Rank Assessment
[Blacksmith Association Headquarters], third floor.
This is the blacksmith registration and assessment area, a place specifically for assessing blacksmith skill levels.
"Clang--!"
With the "Clear Sky Hammer" raised, revealing the blade that was nearly half-hidden by the massive hammerhead, Tang Hao confidently retracted his Martial Soul into his body, awaiting the observation and evaluation of Tie Futu and Lou Gao.
This is a one-piece two-handed greatsword, 1.6 meters long, with the hilt alone taking up 40 centimeters. The thickest part is as wide as a finger. Near the guard, there is a 30-centimeter section of the blade without a sharp edge, with blood grooves and natural patterns formed by forging.
It must be said that Tang Hao's forging skills surpass those of over 99% of the blacksmiths in the Douluo Continent. He actually managed to hammer a blood groove into the metal surface of the sword with a flat hammer, which was quite a show of skill.
Of course, while showing off skills is one thing, Tie Futu and Lou Gao mainly judge Tang Hao's forging level based on the quality of this two-handed greatsword; other fancy features are just icing on the cake.
At Tie Futu's prompting, Lou Gao stepped forward and reached out with his bare hand towards the greatsword, which was still radiating intense heat.
With his sword held horizontally across his chest, Lou Gao's eyes sharpened, his expression solemn. His originally short, stout, and somewhat comical figure now possessed a more imposing presence.
"First, look at the color."
Lou Gao murmured softly, circulating his Soul Power through his eyes. He scanned the greatsword and saw alternating blue and white lights on its blade. He nodded slightly, indicating that the metal smelting was up to standard, combining both strength and flexibility.
Different metals, due to their different properties, will appear in varying shades of color in the blacksmith's exclusive vision during repeated folding and forging. This reflects whether these metals have achieved effective melting and complementarity.
Although he didn't forge the five colors of red, blue, yellow, white, and black like Lou Gao, his master Tie Futu, and his junior brother Ling Yi, he was already qualified among the Grandmaster Blacksmith.
so.
"Pass!" Lou Gao said, giving the first evaluation.
Not far away, Tang Hao frowned slightly and his lips moved as if he was about to say something, but then he held back.
The Lou Gao side continued, "Second, look at the texture."
"The textures are seamless and interconnected, without any breaks between them; this is the mark of a fine piece!"
The two-handed greatsword forged by Tang Hao has excellent quality, with the forging patterns on the blade not intersecting or disordering, but flowing continuously and naturally.
"Thirdly, observe the luster. The layers are distinct, and the shine is so bright it reflects like a mirror; this can be achieved without grinding—the craftsmanship is impeccable!"
Upon hearing this, a faint look of satisfaction finally appeared on Tang Hao's face.
"Finally," Lou Gao held the greatsword in one hand, stepped towards the metal pillar next to him, and without using his Soul Power, relied only on the strength he had honed over the years to slash diagonally with his sword.
With a clang, a pure metal cylinder as thick as an average person's thigh was cleaved in half by Lou Gao's sword.
He glanced casually at the Lou Gao, then fixed his gaze on the undamaged, unbroken blade. He nodded in satisfaction and exclaimed with a smile, "A fine sword!"
Then, raising the greatsword, Lou Gao surveyed the crowd and loudly announced, "Now, I declare Tang Hao to be Grandmaster Blacksmith. Anyone with objections may step forward!"
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, but no one uttered a sound, let alone stepped forward to voice their objections. Seeing this, Lou Gao put down his greatsword and continued with a smile, "Since everyone agrees, then from this moment on, Tang Hao is the Grandmaster Blacksmith— "
"Good!"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted "Bravo!" as if it were a signal, and everyone began to praise loudly.
"Impressive! No wonder he's the second young master of the Tang Family of the Clear Sky Sect. He's only in his twenties and has already become Grandmaster Blacksmith..."
"Indeed, I'm over thirty years old, and I've only just barely scratched the surface of Blacksmith. Thousand Refinement —it's too difficult!"
"I'm so envious. We both have hammer-type Martial Soul, but my ' Red Copper Pumpkin Hammer ' is worlds apart from the Tang Family's ' Clear Sky Hammer '..."
These are members of the Blacksmith Association, who came up here today at the headquarters as witnesses. They then began their flattering spree, showing great respect for the members.
They were all familiar with this matter. A year ago, Chairman Lou Gao had started to speak to them, the middle and senior members of the association, in order to create a perfect atmosphere whenever someone like Tang Hao came for evaluation and assessment.
The benefits of celebrity endorsement for promoting the blacksmithing profession are obvious.
Furthermore, although Tang Hao's performance in the metal smelting process was not particularly outstanding, that was in comparison to his forging skills. If we only consider forging, among all the people present, apart from Tie Futu and Lou Gao, there were really very few members of their [Blacksmith Association] who could compare to Tang Hao.
At most, only a handful of people, such as Ah Gu and Shangguan Tianyou, can achieve a level similar to Tang Hao's.
"Second Young Master," Lou Gao said with a smile, handing the greatsword to Tang Hao, "Look, would you like me to have a scabbard made for this sword? You could take it back as a souvenir."
"No need." Tang Hao didn't even glance at the greatsword in Lou Gao's hand, waving his hand dismissively. "You can keep it. You can put it downstairs to sell, or do whatever you want—"
He doesn't need this sword. He has the "Clear Sky Hammer" for combat. It's so big that it's not even suitable for cutting fruit. Keeping it would just take up space in his Storage Soul Tool.
"How can we sell it—" Lou Gao immediately shook his head, objecting, "This is your work from your evaluation, Second Young Master. It's so meaningful, let's keep it... Hmm, how about this... Si Long!"
Lou Gao turned around and called over Si Long, who was in the crowd, singing praises in unison with Xiang Guyun.
"Teacher, you called me~" Si Long jogged over, first bowed to Tang Hao, and then looked up at the Lou Gao.
Lou Gao was very satisfied with Si Long's attention to detail, thinking to himself, "After being trained by Ah Yi, this kid's brain is finally not so dull anymore."
He handed the greatsword to Si Long Lou Gao and instructed, "Take this sword to the exhibition area inside and place it there. Remember, find the best-lit spot!"
"Yes!"
Si Long responded loudly, stretched out his hands to catch the greatsword handed to him by Lou Gao, bowed slightly to Tang Hao again, and strode towards the inner side of the third floor.
Following Si Long's gaze, Tang Hao's heart stirred, but he did not ask Lou Gao. Instead, he turned his gaze to Tai Tan beside him.
After years of companionship, Tai Tan understood Tang Hao's meaning and immediately began to explain with a smile, "Young Master, besides being the place where blacksmiths are assessed and rated, there is also a special exhibition area on the third floor to display the works of all those who have successfully passed the assessment, for later generations to view and for everyone to judge together. It is an honor, and also a source of confidence..."
"Of course, this is not mandatory; it is up to the examinee to decide. Some examiners also take the work home as a souvenir."
Hearing this, Tang Hao nodded, about to say something, when he noticed his younger sister, Tang Yuehua, walking up to him with a look of eager anticipation in her eyes. He changed the subject, saying, "Come on, let's go take a look and see what other people's work is like. Yuehua, are you coming?"
"Mmm~" Tang Yuehua nodded repeatedly with a smile on her pretty face.
Seeing this, Lou Gao naturally didn't object. He waved to Ah Gu and the other association members, signaling them to disperse or go about their business. Then he took the initiative to lead Tang Hao, Tang Yuehua, Tai Tan, Yang Wushuang, and others towards the exhibition area.
As for the two big shots, Tie Futu and Tang Chen, they strolled leisurely at the very back.
"Teacher, Second Young Master—"
Si Long had just placed his two-handed greatsword on a black wooden shelf when he turned around and saw Lou Gao and Tang Hao approaching. He quickly greeted them.
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Some people say I'm being frivolous, and all I want to say is, come to my room tonight, I want to see who's frivolous more!!!