Can I Give It a Try?

As he spoke, Lin Ye politely offered over the small wooden barrel of ale he had been holding.

But seeing Lin Ye's gesture, Tang San hurriedly declined. "No need! No need! You're being too polite!"

"You and Grandpa Old Jack have helped us so much. We've always felt indebted to you. Now that we can help you, we're happier than anything. Why would we need you to bring us anything? Don't worry, whatever you want made, my father will definitely do his utmost to forge it for you!"

However, unlike Tang San, Tang Hao was not polite at all.

Seeing the ale in Lin Ye's hands, Tang Hao stepped forward and took it directly, setting the small wooden barrel on the table. "What do you want forged?"

"Dad!!"

At the side, seeing Tang Hao's actions, Tang San felt his whole face burn with embarrassment.

But that was simply Tang Hao's personality, and Tang San could only sigh helplessly to himself.

"I want a sword forged. If possible, Uncle Tang Hao, could you make it according to the design in this drawing?"

As he spoke, Lin Ye took out a folded sheet of white paper, unfolded it, and handed it to Tang Hao.

Drawn on it was the rough appearance of the Xuanyuan Sword.

"I understand."

Taking the drawing, Tang Hao glanced over it, then looked at Lin Ye. His eyes seemed thoughtful, but he still nodded.

"I can forge your sword. But in the morning, I need to teach Little San how to forge. I can only start making it for you in the afternoon. Come pick up the sword tomorrow."

Tang Hao casually placed the drawing on the table and weighed down one corner with the barrel of ale as he spoke.

"Alright. But can I stay and watch you forge?"

Lin Ye nodded, then glanced at Tang San, who was forging iron, and asked again.

After cultivating the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, Lin Ye's strength had increased considerably.

Seeing that even Tang San could forge iron, Lin Ye suddenly wanted to try it himself.

But he could not just jump in and try it outright. Before attempting it, he naturally had to observe first.

"Do as you like."

Tang Hao found Lin Ye's request somewhat strange, but he remained indifferent.

He was merely teaching his son how to forge iron. There was nothing secret about it, so Tang Hao would not refuse to let others watch.

Although he would reveal many forging techniques while teaching his son.

Those techniques were ultimately just techniques, though, and did not involve anything deeper.

Even if others learned them, there was only so much they could gain.

After all, without a hammer-type martial soul that complemented those techniques, learning how to use a hammer was not particularly useful.

"Thank you, Uncle Tang Hao."

Lin Ye politely thanked him, then walked to a spot where he could watch the forging and began observing.

Tang Hao merely nodded noncommittally and continued urging Tang San to forge.

"Stop thinking about other things. Focus and keep forging. Hammer this piece of iron down to the size of a fist!"

Looking at the somewhat distracted Tang San, Tang Hao pointed at the piece of iron before him, already glowing red from the flames and as large as a human head, and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Dad. I understand!"

Hearing Tang Hao's words, Tang San took a deep breath and calmed himself.

Grasping the Forging Hammer beside him once more, Tang San summoned all his strength, raised it high, and swung it down heavily onto the iron block again and again.

At once, a series of dull clang! clang! sounds rang out without pause.

But the iron block was as large as a human head. Forging it down to the size of a fist was extremely difficult. Most blacksmiths would likely struggle to do it in a short time, let alone Tang San.

Although Tang San kept raising the Forging Hammer high and swinging it down hard, striking the iron block over and over.

Even with all his strength, he only managed to hammer dents of varying depths into the iron block.

It looked like a small, pockmarked meteorite, yet its size had not changed much at all.

"Take a break first. If you keep hammering like this, you probably won't be able to forge this piece of iron down to the size of a fist even in three months."

As Tang San continued hammering the iron block with all his strength, he had unknowingly become drenched in sweat and was panting heavily. Yet after working for so long, there was still little progress. Tang Hao frowned, shook his head, and spoke.

"I'll show you how iron should be forged!"

With that, Tang Hao stepped forward and pulled Tang San aside. He took hold of the Forging Hammer himself and began demonstrating as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Forging iron is not as simple as gripping the Forging Hammer in your hands and swinging it up and down. That is the stupidest method. Not only does it tire you out easily, it also produces the least amount of force!"

"The proper way to forge is not to rely solely on the strength of your arms. You must use the strength of your entire body, starting from your calves, then exerting force through your waist and abdomen, then your back, and finally your arms. Let the force run through your whole body and pour into the Forging Hammer, swinging it in a full circle and 'flinging' it out."

"Only by striking the iron block like that again and again can you achieve the greatest effect, rather than mechanically gripping the Forging Hammer and simply raising and lowering it."

As he explained, Tang Hao gripped the Forging Hammer and began demonstrating.

Tang Hao straightened his body, his feet planted firmly on the ground as though they had taken root. Then, with a low shout, his body suddenly rose, and strength seemed to erupt from his legs, flowing through his body—from his waist and abdomen, to his back, and finally into his arms.

With a furious roar, Tang Hao swung the Forging Hammer high from the ground, drew a circle through the air, and brought it down with crushing force, smashing it into the iron block.

CLANG!!!

With a deafening boom, Tang Hao's strike directly hammered a cylindrical indentation a full foot deep into the head-sized iron block.

Half of the Forging Hammer had been driven completely into it!

Seeing the scene before them, both Lin Ye and Tang San were filled with shock.

He had actually hammered half the Forging Hammer into the red-hot iron block. Even Lin Ye in his current state could not achieve such a ferocious strike.

Perhaps Lin Ye could use the Xuanyuan Sword Martial Soul to pierce the iron block that deeply, but driving such a heavy Forging Hammer, with its flat hammerhead, that far into it required not only immense strength, but also extraordinarily refined technique!

"Now you try."

After continuing to swing the Forging Hammer a few times and demonstrating several more times, Tang Hao set it down, took a step back, and spoke to Tang San.

"Alright!"

Returning to the red-hot iron block, Tang San took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

In his mind, he began recalling the techniques his father Tang Hao had just described. At the same time, he moved his body and reached out to grip the Forging Hammer.

"Strength from the legs, to the waist and abdomen, to the back, then finally through the arms, pouring into the Forging Hammer..."

Tang San silently repeated the words to himself. His body rose as though floating up through water, his legs tightening as his figure slowly lifted. Strength began flowing from his legs, through his waist and abdomen, to his back, and finally through his arms into the Forging Hammer.

"Ha!"

As all the strength in his body flowed into the Forging Hammer, Tang San suddenly opened his eyes wide and let out a loud shout.

Then, in an instant, he swung the Forging Hammer high overhead and smashed it down heavily onto the red-hot iron block before him.

Clang!

Compared with his previous strikes, this time Tang San actually hammered a bowl-sized indentation into the iron block.

Tang San was greatly encouraged and began swinging the Forging Hammer again and again.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The crisp sounds of metal striking metal rang continuously through the smithy.

Under Tang San's repeated hammer blows, bowl-sized indentations began appearing on the red-hot iron block.

And with the continuous hammering, the iron block gradually began to shrink.

However, Tang San had ultimately not yet fully mastered the technique Tang Hao had taught him.

As he continued swinging the hammer, only about half of his strikes used the correct posture for exerting force.

Over time, Tang San could not help but begin to falter.

"Stop!"

Seeing Tang San drenched in sweat, with even the hand swinging the Forging Hammer starting to tremble, Tang Hao frowned and shouted.

Hearing Tang Hao's words, Tang San stopped, set the Forging Hammer on the ground, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Go rest for a while and drink some water. Continue after you've recovered."

Looking at Tang San, Tang Hao said with a frown.

At the side, seeing Tang San put down the Forging Hammer, Lin Ye's eyes flickered. He suddenly stepped forward and asked, "Uncle Tang Hao, can I give it a try?"