Insufficient balance

  "Hello, Uncle Blacksmith. Here is the ore you wanted." Feng returned to the Newbie Village weapon shop and politely handed over the ore to Zhang the blacksmith.

  "Oh, it's Wind Soul, you've done a good job, this is your reward." Zhang Ironsmith said expressionlessly.

  Mission accomplished, Feng Xiao obtained a level 5 blue equipment from Zhang Tiejiang and 300 experience.

  "Uncle blacksmith, are you a master craftsman?" Feng asked inexplicably.

  Upon hearing the words "casting master", Zhang Ironsmith's eyes lit up for an instant, then immediately dimmed down. He replied calmly: "Indeed I am a casting master. If you have good materials, I can help you cast equipment and the cost won't be too high."

  "Oh, Ironsmith Uncle, I wonder if you can forge sacred-level materials." Feng Xiao asked tentatively, not holding out too much hope. After all, theoretically speaking, novice villages shouldn't have sacred-level materials, and even high-level materials were rarely seen. It was unlikely that the blacksmiths in a novice village would be particularly powerful either.

  "What? Immortal material?! Do you have immortal material?" Zhang Tiejiang almost jumped up, his two hands flashing out like lightning to tightly grab Feng Xiao's shoulders, as if afraid he would run away. His reaction was exactly the same as that of Xinshou Village's village head when he heard about the Purple Jade Clear Heart Chain. Feng Xiao rolled his eyes: it's no wonder they're from the same village, even their actions are a set routine.

  Before Feng Xiao could respond, Zhang Tie had already withdrawn his hands and said with a hint of self-mockery: "I was really thinking too much about high-grade materials just now. How could Newbie Village possibly have celestial-grade materials?"

  "Who says there's no newbie village, I have one right here." Feng Xiao muttered to himself, slowing down his movements, and with a flourish, he pulled out the Golden Snow Wolf pelt. Instantly, the white and gold interwoven light filled the somewhat dimly lit blacksmith shop with a hint of vitality.

  Under the dazzling light, Zhang Tiejiang's hands trembled, tears fell down, and even his snot flowed out... Zhang Tiejiang snatched the golden snow wolf skin, looked at it again and again in disbelief, touched it again and again, and his mood could not calm down for a long time.

  Good materials are the life of a blacksmith, and forging a good piece of equipment is a lifelong pursuit and glory for a blacksmith. Zhang Tiejiang, a senior blacksmith, has been stuck in a poor village for over 40 years, where birds don't even dare to shit and pigs don't dare to fart, and he hasn't seen any high-quality materials. With his exceptional forging skills going to waste, he can only squat in a dimly lit weapon shop selling the crappiest whiteboard equipment. The feeling is no different from being childless and heirless.

  At this moment, he actually saw the legendary Xian-class material, and his excited mood was something that an outsider could not understand.

  "Fenghun, I implore you to entrust me with forging this material... Not only will I not charge you a single penny, but I'll also use all the top-grade crystals I've collected over the years on it." Zhang Ironsmith calmed his excited emotions and gazed intently at Feng Xiao, knowing that if he missed this opportunity, there might not be another chance. He was willing to put in his life savings to forge this Golden Snow Wolf Pelt.

  Zhang Tiejiang's expression, as if he had been starving for 800 years and suddenly saw meat, made Feng Xiao feel unable to refuse him. Moreover, it was free, and he even threw in a crystal stone. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a good deal. So, with a magnanimous face, he said: "Alright then, Uncle Blacksmith, would you mind helping me forge a cloak?" Cloaks were a very cool but rare type of equipment in "Rebirth", and the description on the Golden Snow Wolf Pelt clearly stated "can be forged into a cloak". Therefore, Feng Xiao chose it without hesitation.

  After hearing Feng Xiao's affirmative answer, Zhang Tiejiang became visibly nervous and excited, as if a maiden waiting for her wedding night. Next, he rummaged through the box bottom and flipped over the floor tiles, clanging and rattling for half a day before emerging from under the bed with several gemstones that shone with an otherworldly glow, his face smeared with black dust, and grinned with satisfaction. Feng Xiao endured the swirling dust in the small room without leaving, wanting to witness the forging process with his own eyes.

  The blacksmith's shop was closed, and no other players could enter temporarily. Zhang Blacksmith carefully laid the Golden Snow Wolf skin flat on the forge, made some slight adjustments to its shape, and placed 4 crystal stones of different colors on top.

  The fierce fire in the furnace was burning, Zhang Tiejiang took a deep breath, staring intently at the burning fire, silently calculating the timing. Feng Xiao looked at his extremely focused appearance and didn't dare to make a sound, fearing that he would disturb him if he wasn't careful.

  Suddenly, Zhang Tiejiang's eyes shone brightly, and his right hand pulled out a small hammer with an unusual shape from somewhere. He started pounding the various parts of the Golden Snow Wolf skin with incredible speed and frequency, leaving onlookers stunned and tongue-tied.

  During the hammering process, the constantly rising and falling hammer always unintentionally touches one of the gems lightly. The gem slowly merges with the golden snow wolf skin through repeated contact until it is completely dissolved. Feng Xiao curiously looked at the properties of these gems:

  Wind Spirit Stone: A spiritual gemstone that can be used in forging to enhance agility and wind attributes after a successful forge, disappearing if the forge fails.

  Amethyst: Spirit-level gemstone. When used in forging, it increases the additional attributes of a successful forge by 20%. It disappears if the forge fails.

  Kunlun Jade: A sacred gemstone that can be used in forging to increase the upper limit of attribute additions after a successful forge, allowing for up to two additional attributes.

  Advanced Spirit Stone: Xian-grade gemstone, increases success rate of forging below divine level by 40%.

  ……

  The wind is howling and tears are streaming down, Ironsmith Uncle, you're simply my reborn parents...

  Two Ling-level gems, two Xian-level gems, any one of which is taken out is a priceless treasure. Feng Xiao truly believed that Zhang Tie had no reservations, and for the sake of forging this cloak, he turned over his entire family's wealth.

  Half an hour has passed...

  The flames in the forge grew stronger and stronger, eventually engulfing the entire Golden Snow Wolf pelt. Zhang Tie was covered in sweat, his hammering speed not decreasing in the slightest, his expression growing more and more excited, as if he didn't care at all about the flames scorching his arms.

  Feng Xiao's heart skipped a beat with excitement, could it be that he was about to complete it?

  In a flurry of consecutive blows, the Snow Wolf pelt, which had been emitting a faint golden glow, suddenly radiated an intense white light. The dazzling white light illuminated the entire weapon shop in an instant, even shining through the gaps in the doors and windows to attract the attention of countless new players from the village.

  A strong white light lasted for over ten seconds before slowly fading away.

  Was the forging successful? Feng Xiao looked at Zhang Tieguan, who was sitting on the ground panting heavily. After catching his breath, Zhang Tieguan looked at Feng Xiao and waved the white gold cloak in his hand, a smile spreading across his face like a blooming flower.

  He eagerly took over the cloak, and at the moment it came into his hands, a refreshing and ethereal aura emanated from the cloak, giving him an incredible feeling as if he was about to float away.