Chapter 301: Chapter 171: Crafting Specialty Arrows_2 Treasures differ from ordinary weapons with higher hardness, stronger lethality, and even some added abilities, quite miraculous! Gu Sheng touched the mold, estimated the cooling time would require a bit more, and decided not to waste time. He began practicing the Shadow Concealment Skill right there. After a long while, the arrows had finally cooled completely. Gu Sheng took them out of the mold, holding the arrow tail with one hand and flicking the arrow tip with the other. A buzz echoed—the arrow shaft quivered back and forth like a spring with considerable amplitude and excellent elasticity! "Not bad!" Gu Sheng was very satisfied with the arrows he forged this time. These arrows, crafted from well-conditioned refined steel, boasted great elasticity, allowing for stronger power and easier reuse! After packing up the newly forged arrows, Gu Sheng put on his clothes and stepped out of the casting room. "Ah! Still better out here!" A refreshing breeze greeted him as soon as he exited, making even breathing feel smoother. The sound of the door opening startled Qingqing, who had been dozing off nearby. "Oh! You’re done forging?" Qingqing rubbed her eyes and forced herself awake, walking over. During the forging process, Gu Sheng entered a peculiar state where he lost track of time. Raising an eyebrow, he asked in surprise, "Is it late already? Have I really been inside that long?" Qingqing smiled gently and replied, "You’ve been inside for eighteen hours; it’s already deep into the night." Hearing this, Gu Sheng was visibly embarrassed, scratching his head awkwardly. "Uh... Sorry! I... I lost track of time. Did I keep you up?" Qingqing quickly waved her hand, "No problem, no problem! My place is nearby; it only takes a few minutes to walk back." Qingqing handed Gu Sheng a bill upon which she had been jotting earlier. "This is your expense bill! You’ll need to pay an additional five hundred and fifty taels." Gu Sheng glanced at the bill, noting that the extra one hundred and ten taels on top of the iron and room rental had been added for the mold. Gu Sheng pulled out six silver notes, each worth one hundred taels, and handed them to her. "Keep the extra fifty taels as a tip for making you wait so late. I apologize for the inconvenience." Leaving Mu’s Trading House, Gu Sheng felt the cool night breeze. It was already mid-October; though days were fine, nights carried a slight chill. Holy Pill City did not impose a curfew. Oil lamps made from animal fat lined the streets at intervals, creating an aesthetic look. While Holy Pill City lacked a curfew, most shops were closed at this hour, save for bustling casinos and brothels. For reasons likely tied to the night, the women in the brothels were dressed far more provocatively than during the day. The thin veils they wore earlier were now gone, leaving only narrow straps tied around their chests. Hearing their flirtatious voices, Gu Sheng glanced at them briefly before blushing and hastening his steps. He muttered under his breath, "Do not gaze disrespectfully, do not gaze disrespectfully!" Holy Pill City allowed entry and exit at night, and Gu Sheng promptly left the city, heading back to the Fire Bamboo Forest. In contrast to the city, the Fire Bamboo Forest lacked streetlights. Moreover, being situated on the shadowed side of Holy Pill Peak’s three hills, moonlight barely touched the area. Even with Gu Sheng’s impressive vision, he could only see faintly and relied largely on his memory to navigate. Fortunately, the trail consisted of neatly paved stone paths, allowing him to quickly return to the quarters of the disciple service area. Suddenly, Gu Sheng felt himself trip on something, losing his balance. The cloth bag containing arrows fell to the ground with a loud *Duang!* echoing in the dark, followed by a pitiful scream. "Ouch!" Hearing the cry, Gu Sheng hastily pulled out a firestarter from his chest and lit it. He discovered that what tripped him was a service disciple—his arrow bag had landed on the man’s foot. The spot was just a few steps away from Gu Sheng’s wooden cabin. Puzzled, he asked, "Why are you lying out here at this hour instead of in your own cabin?" It was the same person who had taken Shi Lezhi’s silver earlier during the day. Upon seeing Gu Sheng, the man’s face flashed with panic as he stammered nervously, "Oh, Senior Brother Gu, you’re back! Sorry about tripping you! I was originally here stargazing since the moon is so nice tonight, but... drifted off accidentally." As he spoke, he grabbed the bag of arrows from the ground and handed it back to Gu Sheng. The simple bag’s contents were clearly visible, densely packed with arrows. "Wow, Senior Brother Gu, your arrows sure are unique! All made of refined steel—no wonder they’re so heavy. Anyway, take care; I’m heading to sleep." Returning the bag, the man quickly scurried away. Holding the arrow bag, Gu Sheng raised his head to stare at the sky, which was almost entirely obscured by the three mountain peaks. His expression turned odd: "Stargazing? Does that guy have x-ray vision or something?" The man was merely a Jade-Skin Martial Artist. Although Gu Sheng found his actions suspicious, he didn’t dwell on it. After bolting the door of his cabin, he undressed and climbed into bed. Forging was physically exhausting work; although he hadn’t felt tired at the time, fatigue now washed over him. His whole body felt sore and depleted. The moment his head touched the pillow, he began snoring. The next morning, Gu Sheng took ten arrows he crafted and returned to the Red Cloud Mountain Range with the Stone-breaking Crossbow. He didn’t venture too deep this time. Finding an isolated spot, he stopped, as he was here today primarily to test the power of his arrows! Gu Sheng loaded an arrow onto the Stone-breaking Crossbow, aimed at a tree thirty meters away—its trunk thick enough to require a person to wrap their arms around—and gently pulled the trigger. The crossbow let out a loud bang, propelling the arrow forward with a sharp *whoosh!* *Thunk!* The arrow effortlessly pierced through the tree, producing a subtle sound due to its speed. After passing through the first tree, it pierced three others in succession before embedding itself in the fifth tree. *Boom!* A sudden deafening noise erupted—the first tree struck collapsed, beginning with the hole created by the arrow and crumbling in seconds before falling to the ground. Upon closer inspection, Gu Sheng found that the tree’s inner grain structure had sustained severe damage. The first tree, bearing the brunt of the arrow’s immense force, shattered a segment of its trunk, leading to its imbalance and subsequent collapse. Of the remaining trees, aside from the second one swaying slightly, the others remained relatively stable. Gu Sheng was thoroughly impressed with this level of power! Previously, his arrows could at most shatter a single tree before losing momentum. But these arrows, made from refined steel, increased the power by at least two or threefold! The Stone-breaking Crossbow, known for its immense force, often destroyed ordinary arrows upon being fired—as their material couldn’t withstand the energy. However, when Gu Sheng walked to the fifth tree and retrieved the arrows he had crafted, he found them completely intact. He even flicked them lightly, confirming their strength unscathed. Not even the vibrant, seven-colored glow of the arrowheads had dimmed. As an excellent archer, one must clearly understand their arrows’ power, effective range, and capabilities. Only then could they select the optimal shooting range in battle and unleash their greatest combat strength! Next, Gu Sheng began testing the effective shooting distance of the arrows. After several tests, he concluded that the refined steel arrows fired from the Stone-breaking Crossbow had a maximum range of 500 meters. However, this distance lacked significant offensive capability; against ordinary trees, the arrows barely penetrated. The most effective combat range was 300 meters. To deliver a fatal blow or achieve an instant kill against a Bronze Bone Realm Martial Artist, the shooting distance had to be within 100 meters. Based on the initial test results, Gu Sheng estimated that at close distances of 30 to 50 meters, a stealthy attack might even give a Silver Bone Realm Martial Artist a headache. But this range was too close—the loud crossbow noise would make detection likely, significantly increasing the difficulty of stealth attacks! Staring at the Stone-breaking Crossbow in his hands, Gu Sheng fell into deep thought, his mind conjuring up an idea for a device—the silencer!