Chapter 228: The Diligent Blacksmith, Crafting Nightmare Arrows (5400)

"My Lord, what is this?"

Cao Xing explained: "This is a soul that can increase your potential, allowing you to reach the Elite level."

Although Juliette was a non-class holder, she was equivalent to an ordinary person.

Even if upgraded to the Elite level, it would only increase potential and stats, not grant new skills.

Obviously, this type of soul should be given to those soldiers or wild boars to get greater benefits.

But Cao Xing didn't care about that at all; he had over 40 Elite souls in his backpack.

Being wealthy, he didn't care about one or two souls.

Moreover, as an important presence in his territory, it was necessary to improve Juliette's physical fitness.

As for Nive, she already had Elite-level potential, so there was no need to upgrade her.

Juliette held the soul in her hand, looking at Cao Xing with gratitude.

She didn't decline but said softly: "Thank you for your trust, my respected Lord."

"Juliette will use the knowledge in my mind to serve our territory with all my might…"

[Due to your generous gift, territory member: Juliette's loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 100]

(Loyalty is full; the other party will now unconditionally execute any of your orders.)

Hearing the system prompt, joy appeared in Cao Xing's heart.

He noticed that the look in Juliette's eyes towards him had changed slightly.

If it had been gratitude mixed with respect before, then now, it contained a hint of something different…

At this moment, Cao Xing took out two purple seeds from his backpack.

These two seeds emitted a faint black aura, and there seemed to be some tiny tentacles wriggling on the surface.

They were the [Vine Cannon Seed (Gold)] that Cao Xing had traded for.

"Juliette, can these two seeds be planted in our territory?"

Hearing this question, a thoughtful look appeared in Juliette's beautiful eyes.

She said softly: "My Lord, these seem to be seeds of the Mordremoth Vine."

"This is an evil plant, and it is also very overbearing. They will swallow all other plants within the range of their roots and dissolve them into nutrients."

"This kind of Mordremoth Vine only grows in plague zones, and I am not sure if it can be planted in our territory…"

Hearing this, a look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

It was similar to the system's introduction; this [Vine Cannon] was an evil plant that could not coexist with other plants.

Juliette next to him continued: "However, I can try to plant it and see if the power of the Pale Holy Tree can suppress the characteristics of this evil plant and change its biological habits."

"If it doesn't work, we can only ask you to eradicate these two plants, my Lord."

Cao Xing was overjoyed to hear this.

He had been prepared to give up on these two golden seeds, so he didn't expect hope to emerge.

After all, a Level 25 boss, and a defensive plant cannon at that, would be of great help to the territory.

"Good, go ahead and plant them. If these two plants are disobedient and show signs of attacking other plants, just get rid of them directly."

"Understood, my respected Lord."

After Juliette finished speaking, she took the two seeds from Cao Xing's hand.

At the same time, the three of them heard heavy footsteps coming from afar.

"Thump! Thump, thump!"

It was the War Ancient Tree that had transformed into [War Form].

The three big trees took steps and slowly arrived next to the [Pale Holy Tree].

They looked at the holy tree in front of them, and a look of emotion appeared in their eyes.

Gunata sighed: "The Pale Tree has grown again…"

"In our Southern Continent, we have never seen this kind of sacred tree."

The War Ancient Tree next to him echoed: "Even the Knowledge Tree of our clan cannot compare to this holy tree."

"With the power of this holy tree, the powerful recovery ability and vitality inherent to our Ancient Tree clan will undergo a qualitative change."

"If we can find the Ancient Tree of Life of our clan, I fear the vitality of all ancient trees will reach an astonishing level…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing was thoughtful.

Last time, these War Ancient Trees said that there was the aura of other Ancient Tree seeds in the area where the ancient battlefield was located.

But Cao Xing didn't go there.

Because before that, he still had many more important things to do.

For example, let Assam complete the Knight's Trial and get that [lady of the lake sword].

And also go to the [Witch Castle] to complete the Old Witch's mission and get clues about the legendary shield [Shield of Origin — Anodite].

These two tasks were connected.

Because according to Cao Xing's speculation, there was a high probability that there was a Level 40 boss-level creature in that ancient castle.

As long as Assam defeated the Level 40 boss in a one-on-one fight, he could complete the Heroic Trial.

Moreover, he now needed more [High-level Heart of Strength] and [Intermediate Heart of Strength].

These things could only be obtained in high-level maps like the Witch Forest.

Cao Xing pondered: "I'll see the situation tonight, and then continue to the Witch Forest to explore that ancient castle."

"If it goes smoothly, I can rush back from the Witch Forest tomorrow and go explore the ancient battlefield."

Thinking of this, Cao Xing took three [Intermediate Heart of Strength] from his backpack and handed them directly to the three War Ancient Trees.

"Gunata, I see your levels have all reached Level 20. Now use these Heart of Strength to break through."

The three War Ancient Trees looked at each other, their wrinkled faces showing some surprise and some hesitation.

"This… won't you use them for those soldiers first?"

They also knew that those soldiers in the territory had reached a bottleneck and urgently needed Heart of Strength to break through.

And besides, they had only joined the territory not long ago; they were newcomers.

Cao Xing smiled: "Don't worry, it won't be long before everyone breaks through."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on the faces of the War Ancient Trees.

They extended a branch and took the Intermediate Heart of Strength from Cao Xing's hand.

"The spirit of the ancient tree will protect you, my respected Lord!"

[Due to your generous gift, territory member Gunata's loyalty has increased. Current loyalty: 86]

[Due to your…]

After three loyalty prompts, their loyalty had all reached above 85.

Under the gaze of the Tree Spirit sisters and the three War Ancient Trees, he left the place.

After surviving the disaster, Cao Xing was in a good mood.

Humming a tune, he patrolled his territory.

The workers had already begun to intensively repair the collapsed buildings.

Including two hundred warriors, they were all working hard to shovel snow.

"Very good, at this speed, my territory will soon be back in operation."

"Next, it's time to process the batch of materials in the backpack!"

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on the corner of Cao Xing's mouth.

After all, this time, he had obtained a large amount of crafting materials in the Witch Forest.

Including tens of thousands of Nightmare Man-eating Flower spikes, as well as golden quality tree bark, etc.!

This was an astonishing wealth!

Cao Xing planned to make the Man-eating Flower spikes into arrows and take them to the trading market to exchange for other resources.

Its powerful [Life Drain] attribute would definitely cause a rush among a large number of Survivors.

And Cao Xing could also gain huge benefits from it!

Thinking of this, he became even more expectant.

Then, he went straight to the [Blacksmith Shop].

As soon as he entered, the sound of a hammer striking came from inside.

"Clang! Clang, clang!"

No need to look to know that Harold had been working here for a long time today.

Since Cao Xing let his wife, Putana, serve in the territory's defense, Harold had been working extra hard.

He was sweating in the [Blacksmith Shop] every day.

Cao Xing persuaded him to rest more a few times, but Harold would always smile and say he wasn't tired.

This dwarf showed the responsibility and resilient character of a man to the fullest.

Cao Xing walked in and asked with a smile: "Mr. Harold, what are you busy with?"

Hearing the voice, Harold put down the hammer in his hand.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied respectfully: "My Lord, I am forging the batch of wild boar bones you brought last time into light armor."

"The quality of these materials is good, very tough, and should be able to craft some Tier 3 defensive gear."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

He knew the dwarf in front of him wouldn't rest, so he didn't persuade him much.

So, he continued to ask: "Harold, how much longer do you think you need to break through to an Expert Blacksmith?"

Hearing this question, the burly-faced dwarf in front of him had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Then, he said slowly: "Replying to my Lord, above an Advanced Blacksmith is an Expert Blacksmith."

"According to my current speed, and the various high-level materials provided by you, my Lord, I am confident that I will break through to an Expert level in about a month or two."

Cao Xing nodded in realization.

Two months sounded long.

But for the people of this world, it was already a very short time.

After all, which Expert Blacksmith hadn't spent a lot of time and poured in a lot of resources to be cultivated?

Even in those major cities, an Expert-level Blacksmith already possesses a very high status.

Nobles and knights would scramble to have him help them forge equipment.

The reason Harold was able to advance from an 'Intermediate Blacksmith' to an 'Advanced Blacksmith' in such a short time,

and is now starting to advance toward an 'Expert-level Blacksmith',

is naturally because Cao Xing frequently brings back various high-level materials and lets Harold experiment freely.

That is why his proficiency has been able to skyrocket!

After learning the approximate time, Cao Xing stopped asking about this.

Instead, he took a large amount of [Nightmare Man-eating Flower Spikes] out of his backpack.

They ranged from Green-grade to Purple-grade.

Looking at the black aura radiating from these spikes, Harold's gaze sharpened.

He then picked one up and examined it in his hand.

"Such sharp spikes!"

Harold exclaimed, "My Lord, these spikes could likely easily pierce the skin of a Tier 4 creature, and I can also sense trace amounts of poison and a strange aura on them."

It must be said, Harold really has a keen eye.

He could determine the properties and grade of these materials just by a single glance.

Cao Xing asked, "Take a look, can these spikes be used to make arrows?"

Harold examined them for a while, then nodded solemnly, "Yes, they can, My Lord."

"However, there isn't much residual poison on these spikes, so they should lose their toxicity after one or two uses."

"But even so, just based on the sharpness of these spikes, they already make for excellent arrows."

"To increase their durability, how about I forge them into all-iron arrows?"

Cao Xing was puzzled, "All-iron arrows?"

"Yes."

Harold nodded, "Although all-iron arrows are very heavy, their durability is on a completely different level than wooden arrows. They won't break easily, and in critical moments, they can even be used as short spears."

"Of course, to unleash the power of these arrows, you need a good bow and a powerful archer."

Upon hearing this, a look of realization appeared on Cao Xing's face.

Clearly, according to Harold's suggestion, this would indeed greatly increase the practicality of these arrows.

The downside was that they would be too heavy, significantly reducing their range.

"Very good, then proceed with the method you suggested."

Having received Cao Xing's approval, a smile appeared on Harold's face.

Then, a new item appeared in Cao Xing's hand.

It was a black-purple tentacle, about one or two meters long and as thick as a little finger.

It was a [Nightmare Man-eating Flower Tentacle].

"Mr. Harold, these are tentacles from a plant, and they have sharp barbs on the surface. My idea is to craft them into a long whip. Do you have any better suggestions?"

Although Cao Xing already had an idea, he still wanted to ask Harold.

After all, when it came to forging equipment, he was the professional.

Harold looked at the material in Cao Xing's hand, his eyes once again filled with a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, he nodded and said, "My Lord, according to your idea, making a long whip is indeed a good choice."

"However, long whip weapons are not very practical; there are hardly any beings who use long whip weapons."

"My suggestion is to combine them with the vines of the Human-faced Tree to craft a beast-catching net."

A look of confusion appeared in Cao Xing's eyes, "A beast-catching net?"

Harold nodded, "Yes. The toughness of these tentacles is somewhat lacking; they are far inferior to the vines. But their advantage is that they have a large number of barbs on them, and these barbs also contain poison."

"We can wrap these tentacles around the vines. This way, we ensure toughness while also utilizing the effect of the numerous barbs on these tentacles."

"Once made into a large net, when it captures large beasts, the barbs will hook into them, and the more those beasts struggle, the deeper the barbs will sink in."

Cao Xing seemed to visualize the scene.

Then he praised, "Not bad, Harold. You really are a knowledgeable dwarf."

"I feel that in the near future, you will definitely become a Master-level blacksmith!"

It must be said that Harold was very experienced and could bring out greater value from special materials.

Both of his materials now had better methods for utilization.

Hearing Cao Xing's praise, a humble smile appeared on the dwarf's face.

"By the way, Harold, I have some other new materials here as well; I'll leave them to you to forge."

After saying this, Cao Xing took a large amount of Human-faced Tree bark out of his backpack.

From ordinary Human-faced Trees to Chieftain-level Human-faced Trees.

Among them, there was even Golden-quality Human-faced Tree bark!

Harold naturally saw the two pieces of ancient tree bark in Cao Xing's hand at a glance.

He exclaimed, "By the gods, these two pieces of bark contain such a powerful aura of life!"

"My Lord, could these be the legendary Golden-quality materials?"

Cao Xing said, "That's right, Harold."

"Use this Golden bark to forge a few sets of leather armor."

Upon hearing this, Harold did not agree immediately, but instead showed a hint of hesitation.

"What's wrong?"

He said respectfully, "My Lord, Harold is currently only an Advanced Blacksmith, and the success rate for forging Golden-quality equipment is not high."

"If you let me forge it, a single failure would be a huge loss…"

"You should find a more advanced blacksmith to forge these…"

Hearing this, Cao Xing laughed.

"It doesn't matter, Harold. Feel free to forge them."

"Even if they all fail, it's fine; just consider it practice to increase your proficiency."

At this moment, Harold looked at Cao Xing, a complex expression flashing in his eyes, and a whirlwind of emotions in his heart.

He didn't know what to say.

After all, everyone knows how precious Golden-quality equipment is.

Even converted into crowns, a Level 10 Golden-quality piece of equipment is worth at least 500,000.

And the bark in Cao Xing's hand is at least a Tier 4 material.

Each piece is worth a fortune!

And now, Cao Xing had waved his hand and told him to use them to grind for proficiency…

Before Harold could speak, Cao Xing took out an Elite Soul from his hand.

He handed it to Harold as well.

As mentioned before, upgrading these staff members to Elite might not provide combat assistance to Cao Xing.

However, once Harold's physique improved, he would be more powerful when smithing.

"My Lord…"

Harold didn't know what to say at this moment, his heart filled with immense gratitude.

Cao Xing smiled, "Alright, Harold, forge with peace of mind."

"As I said before, remember to balance work and rest; you don't need to worry about anything else."

Harold immediately said respectfully, "As you command, My Lord. I will pour all my effort into successfully forging these pieces of equipment!"

The dwarf stood up straight, his gaze toward Cao Xing filled with excitement!

[Due to your words and actions, you have moved a territory member: Harold Iceberg. Loyalty has significantly increased. Current Loyalty: 95]

Seeing the system prompt, a smile appeared on the corner of Cao Xing's mouth.

He patted Harold on the shoulder and placed the other vines, bark, and Man-eating Flower spikes from his backpack into the storage chest of the [Blacksmith Shop].

Then, he left the [Blacksmith Shop].

Not long after he left, the 'clang, clang, clang' sound of smithing came from behind him once again.

Cao Xing continued humming a little tune as he patrolled the territory.

Along the way, he passed the residential area, as well as the Machinery Factory and the Training Grounds.

Beside these buildings, there were also several structures that were halfway built.

These were the [Altar of Kings], the [Mage Tower], and the [Knights' Hall].

Cao Xing said happily, "Not bad, not bad. Once these are built, I can use the Tavern's recruitment function again to see if I can recruit some talent."

Since Cao Xing's plan was to repair the territory during the day and take people to the Witch's Castle at night, he was quite free right now.

Then, he saw Sabina and 'Mbo' working busily beside Dahua.

A look of contemplation appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

At this moment, they seemed to be working in the territory quite honestly.

Scanning them, Cao Xing thought to himself, "This Mbo still has loyalty below 50; I shouldn't interact with her yet."

"After what happened the night before last, Sabina's loyalty has increased a lot; she probably won't be thinking about escaping anymore."

"Besides, I remember this woman seems to have the [Advanced Poison Mastery] skill."

"It just so happens that this time, I obtained a material from those Man-eating Flowers that can be used to make a certain type of poison."

So, Cao Xing called out directly, "Sabina."

Hearing Cao Xing call her, the woman in the distance, who looked to be around thirty and had a black mole at the corner of her eye, walked over quickly.

At this moment, Sabina knelt on both knees, bowing respectfully before Cao Xing.

"Respected My Lord."

Today is on the recommendation list, adding 5400 words!!!