Results of the First Forging

Blacksteel let out an excited hum, and Ziyang's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The rhythm of his hammering began to quicken, power gathering between the twin hammers.

Blacksteel's weight steadily increased, firelight reflecting across Ziyang's face.

The surrounding blacksmiths seemed to stop breathing at that moment, beginning to anticipate the birth of a genius.

The Soul Rings beneath Ziyang's feet pulsed slowly, his second and third Soul Rings shining soundlessly.

The timeline and its endpoint were marked at that moment.

Ziyang's movements became even faster. He did not understand what he was feeling; it was as though he had suddenly attained enlightenment.

Zhen Hua said nothing and offered no guidance, yet he keenly sensed the harmony between Ziyang's hammering and the Blacksteel.

He had never imagined that the child he had casually picked out would turn out to be a forging genius.

He truly had a discerning eye.

Time passed bit by bit, and the forging continued. This was Ziyang's first time forging. Even though he knew the process and could reproduce it step by step, experience was still experience.

A marvelous rhythm echoed through the silent hall of the Blacksmith Association like a symphony.

Even those who had just entered could not help falling silent.

Only Ziyang was completely immersed in his own world, his spiritual power steadily draining away.

The next moment, the metal began to glow with spiritual light.

It rose a full three feet high.

For a first Thousand Refinement, this already counted as extraordinary talent.

Ziyang stopped moving. His body had not suffered much exhaustion, but his spiritual power felt incomparably fatigued. His body had not suffered much exhaustion, but his spiritual power felt incomparably fatigued.

Seeing this, Zhen Hua wanted him to complete the blood sacrifice for a blacksmith's first Thousand Refinement. It was a rule of the forging world.

"Kid, hurry and complete the blood sacrifice. Let it become connected to your bloodline, like a part of your body. Thousand-Refined Metal that has undergone a blood sacrifice may, in a sense, develop a faint intelligence linked to your bloodline, allowing it to evolve stronger characteristics."

"It is a rule that a blacksmith's first Thousand Refinement work must undergo a blood sacrifice."

Upon hearing that, Ziyang tried cutting his hand. Blood dripped onto the metal, and the entire piece of Blacksteel wailed mournfully and trembled without end.

It seemed to be in pain.

The next moment, unable to withstand the energy, it dimmed completely, and the spirituality within the metal vanished utterly.

Ziyang was speechless. Did that mean I couldn't become a blacksmith? The greatest benefit a blacksmith offered a Battle Armor Master was that the metal could share the Battle Armor Master's bloodline.

Zhen Hua was slightly stunned by the sight, but then he considered that Blacksteel was not particularly rare and was not difficult to forge. If the difficulty of Sunken Silver was rated a five, then Blacksteel was only a one.

"It's only a piece of Thousand-Refined Metal. You can find higher-grade metal for Thousand Refinement later."

He comforted Ziyang. It was also his first time seeing someone encounter an accident during a blood sacrifice.

"Thanks for the comfort." Ziyang felt that becoming a mecha manufacturer still had more potential. Engraving only required stability.

Since he had come to Douluo Continent, he would make Douluo Continent experience technological innovation. In the future, a ninth-rank mecha manufacturer would have to build a lithography machine by hand.

He had to raise the difficulty for those who came after him.

"Kid, what's your name? How old are you this year?"

"Ziyang. Ten."

"Are you interested in becoming my disciple?"

"What? But I'm a mecha designer."

Hearing Zhen Hua's words, Ziyang was speechless. Did I look like someone who enjoyed being struck by lightning? Austin Griffin definitely had the potential to be condemned by heaven.

"Kid, do you know how high your talent is? I dare say that on Douluo Continent, no one possesses greater forging talent than you."

Below the platform, a blacksmith was consumed by envy, jealousy, and resentment. He was already in his twenties and still only a fourth-rank blacksmith, while the child before him was more than half his age younger. It was his first time forging, yet he could already be considered a third-rank blacksmith.

With such aptitude, he was unquestionably a future Divine Craftsman.

Moreover, he already possessed three Soul Rings at the age of ten. He was also unquestionably destined to become a Titled Douluo.

He had heaven, earth, and fortune all on his side.

He was surely a future Divine Craftsman chosen by fate.

Ziyang did not know what everyone else was thinking, but he truly did not want to be struck by lightning. That was also the second reason he had not chosen forging from the beginning.

"Ziyang, think about it. Once you become a Divine Craftsman, you'll hold an immensely important position in the Federation, one that no other ninth-rank profession can compare to."

Zhen Hua tempted him again.

"But I heard that one mistake during Heaven Refinement costs you part of your lifespan?" Ziyang did not state it outright, but his meaning was already clear.

Zhen Hua fell silent. If this child knew such information, then his background was clearly not shallow.

Just then, the crowd parted once more. Leng Yaoyu entered from outside with Gu Yue and Na'er.

"Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, he is my disciple. He is already cultivating two secondary professions, and he truly cannot handle a third."

She explained, unwilling to let Zhen Hua lure away her excellent disciple.

This child was exceptionally talented. He is one of the future safeguards of my Leng Family.

Zhen Hua turned around, his gaze passing over Ziyang's head and landing on the red-haired figure. Leng Yaoyu slowly approached, with two children behind her, silver and black hair glinting coldly beneath the soul-guided lights.

"Sky Phoenix Douluo." Zhen Hua's voice lowered, like a stone dropped into a deep well. "So he is your disciple."

"He truly has the talent of a blacksmith, but a person's energy is limited." Leng Yaoyu explained.

Zhen Hua's gaze shifted between the two of them. After considering it, he still decided to try again. Everyone knew the hardship of being a Divine Craftsman, but no one could help a Divine Craftsman.

Every Heaven Refinement was a gamble with one's life.

Seeing that Zhen Hua remained silent, Leng Yaoyu continued, "Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, I came to collect my Heaven-Refined Metal."

"Let's discuss it upstairs." Zhen Hua turned and headed toward the stairs deeper inside the hall. "Heaven-Refined Metal is valuable, so I don't carry it with me."

As he spoke, the five of them entered the elevator together.

Ziyang was also curious about what Heaven-Refined Metal actually looked like. Given Leng Yaoyu's attributes, it had to be fire-attributed.

When the elevator opened again, they had arrived at the top floor of the building.

At the end of the corridor stood a floor-to-ceiling window, with Heaven Dou City spreading out beneath them, appearing incomparably grand and magnificent.

Zhen Hua's office was at the center of the floor. He opened the door and said to those behind him, "Come in."

The room was more spacious than expected. Shelves lined all four walls, filled with all kinds of metal blocks. Some emitted a dim blue glow, while others resembled solidified lava.

At the center stood a massive golden nanmu table, its golden grain flowing like liquid gold.

Ziyang could not help saying, "How extravagant. He lives better than an emperor."

Leng Yaoyu walked straight to the table. "Which piece is the metal I reserved?"

Zhen Hua took a lead-gray box from the deepest part of the shelves and placed it on the table. "Crimson Sky Gold. It was completed a month ago. It took quite a bit of my time and wasted quite a lot of your Leng Family's metal materials."

"It doesn't matter. They're only some metals." Leng Yaoyu did not care about that. At the level of a Divine Craftsman, how could there be any reason for the blacksmith to pay for the metals?

All materials were fully provided by the client until the forging succeeded.

The next moment, the box opened, and the room's temperature instantly rose.

Looking at the metal, Gu Yue sensed the aura of laws contained within it and finally understood why Four-Word Battle Armor Masters improved so dramatically.

Yet Ziyang felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart. He suddenly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to process something.