Heat waves rolled through the valley floor, where the lingering warmth of the earthfire never dispersed.
Tang San spread out all the dozen or so fragments of Xuan Iron in his palm.
The fragments were tiny, the largest no bigger than a fingernail. Jagged and mottled, they bore a dark, cold gleam after being tempered by magma from the earth veins. Rough and hard to the touch, they were slightly cool, nothing like the scorching valley floor.
In density and hardness, these Xuan Iron fragments were in an entirely different league from ordinary stones.
Ordinary stone hidden weapons relied on tricky angles and explosive force. They could only exploit openings and graze flesh; against high-level soul beasts or heavily armored soul masters, they could not even breach the outer defenses.
But Xuan Iron was different.
Even mere scraps possessed penetration and sharpness far beyond ordinary iron.
They were enough for him to forge his first batch of standardized hidden weapons truly usable in Slaughter City.
Tang San scanned his surroundings and selected an open stretch of relatively level ground with thick rock.
The earthfire's lingering warmth remained at the valley floor, and the rock itself was warm, conveniently sparing him the step of preheating his materials.
"Time to get to work."
Tang San murmured to himself.
The next instant, the Clear Sky Hammer quietly rose from his palm.
For forging hidden weapons, there was no tool more suitable beneath the heavens than the Clear Sky Hammer.
What was more, he had mastered the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
Absolute control of force, absolute precision!
Tang San raised his hand and lightly tapped with his fingertips, spreading the Xuan Iron fragments across the hard black stone surface before gripping the Clear Sky Hammer with both hands.
He immersed his mind in the