Zhen Hua's Stand-in

Zhen Hua took in everyone's expressions. "I tried Heavenly Forging countless times, but always failed."

"Until one chance encounter, I abandoned the forging hammer and chose to gather my Mind, turning my Heart into a guide to communicate with the Soul Forged Metal that had gained sentience. The goal was to understand more intimately the metal's emotional changes and tolerance limits when enduring Tribulation Lightning. However, this would cause the Tribulation Lightning's impact on me to be even more intense, and a slight mistake could result in severe injury. In the past, for my own safety, I never dared to do this."

"But I never expected that it was precisely because of this desperate move, with my Heart as the guide, that the Soul Forged Metal actually Manifested into my likeness. This change surprised me immensely. I quickly comprehended the laws of heaven and earth, causing an Elemental Resonance, which then drew four streams of Elemental Tribulation Lightning, preparing to perfect the Law Imprint and achieve Heavenly Forging in one go. When the first stream of Tribulation Lightning descended, I finally discovered an anomaly that I had failed to find in hundreds or thousands of previous attempts. That is, on the metal, there actually existed another extremely faint Spirituality."

The Saint Craftsman-level blacksmiths present had their pupils contract sharply. One of them couldn't help but interject, "Is this the Instinctual Spirituality of metal that you mentioned, Guild Master?"

"That's right," Zhen Hua nodded. "But this Spirituality couldn't even last for half a second, directly perishing under the Tribulation Lightning. Or rather, it was only because of the communication guided by my Heart that I discovered this Spirituality, which was forced out by the Tribulation Lightning."

"As the second stream of Tribulation Lightning arrived, the life level of this piece of Soul Forged Metal suddenly decayed by at least six layers. It was impossible to complete the impact of the subsequent Tribulation Lightning, so Heavenly Forging failed once again."

"In the past, I would have felt regret and anger, but now, I felt surprise. Clearly, when I forged it to Thousand Forging Has Spirit, I had already imbued the metal with Spirituality, so why did it still hide another Spirituality when it came to Heavenly Forging?"

"Leveraging this discovery, I immersed myself in Thousand Forging Has Spirit for three full months, trying over five hundred types of metal, and finally discovered the metal's Instinctual Spirituality."

"The reason Heavenly Forging failed was entirely due to the External Spirituality we imbued into the metal. It occupied the dominant position of the metal's Instinctual Spirituality. This caused the External Spirituality to have already grown into a Giant Tree through repeated forging during Heavenly Forging, while the Instinctual Spirituality received no nourishment. Facing the impact of Tribulation Lightning, it was like a Seedling, naturally perishing in an instant."

"The annihilation of the Instinctual Spirituality is like the destruction of our human Soul. Even if someone were to place a new Soul into your body, would that still be you?"

"A piece of metal that cannot control its own body with its own Spirituality can never overcome Tribulation Lightning and achieve Ascension."

Zhen Hua clearly knew how astonishing what he was about to say would be. He had even arranged for cameras to record the entire process for future online dissemination. He said in a deep voice:

"Remember, the Instinctual Spirituality of metal is like a child who has sealed off their inner world. When we imbue External Spirituality in Thousand Forging First Grade, we must inject Mental Power and Soul Power at all costs, allowing this External Spirituality to befriend the metal's Instinctual Spirituality and help it step out of its sealed world."

"Afterward, we will use the Instinctual Spirituality as the primary guide and the External Spirituality as the secondary, step by step, to complete the subsequent forging."

"Until, Heavenly Forging!"

As the last word was spoken, a brand new door opened for all the blacksmiths. Instantly, everyone stood up and generously offered their most sincere applause.

Perhaps for the vast majority, Heavenly Forging was extremely distant, something they might not achieve in their lifetime. But compared to a path shrouded in mist and without direction, a forging path with a clear endpoint was more inspiring.

Nan Liujing also applauded from the bottom of his heart.

Zhen Hua's discovery of the reason for Heavenly Forging's failure stemmed from his persistent experimentation. Without a tenacious spirit, he could never have persevered for so long.

Moreover, he had achieved a high position yet did not hoard his knowledge. Instead, he chose to announce it generously. For countless blacksmiths who made their living through forging, this was an immense kindness.

He could have even chosen to select individuals from within the Blacksmith Association for private instruction, thus preventing blacksmiths from other factions from learning it. After all, if other factions were to produce a Divine Craftsman, it would be a huge blow to the Blacksmith Association. But he did not hide his knowledge, displaying it openly without fear of challenges.

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

He smiled, "Alright, the insights on Heavenly Forging conclude here. I see that the blacksmiths who came today are generally quite young. Good, then I will find someone to stand in for Thousand Forging."

The so-called "stand-in" was when a higher-level blacksmith guided a lower-level blacksmith into their rhythm, allowing them to experience a higher-level forging process.

Hearing that a Divine Craftsman was going to personally demonstrate a stand-in, the scene immediately became lively, with countless hands raised.

Zhen Hua did not choose these people. His gaze locked onto Nan Liujing, and he said with a faint smile, "Do you want to come up and try?"

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

Nan Liujing, however, took the initiative. Under the astonished gazes of over a thousand people, he walked out with a calm expression.

Even though his physical development was much faster than a normal six-year-old child due to being a Soul Master, his face still looked too tender.

No one could figure out why Zhen Hua made this choice.

Zhen Hua asked, "Have you ever been exposed to forging?"

"No," Nan Liujing replied truthfully.

Zhen Hua smiled, "Then this stand-in today will have to be changed. You just need to hold the forging hammer." A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a pair of forging hammers materialized. Their shafts were white, yet they faintly emanated a light blue mist, looking extremely mystical.

These were a pair of Spirit Forging-grade forging hammers that could be stored within one's flesh and blood.

Nan Liujing took them. He didn't feel much weight; it seemed a force was supporting them.

In front of everyone, Zhen Hua placed a dull gray metal block into the forging platform and began to heat it.

After the heating, a glowing red piece of Deep Silver appeared.

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

Nan Liujing, like a marionette, followed suit.

This kind of stand-in was truly one of a kind, like a scorpion's butt. The blacksmiths who were initially surprised became curious.

The forging hammer was suddenly swung down, the sound of it cutting through the air, tearing through the rolling heat waves emanating from the heated metal, and smashing towards the side of the Deep Silver. With a "boom," sparks flew, but the forging hammer did not bounce back. Instead, it adhered to the Deep Silver, and a vortex-like Shocking force drilled into the Deep Silver. The entire forging platform also emitted a dull thudding sound.

Blacksmiths who understood the craft knew that this was a special effect of the forging hammer called "Shock," a top-tier effect that was excellent for removing impurities from metal.

Nan Liujing clearly felt a powerful recoil force spreading from his palm, but most of it was easily absorbed by the hammer. It seemed Zhen Hua intended for him to experience it without having to bear the full recoil force.

After a two-second interval, another hammer blow fell, but on the opposite side.

With two hammer strikes, the Deep Silver actually emitted a faint silver radiance, and silver sand-like powdery impurities were stripped away from it.

Hundred Forging Purification was complete.

A strange fluctuation emanated from within the Deep Silver as the purification ended, and it was simultaneously captured by the forging hammer and Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing and Zhen Hua's expressions changed almost simultaneously.

A smile curved Zhen Hua's lips. Using the Feedback from the forging hammer, he began the stand-in in an orderly fashion, not too fast, allowing the young blacksmiths to see clearly.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Nan Liujing wielded the forging hammer, each strike slow, as silver powder and impurities were continuously stripped from the Deep Silver. However, by the end, they had gradually become scarce.

What outsiders didn't know was that the forging was now primarily led by Nan Liujing, with Zhen Hua assisting.

Nan Liujing's excellent physical strength had clearly earned Zhen Hua's trust.

He wanted to test more, and Nan Liujing was too lazy to hide his abilities, so he simply displayed them.

In the Netherworld, a voice seemed to guide Nan Liujing on where to strike. Even with Zhen Hua's assistance, compared to other master blacksmiths of the same level, Nan Liujing's mental power and soul power consumption were incredibly low. Every ounce of energy released was as precise as a surgeon's hand, wasting not a single bit. The "ailments" within the metal were almost gone, and a dim luster emerged, clearly showing the prototype of Thousand Forging.

As the pale blue mist flowing on the surface of the forging hammer surged into the Deep Silver through "Shock," the particles within rapidly compressed. Towards the end, the surface of the Deep Silver seemed to have a dense, intricate pattern, as profound as rolling waves.

With the final hammer strike, under the gaze of thousands in the hall, the surface of the Deep Silver suddenly erupted with a brilliant silver radiance, seemingly mixed with dazzling starlight. It rose over five feet high and persisted for a long time.

"Thousand Forging First Grade."

Cheers soon erupted in the auditorium.

Zhen Hua smiled, "How does it feel?"

Nan Liujing stared at the Thousand Forged Deep Silver before him, a strange feeling surging within.

There seemed to be an urgent voice inside, urging him to continue, not to stop.

This was the instinctual spirituality activated by the external spirituality bestowed upon it. Now, as long as Spirit Forging was performed and life was imparted, it could become Spirit Forged Metal.

This was the benefit of activating instinctual spirituality. Often, after Thousand Forging First Grade, if subsequent forging stopped abruptly, the external spirituality would fall dormant. It would then require Fusion Forging to re-activate the spirituality before Spirit Forging could begin. But this spirituality, primarily instinctual with external as a supplement, was like eating Xuan Mai – it couldn't stop.

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

"Good." Zhen Hua laughed heartily, and to the astonished gazes of everyone in the hall, he began another round of assisting.

The reason why a blacksmith expends so much soul power, mental power, life force, and even mental energy during Spirit Forging is that they must impart life to the spirituality and prevent it from going astray, much like a father encouraging a child's first steps.

Martial Souls and soul power are the bridges, keeping the path between the outside world and the inside of the metal clear. Mental power, on the other hand, is the sharp tool that helps control the forging rhythm. Once mental power is greatly depleted and control becomes chaotic, the spirituality will become like a car on a highway, gradually swerving and eventually crashing into the roadside, leading to forging failure.

During this process, it's like a loading circular image, gradually revealing its true form. Problems manifest as lag or disconnection.

However, if stability is maintained during this period, the spirituality will, through the bridge you've built and guided by your mental power, sense your life aura. It will continuously absorb life elements from heaven and earth through you, combining them with its inherent life force to construct its own life system.

This consumption is immense. Even with Zhen Hua's assistance, Nan Liujing clearly felt his soul power dwindling.

After all, he was only a first-ring Soul Master. Even though the spirituality was eager to be "favored" by him, he was somewhat powerless at this moment.

But it was at this very moment that something that surprised Zhen Hua again occurred.

Every time Nan Liujing gently struck the metal, guiding the spirituality to stay on course, invisible heaven and earth yuan power would gather around him, assisting him in holding on. This extended the forging time by several times.

Zhen Hua mused inwardly, "This child is not only compatible with metal but also quite attuned to heaven and earth yuan power. No, I must ask Sun Kong for him. He's likely going to teach this child forging, so it's better if I do it."

Having no wife or children and dedicating his life to forging, Zhen Hua wanted to take in a satisfactory disciple more than anyone. Now that a disciple had practically delivered himself, it would be an insult to his ancestors not to accept him.

The thousands of spectators in the hall slowly widened their eyes as the Deep Silver on the forging platform emitted an increasingly intense brilliant silver light.

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

"Boom!"

Amidst a dull roar, a silver flame splashed out from the Deep Silver, reaching several feet high. Under everyone's gaze, it transformed into a mist in mid-air, with a faintly visible thunder dragon constantly roaming. Even in the vast hall, an excited dragon's roar could be heard.

Even those who were not blacksmiths could discern the joy contained within this dragon's roar, a most sincere greeting to the world into which it had descended.

The flame persisted for a full ten seconds before disappearing.

The surface of the Deep Silver was as smooth as crystal, but within, it bore numerous dark blue lightning patterns, as if it had already become a world of storms.

Since Nan Liujing was the primary forger, this Deep Silver had naturally been influenced by the Thunder Dragon Soul.

The moment the forging ended, the two forging hammers held tightly by Nan Liujing transformed into a stream of light and returned to Zhen Hua's body.

"How was the experience?" Zhen Hua laughed heartily.

Nan Liujing clearly felt the spirituality within the Spirit Forged Deep Silver constantly thanking him. It was a peculiar sensation. A smile curved his lips, and his voice, amplified by the Amplifying Soul Tool, spread throughout the auditorium.

"Exhilarating!"

"Hahaha."

Instantly, the crowd in the auditorium burst into joyous laughter.

The finished metal, as Nan Liujing had said, was "exhilarating" to the extreme.

The only things comparable to this were the first sip of ice-cold beer in summer and ice-cold cola.

Ultimately, Zhen Hua gifted this piece of Spirit Forged Metal to Nan Liujing, and this Divine Craftsman Teaching had not yet concluded.

It wasn't until eight blacksmiths of different ranks had each presented their forging difficulties, which Zhen Hua explained one by one, that this highly anticipated assembly officially ended.

People departed, their memories lingering. Zhen Hua approached Nan Liujing and the others, "Changming, it's getting late. Why don't you stay for lunch?"

"Alright, I've been craving Mu Ye's cooking for a long time." Ye Changming secretly guessed the reason behind the invitation to dine.

This forging stuff, the original work isn't generally well-structured, and I've made some secondary settings in many places. Of course, it's not that my own settings are better than the original, it's mainly to make it easier for me to remember.

Other professions are similar. I haven't seen very detailed classifications of professional skills.