Sparks flew under the heavy blows, like fireflies gone wild in the night sky.
The Black Gold's originally pitch-black surface began to undergo a qualitative change under the double tempering of high heat and Soul Power. Its lifeless black turned a fiery dark red, then leapt from dark red to a clear, golden crimson.
It was proof that impurities inside the metal were being frantically expelled during the tempering process, purifying it.
From the moment Yuanen Yehui brought down her second hammer, Mu Chen had completely abandoned the idea of offering pointers and clamped his mouth shut.
With the eye of an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman, he could see the trick at a glance. Yuanen Yehui's second strike had already resonated with the Black Gold; the first had clearly just been a test.
Yuanen Yehui was wholly immersed in the forging. In her world, nothing remained but the Black Gold before her and the forging hammer in her hands.
Every breath she took was perfectly synchronized with the rhythm of her hammer blows, with not a fraction of a second to spare.
Soul Power was no longer poured in as brute force. Instead, it seeped into the metal like a trickling stream, following the vibrations of every strike and resonating continuously with the Black Gold.
"Clang!"
Another hammer fell, and a golden light suddenly lit up across the Black Gold's surface.
The Thousand-Refinement's initial form had come together as naturally as water flowing into its course!
"Don't stop!" Mu Chen said gravely. "Try for a first-grade Thousand-Refinement!"
He could already tell that Yuanen Yehui's forging skills had surpassed those of an ordinary Level 4 Blacksmith. Passing the third-grade Thousand-Refinement assessment would pose no problem at all.
What he wanted now was to witness her limits.
At his words, Yuanen Yehui's arm