The First Signs

Meanwhile, Lin Changgeng had gained a basic grasp of Soul Tool theory.

Soul Tools could be called complicated, but they could also be called simple.

At their core were just two things-a metal vessel and a Core Array.

The metal vessel was the skeleton, and the Core Array was the heart. Once the array was engraved on the metal and infused with Soul Power, it would activate, allowing the Soul Tool to function.

Different arrays combined with different metals produced different Soul Tools.

With the theory understood, practical work came next.

And the first step toward becoming a good Soul Engineer was to become a blacksmith.

Metal was the foundation of Soul Tools.

Without understanding the properties of metals or the intricacies of forging, any array he engraved would be a castle in the air, and any Soul Tool he made would be defective.

So his first step was to learn smithing.

"Senior Dugu, help me get a set of smithing equipment," Lin Changgeng said.

"Sure." Dugu Bo nodded. He knew Lin Changgeng was ready to put his knowledge into practice, so he vanished in a flash, leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Before long, Dugu Bo returned with the equipment.

"Bought it." With a broad sweep of his hand, Dugu Bo deposited a pile of ready-made smithing equipment on the ground.

"Where did you buy it? That fast?" Lin Changgeng was a little surprised. Didn't smithing equipment usually have to be custom-made?

"From that old gorilla Tai Tan's Servant Clan." Dugu Bo waved a hand.

"No wonder." Lin Changgeng looked thoughtful. Aside from the Clear Sky Sect and Gengxin City, the Servant Clan was the only place on the continent known for good smithing. They certainly had complete sets available.

Lin Changgeng then walked over to the equipment and had everything arranged in no time.

A simple smithy was ready.

Standing beside the forge, Lin Changgeng glanced at the nearby Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Could I use the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to heat and quench the metal? Lin Changgeng wondered.

But he snuffed out the idea as soon as it arose. The temperatures of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could make even Soul Beasts vanish in an instant, let alone metal.

Shaking his head, Lin Changgeng decided to stick to lighting a fire the proper way.

He then began lighting the forge.

Lin Changgeng put a few pieces of charcoal into the furnace and lit them. With a pull of the bellows, the flames leaped up.

While the furnace heated, Lin Changgeng filled a bucket with water.

An hour later, the furnace was fully preheated.

Lin Changgeng took a piece of iron essence from the Ruyi Treasure Pouch and hefted it in his hand.

If he was going to forge metal, he had to use the best forging technique.

He began recalling the details of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer from the original novel.

The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer was the Clear Sky Sect's supreme forging art. It consisted of eighty-one strikes, each heavier than the last, borrowing force to deliver force in an unbroken chain of blows. It could thoroughly forge the impurities out of metal, producing quality far beyond ordinary methods.

It was the best forging technique, bar none.

In the original novel, Tang San had relied on this hammer technique to get through his early struggles to survive.

It was also the hammer technique best suited to fighting with the Clear Sky Hammer.

Although Lin Changgeng had never tried it, he remembered the original novel's description perfectly. It was simply a matter of borrowing force to deliver force; he only had to copy the gourd from the pattern. The important thing was to let his body follow the force.

"It should go like this..." Lin Changgeng muttered, practicing a couple of motions.

Then he tossed the iron essence into the furnace to heat it.

As time passed, the blazing furnace heated the iron essence until it glowed red. Seeing this, Lin Changgeng picked up the tongs, pulled it out, and placed it on the anvil.

Recalling the details of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, Lin Changgeng took a deep breath and began forging.

Clang!

A crisp sound rang out as the hammer struck the iron essence.

The recoil between hammer and metal bounced Lin Changgeng upward. Following that momentum, he turned and swung his second blow through the air. Strike followed strike, each faster and heavier than the last.

The essence of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer lay in one word: continuity. Every strike linked to the next, borrowing force to deliver force, stacking strength upon strength. The farther it progressed, the more powerful it became. That was why it was called the strongest forging technique.

Thanks to Behemoth and the Ice and Fire Body Tempering, Lin Changgeng had a powerful physique. With the description of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer to guide him, he maintained an excellent rhythm despite the awkwardness of his first attempt.

Under the hammer blows, the metal visibly changed shape. Impurities were squeezed out little by little, and the piece grew steadily smaller.

Dugu Yan watched from the side, her eyes wide.

What an incredible hammer technique.

She knew nothing about smithing, but even she could see that Lin Changgeng's hammer technique was completely different from an ordinary blacksmith's. Its rhythm was unusual, and each blow was fiercer than the last.

"Hmm? The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? He even knows that?" Dugu Bo frowned. Wasn't this the Clear Sky Sect's signature technique?

He had seen this hammer technique once in his youth.

Many people had watched Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen's great battle back then, and he had been one of them. The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer was not just for smithing; it was also used in combat. The Clear Sky Sect wielded it best, since the Clear Sky Hammer was naturally suited to forging. But after Tang Hao's battle with Qian Xunji forced the Clear Sky Sect to seal its mountain, only the Strength Clan and Lou Gao of Gengxin City still used it for smithing. He had never expected Lin Changgeng to know it. Though a little unpracticed, he performed it quite convincingly.

"Fair enough. It's just a matter of borrowing force to deliver force, after all. Knowing it isn't that surprising."

Absorbed in his forging, Lin Changgeng paid no attention to the reactions beside him.

As he hammered away, a sudden impulse struck him.

His Martial Soul was the ultimate gold element. He could control every kind of metal; as long as it was metal, it fell under his command.

Then why was he still pounding it with a hammer?

Couldn't he simply shape it with his Martial Soul?

Whatever shape he wanted, he could give it that shape. Wherever he wanted it denser, he could make it denser.

If he wanted to squeeze out the impurities, couldn't he just force them out with his Martial Soul?

But that raised a question: how should he guide the metal into shape?

Lin Changgeng looked at his hands.

First, he had to identify his strengths. His Martial Soul was the pure gold element, giving him a strong affinity for metal. And the key to giving metal form was spiritual power. In that case, couldn't he use his affinity for metal together with his spiritual power to shape it?

Logic ✓

What? You're saying controlling its shape requires spiritual power? But my spiritual power far exceeds that of ordinary people!

Theory ✓

The theory held. Time to put it into practice.

Since it seemed feasible, Lin Changgeng simply tossed aside the hammer.

He released his Martial Soul, slowly wrapped it around the iron essence, and then probed it with his spiritual power.

In an instant, he "saw" the internal structure of the gengjin essence.

Densely packed metal molecules were arranged unevenly. Some areas were tight, others loose, and tiny impurities were mixed in among them.

His earlier efforts with the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer had indeed removed plenty of impurities, but not enough.

With a thought, Lin Changgeng acted.

Soul Power and spiritual power poured into the iron essence, enveloping the impurities and forcing them out bit by bit.

At the same time, he guided the metal molecules to rearrange themselves, compressing the loose areas and adjusting the dense areas until they were uniform.

Once the iron essence was uniform, Lin Changgeng began using his spiritual power to shape the metal.