Tang San's Story 9: God of Forging

At this moment, Tang San's eyes dimmed, and his tone was filled with despair.

He couldn't accept the outcome of more than three years of hard work that was about to go to waste.

Tang San's heart sank to the bottom. He desperately urged his Soul Power, trying to repair the cracks in his armor.

However, he discovered that these cracks were impossible to repair; in fact, they spread even faster under the impact of Soul Power.

"Pfft!"

Just then, a strange sound suddenly rang out.

Suddenly, countless lines of blood erupted from Lou Gao's body, and blood gushed out of his seven orifices and pores like a fountain.

The blood didn't fall to the ground; instead, it floated in the air, forming streaks of crimson air that slowly drifted towards Tang San's Clear Sky Armor.

"Senior, what are you doing?" Tang San's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly asked, a strong sense of unease welling up in his heart.

"Kid, this is my last bit of strength."

Lou Gao's voice became extremely weak, yet carried a hint of determination. "This armor is the culmination of our collective efforts; it cannot be destroyed like this."

My life has come to an end, and to be able to contribute my last bit of strength to it is a worthy death."

"Blood sacrifice!"

With a deafening shout from Lou Gao, his body suddenly burst forth with a dazzling red light, then exploded into a thick cloud of Blood Mist.

All the energy in the Blood Mist transformed into torrents of crimson light, surging wildly into the Clear Sky Armor on Tang San's body.

Lou Gao actually sacrificed his own life and soul, using the most forbidden Blood Sacrifice Technique in the Soul Master World, in an attempt to repair the fundamental damage to the armor!

As the blood sacrifice power from Lou Gao surged in, the purple cracks that had been spreading across the Clear Sky Armor actually began to slowly heal.

The golden patterns on the armor's surface brightened again, radiating a warm and powerful light, perfectly merging the crimson energy with its own.

After another incense stick's time, the last purple crack on the Clear Sky Armor was completely healed, and the surface of the armor was restored to its original state, even more dazzling than before. The energy fluctuations it emitted also became more condensed and more powerful.

Only then was the Clear Sky Armor, which Tang San and Lou Gao had painstakingly crafted over three and a half years, truly completed.

With a thought, Tang San deactivated the armor's combined state.

The dark golden Clear Sky Armor disintegrated into a stream of light, eventually condensing into a fist-sized black sphere of light, which landed in his hand.

He gripped the ball of light tightly, feeling the immense power it contained, but felt no joy, only endless heaviness and complexity.

"Senior..." Tang San raised his head, looking at the scattered Blood Mist around him. Thinking of the old man who gave his life for this armor, his eyes couldn't help but moisten.

He murmured softly, his voice hoarse, filled with guilt and gratitude.

"Buzz--!"

Just then, a violent spatial tremor suddenly came from the sky.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling black beam of light suddenly appeared from the void, like God descending to earth, and shot straight toward Tang San.

The black beam of light was moving at an extreme speed, giving Tang San no chance to dodge.

Before he could even react, the beam of light had already struck him precisely between the eyebrows.

A vast and refined torrent of information instantly flooded into Tang San's mind.

His body trembled slightly, and he immediately understood the origin of this power, his eyes revealing an expression of utter shock. "This is... the legacy of the God of Forging?"

Just as the black beam of light merged into Tang San's brow, a series of hurried footsteps sounded from the foot of the volcano.

Zhu Zhu Qing was carrying a specially made Storage Soul Tool, originally there to deliver supplies to Tang San and Lou Gao as agreed.

However, as she approached the Forging God Mountain Range, she saw a terrifying sight: dark clouds gathering and lightning flashing above the mountaintop, and her heart clenched instantly.

Without thinking twice, she unleashed her full Soul Power, her figure blurring as she raced towards the summit of the volcano.

"Third Brother! Senior Lou! Are you alright?"

Zhu Zhu Qing's voice trembled noticeably as she ran up the mountain. What she saw was the wrecked volcano summit, Tang San standing there with a complicated expression, and the Blood Mist that had not yet completely dissipated around her.

Her pupils contracted sharply, and she rushed to Tang San's side, grabbing his arm tightly. She looked him up and down, her voice full of worry.

"Third Brother, how are you? Are you injured? Senior Lou, he..."

Tang San felt the warm touch on his wrist, turned to look at Zhu Zhu Qing's anxious face, and felt a warmth in his heart. He gently patted the back of her hand and said in a deep voice, "I'm fine, I'm sorry to have worried you."

"But Senior Lou... he used Blood Sacrifice Technique to repair the Clear Sky Armor, and he is no longer here."

As he finished speaking, his voice grew low, and his eyes were filled with grief.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhu Qing's face showed disbelief. She subconsciously looked at the surrounding Blood Mist and was speechless for a moment.

She knew how important Lou Gao was to Tang San, and she also knew how much effort the two of them had put into this armor; she never expected it to end like this.

After calming down, she noticed a strange, pale gold mark between Tang San's eyebrows.

The mark was shaped like a hammer and flames intertwined, faintly emitting a dim light.

Zhu Zhu Qing couldn't help but ask curiously, "Third Brother, what's that mark on your forehead?"

"Did it appear when the lightning struck just now?"

Tang San raised his hand to touch the mark between his eyebrows, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and excitement. He said, "This wasn't caused by lightning; it was brought about by that black pillar of light just now. This is the Inheritance Mark of the God of Forging."

"When the pillar of light entered my mind just now, I received a great deal of supreme knowledge about forging, as well as the method to open this Inheritance Space."

"The legacy of the God of Forging?"

Zhu Zhu Qing's eyes widened in shock.

Although she wasn't skilled in forging, she knew what "divine inheritance" meant.

That was a shortcut to the god-level realm, an opportunity that countless Soul Master dreamed of after Xia Yang became a god.

Tang San took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and looked at Zhu Zhu Qing earnestly, saying, "Zhu Zhuqing, this Inheritance Space contains abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as well as cultivation insights left behind by the God of Forging. Perhaps it will be helpful to your cultivation."

"I plan to enter the Inheritance Space to cultivate in seclusion for a period of time. Would you like to come with me?"

"I do!"

Zhu Zhu Qing nodded vigorously without the slightest hesitation.

For her, as long as she could stay by Tang San's side, she didn't care where they went, especially since this was a rare opportunity for cultivation.

Tang San nodded, then with a thought, he activated the God of Forging Mark between his brows.

Soul Power Fluctuation quietly gathered in the air, and a pale golden Inheritance Mark lit up between Tang San's brows.

The halo slowly spread, gently enveloping Zhu Zhu Qing beside him.

There were no extraneous sounds, nor any earth-shattering phenomena.

And so, Tang San and his companion's figures gradually became transparent as the light from the mark shone through.

In the end, the two of them completely merged into the void.

They entered an alternate dimension specifically designed for divine inheritance.

This space seemed to exist independently of heaven and earth.

The surroundings were enveloped in a hazy, chaotic halo of light.

Tang San was standing on Obsidian ground that contained endless energy.

Here, with every breath he took, he could feel the pure Soul Power flowing in the air.

This alternate dimension is the core location for forging the divine inheritance.

As soon as they stepped into the alternate dimension, Tang San took Zhu Zhu Qing's hand and looked firmly at the Forging Platform floating in the halo of light in the distance.

"The Inheritance Mark indicate that the flow of time here is different from that outside, so we should take this opportunity to focus on our cultivation."

Tang San's voice carried a hint of composure, and the warmth of his palm brought Zhu Zhu Qing a sense of peace.

In the days that followed, two busy figures appeared in the alternate dimension.

While guiding the Soul Power within his body to merge with the pure energy in the space, Tang San gradually honed and improved his Soul Power foundation, he also studied the forging method around the ancient Forging Platform.

From the most basic control of heat to the Soul Power infusion techniques required for god-level forging.

He pondered every single detail repeatedly.

Zhu Zhu Qing wasn't idle either; she cultivated simultaneously using the unique environment of the alternate dimension.

At the same time, she silently accompanied Tang San, occasionally reminding him to adjust his state when he encountered a bottleneck in his research on forging techniques.

Zhu Zhu Qing knew that this was a crucial step for Tang San toward God Position, and also an opportunity for the two of them to grow together.

Time slipped away quietly in this fulfilling yet tedious cultivation. In this alternate dimension, there was no alternation of Sun Moon; the passage of time could only be perceived through the rate at which the Soul Power within the body increased.

When Tang San's Soul Power broke through to a new level and his body exuded the unique pressure of Titled Douluo, he stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Zhu Zhu Qing beside him.

At this moment, Zhu Zhu Qing had just completed a breakthrough, her Soul Power Fluctuation stabilized at the Soul Douluo level, and her brows showed more composure and tenacity.

They smiled at each other, both seeing growth and satisfaction in each other's eyes.

In total, they have spent five years in the alternate dimension.

Activating the Inheritance Mark once more, the two figures reappeared in the mountains and forests outside.

Fresh air filled my nostrils, and the sounds of birds and insects filled my ears, a stark contrast to the tranquility of the other dimension.

Tang San felt the surging Soul Power within him, and gently clenched his fist. The power of Titled Douluo gave him more confidence.

"Let's go back, back to the Clear Sky Sect."

Tang San looked at Zhu Zhu Qing, his tone gentle.

Zhu Zhu Qing nodded and took his arm.

The two sped off side by side toward the Clear Sky Sect.

Their figures darted swiftly through the mountains and forests, leaving behind two faint afterimages.

The moment Tang San returned to the Clear Sky Sect, all the disciples felt the powerful pressure of Titled Douluo emanating from him. They all stopped what they were doing and respectfully bowed to greet him.

Tang San smiled and nodded in response, his gaze sweeping over the familiar sect buildings, a sense of belonging welling up in his heart.

For the next ten years or so, Tang San became the busiest person in the Clear Sky Sect.

Over the course of more than ten years, Tang San and Zhu Zhu Qing's relationship deepened, and they held a simple yet grand wedding at the Clear Sky Sect.

Soon after, a lovely baby boy was born, and Tang San named him Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin gradually grew up, from a babbling toddler into a teenager. Under Tang San's tutelage, his Soul Power improved rapidly, and his forging talent began to show its brilliance.

Seeing his son grow up healthy and the Clear Sky Sect grow stronger day by day, Tang San's worries gradually lessened.

It was another early morning. On the summit of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang San held Zhu Zhu Qing's hand, with Tang Wulin, who had grown into a young man, standing behind them.

"Wulin, I'm entrusting the sect to your care from now on."

Tang San patted his son's head, his tone tinged with reluctance, but mostly with relief.

Tang Wulin nodded firmly, his eyes resolute, and said, "Father, rest assured, I will cultivate diligently, protect the sect, and safeguard everything Mother left behind."

Tang San smiled, turned to look at Zhu Zhu Qing, his eyes full of tenderness.

He slowly activated the divine-level Soul Power within his body, and a dazzling golden light emanated from his body, growing stronger and stronger until it enveloped the two figures.

"Let's go," Tang San said softly.

Zhu Zhu Qing nestled beside him and softly hummed in agreement.

Two figures, enveloped in golden light, slowly rose and flew towards the horizon.

Tang Wulin, standing atop the mountain, gazed in the direction his parents had ascended, bowed deeply, and only turned and walked back into the sect after the golden light had completely disappeared into the horizon.