Zhen Hua Steps In

Zhen Hua took in everyone's expressions. "I attempted Heavenly Forging countless times, yet I never succeeded."

"Until one accidental opportunity, I gave up my forging hammer and chose to focus my mind, using my heart as a guide to communicate with Soul Forged Metal that had developed intelligence. My purpose was to understand more precisely the metal's emotional changes and limits while enduring Tribulation Lightning. But this would make the Tribulation Lightning's impact on me even more severe. A slight mistake could leave me heavily injured, so for my own safety, I had never dared to do this before."

"But unexpectedly, it was precisely this all-or-nothing move that changed everything. With my heart as the guide, the Soul Forged Metal actually transformed into my likeness. This delighted me beyond measure. I quickly comprehended the laws of heaven and earth, triggering Elemental Resonance and drawing down four bolts of Elemental Tribulation Lightning, preparing to perfect the Law Imprint and achieve Heavenly Forging in one stroke. When the first bolt descended, I finally discovered an anomaly I had failed to notice through hundreds, even thousands, of previous failures. There was another extremely faint spirituality within the metal."

The pupils of the Saint Blacksmiths present suddenly contracted. One of them could not help interrupting, "Is this the metal's Instinctual Spirituality that you mentioned, President?"

"That's right." Zhen Hua nodded. "But that spirituality could not even last half a second before being extinguished by the Tribulation Lightning. Or rather, it was only because I used my heart as a guide to communicate with it that I discovered this spirituality forced out by the Tribulation Lightning."

"As the second bolt of Tribulation Lightning arrived, this piece of Soul Forged Metal's life level suddenly declined by at least sixty percent. It simply could not withstand the impacts of the remaining bolts, and Heavenly Forging failed once again."

"If it had been in the past, I would have felt regret and anger. But this time, I was delighted. I had already bestowed spirituality upon the metal during Thousand Forging Has Spirit, so why did it still conceal another spirituality when it came to Heavenly Forging?"

"Following this discovery, I immersed myself in Thousand Forging Has Spirit for three whole months, experimenting with more than five hundred types of metal. In the end, I discovered metal's Instinctual Spirituality."

"The reason Heavenly Forging fails lies entirely in the External Spirituality we bestow upon the metal. It occupies the dominant position over the metal's Instinctual Spirituality. Thus, during Heavenly Forging, the External Spirituality has already undergone round after round of forging and grown into a giant tree, while the Instinctual Spirituality has received not the slightest nourishment. Faced with the impact of Tribulation Lightning, it is like a sapling and is naturally extinguished in an instant."

"The extinction of Instinctual Spirituality is like the destruction of a human soul. Even if someone placed a new soul into your body afterward, would that still be you?"

"A piece of metal unable to control its body with its own spirituality will never cross the Tribulation Lightning and complete its ascension."

Zhen Hua clearly understood just how shocking today's lecture would be. He had even arranged for cameras to record the entire event so it could spread online in the future. He said in a deep voice:

"Remember this: metal's Instinctual Spirituality is like a child who has closed off their inner world. When we grant it External Spirituality at Thousand Forging First Grade, we must spare no cost in pouring in Mental Power and Soul Power. Let that External Spirituality befriend the metal's Instinctual Spirituality and lead it out of its closed world."

"Afterward, we must take Instinctual Spirituality as the primary force and External Spirituality as the support, gradually completing the subsequent forging steps."

"Until Heavenly Forging!"

As the final word fell, a brand-new main door opened before every blacksmith. In an instant, everyone stood, offering their most heartfelt applause without reserve.

Perhaps Heavenly Forging was unimaginably distant for most people, something they might never attain in their lives. Yet compared to a road shrouded in fog with no direction in sight, a forging path with a clear destination was far more inspiring.

Nan Liujing applauded sincerely as well.

Zhen Hua had discovered the reason for Heavenly Forging's failures through relentless experimentation. Without an unyielding heart, no one could have persisted for so long.

What was more, despite attaining such lofty status, he had not kept his findings hidden. Instead, he had generously made them public. To countless blacksmiths who made their living through forging, this was an enormous act of kindness.

He could even have selected people within the Blacksmith Association for private instruction, preventing blacksmiths from other factions from learning it. After all, if a Divine Craftsman emerged from another faction, it would be a tremendous blow to the Blacksmith Association. Yet he had not withheld anything. He displayed it openly, unafraid of challenges.

Zhen Hua raised his hand again, and the applause gradually quieted.

He smiled. "All right, that concludes my insights on Heavenly Forging. I see that the blacksmiths who came today are generally quite young. Good. Then I'll find someone to stand in for Thousand Forging."

So-called stepping in meant that a higher-level blacksmith would lead a lower-level blacksmith into his rhythm, allowing them to experience a higher level of forging.

Hearing that a Divine Craftsman would personally take the field, the venue immediately became lively, with countless hands raised.

Zhen Hua did not choose any of them. His gaze settled on Nan Liujing as he said with a faint smile, "Would you like to come up and try?"

Ye Changming and Ye Xinglan looked at Nan Liujing in surprise.

Nan Liujing was quite proactive. Under the astonished gazes of more than a thousand people, he walked out with an ordinary expression.

Although his body had developed faster than that of an ordinary six-year-old due to being a Soul Master, his face still looked far too young.

No one could figure out why Zhen Hua had chosen him.

Zhen Hua asked, "Have you ever come into contact with forging?"

"No." Nan Liujing answered honestly.

Zhen Hua smiled. "Then today's demonstration will need to be adjusted. You only need to hold the forging hammers." Light flashed in his hand, and a pair of forging hammers appeared. Their hammerheads were white, yet faint pale-blue mist drifted around them, making them seem exceptionally mystical.

This was a pair of Spirit Forged forging hammers that could be stored within flesh and blood.

Nan Liujing accepted them. He did not feel much weight at all, as if some force were supporting them.

Before everyone's eyes, Zhen Hua placed a dull gray block of metal into the Forging Table for smelting.

Once the smelting was complete, the Deep Silver emerged glowing red-hot.

Zhen Hua stood directly behind Nan Liujing, legs slightly apart, waist and back straight, his right hand raised.

Nan Liujing followed suit like a puppet on strings.

This sort of stepping in truly was one of a kind, the scorpion's butt. The previously puzzled blacksmiths all became curious.

The forging hammer suddenly swung out. The sound of tearing wind swept forth, ripping through the rolling heat waves rising from the smelted metal as it smashed toward one side of the Deep Silver. With a boom, sparks flew everywhere. Yet the forging hammer did not rebound. Instead, it clung to the Deep Silver as vortex-like Shock force burrowed into its interior, and the entire Forging Table emitted a dull rumble.

Any knowledgeable blacksmith knew this was one of the forging hammer's special effects, called "Shock." It was a supreme-grade effect with exceptional results in removing metal impurities.

Nan Liujing clearly felt a powerful rebounding force spreading up from his palms, but most of it was easily absorbed by the hammers. It seemed Zhen Hua intentionally wanted him to experience it, without making him endure the full force of the rebound.

Two seconds later, another hammer strike landed, this time on the other side.

After two blows, faint Silver Radiance actually began to emanate from the Deep Silver, while silver, sand-like powdered impurities peeled away from within.

Hundred Forging Purification was complete.

As the purification ended, a peculiar fluctuation came from within the Deep Silver, caught simultaneously by the forging hammers and Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing and Zhen Hua's expressions changed almost at the same time.

A smile traced itself across Zhen Hua's lips. Through the feedback from the forging hammers, he began the demonstration in an orderly manner. His speed was not fast, allowing the young blacksmiths to see clearly.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Nan Liujing gripped the forging hammers. Each strike was slow, and silver powdered impurities continuously peeled from the Deep Silver. Yet toward the end, they gradually became scarce.

What outsiders did not know was that, at this moment, Nan Liujing had nearly become the primary force in the forging, with Zhen Hua assisting him.

Nan Liujing's outstanding physical strength had clearly put Zhen Hua at ease.

Zhen Hua wanted to test more, and Nan Liujing could not be bothered to hide anything, so he simply displayed it.

In the Netherworld, a voice seemed to guide Nan Liujing on where to strike. Even with Zhen Hua assisting him, Nan Liujing's Mental Power and Soul Power consumption remained pitifully low compared to that of a blacksmith at the same master level. Every strand of energy was released with the precision of a surgeon's hand, without wasting even the slightest bit. The metal's "illness" was nearly gone, and a dim radiance emerged, clearly showing the beginnings of Thousand Forging.

As the pale-blue mist flowing over the forging hammers entered through "Shock," the particles within the Deep Silver rapidly compressed together. By the end, a fine, dense layer of Dark Patterns seemed to cover its surface, profound as rolling waves.

The final hammer strike landed. Under the gazes of over a thousand people in the hall, brilliant silver light suddenly surged from the Deep Silver's surface, seemingly mixed with dazzling starlight. It rose more than five feet high and endured without fading.

"Thousand Forging First Grade."

Cheers soon erupted throughout the auditorium.

Zhen Hua smiled. "How did it feel?"

Nan Liujing stared at the Thousand Forged Deep Silver before him, and a strange feeling rose in his heart.

It seemed as though an urgent voice within it was urging him to continue, not to stop.

That was the Instinctual Spirituality activated by the bestowed External Spirituality. As long as he performed Spirit Forging now and bestowed life upon it, it could become a piece of Spirit Forged Metal.

This was where the benefits of activating Instinctual Spirituality came in. Usually, after Thousand Forging First Grade, if one abruptly stopped the subsequent forging, the External Spirituality would fall dormant. Fusion Forging would then be required to reactivate it before Spirit Forging could begin. But this spirituality, with instinct as its primary force and external influence as its support, was like it had eaten gum—it simply could not stop.

"Uncle Zhen, can you let me experience Spirit Forging?" Nan Liujing did not disappoint the metal's spirituality.

"Fine." Zhen Hua laughed heartily. Under the stunned gazes of everyone in the hall, he actually began another round of stepping in.

The reason Spirit Forging consumed so much Soul Power, Mental Power, life force, and even focus was that one had to bestow life upon spirituality without allowing it to go astray, like a father encouraging it to take its first steps toward growth.

Martial Souls and Soul Power served as bridges, keeping the path between the outside world and the metal's interior open. Mental Power, meanwhile, was the weapon used to control the forging rhythm. Once Mental Power was excessively depleted and control became chaotic, the spirituality would become like cars on a highway, gradually veering every which way before eventually crashing into the roadside and causing the forging to fail.

The process was like a circular image loading, gradually revealing its true form. If something went wrong, it would freeze or lose connection.

But if one remained stable throughout, the spirituality would use the bridge one had built and the guidance of Mental Power to sense one's Life Aura. It would continuously absorb the Life Element between heaven and earth through the blacksmith, combining it with its own life force to ultimately construct its own life system.

The consumption was enormous. Even with Zhen Hua's assistance, Nan Liujing could clearly feel that he did not have much Soul Power left.

He was only a one-ring Soul Master, after all. Even if the spirituality was eager to be doted upon by him, he was somewhat powerless now.

But it was at that moment that something happened which surprised Zhen Hua once again.

Every time Nan Liujing lightly struck the metal to guide the spirituality away from going astray, invisible Heaven and Earth Yuan Power would gather around him, helping him endure. As a result, the forging time was extended severalfold.

Zhen Hua secretly thought, This child is probably not merely compatible with metal. He is also remarkably compatible with Heaven and Earth Yuan Power. No, I need to ask Sun Kong for him. He will most likely teach this child forging anyway, so it would be better for me to do it.

Having neither wife nor children and devoting himself wholeheartedly to forging, Zhen Hua wanted a satisfactory disciple more than anyone else. Now that a disciple had practically been delivered to his doorstep, refusing him would be letting down his ancestors.

The thousand-plus audience members in the hall slowly widened their eyes, because the brilliant silver light emanating from the Deep Silver atop the Forging Table was growing increasingly intense.

Zhen Hua stepped back, pulling Nan Liujing along with him. Then he gripped both hammers tightly and delivered the final blow to the Deep Silver.

"Boom!"

Amid the dull thunderous sound, a Silver Flame burst from the Deep Silver, rising several feet high. Before everyone's eyes, it transformed into a cloud of light in midair. A faintly visible Thunder Dragon continuously swam within it, and an excited dragon roar echoed through the vast hall.

Even those who were not blacksmiths could hear the overwhelming joy within that dragon roar. It was the most sincere greeting offered to the world upon its birth.

The flame lasted a full ten seconds before finally disappearing.

The Deep Silver's surface was as smooth as crystal, yet its interior contained countless Dark Blue lightning patterns, as though it had long become a world of raging wind and storms.

Since Nan Liujing had been the main force in the forging, this piece of Deep Silver had naturally been influenced by the Thunder Dragon Soul.

At the instant the forging ended, the two forging hammers clenched in Nan Liujing's hands turned into streams of light and returned to Zhen Hua's body.

"How was the experience?" Zhen Hua laughed.

Nan Liujing could clearly sense the spirituality within the Spirit Forged Deep Silver constantly thanking him. It was a peculiar feeling. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and his voice spread throughout the auditorium through the Amplifying Soul Tool.

"Exhilarating!"

"Ha ha ha!"

The people throughout the auditorium immediately burst into cheerful laughter.

Forging a finished metal product truly felt exactly as Nan Liujing had said—utterly exhilarating.

The only things that could compare were the first sip of ice-cold beer or ice-cold cola in summer.

In the end, Zhen Hua gave this piece of Spirit Forged Metal to Nan Liujing, and this Divine Craftsman Teaching did not end there.

Only after eight blacksmiths of different levels had each raised the difficulties they encountered during forging, and Zhen Hua had explained them one by one, did the highly anticipated convention officially conclude.

People left reluctantly, while Zhen Hua came over to Nan Liujing's group. "Changming, it's getting late. Why not stay for lunch?"

"Sure. I've been craving Mu Ye's cooking for a long time." Ye Changming had quietly guessed why Zhen Hua had invited them to eat.

Forging in the original work was a complete mess. I made quite a few secondary settings of my own, of course—not because I think my settings are better than the original's, but mainly because they make it easier for me to remember.

The other professions are pretty much the same. I never saw any especially detailed breakdown of their professional techniques.