Challenge Thousand Forging

After safely bringing Na'er home, Yao Xuan set off for Mang Tian's Workshop.

After half a year of grueling training, Yao Xuan's understanding of Thousand Forging had deepened considerably. On his birthday, he was ready to officially challenge Thousand Forging.

After Yao Xuan told Mang Tian that he wanted to formally attempt Thousand Forging, Mang Tian agreed without hesitation. He then went to the warehouse and retrieved a cubic block of Adamantite roughly twenty centimeters in length, width, and height.

"Since you're confident, then start right away. I'll watch from the side while you forge. Also, I've decided to bring Wulin over to observe your forging process. Do you have any objections?"

As he handed the Adamantite block to Yao Xuan, Mang Tian asked him this.

"Of course not. I'll start preparing now."

Hearing Mang Tian's words, Yao Xuan took the Adamantite block from him and answered.

"Good. Prepare first, then. I'll make a trip to that kid Wulin's house and bring him here. The timing should be just right."

Having received Yao Xuan's reply, Mang Tian nodded and gave his instructions. He then turned and left Mang Tian's Workshop, heading for Tang Wulin's home. Meanwhile, Yao Xuan silently opened the forge furnace and pressed the controls, raising its temperature to the maximum.

Although this block of Adamantite was not large, its extreme density gave it an actual weight of nearly two hundred kilograms, equivalent to the weight of three adult men.

Though the Adamantite block was astonishingly heavy, moving it posed no problem at all for Yao Xuan, who possessed fifteen hundred kilograms of strength. Using a pair of large tongs to grip both sides of the block, he gently placed it into the blazing forge furnace and began heating it.

Only after being scorched at high temperatures would the originally incomparably hard Adamantite display a certain degree of malleability. Only in that state was it suitable for forging and processing.

As he waited for the Adamantite to reach a temperature suitable for forging, Yao Xuan recalled the insights he had gained while practicing Thousand Forging in the past, integrating and summarizing them until confidence gradually filled his heart.

Twenty-five minutes passed. At that moment, Mang Tian hurried back with Tang Wulin. By then, the Adamantite in the forge furnace had turned dark red and was making sizzling sounds.

"Almost there. Begin!"

Another five minutes passed, and the Adamantite finally reached the ideal temperature for forging. With a thought, Yao Xuan used the tongs to remove the red-hot Adamantite from the forge furnace and place it on the forging table. He then grabbed his pair of Thousand-Forged Tungsten-Steel Forging Hammers from nearby.

Mang Tian had given this pair of forging hammers to Yao Xuan as a gift on his seventh birthday. Each hammer weighed one hundred and fifty kilograms, making them very suitable for Yao Xuan at the time. However, after a year had passed, they now felt slightly too light.

Yao Xuan did not pay much attention to that. Instead, he swiftly focused his mind, concentrating all his thoughts on the Adamantite before him. He then raised the forging hammer in his right hand and lightly tapped the Adamantite block.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out as Yao Xuan completed a test strike on the Adamantite, examining the metal's basic properties.

Seeing Yao Xuan's calm, serious, and effortless manner, Mang Tian could not help secretly sighing in admiration. With Yao Xuan's comprehension, confidence, and diligent training, Mang Tian believed that he had every chance of successfully challenging Thousand Forging this time. That was why he had unhesitatingly taken out such a valuable block of Adamantite for Yao Xuan to practice with.

At the side, Tang Wulin's eyes lit up as he watched Yao Xuan's movements. He looked at Yao Xuan with envy and admiration while intently observing every part of his Thousand Forging process.

After training for this period of time, Tang Wulin's Soul Power had reached level eight, and the number of metals he could Hundred Forge had risen to nine. According to Mang Tian, once Tang Wulin became a Soul Master, he would also teach him the techniques of Thousand Forging. Thus, Tang Wulin stared without blinking at the forging table before Yao Xuan, secretly marveling at Yao Xuan's progress.

Under the watchful gazes of Mang Tian and Tang Wulin, Yao Xuan began forging. He swung both arms, raising the two forging hammers high before bringing them down one after another like bolts of lightning, striking the Adamantite with tremendous force.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Amid the crisp sounds of repeated blows, Yao Xuan completed the Hundred Forging of the Adamantite in less than three minutes. By then, the Adamantite block before him had shrunk by around one-tenth in volume, and all its impurities had been removed.

Watching Yao Xuan's flowing movements, Mang Tian silently nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face. Judging by Yao Xuan's proficiency in completing Hundred Forging alone, even if he failed at Thousand Forging this time, he would easily step through its gates after a few more attempts.

As Yao Xuan looked at the Hundred-Forged Adamantite before him, his heart remained utterly calm. He entered a wondrous state of self-forgetfulness, and his Spiritual Power involuntarily seeped into the Adamantite. It seemed as though he could "see" the textures within it, and he began to form a mysterious spiritual resonance with the Adamantite—or rather, engage in a silent exchange with it.

While his consciousness resonated with the Adamantite, the forging hammers in Yao Xuan's hands did not stop. They struck different parts of the Adamantite on the forging table in a peculiar rhythm. The ringing "ding ding clang clang" sounds were exceptionally harmonious, like a unique piece of music.

That's right, this feeling. This is the feeling!

Mang Tian pressed his lips together with all his strength to keep himself from crying out and disturbing Yao Xuan. His eyes burned as he stared at Yao Xuan, immense waves surging in his heart—Thousand Forging, this was the feeling of Thousand Forging!

As a master-level Forging Master, Mang Tian immediately recognized through his keen senses that Yao Xuan had seized that opportunity and found the feeling of Thousand Forging.

It was an indescribable feeling, one that only those who had truly experienced Thousand Forging could understand. Yet for ninety-nine percent of Forging Masters, they would never have that flash of inspiration in their lives, never grasp that fleeting insight like a glimpse of Jing Hong. They would be unable to complete Thousand Forging for their entire lives and become masters.

Finding the feeling of Thousand Forging meant that one had practically placed half a foot through the gates of Thousand Forging. Yet Yao Xuan had only just turned eight!

Mang Tian clearly remembered that the current Thousand Forging record within the Blacksmith Association was held by a level-eight Saint Craftsman Forging Master. At the time, he had stunned the entire Blacksmith Association by achieving it at eleven years, three months, and two days old. If Yao Xuan succeeded, he would surpass that record by more than three whole years. What a monstrous talent!