Thousand-Forged Hammer and Wasting Heaven's Gifts

"I never expected Tang Hao to still be here. It must be related to Xiao Wu.

But since he didn't make a move immediately, he probably won't target me in the short term—at least, as long as we haven't left Tang San's side, we're safe for now."

The night was already deep, yet Lin Xuan lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. Unlike carefree Xiao Wu, learning that Tang Hao had never left weighed heavily on his heart.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, continuously considering every possible scenario in his mind.

Xiao Wu beside him had long since fallen fast asleep, her breathing even.

Too lazy to clean up a second room, and with the Big Bed wide enough, the two temporarily slept together.

Lin Xuan had no thoughts about Xiao Wu—at least, not the Xiao Wu she was now.

They were both still too young.

Especially him. Without having absorbed a Soul Ring, he was even slightly shorter than Xiao Wu.

Height was a serious weakness. Forgive his pathetic self-esteem—he did not like the idea of finding a girlfriend taller than himself.

Having eaten her fill last night, Xiao Wu was completely defenseless as she slept soundly through the night.

The moment midnight passed, a new day quietly arrived. Two icy objects suddenly appeared in Lin Xuan's arms. Though slightly startled, he forcibly restrained his instinctive urge to jump.

In the darkness, he reached out and felt them. The familiar outlines carried twice the weight—they were Tungsten Steel Hammers.

This pair of hammers possessed a faint hint of spirituality beyond the previous Hundred Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers. At his touch, they actually trembled lightly.

"Thousand Forging Tungsten Steel Hammers!" Information flowed through his fingertips and into his mind, and Lin Xuan instantly understood their grade.

A Thousand Forging weapon, even the most ordinary kind, was considered a peerless divine weapon in the current Douluo Continent. Only Divine Craftsman-level Blacksmiths of this era could occasionally forge one!

He suddenly recalled that Tang Wulin had indeed received a Thousand Forging gift after apprenticing himself for a year.

"Too bad I don't have a matching Storage Soul Tool." Lin Xuan silently lamented. He now had two pairs of hammers, each more precious than the last.

The Hundred Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers had already made Tang San jealous. If this Thousand Forging weapon were exposed, even Tang Hao might be tempted to seize it.

In the end, what seemed to be the most valuable item had instead become the hottest potato. He could not use it at all.

After thinking for a while, Lin Xuan carefully carried the Thousand Forging Tungsten Steel Hammers to the storage room and hid them in the least conspicuous corner, deliberately sprinkling a layer of dust over them.

Perhaps in all of Douluo Continent, only he would mistreat Thousand Forging hammers like this. Even Soul Forging or Heavenly Forging masters from the era of Douluo Dalu 3 would never treat them this way.

"If I could have chosen where I was born, I wouldn't have to live so cautiously."

Lin Xuan stared at the dust-covered Thousand Forging Hammers, his gaze gradually hardening. "This is the first time, and it will be the last.

Once I turn things around, no one will ever be able to threaten me again!"

Time passed like flowing water.

During this holiday, Tang Hao did not leave home as he had in the Original Work because he needed to observe Xiao Wu. Tang San instead got to experience a rare measure of fatherly love, only reluctantly leaving Sacred Soul Village after the three-month break ended.

Lin Xuan and Xiao Wu, meanwhile, returned to Nuoding City early after staying in the village for just one month. The village was too boring, and they could not collect Soul Master subsidies while staying there. Since Lin Xuan also wanted to continue honing his Forging Skills, they simply returned to school two months early.

Nuoding Academy had no rule requiring it to close during holidays. Students could return to stay at any time; only the cafeteria was closed, so they had to arrange their own meals. The two, who had money to spare, felt no pressure over this and happily ate out instead.

In the blink of an eye, the new term arrived, and Tang San once again stepped into Nuoding City. It was as if the previous year's cycle had repeated itself. After spending so much time together, he once more could not resist paying Lin Xuan for challenges, becoming Lin Xuan's reliable "cash machine."

With support from Tang San, this "rich brother," Lin Xuan and Xiao Wu lived quite comfortably, while his Forging Skills improved by leaps and bounds.

Yet Lin Xuan understood the art of concealing himself well. Although his skill had already advanced far within the realm of Hundred Refinements, he outwardly maintained the standard of someone who had only just entered it.

"What a waste! What an utter waste!"

Shi San, the Blacksmith Shop Boss, looked at the things Lin Xuan had forged and repeatedly slapped his thigh in dismay. The Blacksmiths beside him wore equally pained expressions. Tang San in particular looked so twisted that his face nearly deformed.

The Hundred Refinements Metal he had dreamed of possessing could be forged so easily by Lin Xuan, only to be used for...

"My Heaven! If you don't know what to forge, you could at least make iron blanks! Why did you turn them all into farming tools?!"

Shi San stared at the gleaming sickles, his heart aching so badly it twitched.

These were all Hundred Refinements Metal! What family used Hundred Refinements materials for farming tools?

Pass down one of these sickles, and even after the owner was gone, the sickle would probably remain completely intact!

"It can't be helped. The villagers treated me well before, and I don't have any other way to repay them now, so I'm forging them a few family heirlooms."

Lin Xuan looked utterly sincere. He truly wanted to repay the villagers. After thinking it over, he realized they would not have much use for anything else. Sickle blades made from Hundred Refinements iron were practical and durable.

Shi San's mouth twitched wildly—using Hundred Refinements Metal for sickles? Did his family grow golden wheat?

But Lin Xuan had purchased all the materials with his own money, so Shi San could not say much.

"Lin Xuan, could you think over what I mentioned before?"

Shi San forcibly changed the subject, afraid that staring any longer would make his envy burn even hotter.

"I recommend Gengjin City. With your talent, a Divine Craftsman will definitely accept you as a Disciple! Your Soul Power talent may be A Bit Lacking, but your Innate Divine Strength can fully make up for it!"

Hundred Refinements Metal was expensive. Even ordinary steel could sell for three figures after undergoing Hundred Refinements.

If not for their lack of strength, they would have long wanted to steal Lin Xuan's Forging Skills. Even Shi San had not mastered Hundred Refinements.

"I'm not interested for now." Lin Xuan shook his head.

"My priority is cultivation. Forging is only a means of making a living, and being good enough is enough."

Of course he knew about Gengjin City. It was a holy land for Blacksmiths.

But he did not intend to go. He could not make Battle Armor, and even if he mastered forging, it would be useless without knowledge related to Soul Tools.

These past days, he had searched through Nuoding Academy's library, yet he had not found a single book about Soul Tools.

Making Battle Armor involved multiple skills, including design, fabrication, and repair. Even Tang Wulin had only studied forging as a secondary discipline.

In this era where Soul Tools had been lost, even if he wanted to study them in depth, he had no way to begin.

Besides, even if he wanted to leave, Tang Hao would not allow it. If he left, Xiao Wu would definitely follow him.

How could Tang Hao possibly allow Xiao Wu, such a huge prize, to leave his sight?

Moreover, as time passed, Tang Wulin's Battle Armor would gradually synchronize into his possession, giving him even less reason to rush off to Gengjin City.

As for Xiao Wu's Battle Armor, he could only find a way later to seek out knowledge related to Soul Tools.

Seeing Lin Xuan refuse again, Shi San could do nothing about it.

Though he was the Boss, Lin Xuan now held the highest status in the Blacksmith Shop. After all, he was the only one in the entire shop who could reliably forge Hundred Refinements Metal.

As he watched Lin Xuan methodically forge sickle after sickle, Tang San cursed the waste of Heaven's gifts inwardly while a thought quietly arose: perhaps he could ask Lin Xuan to forge components for his Hidden Weapons?