A Single Hammer, Soul Forging

After leaving that little house filled with memories, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena walked side by side through the morning streets of Aolai City. The sunlight was just right, and the sea breeze pleasantly intoxicating. Neither of them tacitly brought up too much sadness about the past. They simply enjoyed this rare moment of peace, as though they had stolen it from fate. Concealing their overly eye-catching auras and appearances, they blended into the everyday bustle of the small city like the most ordinary tourists.

After passing through several familiar alleys, an old-looking building with a steady, imposing style appeared before them. Its walls were made of bluish-gray bricks, and a dark wooden plaque hung above the entrance. Several powerful characters were carved upon it—Mang Tian Memorial Hall.

Tang Wulin unconsciously slowed his pace. The name carried an inexplicable sense of familiarity, like a stone cast into the lake of his heart, sending ripples spreading outward.

"Would you like to go in and take a look?" Gu Yuena noticed his hesitation and asked softly.

Tang Wulin nodded. An indescribable pull made him push open the heavy doors.

The memorial hall was more spacious inside than they had imagined, divided into an exhibition area and a forge that was still in operation. The exhibition area displayed some of Master Mang Tian's works from before his death, along with written and illustrated materials documenting his legendary life. Tang Wulin's gaze swept over those forging works brimming with strength and spirit, and the sense of familiarity in his heart became increasingly clear.

Their footsteps were involuntarily drawn by the rhythmic clanging from the adjacent forging area. Through the transparent soul-tool partition wall, they could see several young blacksmiths working up a sweat inside. The furnace blazed brightly, illuminating their focused, youthful faces. Metal continuously changed shape beneath their hammers, throwing out dazzling sparks.

Yet as Tang Wulin watched their movements and the metal struggling to improve in quality beneath their hammers, his brow faintly furrowed. An extremely strange feeling rose within him—he felt that he ought to know how to forge. Moreover, watching the laborious forging process of these young blacksmiths, which even seemed somewhat ugly in his eyes, he instinctively felt that forging should not be this difficult or clumsy.

His fingers unconsciously curled slightly, as though gripping something in empty air. The urge to touch the metal himself and feel its veins and breath was impossible to suppress.

"What is it?" Gu Yuena once again keenly sensed that something was off with him.

"I... think I know how to do this," Tang Wulin said quietly, his gaze still fixed on the distorted metal. "And I think they're doing it wrong."

Ignoring Gu Yuena's slightly surprised look, he seemed driven by some invisible force as he walked directly to the reception counter outside the forging area. A woman in clean work clothes greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" Her tone was polite.

Tang Wulin hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed the impulse in his heart. "I'd like to try forging."

The receptionist froze for a moment. She looked over the young man before her, with his black hair and black eyes, calm temperament, and appearance that did not resemble that of a seasoned craftsman. Still, out of professional courtesy, she maintained her smile. "Of course, sir. Our memorial hall offers an experience service. Do you have an appointment? Or proof of your blacksmith rank?"

Tang Wulin shook his head. "Neither. I just want to try."

Seeing his sincere attitude, the woman pointed to a forging station nearby. It was relatively separate, fully equipped, but positioned closer to the outside and clearly meant for beginners. "Then you may use Experience Station Number Three. You'll need to cover the basic usage fee and material costs yourself."

"Alright, thank you." Tang Wulin paid without hesitation. At the receptionist's recommendation, and beneath her surprised gaze, he purchased a block of Heavy Silver that was decent in quality but far from top-grade. Heavy Silver was tough, conducted energy well, and was a common material for practice and low-level soul tools.

Holding the heavy block of dull silver-gray metal, he walked to the experience forging station. Gu Yuena quietly followed behind him, curiosity and a faint, barely perceptible anticipation in her purple eyes. She found a nearby bench and sat down, prepared to watch his "performance."

He lit the furnace, clamped the Heavy Silver, and fed it into the flames to heat it. Tang Wulin's movements were unexpectedly smooth and practiced, as though he had repeated them countless times. He watched the metal gradually glow red within the furnace, his eyes calm, seemingly feeling every minute change within it.

When the Heavy Silver reached the optimal forging temperature, he removed it and placed it upon the thick iron anvil.

It was time to use a hammer. Standard forging hammers were available at the station, but he did not even glance at them.

He closed his eyes, as though sensing something—or perhaps calling out to it. The next moment, he held his hands in the air, and dark silver light flowed and condensed between his palms!

In an instant, two ancient-looking forging hammers, dark matte silver throughout, appeared out of thin air in his hands! Their hammerheads were not especially massive, but their lines were sleek and brimming with power. Mysterious patterns could faintly be seen on their bodies. The moment they appeared, the air around them seemed to congeal slightly, and they emanated an indescribable heaviness and spirituality.

He remembered these hammers! They seemed like extensions of his own body!

No warming up. No testing.

Under the curious gazes occasionally cast his way by several young blacksmiths and the receptionist, Tang Wulin abruptly opened his eyes!

His right arm rose, and the dark silver hammer tore through the air with a strange hum, as though it could make space itself tremble. It smashed down upon the glowing red block of Heavy Silver!

Boom—!

The strike was not deafening, yet it was incomparably deep and heavy! It was as though it had not struck metal, but the hearts of everyone present! The entire forging area—even the whole memorial hall—seemed to tremble slightly with that single blow!

Centered on the point of impact, an invisible wave of air abruptly spread outward, carrying scorching heat and an indescribable majesty!

Then something even more astonishing happened—

At the instant that hammer fell, the Heavy Silver, which had merely been glowing red, seemed to be infused with a soul! The redness on its surface receded like a tide, replaced by a restrained, flowing dark silver sheen. Deep within that luster, countless fine golden veins, like blood vessels, emerged and spread on their own, instantly covering the entire block of metal!

A concealed yet tangible dragon's might mingled with the metal's own surging vitality and spirituality, spreading from the block like an awakening dragon!

One hammer strike! Just one strike!

That ordinary block of Heavy Silver had surpassed Hundred Refinement, Thousand Refinement, and even Spirit Refinement. It had directly reached the realm that countless blacksmiths dreamed of—Soul Refinement! Moreover, it was top-grade Soul Refinement containing a trace of the Golden Dragon King's bloodline will, possessing life and pressure!

Clang! Nearby, a young blacksmith who had been drinking water dropped his cup. It shattered on the floor, but he did not notice at all. His mouth hung open, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Th-this is impossible!" Another, slightly older blacksmith abruptly stood up. The forging hammer in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. It even struck his foot, yet he felt nothing.

The receptionist's professional smile completely froze, turning into utter shock and bewilderment.

The entire forging area fell silent. Only the Soul-Refined Heavy Silver, floating an inch above the anvil and slowly rotating on its own, continued to emanate dark silver light, golden patterns, and faint dragon's might, silently recounting the miracle that had just occurred.

Hurried footsteps rang out. An elderly man with graying hair, dressed in formal manager's attire, nearly ran over. He had clearly witnessed that forging which could only be called miraculous.

When he saw the Heavy Silver on the anvil, its soul light contained within and golden patterns flowing across its surface, he froze as if struck by a paralysis spell. Trembling, he pointed at the metal, his lips quivering for a long while before he finally found his voice. "Soul Refinement?! One hammer... one-hammer Soul Refinement?!"

He suddenly turned toward Tang Wulin, his eyes blazing as though he had seen a god. He was so excited that his words came out in a jumble. "Master! May I ask your name? This Heavy Silver—no, this divine work! Could you... could you part with it? Our memorial hall is willing to pay... any price!"

Seeing the shocked stares around him and the old man's gaze, which seemed ready to swallow him whole, Tang Wulin inwardly cried out in alarm. He had only wanted to try it on instinct. He had not expected to cause such a huge commotion.

With a thought, the pair of dark silver hammers turned into streams of light and vanished from his hands. He waved at the excited manager, his voice calm and swift. "No need. Give this piece of metal to the memorial hall as a keepsake."

The moment he finished speaking, before the other man could say anything else, his figure flickered. Like a phantom, he appeared beside Gu Yuena, who had been quietly sitting there, and took her hand.

Space seemed to ripple almost imperceptibly. The next moment, the two of them vanished from where they stood as though they had never been there, leaving behind only the Soul-Refined Heavy Silver radiating an extraordinary aura, as well as a room full of stunned people who felt as if they had just experienced an absurd yet earth-shaking dream.

On a quiet street outside the memorial hall, space stirred slightly, and Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena appeared.

Tang Wulin released Gu Yuena's hand and gave a helpless, wry smile. "I didn't expect that I really knew how to do this. And it seems I couldn't quite control my strength." He raised his hand and looked at his palm, as though he could still feel the weight of those hammers. "Those hammers seem to have wills of their own. It's just that... after sleeping for so many years, the wills within them have become very weak too."

Gu Yuena looked at his slightly embarrassed and somewhat lost expression. Recalling that earth-shattering strike and the ghostlike expressions of the people around them, the corners of her lips lifted into a faint yet genuine smile. She raised her purple eyes to him, her voice carrying a trace of barely noticeable pride and teasing.

"Mm, you're really amazing."

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, dancing across her breathtaking smile, making it impossibly radiant.

Seeing her rare, slightly playful smile, the trace of helplessness in Tang Wulin's heart instantly vanished, leaving only warmth behind. He naturally took her hand. "Come on. Let's go look around somewhere else."

Hand in hand, they departed, their figures blending into the crowds of Aolai City as though they were merely the most ordinary couple.

Yet they did not know, nor did they care, that the Soul-Refined Heavy Silver containing a trace of dragon's might, which they had casually left behind at the Mang Tian Memorial Hall, would soon stir up towering waves and immense shock among the Federation's upper ranks and the forging world, drawing countless searching and pursuing gazes.