"Gasp!"
"That's the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer! Where did this child come from? What a terrifying talent!"
The examiner had naturally recognized the hammer technique Tang San had just performed. In Gengxin City, almost everyone knew the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, and most blacksmiths knew at least a little of it.
But none of them had mastered the entire technique. They couldn't build up to the eighty-first strike.
Tang San was different. The Clear Sky Douluo of this generation, Tang Hao, had personally taught him the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. Though Tang San's Soul Power couldn't yet sustain the technique in a real fight, he had more than enough strength to deliver eighty-one strikes with a forging hammer against a piece of iron ore that couldn't fight back or move.
As the examiner stared in stunned silence, Tang San had built up only thirty-six strikes before the ordinary iron ore in front of him glowed red. He had refined it to one hundred percent purity.
"Thirty-six strikes of the Disorder Splitting Wind! One hundred percent purity! Heavens, what am I looking at? He's just a child—a nine-year-old child!"
The examiner was so excited he could barely contain himself. He gripped Tang San's shoulders, trembling with emotion.
"Child, what's your name?"
"My name is Tang San, uncle."
"Tang San? The Tang surname... Could you be a member of the Clear Sky Sect? No, that can't be. The Clear Sky Sect has been in seclusion for years. We haven't heard anything about them in a long time."
"Child, what's your Martial Soul?"
Tang San didn't understand why the examiner was asking about his Martial Soul, but he answered honestly.
"Uncle, my Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."
When he heard that Tang San's Martial Soul wasn't the Clear Sky Hammer—or even a hammer-type Martial Soul—the examiner's face filled with regret.
"Ah, what a pity. Even if your Martial Soul isn't the Clear Sky Hammer, it would've been enough if it were any kind of hammer!"
"But instead, it's the Trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass."
"Truly, Heaven envies the gifted!"
The metals of Douluo Continent weren't ordinary. Some couldn't be forged with an ordinary hammer, no matter how skilled the blacksmith.
That was why Soul Masters with hammer-type Martial Souls had a greater talent for blacksmithing.
The next best thing was a Martial Soul with tremendous strength, such as the Great Strength Ape wielded by Tai Tan, the head of the Strength Clan.
As head of the Strength Clan, Tai Tan was a high-ranking Soul Douluo whose Martial Soul was the Great Strength Ape.
Gengxin City had two divine craftsmen. One was Tai Tan, the head of the Strength Clan; the other was Lou Gao.
In terms of forging skill, Tai Tan wasn't as good as Lou Gao. But Tai Tan was a high-ranking Soul Douluo, while Lou Gao was only an ordinary Soul Saint. When it came to forging particularly hard metals, Tai Tan had the advantage.
But in the examiner's eyes, Tang San had neither of those advantages. Even though he could perform the thirty-six consecutive strikes of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer at barely nine years old, the examiner didn't believe he could reach Lou Gao's level.
And with Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul, Tang San would never achieve a high Soul Power Level.
That was why the examiner regretted Tang San's wasted talent.
Still, he smiled, not wanting to discourage such a gifted child.
"Congratulations, child. You've passed the primary blacksmith exam. You can come back in two and a half days to collect your blacksmith certification booklet."
Two and a half days later, Tang San went to the Blacksmith Association and collected his primary blacksmith certification booklet.
Because of their age, Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu had previously been barred from many places. Now that Tang San had his primary blacksmith certification booklet, it was as good as an all-access pass in Gengxin City, where craftsmen held a high status.
As luck would have it, the Grand Auction House in Gengxin City was holding an auction that day. Li Luo took Tang San and Xiao Wu with him.
Thanks to Tang San's status as a primary blacksmith, no one stopped them, and the three entered without trouble.
Tang San found the auction house manager and took out a Godly Zhuge Crossbow he had made.
"I want to auction off a ranged Hidden Weapon."
Tang San spoke to the manager.
"A Hidden Weapon?"
The manager looked puzzled, as if he'd never heard the term before.
On Douluo Continent, where everyone had a Martial Soul, Soul Masters had little need for weapons.
Common weapons were usually portable blades like short swords and daggers, or defensive gear such as inner armor.
So when the manager heard Tang San say "Hidden Weapon," he was surprised.
Still, Gengxin City was full of craftsmen. It was hardly strange that someone might create all sorts of unusual things.
"Certainly, but I'll need you to demonstrate what this Hidden Weapon can do so the auction house can appraise it."
"This Hidden Weapon is called the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. It's a ranged weapon with tremendous power. A hit to a vital spot can kill a powerful Soul Ancestor."
"Gasp! A Soul Ancestor? Child, don't joke around. If you deliberately exaggerate and deceive our auction house, you could be blacklisted."
"I'm not joking. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate the power of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow myself."
The auction house manager had someone bring over a solid wooden board two and a half meters thick.
"Please!"
The manager stepped aside, letting Tang San demonstrate the power of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow.
Tang San raised the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, aimed at the board, and fired.
The bolt whistled through the air and sank deep into the wood, leaving only a short length sticking out.
Seeing the Godly Zhuge Crossbow's power, the manager broke into a delighted grin.
"Young man, I've seen what your Hidden Weapon can do now. It's truly impressive!"
"I wonder if you have any more of these Hidden Weapons. If you do, our auction house can buy them at a high price."
The Godly Zhuge Crossbow had made a strong impression on the auction house manager. As a businessman, he could see its value at once.
Even an ordinary adult could potentially kill a powerful Soul Ancestor with a Godly Zhuge Crossbow.
What did that mean? It meant that if the empire's army learned how to make this Hidden Weapon, it could build a force of ten thousand men, each one comparable to a Soul Ancestor, in a very short time.
Besides, a weapon with this kind of killing power would be tremendously appealing to ordinary Soul Masters as well.
That was especially true of auxiliary sects such as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If a disciple with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul had a Godly Zhuge Crossbow, they would wield the killing power of a Battle Soul Master at the Soul Ancestor level.
This was an enormous business deal, and the Grand Auction House had branches all over Douluo Continent. It could handle a deal of this size and monopolize the business.
The manager felt that his chance to get promoted, earn a raise, and reach the peak of his life had arrived that very day. So he tried to sound Tang San out, hoping to find out whether this kind of Hidden Weapon could be mass-produced.
"Uncle, I don't have any extra Godly Zhuge Crossbows right now."
Tang San had lived two lifetimes, after all. He could see the manager's little scheme in his eyes. Of course, he did have extra Godly Zhuge Crossbows.
He had made four in total: one each for himself, Li Luo, and Xiao Wu.
He had kept the last one to auction off and earn his first pot of gold.