Cen Yue's Shock

"Old Man Mu, have you lost your mind?!"

Mu Xi looked at her father as if he were insane.

Thousand Refinement.

That was a level of forging she was still striving toward, one she absolutely could not achieve anytime soon.

At the same time, completing a Thousand Refinement of any Rare Metal meant officially becoming a Level 3 Blacksmith.

It was only because Lin Jin's Martial Soul had scorched her last time, improving her Spiritual Power somewhat,

that she had increased her speed and successfully advanced to Level 2 Blacksmith last semester.

And now, Mu Chen was asking Lin Jin to complete a Thousand Refinement without relying on the power of his Martial Soul!

One had to know that Lin Jin was only nine years old!

He was a full four years younger than her.

What Mu Xi failed to notice was that Lin Jin's expression remained calm upon hearing this.

Three years had passed.

Lotus Flower Flame had been burning within his body all along.

Even accumulated water could form an abyss.

His Spiritual Power, the quality of his Soul Power, and his physical strength had all undergone tremendous leaps.

Moreover, his Soul Power had reached Level 23.

A Two-Ring Great Spirit Master!

And three years of uninterrupted daily forging had laid an incomparably solid foundation for him.

He had long since attempted Thousand Refinement without using his Martial Soul abilities to assist him.

And he had succeeded.

Mu Xi did not know because although they usually practiced in the same small warehouse,

the interior was partitioned off so they would not interfere with each other.

Thus, although Mu Xi knew that Lin Jin must have changed greatly by now,

she could never have imagined that he could complete Thousand Refinement without relying on his Martial Soul at this age.

One had to know that her uncle was Zhen Hua.

Even Zhen Hua had not reached the Thousand Refinement level at the age of nine.

"Say something!"

Seeing how calm Lin Jin was, Mu Xi could not help tugging at the corner of his clothes.

Then, realizing something was wrong, she cried out:

"Don't tell me you can really do it?!"

Mu Chen smiled mysteriously.

He said nothing, but the vehicle clearly sped up.

Obviously, Mu Chen was excited and full of anticipation as well.

Lin Jin had no choice after Mu Xi kept tugging at him.

"I've tried it before. The success rate just isn't very high."

"Y-you..."

Mu Xi stared wide-eyed at Lin Jin, wearing an expression as if she had been betrayed.

Lin Jin sighed helplessly.

"You insisted on asking."

Mu Xi pulled a long face.

"But you didn't have to insist on telling me!"

"..."

Inside Mu Chen's Forging Room.

There were only four people in the room.

Mu Chen, Mu Xi, and Cen Yue were the audience and witnesses at that moment.

In truth, given Mu Chen's status, he could have kept Cen Yue from watching and simply issued Lin Jin a Level 3 Blacksmith Badge after he achieved Thousand Refinement.

But Mu Chen had still brought Cen Yue here.

"Is Lin Jin taking the Level 2 Blacksmith examination at such a young age?"

"President, you really did take in a fine disciple. You've made me jealous enough to want an apprentice myself."

Cen Yue's eyes were filled with amazement.

A nine-year-old Level 2 Blacksmith was an absolute genius!

There had never been such a young Level 2 Blacksmith in the entire history of the Forging Room Association.

Mu Chen and Mu Xi exchanged glances and smiled mysteriously.

Clang!

At that moment, Lin Jin, who had finished regulating his breathing and preparing himself, opened his eyes and began swinging his hammer.

The Rare Metal he was forging for this examination was Cloud Titanium.

It was the material of the pair of Forging Hammers in his hands, and it was also the Rare Metal he knew best.

Without heating it with any flames, he began hammering directly.

A look of surprise appeared in Cen Yue's eyes, and he instinctively glanced at Mu Chen.

Seeing Mu Chen's calm expression, the surprise in his own eyes deepened.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The dense hammering echoed through the Forging Room like an unusual rhythm.

Gradually, all three of them became engrossed in watching.

Ding!

No one knew how much time had passed before a crisp chime jolted the three awake.

Only then did they realize

that the standard one-foot-square block of Cloud Titanium on the forging table had shrunk by a third.

Strange patterns had appeared across its surface.

Hundred Refinement complete!

"F-finished?!"

Cen Yue cried out in shock.

Too fast!

And the process had been too smooth, too exquisite.

It did not look like forging at all, but more like some sort of artistic performance.

Even he, a Six-Pole Grandmaster-level blacksmith, could not help becoming immersed in it.

It was far too outrageous.

And at that moment, Cen Yue suddenly realized

that given the level Lin Jin had displayed, this was very likely not a Level 2 Blacksmith examination!

Level 3?

Thousand Refinement?!

At nine years old?

How was that possible?!

Cen Yue felt his heart pounding wildly.

If Lin Jin could complete Thousand Refinement at the age of nine, it would mean directly breaking the Forging Room Association's record.

Lin Jin might even have a chance of reaching the Divine Craftsman level!

Cen Yue's breathing grew heavier as he stared intently at Lin Jin, awaiting his next move.

A moment later, Lin Jin moved.

Sure enough!

It really was not a Level 2 Blacksmith examination!

Cen Yue was so excited that his face flushed red.

Mu Chen and Mu Xi watched Cen Yue from the corners of their eyes. Seeing his reaction, they exchanged glances, both filled with pride.

Hmph, what an ignorant bumpkin!

Clang!

Fire-attribute Soul Power surged forth, coating the Forging Hammers, and dense hammer strikes once again rang through the Forging Room.

The Cloud Titanium, which had already shrunk to a third of its original size, diminished further.

Throughout the entire process, Mu Chen did not stop Lin Jin.

What he wanted was for Lin Jin not to use the power of his Martial Soul.

Soul Power was naturally permitted.

After being tempered by Lotus Flower Flame for so long, Lin Jin's Soul Power was now frighteningly high in quality, even carrying a trace of "purification."

The moment that fire-attribute Soul Power joined the forging process,

its searing heat immediately burned away the already scant impurities within the Cloud Titanium.

Thus, after only several dozen strikes, a faint glow emerged on the surface of the Cloud Titanium.

Cen Yue's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open in an "O."

As a Six-Pole Forging Master, how could he fail to see that if Lin Jin stopped forging now,

that piece of Cloud Titanium would definitely bloom with Spirit Light.

Spirit Light was unique to Thousand Refinement.

No matter how strong the Spirit Light was, it meant that the metal had completed Thousand Refinement.

It also meant that Lin Jin had officially become a Level 3 Blacksmith.

This time, even Mu Chen had surprise and delight appear in his eyes.

Lin Jin completed Thousand Refinement even faster than Hundred Refinement.

That meant his claim in the car that the success rate was not high had been nothing more than modesty.

Thousand Refinement was clearly already effortless for Lin Jin.

At that moment, Mu Chen suddenly wanted to see what level Lin Jin could reach if he used the power of Lotus Flower Flame.

But this was absolutely not the right time to interrupt Lin Jin.

So he remained silent.

And while thoughts swirled through the minds of Cen Yue and Mu Chen, Lin Jin's forging did not pause in the slightest.

The hammering remained dense.

The difference was that the Cloud Titanium's rate of shrinkage had greatly decreased.

Instead, the patterns emerging across its surface became increasingly orderly.