novelhk Chapter 68: Forging to Grade 1 Completed
Chapter 68: Forging to Grade 1 Completed
"ah?!"
The three of them fell silent almost simultaneously, their eyes wide open, their faces filled with disbelief.
Soul Evolution!
In the Ascension Platform, this is almost a legendary probability, comparable to finding a needle in a haystack, yet it has now actually happened to their teammates who spend every day together.
After the initial shock, an overwhelming sense of fervent expectation surged into my heart—if Tang Wulin could do it, what about them?
Is it possible that if they try a little harder next time and have a little more luck, they will also have a chance to transform their souls?
Wu Changkong's cool gaze swept over the students with their various expressions, taking in the burning desire in Xie Xie and the other two's eyes.
His voice was calm and even, yet it was like a bucket of cold water that shattered their unrealistic fantasies:
"His soul was inherently too weak, and the threshold of spiritual power required for evolution was low, making it relatively easy. The basic rule of the Ascension Platform is that hunting soul beasts can obtain about 10% of their lifespan's spiritual power, which is then evenly distributed across the existing soul rings."
He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his dark green eyes:
"But this is only the most idealized calculation. Not to mention whether your current mental strength can bear the burden brought by the more powerful souls after evolution."
To put it simply, if you want to advance your hundred-year-old soul spirits to the thousand-year level, a rough estimate is that each person would need to independently hunt down at least twenty thousand-year-old soul beasts and ensure that their spiritual energy is fully absorbed.
"Let's work hard for the future."
These few words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Xie Xie and his companions, instantly plunging them from the heights of excitement back to reality.
Nearly twenty thousand-year-old soul beasts?
With their current strength, even facing one would be extremely dangerous!
Not to mention the invisible and intangible requirement of "mental strength," which stands like an iron wall in front of us.
The firelight in the three people's eyes quickly dimmed, replaced by a heavy feeling of clarity and a hint of discouragement.
Having finished his reprimands, Wu Changkong smoothly shifted the focus back to the more urgent task of reviewing the situation:
"Alright, instead of aiming too high now, you should be more down-to-earth and think carefully about how to explain to me your... reckless and ill-considered actions in the early stages of the Spirit Ascension Platform."
Yu Chen and Gu Yue's responses and contributions are evident to all, so I won't elaborate. So, what about you two?
The effect of these words was immediate.
Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi all involuntarily showed bitter expressions on their faces.
The life-and-death lessons learned at the Ascension Platform are far more profound than any theoretical teachings.
Leaving behind this unavoidable "homework," Wu Changkong said no more, and together with Long Hengxu, they led the way, guiding this team, burdened with both gains and reflections, back to Donghai Academy in silence.
……
Time flies by, and in the blink of an eye, another week has passed. Soon, Sunday will arrive again.
Since returning from the Spirit Ascension Platform, Wu Changkong has intentionally or unintentionally shared a great deal of knowledge about soul beasts, broadening the horizons of Yu Chen and the others.
On Sunday morning, Yu Chen and Tang Wulin got up early as usual and left Donghai Academy side by side.
As dawn broke, Yu Chen walked steadily, his aura refined and concentrated—after a week of recuperation, the weakness from the intense battle at the Spirit Ascension Platform had completely faded, replaced by a more restrained and cultivated spirit.
As agreed with Mu Chen, they would come to the Blacksmith Association for training on their rest days. Of course, for Yu Chen, today had an even more special purpose: he would try to refine a thousand-fold forging to the first grade.
Long ago, Yu Chen had already touched the threshold of the first grade of the Thousand Refinements. Moreover, now that he had been living off Gu Yue, he was much stronger than before. It could be said that he was confident that he could complete the first grade of the Thousand Refinements.
Arriving at the Blacksmiths' Association and entering the forging room, Yu Chen took out a piece of smelt silver—the metal he was most familiar with.
He touched the cool metal surface with his fingertips, his mental energy quietly permeating it, meticulously sensing its internal texture and the distribution of impurities. Then he activated the forging table and began preparations.
The preparations were meticulous. Five minutes later, the flame inside the forging furnace turned a deep reddish-gold color, and the temperature precisely climbed to the range most suitable for immersion silver calcination.
Yu Chen calmly threw the metal in, his gaze serenely watching the flames lick its surface.
Ten minutes later, the entire body of the silver shimmered with a uniform and vibrant dark red luster, and the activity of its internal structure was stimulated to the peak, reaching the optimal critical point for forging.
Yu Chen quickly pulled it out and casually took out the Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver Hammer from his storage soul tool.
With a slight flick of his wrist, he tested the hammering sensation, then began to forge the hammer steadily and powerfully, following the established rhythm.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The crisp, rhythmic sound of hammering echoed in the forging chamber, each strike landing precisely on the critical spot.
Under Yu Chen's control, the volume of the sunken silver continued to shrink, and the loose metal structure inside gradually became dense and orderly through repeated forging, steadily transforming into a thousand-times-forged metal.
An hour later.
When Yu Chen felt a perfect, resonant vibration emanating from within the metal in his hand, as if every particle was joyfully leaping and tightly connected to form a harmonious whole—
He knew the time had come.
"become!"
A low shout, not a scream, but a resolute declaration.
All his strength and highly concentrated mental power erupted at this moment, flowing through his arm into the Thousand-Refined Silver Hammer, transforming into a final, effortless yet exquisitely powerful strike!
"Buzz—!"
The hammer fell, and the sound was not a huge impact, but a long, resounding boom, as if it came from the inside of the metal!
Immediately afterwards, the piece of silver, which had shrunk to the size of a fist and was shimmering with a warm, silvery light, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling yet gentle golden halo!
The halo spread out like ripples on water, reaching a distance of nearly a meter, before reluctantly receding and finally becoming completely contained within the metal, leaving only a faint, ethereal glow on the surface.
The aura emanated outwards, reaching nearly a meter in diameter.
"A thousand-times-forged, first-grade, complete."
Yu Chen slowly lowered the heavy hammer and exhaled a long, scorching breath.
A slight tingling and numbness ran through my arms, and fatigue washed over me, but more than anything, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction and exhilaration after the breakthrough.
Unlike the second grade of the Thousand Refinement, the first grade of the Thousand Refinement is known as "semi-spiritual forging," representing a qualitative leap in quality. More importantly, metals that reach this level have begun to possess spirituality, making them not only suitable for crafting one-word battle armor but also possessing the potential to be further forged into spiritual forging metals.
Successfully crafting a masterpiece of the highest quality through a thousand forgings demonstrates that he has become a level four blacksmith.
"Phew, it's time to tell Teacher Mu Chen the good news about completing the Thousand Refinements to Grade One. I wonder what he'll think!"
Yu Chen let out a soft sigh of relief, made some adjustments, then turned off the forging furnace and walked toward Mu Chen's office.
......
Ten minutes later.
"What? You've completed the Thousand Refinements to Grade One?"
The pen in Mu Chen's hand landed on the document with a "thud".
He practically sprang from his chair, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted the piece of dark silver that Yu Chen handed him.
The spiritual energy enveloped it like a tidal wave. The incredibly even and dense internal structure, the active and stable spiritual fluctuations, the lingering energy afterglow... every point indicated that this was the level of a thousand-times-forged, first-grade weapon.
"The spiritual light radiates nearly a meter outward, its spiritual essence perfectly integrated and spontaneously generated... A thousand refinements for a single grade, truly a thousand refinements for a single grade!"
He murmured to himself, and when he looked up at Yu Chen, his eyes were filled with a mixture of shock, elation, relief, and even a hint of disbelief.
"Ten years old... a ten-year-old level four blacksmith... Yu Chen, you have created a miracle once again!"
He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and gently placed the silver back on the table as if it were a precious jewel. His gaze became unusually serious.
"But this is just the beginning. Refining to the first rank is by no means the end for you, nor even a milestone worth lingering on. It is the starting point of a higher realm. Forging is like rowing against the current; the higher your talent, the easier it is to become arrogant and complacent—I will not allow you to fall because of 'complacency'."
His tone was deep and his words carried immense weight: "With your current soul power and spiritual strength, it is too early for you to attempt spirit forging."
Starting this month, I will personally demonstrate the entire Spirit Forging process to you once a month, explaining the key points of power-soul fusion and spiritual guidance. You should observe and understand as much as possible, but you must never attempt it on your own!
"Your current priority is consolidation. Stabilize your Thousand Refinements to Grade One state and increase the success rate. Then, go conquer different metals—you've already mastered Sunken Silver, but what about Jade Silver, Magic Silver, and Soul-Guiding Alloy?"
Each metal has a different "temperament," and its spiritual awakening methods differ accordingly. Extensive study and deep accumulation are the keys to the great path. Do you understand?
"Disciple understands!" Yu Chen bowed respectfully. Mu Chen's words perfectly matched his own thoughts.
"very good."
Mu Chen's expression softened slightly, but he continued with his instructions, "Within the association, I will immediately update your permissions. However, this matter must be kept strictly confidential—only you, me, and the highest levels of the association should know about it."
To the outside world, you remain a gifted young blacksmith, nothing more. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. Until you possess sufficient strength to protect yourself, humility is your best armor.
This is not only to protect you, but also to allow you to grow without distractions. Remember that?
"I will remember this and will never reveal it to anyone," Yu Chen solemnly promised.
Mu Chen finally felt relieved, looking at his disciple with clear and determined eyes, his eyes filled with satisfaction:
"Completing the first level of the Thousand Refinements took a lot of energy, so I need to rest well today. Once I get back, I must not slack off in cultivating my soul power and mental strength—they are the foundation of everything in the future."
"Yes, Master. This disciple takes his leave."
Yu Chen bowed again, carefully put away the piece of silver used as proof, and left the office.
The door closed softly, and Mu Chen slowly sat back in his chair, gazing in the direction Yu Chen had left. After a long while, an uncontrollable, proud smile finally bloomed on his face, and he sighed softly:
"A ten-year-old with a Level 4 certificate... just how far can this child go?"
At this moment, Yu Chen, walking back to the academy, felt the cool evening breeze, his palm pressed against the still slightly warm metal in his arms, his mind clear and peaceful.
The road ahead is long, but the direction is clearly illuminated. The days to come should be for reflection and harvest, continuing to move steadily forward on the dual paths of Soul Master and Blacksmith.
Of course—perhaps we should also find an opportunity to share this joy with someone?
Thinking of Gu Yue's clear yet always concerned purple eyes, the boy's smile deepened unconsciously.