The fire in the furnace was red and swaying.
The light from the fire shone on Chen Zong's face. His face was covered with sweat, and drops of red luster slowly slid down.
His left hand held the iron pliers tightly and clamped the thick iron that was red from the heat. His steel-like arm was as steady as a mountain. His right hand held the fifty-pound hammer, raised it and hammered it down. The clanging sound echoed in the forging room along with countless sparks.
One hammer, two hammers, three hammers!
Chen Zong did not stop. He hammered repeatedly and hammered again and again.
Ordinary iron was the raw material used to forge ordinary iron-level weapons. It needed to be refined from crude iron, and crude iron came from iron ore. After the iron ore was melted at high temperature and the impurities were separated, it became crude iron.
The hammer hammered down, light or heavy, fast or slow. The Four Essentials of Forging were constantly changing.
There were still many impurities in the crude iron. It needed to be burned red at high temperature and hammered repeatedly to remove the impurities. Hammering was not done blindly. It needed skill. Otherwise, the crude iron that was hammered out would not be able to become ordinary iron, but would become useless slag.
A normal martial artist would need about a month to grasp the basics of the Four Essentials of Forging. However, to apply it, one would need to repeatedly hammer and correct it through comparison and correction. Finally, one would truly grasp it.
The crude iron that was originally the size of a human head shrank little by little under Chen Zong's repeated hammering.
After hammering for a while, the crude iron gradually cooled down, increasing the difficulty of hammering. Chen Zong sent the crude iron into the furnace, pulled the bellows, and calcined it with fire, making it red and soft again.
"He's really arrogant. Does he think he can grasp the Four Essentials of Forging and forge ordinary iron in three days?" Outside the forging room, Chen Qi sneered with disdain.
"Haha, who knows." Chen Wu's honest face showed a smile. "Maybe he can really succeed."
"Do you believe what you just said?" Chen Seven asked. Chen Wuhou smiled again and did not answer.
Believe it?
Of course not.
Whether it was him or Chen Qi, it took them more than a month to forge ordinary iron. Therefore, Elder Lie kept them.
It had only been three days, and this was the first time he had come into contact with blacksmithing. To think that he could forge an ordinary piece of metal in such a short period of time was no different from a dream.
Chen Zong took out the iron again and hammered it repeatedly. Finally, with one hammering, the iron cracked.
"It's useless …" Chen Zong couldn't help but shake his head. This was the third piece of iron he had broken.
Putting down the hammer, Chen Zong carefully recalled his forging process, thinking about where he had not grasped the timing, where he had used the wrong strength, where he needed to improve, and so on.
His right arm was sore and numb, so it was not suitable for him to continue forging. Chen Zong packed up and left.
After finishing his meal, he returned to the corner of the training grounds to practice his sword.
"Splitting Light, Sweeping Shadow!"
With a slash of his sword, the two sword lights split into two and attacked the same place at the same time. After the sword lights passed, the ground seemed to have been split open, leaving behind a one-meter-long sword mark.
"Attacking one target alone has indeed increased the power, but if I can combine the two sword lights into one, the power will definitely be stronger."
Unfortunately, this was a kind of change and application. At present, it was not helpful for the practice of Splitting Light, but it could improve the power of Chen Zong's sword to a certain extent.
"If I practice Splitting Light, Sweeping Shadow to the primary level, I can split out four sword lights, and if I practice it to the advanced level, I can split out eight sword lights …"
However, the difficulty of practicing a grade-level martial art was many times higher than that of a foundation-level martial art. It took Chen Zong four days to get the beginner level, and he was inspired by the Four Essentials of Forging. It would not be so easy to reach the primary level.
After practicing Splitting Light, Chen Zong practiced the other four foundation-level sword techniques, especially the Eight Moves of the True Sword.
After returning to his room, he practiced Fierce Tiger Skill, but the improvement of his cultivation was very slow.
"I refined my blood and Qi seven times before I broke through, but it was still so difficult to improve my cultivation. Wouldn't it be even harder for those who only refined their blood and Qi three times?" Chen Zong could not help but feel that cultivation was not easy.
Even so, he had to persevere.
On the fourth day, after practicing for a while, Chen Zong went to the foundry to forge again.
He did not want to be driven away by Elder Lie after ten days.
The furnace was burning fiercely, calcining the rough iron. Chen Zong recalled the experience of forging two days ago. When the rough iron was burning red, he took it out and hammered it.
He failed again.
Elder Lie did not pay attention to him.
On the fifth day, Chen Zong acted as usual.
After learning from his previous failures, combined with the essence of the Four Key Techniques of Blacksmithing, his own understanding, and his control over his strength, he hammered on it repeatedly. The rough iron gradually became smaller, and in the end, it became an irregular iron brick.
Putting down the hammer, he picked up the iron brick and looked at it carefully. The surface was bumpy and uneven. Compared with the flat and square ordinary iron blocks piled in the corner of the foundry, it was completely ugly. However, Chen Zong smiled.
No matter how ugly it was, it was an ordinary iron block. It proved that he had succeeded.
"But, it's not enough." Chen Zong said to himself. After a short rest, he began to throw the second piece of rough iron into the furnace. He wanted to grasp the feeling of successfully forging an ordinary iron block and consolidate it.
After a while, the second ordinary iron block was forged. Compared with the first one, it was obviously much better.
"That's all for today. I'll come back tomorrow." Chen Zong smiled and left after tidying up.
On the sixth day!
On the seventh day!
On the eighth day!
On the ninth day!
On the tenth day!
Every day, Chen Zong was improving. Not only was his cultivation improving, but his swordsmanship was improving as well. Even his forging skills were improving.
"Elder Lie, this is the ordinary iron block I forged. Please have a look." Chen Zong took the ordinary iron block he forged and handed it to Elder Lie, who walked into the foundry.
"Why are you still here?" Elder Lie glanced at Chen Zong and recognized him after thinking for a while. Then he said in a harsh tone, "Let me take a look."
"What I hate the most in my life are those who cheat and deceive their superiors and subordinates." Elder Lie took the ordinary iron block and looked at it. He was instantly enraged. His terrifying aura was like a volcanic eruption. His eyes seemed to be burning with fire as if he wanted to burn Chen Zong to ashes. The aura made Chen Zong's face change drastically and he retreated.
The other two martial artists who were working for Elder Lie's bellows trembled.
This was the aura of a powerful martial artist who had surpassed the Blood Qi realm. Even a Blood Qi realm level nine martial artist would not feel good.
"You dare say that you forged this?" Elder Lie clenched his fist tightly, and the ordinary piece of iron let out a creaking sound. It was actually twisted by his grip. Chen Zong was shocked to see that. How strong was that? If his bones were grabbed, they would instantly turn into powder.
"Elder, if you don't believe me, I can forge one on the spot." Chen Zong braced himself and said. It was too scary. The aura of an angry Elder Lie was too scary.
"Alright, I'll see what tricks you have up your sleeve." Although Elder Lie was angry, he did not lose his mind. He was surprised that a mere Blood Qi realm level four martial artist did not go limp under the impact of his aura and could even speak fluently. He decided to give Chen Zong a chance.
Exhaling, Chen Zong felt a little weak all over.
He started the fire and worked the bellows skillfully like flowing water. It made Elder Lie's eyes light up slightly.
The layman watched for the excitement while the expert watched for the skill. The expert could tell at a glance whether one was capable or not. Elder Lie could not help but feel a little expectant.
As Chen Zong threw in the rough iron and waited until it was red hot, he clamped it out and placed it firmly on the anvil. He raised the sledgehammer with his right hand. Elder Lie's eyes lit up even more as if he had practiced it hundreds and thousands of times.
Chen Wuhou and Chen Qi, who came in later, were also stunned by Chen Zong's every move. They wondered if their eyes were playing tricks on them.
Every move was more skillful and perfect than theirs.
The hammer fell!
The first sound rang out. It was unusually sonorous and it made Chen Wuhou and Chen Qi shudder.
Elder Lie's eyes lit up even more. He saw a very unique charm in that hammer. It could only be achieved by mastering the Four Essentials of Blacksmithing to a certain extent.
"Did I discover a genius?" Elder Lie roared in his heart.
One hammer, two hammers, three hammers!
He hammered repeatedly and countless sparks shot out. It was very dazzling.
In Elder Lie's opinion, although the changes in strength and angle were not perfect and there were still many areas that needed improvement, it was only ten days. If it were Chen Wuhou and Chen Qi, they would not be able to reach this level even after three or four months.
Under the witness of Elder Lie and the others, Chen Zong forged a piece of ordinary iron. Regardless of appearance or quality, it was the same as the square ordinary iron pieces placed in the corner.
"Good, good, good." Elder Lie was very excited. His curly beard was sticking up.
"From now on, you are my disciple." Elder Lie pointed at Chen Zong and announced directly.
Chen Wuhou and Chen Qi, as well as the two warriors in the forging room who were pulling the bellows, trembled. They were very envious.
There were a total of five elders in the clan hall. Elder Lie was one of them. To be accepted as a disciple by an elder was something that many disciples in the clan hall dreamed of. It was a great honor.
"Elder, can you teach me swordsmanship?" Chen Zong was not as ecstatic as expected. Instead, he asked calmly.
"I don't practice swordsmanship. How can I teach you swordsmanship?" Elder Lie said excitedly. "But I can teach you how to forge swords and let you become a blacksmith."
"Sorry, Elder. I came to the workshop just to earn some contribution points." Chen Zong shook his head. Practicing swordsmanship took up a lot of his time and energy. If not for contribution points, he would not have come here.
One had to know that forging ordinary iron pieces every day took up a lot of his time.
"You mean to reject me. Silly, silly. You have the talent to be a blacksmith. Why don't you practice swordsmanship instead of being a blacksmith?" Elder Lie was so angry that he stomped his feet. "Do you know how many people want to be my disciple, but I don't like them. Now that I like you, you actually reject me."
Chen Zong was silent. Elder Lie was anxious and angry, but he could not do anything to Chen Zong.
This made Chen Wuhou and the others even more envious and jealous.
"I'm so angry." Elder Lie stomped his feet. There was a roar in the forging room.
Looking at Elder Lie who left angrily, Chen Zong could not help but smile bitterly. What was going on?
Could he still stay in the workshop to earn contribution points?
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