Platinum Blacksmith Legendary Codex
Lin Fan nodded his head and decided to not be that upset as the referee judged the rounds scores. He knew that the limit of the blacksmith arts he learned were for seventh grade metal.
Seventh grade metal was already enough to make most Ascent Rank Treasures, so none of the blacksmiths that worked in the east continent ever ventured past the seventh grade, nor invested in metallurgy to increase it to the eighth rank.
The eighth rank metals could also cause tribulations, which was not something any blacksmith on the east continent was willing to risk just for a piece of metal. The only solution Lin Fan had to improve his blacksmith arts quickly was sitting next to Yan Ran. Her father definitely had a blacksmith book that would make the next three rounds of the blacksmith competition go to Lin Fan.
Each round of the blacksmith competition the two men with the lowest scores would get disqualified while the top scorers would all get to the next round. A few very angry Dragon Kin had only made a third grade treasure, but had invested much of their lives on making those treasures unique. However, because Han Zhou didn't want Lin Fan to win, he made the competition based purely on grade of the metal.
Things like forging technique and even rare forging techniques such as simultaneous hammer arts were ignored by the judges. Even Gin Ran was feeling some anger that Lin Fan didn't win, but he was just here to watch and not to be the judge.
Lin Fan saw he was upset and went up to Gin Ran to go invite him for dinner. He knew that Yan Ran would love to cook for him, and he could also use the opportunity to go over how to get a legendary blacksmith art.
The blacksmith arts weren't ranked like regular treasures and had beginner manuals, legendary manuals, apex manuals, and then god manuals. Everything after that wasn't in the material that Lin Fan had learned, but as of right now Lin Fan was still using a beginner manual.
He stopped in front of his future father in law, Gin Ran, and did a slight bow before Yan Ran ran up to him and smothered him with her cleavage. The entire crowd around Gin Ran started to burn with killing intent, but didn't dare act in fear of her father killing them.
"Hi, I came to invite you to dinner to talk about blacksmithing, and to try Yan Ran's new favorite dish... I heard she has been using some ingredients that will make a man stronger for a week..."
"I... I never thought you'd dare invite me to that small sect of yours!" Gin Ran suddenly paled as Han Zhou walked out and sat next to him. "If you invite me, you might as well invite Han Zhou! He should be there to try the food first!"
"Sorry about your loss, Lin Fan..." Han Zhou said as he took a grape from a white haired elf and shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't dine with losers... Maybe you could send some food to my house so I can taste it from a distance..."
"He would've won in a non grade based competition..." Gin Ran sighed as he looked at Lin Fan... "However, I'm afraid I can't stay tonight! Yan Ran's meals are too high of a level for me to eat! I'll have left overs brought to me tomorrow where I can eat them alone..."
"Father.... I really want you to try my cooking though..." Yan Ran squeezed her chest against Lin Fan's arm as she happily brought him over as the Empyrean Youth League and Empyrean Championship League shook their heads... This idiot was clearly trying to get something out of his future 'father-in-law', but they knew it wouldn't be enough. "If you don't try my cooking, then at least have a word with Lin Fan... Teach him some stuff about blacksmithing... Aren't you in the tenth blacksmith rank?"
"Daughter... Between that and cooking I should always choose cooking..." Gin Ran cleared his throat before his imagination caused him to turn pale from the memory of that soup from the other day... "However, Lin Fan, you must be limited by being on such a small planet... I will offer you guidance in exchange for a rain check on dinner..."
"Father... I'll cook something extra special to thank you when the competition is over!" Yan Ran smiled and ran over to her father and planted a kiss on his cheek... "I promise! Even death will be envious of you eating my food! I heard he regularly watches my dinner with a wistful gaze..."
"Ha... Ha! Son in law! You certainly have a way to put father in law in a tight bind! I will only eat that dinner if you don't get first place! You better win you here me?! Yan Ran doesn't have to work so hard..."
"Gin Ran... You can't just help him..." Han Zhou said as he suddenly began to sweat... "If you help him, how will he ever be worthy of being your son-in-law... Didn't you make the technique to become a tenth rank blacksmith..."
"A man's stomach is on the line..." Gin Ran said as he tossed Lin Fan a ring... "For getting second place, you deserve this ring! Now don't let me down Lin Fan! I'm beginning to see the way my daughter looks at you, and I don't want to see it at the dinner table..."
Lin Fan smiled and looked down at the ring as he nodded with understanding. He knew how much he loved Yan Ran's cooking and smiled before he bowed and took his leave.
"Father... You know... I'm aware my cooking isn't always good, but I think Lin Fan will always be good for us... I have a feeling in the future the Empyreans will line up and bow to him one day!"
"Little darling... Your food is better then the taste of heaven... Better then the taste of defeating a massive army... Better then the view from our castle in Sacred Light City... However, tonight... I really can't come to dinner... My stomach can only be blessed a few times a month!"
Fan Sect
Lin Fan looked at the Platinum Legendary Blacksmith Codex he received from Gin Ran and turned through the book a few times to try and understand it.
He didn't have enough points to download the skill yet, and had to try and figure out how to make eighth grade metal reach the threshold of diamond star. Diamond star was a phenomenon that would turn the metal from the seventh grade of radiant shimmering to the eight grade.
The amount of control of your spiritual energy had to be perfect, and would cause transmutation from an earth metal to a heaven metal. He needed two million more points, though, to download the book and just decided to try and gleam the basics before he downloaded the skill.
All his points were going to speeding up the Silver Heart Mimics as well as to facilitating the speed in which he learned the law of metal. Lin Fan also enjoyed reading the Platinum Legendary Blacksmith Codex, and found himself deeply enamored in the book.
The cost of the book also started to go down slowly as he turned the pages. He even ignored the screaming Lo Zhou as one of his tickle machines gently played with her body. Her mellifluous laughter could be heard mixed in with the whips hitting her from every side as he gently rubbed his hand against her pale leg.
He wanted to make sure he got as many points as possible, but at the same time she knew that she could be touched. Her cries were met with a happiness that described how much she enjoyed Lin Fan taming her. She had a rather large Masochist bar after being alone for a hundred years. However, in three days, she would be his ultimate weapon in the finals of the competition.
Lin Fan also only had an hour between the blacksmith competition and the battle with the Empyrean Youth League, so he had to speed up the machine. The whips suddenly started moving faster as he read the book lying on her leg, feeling the warmth emitting from her as she burst out with pain and pleasure.
[Cost has gone down by 500 sadist points!]
[Cost has gone down by 1000 sadist points!]
Lin Fan sighed and closed the large tome before he got up and looked at Zhou Ra walking out of the Fan Sect Outskirts. He had his bunnies watching Zhou Ra, but apparently, he'd disappeared for a few minutes today...
"Fatty... I know you're up to something, however, don't think you'll get away with it in my backyard..."