Demonic Demoness Training Project

The way these mechanical devices are used is similar to that of ordinary mortal mechanisms. Lu Li had already practiced with them yesterday, so he can use them directly later.

On the other hand, the middle-class students have everything that Lu Li has, and judging from the appearance, the models are different and the quality should be better. They also have things that Lu Li doesn't have.

These people either wore goggles or arm armor. Judging from their appearance, Lu Liguang couldn't discern the function of these magical artifacts. He just felt that these people weren't there to forge weapons, but rather to go to the battlefield to kill enemies.

This is only the surface; the hidden mechanisms and artifacts within Lu Li's Qi-Gathering Cauldron have not yet been revealed.

Very few of the local craftsmen from Fengxiang City were present, and the mechanisms they could bring were far more meager. They couldn't even rent any mechanical devices, making the disparity between the parties immediately apparent.

As the saying goes, "A skilled craftsman must first have the right tools," and "Even a clever cook cannot make a meal without rice." Tools determine the upper limit of a craftsman's abilities, and there is never absolute fairness in any assessment.

The disciples of Baiyue Palace came down and successively checked whether the spiritual materials brought in by everyone were compliant, and calculated the total price of these spiritual materials according to the market price, deducting any excess.

The fitter assessment lasted all day. After the bell rang, Lu Li first picked up a piece of black iron, put it into the preheated earth fire cauldron, and secretly activated the Qi-unifying pot.

He took a shortcut here. The spirit ore he bought was not of high purity. He planned to use the Earth Fire Cauldron, together with his Qi Harmony Cauldron, to purify it on the spot, so as to obtain the highest purity spirit ore at the lowest cost.

This method is not hard to come up with, but others only have the Earth Fire Cauldron and no Qi Harmony Cauldron to assist them, so Lu Li is confident that he can surpass most people in the purity of the spirit ore.

The earth fire blazed fiercely, burning Lu Li's face red. Without the help of the earth fire cauldron, it would have been impossible to refine the black iron using only the temperature of an ordinary furnace, and that was the difference.

Lu Li spent half an hour refining eleven steel billets. These eleven billets were the same length and width, but different thicknesses. The two thickest billets were placed on the sides, and the middle four thick and five thin billets were arranged in an alternating pattern.

"Such fast technique! Only half an hour has passed, yet she has already completed the refining of the steel billet."

"Wait, could this be... the stacking of eleven pieces of Xuan Iron? This girl is quite daring. If this goes wrong, there won't be any way to fix it."

Among the onlookers were many experts; the theory was there: twisting multi-layered stacked iron billets could greatly increase their hardness, but very few craftsmen could actually do it.

The clanging of metal against metal echoed across the square, completely drowning out the roar of the Qi-Gathering Cauldron in Lu Li's chest.

The process was far too complicated, and the slightest mistake could turn it into scrap metal. Both the time cost and the yield rate were extremely low. But that wasn't all. What shocked everyone even more was that Lu Li actually took out earplugs, put them on, and closed his eyes, continuing to swing the hammer without stopping.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Is she planning to play blindfolded?!"

Chapter 48 [The seedling has reached 100,000 words, time to eat, meow!] As always.

If you close your eyes, you cannot see; if you plug your ears, you cannot hear.

For a mortal whose divine sense is almost negligible, attempting to forge something under these conditions would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

But Lu Li is different. He has a Qi-Harmony Cauldron, and the Qi released from the Qi-Harmony Cauldron is very special. It is an extension of his senses. He once used it to sense the spiritual minerals hidden deep in the water.

When two of the five senses are shut down, the remaining senses become more acute, as if everything outside has disappeared from him, and the whole world consists only of himself, the Xuan Heavy Hammer, and the eleven layers of Xuan Iron stacked in front of him.

If there's anything wrong with it, it's that Lu Li discovered that the protective energy would enhance the earth fire power within the cauldron. This process requires extra care to prevent the earth fire power from getting out of control.

Next, Lu Li picked up the flux sand next to him and sprinkled it evenly on the black iron. Then he threw the black iron into the mechanism groove of the black heavy hammer.

The Xuanzhong Hammer, as a rotating artifact, is different from ordinary anvil and hammer mechanisms. In addition to being operated by hand, it can also be controlled by divine thought.

This doesn't mean that Lu Li's divine sense is particularly strong, but rather that the Xuanzhong Hammer itself possesses a highly sensitive receiving array, which Lu Li, with his low-grade Ding-level divine sense, can control.

Compared to manually operating the mechanism, Lu Li was clearly more comfortable with this form of mental manipulation, because it was exactly the same as the striking technique, Anvil Hammer, and its hammering efficiency was much faster than yesterday.

clang!clang!clang!

The hammer blows fell like raindrops, and the black iron was continuously compressed under his hammering. After an unknown amount of time, the eleven layers of black iron were tightly bonded together, eventually turning into a strip about half a foot long.

Lu Li used iron pliers to remove the long steel billet, then placed it in the six-string machine tool to fix it, changed the cutting tool, and manipulated it with his divine sense.

The cutting tool precisely cuts the strip steel billet into three parts, removes them, places them side by side, sprinkles flux on them again, and places them under the heavy hammer for the second time.

This is a very common technique, and any craftsman who has practiced the stamping technique is familiar with it.

At this moment, in the pavilion not far away, Zhong Wenbai and Mo Zheng sat facing each other. The latter had originally come to watch his daughter's assessment, but his gaze fell on Lu Li.

The reason was simple: he knew Xinwu the Protector, and he also knew about Mo Shuhan's sponsorship of Lu Li.

"Stacking eleven layers is already difficult enough, but she actually divided it into three sections and stacked it in two rounds, which is equivalent to thirty-three layers. As expected of that person... she can achieve such a level with just an avatar."

"What clone?"

"nothing."

That day, Ying Wange came to the Mo family to pick up people and specifically instructed him not to spread the word. Therefore, Zhong Wenbai obviously did not know of his existence, and he could not say more.

He just felt sorry for his silly daughter, who had dug herself a huge hole. It was uncertain whether she could even get promoted, and yet she had turned around and created rivals.

"Master Mo, who do you think will win the championship this year?"

"Deer pear."

"So certain? What does that mean?"

"This is just my wild guess; there's no basis for it."

Mo Zheng waved his hand, picked up his teacup and took a small sip, secretly chuckling to himself, "I, an outsider, know about the hidden strengths of your White Moon Palace, but you don't?"

“I’ve been observing this girl for the past few days. She does have some skills, but she lacks depth. Those mid-level players still have some tricks up their sleeves.”

"No rush, let's wait and see."

At this moment, Zou Bufan was also stacking Xuan Iron. He only stacked six layers, but his welding method was different from Lu Li's.

He sat cross-legged, neither sprinkling welding sand nor using the Xuan Heavy Hammer. Instead, he stared intently at the six layers of Xuan Iron, veins bulging on his face, his mouth slightly open, occasionally letting out a soft groan like someone constipated.

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm!"

This comical scene caused the people around to burst into laughter, but halfway through the laughter, they suddenly felt a tightness in their scalps and a sudden, inexplicable palpitation.

buzz~

As Zou Bufan hummed softly, the six layers of black iron in front of him began to tremble, and the contact surfaces fused together without warning.

"My goodness! What kind of sorcery is this?! How did they get welded together like that?"

"Could it be divine power? This boy's divine power is terrifying!"

"No, it's not divine sense, it's sound welding technique. The Zou family has been known for their mastery of sound for generations, and their sound welding technique is even more unique."

Sound welding should be a branch of welding, but the two techniques of clamp welding have always overlapped. Moreover, the Heavenly Rank assessment only restricts costs, not methods.

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Zou Bufan let out three arrogant sneers and said:

"Indeed, I have implanted a sonic artifact called the Vibration Device within my body. By activating this artifact, I can unleash the Nine Netherworld Sonic Wave Technique. It can kill without leaving a trace, or melt gold and forge ore. What do you lowly commoners have to compete with me with!"

"Oh my god, so he wasn't constipated, he was adjusting the scale!"

Someone in the crowd uttered this remark, infuriating Zou Bufan so much that his lips twitched, and he nearly exploded on the spot. Suppressing his anger, he suddenly addressed the other six members of the Zou family:

"Gentlemen, the time has come. Let these uncultured bumpkins from the lower classes see the true strength of the Zou family."

The seven exchanged glances, secured their stacks of black iron, and then sat cross-legged in a circle.

"Charge!"

At Zou Bufan's command, the other six members of the Zou family simultaneously activated the vibration devices within their bodies.

【Nine Netherworld Sound Wave Array - Palace Form】!

The seven sound-vibrating instruments operated simultaneously, emitting seven sound waves of the same frequency, almost solidifying into a tangible form, radiating outwards like ripples from Zou Bufan's center.

Under the influence of this sound wave, not only did the black iron begin to fuse, but the people closest to it all went black, coughed up blood, and fainted. The people on the periphery were so frightened by this that they retreated one after another.

"That's utterly shameless! They actually resorted to underhanded tactics!"

"Wow, isn't anyone going to do anything about these guys? This is foul."

"We were merely smelting black iron. It was your own fault for standing too close and being outmatched that you were accidentally injured. Who can you blame? Besides, if you lowly commoners were slaves in the stamping workshop, wouldn't it be normal for you to get caught in the traps if you stood too close? Why don't you accuse the manager of using underhanded tactics? Hahahaha..."

On the upper floor, a disciple of the White Moon Palace rushed to Zhong Wenbai, but before the disciple could speak, Zhong Wenbai shook his head.

"No need to stop it, it has always been this way."

Zhong Wenbai was often away on business, and had presided over hundreds of Heavenly Rank assessments. He had also encountered several groups of Zou family disciples descending to the mortal realm to take the exams. He had tried to stop them, but was stopped by his master.

Back then, his master only said four words to him—"It has always been this way."

Perhaps before that, when this outsider tactic first appeared, it caused quite a bit of controversy, but the debate ultimately ended with the Zou family's victory.

Since then, that top-tier assessment has become a typical case, and the underhanded tactics of various midstream companies have become a regular feature of every top-tier assessment.

That's how it's always been.

Back then, he had asked his master: Is it right to always do things this way?

However, his master only looked stern and tapped his head three times heavily.

Returning to the present moment, Zhong Wenbai closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He held up the teacup with his right hand and formed a hand seal with his left to create a protective barrier. This barrier protected everyone outside the arena but also enveloped the entire test subject. Then, he slowly addressed his disciples:

"Go, you guys carry those mortals out. It's hot in there, and they'll stink if they die in there for too long. It's just a pity about that little girl surnamed Lu."

Lu Li's exam seat was right next to the seven members of the Zou family. Faced with such an onslaught, Zhong Wenbai knew the result without even looking, and he couldn't bear to see the tragic scene of the young girl's untimely death.

“Master Zhong, you underestimate her too much. Why don’t you take a closer look before making a conclusion?”

Chapter 49 Three Families Compete for Supremacy

Centered on the seven members of the Zou family, the sound waves surged and raged wildly across the assessment square.

Several local craftsmen downstream were severely injured as a result, and the mortal mechanism in front of them was also blown apart by the sonic attack. By the time the disciples of the White Moon Palace entered wearing protective gear, two were seriously injured and three had their heads exploded and died on the spot.

As for the group of onlookers outside the venue, before Zhong Wenbai set up the protective shield, there had already been considerable casualties, with cries, curses, and wails rising and falling.

Watching the corpses being carried away, the group of fitters who were originally going to participate in this Heavenly Rank assessment but had given up early felt a pang of regret, thankful that they hadn't gone in to make a fool of themselves.

The Fan and Yan families, both from the middle class, had long been aware of the Zou family's insidious underhanded tactics. Their elders had warned them before they came and prepared protective weapons for them, so they were not harmed.

As for Mo Shuhan, despite being the daughter of the Mo family, her father only mentioned her this morning, warning her to be wary of underhanded tactics from mid-level families.

At the time, Mo Shuhan didn't pay much attention, as she was already carrying a second-level protective artifact.

This magical artifact possesses astonishing defensive capabilities and can be passively triggered without requiring spiritual energy to activate. However, it was not specially prepared for this assessment. Rather, it was a personal pendant that her father commissioned to be forged for her on her tenth birthday.

At this time, this mechanical device also came in handy.

Perhaps it was precisely because he knew about that second-stage puppet that Mo Zheng personally observed it on the spot that he only mentioned it casually at the time and did not emphasize it in particular.

Mo Shuhan herself was fine, but she was worried about Lu Li and felt extremely regretful. She only regretted that she hadn't heeded her father's reminder and hadn't told Lu Li about it.

She disregarded everything else, dropped the tools in her hands, and turned to look at Lu Li beside her.

"Little Deer Pear!"

However, the scene I had imagined did not happen. Little Luli was sitting there as usual, nonchalantly manipulating the Xuanzhong Hammer.

Lu Li was clearly without any protection around her, so why was she completely unharmed?

As expected of Shinmu-senpai's younger sister?

Although Mo Shuhan couldn't understand what kind of protective measures Lu Li had used, she breathed a sigh of relief and thought it was very impressive.

Meanwhile, Zhong and Mo, who were outside the arena, were also watching the commotion inside. Zhong narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to glean some clues from Lu Li.

However, he only noticed that Lu Li was fair-skinned and delicate, and did not see the blue-painted skin on her body.

"Those mechanical devices were all funded by you, weren't they?"

Mo Zheng didn't think much of it, assuming the other party was referring to five first-stage puppets, so he silently nodded in agreement.

In reality, Zhong Wenbai was referring to the defensive artifact hidden on Lu Li's body. He gave Mo Zheng a deep look, then leaned closer and whispered:

"Tell me the truth, this girl isn't your illegitimate daughter, is she?"

"Go away, go away, you can't say such things."

The two old men exchanged glances, while the battle below continued.

The Zou family's Nine Netherworld Sonic Wave Array is renowned far and wide in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It's said that they test it every year, yet fail every year, always coming up with new variations. A young lady from the Fan family, her face ashen, coldly snorted at her clanswoman beside her:

"This Zou Bufan is really shameless. Let's stop hiding and just use the Aurora Gun to teach them a lesson."

A young lady from the Fan family timidly murmured:

"But this is our trump card that we're saving for the welder assessment."

Another young master from the Fan family spat:

"Damn! Anyway, there are only twenty spots, let's eliminate them now to avoid any unforeseen problems later."

Although there were bound to be various open and covert struggles among the same clan, at this critical juncture of the Heavenly Rank Assessment, facing the killing formation of seven members of the Zou family, the eight members of the Fan family knew the importance of the situation and quickly reached a consensus.