Demonic Demoness Training Project

"Wait...could it be!?"

"Oh right, he didn't sharpen his knife!"

Sharpening a knife can increase the sharpness of the blade and the power of chopping, but correspondingly, the sharper the dagger, the easier it is for the blade to become dull. The cost of subsequent repairs is secondary; the most fatal flaw is that the power of a dulled dagger is greatly reduced.

Among the many submissions from the test subjects, only Lu Li's weapon remained completely undamaged after being slashed.

To put it another way, the material and structure of Lu Li's knife, after being forged and clay-heated, are enough to overwhelm everyone. If his knife were polished to make the edge even sharper, the depth of the cracks caused by the slashes would definitely overwhelm everyone else.

The proctoring disciple gave a score of 86, the tester gave a score of 96, Zhong Wenbai gave a score of 93, and after weighting, Lu Li's final score was 92, ranking third among everyone.

Regarding the score for the operation section, Lu Li believed he could get 86 points, as he had already done his best.

Zhong Wenbai said:

"Young friend Lu, may I ask you, how long have you been learning this clamping technique? And from whom did you learn it?"

"Reporting to senior, I have been learning the art of clamping for about four years. The first year was spent learning from my teacher in a private school."

"and after?"

"Later, because his family could no longer make ends meet, he had to leave the private school and study on his own."

How long did you practice with the stamping mechanism?

"Three or four..."

Lu Li hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should just say it, when someone next to him blurted out the word first, their voice filled with hesitation.

"moon?"

"sky."

Lu Li had only been in contact with the stamping mechanism for three or four days. If it weren't for his relatively solid theoretical foundation, his thorough understanding of the stamping technique, and the fortuitous discovery of two of its killing moves with the help of the Qi-Gathering Cauldron, he might not have been able to extort money from others.

In fact, Lu Li was able to achieve this mainly because of his profound understanding of clamping techniques and materials themselves, rather than his skillful control of the stamping mechanism.

Upon hearing this, the group from the middle ranks immediately lost their composure, including the two who had previously been ahead of Lu Li.

“You’re talking nonsense. I’ve been cultivating under Master Kaiyuanjing since I was a child. It’s absolutely impossible for you to have reached this level in three or four days.”

“You bunch of bumpkins cheated. Yes, you must have secretly bribed her at the beginning. She used your dagger even harder. I’m going back to tell Uncle Hong so he can come and beat you all to death.”

At this moment, someone in the crowd asked a question in return.

"If he applied even more force, why is his blade still intact?"

"This……"

The young man was speechless for a moment. The onlookers found it unbelievable that Lu Li had reached such a level after only three or four days of practice. However, seeing the middle-ranking young masters suffer setbacks, they secretly laughed behind his back.

Zou Bufan had been listening nearby, and he finally couldn't hold back any longer, saying somewhat angrily:

"Don't be so smug. I only have a minor in welding. The earth-grade welder assessment this afternoon is what I'm really good at. Tell me, how long have you been practicing welding?"

"It wasn't long, and I only knew a little bit about it."

"Hmph, that's good, we'll see."

Chapter 44 The Little Deer Wins the Championship, the Big Workshop Poachs Talent

Hearing that Lu Li claimed to only have a smattering of knowledge about welding, the mid-level disciples were still displeased and left grumbling, each vowing to make up for it in the afternoon's welding assessment.

Lu Li simply shrugged at this. He didn't have such a strong desire to win. He just wanted to do his best to successfully obtain the two seals so that he could rent the stamping artifact, refine the Azure Nether Painted Skin, and survive.

Compared to his pliers skills, Lu Li was also outmatched by the average student in operating the stamping mechanism due to his shorter exposure time. However, when it came to welding skills, he was not going to joke around with these guys.

In the evening, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Li won first place without any suspense.

Now, everyone's faces turned completely green. The onlookers outside the arena felt relieved. Seeing Lu Li crush the people swimming in from the middle, even the most destitute beggar on the roadside couldn't help but straighten his chest.

Zou Bufan, in his conspicuous role as both a bag maker and a mouth double, succinctly expressed the sentiments of many middle-class students.

"You said this morning that you knew a little bit, but you call this 'knowing a little bit'?"

Faced with Zou Bufan's questioning, Lu Li simply said:

"I am just a mischievous child on the riverbank. I am overjoyed when I occasionally pick up a few crystal-clear spiritual minerals. But the vast ocean that contains the Dao and truth is still far away. I have never seen even a glimpse of it."

Lu Li's voice was calm, carrying a hint of loneliness and a touch of sadness. Her fair face remained devoid of any emotion, like a fairy from the Jade Pool, untouched by worldly concerns, delivering her declaration of enlightenment. She was only one poem away from ascending to the highest realm.

These middle-class kids were young and impetuous. They clenched their fists and their faces turned red. They thought Lu Li's words were pretentious, but they also felt that he made a lot of sense.

As the saying goes, the Great Way is vast and boundless, and what they know is but a drop in the ocean.

At this moment, just like at that time, Old Master Duan was already used to this, because she had experienced a similar situation once before. The shock these spoiled young men were experiencing now was no less than the shock Lu Li had given her back then.

Although she didn't know why this good-for-nothing apprentice was so gifted in array formations and welding, she, as her teacher, should be proud of her.

"Don't be too happy yet. The Heavenly Grade Fitter assessment only restricts the cost of spiritual materials, but does not restrict the use of mechanical tools. The Heavenly Grade Welder assessment even requires you to design your own array diagram! Don't die too miserably the day after tomorrow."

"Well."

Lu Li nodded, his numb face showing no extra expression or reaction. The shouts of the middle-class students were like hitting cotton.

The crowd dispersed noisily. It was getting late, and Lu Li was preparing to get some food and think about how to prepare for the next day's Heavenly Rank Assessment.

In the past, if Lu Li's competitors were other downstream craftsmen, it would have been fine. Everyone used mortal-level mechanisms to assist in refining mechanical components, and the precision and efficiency would not be too different.

Many people who don't have a stamping mechanism for the mortal path will spend money to rent one and then use it for the exam. However, since these people have passed the Earth-grade assessment, they can only rent stamping mechanisms for the mortal path.

But this time, Lu Li will be facing students from the middle tier of the academic world.

Although those second-generation immortals also lacked Heavenly Grade Seals and should theoretically be unable to rent artifacts, they didn't need to rent them at all; they could afford to buy them themselves. They must have brought them with them for this assessment. If it weren't for the restrictions imposed by the Earthly Grade assessment, these guys would definitely have taken out various artifacts during the day to assist in refining weapons.

Both being lathes used to assist in weapon crafting, the Fan Dao Mechanism and the Yi Zhuan Yanqi are worlds apart in terms of precision and effectiveness.

As soon as he left the examination hall, dozens of wooden crows surrounded him. However, this time they weren't there to advertise for the school, but rather for the stamping workshop.

"High-quality equipment for rent, carefully selected by past champions, including transportation and debugging. Come and take a look."

There are a few days every month when the stamping workshop rents out its idle stamping machines to fitters and welders who are about to take the top-level assessment, taking the opportunity to rip them off.

This year is different, though. Most of the craftsmen were dejected after witnessing the terrifying strength of the middle-ranking disciples.

"Our skills and tools are inferior to others. It's almost a certainty that they'll take all the top twenty spots. What's the point of us even taking the exam?"

"If I had known these young masters and ladies were coming, I wouldn't have come. I would have just waited until next spring to take the exam. What a waste of my eight taels of silver."

The results of several assessments were posted publicly, so the name Lu Li became known to many craftsmen. They changed the subject and looked at Lu Li with hopeful expressions.

"Miss Lu, you must do your best to bring honor to Maple Fragrance City. Don't let these guys from the middle ranks get cocky. No matter what, you have to snatch one of their spots."

Lu Li shrugged. He hadn't expected to be involved. He had been inexplicably dragged into this mess and was being treated as a comrade without his consent. He didn't like this feeling.

These discouraging words were only in Lu Li's mind, but when they reached his lips, they came out as...

"Well, I will certainly live up to everyone's expectations."

A short while later, a middle-aged man with a slightly overweight build stepped out from the crowd. He gave Lu Li a simple, honest smile and said:

"I am the manager of Yunyue Welding Workshop. For this Tianpin Fitter assessment, I, Xu, can sponsor you with a Dihuo Cauldron."

"Hmm? How much is the rent?"

"Money is no object; it's free for Miss Lu."

free?

Upon hearing this word, Lu Li's heart skipped a beat. Perhaps because of the Tang family owner of the stamping workshop in Nanyang Town, Lu Li did not have a good impression of these workshop owners. They were all driven by profit and would try every means to exploit the workers in the workshop.

It's already baffling enough that it's free, but to make an exception and lend him a spinning tool makes it even more incomprehensible.

"With Master Lu's abilities, as long as he has the help of this Earth Fire Cauldron, becoming a Heaven-Rank Pliers Master is within his grasp..."

"Okay, okay, just tell me, what do I need to give in return?"

"Hey, all we want is for Master Lu to come to my workshop after he's done his job. Our Yunyue Workshop is backed by the White Moon Palace and has the best stamping machinery and resources in the entire Fengxiang City. The monthly salary starts at twenty spirit stones, and we take a 60% cut of orders from you and 40% from me."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding craftsmen's eyes lit up. Everyone knew that in the entire Fengxiang City, apart from the few workshops operated by the Mo family, Yunyue Workshop was the most profitable.

Master Xu personally came to recruit people, simply because he valued Lu Li's talent. A monthly salary of five spirit stones could hire a top-grade fitter or welder, and fifteen spirit stones could hire a puppeteer.

Lu Li has not yet become a puppeteer, yet the other party is willing to offer such a high monthly salary, which is enough to make everyone present envious.

A monthly income of twenty spirit stones is equivalent to six or seven pieces of his kidney. In the past, it would have been enough for Lu Li's family of four to live a life of luxury. They could buy ten catties of premium pears at a fruit stand in one go... no, they could even buy the entire fruit stand without any problem.

Master Xu was confident of victory, and everyone present, including Elder Duan, thought that Lu Li would inevitably accept the offer.

In Duan Lao's opinion, Lu Li was a good disciple in every way. He was insightful, patient, and cautious in his work, but he was not very promising. He was always thinking about his little brother and those two or three premium pears.

Chapter 45 Mass-produced Lu Ling

Faced with such a generous reward, Lu Li's heart wavered somewhat. He had seen more than two hundred spirit stones before, but those were earned by working hard from dawn till dusk on the Liubao River, and he had to worry every day that they would be stolen by river bandits.

If he hadn't figured out the killing move of the Strike Technique in advance and used it to defeat the enemy, he probably would have already become a dead soul under the Monkey King's command.

In Maple City, however, the work is different. The jobs in the workshops are stable, the income is not low, and they are quite respected. In theory, they are not as tiring as apprentices and do not have to work in shifts.

If there's any downside, it's that if there's an unexpected order, we need to work overtime.

The toil of two lifetimes had smoothed out his edges, making him numb yet cautious. The so-called Great Wall of Swordsmanship became an insignificant fantasy in the face of daily necessities.

Seeing that Lu Li was still hesitating, Master Xu added:

"Not only that, if Miss Lu doesn't mind, we will also provide a mansion in the city, and you can even bring your family to live with you."

"family……"

Lu Li murmured those two words.

Lu Li didn't shed a single tear when his parents passed away. To be honest, he still harbored some resentment towards his spendthrift mother.

But Lu Ling did nothing wrong.

Lately, he's been having many dreams, and he can't forget Lu Ling's hopeful expression, or her words, "Big brother has always been the big brother I admire the most." That silly girl is still hoping he'll become a top-tier fitter.

Now that things have come to this, he is indeed about to pass the Heavenly Grade Pliers Master exam, but the girl has disappeared. How can he stop here?

He had witnessed the hardships of the mortal world and the rampant roaming of immortals on the streets of Nanyang Town, and he had also seen the spiritual mines forming a starry sky and the treacherous waters nurturing unruly people on the banks of the Liubao River.

Now, standing in the center of the square in Maple City, he witnessed firsthand the enormous chasm between people.

The children of the middle class are born into wealth and luxury, and what ordinary people strive for their entire lives is easily attainable for them. To say that Lu Li is not jealous at all would be a lie.

In the past, he was helpless, struggling to survive like all other mortals.

But things are different now. He can mortgage his internal organs to get a loan for Yanqi. With Yanqi, he has leverage to move money and the possibility of climbing higher.

Since he had this opportunity, he had to give it a try, even if the price was to be shattered to pieces.

He wanted to go further.

He must climb higher.

At this moment, Master Xu approached, his face beaming with smiles.

"As long as Miss Lu says the word, I will immediately send someone to draw up a contract. If you are afraid that I will go back on my word, I can ask Master Zhong to preside over the oath. All that is needed is a trace of your essence and blood, or your soul, to complete the contract."

However, Lu Li twitched the corners of his mouth and gave a wooden smile.

“Master Xu, I appreciate your kindness, but unfortunately, my ambitions lie elsewhere.”

Upon hearing this, the man put his hands behind his back, turned around, took a few steps, and said earnestly:

“Young lady, I know you have lofty ambitions. To be honest, you are an honored guest here, but if you enter the White Moon Palace, you can only be an outer disciple. If you don’t have a background, it will be difficult to even enter the inner sect.”

Lu Li shook her head again. Master Xu slowly turned around, his face gradually darkening, and his tone was no longer as ingratiating as before.

"If your ambitions lie elsewhere, then what do you intend to do? Without the help of the Earth Fire Cauldron, how do you plan to contend with those mid-level individuals?"

"Thank you for your concern, Manager Xu. I will find a way."

Just as Lu Li was about to leave, he suddenly felt someone poke his kidney.

who!

Lu Li turned around alertly, only to see a pretty face come into view. The woman had eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, and a smile on her lips. She was about the same height as Lu Li. She was wearing a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her black hair was loosely tied into a bun with a silver hairpin inserted diagonally.

It's that rich young lady named Mo Shuhan from a few days ago!

"Miss Lu, may I speak to you in private?"

Without waiting for Lu Li to refuse, the young lady grabbed the hem of Lu Li's shirt and disappeared into the end of the square amidst the envious and strange gazes of everyone.