Each mark engraved had to be smooth and seamless, perfectly aligned with the innate quality of the Jade Silver alloy, drawing forth changes in its internal structure. The complexity involved was beyond description.
Forging Jade Silver was already incredibly difficult—it required countless hammer strikes, and even the infusion of spirit and life. But the process of making battle armor was akin to enhancing its vital signs, completely awakening its sentience and vitality. If Gu You could be called the biological father of this piece of Jade Silver, then what Ye Xinglan was doing now made her its foster mother—raising it, nurturing it from a fledgling into a majestic eagle soaring through the skies.
It was hard to say which role was more difficult. If one had to choose, forging was usually considered harder, but the two roles were inseparable. Even if life is created, a misstep during its nurturing could still ruin everything.
Ye Xinglan's expression was one of deep focus. The starlight threads released from her Star God Sword were stable, solid, but not overly forceful. One by one, they layered, densely interwoven, with her profound soul power providing the foundation for it all.
The magnificence of her technique made even Gu You want to become a mecha builder himself.
As time passed, the patterns etched into the Jade Silver began to evolve—from simple and shallow to intricate and profound. The veins started intertwining, resonating with one another.
The glow of the Jade Silver also became increasingly dazzling. The scattered star-like lights on its surface seemed to come alive, flowing and dancing. Its vitality was growing ever stronger.
As the alloy's creator, Gu You could clearly sense its excitement—it was as if the material were stretching its limbs, slowly growing up.
Watching the crafting of a battle armor in person, Gu You finally realized why so many said that one must be personally involved in the process. Without participating, one could never truly understand its essence.
Seven hours passed. The movement of Ye Xinglan's Star God Sword finally began to slow—she was halfway through. Over half of the core array inscription had been completed. Yet it was obvious that her soul power was being stretched thin.
Of course, at this point Gu You had already stopped watching. He dozed off while still staring at her.
Ye Xinglan extended her left hand. Xu Lizhi immediately handed over a Recovery Meat Bun. Even as her right hand continued moving with unwavering precision, she stuffed the bun into her mouth with her left and devoured it in a few bites.
The glow of the Star God Sword never changed. Regardless of her physical state, her sword remained stable.
The Recovery Meat Bun replenished both stamina and soul power—just what she needed.
Soon, three minutes later, she reached out again and took another one.
From that point onward, every three minutes, she ate one Recovery Meat Bun—relying on food to maintain her strength and soul power.
Her stamina seemed to be holding up, but the drain on her soul power was clearly outpacing what she could recover. What worried Xu Lizhi most was the visible swelling of Ye Xinglan's lower abdomen.
Not everyone has a strong digestive system. She had already eaten more than twenty buns—far beyond her normal appetite. At this rate, she might eat herself to death.
Though food-type martial soul products are energy-based, they still act like real food. Overeating not only brings no benefit, but can cause harm. It can even lead to weight gain.
Ye Xinglan was now in a very awkward situation—if she didn't eat, she couldn't finish the armor.
She raised her left hand again, but this time, halfway up, she stopped and pulled it back. She simply couldn't eat any more.
More than twenty buns—it was just too much. If she forced down another, it might affect her sword control and her health. After hesitating, she decided not to eat it.
Sweat began to drip from her forehead, but her expression remained unchanged. In fact, her sword movements became even faster. Each starlight thread fell in precise patterns, gradually bringing the armor into full shape.
"Give me a red bean bun!" Ye Xinglan suddenly shouted.
Xu Lizhi hesitated, but still activated his third soul skill and handed over a Bloodlust Red Bean Bun.
Ye Xinglan gripped it, took a deep breath, and swallowed it.
As Xu Lizhi's third and currently strongest soul skill, the Bloodlust Red Bean Bun had a powerful effect. The moment she ate it, her entire aura changed. Her soul power, which had been dwindling, surged sharply. Even her presence became much more intense.
The Bloodlust Red Bean Bun provided a massive boost to stamina and soul power—especially physical strength and bloodline power. The soul power boost came second.
As her soul power surged, her previously bloated stomach visibly deflated. Her energy circulation accelerated, greatly improving her digestion. With that, the effect of all the buns she had eaten earlier kicked in, and her soul power soared.
But the side effects would be significant—severe fatigue and some loss of vitality later. Ye Xinglan was practically using half her life force to complete this armor!
The Star God Sword burst forth in dazzling light. Each star thread became more solid. Every strike was powerful and precise, noticeably accelerating the armor's completion.
Once again, the sword blazed. Threads of starlight interwove into a radiant net, slicing into the Jade Silver again and again. By now, the material had taken the complete shape of a forearm and hand gauntlet. Brilliant starlight flickered across it in a breathtaking display.
But at this critical moment, Ye Xinglan's body began to tremble uncontrollably—the effect of the Bloodlust Red Bean Bun was wearing off.
Still, she gritted her teeth and pushed on. As a mecha armor craftsman, from the moment she began studying the art, her fate had already been sealed—to labor tirelessly, sacrificing her all to create divine armor.
Her lips were tightly pressed together, her eyes shining like stars. Her hands never faltered. Her gaze never wavered. What kind of willpower was this? What kind of faith drove her to pour out star thread after star thread?
Brilliant starlight descended. Interlaced star threads covered the Jade Silver hand armor, nurturing it in a sea of light.
A blinding silver light erupted. Ye Xinglan used every last bit of strength in her Star God Sword, unleashing nine consecutive strikes—all of which landed within that mass of starlight. In that instant, the star light blazed upward, straight into the sky.
It was a success...
"Match over," Wu Zhangkong stepped onto the arena, expressionless, and made the announcement.
With this, the team that would challenge the sixth-year students had finally been decided...
(End of Chapter)