Visiting the Strength Clan (4)
Tai Nuo grunted and took half a step back, but eventually broke through the stagnation and his movements returned to normal.
He withdrew from the domain, let out a long breath, and his gaze towards Lin Chen completely changed.
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
He made no attempt to hide his admiration, "Even as a level 58 Soul King, I felt incredibly sluggish inside, and only managed to break through with my full power. If Soul Ancestor were to go in, they probably wouldn't even be able to move. This is the first time I've ever seen Control System domain reach this level."
He was truly impressed. At thirteen years old, to possess such a powerful Domain Soul Skill. No wonder Poison Douluo took him as his personal disciple; this talent was indeed terrifying.
Lin Chen withdrew his domain, his aura becoming steady. "Uncle Tai Nuo's cultivation is profound; naturally, he can break through it."
"Don't be modest, kid." Tai Nuo laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "You're young, but very capable. Your future achievements are limitless."
He paused, recalling the blacksmith's words and Lin Chen's precise force-dissipating technique, and a thought struck him, "By the way, Young Master Lin, could your force-dissipating method be used in forging? To be honest, our clan's forging relies entirely on brute force to swing the hammer. Although we have the Iron Forging Hand technique, it still injures our bones and muscles after a while. If there were a more skillful method, that would be wonderful."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, and suddenly thought of a plan.
He originally intended to gradually win over the Strength Clan through cooperation, which was a good thing, but he felt a little sorry for Tang San. Tang San Tang San, please don't blame me.
"You do have a set of techniques, called the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer." He said slowly, "It's originally a hammering technique for forging iron, emphasizing continuous force, using the opponent's force against them, with each strike heavier than the last, up to eighty-one strikes in a row. The force is layered, which not only saves energy but also removes impurities from the forged iron."
"The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? Eighty-one hammer blows?" Tai Nuo's eyes widened instantly.
The Strength Clan has been forging iron for generations, always relying on brute force. Being able to strike twenty or thirty times in a row without breaking a sweat is considered a skill. Eighty-one strikes? And layered upon layered?
It all sounds like a fantasy.
"Young Master Lin, this... this can really be forged?" His voice trembled slightly.
"I'll demonstrate it once, and Uncle Tai Nuo will understand after watching."
Lin Chen walked to the forging table next to him. On the table was a piece of fine iron billet that was red-hot, and next to it was a forging hammer.
He picked up the hammer and weighed it in his hand.
As soon as he finished speaking, the first hammer fell.
when--
A crisp clang rang out. The force wasn't great, but it landed steadily in the center of the iron billet.
Immediately afterwards, the second hammer blow, the third hammer blow... Lin Chen rotated his wrist, using the force of the hammer bouncing up, and swung the second hammer blow.
One hammer blow after another, the rhythm quickening, the force growing heavier.
The hammer flashed, like a cloak dancing wildly, sparks flying in all directions with each strike, yet none of them landed on him.
Ding, ding, ding...
Ten blows, twenty blows, thirty blows...
The rhythm grew faster and faster, and the sound grew louder and louder.
The iron billet is rapidly shaped under the hammer, and its surface becomes dense and smooth at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Tai Nuo father and son standing nearby, along with the blacksmiths watching, were all dumbfounded.
His eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, and he even forgot to breathe.
They'd been blacksmithing their whole lives, and they'd never seen anyone hammer like that. It wasn't just about using their arms; it was about using their waist, wrists, and shoulders—the whole body—to generate power, using the opponent's force against them, one hammer blow after another. It looked light, but the force was terrifyingly heavy.
"Seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty... eighty-one!"
The final hammer fell.
A long, crisp sound rang out, its echo reverberating.
Lin Chen put down the hammer, slightly out of breath, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead. He was secretly surprised; this hammer technique was indeed as good as its reputation suggested.
Xiao Wu had already walked to his side without him noticing, holding a handkerchief with a faint scent of soap in her hand, and gently wiped the beads of sweat from Lin Chen's forehead with careful and gentle movements.
Under the watchful eyes of so many outsiders, Lin Chen couldn't help but blush slightly, and looked down at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu tilted her head back, her gaze focused intently on his forehead. After wiping it clean, she tilted her head to make sure nothing was missed before nodding in satisfaction. She folded the handkerchief and put it away, a smile playing on her lips, "Tired? You're sweating so much."
He looked away, his voice a few decibels lower than before. "Cough cough, I'm alright."
"What do you mean 'okay'? Here, wipe your hands first." Xiao Wu pulled a new handkerchief from her bosom and stuffed it into his hand. "You swung that rough hammer handle eighty-one times; your palms must be sweaty."
After wiping his hands, Lin Chen looked at the refined iron billet on the platform. It had now been forged into a uniformly thick iron plate with a smooth and dense surface, making it several levels higher in quality than those forged using ordinary methods.
Tai Nuo was stunned for a while before rushing over, grabbing the iron plate, and examining it from all angles. His hands trembled as he looked at the smooth surface and felt the dense texture.
"My God, this is amazing! It's really amazing!"
He abruptly looked up at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy. "This hammer technique... this hammer technique is practically tailor-made for our forging! With this method, the forging quality of our Strength Clan can reach a new level!"
He knew all too well what this meant.
The Strength Clan makes their living by blacksmithing and forging, and quality is their lifeblood. This Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer not only saves effort and reduces waste, but also directly improves the quality of the finished product. On a larger scale, it can elevate the entire clan's craftsmanship to a new level.
This favor is far more valuable than the collaboration in creating Hidden Weapon.
"Young Master Lin, on behalf of the Strength Clan, I thank you for this generous gift!"
Tai Nuo bowed deeply in respect.
"Uncle Tai Nuo, there's no need for such formalities." Lin Chen stepped aside. "It's just a set of hammer techniques; it's good that it's useful."
"That won't do!" Tai Nuo shook his head vigorously. "This is a family skill for us! Here's the deal: the profit sharing is changed! You get 60%, I get 40%! From now on, we'll provide the materials ourselves, and I'll give you the highest price for your materials in cash. I absolutely won't let you suffer any losses."
He's a straightforward person; if he owes someone a favor, he'll definitely repay it.
Lin Chen smiled and didn't argue about the profit sharing, "Let's make samples first. I'll write down the key points of the hammering technique later, and you can practice slowly. Once the first batch of samples is made, just have someone send it to the academy."
"Okay! Okay!" Tai Nuo nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, three days! At most three days, the samples will definitely be delivered to you! With the best materials and the best craftsmen!"
As the sun began to set and it was getting late, Lin Chen took his leave with Xiao Wu.
Tai Nuo and his son accompanied the two Great Strength Gorilla stone sculptures to the entrance of the valley, still reluctant to leave.
Tai Long scratched his head, a simple, honest smile on his face. "Lin Chen, come often! I... I wonder if I can learn a few moves from you?"
"Of course." Lin Chen nodded slightly.
The two figures gradually disappeared at the end of the official road.
"Dad, this Lin Chen... he's too amazing." Tai Long whispered.
"More than impressive." Tai Nuo let out a long breath, his eyes deep. "At such a young age, he's talented, ambitious, and not arrogant at all. He's destined for greatness. Our Strength Clan is fortunate to have made this connection with him."