A Speedrun Forging Career

"Very good." Leng Yaozhu's gaze softened considerably as she said to Zhen Hua, "Since Liujing has already taken you as his master, and forging is the most demanding of the four major professions and the hardest to get started in, you will teach him first. Hand him over to me in two and a half years." The cultivation resources Zhen Hua possessed would not be inferior to her own, and Leng Yaozhu was quite reassured about that.

Zhen Hua nodded. "Fine." Two and a half years, by which time Nan Liujing would be eight and a half, would be enough for him to train the boy into a Fourth Grade Blacksmith, perhaps even a Fifth Grade Blacksmith. Turning over the right to teach him then would also give the child time to settle himself.

Nan Liujing, listening in from the side, twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth. What was this supposed to be? Had he become a "trainee"?

Having settled the ownership of trainee Nan Liujing, Leng Yaozhu changed the subject and explained her other reason for coming to Heaven Dou City.

She needed Zhen Hua to forge at least four pieces of fire-attribute Heavenly Forging Metal. The purpose was to perfect her Four-word Battle Armor.

Whether it relied on the Nourishing Method or was Pseudo Four-word Battle Armor forged jointly by six Saint Blacksmiths, it would ultimately be inferior to Four-word Battle Armor made from genuine Heavenly Forging Metal.

Leng Yaozhu had never intended to trouble Zhen Hua with forging all the Heavenly Forging Metal needed for a full set of battle armor. That would consume far too much time, so she had come up with a simpler method: use the Nourishing Method to fuse Heavenly Forging Metal into her existing battle armor, thereby increasing its strength. This had already been tested with a piece of metal Zhen Hua had provided in advance, and it was feasible.

After explaining everything, Leng Yaozhu left the Blacksmith Association like a hands-off shopkeeper. Naturally, she did not forget to take Nan Liujing home with her.

Time flew by.

Starting from the day after Leng Yaozhu left, Nan Liujing officially began his happy forging career.

Unlike others entering this profession, who had to endure monotony and accumulate experience, Nan Liujing's affinity with metal allowed him to use the instinctual spirituality of metals to communicate with them. As long as it did not exceed the lower-mid-tier rare metal level of Deep Silver, Hundred Forging Purification came almost effortlessly to him.

Because instinctual spirituality would actively tell him exactly where it needed "a massage," removing impurities was no challenge at all.

In short, once his cheat was activated, it never stopped.

Of course, cheating alone was not enough. Nan Liujing had also tried purifying higher-grade metals without relying on the Plane Imprint. His success rate was not particularly high, but through repeated practice, his proficiency was in no way inferior to that of veteran blacksmiths.

The pain of his shattered soul during childhood had made his mentality exceptionally steady. This was also what satisfied Zhen Hua the most.

In the second month of his formal forging, Nan Liujing became capable of performing Hundred Forging Purification on every metal stored by the Blacksmith Association that did not exceed the Deep Silver tier, then forging them into different types of components. Thus, with Zhen Hua's special approval, he was promoted to a Second Grade Blacksmith at the age of six years and two months.

The one thing cheating could not make up for was Nan Liujing's insufficient understanding of these hundreds of metals.

It was like having Wind Spirit Moon Shadow and effortlessly one-shotting a boss, only to realize afterward that you had no idea how the boss fought or what skills it had.

Starting from the fourth month, Nan Liujing began advancing toward Thousand Forging.

Thousand Forging focused on solidifying traits. Every metal possessed many different traits, and deliberately solidifying a specific one was extremely difficult. Most blacksmiths could only solidify traits at random. For example, Tang Wulin's Deep Silver Forging Hammer possessed the Stacked Hammer trait, which was why Mang Tian said he had been lucky to solidify such a top-tier trait.

After a trait was successfully solidified, its grade was determined by the strength of that trait, ranging from First Grade to Fifth Grade, from high to low.

The most obvious sign of a trait was the light that sprang from within the metal after forging. A height of half a chi meant Fifth Grade; every additional half-chi in height raised it by one grade.

Among them, Thousand Forging First Grade was known as half-Spirit Forging, with one foot already stepping into Spirit Forging. It began bestowing External Spirituality upon metal.

Thousand Forging Second Grade allowed metal to be imbued with the blacksmith's Life Aura, enhancing its traits. At minimum, it provided a ten percent increase in Soul Power. It was commonly used for Purple-tier Mecha and even One-word Battle Armor.

In short, metal traits were like a Soul Master's soul skills: some weak, some strong, and all kinds of varieties existed. Their grade also meant that even traits from the same metal could differ in strength.

According to the Blacksmith Association's rules, a Level 3 Blacksmith needed to successfully solidify one metal trait, with no restriction on the type of metal.

A Fourth Grade Blacksmith, meanwhile, needed to continuously solidify the traits of two pieces of Thousand Forging Metal and forge them into designated shapes.

There was one special exception. If a Level 3 Blacksmith solidified a Thousand Forging Metal trait at the Second Grade level, he could advance directly to Fourth Grade Blacksmith.

Under Zhen Hua's careful instruction and with the Plane Imprint's cheat, Nan Liujing quickly completed trait solidification on more than twenty different kinds of Thousand Forging Metal, including some at the Second Grade level.

By rights, he should have qualified for promotion to Fourth Grade Blacksmith. But Zhen Hua's standards were extremely high. Thousand Forging ordinary metals and low-grade Rare Metals was simply not enough.

Only when Nan Liujing successfully forged a Mid-tier Rare Metal to Second Grade would it count as his promotion.

After two months of honing, he was only six and a half years old. Tang Wulin, on the other hand, had become a Fourth Grade Blacksmith at around ten.

What did being equivalent to a Fourth Grade Blacksmith at six and a half mean?

It meant that Nan Liujing had already seen the summit that ordinary Non-Soul Masters could only reach after decades of accumulated experience, while also maintaining sufficient Qi and Blood.

If Thousand Forging First Grade and Spirit Forging had not required ample Soul Power, Mental Power, and physical strength, and if the Plane Imprint's assistance had not still been insufficient, Nan Liujing would even have been qualified to challenge Spirit Forging.

At home.

"What Martial Soul do you think Na'er will awaken?" Ye Xinglan lightly bumped Nan Liujing with her shoulder. After half a year together, the two had long since grown familiar with each other.

"I don't know."

Nan Liujing watched Na'er undergo Martial Soul awakening with Ye Changming's help, a faint frown on his face. In the Original Timeline, Na'er had only gained a Martial Soul after reuniting with Gu Yue. He was not sure whether that would change in this life.

Within the spacious room, gentle Soul Power gathered around Na'er, trying to activate the Martial Soul hidden within her body.

Yet under Ye Xinglan's intensely expectant gaze, even when Ye Changming's Soul Power was nearly enough to burst the Awakening Stone, not the slightest Martial Soul fluctuation appeared from Na'er.

"No Martial Soul?" Even Ye Changming, a well-traveled powerhouse, stared blankly at the delicate and adorable silver-haired loli before him.

Na'er slowly opened her eyes. A trace of strange brilliance emerged within her purple eye pupils.

Ye Changming left, saying that he would replace the Awakening Stone.

Ye Xinglan held the silent Na'er with concern. "It's okay, Na'er. Even if you don't have a Martial Soul, you still have your brother and sister. If anyone dares bully you, I'll beat them to death."

"Don't worry, Sister Xinglan. I'm fine." Na'er had been calm from beginning to end.

Ye Xinglan was still worried, but Na'er suddenly stretched out her arms toward Nan Liujing. "Brother, hug me."

The little girl carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. Nan Liujing fondly scooped her into his arms. Half a year had passed, yet Na'er had not grown even a single centimeter taller.

Na'er's tender white arms wrapped tightly around Nan Liujing's body, while her little face buried itself in his chest.

The sight made Ye Xinglan terribly envious. Pouting, she said, "Brother really is better. Sisters just won't do."

Nan Liujing said irritably, "When you sleep at night, Na'er practically turns into your body pillow. Isn't that enough?"

Ye Xinglan smiled awkwardly after being called out. "Na'er is so soft and fragrant, and she's so comfortable to hug. You can't blame me."

As the two bickered in their usual way, neither noticed that the gleam within Na'er's purple eye pupils was growing increasingly intense.

Her fair little hand unconsciously clenched Nan Liujing's clothes tighter.

Two years later.

Blacksmith Association headquarters, forging room.

Zhen Hua stood with his arms folded across his chest, calmly watching his disciple hold the Cloud Gold Forging Hammer.

As agreed, the two and a half years had ended. It was time for Nan Liujing to head to Shrek City and receive the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's guidance, so Zhen Hua had deliberately chosen this day for his disciple to attempt Spirit Forging.

Nan Liujing's gaze was sharp as he examined a piece of rare metal called Thunder Silver. Among metals, it was roughly on par with Deep Sea Deep Silver.

The metal was entirely a cold, taut silver-gray. Its surface was not mirror-smooth, but covered in dense, lightning-shaped natural patterns, as though it had been carved by thunderbolts.

"Begin," Zhen Hua said in a deep voice.

Nan Liujing nodded and pressed the button on the forging table. The metal was immediately drawn inside for heating.

A moment later, the red-hot Thunder Silver reappeared.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The space around his body faintly rippled with distorted silver-dark light. As early as two years ago, he had fused with the Evil Eye External Soul Bone Zhen Hua had given him, causing his Mental Power to surge. By now, his Mental Power had reached 485, and he was on the verge of entering the Spirit Sea Realm.

The moment the Thunder Silver came into contact with his Mental Power Fluctuation, it responded. The rise in his Mental Power made Nan Liujing's communication with the metal's instinctual spirituality even smoother.

His right arm rose in an instant. The sound of it tearing through the air split apart the heat waves left by the heating process as his hammer slammed viciously against one side of the Thunder Silver. With a thunderous boom, fine sparks of electricity flickered within the metal.

With just one strike, the chaotic lightning lines inside the metal became somewhat more orderly.

Thunder Silver purification did not involve removing impurities. Instead, it required clearing and straightening the countless lightning lines within it.

Boom! Without the slightest pause, Nan Liujing moved like a machine, precisely locking onto every point where the lightning lines tangled. With every strike, the forging hammer's Shock trait helped him untangle them more effectively.

After merely eight hammer blows, the precise impacts, as exquisite as surgery, had already completed the Thunder Silver's initial Hundred Forging Purification.

From the outside, the complicated lightning lines within the Thunder Silver looked like a traffic-jammed intersection that had been cleared. Occasional sparks even flashed past within it.

Nan Liujing did not stop. Beginning with the ninth strike, he started communicating with its instinctual spirituality, selecting a trait and then solidifying it.

Solidifying traits tested a blacksmith's experience more than anything else. This was also the ultimate limit ordinary Non-Soul Masters could reach.

A trait was like a hungry child. Every feeding—every hammer strike—had to be precise. Too much could lead to obesity, too little could lead to stunted growth, and before the trait solidified, it also had to be guided onto the correct path.

Otherwise, once it strayed and intersected with another trait, it would become a grotesque hybrid, like a failed Martial Soul mutation that turned a Golden Sacred Dragon into a pig that could only fart.

For other blacksmiths, this step was like walking a tightrope. But Nan Liujing was different. With his ability to communicate with instinctual spirituality, he fed it with incomparable precision, injecting every drop of energy into the trait.

Faint heat surged around Nan Liujing's body. This was his Bloodline Power.

Gradually, beneath Zhen Hua's watchful gaze, the Thunder Silver began to emit a deep, cold glow on its own. It was as though dark clouds filled its interior, with flashes of light faintly appearing within.

Imbued with the aura of Qi and Blood, the metal trait received an enhancement. This was a typical Thousand Forging Second Grade.

Nan Liujing's forging technique was like playing the piano, sometimes fierce and swift, sometimes gentle.

Finally, when the forging hammer fell once more, a pleasant ding rang out. Nan Liujing's eyes sharpened. This was the sound that indicated successful solidification.

He suddenly gripped the forging hammer with both hands and smashed it down with the force of splitting a mountain.

Amid a rumbling roar, the Thunder Silver seemed to undergo Super Evolution. As its volume shrank, a deep silver-blue radiance leaped from its body to a height exceeding four chi. A vague Thunder Dragon floated above it, accompanied by continuous, resounding Dragon Roars.

Thousand Forging First Grade!

Almost instantly, two Purple Soul Rings rose from Nan Liujing's body, while bright silver light burst from his dark blue eyes.

Soul Power and Mental Power, fully unleashed!

His technique immediately turned gentle as a drizzle. His Soul Power gathered on the forging hammer, and as it fell, pleasant ding ding ding sounds rang continuously from the metal.

With each knock, threads of Soul Power entered the metal from different locations, building bridges between the outside world and its interior, along with External Spirituality. The instinctual spirituality had already communicated with Nan Liujing and eagerly emerged, ready to seek the External Spirituality's location.

An ordinary blacksmith would be stumped at this stage. Most of their energy would be spent merely finding the instinctual spirituality, leaving them unable to continue afterward. That was why blacksmiths in the past forged metals using External Spirituality bestowed by themselves—it was simply too difficult otherwise.

Even today, though Zhen Hua had pioneered the concept of instinctual spirituality, many ordinary blacksmiths with no hope of Heavenly Forging in their lives still relied on the old method. After all, unless one reached Heavenly Forging, there was not much difference between the two forging methods.

At that moment, electricity curled around Nan Liujing's body as the Dragon Subduing Staff abruptly flew out and hovered above the metal. As if set to a fixed program, every time Nan Liujing completed ten strikes, the Dragon Subduing Staff would descend and smash into the metal's surface. The Dragon Subduing Staff, fused with the Thunderclap Nether Vine Soul Spirit, immediately erupted with astonishing Lightning Element energy fluctuations.

It was like fireworks in the darkness, visible even from far away.

With this energy, Thunder Silver's instinctual spirituality quickly found the External Spirituality and was drawn into the bridge connecting it with the outside world.

Visible to the naked eye, Nan Liujing's Soul Power gradually decreased like water leaking from a bottle.

Sensing Nan Liujing's abundant Bloodline Power, Thunder Silver's instinctual spirituality began boldly reaching out to the Life Element of the outside world, then constructing its own life system.

From this step onward, forging was no longer the difficult part. Maintaining stability was what mattered most.

Subtle, intangible Heaven and Earth Yuan Power began gathering toward Nan Liujing, helping him maintain his Soul Power output. This was also why Zhen Hua dared let his disciple attempt Spirit Forging.

As time passed, graceful bright-blue radiance gradually lit up inside the Thunder Silver. It was the signal of a new life being born.

Nan Liujing's eyes moved slightly. While maintaining his strikes, he casually stuffed a Golden Dragon Candy he had prepared long ago into his mouth.

As rich energy flooded his internal organs, faint golden light appeared across his skin.

Zhen Hua raised an eyebrow. He heard a rushing sound from within his disciple's body—it was clearly the power of blood. What a pity. If this had not been a soul skill but genuine Bloodline Power, he could have recommended his disciple to an old friend.

Sensing the surging Bloodline Power, the instinctual spirituality's speed in perceiving the Life Element between heaven and earth suddenly increased sharply.

With every strike, its volume shrank. Fifteen minutes later, the entire piece of Thunder Silver began trembling violently.

"Thunderclap!"

Nan Liujing shouted softly. In an instant, a strangely shaped plant sprang from the Dragon Subduing Staff. It was none other than the Thunderclap Nether Vine Soul Spirit.

Ten vines, like Lightning Rods, drew down astonishing Lightning Power and directed it into the forging hammer. Nan Liujing then smashed it down once more.

Boom!

A powerful Life Aura was born, and a whimpering sound that could almost be heard directly echoed through the room. The entire piece of Thunder Silver gained lightning patterns resembling the eye of a storm, surrounded by delicate halos. It was extraordinarily magnificent.

Nan Liujing panted, a faint smile forming on his lips.

Spirit Forging had succeeded!

The solidified-trait concept was original, I think. I haven't seen it in other fanfics so far. It's supplementary setting material, and it won't appear often later, so don't worry.