Chapter 106: Pure Brutality vs Dou Spirit Armor!
In the complete system of blacksmiths, Tiers 1 to 3 are collectively called Dou Weapon Craftsmen.
Dou Weapons conduct Dou Qi, meaning at this stage, blacksmiths are simply using Dou Qi to forge.
Tiers 4 to 6 are known as Profound Weapon Blacksmiths, a stage where supernatural traits become increasingly evident in their creations.
Then come the Spirit Weapon Blacksmiths, who imbue spiritual essence, transforming the mundane into the sentient—akin to crafting living beings.
Beyond that lie the Respectful Weapon and Saint Weapon Blacksmiths, whose powers are largely unknown.
It is said that there even existed an Emperor Weapon Blacksmith among the Eight Ancient Emperors—a so-called false one. Why false? Because though he qualified to wield emperor-tier weapons, he never fulfilled that potential. On the contrary, he was blamed in many legends for destroying numerous ancient relics. The Blacksmith Guild has always resented this "Spirit Emperor" from the Eight Ancients, believing him responsible for severing the legacy of blacksmithing.
As a result, the Blacksmith Guild has never gotten along with the Spirit Tribe left behind by the Spirit Emperor, nor do they regard him as their ancestor. Instead, they honor another Emperor Weapon Blacksmith from the ancient era as the true founder. This sharply contrasts with the Medicine Tribe, who hold the Pill Tower in contempt, whereas the Blacksmith Guild holds strong biases against the Spirit Tribe.
"Brother Yuan Bao, forgive me for the offense." Inside the Heaven-Class Forging Field, Jiang Lin discovered that aligning the gauntlets' meridian structure to his own gave him the illusion of extended arms, making him visibly excited.
Previously, Jiang Lin was always troubled by one thing—Dou Weapons could only be used for specific Dou Techniques. For example, if he wanted to use Flame Fist, he had to pre-inscribe its energy pattern onto the weapon. To use something else, he'd need to add new patterns. A few techniques were manageable, but once complexity increased, the weapon's defense severely declined.
Fist weapons could only be used for fist techniques; swords only for sword techniques. To go beyond that, one had to engrave complex Dou Technique models.
Like the Tier-3 Flameburst Slash Sword he once forcefully forged with modular parts—it got shattered by a one-star Great Dou Fighter, Rock Tiger, and pierced by Pei Su's Tier-2 bow. The problem was its overly complex and unbalanced internal patterns, which short-circuited after a few blows.
But now, Jiang Lin realized that the Crimson Dragon Gauntlets needed no such extra engravings. He could simply use them—his weapon and body had become one!
This was something Yellow-Tier Dou Weapons could never achieve!
"I really am a little genius!" Jiang Lin stomped the ground hard, turning into a blur as he charged at Yuan Bao, who stood in a defensive stance.
As he closed in, Jiang Lin slightly pulled back his right fist—bang!—then, like a pneumatic hammer, he accelerated and slammed through Yuan Bao's guard, smashing into his abdomen, which was clad in red Dou Qi armor.
Explosive · Flame Fist!
Boom!
A combination of Explosive Step and Flame Fist—Jiang Lin's technique mixed fast and slow, looking sluggish but striking like thunder. At the moment of recoil—bang!—the punch was unleashed with violent force!
Both Dou Techniques consumed little Dou Qi, had simple energy models, and had already been perfectly integrated into Jiang Lin's every move. Slow as a turtle, fast as lightning—completely unpredictable!
He hadn't stopped using the longbow because he was weak in close combat—it was just to make Pei Xuan feel useful. And, well, archers look cool.
The moment the punch landed on his armored abdomen, Yuan Bao realized things were bad. He hadn't expected Jiang Lin's close combat to be this refined—just two Yellow-Tier Dou Techniques, and even he, a Dou Spirit, couldn't fend them off!
The powerful blow landed squarely on his abdomen, forcing back his towering two-meter frame—despite being enhanced by Dou Qi armor—three whole steps before he could stabilize!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Yuan Bao staggered back, Jiang Lin stepped forward and alternated punches in rhythm, using fast-slow combinations of Explosive Flame Fist as if hammering molten iron. Boom boom boom, seven or eight blows pounded Yuan Bao's stomach before he could react.
Yuan Bao reached out to grab Jiang Lin, but Jiang Lin twisted, retracted his leg, flames gathered at his foot—bang!—he stomped into Yuan Bao's chest. Borrowing the force, he twisted upward and performed a spinning kick wreathed in flames—boom!—striking Yuan Bao square in the head!
Even with Dou Qi armor, that fire-boosted whip kick left Yuan Bao dazed, his giant frame staggering sideways. Jiang Lin didn't sneak in any follow-up; instead, he stood calmly, pressing his left hand to his right wrist and flexing it. Dou Qi armor had outstanding defense against energy attacks—but against raw physical force, it was like armor: good against sharp strikes, but weak against blunt force.
Still, Dou Spirit armor was unbelievably tough—almost like solid metal. Jiang Lin's fists were buzzing from the impact.
"What a monstrous physique!"
"Honestly, if it's just fists, Yuan Bao might lose to a Dou Fighter!"
"That kid's body seems tougher than some Great Dou Fighters I've seen! Unbelievable!"
The blacksmiths nearby were filled with awe. Jiang Lin's martial technique, blending speed and power, left Yuan Bao totally helpless. He wasn't fast enough to land a grab and ended up being a punching bag. Jiang Lin's strength was tremendous, and the sheer physical force caused Yuan Bao to stiffen with every hit—no chance to retaliate.
"Why isn't that kid finishing the attack? Yuan Bao looks totally out of it—what a golden opportunity! If it were me, I'd go straight for the weak points. That armor wouldn't help one bit!"
Ah yes… the "lower route" gang may be late, but they never miss their cue.
"Let's not go there. Jiang Lin actually fights with honor. With strength this pure, Dou Qi armor is useless. If he targeted weak points, Yuan Bao would be crawling on the floor."
The blacksmiths all praised Jiang Lin for showing restraint and martial virtue.
"Old Hu, what's he doing? That kid's built like a monster—surely he doesn't need that much recovery time?" Han Yu asked, seeing Jiang Lin flexing his wrist while Yuan Bao slowly recovered, still dazed.
"Well… what if he's adjusting his Dou Technique meridians on the fly?" Hu Lei replied with admiration in his eyes. "It's clear that Jiang Lin's internal-force technique still feels unfamiliar to him. He's adjusting manually… I can hardly believe it—our guild has welcomed a true genius of physical cultivation!"
It made perfect sense that Jiang Lin wasn't fully used to Eight Extremes Collapse—he'd only been learning it for five days.
(END CHAPTER)
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