East Sea Blacksmith Association 1

The eating contest in the cafeteria had finally settled, and Zhou Changxi accepted his defeat wholeheartedly, unable to muster even a trace of his former arrogance.

After the meal, Tang Wulin did not return to the dormitory with the others. Instead, he left Eastsea Academy alone and headed straight for the East Sea Blacksmith Association in the city.

Before leaving, Mang Tian had specifically reminded him that to formally enter the blacksmithing profession and become a registered apprentice, he first had to complete the association's registration assessment. Only registered members could accept basic forging assignments and build their credentials. From then on, Mang Tian would also make time each month to visit Eastsea City, personally inspect his work, and guide him through the shortcomings in his technique.

Back at the dormitory, Xie Xie had acted with remarkable generosity.

After returning from the infirmary, the swelling and pain in his face had eased slightly. Though he was still stewing over being defeated by someone his own age, he paid off Tang Wulin's enormous repair bill of thirty-four thousand Federation Credits without another word.

The staggering debt that had nearly left Tang Wulin unable to breathe vanished like smoke.

Filled with gratitude, Tang Wulin thanked him sincerely. But Xie Xie wanted no favors in return. With a cold expression, he left him only one condition: "Tomorrow, off campus. Fight me with everything you have."

Tang Wulin solemnly agreed.

With all his other matters settled, he took Soul Tool transportation and reached the East Sea Blacksmith Association without incident.

The association's building was easy to recognize. Its gray main tower stood imposing at twenty or thirty stories tall, with an enormous, striking golden hammer emblem engraved at the top. Ancient in style and gleaming in the sunlight, it made the building one of Eastsea City's unmistakable landmarks.

He pushed open the doors and entered the spacious, magnificent lobby, where blacksmiths with composed demeanors came and went. Soon, a young receptionist hurried over. Looking at the young boy before her, with his deep blue hair and eyes as clear as sapphires, she asked gently, "Little brother, who are you looking for?"

Tang Wulin answered softly and politely, "Hello, big sister. I'm here to see Grandmaster Cen Yue and take the introductory blacksmith assessment."

At the name "Grandmaster Cen Yue," unmistakable surprise flashed through the receptionist's eyes.

Cen Yue was a veteran master blacksmith with considerable seniority in the association. Ordinary new apprentices had no opportunity even to meet him, much less be assessed by him personally. She could not help asking, "You want Grandmaster Cen to assess you? Where are your parents or the teacher accompanying you?"

"My teacher, Mang Tian, told me to come alone. He instructed me to go directly to Grandmaster Cen Yue for the assessment," Tang Wulin answered truthfully.

Looking surprised, the young woman asked for confirmation. "Do you have your teacher's Soul Tool contact information, then? I need to verify this."

Tang Wulin shook his head gently. He had come alone this time and had not brought a communication device.

Seeing this, she asked no further questions. She turned toward the main reception desk and called the internal line to verify with Grandmaster Cen Yue that Mang Tian's disciple had come for an assessment.

Once everything was confirmed, she looked at Tang Wulin again with a friendly smile. "It's all verified. Grandmaster Cen has been informed. I'll take you to him."

With that, she led the way, taking Tang Wulin across the lobby and deeper into the association toward the forging assessment workshop.

After passing through a corridor and reaching the workshop, Tang Wulin finally met Grandmaster Cen Yue.

Cen Yue's gaze was gentle yet keen as it settled on the young boy before him. In a low voice, he asked, "Did Mang Tian tell you what rank of blacksmith you currently are?"

Tang Wulin shook his head gently and answered honestly, "Teacher didn't explain in detail. He only told me I could register with the association and accept basic forging assignments. All I know is that I'm definitely beyond first rank."

The young woman who had guided him there instantly looked astonished.

The minimum requirement for accepting official assignments at the Blacksmith Association was Level Two Blacksmith!

A child who looked only eight or nine had already reached the standard of a Level Two Blacksmith? Such a thing was simply unheard of.

Cen Yue's expression remained unchanged as he continued calmly, "Then do you understand how blacksmith ranks are divided?"

Without hesitation, Tang Wulin replied, "Blacksmiths on the continent are divided into nine ranks. First and second ranks are ordinary blacksmiths, third and fourth ranks are master blacksmiths, fifth and sixth ranks are grandmaster blacksmiths, and seventh and eighth ranks are Saint Craftsmen. The highest, ninth rank, is the legendary God Craftsman. In the Federation today, only Grandmaster Zhen Hua holds the position of God Craftsman."

"Correct." Cen Yue nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

He then took Tang Wulin to the forging service desk, instructed the staff to open a dedicated assessment room, and invited a professional assessor to attend, preparing to conduct a formal evaluation of Tang Wulin's blacksmith rank.

Cen Yue handed him an information verification form and said softly, "Fill in your basic details."

Tang Wulin lowered his head and carefully filled out the form.

Cen Yue happened to glance over it, and his gaze abruptly froze—

Age: 9

School: First-year student at Eastsea Academy.

Those two short lines instantly stirred towering waves in Cen Yue's heart.

Nine years old!

Mang Tian had personally authorized him to accept forging assignments independently, which meant this child was already at least a Level Two Blacksmith!

A nine-year-old Level Two Blacksmith!

Even Grandmaster Zhen Hua, the only God Craftsman alive, had never possessed such terrifying talent in his youth. This shattered the historical record by an enormous margin!

Soon, they entered the dedicated forging assessment room.

Cen Yue explained the assessment rules to Tang Wulin. "Fifteen basic metals are displayed here. You may choose any one to hammer and purify. We'll score you based on the difficulty of working the metal and the quality of its final purification. A total score above sixty will qualify you as an official first-rank blacksmith."

Besides Cen Yue, a middle-aged female assessor had also entered the forging room. The two had known each other for years.

Looking at the slight little boy with his childish features, she could not resist teasing with a smile, "Grandmaster Cen, this child is only nine. It looks like we'll be breaking our association's record for the youngest assessment candidate today!"

Cen Yue merely smiled faintly without saying anything, waiting quietly for the results.

Tang Wulin had already made up his mind. Without hesitation, he chose the metal he had practiced with day and night and knew best—Heavy Silver.

"You have one hour," the female assessor instructed seriously. "Hammer and purify it as much as you can. We'll give you an assessment score based on the finished product."

As her words fell, the assessment officially began.

Tang Wulin's expression instantly grew focused, all his childish air falling away. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, practiced to perfection.

He activated the forging table and raised the furnace temperature. Once the heat stabilized, he placed the Heavy Silver inside with precision and began heating it at high temperature, officially starting the hammering and purification process.

After the metal had heated in the furnace for a short while, its entire surface glowed a brilliant red, and its impurities gradually began to loosen.

Tang Wulin reached into his Soul Tool and calmly took out two dark, weighty hammers—the Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammers that accompanied him day and night.

Watching the entire process intently from the side, Cen Yue immediately fixed his gaze on the pair of hammers, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Before he could consider them further, Tang Wulin moved.

Power surged through the boy's arms. Both hammers swung together, the left supporting and the right leading the attack. As they rose and fell in alternating blows, the air throughout the forging room seemed to churn under their scorching force. Currents roiled rapidly, and waves of heat rushed toward the onlookers.

"Bang!"

The immensely heavy tungsten steel hammer struck the metal's edge with perfect accuracy!

The hard Heavy Silver sank into a clean, regular curve under the blow. The force was distributed evenly, without the slightest cracking or distortion.

With his vast experience, Cen Yue recognized the subtleties at a glance.

Tang Wulin's powerful physique certainly played a part in denting Heavy Silver with a single strike, but the grade of those two hammers mattered even more!

Each Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammer weighed eighty jin. Even an ordinary boy in his teens would struggle to lift one with a single hand, yet Tang Wulin, only nine, wielded both with the roaring force of a tiger, effortlessly and freely.

Bang, bang, bang—!

The rapid, steady hammer blows continued without pause, their flawless rhythm ringing throughout the forging room.

Every blow carried even force and landed precisely, without a single unnecessary movement. Tang Wulin's eyes were utterly focused, his mind fully immersed in forging. In the vast world, it seemed that only he, his two hammers, and the Heavy Silver being steadily refined in the furnace remained. Every stray thought disappeared, leaving only his pure dedication to forging.

Cen Yue and the middle-aged female assessor held their breath in concentration. Exchanging a glance, each saw profound astonishment in the other's eyes.

How could this be a child just beginning to learn forging?

Such concentration, such mastery of the hammer, such absolute control over his strength—he was unquestionably a forging genius found in fewer than one in ten thousand!

While the two marveled and quietly observed his forging, the Blacksmith Association's elevator slowly opened, and two figures stepped out.

Leading them was a middle-aged man nearing forty, dressed in neat, fitted gray clothing, his lapels perfectly arranged and his bearing composed and commanding. On his left breast, he wore an exquisite gold-backed badge engraved with the blacksmith's distinctive hammer design. Eight black stars were arranged across it, gleaming brightly.

An Eight-Star Saint Craftsman!

In all of Eastsea City's Blacksmith Association, only one man held that supreme title—the president of the East Sea Blacksmith Association, Mu Chen!

Beside Mu Chen walked a girl of thirteen or fourteen. Her features were delicate and refined, her eyes bright and alert, and her demeanor cool and tranquil. Despite her young age, she already carried herself with natural composure. She was Mu Chen's daughter, Mu Xi.

The receptionist by the elevator immediately rose upon seeing them and bowed respectfully. "President!"

Mu Chen nodded slightly, his expression calm. "No need for formalities. I brought my daughter here today to have her blacksmith rank assessed."

The young receptionist promptly acknowledged him, then looked at Mu Xi and praised her sincerely. "As expected of Miss Mu Xi. At such a young age, you're already about to advance to Level Two Blacksmith. Talent like yours truly makes you an unparalleled genius in our profession!"

Faced with this lavish praise, Mu Xi remained calm, neither arrogant nor impatient, without the slightest trace of smugness. Her temperament far surpassed that of others her age.

Mu Chen's hearing was exceptionally keen. Before the receptionist had finished speaking, he clearly heard the rapid, steady forging blows coming from the assessment rooms, their rhythm superb.

Unlike the chaotic, awkward hammering of a beginner, these blows rang out in an orderly sequence, their force expertly varied and their rhythm extraordinarily precise. One listen was enough to recognize highly accomplished forging technique!

Mu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly.

As an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman, his understanding of the sound of forging hammers had long since reached the summit of mastery.

Every strike he heard was crisp and clean, rapid and orderly, with measured force and an impeccable rhythm. Such practiced, steady hammer technique, with its perfectly controlled strength, could never have come from an ordinary apprentice. It required the skill of at least a fourth-rank blacksmith!

He immediately asked the receptionist, "Has anyone come to the association today for an assessment at fourth rank or above?"

Looking bewildered, the staff member immediately shook her head. "No, President. The highest assessment scheduled today is only an ordinary first-rank introductory assessment."

A flicker of surprise crossed Mu Chen's eyes. After a moment's thought, he told Mu Xi beside him, "Go complete your assessment first. I'll take a look at where this hammering is coming from."

With that, he followed the unbroken sound of forging and slowly walked to the door of Forging Room Three.

Rather than push the door open and enter, he turned to ask the staff member outside for the details of the person being assessed in the room that day.

The staff member immediately handed him the assessment registration form and reported respectfully, "It's an assessment candidate brought here by Grandmaster Cen Yue."

"No wonder they have such solid skills." Mu Chen nodded slightly. Then his gaze casually fell upon the age column, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

Age: Nine.

"Wait. Nine? Are you certain there wasn't a registration error?" Disbelief finally entered Mu Chen's voice.

The staff member quickly confirmed, "President, the information has been verified. He really is only nine."

Just as towering waves rose in Mu Chen's heart, the final heavy hammer blow suddenly fell inside the forging room.