Iron Sand Skin Polishing Stage

"Instructor Du, is there anything wrong with the secret medicine we take every day?"

One apprentice asked fearfully.

Instructor Du Hai said, "Rest assured. The secret medicine you take is refined by the Martial Arts Hall's alchemists; all of it is qualified. This apprentice likely tried to save money and bought inferior secret medicine from the Black Market, where quality was not guaranteed. That is why this happened."

Someone else asked, "Instructor Du Hai, why does taking inferior secret medicine lead to such an outcome?"

The others also turned curious, puzzled gazes toward him.

Instructor Du Hai did not hide anything and revealed, "It is simple. No matter what kind of secret medicine it is, it requires a special medicinal catalyst—Demon Blood. In this world, aside from humans, there are demons. You should all have heard tales of them. Demons hide in deep mountains and dense forests, in all manner of perilous lands, in the sea, and some even conceal themselves among humans. We humans hunt demons and use their blood to refine secret medicine, while demons devour humans to grow stronger. In short, humans and demons are mortal enemies. If anyone undergoes Semi-Demonization, kill them without exception."

A small number of people trembled all over, terrified inside, because they too had bought secret medicine from the Black Market. Since that medicine was cheap, there were more or less always some issues with it.

Having now witnessed such an outcome, they no longer dared to buy it. They decided to obediently take the Martial Arts Hall's secret medicine for cultivation. It might be more expensive, but at least it was safe.

"Demons!"

When Li Changsheng had first transmigrated into this world, he had indeed heard of demons, but he had never truly seen one. He had assumed they were fabrications or legends. Only now did he learn that demons truly existed—and were not rare.

Demons could even be hiding among humans, which meant he might encounter one as well.

"Strength... without sufficient strength, once I encounter a demon, I'll almost certainly die!" Today's events had shaken Li Changsheng, driving him to cultivate even harder.

That afternoon.

Li Changsheng returned to the smithy.

"Master Li Han, I want to try forging weapons!" Li Changsheng said.

Li Han agreed. He had watched Li Changsheng's forging skills improve over this period. With the Li Family Three Hammer Technique at Perfection Realm, he was indeed qualified to forge graded weapons.

"Changsheng, weapons are divided into Ninth Grade, Eighth Grade, Seventh Grade... all the way to First Grade. Although a Ninth-grade Weapon is the lowest kind of graded weapon, even a Ninth Grade Lower Tier weapon is worth over a hundred taels of silver. If you can forge Ninth-grade Weapons, you can be considered a Low-level Blacksmith. If you can forge Eighth-grade Weapons, you are an Intermediate Blacksmith. The three smiths at our Li Family Smithy are all Low-level Blacksmiths. I can forge Ninth Grade Middle Tier weapons, while Old Zhang can forge Ninth Grade Upper Tier weapons," Li Han explained.

"The Li Family Three Hammer Technique is a foundational hammer technique. It can barely be used to forge Ninth Grade Lower Tier weapons, but forging weapons of Ninth Grade Middle Tier or above with it is practically impossible. For that, you must learn a true forging technique."

"Our Li Family Smithy's true forging technique is the Vajra Hammer Technique. It has thirteen forms in total. This hammer technique mobilizes the strength of the entire body. Though it is not a true martial art and cannot stir one's qi and blood, regular practice can greatly strengthen the body and offers certain benefits for martial cultivation as well."

Li Han immediately demonstrated the thirteen forms of the Vajra Hammer Technique for Li Changsheng.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!!

Li Han gripped his hammer and struck without pause, leaving behind streaks of afterimages. It was as if six hammers were pounding the iron block at once. He had clearly cultivated the Vajra Hammer Technique to the Minor Accomplishment Realm. At the Great Accomplishment Realm, he could produce nine hammer afterimages; at the Perfection Realm, thirteen.

Li Changsheng memorized the Vajra Hammer Technique's movements after watching them only once. Such was the effect brought by the Forging Dao Fruit.

"Changsheng, from today onward, you may use this Forging Room as you please. But forging Ninth-grade Weapons requires Ten Refinements Fine Iron and other materials. If you fail, the cost will be deducted from your wages."

Li Han reminded him.

"Alright!"

Li Changsheng had no objections.

Afterward, Li Han instructed Li Changsheng on how to forge weapons, even personally demonstrating the process for him once.

Next, Li Changsheng began forging weapons in earnest. He planned to forge a Ninth Grade Armor Weapon. Armor-type weapons were the hardest to forge, but he had great confidence in himself.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!!!

Li Changsheng forged day after day. He did indeed fail at first, but even failed attempts still gave him considerable experience toward the Forging Dao Fruit.

On the ninth day.

Li Changsheng successfully forged a Ninth Grade Lower Tier armor weapon. He had also cultivated the Vajra Hammer Technique to the peak of the entry level, allowing him to produce three hammer afterimages.

When he told Li Han that he could forge Ninth Grade Armor Weapons, Li Han simply could not believe it.

But when Li Changsheng personally brought out the Ninth Grade armor he had forged, Li Han had no choice but to believe him.

"Changsheng, from today on, if you forge a Ninth Grade Armor Weapon for the smithy, you will receive a commission of thirty taels of silver. The smithy will provide the materials," Li Han said.

"Understood, Master Li Han," Li Changsheng said.

"Hahaha, just call me Brother Li Han!" Li Han hurriedly said.

In the days that followed, he continued forging Ninth Grade Armor Weapons, but his success rate was not one hundred percent. At present, it was roughly one in three, and he could forge only one Ninth Grade Armor Weapon per day. After all, he still had to devote most of his time to cultivation and could not spend too much time forging weapons.

More days passed.

Li Changsheng's hands reached the point where rubbing pebbles would no longer injure them. He had successfully completed the Pebble Skin Polishing Stage.

After completing this stage, he went to find Instructor Du Hai.

"Instructor Du, I have completed the Pebble Skin Polishing Stage. Next, I should begin training in the Stir-frying Iron Sand Skin Polishing Stage, right?" Li Changsheng asked.

"You may!"

Instructor Du brought Li Changsheng to the training ground for the Stir-frying Iron Sand Skin Polishing Stage. Great cauldrons here were burning, each filled with vast amounts of iron sand. One apprentice after another stirred the iron sand with their bare hands, their hands scalded red by the searing heat, even breaking out in blood blisters.

"Instructor Du, roughly how long will this stage take to train?" Li Changsheng asked.

Instructor Du Hai said, "You spent nearly two months on the Pebble Skin Polishing Stage. If you want to complete the Iron Sand Skin Polishing Stage, it will take at least another five or six months!"

Five or six months!

Li Changsheng intended to complete the Iron Sand Skin Polishing Stage in less time. He then came to an unoccupied iron cauldron, lit the firewood beneath it, and waited until the iron sand became scorching hot before beginning to stir it with both hands.

At once, long-forgotten agony struck him. In that instant, his hands seemed no longer to belong to him!

Before long, his hands had turned bright red, and blood blisters had even risen on them. Yet he persisted. Only when both hands were covered in blisters, and those blisters had burst, leaving them a bloody mess of mangled flesh, did he purchase the Martial Arts Hall's secret medicine and apply it for recovery.