Douluo Tradition, Wielding the Great Hammer

Huo Yuhao came back to his senses and steadied himself.

He did not show the timidity of a child. Instead, he stepped forward at an unhurried pace and stopped some distance away from the Furnace Fire.

"Hello, Uncle."

He first greeted him politely, then said in a clear voice, "I'm not here to have anything forged. I wanted to ask whether your Blacksmith Shop is taking apprentices. Or... whether you need any odd-job helpers?"

As soon as he said this, not only did the strong man who had questioned him freeze, but even the blacksmith beside him, who had been busy gripping Iron Billets and controlling the heat, stopped moving.

The two of them looked at the Boy before them, who only reached their waists and appeared to be six or seven years old at most.

Taking on an apprentice? Helping out?

They exchanged a glance and saw the same astonishment and amusement in each other's eyes.

Could a kid this small even lift a hammer?

What could he do here? He would only get in the way!

"Kid." The strong man who had spoken earlier grinned. "How old are you? Do you know what blacksmithing involves? This isn't child's play. It's hot, exhausting, and dangerous."

Huo Yuhao had expected this reaction long ago. He was not discouraged and instead said seriously, "Uncle, could you let me try? I just want to earn some money to help support my family."

His clothes were already worn and shabby. Together with his childish little face, which was nonetheless full of earnestness, they stirred something in the two blacksmiths' hearts. Perhaps... his family really was struggling?

The strong man did not refuse him outright. After thinking for a moment, he pointed at the huge bellows in the corner and said, "See those bellows? When forging, the heat is what matters most."

"If you really want to try, go pull those bellows ten times first. Let me see if you can get the Furnace Fire burning strong."

"Remember, keep it steady and even. Don't pull randomly."

These bellows were not easy to work. Even adults found them somewhat strenuous, and he said this only because he wanted Huo Yuhao to back down in the face of difficulty.

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up when he heard that.

He knew his chance had come. He said nothing more and merely nodded. "Okay!"

He walked over to the enormous bellows, which were nearly taller than he was. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the pull rod with both hands. The rough wooden texture felt heavy in his palms.

He did not immediately try to yank it with brute force. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity into a horse stance, planted his feet firmly on the ground, straightened his spine, and slightly tensed the muscles in his arms.

At the same time, he quietly circulated a thread of Soul Power to better coordinate the strength of his entire body and improve his stability.

"Hey!"

With a low shout, Huo Yuhao exerted force through both arms and pulled the bellows rod backward in a steady, even motion!

"Whoosh!" As the wind poured in, the flames in the furnace suddenly surged upward, burning brighter and hotter!

Once, twice, three times...

Huo Yuhao was not fast, but every pull was remarkably steady and evenly weighted.

The bellows gave off a rhythmic, powerful "whoosh... hiss... whoosh... hiss..." while the Furnace Fire burned steadily and fiercely, its temperature visibly rising.

The two blacksmiths' eyes widened. They had not expected Huo Yuhao to actually be able to pull it.

After ten pulls, Huo Yuhao was neither flushed nor out of breath.

He released the pull rod, stood upright, and said with bright eyes, "Uncle, I'm done."

The strong man looked at the stable, roaring flames in the furnace, then at the Boy before him, whose breathing remained calm.

"Alright! Kid, you're something else! You're strong, and you're steady too!"

He patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "How about this? Stay and give it a try first. Come every morning. Your main tasks will be pulling the bellows, putting away the tools, cleaning up, and watching how we work."

"I'll provide lunch, and every month... I'll give you five Silver Soul Coins as pocket money. How does that sound?"

"If you do well, I'll teach you some real skills later on!"

For a general helper, this was already quite a good arrangement in Xilai City.

It was clear that this master had a kind heart. He was willing to take in a kid who was only Six Years Old, even if it was just to do odd jobs in exchange for a meal and some pocket money.

But most of it was obviously born of kindness and pity. He probably did not truly expect Huo Yuhao to be of any real help.

However, Huo Yuhao had not come here merely for five Silver Soul Coins a month and one free meal.

He had come to make money. Pulling bellows and cleaning up were fine as a start, but the progress was too slow and the reward too low.

He needed to prove his worth, to prove that he was not merely a "child" who needed looking after.

So at that moment, Huo Yuhao moved.

His gaze swept over the area and landed on a slightly smaller iron hammer resting on the tool rack nearby.

Under the puzzled gazes of the two masters, Huo Yuhao walked straight over and wrapped his small hand around the wooden handle of the iron hammer, which looked somewhat oversized for him.

It felt heavy in his hand. The hammerhead was solid wrought iron and weighed quite a bit.

He gripped the handle with both hands. His core suddenly exerted force, his calf muscles tensed, his heels dug into the ground, and his entire body became like a drawn bowstring.

"Hey!"

A crisp yet powerful shout burst from his throat!

Under the incredulous stares of the two blacksmithing masters, the little Boy, who only reached their waists, steadily raised the iron hammer above his head!

Before they could recover from their shock, Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened and locked onto the Iron Billet on the anvil, still glowing dark red with heat.

His arms drove his waist as the strength of his entire body twisted into one force and thundered down through the Hammer Handle!

Bang!!!

A solid, deafening impact exploded through the Blacksmith Shop!

Sparks burst from the collision between hammer and anvil like a rainstorm, illuminating Huo Yuhao's focused, calm little face!

The Iron Billet on the anvil visibly caved in and deformed beneath that strike!

After the first blow, Huo Yuhao did not pause in the slightest. His movements flowed like running water. Borrowing the rebound from the first strike, he twisted at the waist and swung the hammer again!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Once, twice, three times!

The rhythmic pounding rang out continuously through the small Blacksmith Shop like a War Drum!

Every hammer blow was accompanied by flying sparks and the clear deformation of the Iron Billet!

The two masters were completely dumbfounded. Their mouths hung wide enough to fit an egg, and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads!

This... how was this possible?!

A six-year-old child?!

Swinging an iron hammer meant for adults?!

And... that power?! That stability?! That rhythm of continuous hammering?!

They were blacksmiths themselves. They knew better than anyone what this meant!

Those few strikes just now—whether it was the force of the blows, the precision of the impact points, or the coordination and stability of his body when exerting strength—although his movements looked somewhat unfamiliar, he was already no weaker than an experienced old blacksmith!

In truth, Huo Yuhao had used a little trick. Under Han Tianyi's training, though he was young, his physique had long surpassed that of ordinary adults.

Moreover, his martial soul was the Spirit Eyes. His observation earlier had not been for nothing. He had merely copied the movements the two masters had used before!

After striking seven or eight times in succession, Huo Yuhao gradually eased off his strength. His final strike landed lightly, stabilizing the Iron Billet.

Then, holding the Hammer Handle with both hands, he gently set the iron hammer back where it had been. His movements remained steady.

Only after doing all this did he turn around to face the two blacksmithing masters, who were still frozen in place.

"Uncle, I think I can handle blacksmithing work!"

He had come to make money. How much could he earn from pulling bellows and doing odd jobs?

The two strong men suddenly came back to their senses. They exchanged a glance and saw the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

After a long while, the strong man who had spoken earlier finally squeezed out a few words. "You... you're a Soul Master?!"

To him, that was nearly the only reasonable explanation.

Without Soul Power tempering his body and strengthening his physical strength, how could a child only Six Years Old possibly do what he had just done?

Huo Yuhao met his gaze and nodded lightly.

"Gasp!"

After receiving confirmation, the strong man could not help drawing in a sharp breath. The way he looked at Huo Yuhao changed completely.

At such a young age... he was already a Soul Master?!

What kind of talent was that?!

A child like this had limitless prospects in the future!

Befriending an exceptionally gifted Soul Master was absolutely a deal that could never lose!

As thoughts raced through his mind, the strong man quickly suppressed his shock and replaced it with an even warmer, somewhat solemn smile.

Then he introduced himself. "My name is Wu Ming, and this is my younger brother, Wu Xing. We still don't know your name, little brother."

"My name is Huo Yuhao!"

Wu Ming thought for a moment, then said, "How about this? If you're willing to work here, your base wage will be ten Gold Soul Coins per month!"

Ten Gold Soul Coins—this was dozens of times more than the previous five Silver Soul Coins!

In a small place like Xilai City, that was absolutely a considerable income.

"Of course!" Master Wu quickly added in an enthusiastic tone. "That's only the base pay! Our Blacksmith Shop mainly works by taking commissions."

"From now on, after the qualified ironware you forge is sold, I'll give you an additional commission! The more you work, the more you earn! What do you think?"

Huo Yuhao nodded readily. "Thank you, Uncle Wu! These terms are excellent! I'm very satisfied!"

"Good! Good! Then it's settled!"

Master Wu's smile grew even broader when Huo Yuhao agreed. "Then... little brother Huo, can you come start work tomorrow morning? We begin at seven."

"Okay, Uncle Wu! I'll definitely be here on time at seven tomorrow!" Huo Yuhao agreed without hesitation.

With the matter settled, a weight lifted from Huo Yuhao's heart.

Now that he had found a well-paying job, his mother would no longer need to worry about making a living and could rest and recover in peace.

He was eager to tell his mother the good news, so that she could be happy as well and finally put her mind at ease.

Huo Yuhao bid the two farewell. "Then, Uncle Wu, Uncle Li, I'll head back first! See you tomorrow!"

Wu Ming hurriedly replied, "Alright, alright! Be careful on the way!"

Huo Yuhao turned around and, filled with relief and joy, broke into a light run toward the Small Courtyard he and his mother had rented.