning, striking his chest almost immediately.

Ouyang Ming's chest ached, and a hot surge rose in his throat. His mouth opened wide, but he couldn't make a sound.

Zhang Hanru, who had been in the army for many years, had a strong physique far superior to the underdeveloped Ouyang Ming.

With this almost ambush-like attack, it was easy for him to subdue Ouyang Ming, who fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious and unable to resist.

Zhang Hanru, who had been in the army for many years, had a strong physique far superior to the underdeveloped Ouyang Ming.

With this almost ambush-like attack, it was easy for him to subdue Ouyang Ming, who fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious and unable to resist.

After knocking Ouyang Ming unconscious, Zhang Hanru cautiously looked around.

It was getting dark, and although the military camp was not completely silent, there were few people moving around in the equipment camp.

Zhang Hanru lifted Ouyang Ming and quietly walked through the equipment camp. In no time, he had secretly brought him into the abandoned equipment warehouse.

However, he was so focused on avoiding passersby that he didn't notice Ouyang Ming, who was seemingly unconscious, had flicked his eyelids but immediately returned to normal.

Entering the equipment warehouse, Zhang Hanru looked around. The place was empty.

He casually threw Ouyang Ming to the ground, took out a cylinder from his pocket, and sneered, "Boy, you dared to steal my things. Today, I'll make you pay back everything with interest!"

He pressed the cylinder against the back of Ouyang Ming's head and carefully took out a talisman paper and placed it at the other end of the cylinder.

Instantly, the talisman paper ignited without a flame, and the cylinder glowed faintly.

The talisman paper burned out in an instant, and the cylinder's glow dimmed.

However, Zhang Hanru's face was filled with surprise because he didn't see what he had imagined. The cylinder was empty, with no sign of military-grade material seeds.

Zhang Hanru was slightly panicked and muttered, "What's going on? Where are the military-grade material seeds? Could this boy be as stupid as a pig and not have obtained the military-grade material seeds from the military-grade material order? No, that's not right. The old craftsman has been giving him special attention, so he must have sensed the military-grade material seeds in his body."

Holding the empty cylinder, Zhang Hanru was in a state of confusion.

Glancing at the unconscious Ouyang Ming on the ground, his anger found an outlet, and he shouted, "It's all your fault, boy! I'll make you suffer!" He stretched out his foot and kicked Ouyang Ming's stomach hard.

However, just as his foot was about to hit Ouyang Ming's stomach, the seemingly unconscious Ouyang Ming suddenly opened his eyes and extended his hand to block his stomach.

Zhang Hanru's eyes widened in shock, as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world, staring at Ouyang Ming.

At that moment, his mind was filled with only one thought: How could this boy not be unconscious?

In the next instant, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a red light from the corner of his eye.

On the hand Ouyang Ming extended to block him, there was a red light flickering.

Military-grade material!

Heaven! It's military-grade material!

In that split second, Zhang Hanru immediately realized.

No wonder he got nothing; this boy had already activated the military-grade material.

His eyes were filled with horror, and he thought, "My foot, my foot..."

PS: I'll add another chapter tomorrow morning. Please click, recommend, and collect!