Following Wang He's directions, Wang Yue passed through the alleyways of the Wang Clan's western courtyard. From afar, he heard the clanging of metal, accompanied by the crackle of burning charcoal. The air was thick with the scorching scent of rust mingled with sulfur. Liu Haibing's Forge Workshop lay ahead.
He pushed open the workshop's wooden door, and a wave of heat rushed into his face. The workshop was spacious and bright. Iron ore, coal, and all manner of forging tools were neatly stacked on the left, while three enormous furnaces stood on the right, their mouths breathing orange-red flames that dyed the entire workshop crimson.
Wang Yue's gaze immediately fell upon the forging table at the center of the workshop. Wang Daoling stood there, both hands gripping a sledgehammer thicker than his forearm.
He mechanically smashed the metal block atop the anvil. His movements were stiff, his face devoid of expression, and his eyes hollow with the numbness of someone who had lost all will to live. It was as though he was not forging weapons, but completing a task so dull it had drained his soul.
"This..." Wang Yue froze slightly. The Wang Daoling he knew had always been brimming with confidence. Whether practicing his fists or fighting others, he carried himself with unhurried composure. This numb, puppet-on-strings appearance was something Wang Yue had never seen before.
"Idiot! Are you forging iron, or smashing rocks?" A stern roar suddenly rang out, cutting through Wang Yue's thoughts.
Liu Haibing stood beside Wang Daoling with his hands clasped behind his back. His brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared at the metal on the anvil. "Forging weapons requires a balance of hardness and softness. You have to permeate your hammer technique with force and drive the impurities out of the metal bit by bit!
Look at the iron you forged. Its surface is full of pits, and the impurities inside are still there. How are you any different from those blacksmiths outside the city who can only make farm tools?"
Wang Daoling's grip on the sledgehammer tightened. His lips moved, but he did not dare refute him. He merely lowered his head and continued mechanically pounding the metal block, though his movements now carried a little more grievance.
Liu Haibing was about to roar again when he caught sight of Wang Yue at the doorway from the corner of his eye. His tense expression instantly softened, and he even revealed a hint of surprise as he strode over.
He circled Wang Yue once, studying his tall, sturdy build. Then he reached out and squeezed Wang Yue's arm, sensing the strength contained beneath the muscles. He nodded in satisfaction. "Good lad! Strong build, tall and broad, with abundant Blood Qi. Now that's the right material for forging iron!"
Caught off guard by his sudden actions, Wang Yue hurriedly bowed. "This junior is Wang Yue. Greetings, Master Liu."
"You're Wang Yue?" Liu Haibing's eyes lit up, and his tone grew warmer. "Not bad, not bad. I heard Wang He mention you. You're a fine seedling among the Wang Clan's younger generation!"
Wang Yue secretly became vigilant. He could clearly see the thick calluses covering Liu Haibing's hands, along with his enlarged knuckles.
Those were plainly marks left by years of gripping hammers and forging. What concerned Wang Yue even more was Liu Haibing's broad, powerful frame. Standing there, without deliberately stirring his inner strength, he still faintly emitted a formidable Qi Aura. Its intensity was actually stronger than that of some ordinary Energy Refining Realm martial artists!
This Master Liu's martial arts attainments are likely far from shallow. Where did the Clan Chief find such a master? Wang Yue's doubts deepened.
Liu Haibing did not notice his thoughts. He turned and headed toward another vacant forging table, calling as he went, "Wang Yue, come here! Let me see how strong you are, whether you can make a living from this forging trade!"
Wang Yue quickly followed. At the forging table, he saw a block of red-hot wrought iron resting atop the anvil. Liu Haibing took a sledgehammer from the tool rack and held it out to him. "This hammer weighs thirty jin. Take it and strike this wrought iron with all your strength. Don't worry about form. Just hit it as hard as you can!"
Wang Yue reached out and took the iron hammer. It felt heavy in his hands, but it was still within his limits. As he prepared to swing it, his gaze inadvertently swept over the forearm-length hammer hanging at Liu Haibing's waist. Its head glimmered with a faint golden light, its surface carved with delicate patterns. It was clearly no ordinary forging tool.
The next instant, lines of golden text suddenly appeared on the panel in his mind, clearly imprinting themselves upon his consciousness:
Tier Two Item, Weapon Forging Hammer Martial Soul: Dragon Transformation Fist (Proficient), including Dragon Transformation Breathing Method, Dragon Transformation Fist Technique, Dragon Transformation Body Tempering Method, Dragon Transformation Footwork Martial Soul: Three Revolutions Dragon Transformation Strength (Beginner), Cloud Sea Strength (Proficient), Thousand Forgings Strength (Proficient) Tier One Forging Talent: Hundred Weapons Tier Two Forging Talent: Hundred Forgings
"Dragon Transformation Fist? Three Revolutions Dragon Transformation Strength?" Wang Yue's pupils abruptly contracted. He sucked in a sharp breath, and cold sweat instantly seeped down his back!
He had been wondering about Liu Haibing's origins, but now he finally understood. This was no recruited forging man at all. He was clearly from the Dragon Transformation Sect!
Then Fu Shuangyun... he's probably an alchemist from the Dragon Transformation Sect as well? A thought he could not suppress suddenly surfaced in Wang Yue's mind.
"They came to the Wang Clan to establish forging and alchemy courses not to help the Wang Clan cultivate talent at all. They're using the Wang Clan's name to select disciples with forging and alchemy talent for their own sect!"
No wonder Liu Haibing was so harsh on Wang Daoling, and Fu Shuangyun was so picky when selecting apprentices. They were choosing promising seedlings for the Dragon Transformation Sect!
"Kid, what are you spacing out for? Move already!" Seeing Wang Yue standing still with the hammer in hand, Liu Haibing urged him, his voice holding a trace of puzzlement. "Do you think the hammer's too heavy? If you can't lift it, switch to a lighter one."
"No... no!" Wang Yue suddenly came back to himself. Suppressing the shock in his heart, he drew a deep breath, gripped the handle with both hands, and quietly circulated his Blood Qi. He gathered his strength into his arms and smashed down at the wrought iron on the anvil!
Bang!
A dull boom rang out. The wrought iron deformed slightly beneath the blow, sparks flying in every direction. Even the air within the workshop seemed to shudder.
Liu Haibing looked at the mark on the anvil, and approval flashed in his eyes. "Good strength! Again!"
Wang Yue did not stop. He raised the sledgehammer and struck the wrought iron again and again. The hammer wind howled, sparks continuously scattering and falling into the charcoal ash on the floor, where they ignited tiny points of fire.
As he forged, he pondered inwardly: if Liu Haibing and Fu Shuangyun truly were selecting disciples for the Dragon Transformation Sect, should he participate?
Wang Yue's hammering did not pause, but his mind was rapidly calculating. If he could gain Liu Haibing's approval through forging, it might become a shortcut to entering the Dragon Transformation Sect.
After all, Liu Haibing was from the Dragon Transformation Sect, and he possessed forging talents and Martial Souls. Learning forging from him would not only strengthen Wang Yue, but also connect him to a path into the sect. This was a deal that could not lose.
At that thought, his eyes could not help drifting again and again toward the hammer at Liu Haibing's waist. The Hundred Weapons and Hundred Forgings talents displayed on the panel, along with those sets of Dragon Transformation Sect Martial Soul techniques, were like a slab of succulent meat, tempting him until his heart itched unbearably. If he could extract those talents for himself, not only forging, but perhaps even his martial cultivation could rise another level.
"Put your back into it! Don't let your mind wander!" Liu Haibing suddenly roared, sternness in his tone. He had long noticed Wang Yue sneaking glances at him while forging. His mind was clearly not on the hammering.
The roar startled Wang Yue so badly that his hand trembled, and the sledgehammer nearly struck off target. He shuddered and hastily pulled back his thoughts, settling his mind. The ten streams of Blood Qi within him circulated rapidly, continuously sending strength into his arms. Hammer blow after hammer blow landed steadily upon the glowing iron, and the ringing became deep and powerful.
"Mm, that's more like it." Seeing him focus himself, Liu Haibing nodded in satisfaction, a hint of gratification flashing through his eyes.
Wang Yue had sufficient strength and abundant Blood Qi. As long as he mastered the rhythm and techniques of forging, he would definitely be excellent forging material—far better than Wang Daoling, who was still mechanically swinging his hammer nearby.
With the unceasing strikes, the iron on the anvil was hammered thinner and thinner. Under the high heat and hammer force, impurities gradually seeped out from its surface, turning into black slag that fell away.
Wang Yue panted heavily. Sweat trickled down his cheeks from his forehead and dripped onto the anvil with a sizzle, instantly evaporating.
Just as the iron was heated red-hot once again, Liu Haibing stepped forward, scooped a handful of dark brown powder from a ceramic jar beside him, and evenly sprinkled it over the iron. It was a mixture of iron sand, lime, and coke. It could effectively remove internal impurities from metal while increasing the iron's toughness and strength.
"Put more force into it! Hammer out every last impurity!" Liu Haibing shouted.
Wang Yue gritted his teeth and exerted himself. The Blood Dragon Secret Method within him began circulating unconsciously. As his Blood Qi surged, the power in his arms abruptly soared. Each strike became stronger than the last, and the sound of hammer striking iron grew even deeper and heavier.
"Good lad! What tremendous strength!" Delight spread across Liu Haibing's face. He could not help stepping closer to carefully observe the changes in the iron.
An ordinary martial artist would be exhausted after swinging a hammer continuously for half an hour. Yet Wang Yue showed no signs of fatigue; his strength was actually growing greater and greater. Such a physique and such Blood Qi were absolutely top-tier among the younger generation.
After a while longer, the iron gradually took shape, becoming a palm-sized block. Its surface was covered in dense hammer marks and glimmered with a faint metallic sheen.
"That'll do. Stop." Liu Haibing raised his hand in signal, his tone much gentler. "For a first attempt at forging, this is already very good."
He scratched his head, trying hard to recall what the sect elders had told him when they taught him weapon forging. He explained haltingly, "Ironworking emphasizes uniting body and qi, balancing hardness and softness. You need to let your force travel through the hammer handle and into the iron..." As he spoke, he suddenly got stuck, his gaze drifting. "More or less... more or less like that. Oh, right! You also need to combine the substantial with the insubstantial. Heavy blows smash out impurities, light blows set the shape!"
Wang Yue's face darkened with black lines, and he nearly lost his grip on the sledgehammer. Could this Master Liu be teaching someone forging for the first time? His explanation was all over the place, and he kept forgetting his words.
Liu Haibing also noticed the subtle look in Wang Yue's eyes. Thinking Wang Yue was questioning his ability, his face immediately darkened as he raised his voice. "Kid, do you think what I said is wrong? I'll demonstrate for you and show you what real skill is!"
As soon as the words fell, he drew the forearm-length hammer from behind his waist and strode to the forging table. He grabbed the still-warm pig iron from the anvil and tossed it back into the furnace. Once it had been heated red-hot again, he clamped it onto the anvil with tongs. With a flick of his wrist, the hammer seemed to come alive as it began violently forging the iron!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With every blow, sparks exploded outward. The hammer strikes grew faster and faster, their sound unbroken and resounding like a rousing symphony throughout the workshop.
Under his forging, the originally irregular metal block was swiftly hammered flat, and the impurities on its surface fell away at a visible rate.
Halfway through, Liu Haibing sprinkled in the mixed material again. Then the force of his hammer suddenly lightened. One strike light, the next heavy, its rhythm becoming staggered and varied, as though he were "shaping" the iron.
A moment later, he picked up the completed iron block with iron tongs and held it before Wang Yue, his tone carrying a measure of pride. "Watch carefully! This is twenty-forged iron. Its surface bears twenty different hammer patterns, the impurities have been thoroughly removed, and its toughness and strength are both sufficient. If I handled it personally, I could use it to make a Tier One High-grade weapon, or an inner armor like this."
Wang Yue was staring in a daze. Only when he heard the words "inner armor" did he come back to himself. He had thought Liu Haibing's hammer technique had stunned him, but following Liu Haibing's gaze, he discovered that the man was staring at his hands. His own eyes had unconsciously drifted back to the hammer at Liu Haibing's waist.
Liu Haibing's face instantly flushed red. He growled angrily, "Why do you keep staring at my hammer?" He abruptly tucked the hammer back at his waist as though guarding some precious treasure, then turned and quickly headed for the storeroom at the rear of the workshop. A moment later, he emerged carrying a silver inner armor.
Wang Yue's eyes instantly lit up, and golden text appeared on the panel once more:
Tier One High-grade: Cloud-Piercing Armor Tier One Talent: Sturdiness, enhances the body's resistance to blows. The weaker the physique, the stronger the effect. Tier One Talent: Swiftness, slightly increases speed.
Even forged equipment possesses talents! Wang Yue clicked his tongue inwardly. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if he learned weapon forging and then used the panel to extract talents from equipment, would he not form a cycle of "forge, extract, grow stronger"?
Then he would have both suitable equipment and greater strength. It was simply perfect!
He suppressed the excitement in his heart and bowed respectfully to Liu Haibing. "Master Liu, this junior wishes to closely observe your hammer and this inner armor, so that I may learn your forging techniques. This junior has never seen such exquisite inner armor. I hope Master will grant my request!"
"No!" Liu Haibing refused without even thinking. He hid the hammer behind his back and spoke resolutely. "This hammer is my life. Other than me, no one may touch it!"
Wang Yue's mouth twitched. This was not treating a hammer like his life; he was treating it like a wife, unwilling to let anyone else touch it even once.
He could only settle for the next best thing, pointing to the Cloud-Piercing Armor. "Then... it would be enough if this junior could only observe the inner armor. I want to carefully study the techniques contained within it. Perhaps I may gain insight into forging techniques."
Liu Haibing had grown up in the Dragon Transformation Sect. Apart from forging iron and cultivating, he had never received such praise for his craftsmanship. Upon hearing words like "exquisite" and "gain insight into techniques," the corners of his mouth could not help rising slightly, and his expression softened considerably.
He handed the Cloud-Piercing Armor to Wang Yue, then carefully placed the hammer at his side.
"You may look, but don't randomly test it. If you scratch the patterns on this inner armor and affect its price, that won't do."
Liu Haibing cleared his throat, trying to maintain the dignity of a master. "It's not that I won't let you see my hammer. The main problem is that you aren't a forger yet, so you aren't qualified.
When you can forge twenty-forged iron someday, then I'll consider letting you take one look."
Wang Yue accepted the inner armor, secretly feeling stifled. Isn't it just a hammer? Once I learn weapon forging, I'll first extract your Hundred Forgings talent. By then, perhaps you'll be the one begging me to examine that hammer!
On the surface, however, he looked utterly sincere. "Thank you, Master Liu. This junior will certainly study diligently and strive to forge twenty-forged iron as soon as possible!"
Seeing his proper attitude, Liu Haibing nodded in satisfaction. He began pointing at the patterns on the inner armor and explaining the force and rhythm needed in forging. Though he still occasionally forgot his words, he was far more detailed than before.
Watching this scene from the side, Wang Daoling's hammer slowed by several degrees. His eyes were full of astonishment. Why was this burly man treating Wang Yue so well?
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