Chapter 9: Dimensions! It's Dimensions! Hahaha! I've Got It!
Jiang Lin's soul strength was innately far beyond that of others. If a high-tier alchemist were to assess his soul, they would be shocked—because Jiang Lin's soul realm was born at the peak of the Mortal Level. This was one of the reasons his mother believed he had exceptional talent as an alchemist. However, due to later upheavals, she concluded that being an alchemist was too dangerous and specifically asked Mr. Yao not to let Jiang Lin walk that path.
This extraordinary soul level gave Jiang Lin a superior sense of perception. He could detect even the subtlest changes in metals during forging using only faint traces of Dou Qi—similar to how an alchemist senses the essence extraction during pill refinement.
"In this world, many Dou Qi experts are capable of developing their own custom Dou Techniques... Which means, the release of Dou Techniques, the flow of energy, must follow a certain logic, right? And that logic... should be simple—otherwise, we wouldn't have so many low-tier techniques."
Inside the forging room, Jiang Lin sorted out the ores Mr. Yao had brought him, classifying each forged metal.
A Low-Tier Yellow Rank Dou Weapon wasn't just casually made. Jiang Lin had spent at least two months preparing to forge his first successful one. But now, with blueprints and experience, he could produce another Water-Patterned Golden Dagger much faster. While still training, he could handle buying materials, refining them, forging, and internal Dou Qi flow calibration all within three days.
"But… what is the exact logic?"
Soaked in sweat under the blazing heat, hammer in hand, Jiang Lin struck the red-hot iron calmly and rhythmically.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
The crisp and rhythmic sound echoed like morning bells and evening drums from a hidden mountain temple—light yet steady, drifting far into the distance, invoking an inexplicable inner peace.
In an environment that should've been chaotic and noisy, Jiang Lin entered a zen-like state. His heart was utterly calm, his thoughts vast yet sharp.
"Failure… Why?"
"Meridians are material structures too. This shouldn't be failing."
"Another failure?"
"So this multi-frequency staggered circuit can actually be regulated by 'resistance'... But so what? Let me write it down anyway."
"The 1001st attempt… Figures. Book smarts are just comfort. If it's doomed to fail, no quote will save you. Why am I even arguing with a motivational cliché?"
"…"
Jiang Lin maintained this forging trance for two whole months. Then, as his Dou Qi rapidly completed a full meridian cycle and pooled near his dantian, clarity flashed in his mind—and a third flame of Dou Qi quietly ignited within his core.
Third Stage of Dou Qi!
Ding…
Right in the middle of a monotonous purification and hammering process, Jiang Lin suddenly stopped. His dark eyes, previously glazed with focus, now flared with a dazzling light!
He glanced at the corner of the forge room, where stacks of his refined metals sat. Each piece bore a small slip of paper marked with simplified symbols and numbers—classifications only Jiang Lin himself could understand. Each label noted specific characteristics he had recorded during the forging process.
Without hesitation, Jiang Lin threw the red-hot iron in his hand into the quenching pool.
Sizzle!
As white steam hissed into the air, Jiang Lin snatched a messy pen and paper from the nearby shelf and sketched a rough human figure. He began marking every meridian and node he could recall from memory.
Rip!
He tore the figure from the paper and separated the arms and legs into individual parts. Soon, amid the swirling steam, a gray paper mannequin took form in his hands.
Silently, Jiang Lin dipped his finger into a red dye—like blood—and dotted it over several pressure points on the mannequin's feet that he was very familiar with. In the foggy air, his hands now stained red, his face looked especially grim beneath his dark eye circles, the result of long sleepless nights.
In the dim, smoky room, Jiang Lin stared at the bloodstained mannequin and began folding its limbs, twisting and contorting them in silence. For a moment, it seemed he could hear it crying out—its agonized voice calling his name, begging for mercy. The voice grew louder and louder, more desperate, but Jiang Lin didn't flinch. Staring at the twisted, broken mannequin in his hands, his face twisted into a crazed smile.
A fanatical, almost deranged grin—a cultist's joy at glimpsing their god.
Through the ominous red mist, Xiao Yi Xian saw the wild gleam in his eyes—dark, obsessed, like a ravenous beast.
Outside, the evening breeze whispered at her back. It had once felt refreshing. Now it carried an indescribable chill.
"Dimensions! It's dimensions!"
"Wuhu! Dimensions! Space! Three-dimensional! Depth!"
"Two points make a line! Three make a plane! Four define volume!"
"I've got it! Wuhu! I've ascended! Master! I've become a master! Wait… what master? Hahaha! I am the master!"
"Distance! Proportions! This is all just a scaled-down three-dimensional model!"
"I'm such a pig! Just like Xiao Yi Xian! Molecular structure defines macrostructure! And that structure—it's three-dimensional! I should've realized this ages ago! Why did I get so dumb?! I'm as dumb as Xiao Yi Xian! Ugh! I'm crying! Dumb and crying!"
"SHUT UP!!"
Xiao Yi Xian, who had been listening to the ghostly wails from within the smoky room, was now boiling with rage. That evening breeze at her back? It didn't feel cold anymore… No, now she was burning with fury!
(END CHAPTER)
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