Xu Xian flipped through the book with one hand while controlling the fire with the other. The pages flew by, the iron glowed red, and a five-colored radiance gathered deep within his eyes.
Suddenly, he slammed the book shut with a loud snap.
He reached out with his bare hands to pull the scorching spirit ore from the fire and slammed it onto the forging table. With a flick of his right wrist, an iron hammer manifested out of thin air.
"Stand back, unless you want sparks flying in your face!"
Zhang Yang pouted, looking like a mistreated widow.
"Fine!"
Their master had only given each participating disciple three pieces of spirit ore for the preliminary preparations of the Spirit Forger Certification Competition.
Zhang Yang had already ruined two, leaving him with only this last piece, which Xu Xian had now snatched away. He was feeling quite depressed.
It wasn't that he was stingy.
It was that Xu Xian had admitted himself that he had never forged a sword before.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn...
Zhang Yang’s eyes went wide. This was his first time seeing Xu Xian at the forge, and he had to admit it.
Xu Xian really had talent. Just based on his purification technique alone, only their Eldest Senior Brother among all the fellow disciples could match him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
An hour later...
A crowd of burly men had gathered around Xu Xian without him noticing. They stared intently at the youth, whispering and discussing in low voices.
"That hammer is so steady!"
"As expected of the Little Grand-Uncle!"
"I think he’s going to make it..."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Two hours later...
Xu Xian brought the hammer down one last time, then plunged the shaped sword embryo into the spiritual water for quenching.
Accompanied by a sizzling sound, the spiritual water boiled and white mist rose as the sword body rapidly cooled.
Xu Xian pulled it out, glanced at it, and a smug grin curled onto his lips. He looked around triumphantly and tossed the sword onto the forging table.
"Done!"
Everyone rushed forward in a swarm, jostling to get a look. They scrutinized the blade, gasping in admiration from time to time.
"So strong!"
"Hiss—a standard low-grade spirit weapon!"
"He actually did it!"
"He forged it in just two hours? Are you kidding me?"
"Little Grand-Uncle, you’re way too incredible."
Xu Xian licked his lips and crossed his arms, looking at them with a cocky tilt of his head.
"Like I said, forging a spirit weapon is easy if you have hands. I was in a rush, so I just whipped this up casually. Otherwise, the quality could have been even higher."
In the eyes of the crowd, there was nothing but heat and worship.
If they remembered correctly, it hadn't even been a year since the Little Grand-Uncle became Ruan Hao's disciple, yet he could already forge a spirit weapon.
Moreover, within two hours, he had completed purification, tempering, shaping, spirit-infusion, quenching, and sharpening...
One had to know.
Even for a veteran first-rank spirit forge master, completing this entire process in less than six or eight hours was virtually impossible.
But Xu Xian had done it in two.
His talent went without saying.
With this level of skill, he was definitely beyond the level of a mere first-rank forger.
Zhang Yang grabbed Xu Xian’s arm, his eyes burning. "Brother Xian, teach me! Don't make me get on my knees and beg!"
The others saw this and crowded around as well, their faces full of anticipation and flattery.
"Little Grand-Uncle, please teach us."
"Yeah, the certification is the day after tomorrow. Please give us some pointers..."
"What’s the secret?"
Xu Xian narrowed his eyes and rubbed his stomach, looking conflicted. "It’s not that I can’t teach you, but my stomach is a bit empty. I can’t really find the words..."
The crowd immediately understood. They scrambled to be the first to speak.
"My treat! It has to be my treat! Don't anyone try to snatch this from me!"
"What do you mean your treat? Based on seniority, it shouldn't even be your turn. It’s on me! We’re going to the Spirit Food Workshop and ordering the most expensive dishes!"
"I have the best relationship with the Little Grand-Uncle, so I should be the one."
Zhang Yang said overbearingly, "The Little Grand-Uncle is my big brother! Anyone who tries to steal this from me is looking for trouble!"
Xu Xian laughed heartily. "Haha! Alright, alright, stop arguing. Listen to me, let’s just eat at the canteen. Why waste money? Let’s go... I’ll talk to you guys while we eat!"
"The Little Grand-Uncle is so righteous!"
"The Little Grand-Uncle is so generous!!"
"The Little Grand-Uncle is a real class act!!!"
Surrounded by a pack of burly men, they headed straight for the Zhujian Peak’s Great Canteen.
Inside the forging hall’s exclusive canteen.
Xu Xian sat on the table with his feet on a stool, looking down at everyone as he began his lecture. He was surrounded by a sea of identical muscular men, all squeezed together, listening intently.
He spoke with a non-stop flow, and they listened with rapt attention.
He spoke with high spirits, and they listened with great relish.
Xu Xian would ask questions from time to time, and the crowd would shake their heads in unison.
Xu Xian would slap his thigh for emphasis, and the crowd would erupt in cheers.
Disciples passing by couldn't help but stop. Driven by curiosity and a desire to see what was happening, they joined in as well...
"What is the most important thing in forging?"
"It’s the heat, the strength, and the details..."
"Your eyes are the ruler, your hands are the scale..."
"A hundred-tempered spirit ore..."
"Shaping the embryo..."
"Quenching and sharpening..."
"It’s all in the details..."
Xu Xian spoke with great logic. Some understood and felt they had benefited immensely—as expected of the Little Grand-Uncle.
Some didn't understand a word, but their worship only grew deeper, thinking that as Master Ruan's disciple, his words were naturally profound and mysterious.
Han Yi, the Peak Master of Zhujian Peak, happened to be passing by and asked the disciple walking beside him.
"What’s going on in there? Why is it so lively?"
The disciple replied, "I heard the Little Grand-Uncle is giving a lecture to everyone."
"A lecture? What kind of lecture?"
"Forging."
Han Yi said, confused, "I heard this Martial Uncle of mine hasn't even started forging yet. Can he actually explain it clearly?"
"He is Master Ruan's disciple, after all. I believe he must have some level of skill."
"I'm not so sure," Han Yi murmured.
After all, Xu Xian had only joined Zhujian Peak about ten months ago. Even if he was chosen by Master Ruan and had some talent, experience was something that couldn't be rushed.
"Should I go take a look?"
Han Yi waved his hand. "Never mind. The certification is coming up soon. It’s good to let everyone relax a bit. Staying wound up like a tight string all day isn't a good thing either."
"..."
Xu Xian spoke for a full two hours, putting his knowledge to use and reviewing the information from the books in the process, treating it as his own exam prep.
The Zhujian Peak disciples eventually dispersed, each returning to their own forging workshops.
Xu Xian had said a lot.
There were many knowledge points.
Naturally, they only remembered a small fraction of it.
However.
One sentence kept echoing repeatedly in their ears.
'Forging is a piece of cake if you have hands!'
This phrase had appeared more than once in Xu Xian’s speech. After listening to him, they actually started to believe it—that forging really was easy if you had hands.
At this moment, each of them was brimming with confidence, their previous anxiety and gloom swept away, their bodies filled with strength.
Just like the Little Grand-Uncle said.
Who cares about all that? Just hammer away.
Doing it doesn't guarantee success, but not doing it guarantees failure.
Fear doesn't solve problems, and running away is the act of a coward, so...
Simply put.
Xu Xian’s speech was a form of psychological counseling, helping them regain their confidence in forging.
It might not necessarily be useful.
But Xu Xian certainly felt great after saying it all.
Zhang Yang wouldn't let Xu Xian leave, insisting that Xu Xian give him a private session. Xu Xian had no choice but to give him a few pointers.
By the time he headed back.
It was nearly sunset.
The evening breeze was cool as he walked slowly.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion coming from a spot in the mountains, as if something was happening. Xu Xian leaned over to look, then rode the wind down to the ground.
"It’s the Little Grand-Uncle! The Little Grand-Uncle is here..."
Xu Xian adopted a dignified tone and asked with his hands behind his back.
"What are you all crowding around for? What happened?"
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