Expert in Outer Strength! (Seeking Collections!)

"I've only tried melting it before, this time I'll try high-temperature forging," Li Qing frowned slightly, taking the piece of Ink Gold into his hand and fiddling with it.

His master, Master Gu, also practiced the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique. He had successfully forged weapons with Ink Gold before and had even recommended Li Qing to help Centurion Qian Hong forge a weapon with Ink Gold.

This meant that Master Gu believed he had the ability to forge Ink Gold into a weapon!

"The only thing I have in common with my master is that we both practice the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique. The key point might be right here."

As he spoke, Li Qing placed the Ink Gold on the platform of the forging furnace. High temperatures continuously radiated from below, creating waves of heat.

Li Qing immediately took off the oversized cotton coat he was wearing. He picked up the iron hammer and assumed the stance of the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique.

"Hoo!"

He took a deep breath and then slammed down with all his might.

Bang!

The hammer and the Ink Gold made contact, emitting a dull thud. The entire forging furnace began to tremble slightly.

Following this, Li Qing began to strike the Ink Gold with hammer after hammer, following the movements of the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique.

Once he entered the state of forging iron, Li Qing became incredibly focused, even forgetting about the passage of time.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under the moonlight, the rhythmic sound of forging echoed endlessly.

He didn't know how long it had been or how many hammers he had struck.

He suddenly realized that the piece of Ink Gold was finally beginning to change.

Its originally hard texture was now gradually becoming soft and malleable.

Sensing this change, Li Qing continued to strike while the iron was hot, swinging his hammer tirelessly to forge the Ink Gold.

"This is truly a magical metal. With every hammer blow, the Ink Gold absorbs a bit of heat from the furnace."

"No wonder they say ordinary blacksmiths can't forge Ink Gold; it requires so much strength. Without martial arts training, ordinary blacksmiths really can't do anything with this kind of Ink Gold!"

Li Qing marveled inwardly, and at the same time, he began to anticipate how powerful a hammer forged from this Ink Gold would be.

That Centurion Qian Hong actually wanted to forge a Green Rainbow Sword entirely out of Ink Gold!

The thought made Li Qing unable to help but sigh. This was definitely a monumental undertaking, no less than building a palace.

Even with his current strength, combined with the specialized forging techniques of the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique, it was this difficult to forge a fist-sized piece of Ink Gold.

To use Ink Gold for an entire sword, it would probably take several blacksmiths working themselves to death and still not be able to complete it!

A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and Li Qing once again immersed his entire being in the process of forging the hammer.

As the fist-sized piece of Ink Gold gradually became malleable, Li Qing quickly threw other Iron Ingots into the forging furnace.

He planned to forge this Ink Gold into the hammerhead, using iron for the rest of the hammer's body.

Time flowed by silently. Li Qing, engrossed in forging, had almost lost all sense of time. The only thing in his world was the hammer.

Bang!

He successfully melted the Ink Gold into the hammerhead. The originally matte black hammerhead now had a polished texture after the addition of Ink Gold.

At this moment, the entire body of the hammer was still in a dark red, high-temperature state.

Li Qing didn't stop. He fetched cold water and carefully sprinkled it onto the nearly finished great hammer.

Hiss~

The high-temperature iron instantly vaporized the cold water into gas, and a wisp of white steam rose in the courtyard.

"Not bad, let's call this hammer the Peerless Hammer!" Li Qing exclaimed to himself with joy, feeling that his hammer, infused with Ink Gold, was truly peerless in the world.

Since it was a hammer, unlike weapons that require sharp edges, it didn't need quenching or sharpening.

After the cold water had completely cooled the hammer's body, the Peerless Hammer was finally completed.

[Successfully forged a Fine Mortal Artifact: Peerless Hammer, rewarded with Lifespan: Three Years!]

Three years!

Seeing the prompt that appeared before him, Li Qing's eyes lit up.

Before, when he forged ordinary weapons, the maximum Lifespan reward was one year. Later, as he forged more and more weapons, the Lifespan reward gradually decreased, until the last weapon, a Fine Iron Ge, only gave him five months of lifespan.

He never expected that this hammer, infused with Ink Gold, would be a Fine Mortal Artifact, and forging it successfully had directly increased his lifespan by three years!

Next, Li Qing glanced at the number representing his remaining Lifespan—145!

He could live for nearly another 150 years. He was almost seventeen now.

What an astonishing number! As long as he remained healthy, he could live to over 160 years old, and this number would continue to grow as he forged more weapons!

"Now I truly have a lifespan comparable to heaven and earth!" Li Qing couldn't hide his excitement. He placed his hands on the Peerless Hammer and slowly lifted it.

It was a large hammer. The handle was as long as Li Qing's two arms, nearly the height of a normal person.

The hammerhead was also substantial, a dark, heavy black that gave the hammer a sense of weight.

Two hundred and thirty jin!

It was heavy; this was the heaviest hammer Li Qing had ever used, yet when he held it, he didn't feel much of a burden at all.

"Wait... my strength?!"

After finishing the forging of the Peerless Hammer, Li Qing discovered that his strength had grown again. The Peerless Hammer in his hands felt like an extension of his arm, incredibly easy to wield.

"I've developed Outer Strength?!"

Li Qing joyfully realized that he might have just entered the ranks of Outer Strength masters.

Having completed the forging of the Peerless Hammer, Li Qing felt somewhat fatigued, yet he also felt as if he had an inexhaustible supply of strength. Forging another Peerless Hammer wouldn't be a problem!

"Vitality arises spontaneously, Blood Essence surges like a tide – this is Outer Strength!"

These were the unique characteristics of Outer Strength masters recorded in the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique. Now, Li Qing felt he perfectly matched these descriptions.

"I never expected this, truly a double happiness today, no, a triple happiness!"

He had smelted Ink Gold and successfully forged a Fine Mortal Artifact, the Peerless Hammer!

Then, he was rewarded with three years of Lifespan, which further settled Li Qing's heart.

Finally, there was what he considered his greatest gain: developing Outer Strength!

Ever since he joined the army, he had been yearning for the Outer Strength level in martial arts!

"With my current strength, if I returned to the Wu Li Army, I might even be able to snag a Centurion position," Li Qing said with a pleased expression.

In the Wu Li Army, Centurions were Outer Strength masters, while those who held the rank of Centurion were grandmasters of Internal Energy!

As for Transforming Energy Grandmasters, there were only a handful of such individuals in the entire Feng Kingdom.

Rumor had it that the General of the Wu Li Army was a Transforming Energy Grandmaster, but this was merely a rumor, not yet confirmed.

Of course, Li Qing, who had already left the Wu Li Army, had no intention of returning now.

Seeking collection and recommendations!!