The Essentials of Thousand Refinement

Within Mu Xi's private forging room at the Eastsea Blacksmiths Association, her somewhat agitated explanations could be heard.

"That's not how it's done! Honestly, how can you be so stupid?"

"If that's not it, then what is? Why don't you demonstrate it for me, Senior?" Yun Chen asked helplessly.

Ever since Yun Chen had gained some understanding of forging rhythm under Mu Xi's guidance last time, the two of them had often come to the Blacksmith's Association together to practice. However, they were both only second-rank blacksmiths. Mu Xi had merely accumulated more theoretical knowledge and had never practiced it herself. Thus, when Yun Chen asked her to demonstrate, an embarrassed look immediately appeared on her face.

"Sigh, I never thought Thousand Refinement would be this difficult," Yun Chen remarked.

Thousand Refinement was an extremely crucial step in the entire forging process. Only metal that had undergone Thousand Refinement was valuable enough to be made into Battle Armor.

However, Yun Chen and Mu Xi were both only second-rank blacksmiths and had not even passed the third-rank assessment. Naturally, they could not perform Thousand Refinement. Today's attempt had merely been prompted by Mu Xi's sudden whim.

"Should we start over and try again?" Mu Xi suggested. She always felt that she was only one step away from Thousand Refinement. As long as she worked harder, she would surely succeed.

Normally, she could only study on her own, so there were naturally many problems she could not figure out. Perhaps discussing them with Yun Chen today might lead to a breakthrough?

Just then, the door to the forging room was pushed open, and Mu Chen came into their view.

"Xiao Xi, Xiao Chen, are you two practicing Thousand Refinement?" Mu Chen asked with a smile.

In truth, this old father had been eavesdropping outside the forging room for quite some time. At first, he had been worried that something might happen while Mu Xi and Yun Chen were alone together, but later, he had been drawn in by the topic they were discussing.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Mu Xi froze. "You weren't eavesdropping outside again, were you?"

"No, no. I just happened to be passing by," Mu Chen said.

Mu Xi looked suspiciously at her old father, making Mu Chen's expression nearly impossible to maintain.

"President Mu Chen, we're practicing Thousand Refinement. Why don't you demonstrate it for us?" Yun Chen said.

He was not trying to help Mu Chen out of the awkward situation. He truly felt as though he was on the verge of mastering it. If this Saint Craftsman was willing to teach him personally, perhaps he really might succeed.

Hearing Yun Chen's words, Mu Chen immediately nodded. "All right, I'll demonstrate it for you. Watch carefully."

With that, Mu Chen took out his Forging Hammer and sent a fresh piece of metal to be heated. A moment later, when the red-hot metal was placed on the anvil, Mu Chen swung his Forging Hammer and began forging.

At first, Mu Chen had wanted to show off by speeding through the Hundred Refinement process. But after thinking it over, he realized that doing so during a lesson offered no benefit besides looking impressive. He abandoned the idea and began forging one hammer strike at a time.

Even so, Hundred Refinement did not take much time in Mu Chen's hands. Once the metal had completed Hundred Refinement, Mu Chen reminded them, "Watch closely. What matters in Thousand Refinement is not only rhythm, but also further purifying the metal and 'awakening' its vitality. The most crucial part is sensing the feedback the metal gives during the forging process."

Mu Chen's words immediately sharpened Yun Chen and Mu Xi's focus. They watched his forging carefully, gradually gaining some insight from his precise rhythm.

Suddenly, a radiance shimmered across the forged metal. That was spiritual light manifesting outward, one sign of Thousand Refinement quality.

"Forging is not merely about hammering with brute force. It is also a process of nurturing." Mu Chen put away his Forging Hammer and continued explaining, "From Hundred Refinement to Heavenly Refinement, all of it embodies that process of nurturing. Throughout that process, the metal's feedback is extremely important."

"Perhaps you have now mastered the rhythm of forging. But you are still far lacking when it comes to sensing the metal's feedback. You should focus more on that point. Only by mastering it can you successfully complete Thousand Refinement."

After hearing Mu Chen's words, Yun Chen silently nodded. He had always felt that he had overlooked something. Only now did he realize that he had never taken the metal's feedback seriously.

"All right, Thousand Refinement isn't something you can accomplish overnight. It's getting late, so I'll take you two to eat first," Mu Chen said.

Only after hearing Mu Chen did Mu Xi realize she was hungry. Forging was physically demanding work to begin with, and she and Yun Chen had spent most of the day practicing in the forging room. How could they not be hungry?

"Um, I won't be joining you. I'll just go home to eat. It's rare that I get a break—I can't even skip eating at home, can I?" Yun Chen said.

Hearing that, Mu Chen did not press him further. Mu Xi, on the other hand, felt a little disappointed. She had wanted to talk more with Yun Chen over dinner. However, he had already practiced with her for so long that she felt too embarrassed to insist. Thus, she said nothing more, merely greeted Mu Chen and saw Yun Chen into the elevator.

When the elevator reached the first floor and its doors opened, Mu Xi saw someone she found rather unpleasant.

Mu Xi might not have been a peerless beauty, but she was unquestionably beautiful. Whether at school or at the Blacksmith's Association, she had no shortage of admirers. Yet Mu Xi had no interest in any of them. She preferred focusing on forging and working hard to improve herself. However, her forging talent and status were also part of what attracted people to her.

Mu Xi's aversion and the repeated rejection her admirers faced had indeed made many of them give up. But there were always people in this world who thought highly of themselves and believed that once they made a move, success was guaranteed. Cheng Yue, standing before her now, was one of them. Although Mu Xi had clearly rejected him many times, he still tirelessly continued his pursuit.

The moment Cheng Yue saw Mu Xi in the elevator, his eyes lit up. But in the next instant, his face darkened. He saw Mu Xi affectionately linking arms with the man beside her as they walked out of the elevator together.

"Senior, what are you doing?" Yun Chen asked in confusion.

"Help me get rid of this nuisance, and I'll treat you to a huge meal next time," Mu Xi said painfully.

Yun Chen had an extraordinary obsession with food. He could be vague about other matters, but when it came to eating, he was never the slightest bit careless. Offering such terms in exchange meant Mu Xi would have to sacrifice her allowance.

"What a coincidence, Mu Xi. You came to the association to practice today too?" Although Mu Xi's actions had stung Cheng Yue, he still shamelessly approached her.