Chapter 107: Crushing Fist Breaks Armor! Two-Star Dou Fighter!
Since Jiang Lin hadn't perfected the Eight Extremes Collapse, he couldn't fully integrate it into his techniques. Otherwise, Yuan Bao would already be crying out in pain by now.
The scales on Jiang Lin's Crimson Dragon Gauntlets seemed to come alive, subtly expanding. The dazzling crimson-gold Dou Qi flowed constantly across the surface, and Jiang Lin's Dou Qi surged with energy, suddenly stirring his entire body. The Dou Qi veil on his gauntlets seemed to solidify just a little bit more.
"Hmm? Is it finally time to break through to the peak of a One-Star Dou Fighter? This is definitely the longest I've stayed at this level, but no matter, these tough days aren't over yet." As Jiang Lin's Dou Qi surged within him, it naturally caught the attention of the surrounding blacksmiths. However, they could only marvel in awe, unable to do anything else.
"Brother Yuan Bao, let's see if you can handle another punch!" Under the starry sky, Jiang Lin's crimson-gold Dou Qi stirred, and the magnificent crimson-gold energy veil shimmered brilliantly under the stars. At this moment, with his Dou Qi perfected, Jiang Lin's Dou Qi became fully active, forming a beautiful, ethereal, and sparkling crimson-gold veil around him.
"Come on!" Yuan Bao rubbed his round head and stared at Jiang Lin's dazzling gauntlet, then his expression grew serious. With a roar, he raised his Dou Qi, and his armor became even more solid. He had already realized that he couldn't keep up with Jiang Lin's speed in close combat, so he decided to give up on attacking and focus entirely on defense to see where Jiang Lin's limits lay.
"Really?" Jiang Lin smiled slightly, stepped forward, and placed his palm like a blade on Yuan Bao's abdomen, which was covered in red Dou Qi armor.
The Eight Extremes Collapse was a powerful fist strike that relied on an instantaneous burst of force throughout the body—there was no need for a running start or any other movements.
"You don't mean to…" Yuan Bao's voice trailed off as he realized Jiang Lin's legs moved first. Explosive muscles in his legs started to build momentum, like rubber bands stretching, driving his waist, back, and arms with tremendous force.
Bang!
Before Yuan Bao could finish speaking, Jiang Lin's Crimson Dragon Gauntlet erupted with intense flames, and with a boom, his fist slammed directly into Yuan Bao's armored abdomen. In that instant, Jiang Lin's energy veil exploded with a fiery surge, like a tsunami of force crashing against Yuan Bao's abdomen. The two-meter-tall giant, enhanced by his Dou Qi armor, was sent flying three or four meters by the strike from the barely 1.8-meter-tall Jiang Lin, then crashed face-first into the ground, curling up into a ball like a fat shrimp, his face twisted in pain.
Whoosh!
While Yuan Bao lay on the ground clutching his abdomen and silently groaning, Jiang Lin stood in his stance, his crimson-gold energy veil flickering before reforming into a thinner, more intricate layer of fabric.
Two-Star Dou Fighter, achieved!
Clap!
From afar, a blacksmith couldn't help but clap, and soon, others joined in, including the two guildmasters who applauded.
Upon hearing the applause, Jiang Lin slowly dropped his stance, looked at the six blacksmiths in the corridor whose identities were unknown, and performed a respectful gesture, bowing as a disciple.
"Such a great punch technique!" Hu Lei couldn't help but praise.
Meanwhile, Yuan Bao, who had been curled up for a moment, slowly got up. His face was slightly red, but as a blacksmith who focused on body forging, he recovered after a brief time. Jiang Lin's Eight Extremes Collapse had hurt him, but after a while, he was able to ease the discomfort.
Yuan Bao, his face still red, one hand clutching his stomach and the other leaning on his knee, looked up at Jiang Lin as the crimson-gold veil faded and smiled wryly. "Hiss, this is the first time I've been hurt by a Dou Fighter. If that punch technique of yours was perfected, you would've knocked me out with a single blow to the head. I might've needed a while to recover."
Yuan Bao understood Jiang Lin's grasp of Dou Techniques very well—feeling it in his own body. Just one punch technique, coupled with a precise step pattern, made him—already a Dou Spirit—unable to react. The Flame Fist and Explosive Step moved effortlessly together, the speed and power so unpredictable that Yuan Bao couldn't tell when the fist or the kick would land, leaving him unable to block at all!
Yuan Bao even wondered that if Jiang Lin ever reached Dou Spirit level, just his martial skills alone, without needing to use Dou Techniques or Dou Weapons, might easily defeat him—he might be treated like a helpless muggle.
Normally, the iron-like Dou Qi armor of a Dou Spirit could withstand countless punches from a Dou Fighter without so much as a scratch. But Jiang Lin wasn't a normal Dou Fighter—his strength was immense, and his understanding of Dou Techniques was terrifying. He even used Hidden Force Dou Techniques. If Jiang Lin became a Great Dou Fighter, Yuan Bao would genuinely worry that Jiang Lin could injure his heart through his Dou Qi armor.
"Yeah, I've only been learning for a few days. Still not familiar with it," Jiang Lin smiled at the pained Yuan Bao. For some reason, he felt a sense of closeness when he saw Yuan Bao, just like when he saw Pei Xuan.
Both of them were large, armored men—both with similar speeds and resistance to blows. Back in the Forging Valley, when he had free time, Jiang Lin used to find Pei Xuan and practice punches with him.
Looking at Jiang Lin's smile, Yuan Bao suddenly felt a shiver down his spine, a little unnerved. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Your Intent-Focused Gauntlets are superb. The Dou Qi runs smoothly in battle, and the durability is excellent. In fact, these gauntlets are nearly on the level of a Profound Artifact. Congratulations, Jiang Lin—you passed the Tier-3 Blacksmith assessment!"
Yuan Bao considered Jiang Lin's "few days of study" to be just modesty, thinking that Jiang Lin was simply being humble. He didn't take it seriously.
Otherwise, how could you knock the wind out of me after just a few days of practice? If you keep at it, will you start kicking my head like a ball?
"Thank you, Brother Yuan Bao," Jiang Lin said with a bow. The Blacksmith assessment was done, and he had solved a long-standing worry. He had also found a potential backing for himself.
"I'll get your Blacksmith badge soon, but first, come with me to meet the Guildmaster and Vice-Guildmaster," Yuan Bao invited, leading Jiang Lin to a muscular silver-haired elder. "This is our Guildmaster, Hu Lei. And this is Vice-Guildmaster Han Yu, and also…"
Yuan Bao introduced the seven blacksmiths present, and Jiang Lin respectfully greeted them one by one.
"There are still a few others in the Forging Room. You'll meet them later," Yuan Bao added after Jiang Lin had greeted everyone.
At this point, Hu Lei turned to Jiang Lin, his eyes filled with warmth and sincerity.
"I'm Hu Lei, a Tier-6 Blacksmith. Would you be interested in becoming my disciple?"
(END CHAPTER)
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