Immortality: Raising an Ant Queen to Cultivate by increasing stat points

Chapter 18o: Chapter 175: Consulting, King Pig Leather Armori

Translator: 549690339 |

Ultimately, he purchased ten insect jars crafted from fine iron from Master Ou for the price of twelve silver money.

Master Ou appeared to be in agony over his loss on the surface, but inside he was probably delighted.

As for the profit margin, Qin Niu was uncertain.

Earning one or two silver money shouldn’t be a problem.

These blacksmith shops might not look like much, but they make more money than one would expect.

Indeed, keeping a low profile while making a fortune is truly the way to go.

“Master Ou, may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead!”

“You told me last time that weapons need to be ‘nourished.’ Can common materials be ‘nourished’ into something special?”

“It depends on fate and chance. In theory, even an ordinary wooden sword can be ‘nourished.’ However, the better the materials and the forging skills, the greater the likelihood of a weapon developing special abilities.”

Master Ou spoke fluently and knew a great deal about weapon cultivation.

“According to what you said, if a wooden sword develops special abilities but it’s made of poor materials, won’t it still be of little use?”

“Not necessarily! When a weapon develops special abilities, it has undoubtedly transformed completely. Just like an ordinary civilian, given the right opportunities, can become an emperor or a noble. However, due to inferior materials, which is an inherent deficiency, their potential is often limited.”

Qin Niu found this quite agreeable.

His treasured sword had undergone a transformation after initial cultivation, with significant improvements in strength and sharpness.

Not to mention its power.

“Is there a way to remedy these weapons with innate deficiencies?”

“There are many methods! For instance, secondary tempering with gold liquid or special materials can enhance them through a second tempering process. Moreover, utilizing the power of lightning, volcanic force, and so forth, can complete the tempering of certain weapons. Another example is synthesis; by forging a second time, new materials or other weapons can be fused into the sword. There’s also nurturing, where the weapon is placed in ancient ice, fire, or a place abounding with spiritual energy, among others, to break free from the constraints of their original material.

My mentor once mentioned a cultivator whose peach wood sword developed special abilities, and after several strokes of good fortune, he nurtured it into a super weapon that could slay gods and immortals. It could overpower all earth attribute talismans and weapons, and specialized in cutting down souls and spirits, exceptionally formidable indeed.”

Besides the aforementioned methods, there are many other unique and wonderful techniques.

“For example, there’s a legend I heard about, where after someone passed away, they were wrapped in linen and buried.

After many years, that burial cloth, having absorbed the yin energy of the heavens and earth as well as the corpse Qi, turned into a terrifyingly evil treasure. Its emergence brings icy winds and grey mists, with ghosts weeping and gods wailing, transforming an entire area into a realm of death.

To this day, it’s still cherished by a Daluo Golden Immortal as a revered family treasure, employed as a sect’s guardian.

There’s also a great demon who turned slaughter into nature and gathered blood into seas, known as the Sea of Blood. Deep within the Sea of Blood, two of the world’s most malevolent weapons, Ah Bi and Yuan Tu, were nurtured. It is said that even the Buddhist Sect could not handle this demon. They promised a great vow, if the demon put down his slaughtering weapon, he could immediately attain Buddhahood.”

Master Ou recounted ancient legends.

Qin Niu was enthralled, imagining the powerful talismans and divine weapons. If he could nurture one of his own, not to dominate the three realms, but at least he would have nothing to fear in the mortal world.

Putting down the killing blade to attain Buddhahood instantly—never had he imagined such an ancient tale.

He always thought it was just a saying to encourage benevolence.

Did that demon ultimately put down his killing blade? As long as one is intelligent, they certainly wouldn’t take the Buddhist Sect’s persuasion seriously.

Putting it down equaled relinquishing the weapon, losing the ability to fight back, and inevitably being at others’ mercy sooner or later.

After leaving the weapon shop, he hurried to the clothing and footwear market.

“Master Qin, you’ve arrived! Are you here to pick up your armor?”

This time, the assistant’s attitude towards Qin Niu was no longer the disdainful arrogance of the past but had become extremely subservient, filled with respect for him.

“Hmm!”

Qin Niu nodded.

“Shopkeeper, Master Qin has come to pickup the armor!”

“Alright! Please, Master Qin, come on in!”

The voice of the chubby shopkeeper came from upstairs.

Once he reached the second floor, he found it as messy as a dog’s kennel. There were armor-making materials and tools everywhere, along with tables and desks.

The already short and plump shopkeeper had slimmed down considerably after not seeing him for over a month.

But his spirit seemed quite good.

There was a spark in his eyes, his face was radiant, and he was brimming with excitement.

“Master Qin, the two sets of leather armor are ready. With the leftover scraps, I am planning to make a hand shield. It will be completed soon; please try on the leather armor to see if it fits.”

“Our shopkeeper here has hardly eaten a single meal a day for over half a month to make your armor. Whenever he is tired, he just snoozes here for a while. Other than attending to nature’s call, he hasn’t stepped downstairs,” said the clerk.

The shopkeeper had truly reached a state of neglecting sleep and meals.

At this moment, Qin Niu could also see a very precious craftsman spirit in this shopkeeper.

“Stop babbling and go watch the store,” the shopkeeper scolded the clerk.

Qin Niu examined the two sets of completed leather armor, especially the larger one. It was so appealing that one couldn’t help but fall for it after just a glance.

The elegant lines, the components fitting together just right, and the beautiful yet rugged design.

Majestic without losing spirit, flexible yet sturdy.

After taking them, Qin Niu, who had tried on armor before, did not need instruction and managed to suit up without much trouble.

It was much lighter than the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor.

Moving his limbs, waist, and head around, he found he was very agile, almost unaffected by the armor.

The heel guards for the legs, which I had thought would hinder movement, turned out to be especially well-fitted at the knee and ankle joints.

It was simply perfect.

The heart area and neck guard were both reinforced with extra thickness.

Its defensive capability was clearly a cut above the other parts.

“Fantastic! This armor is exactly what I’ve always dreamed of,”

Qin Niu couldn’t help but praise.

Once worn, he looked imposing and powerful, and he was filled with an unprecedented sense of safety.

Ordinary swords and sharp arrows could not breach his defense.

“Glad you like it!”

Next, try out this hand shield.

The shopkeeper had just finished the final touches on the hand shield and taught Qin Niu how to use it.

“Hold the grip inside the shield body, and you can flexibly control this hand shield,”

the shopkeeper explained.

The hand shield wasn’t very large, just slightly wider than a face, and only a little over a foot in length.

It was just right to protect the entire forearm.

It was composed of multiple layers of fragmented King Pig leather. Like scales, the layers covered and fitted tightly together.

Holding it in hand, it was quite lightweight.

“When this hand shield is not in use, it can be hung on the back,”

said the shopkeeper, who had already made provisions on the back of the armor for hanging the shield, making it very convenient.

“There’s space on the side for storing weapons like knives or swords. Quivers are usually hung at the waist. If you use a longbow, you can only carry it slung across your back. A short bow can be directly hung on the back,” he added.

“Thankyou, shopkeeper, this leather armor is simply too perfect! Although we agreed no workmanship fee would be charged, I can’t let you labor for nothing. Here’s fifty Two Silver Money as a token of my appreciation.”

After trying it on, Qin Niu fell deeply in love with the set of King Pig Armor.

With it, his likelihood of getting injured would be significantly reduced, whether battling enemies or fighting fierce beasts.

“No need for money, no need! Master Qin’s satisfaction with my work is the best affirmation for me. Having crafted a set of beast hide armor in my lifetime, I would die without regrets. Moreover, in the process of making this armor, my craftsmanship has made an unprecedented breakthrough, something that all the Silver Money can’t buy. If Master Qin is satisfied, please bring any beast hides or bones to me in the future for crafting.

I’ll offer you the most favorable price then,”

insisted the true Armor Shop shopkeeper firmly, refusing to take the money.

His breakthrough in craftsmanship would enable him to take on many big orders that he couldn’t handle before.

His reputation would also rise considerably.

The benefits would far exceed the labor fee.

“Then thank you very much! I’ll come to you for all my future armor needs,”

Qin Niu, a straightforward person himself, did not persist in offering the silver note.

“Haha, thank you for your patronage. If you encounter any problems with this set of King Pig Leather Armor during use, you can always report to me. The helmet’s defense is relatively weak, so avoid being attacked by sharp weapons when fighting enemies,”

the shopkeeper reminded Qin Niu of the weak spot of the King Pig Leather Armor.

Every defense has its vulnerabilities, and theoretically, all can be breached.

This set of King Pig Armor, enveloping him from head to toe, was already near perfection.

Leaving the outfitters market, Qin Niu was extremely satisfied with his visit.

The trip had been fruitful.

With this set of King Pig Armor, his odds of victory in battle with Old Master Huang would be much improved.

However, in a battle against an Insect Master, he believed the opponent’s strongest methods would definitely involve insects.

Qin Niu’s strongest insect at the moment was the Termite.

The Ant Queen had also successfully evolved, and the entire Termite colony had undergone a transformative upgrade in quality and leap in strength.

They were already no longer ordinary insects.

He was particularly eager for the first batch of eggs laid by the evolved Ant Queen to hatch and transform into adult insects.

Based on experience, this process would take about twenty-one days.

So his feelings were complex, wanting Old Master Huang to come looking for him sooner, yet also hoping to wait until the Ant colony grew larger before confronting the formidable foe. If he could have tens of thousands of Grade Two or higher specialized Termites, his chances of winning would be much greater.

From what he had already figured out, Old Master Huang had not just one but three Grade Five bee generals.

Nobody could be certain whether Old Master Huang had even more powerful insects.

The invisible pressure made Qin Niu dare not confront Old Master Huang head- on carelessly.

Even though he was now actively using the bee general to lure the enemy into showing up, his intent was to trick Old Master Huang into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree and take care of him there.

After leaving the city, dusk had begun to settle.

He quickened his pace.

Along the way, he could see many farmers still in the fields, driving away locusts or capturing them.

The insect plague had been raging for many days without abatement, and likely both the Black Tiger Gang’s top brass and the Insect Master Association were under great pressure.

However, to this point, the Insect Master Association hadn’t called upon ordinary Insect Masters like Qin Niu to come together to discuss strategies to eliminate the insects, indicating that the situation was still within a controllable range.