The Unlucky Qualification Trial (Revised)

When he first arrived here, Shi Fen found it hard to believe, constantly doubting his own life. He could not bring himself to believe this was real at every moment, even suspecting that he hadn't truly died and was trapped within a hallucination.

After Shi Fen "died" back then, he had watched with his own eyes as his "soul left his body."

His soul shimmered with colorful light as it detached from his physical form.

In that moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation, as if his soul were about to merge with the universe. That refreshing, unbridled sensation did not last long before his soul suddenly began to sink, as if falling into an endless abyss, descending forever without any end in sight.

It felt as though his soul were falling into the "reincarnation of hell."

After falling for an unknown amount of time, when Shi Fen saw a dazzling golden light, the sensation of weightlessness finally ended, and he completely lost his autonomy.

When Shi Fen regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a crib, surrounded by many infants crying. Looking at his own petite "little hands," Shi Fen was shocked to discover that he had been reincarnated.

When Shi Fen realized this was the world of Swallowed Star and that he was neighbors with Luo Feng, he doubted his life even more.

Not long after arriving, just as he had finally accepted reality and was preparing to organize the timeline of events in this world within his Memory Palace, the inheritance unexpectedly activated.

The "Memory Palace Method" is a special way of memorizing things.

This method was a special mnemonic technique he had been forced to learn due to a bizarre illness in his previous life.

The "Memory Palace Method" is a powerful memory technique that uses a familiar location to link the information one wishes to memorize with that space, creating a systematic method for storing vast amounts of data. It is a highly efficient way to memorize; mastering this method can turn one into a "memory superman."

In layman's terms, it involves constructing a familiar scene in one's mind and storing a massive amount of memories within it, much like building a special "database" inside one's brain.

Some people store memories in books, while others store them in an imagined "computer."

The forms differ, but the results are the same.

That day.

It was just like his daily routine in his previous life.

An old man, after inspecting the "warehouse" of technological achievements in a research base, wanted to walk into the "study" in the deepest part of his "Memory Palace" to research various unfinished projects.

Because the "Memory Palace" did not store any entertainment information.

Shi Fen could only rely on his astonishing memory and the countless times he had reviewed it, recalling every detail. While he couldn't claim to remember every single detail, he still recalled eighty to ninety percent of the original plot of Swallowed Star.

Upon entering the door to the deepest study, Shi Fen was shocked to discover that he had accidentally entered the depths of his own mind.

Here, he saw a golden orb of light illuminating his sea of consciousness, surrounded by nine smaller, solid, dark-golden spheres of spiritual force.

Inside his mind, Shi Fen's body transformed from that of an old man into that of a young man; his consciousness had been restored to youth. Before Shi Fen could even rejoice.

A sudden change occurred!

A massive golden vortex appeared on the surface of the golden orb, and a powerful suction force acted upon Shi Fen's conscious body, pulling his consciousness into the interior of the golden orb.

The path of inheritance had officially begun!

"Shi Fen, I have already sent you into the world of Swallowed Star.

Accompanying you is a portion of my inheritance. When you complete all the trials of the inheritance, that will be the day you and I meet.

Work hard. Good luck."

These words, written in "Chinese characters," began Shi Fen's eighteen-year journey through hell.

Inside the golden orb lay a mysterious virtual space.

This space resembled the interior of a magnificent, colossal palace; the four walls, the ceiling, and the floor all shimmered with a faint, milky-white light. The "hall" was at least one kilometer in length and width, and at least one hundred meters in height.

One kilometer in length and width—the area was equivalent to one hundred and thirty standard football fields.

This was practically a "small city"!

On the floor of the "small city" were all sorts of strange "tools," some placed on tables of varying sizes, others laid directly on the ground. The tools were bizarre and varied greatly.

Though these various "tools" looked vastly different, they all used silver as their primary color, supplemented by other hues, styled like the cool, futuristic products seen in "sci-fi movies."

Near the teleportation point was a bookshelf, along with two "ultra-modern" style, spacious, and massive "sofas" and a "coffee table" that exuded a strong sense of technology.

The bookshelf was not very wide, only about forty centimeters, but it was at least ten meters long. Its height was not particularly exaggerated, only about two meters.

On the bookshelf, many books of varying thicknesses were neatly arranged; the thickest exceeded twenty centimeters, while the thinnest were only two or three centimeters. There were four levels of books in total, each level nearly half a meter high, "wedged" into the shelf, fitting perfectly.

On the spines of the books were four very conspicuous, complex square characters, and besides these, there were many smaller, equally complex characters of varying sizes.

Shi Fen had a certain level of proficiency in ancient scripts. After leaning over the books and examining them for a long time, he felt they resembled the "Large and Small Seal Scripts" of ancient China, though they were more complex and aesthetically pleasing than those.

Looking at each character individually was a delight, like viewing a beautiful scroll.

The moment Shi Fen reached out to touch the book, the entire space lit up with countless colorful rays of light.

The light came as suddenly as it departed.

When Shi Fen looked at the book again, he was stunned. The text on the book had completely transformed into Chinese characters.

The title of this book was clearly written in "Chinese characters": Basic Forging of Patterned Steel. In the top-left corner of the bookshelf, Shi Fen discovered a book titled Qualification.

This book was at most five centimeters thick, and on its cover were two large characters that looked like iron hooks and silver strokes: "Qualification."

The moment Shi Fen opened this book, his nightmare life officially began.

A powerful stream of information surged violently into Shi Fen's consciousness, firmly imprinting itself into the deepest part of his soul.

"Shi Fen, welcome to the official start of your Qualification Trial."

To help you memorize all the content quickly and complete the trial as soon as possible, I have infused all the information from the books on the shelves into your mind while you were flipping through this book. Once the infusion is complete, your consciousness will return to the real world.

You had best organize all this information before coming back here. I trust that with the accumulation from your past life, the majority of the earlier content will not stump you. As for the final stages, that will test your comprehension. However, I firmly believe that your success is only a matter of time; after all, your soul is quite...

Eh? Why am I saying this? Uh...

Forget it, I won't re-record this. Let it be. You will discover your talent eventually anyway; if it weren't for this talent of yours, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.

Ahem, in short, in this world, the faster you complete the Qualification Trial, the sooner you can proceed to the next stage of trials. I have left some things for you in the next stage—resources for you to make contact with the universe and cultivate your kin. They are passable, I suppose. Once you complete the next stage of the trial, these things will all be yours. Hahaha.

This book, Qualification, is the control core of this virtual trial space. I even specially added a "One-Key Reset" function for you.

I just don't know if, with so many convenient conditions, you will be able to meet the standard before you turn 18.

Alright, I have said enough.

In the future, when you want to enter the virtual trial space, calm your mind, focus your consciousness on your brain, and after entering your sea of consciousness, enter through the golden orb just as you did this time.

Pass the Qualification Trial before you turn 18, and I will give you an extra little reward. Hahahaha.

Following this message, which was filled with a free-spirited and somewhat irreverent tone, was a massive amount of graphic and textual information.

At the time, Shi Fen only read the beginning of that message before completely losing consciousness and fainting.

Several days later, he woke up in a daze, his head feeling as if it were splitting apart.

From that day on.

The inheritance, which would last for nearly 18 years, officially began.

Shi Fen spent nearly a year completing the integration of the basic information.

The majority of the books on the shelves were the "key knowledge points" for Shi Fen's Qualification Trial, while a small portion consisted of "user manuals" for the tools scattered across the Forging Plaza.

Within the Memory Palace, he categorized and summarized all the information. After enduring much stimulation and completing the preliminary digestion of knowledge, Shi Fen completely "dismantled" the Memory Palace.

Shi Fen discovered that after entering the Memory Palace, his conscious body remained in the state of an old man, whereas when entering the virtual trial space, his conscious body was in the state of a young man.

Shi Fen vaguely felt that if this contrasting state were to continue, it would cause problems.

Thus, he steeled his heart and dismantled it directly!

After completing the information integration, Shi Fen spent another year learning how to use the various tools in the plaza.

Shi Fen witnessed many heaven-defying technological tools, which provided him with much stimulation and forcibly broadened his horizons. His trial tasks, however, had absolutely no use for those "heaven-defying technological tools."

In reality, the tools Shi Fen used were all super-simplified versions.

To give a few examples, such as anvils, hammers, and other tools.

The heaven-defying versions of these tools could change shape, alter size, and adjust weight, making them extremely convenient and effective. Unfortunately, because he lacked the authorization of ownership, he could at most pick them up and stare at them helplessly.

As for the "super-simplified" tools Shi Fen used, the variety of hammers alone numbered nearly a thousand, and each type was further divided into dozens of variations based on different volumes and weights.

In that year, Shi Fen learned how to use countless types of tools. He could basically manage to use them barely, but to become proficient would require long-term training and adjustment.

With the operational foundation firmly laid, Shi Fen officially entered the focus of the Qualification Trial.

Extreme Forging!

Extreme Forging can be divided into three major stages, each further divided into three minor stages, totaling 9 minor stages.

The first major stage: Basic Forging.

According to the degree of basic forging, it is divided into three minor stages:

One, Purification of Pig Iron.

Two, Thousand Strikes for Refined Steel.

Three, Hundred Refinements for Divine Steel.

The second major stage: Patterned Steel Forging.

According to the internal patterns of the metal, it is divided into three stages:

One, "Rope" pattern.

Two, "Cloth Pattern" pattern.

Three, "Star Sea" pattern.

The third major stage: Metal "Basic Structure" Forging (also known as "Mortal-Shedding Forging").

According to the degree of metal volume condensation, it is divided into three stages:

One, Metal condensed 3 times.

Two, Metal condensed 9 times.

Three, Metal condensed 100 times.

The first major stage.

This involves purifying pig iron into ordinary steel, then through a thousand strikes and a hundred refinements, elevating the ordinary steel to top-tier refined steel.

The second major stage.

Although this stage is named Patterned Steel Forging, the true patterns exist within the interior of the metal. The patterns here refer to the arrangement of the metal atoms themselves at the atomic level; the surface of the metal can feature patterns of any shape.

In this major stage, the forged metal possesses no special patterns or imprints; the internal textures remain latent and unpronounced, leaving the metallic luster looking exactly as it did originally.

"Rope" pattern, "Cloth" pattern, "Starry Sea" pattern.

These represent the three states of the overall atomic arrangement within the metal.

Simply put, through the process of forging, metal atoms are crystallized, condensed into "Rope," woven into "Cloth," and converged into an inseparable "Starry Sea" akin to the cosmos.

This major stage condenses metal atoms, binding them with extreme tightness to forcibly enhance the metal's strength and performance.

Upon reaching the "Starry Sea" pattern level:

The internal structure of the metal is such that the distribution of crystallized metal atoms is incredibly uniform and dense. The atoms resemble stars in a galaxy, firmly linked together with astonishing atomic cohesive force.

The metallic performance of the steel far exceeds the natural limits of "steel."

For these first two major stages:

Shi Fen only needs to use an "ordinary" forging hammer, which possesses the ability to detect the internal atomic arrangement of the metal. Relying on this hammer, Shi Fen can fully perceive the internal state of the metal and its atomic alignment to assist in his forging.

Upon reaching the third major stage:

Shi Fen must use a higher-tier "Vibration Hammer" to compensate for his lack of capability. Only by utilizing the "vibration waves" of the Vibration Hammer can Shi Fen proceed with this stage of forging.

In this stage, building upon the Starry Sea pattern steel, he uses the magical properties of the Vibration Hammer to alter the state of the metal atoms. By disrupting the "metallic bonds" between them, he "interlocks" the atoms one by one, forcibly "concentrating" the metal to increase its density and strength.

This is a method of refining treasures that "turns decay into magic," capable of forging "mortal iron" into "divine iron."

For the Qualification Trial, in addition to mastering the core components of Extreme Forging, Shi Fen must also master the Miscellaneous Techniques section of Extreme Forging.

Miscellaneous Techniques:

It contains thousands of specialized projects, all related to treasure refining or forging.

For example: the use of various technological tools and manual forging implements.

Iron ore refining. 100-fold iron purification.

Tool processing and shaping. Various forms of casting techniques.

Processes such as quenching, annealing, tempering, and normalizing.

Techniques including cutting, filing, drilling, tapping, machining, grinding, welding, and complex precision carving.

Specialized forging techniques such as metal powder metallurgy, steel cladding, steel sandwiching, clay-tempered edge burning, and custom pattern-welded steel designs.

Processes for revealing the blade's appearance and sharpening, such as pickling and edge grinding.

Decorative techniques like openwork, engraving, gilding, inlaying, and antiquing.

Manufacturing processes for weapon protective casings.

These are merely the techniques Shi Fen has heard of; there are many more within Miscellaneous Techniques that Shi Fen cannot even imagine, totaling far more than 1,000 in all.

Although there are many projects in Miscellaneous Techniques:

Because the accompanying tools are ridiculously efficient and powerful, Shi Fen only needs to operate them like a "fool-proof machine." By pressing a few buttons or, at most, setting a few operational requirements himself, he can easily complete the vast majority of these projects.

To Shi Fen, these projects are essentially "entertainment programs" specifically designed for him. He is reluctant to finish them all at once, preferring to save them to enjoy slowly, thereby relieving pressure from other areas.

Aside from these simple, operational Miscellaneous Techniques projects:

All remaining projects require Shi Fen to personally ponder and execute them. These projects are all linked, to varying degrees, to Extreme Forging. In general, they all serve to enhance Shi Fen's cold weapon forging capabilities.

The most important technique in Miscellaneous Techniques:

It is undoubtedly the custom pattern-welded steel design technology.

It is the introductory technique for the second major stage, pattern-welded steel forging.

It explains the principles behind the generation of textures from a macroscopic perspective.

By initially mastering this technique, Shi Fen can attempt the second major stage of forging. Once fully mastered, while ensuring the quality of the material, Shi Fen can imbue weapons with various decorative patterns, such as wave patterns, swirl patterns, feather patterns, fish-gut patterns, chrysanthemum patterns, ladder patterns, and so on.

The requirements for the "Qualification Trial" are very high.

Shi Fen must complete the 100-fold concentration forging and finish all Miscellaneous Techniques projects to be considered as having passed the "Qualification Trial."

Among these, there are some "projects" for which Shi Fen encountered similar technologies in his past life, so he feels quite confident about them.

What Shi Fen feels least confident about is the third major stage of metal "basic structure" forging.

This is a heaven-defying "divine art" that completely shatters Shi Fen's "scientific worldview."

If the scientific knowledge Shi Fen accumulated in his past life were compared to a technology tree, what he is seeing and hearing now is akin to digging up the roots of that tree. It is a completely subversive destruction of his understanding of science.

Although the "Memory Palace of his past life" has been dismantled, the technology tree in Shi Fen's heart will not disappear along with it.

Originally, the growth of that technology tree required his own bit-by-bit learning and accumulation. As it turns out, the scientific technologies appearing in the "Qualification Trial" have forcibly pulled up the seedlings in his heart, boosting them countless times over.

It has opened the door to a new world of technological understanding for Shi Fen.

Because of the advantages of his family's blacksmithing environment, Shi Fen stood on the shoulders of Shi Tie and Old Master Shi, advancing by leaps and bounds.

At age 8, he completed the first major stage.

At age 12, he completed the second major stage.

Before turning 16, he broke through to the eighth minor stage, then hit a bottleneck and found it difficult to advance any further.

At age 17, he completed all content within Miscellaneous Techniques.

He completed the breakthrough before turning 18, only to be sucked dry into a husk by the Black Mirror.

"What a pity, I never got to see those heaven-defying technological tools from the Qualification Trial in their full, awe-inspiring glory."

As a technology fanatic, this is the regret that weighs most heavily on Shi Fen's heart.