# Chapter 468: Blood-Drinking Nanhong
Tao Xinyi stood on her tiptoes, grabbed hold of the zipper, and pulled it down!
"Come on! Let Teacher take a look! Xiong Er! Can I borrow this costume for a few..."
The moment she fully unzipped it, Tao Xinyi's expression froze, her body stiffening in place!
An illusion! It had to be an illusion!
Then she silently pulled the zipper back up, and yanked it down again!
What was behind the zipper was still bear fur!
The entire zipper was glued on with 502 superglue!
Tao Xinyi: ∑(°口°ノ)ノ
This isn't a costume? This is an actual bear?
A Platinum-level spirit beast?
She felt as if her head had been smacked by a brick—everything was buzzing!
Was this for real?
This was what Jiangnan called an outstanding student? How exactly did you manage to bring him all the way from the Spirit Ruins into the academy?
You even got him an ID card? Are you some kind of god?
And you glued a zipper onto it? Pfft...
Xiong Er turned his head back: "Xinyi Jie! Is it done?"
Tao Xinyi: !!!
It could even talk, with a heavy accent—a Platinum-level spirit beast!
Her little face had gone pale, looking like she'd seen a ghost!
My worldview simply cannot accept what's happening right in front of me!
It's going to collapse!
"Student Xiong Er, hold on a moment! Let me call the Dean!"
With that, Tao Xinyi dashed down the hallway and called Xiao Chuihuo!
Xiao Chuihuo: "Hello? Xinyi! Have you seen that outstanding student Jiangnan brought back? How is he? Is he good talent?"
Tao Xinyi looked left and right, lowering her voice: "Dean, let me tell you—Jiangnan brought back a bear!"
Xiao Chuihuo: "Oh—what are you telling me that for? The bear plushie he brought back must be for some girl!"
"Young people these days! Dating and falling in love is totally normal!"
Tao Xinyi grew anxious: "It's not a bear plushie! It's a real bear!"
A bead of cold sweat formed on Xiao Chuihuo's forehead.
"Oh—young people these days raising cats and dogs as pets is totally normal! Jiangnan raising a bear... doesn't seem excessive, I suppose!"
"I was asking about the new student!"
Tao Xinyi rubbed her brow: "That bear IS the new student Jiangnan brought back! A Platinum-rank 1 spirit beast! And it can talk!"
Xiao Chuihuo: Pfft ꉂꉂ(❍ฺε❍ฺlll)
The mouthful of Dahongpao tea he'd just drunk sprayed everywhere!
"Cough! Cough, cough! What the hell? What the hell did he bring back?"
Tao Xinyi: "A bear! The kind that talks! It called me Xinyi Jie! And said I'm old!"
Xiao Chuihuo nearly choked to death!
I was all excited, thinking I'd get to see what good talent an 18-year-old Platinum-rank 1 could be!
And you bring me a Platinum-rank 1 spirit beast—a big black bear?
It can talk? You're kidding me!
"Bring that bear to the principal's office. Now!"
---
In front of the sports training hall, Wei Teng waited anxiously!
Jiangnan appeared beside him in a flash!
Wei Teng's eyes lit up: "Master! I've seen all your videos! So awesome! Can you teach me? I want to learn both the Scallion-Exploding-Abandonment-Cure Slash and the Floating Thirteen Slash!"
Jiangnan grinned: "No big deal. I'll teach you later. But I'm here to ask you something today."
"Where did you get your spirit blade, Gui Sha forged?"
Wei Teng was taken aback: "From Uncle Liu! What's up? Did you find some spirit-bearing material too?"
Jiangnan lowered his voice: "Found a huge chunk! Don't know what it is!"
Wei Teng's eyes sparkled: "Uncle Liu definitely knows! He's an expert in this field!"
"Back when I found a piece of Yin Gang Jade in the Yulong Spirit Ruins, I went to Uncle Liu Qiutian to have it forged! Free of charge—just give him the leftover materials!"
"Uncle Liu's blade skills are amazing too! Everything I know, he taught me!"
When Jiangnan heard "free," plus free weapon forging?
"Let's go! Right now!"
They followed Wei Teng to a large building in a corner of the academy.
On the sign outside: "Spirit Material Research Lab."
Jiangnan was completely dumbfounded. He'd expected some kind of blacksmith's shop hidden deep in the mountains or forest.
He never expected it to be this modern!
Entering the building, he saw display cases filled with all kinds of spirit-bearing ores and materials.
Quite a few researchers were busy in front of microscopes, vacuum tubes, and various equipment.
There were also a smelting room, composition analysis room, and other facilities.
Several veteran students were here customizing their personal weapons.
Just then, a trendy old man with a floral headscarf, earrings, and a white beard walked toward them.
He wore an eyepatch over his left eye.
He completely ignored Wei Teng, his gaze landing directly on Jiangnan, eyes practically glowing.
"You're the one who crushed Xiao Wei with your blade technique? He inherited seven-tenths of my skill. Want to have a go with this old man?"
Jiangnan chuckled: "Better not. I wouldn't dare show off in front of a master like you. I found some spirit-bearing material and was hoping you could forge a few weapons for me, Uncle."
Liu Qiutian's eyes grew even brighter: "Don't be modest! Your blade technique has real flavor!"
"Let's see it! Let me take a look!"
Jiangnan grinned and pulled out that huge ruby!
"Boom!"
Its terrifying weight cracked the floor tiles, drawing everyone's attention.
Liu Qiutian's eyes widened: "Holy crap! What in the world is this?"
He crouched over it, knocking and examining, excitement beyond words.
Jiangnan: ...
Weren't you supposed to be an expert?
Why do you look like you've never seen anything before? Is this reliable? He's not going to steal my treasure, is he?
Wei Teng was stunned: "Uncle Liu has never seen it before either?"
Liu Qiutian said excitedly: "Never! There are plenty of spirit materials in this world I've never seen! Each one has its own unique properties!"
"We don't know what this one's properties are yet! But with this purity, it's absolutely top-tier material! Come on! Let's do some research!"
With that, to Jiangnan's astonishment, he lifted the motorcycle-sized ruby with one hand and carried it inside.
It just goes to show—
Your uncle is still your uncle!
Inside the lab, Liu Qiutian handled the ruby across various instruments, analyzing composition, properties, structure, melting point, and all other data, leaving Jiangnan utterly baffled.
After over ten minutes—
Liu Qiutian came out holding the ruby, face full of excitement!
"Unprecedented! Absolutely unprecedented! Kid! Put your hand on it and inject some spiritual energy!"
Jiangnan did as instructed.
As spiritual energy flowed in, the entire ruby emitted a hazy red glow!
Liu Qiutian then metalized his arm and struck the ruby with all his might!
"Boom!"
Such tremendous force slammed down, sparks flying!
But the floor remained intact.
A warm, soothing energy flowed along his arm into his body!
Jiangnan's eyes widened in shock. He felt that some of his fatigue had disappeared, his stamina slightly recovered!
Liu Qiutian said excitedly: "Did you feel that? This material's property is unique!"
"Once you inject spiritual energy, it absorbs vibrations and converts that vibration energy back into force—replenishing stamina!"
"And the hardness is incredible! Whether for armor or weapons, it's absolutely perfect!"
Jiangnan couldn't contain his excitement either!
This property was truly incredible!
Weapons or armor made from this? Prolonged combat wouldn't be a problem at all!
It had a blood-drinking effect built in!
Absorbing vibration and converting it to restore stamina?
Liu Qiutian licked his lips: "Give it a name! It'll go into future materials science textbooks!"
Jiangnan was surprised: "I get to name it?"
"Since you discovered it first, of course you name it!"
Jiangnan rubbed his nose, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.
"Let's call it Blood-Drinking Nanhong! Pretty badass, right?"
Liu Qiutian laughed heartily: "Interesting! Now tell me—what weapons do you want forged? With this big a chunk, you could make quite a few pieces!"
Jiangnan said sheepishly: "It's free, right?"
"Hah—what are you saying? Would I charge you? Just give me the leftover scraps and bits!"
Jiangnan raised his thumb.
"Uncle Liu, your veteran's integrity is beyond compare!"
"Then make me a meteor hammer! No need to trouble yourself with complicated processing."
"Just carve out a chain link from this Blood-Drinking Nanhong, and leave the rest as the hammer head!"
Liu Qiutian: ???
The hell do you mean, "carve out a chain link" as a meteor hammer?
You're not planning to leave me a single scrap, are you?!
[From Liu Qiutian: Resentment +1000!]
"N-no... that can't be right? That's wasting a divine material! Can you even swing it?"
"Your blade technique is so amazing—let me forge you a blade! I can make several! You..."
Jiangnan: "No worries! I want the meteor hammer! I'm strong! I can swing it!"
[From Liu Qiutian: Resentment +1000!]
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