Hundred-Forging Purification? Mu Xi Doubts Her Life, Did I Learn Nothing These Past Four Years?

Yao Chuan walked over as instructed, stood firm before the Strength Testing Platform, and took a deep breath.

He sank into a horse stance, his right fist launching out like a cannonball!

BANG!!!

A dull, thunderous boom echoed through the Forging Room, and the mercury column behind the tester surged upward violently!

Mu Chen and Mu Xi hurried over to check the display panel, where a bright red number popped up.

"Striking force, five hundred and thirteen kilograms."

Hiss—

Mu Chen couldn't help but gasp.

But it wasn't over yet; Yao Chuan switched to his left hand, adopting the same posture.

BANG!!!

Another dull thud rang out, and the number on the left display panel followed suit.

"Striking force, five hundred and seven kilograms."

Mu Chen: "..."

Mu Xi: "..."

Both of them fell silent.

Looking at the glaring numbers starting with "five" on the panels, then looking at Yao Chuan's somewhat slender frame.

Mu Chen muttered to himself, "This... this is simply a little monster..."

Over five hundred kilograms of striking force! Balanced in both hands!

This was absolutely the most terrifyingly strong newcomer he had ever seen, bar none!

No wonder he felt the eighty-jin hammers were light... with this kind of strength, using hammers of that level really was like child's play.

After his exclamation, Mu Chen's eyes lit up like lightbulbs, and he patted Yao Chuan's shoulder hard.

"Good lad! Truly born with divine strength! Heaven has gifted you a meal! With this kind of power... why bother slowly grinding away starting from basic hundred-refinement? It would be a complete waste of time!"

He rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"Come, come, come, challenge a higher level of forging directly; attempting hundred-refinement purification will definitely be no problem! You could even... try to take a shot at the legendary 'thousand-refinement'!"

He quickly explained the principles of thousand-refinement to Yao Chuan.

"Thousand-refinement isn't as simple as just striking a thousand times. It requires the blacksmith to have an extremely profound understanding of the metal, using countless strikes to remove all impurities, increase density, and even sublimate the internal structure of the metal to create a qualitative change! Once successful, the value of the metal will soar a hundredfold! This is the true entry point into the essence of forging!"

Mu Chen spoke with great passion, as if he could already see the image of Yao Chuan succeeding at thousand-refinement.

However, as soon as these words left his mouth, Mu Xi beside him immediately bristled.

"Dad! Have you lost your mind?"

She rushed in front of Yao Chuan, blocking Mu Chen like a mother hen protecting her chick.

"Yao Chuan is only just touching forging for the first time! How can you let him attempt thousand-refinement right out of the gate?"

Mu Xi was so angry her little face turned red.

"I've been learning for nearly four years! I've worked myself to the bone, and only now have I just touched the threshold of hundred-refinement purification! Thousand-refinement? That's still an unreachable goal for me!"

She pointed at the heavy block of Heavy Silver.

"You're forcing the shoots to grow by pulling them! This will put too much pressure on Yao Chuan!"

Mu Xi was genuinely anxious; she felt her father was being completely whimsical.

However, Yao Chuan, shielded behind her, felt his eyes flicker slightly.

Just now, when he swung that pair of eighty-jin hammers, the Black Dragon Martial Soul bloodline dormant within him seemed to be faintly stirred, and an indescribable restlessness flowed through his veins.

A craving to strike! A craving for that hearty, unrestrained release of power!

"Sister Mu Xi."

Yao Chuan spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet carrying a peculiar steadiness.

"I think... I can give it a try."

He looked at Mu Chen, his eyes clear and firm.

"Pressure? I think it's fine. Let's try it, Uncle Mu."

Mu Xi: "..."

She looked at Yao Chuan's serious profile, and all the words of dissuasion were stuck in her throat.

This kid... why is he so stubborn?

"Fine, fine, fine."

Mu Xi stomped her foot in frustration. "Try it if you want! But don't you dare push yourself! Stop immediately if you get tired! You hear me?"

She nagged him like a housekeeper.

Yao Chuan nodded, wasting no more words as his gaze swept over the various models of hammers on the forging table.

Ultimately, he walked toward the row of the largest forging hammers in the corner.

He picked up a heavy, dark-gold Tungsten Gold Hammer with one hand; its weight was clearly far beyond the Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammer that Mu Xi had given him earlier.

He weighed it in his hand.

Hmm.

This weight was barely suitable.

Walking to the forging table, the piece of Heavy Silver had already been heated to a glowing red.

Yao Chuan took a deep breath, recalling the force-exertion techniques Mu Chen had just explained in his mind.

Back straight, shoulders dropped, elbows tucked; power rose from the soles of his feet, transferred to his waist and hips, and then surged into his arms.

BOOM!!!

The first hammer strike descended suddenly, the dull, thunderous roar exploding like a lightning strike!

Sparks flew everywhere!

The glowing red Heavy Silver block vibrated violently; Mu Xi was so startled she covered her mouth, while Mu Chen's eyes widened instantly.

Good heavens!

The force of this strike...

Precise! Ruthless! It didn't look like a beginner's work at all!

Yao Chuan was already immersed in the process, his dual hammers alternating.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The rhythmic sound of striking echoed incessantly throughout the Forging Room; every blow was heavy and powerful, every blow landed exactly where it needed to. It was as if he were born to stand here, becoming one with the firelight and the metal.

Sweat soon soaked his bangs.

But his eyes grew brighter and more focused with every passing moment.

Under his continuous forging, the piece of Heavy Silver began to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye; impurities were squeezed out bit by bit, and its density was constantly increasing.

Red light flowed, and a low hum seemed to emanate from within the metal, as if responding to the will of the forger.

Time passed bit by bit, and Mu Xi's initial worry gradually turned into shock.

She watched Yao Chuan's movements in disbelief.

That fluid rhythm, that stable force, that precise judgment of the heat...

Is this really something someone who is touching forging for the first time can achieve?

Swish!

Yao Chuan brought his final hammer down, retracted it, and stood still.

He exhaled a long breath of air tainted with the scorching scent of metal.

On the forging table, the piece of Heavy Silver had shrunk by a full circle; its surface was no longer in a rough, red-hot state, but instead displayed an inner luster and a uniform, silver-gray texture.

Hundred-Refined Purification!

First attempt, one-time success!

And the completion quality was quite high!

Mu Chen looked at that piece of Hundred-Refined Heavy Silver, his mouth slightly agape, unable to speak for a long time.

This blow...

It was even harder than the one his own daughter had just received.

Mu Xi was even more completely dumbfounded.

She looked at Yao Chuan, looked at the Hundred-Refined Heavy Silver, then looked at herself, suddenly wondering if she had... spent the last four years learning nothing at all?

"Yao Chuan... you..." Mu Xi's voice was a bit airy.

Yao Chuan raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, feeling the thrumming of the Black Dragon Bloodline within his body.

It seemed that during the forging just now, as his power was vented, it had become even clearer.

He looked at the Heavy Silver, which was cooling down and shimmering with a metallic luster, his eyes sharp.

"I feel..."

Yao Chuan spoke, his voice slightly breathless from the exertion, yet exceptionally clear.

"Next time, I can do better. I want to try another piece."

His gaze burned as he looked at another piece of Heavy Silver waiting to be heated, filled with a desire to challenge even greater difficulties.