"Impossible" Spirit Forging

Time flew by. Tang Chenfeng had already lived at the academy for a month. During that time, he came to understand the academy better. Although it was divided into many grades, grade level was not the only measure of strength. Age did not determine everything. Even among the lower grades, there were students of tremendous strength and exceptional talent, and Tang Chenfeng was one of the best among them. At least, no one in the first or second grade could beat him. The main reason for those fights was his younger sister, Ye Hongling. Though she was still young, she was incredibly cute and beautiful, universally recognized as the lower grades' school belle. Many people wanted to get close to her, but Tang Chenfeng drove every one of them away. Of course, plenty of people tried to force their way through, so fights became unavoidable. At first, quite a few people came looking for trouble. Then one day, a second-year student whom Tang Chenfeng had beaten called over his sixth-year brother, a One-Ring Soul Master with a Ten-Year Soul Ring, to demand an "explanation." In the end, Tang Chenfeng activated his Martial Soul and sent both him and the door flying with a single punch. After that, no one dared approach the siblings with ill intent, and Tang Chenfeng's reputation began to spread.

The siblings had not been idle during that time, either. Although Tang Chenfeng's blacksmithing skills were good, he had yet to receive official blacksmith certification. Naturally, he could only forge alongside Zhao Gaobo as an assistant, helping produce simple components and inscribe basic Soul Guide Matrices to earn money. It gave him some extra living expenses on top of his Work-Study Student job. Now, there was one more person in the forging room besides him and Teacher Zhao: Ye Hongling. Earlier, in the forging room, Ye Hongling had completed Teacher Zhao's Soul Guide Matrix design blueprint, a problem that had troubled him for quite some time. That blueprint contained many innovative experimental designs with no precedent to draw upon. Zhao Gaobo had reached a bottleneck after completing half of it, while the remaining half had stumped him ever since. Yet Ye Hongling had actually finished it, displaying remarkable design talent in the process. Thus, at Zhao Gaobo's suggestion, Ye Hongling chose Mecha Designer as her Sub-profession. She handled the designs while Tang Chenfeng forged and manufactured them. Their cooperation was flawless, and the components they produced were of excellent quality—even Zhao Gaobo could find no fault with them. They earned quite a bit of money from this, but with their appetites, that cash was only enough to keep them full. The card Zhao Gaobo had lent them had already been returned. He was stunned to find that it had over one hundred thousand Federal Currency less on it. It had only been a month, yet the siblings had eaten nearly three months' worth of his salary. Still, there was nothing to be done. As their cultivation improved, their appetites grew larger and more outrageous. Perhaps because of her Martial Soul, Ye Hongling's body unconsciously released Life Energy, so she needed massive amounts of energy replenishment. Tang Chenfeng, meanwhile, seemed to simply eat a lot. But Bai Xing told him that his growth required an unimaginably enormous amount of energy. What he ate now was merely a tiny, insignificant amount of energy in the course of his growth.

Their daily lives now consisted of attending classes, studying, cultivating, earning living expenses through their Sub-professions, and finding Ze Ping to train in actual combat. Ze Ping was more persistent than Tang Chenfeng had imagined. He gritted his teeth and endured every training session. Though his strength seemed rather weak beside Tang Chenfeng's, he had improved enormously compared to before—even he was surprised by it. Yet after that, Ze Ping became even more hardworking. In terms of perseverance especially, even Ye Hongling admitted she could not compare to him.

The weekend was approaching, and Tang Chenfeng would soon head to the Blacksmith Association to test for his blacksmithing rank. Before that, however, Zhao Gaobo said he would give Tang Chenfeng a forging assessment to improve his blacksmithing ability.

Tang Chenfeng asked in confusion, "Teacher, didn't I already pass your test before? Why do I still need another assessment?"

Zhao Gaobo said, "It's different. Before, I was testing your talent. Now, I want to improve your blacksmithing level. Tell me, Chenfeng, how do you feel about the Forging Hammer you're currently using?"

The Forging Hammer Tang Chenfeng was using was the long-handled hammer from his previous assessment. In terms of quality, it was a Hundred-Forged Tungsten Steel Hammer—a very ordinary Forging Hammer.

Tang Chenfeng answered, "It's average. It works fine, but I still feel like something is missing. Whenever I forge rare metals with it, it always feels a little awkward."

Zhao Gaobo said, "That's right. First, this Forging Hammer's quality is already somewhat insufficient for you. Also, it doesn't belong to you. To you, it will always be something external. You need a Forging Hammer of your own to forge your own path. So your assessment is to choose rare metals yourself and make a Forging Hammer that belongs only to you. And you must give it everything you have, pushing yourself to your current peak. Understand?"

"Yes, Teacher, I understand." After saying that, Tang Chenfeng immediately sat down cross-legged and began restoring his physical and mental condition.

For Tang Chenfeng now, Thousand Forging and Hundred Forging were no longer problems. If he went all out and put everything into forging, perhaps he could reach the level of Spirit Forging. However, he had only completed Spirit Forging once so far—the first time he had gone all out. The burden it placed on him had been tremendous, which was why Zhao Gaobo had not allowed him to continue attempting Spirit Forging. But as time passed, he discovered that Tang Chenfeng's learning speed was astonishing. Not only could he achieve Hundred Forging with ease, but even Thousand Forging almost always reached Thousand Forging First Grade. His mecha manufacturing studies had also begun showing results. Calling him an all-rounder would not be an exaggeration. As for the issue of his forged works having extremely strong exclusivity, Zhao Gaobo had already thought of a solution. All that remained was to try it and verify whether it was feasible.

At that moment, Tang Chenfeng, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. He rose from the floor and walked straight toward the shelf holding the rare metals, where he began selecting the material he wanted to forge.

He first gave the shelf's glittering assortment of rare metals a quick glance. Then his eyes lit up. He took down a piece of silver-gray rare metal from an inconspicuous little shelf nearby. Its surface was extremely rough, like accumulated grains of sand, with faint dark-blue cross-sections running through its middle. It looked like an ordinary piece of dark, rough ore.

Seeing Tang Chenfeng's choice, Zhao Gaobo could not help frowning.

Ye Hongling, standing beside him, naturally noticed the reaction. She asked, "Teacher Zhao, you look unhappy. Did my brother choose something terrible?"

Zhao Gaobo said, "I don't know whether to say his eye is too good or too bad. The rare metal he chose is called Nebula Iron, also known as Star Iron. Its structure is extremely loose. It is called iron, but it is actually more like a mass of fused iron sand. Like Dark Star Crystal, it is a metal found only in meteorites. Even among rare metals, it is exceedingly scarce, so it is incredibly expensive. And your brother chose the largest piece. I put it in that hidden corner precisely because I hoped no one would notice it. Who knew it would be discovered so quickly?" A bitter smile had already appeared on Zhao Gaobo's face.

Seeing Zhao Gaobo's pained expression, Ye Hongling could not help laughing. "So, Teacher Zhao, you're upset over that piece of Star Iron? It's fine. If it belongs to your own disciple, doesn't that make it yours anyway?"

Looking at the giggling Ye Hongling, Zhao Gaobo said irritably, "Heh, what kind of person do you take your teacher for? Am I that stingy? I'm worried about your brother's Spirit Forging. Because of its structure, Star Iron is extremely difficult to forge. One careless mistake can damage its internal structure, resulting in twice the effort for half the result. And precisely because of that structure, Star Iron cannot possibly undergo Spirit Forging."

"What?!" Ye Hongling cried in shock.

"Should we tell my brother?"

Zhao Gaobo said, "No. His current condition is perfect. Let him do it. Let's see how far your brother can go."

By then, Tang Chenfeng had already placed the piece of Star Iron on the Forging Platform. He pressed a button, and the Star Iron slowly entered the forging furnace to be heated. Tang Chenfeng stood before the Forging Platform with his eyes closed, sensing his surroundings and adjusting his condition.

He had experienced the feeling of Spirit Forging long ago. Since successfully completing that all-out Spirit Forging for the first time, he had never forgotten that sensation. Thousand Forging developed metal and brought about a quantitative change, while Spirit Forging created a qualitative change in metal, allowing it to be born with life. It was the process of creating life. That feeling remained vivid in his memory.

Suddenly, Tang Chenfeng snapped open his eyes and pressed the button. The heated Star Iron slowly rose from the forging furnace. The Hundred-Forged Tungsten Steel Hammer was already in his hands. Gripping the hammer with both hands, he held the upper portion of the handle in a reverse grip with his right hand and the lower portion with his left. He stepped back with his right foot into a bow stance, half-turned his body, and then the two people beside him saw Tang Chenfeng suddenly swing the Forging Hammer.

Power rose from his calves, traveled to his waist, then his back, then his arms, and finally his wrists swung the Forging Hammer.

The Forging Hammer crashed down with an explosive burst of air. Yes, crashed down.

Boom—! A violent roar instantly filled the entire forging room. The two spectators beside him instinctively covered their ears. At that moment, they shared the same thought deep down: was Tang Chenfeng trying to tear apart the Forging Platform? Yet neither of them noticed that the light of Divine Sense was already flickering in Tang Chenfeng's eyes.

Boom—boom—! Two more thunderous impacts rang out. Tang Chenfeng was already wielding the Forging Hammer as he began spinning in place.

Boom—boom—boom! The booms rang out again, but this time they were clearly faster and more powerful. The metal bounced wildly beneath his hammer.

Zhao Gaobo's eyes widened when he saw Tang Chenfeng's hammer technique. He muttered, "Why does this look so much like the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? Where did he learn it?"

Ye Hongling asked in confusion, "Teacher Zhao, what is the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer?"

Zhao Gaobo replied, "It is a hammer technique created by a sect. It can be used to forge metal or for combat. Those who master it can swing eighty-one consecutive hammer strikes. When used for forging, it can completely remove the impurities within metal and forge it into any shape desired. When used in battle, each strike becomes heavier than the last. Once all eighty-one strikes are completed, the final blow will surely be earth-shattering. This technique is the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, and it comes from a legendary sect called the Clear Sky Sect. If I had not personally seen a Divine Craftsman from the Clear Sky Sect forge before, I might truly have believed it was merely a sect from legend. But what puzzles me now is why your brother's hammer technique is so similar to the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer."

Was Tang Chenfeng truly using the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? Of course not—at least, it was not one personally passed down by the Clear Sky Sect. He had comprehended it through his own insight. During his previous forging, Tang Chenfeng discovered that each strike against metal produced a certain rebounding force. By using that force, he could not only save effort while forging, but also borrow its momentum to improve the quality of the forged metal. That was why he began forging with this technique. Its similarity to the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer could only be considered a coincidence.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

At that moment, Tang Chenfeng's body had begun spinning at high speed. With every rotation, the Forging Hammer in his hands struck harder than before. Yet this seemingly brutal hammer technique guided the Star Iron as it was forged, constantly adjusting its angle. Every adjustment was perfect, and the volume of the Star Iron was shrinking at a visible rate.

Boom— Another heavy hammer strike fell, and a solid beam of white light shot into the air. The light emerging from the Star Iron rose straight upward like a rocket, soaring a full three feet. After the thirty-sixth hammer strike, the Star Iron had achieved Thousand Forging with spirit. First Grade was complete.

Zhao Gaobo's expression did not change much. After all, if one saw something unbelievable often enough, it would eventually cease to be surprising. Yet he remained deeply shocked inside. How old was Tang Chenfeng? He was only six! He was merely stronger than an ordinary person, yet he could already achieve Thousand Forging First Grade. If he were an officially certified blacksmith, he would be a Level Four Blacksmith. A Level Four Sub-profession was already enough for someone outside to support a comfortably well-off family alone. How many blacksmiths had spent their entire lives stuck at this step? Yet Tang Chenfeng had completed it effortlessly—and he was already preparing to go even further.

Tang Chenfeng's eyes had become exceptionally bright, as though the light within them might spill out at any moment. At the same time, his body expanded, turning him into a small giant nearly six feet three inches tall. Looking at his back now, he seemed to faintly possess the bearing of a master.

He raised the Forging Hammer in his hand. This time, rather than striking directly, he held it above the Thousand-Forged Star Iron and quietly sensed something.

Spirit Forging was a process based on one's own Martial Soul, building a bridge with the metal and granting it life. Thousand Forging bestowed spirituality; Spirit Forging bestowed life. It was a qualitative transformation. Whether it could succeed was difficult to say. What Tang Chenfeng was doing now was communicating with the metal, guiding out its spirituality and inherent vitality.