Chương 40: The Blacksmith Patriarch and the Forgehammer

The clang of metal echoed endlessly through the Hall of Craftsmanship. Clang! Clang! Clang! The forge blazed with heat. Wielding the strength of one flood dragon, two tigers, and four oxen, Su Zhe swung a fifty-pound forging hammer again and again, hammering ordinary weapons with relentless intensity. He looked almost possessed. His mastery of the Thousand-Forging Method improved at an astonishing pace. To support his most talented disciple, Sun Tiexin had generously told Su Zhe to ask for whatever he needed.

After careful consideration, Su Zhe requested several forging hammers. Not just any hammers—they had to be old, well-used pieces with history behind them, and none could be below Second-Rank Mortal Weapon grade. The request surprised Sun Tiexin. Still, he asked no questions. Everyone in the Hall had witnessed Su Zhe's obsessive dedication to smithing.

"Junior Brother's skills are becoming terrifying. His success rate when forging Second-Rank Mortal Weapons is already close to eighty percent. At this rate, it won't be long before he can forge Third-Rank Mortal Weapons."

"Some people are blessed by the ancestors and fed with a silver spoon from birth—like Senior Brother Guo."

"Some are talented enough that the ancestors personally chase after them to feed them—like Senior Brother Xiao."

"But Junior Brother Su?" The speaker sighed.

"The ancestors would probably chase after him begging him to eat." The room erupted in laughter. Unfortunately for everyone else, Su Zhe's progress only increased the pressure on the workshop. Once competition began, it never stopped. A tragedy familiar to every hardworking disciple.

"Su Zhe, your forging hammers have arrived." Sun Tiexin carried over five hammers in total. Lifting one of them, he narrowed his eyes.

"The first four belonged to former Hall Masters."

"As for this one..." His expression grew more solemn.

"This is a peak Third-Rank Mortal Weapon once wielded by our Patriarch himself."

"It is called the Forgehammer of Metallurgy."

"They say its original grade was far higher than Third Rank. Unfortunately, something happened to the Patriarch long ago, and the hammer's quality fell." Su Zhe accepted the weapon. The hammerhead was cylindrical and surprisingly compact, barely ten centimeters in diameter. The handle measured roughly half a meter long. Its entire body shimmered with a deep, mysterious violet-black hue. Ancient patterns covered the hammerhead, resembling forgotten runes.

Faint flashes of light occasionally flickered across their surface. The handle was forged from an unknown black metal and engraved with countless intricate inscriptions. Tiny arcs of energy flowed between them like living lightning.

"A magnificent hammer." Su Zhe's eyes lit up.

"With this, I'm completely confident I can forge Third-Rank Mortal Weapons." Name: Forgehammer of Metallurgy Grade: Peak Third-Rank Mortal Weapon (Sealed) Description: Once wielded by the Blacksmith Patriarch himself. It contains fragments of the Patriarch's forging knowledge. Its power has diminished due to a seal, but the seal may gradually be broken through blood refinement. Equipment Requirements: This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Savage Ox Art — Minor Mastery or above Spirit Serpent Sword — Minor Mastery or above Fiend Tiger Saber — Minor Mastery or above Equipment Traits: Increased Craftsmanship Comprehension Increased Smithing Skill Improved Aptitude and Talent Perfect Control (Third Rank) Pursuit of Perfection (Third Rank, increased forging success rate) Special Unlocks: Blacksmith Patriarch's Forging Legacy (currently unlocks mortal-grade techniques; higher-grade forging methods become available as the seal is removed) Martial insights into the Savage Ox Art, Spirit Serpent Sword, and Fiend Tiger Saber"The Blacksmith Patriarch?"

Su Zhe paused. Then he turned to Sun Tiexin.

"Master, what was our Patriarch's name?" Sun Tiexin laughed.

"No one knows."

"He had neither recorded surname nor given name."

"When he arrived in Lu County, he simply called himself the Blacksmith Patriarch."

"Our Blacksmith Gang may not have the most elegant name, but it was chosen in his honor." So I was right. A sharp gleam flashed through Su Zhe's eyes. The Blacksmith Patriarch mentioned by the Creation Cauldron was indeed the founder of the Blacksmith Gang. His gaze returned to the hammer. Savage Ox. Fiend Tiger. Spirit Serpent. The three martial arts required by the weapon could not be a coincidence. Could these techniques all have originated from the Patriarch? And if so, what deeper secret connected them?

The thought lingered in his mind. After examining the many Second-Rank weapons Su Zhe had forged, Sun Tiexin nodded in satisfaction, offered a few words of encouragement, and departed. Su Zhe returned to Craftsmanship Courtyard One. Along with the Forgehammer of Metallurgy, he had received four additional hammers. All four were Second-Rank Mortal Weapons: Star of Flame Hammering Star of Precision Forging Star of Tempering Star of Shaping Each specialized in a different stage of the forging process.

Together, they formed a complete forging set. Su Zhe equipped the four Star Hammers first. A thunderous rumble echoed inside his mind. Many aspects of Third-Rank forging that had once seemed obscure suddenly became crystal clear. It felt as though enlightenment had been poured directly into his brain. After absorbing the knowledge, he threw twenty-two taels of pure gold into the Creation Immortal Cauldron. He activated its ability: Treasure Refinement Body Fusion.

Previously, he had only two taels of gold remaining. However, after Sun Tiexin extorted Wang Shan for compensation, another twenty taels had been added. Twenty-two in total. Su Zhe chose to fuse two items into his body: The Craftsmanship Inheritance Token The Fifty-Fold Forging Hammer The inheritance token was a Second-Rank Mortal Weapon and required six taels of gold. The Fifty-Fold Forging Hammer had advanced to Third Rank after being nourished with Treasure Blood, requiring twelve taels.

Once the process finished, only four taels remained. Four taels of pure gold equated to several thousand taels of silver—a respectable fortune. If he saved it, he could soon open his Fifth Immortal Aperture. But seven days later, disciples from the inner sect of Sword-Casting Manor would arrive. Opening a Fifth Aperture wouldn't provide enough immediate growth. Strengthening himself directly was the better choice. The cauldron displayed the results.

Refined Traits: Effortless Mastery (Second Rank) Great Skill Appears Simple (Second Rank) Practice Makes Perfect (Third Rank) All effects condensed to one-tenth strength. Then another message appeared. Due to the unique properties of Treasure Blood: One Ox Strength (Second Rank) Two Ox Strength (Second Rank) Permanently fused into the user's body. Strength permanently increased by three oxen. Su Zhe's eyes widened.

"Treasure Blood can permanently crystallize equipment traits into the body?" That was an incredible surprise. He could feel his muscles, bones, and flesh being transformed by mysterious power. Every cell in his body seemed to rejoice. The sensation was indescribably pleasant. Previously, his additional strength had always come from external equipment. This time, however, it belonged entirely to him.

Encouraged, Su Zhe forced another twenty drops of blood essence from his body and fed them into the Creation Immortal Cauldron to create more Treasure Blood. The four Star Hammers corresponded perfectly to his four opened Immortal Apertures. A complete equipment set. Unfortunately, their grade was still too low to provide significant boosts to aptitude and comprehension. Thankfully, after fusing the inheritance token and Fifty-Fold Forging Hammer into his body, his natural talent improved once again.

Though he had not yet reached Top-Grade Aptitude, he stood extremely close. Even without additional equipment, he was now approaching that threshold. With the Star Hammers equipped, his aptitude firmly reached the peak of the Grade-A category.

"Next comes martial cultivation." Su Zhe raised a hand. A simple iron sword appeared. It wasn't even a Mortal Weapon—just an ordinary blade. Still, it would suffice for practice. Unfortunately, he possessed no martial weapon connected to the Spirit Serpent Sword Art, making cultivation somewhat inconvenient. Fortunately, with his current aptitude, reaching Minor Mastery would not take long. He carefully reviewed the copied manual.

A passage surfaced in his mind: Among all living creatures, none surpass the serpent in agility. Strike its tail and its head responds; strike its head and its tail reacts. Its body coils, winds, and adapts without pause. It bends, extends, contracts, and turns with effortless fluidity, never becoming rigid. Following the manual's guidance, Su Zhe synchronized his breathing with his movements. His sword flowed with his intent. His body became soft and supple, as though boneless.

Stepping according to the Seven-Star Footwork, he twisted and weaved across the courtyard like a living serpent. The sword flashed. Curved. Coiled. Struck. A complete sequence of Spirit Serpent Sword forms passed in a blur. When he finally stopped, sweat covered his body.

"The Savage Ox Art tempers strength."

"The Fiend Tiger Saber tempers bone and physique."

"The Spirit Serpent Sword develops agility and flexibility."

"The three techniques complement one another perfectly." The realization left him deeply impressed.

"The Blacksmith Patriarch truly was a genius." With his current peak-grade aptitude, even without a dedicated Spirit Serpent weapon, he had entered the beginner stage after a single practice session. In three or four days at most, he would likely reach Minor Mastery. Su Zhe and Wang Shan had long since become irreconcilable enemies. And this time... He intended to shatter every scheme Wang Shan had prepared.