Assessment

This was an office of about thirty square meters. A huge wooden desk alone occupied nearly a quarter of the space.

Behind the desk stood a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties.

He was not tall, but he was exceptionally burly, with particularly broad shoulders. His deltoids stretched his black shirt taut.

At that moment, he was studying a blueprint on the desk.

"Master Cen," Yun Xiaoling called softly.

"Um~." Cen Yue raised his head and looked over.

His gaze fell directly on Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin, curiosity in his eyes. "You two are Mang Tian's disciples?"

"Yes! Hello, Master Cen," Tang Wulin said respectfully.

Tang Wuyang also bowed to Cen Yue. "Hello, Master Cen. Teacher asked us to convey his greetings."

Cen Yue frowned. "That fellow Mang Tian has always held everyone beneath his notice. Why would he take in two little disciples like you?"

"Come on. I'll take you for your Forging Master rank test."

Forging Masters generally lived in a world of metal and paid little attention to anything beyond it.

Although he was puzzled as to why Mang Tian had taken Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin, two children, as disciples, the test would prove everything.

Yun Xiaoling said, "Master, I'll head down first."

"Um~." Cen Yue nodded at her. Yun Xiaoling smiled at the brothers, then turned and left.

Cen Yue did not waste any time. He directly led the two of them out and returned to the Soul Guidance Elevator.

They took the same elevator Yun Xiaoling had used to go down, except he pressed the button for the third floor.

As the elevator descended, Cen Yue asked the brothers, "Little fellows, did Mang Tian tell you what rank of Forging Master each of you currently is?"

Tang Wulin shook his head. "Teacher didn't say. He only told us to come for the test."

Tang Wuyang added, "Yes. Teacher said that after the test, we'd be able to take on some jobs here."

Take on jobs?

Yun Xiaoling, standing beside them, could not help revealing a look of surprise. Being able to take on jobs meant they had to be at least Second Rank Forging Masters.

Level One Forging Masters were not permitted to take on jobs directly. Higher-ranked Forging Masters had to accept jobs first, then assign them to Level One Forging Masters.

Cen Yue asked again, "Then do you know how Forging Master ranks are divided?"

This time, the two nodded at the same time.

Tang Wuyang spoke first. "Teacher said Forging Masters are divided into nine ranks. The first and second ranks are Forging Master ranks, the third and fourth are Master Level, the fifth and sixth are Master Craftsman Level, the seventh and eighth are Holy Craftsman Level, and the highest, the ninth, is God Craftsman Level."

"Um~." Cen Yue nodded.

Just then, the elevator arrived on the third floor.

"Goodbye, Sister." Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin said farewell to Yun Xiaoling together, then followed Cen Yue out of the elevator.

Compared to the quiet fifteenth floor, the third floor of the Forging Master Association was somewhat noisy. The familiar clanging sounds of forging rose and fell all around them.

Cen Yue led them to the front desk and said to the staff, "Open two Testing Rooms for me, and invite two evaluators over."

"Master Cen, are these your disciples? They're so young! Are they even twelve?" The staff looked curiously at Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin.

Cen Yue took the form handed over by the staff and gave it to the two boys. "Fill this out first. Write down your basic information."

"Yes."

The brothers took the forms and began filling them out seriously.

Cen Yue read aloud from beside them. "Tang Wulin, Tang Wuyang, natives of Aolai City, nine years old, new First Grade students in the Intermediate Department of Eastsea Academy."

"You two are only nine?"

Now, both he and the staff were stunned.

It had been many, many years since anyone had come to take a Forging Master assessment at the age of nine.

Historically, the youngest person assessed by the Forging Master Association had been eight years and six months old.

That person now worked on the thirtieth floor at the top of the Forging Master Association building and was an unparalleled genius Forging Master.

These two children before him were only nine. If they could pass the Forging Master rank test, what would that mean?

Cen Yue thought even further. Tang Wuyang had just said that Mang Tian wanted them to take on jobs directly.

That meant these two children had likely both reached Second Rank Forging Master.

Were they about to break the record?

The staff said, "Master Cen, Testing Rooms Number Three and Four are ready."

Narrowing his eyes, Cen Yue picked up Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's forms. "Follow me."

He wanted to see just how capable the two disciples Mang Tian had taken in really were.

A Testing Room was actually a Forging Room. Naturally, a Forging Master test had to be conducted there.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin each walked to the entrance of a Forging Room. When they saw the forging equipment inside, which was much like that in Mang Tian's Workshop, their nervousness immediately eased.

The evaluators were two middle-aged women, who clearly knew Cen Yue.

"Master Cen, you personally brought people in for testing?"

"I heard these two children are only nine. If they were any younger, wouldn't they be challenging the president's record?"

Cen Yue said, "Let's test them first. I'll go to the Observation Area."

With that, Cen Yue walked straight down the corridor and around to the corridor on the opposite side of the Forging Rooms from the doors.

Forging Rooms used for assessments differed from ordinary Forging Rooms. One wall had a small window large enough to clearly observe the conditions inside.

Of course, that window was normally kept closed, but special circumstances occasionally arose. Like now, when Cen Yue wanted to watch both boys forge at once, it would be used.

Before the Observation Area could be used, the Forging Master himself also had to grant permission.

Tang Wuyang walked up to the Forging Table, which felt especially familiar to him, and waited for the test to begin.

"There are fifteen types of metal here. Choose one and hammer it to purify it. I'll score you based on the metal you choose and the degree of purification. If you score above sixty, you can advance to Level One Forging Master," the evaluator explained to Tang Wuyang.

"Yes."

Tang Wuyang nodded and walked toward the rack of metals nearby.

Fifteen types of metal were displayed on the rack, each one a Standard Size of one foot.

The metals came in different colors and had different textures.

A Forging Master rank test appeared simple. It only required a single purification. But in reality, it secretly tested many things.

The evaluator did not tell him what any of these metals were. That required the test-taker to know enough about all kinds of metals, while also choosing one within his own capabilities to hammer.

Tang Wuyang swept his eyes over the selection and recognized every type of metal. After thinking for a moment, he picked up a block of metal from the middle shelf.

Perhaps it was the brothers' unspoken connection, but they actually chose the same metal at the same time.

The metal they chose gleamed with a faint silvery light.

Seeing their choice, Cen Yue and the two evaluators all showed a trace of surprise. They had never expected Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin to choose this metal, which was extremely high in both weight and density.

"I choose this piece of Sinking Silver."

Tang Wuyang set the Sinking Silver on the Forging Table without making the slightest sound.

Mang Tian's requirements for them were strict. One of them was that, aside from hammering, no sound of metal striking metal could be made.

The evaluator in the room could not help exclaiming when she saw Tang Wuyang lift three hundred kilograms of Sinking Silver. "Little fellow, you're quite strong!"

She was beginning to believe that this nine-year-old child before her could pass this test. "If you're ready, begin!"

"You have one hour. Within that hour, you must purify this piece of Sinking Silver as much as possible. Whatever degree you can achieve will determine your score."

Tang Wuyang nodded, skillfully activated the Forging Table, raised the temperature, and placed the Sinking Silver into the Smelting Furnace.

The smelting time was also counted as part of the purification time. There was no room for tricks in a Forging Master rank test. The association's requirements for every Forging Master were extremely strict.

After all, once a certain rank was reached, Forging Masters could accept jobs from the association. The products made through forging concerned the Forging Master Association's reputation.

Watching the metal temperature displayed on the Smelting Furnace, Tang Wuyang gradually adjusted his breathing until it became even. His eyes began to turn focused as well.

Cen Yue stood in the Observation Area, watching the two children in the Forging Rooms the entire time, especially their eyes.

When he saw both Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's gazes become focused, he could not help secretly praising them. Mang Tian, Mang Tian, you've truly found treasures.

Among the many Forging Masters, Cen Yue was one of the strongest advocates of focused forging.

He himself did not possess exceptional talent. He had only entered this profession because he loved it.

He had come this far step by step, relying on his love for forging and his focus, earning his current place in the Forging World.

And now, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin were only nine years old!

Two nine-year-old children could actually be so focused. That meant they truly understood forging. Cen Yue's impression of the two children immediately improved greatly.

Tang Wuyang swiftly pressed a button with his right hand, and the perfectly smelted Sinking Silver slowly rose from the Forging Table.

The evaluator quickly wrote something on the Record Sheet in her hand.

As an evaluator for Forging Master rank tests, she had conducted countless assessments. From that single detail, she could tell that this child was not forging Sinking Silver for the first time.

But could an unregistered Forging Master really forge Rare Metal like Sinking Silver?

Tang Wuyang took a deep breath. Both arms gave a slight shake at his sides, and two streaks of Dark Light appeared in his palms at the same time. They were precisely the pair of Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers.

He still remembered Mang Tian's instructions. Unless he was forging alone, he was not allowed to use the Thousand Refinements Sinking Silver Hammer.

At least until he turned fifteen, he was not allowed to reveal the Thousand Refinements Sinking Silver Hammer before others.

Tang Wuyang slightly raised his Left Hand and lightly tapped the Sinking Silver twice, producing two "ding ding" sounds.

Cen Yue's gaze immediately fell upon Tang Wuyang's ears. He clearly saw both of the child's ears twitch slightly.

Was he listening to the metal's feedback?

Good kid!

While Cen Yue was still marveling, Tang Wuyang's first hammer had already swung out.

The hammer in his right hand lashed out like lightning. The air in the entire Forging Room instantly became taut, accompanied by a deep whistle.

The next moment, the Tungsten Steel Hammer smashed heavily against the edge of the Sinking Silver.

Bang!

The Tungsten Steel Hammer Bounced back, and the Sinking Silver dented slightly.

Tang Wuyang's clear eyes immediately lit up, and the hammer in his Left Hand followed close behind.

Bang!

Another thunderous boom.

The two booms created a string of echoes throughout the Forging Room. Cen Yue's eyes visibly widened. Though he was not inside the room, with his hearing and eyesight, he could naturally tell that what they held were... Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers?

How old were these two children? They could both wield such heavy Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers?

One had to know that even some Second Rank Forging Masters could not wield a single Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammer weighing eighty jin, or forty kilograms!

Forging was a long-term physical task, but it was also a technical one. Strength was the foundation of everything.

Using heavy hammers for forging would undoubtedly produce better results, but it also consumed an enormous amount of stamina.

Before Cen Yue could think any further, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's forging had already fully begun.

After the two hammer strikes, through the feedback delivered by the Sinking Silver, Tang Wuyang immediately sensed that this piece of Sinking Silver was nearly identical in quality to the ones he had forged before, and its internal grain was extremely similar as well.

Tang Wuyang alternated his Double Hammer like a raging storm and began forging.

Bang, bang, bang...

The dense yet rhythmic hammering sounds carried an astonishing beauty.

Although Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin had begun forging at the same time, the frequency of their hammer strikes differed in timing.

Though the Forging Rooms had normal soundproofing measures, they were not absolute, and some sound still leaked through.

Yet the brothers were completely unaffected by each other, each entering his own rhythm.

Tang Wuyang's eyes were focused, while his ears continually twitched slightly as they received feedback from the Sinking Silver.

Hammer after hammer fell in succession, and the Sinking Silver constantly changed shape under the blows.

However, if one listened carefully, one would discover that as time passed, the sound produced by the Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers striking the Sinking Silver became increasingly pleasant.

The expressions of the evaluators in both rooms began to turn solemn, as did Cen Yue's in the Observation Area.

The focus Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin maintained at this moment was something not even many Forging Masters in their twenties or thirties could achieve, much less someone their age.

Geniuses! These two children were absolutely geniuses!

This thought appeared in all three of their minds at nearly the same time. They did not even need to look at the two pieces of Sinking Silver. Based on Cen Yue's experience, merely seeing the children's condition and hearing their respective hammering sounds allowed him to clearly judge how efficiently Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin were purifying the Sinking Silver.

Purifying Sinking Silver was originally supposed to be the assessment standard for Second Rank Forging Masters.

Because Sinking Silver had such great density, purifying it was far more difficult than purifying ordinary metals. Truly completing the purification of a piece of Sinking Silver was not easy.

When the evaluators in both rooms saw the brothers Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin choose it, they had both thought the two were overestimating themselves.

But at this moment, they and Cen Yue had all been moved by Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's performance.

That was right, it was a performance.

Once the Sinking Silver produced a pleasant sound, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin had effectively already passed the test. They were more than qualified to become Level One Forging Masters.

What remained was simply the performance.

How far could they take this performance? This was the shared thought in Cen Yue and the two evaluators' hearts.

Having completely entered the zone, with the Thousand Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers in his hands feeling as light as straw to Tang Wuyang, and sensing the piece of Sinking Silver becoming increasingly close to him, Tang Wuyang's Tungsten Steel Hammers swung faster and faster.

Gradually, only two blurs of hammers could be seen flashing through the air. The dense hammering sounded like Mercury Pouring on the Ground.