Xu Shengqun took a deep breath, realizing that he had been impulsive just now.
However, this divine-forged metal was truly extraordinary. Even before it was fully formed, during the tribulation, it already exhibited such obvious inducement abilities.
Of course, this inducement was specifically targeted at him, Xu Shengqun.
And it was unconscious.
After all, it was just a newly born life form with limited intelligence. Without existing knowledge to draw from, this nascent life didn't have such complex thoughts as guiding others to take the calamity on its behalf.
However, the essence of this divine-forged metal surpassed Xu Shengqun, which made him have a strong protective urge.
In reality, this piece of divine-forged metal was merely imitating his Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Spear; his Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Spear was the original body.
"This piece of Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal can inversely affect you, Uncle. Clearly, its compatibility with you is extremely high. After it undergoes the tribulation, it should directly merge with you."
With this piece of Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal, Xu Shengqun's martial soul might even undergo a direct transformation.
The previous changes in Ya Li couldn't be considered universal. The specific opportunities and benefits that divine-forged metals could bring to soul masters were still undetermined.
The tribulation scene for the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal was completely different from before.
Between heaven and earth, an indescribable fluctuation spread out. At this moment, all eyes in Divine Forging City were focused on this piece of Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal.
Divine Forging!
This was divine forging!
Even Yun Ming was drawn by the disturbance in the Netherworld's laws, noticing this situation and condensing a phantom figure to observe this divine-forged metal.
Zhen Hua's gaze was fervent, his breathing rapid.
He had already sensed the difference in this metal. It was a metamorphosis different from the birth of life. Compared to the birth of life, this transformation was more fundamental.
"Awakening spirituality, endowing it with wisdom, endowing it with heritage, creating life, and then nurturing it comprehensively to help it condense its own power."
He had formed his own understanding.
Xu Yuan's divine forging was the sublimation of the heritage bestowed upon metals by blacksmiths from the soul-forging period, digesting everything into its own and deriving its own power, even approaching the level of laws.
What Xu Yuan referred to as origin was too profound. Although Zhen Hua could barely understand, he still preferred to explain divine forging in this way.
With understanding, Zhen Hua also developed his own methods.
"I may not reach the level of divine forging like Xiao Yuan, but I now know the direction for improving heavenly forging. Besides increasing the number of elements, there's also the heritage bestowed upon metals. The more complete the heritage, the more complete the metal's life essence."
The richer and more complete the heritage, the more perfect the life essence would become.
It didn't matter if one couldn't achieve divine forging in one go. As long as it was a heavenly-forged metal tailored for a soul master, as long as its heritage was sufficiently complete, as long as its heritage perfectly matched this soul master, then this heavenly-forged metal had the potential to ascend to divine forging.
And the opportunity for this ascension lay within the soul master themselves.
If a soul master could break through to godhood on their own, that would be the moment for their entire set of battle armor to transform simultaneously.
Of course, there was another method: find an Ultimate Douluo and let this Ultimate Douluo assist in forging when bestowing the heritage.
Yes, the auxiliary forging method.
This was the path Xu Yuan initially took to enter the world of forging. Although it was later corrected, this path was real and prepared for those Ultimate Douluos who pursued perfection.
Previously, Zhen Hua had also cooperated with Ultimate Douluos to complete heavenly forging, but most of the heritage bestowed was his own, while the Ultimate Douluos were only responsible for macroscopic regulation.
However, to attempt divine forging with the auxiliary forging method, at least the assisting Ultimate Douluo needed to master the ability of soul forging, i.e., the technique of bestowing heritage upon metals through forging.
Seeing the path ahead clearly, Zhen Hua racked his brain, pondering various possibilities for divine forging.
However, no matter which one, it was inevitably something he couldn't achieve alone, and it was filled with uncertainties.
Zhen Hua watched the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal undergoing the calamity in the air, still with an expression of amazement.
As early as when Xu Yuan entered the auxiliary forging method, he had already noticed Xu Yuan's talent. That spirit-linking soul skill opened up the most energy-consuming threshold in forging for Xu Yuan.
He knew that Xu Yuan would surely achieve great things in forging.
Until Xu Yuan achieved heavenly forging and became another divine craftsman after him, he finally felt gratified.
The shock had passed, and there were no more preconceived notions.
However, Xu Yuan gave him a big surprise.
Just a few short years after achieving heavenly forging, he pioneered the realm of forging beyond heavenly forging.
Divine forging was within sight, yet there were no blacksmiths who could comprehend the essence of this divine forging.
The blacksmiths present looked at the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal in the air, feeling how dazzling this piece of metal was, as if it were a lofty deity, fundamentally different from them.
Was this heavenly forging?
In the past, they might deceive themselves like this due to their shallow understanding.
But after witnessing Xu Yuan perform fifteen heavenly forgings in seven days and ten successful heavenly forgings, they had gained much experience and seen many heavenly-forged metals, developing a certain discerning eye.
They could affirm that this was not a level achievable by heavenly-forged metals.
However, if it wasn't heavenly forging, this level and prestige obviously surpassed heavenly forging, indicating that this metal had transcended heavenly forging?
Divine Forging City.
At this moment, all the blacksmiths re-examined the name of this city.
Divine Forging, Divine Forging, so it was.
No wonder Xu Yuan wanted to consecutively showcase forging just one month after the city's completion. It was to reveal this divine forging method to the world.
Yun Ming looked at the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal without using the power of the Netherworld to deeply feel it.
He only observed the differences of this divine-forged metal from afar.
"Origin condensation."
Xu Yuan had told Yun Ming about the function of the nine divine king diagrams. Yun Ming was now recording his state, ready to condense his origin at any time.
Yes, even as a Super God-level being, he had already prepared to condense his origin.
1st Class God-level?
That was just a foreseeable realm attainable by accumulating power.
His god position was now quite complete.
Unlike the Netherworld, his god position was already deeply integrated into cosmic space.
The Netherworld's framework was too large. He wanted to use the celestial phenomenon to thoroughly devour it, allowing his Netherworld to directly rely on cosmic space. He needed to remove the core law and act when the celestial phenomenon dissipated.
However, just because the Netherworld couldn't do it didn't mean he hadn't tried anything during this time.
The god position, as a product derived from the embryonic form of the god position he previously condensed, didn't rely on the authority of the god realm but rather on the laws of the real plane, existing in a special form.
Under his infiltration, the god position had relied on cosmic space and had already reached a very high level of completeness.
Now, this god position had reached the level of a first-class god position.
After all, this was a celestial phenomenon in gestation, receiving the most obvious nourishment from cosmic laws. His god position borrowing a chicken to hatch an egg could be considered enjoying the interest.
As the seven-colored calamity dissipated, the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Crystal transformed into the shape of the Heavenly Saint Void-Breaking Spear in mid-air.
Under Xu Shengqun's watchful gaze, this divine-forged metal quickly merged into his body, integrating with his martial soul.
Xu Shengqun sat cross-legged in place, sensing the changes in his martial soul.
Xu Yuan waved his hand, signaling the surrounding soul masters not to disturb his uncle, then also sat cross-legged, seemingly closing his eyes to rest and recover from the previous fatigue.
Three hours later.
Xu Shengqun's changes stopped. He didn't rush to tell Xu Yuan about his changes but nodded at him.
Just from his expression, one could deduce his gains.
Returning Xu Shengqun's nod, Xu Yuan continued with his forging.
This time, he didn't perform divine forging but honestly performed heavenly forging.
The consumption of condensing the origin was greater than he imagined.
The immense pressure faced during the process of guiding cosmic laws was something Xu Yuan, who previously succeeded in divine forging by luck, hadn't experienced.
Time passed.
Soon, it had been a month since Divine Forging City was established.
During this month, Xu Yuan had been continuously forging.
Aside from that one instance of divine forging, he hadn't attempted it again afterward but had been performing regular heavenly forging.
However, even that single instance caused a stir throughout the soul master community.
Everyone saw the changes in Xu Shengqun after fusing that metal forged above heavenly forging. In less than half a month, he broke through to quasi-god status, his strength skyrocketed, his four-character battle armor underwent a complete transformation, his martial soul received comprehensive enhancement, all his soul skills seemed to have ascended, and his overall power underwent a qualitative change.
Even older quasi-gods felt they couldn't match this Xu Shengqun.
Such progress naturally attributed to that divine-forged metal.
The effects of divine-forged metals were so significant that they might even assist in achieving godhood.
How could this not attract the attention of soul masters?
The number of soul masters in Divine Forging City never decreased but kept increasing.
Unfortunately, Xu Yuan didn't repeat divine forging afterward, which was regrettable.
A month later, Xu Yuan briefly left Divine Forging City.
Star Dou City.
War Heaven Department.
Dong Zi'an informed Xu Yuan of the latest news.
"The Federation Council has agreed to your proposal and decided to add a vocational module to the Star Dou Battle Network for practitioners of various vocations to exchange techniques and demonstrate their skills."
Xu Yuan wasn't surprised at all.
He had already displayed it so obviously; how could the Federation remain unmoved.
Divine Forging!
In the past, divine craftsmen capable of heavenly forging were objects of utmost reverence and support for the Federation, requiring full efforts to win over and sustain.
Now, Xu Yuan could perform divine forging; his status was self-evident. Even though the upper limit of the soul master community had expanded, the status of blacksmiths remained unshakable.
This was divine forging!
Among the Ultimate Douluos within the Federation, who didn't want to achieve godhood?
But according to the path to godhood, who had the confidence to achieve it?
This divine-forged metal was suspected to have the effect of enhancing powerful martial souls, practically aiding in achieving godhood. How could it not be sought after by Ultimate Douluos?
If that was the case, then any words from Xu Yuan must not be taken lightly or ignored by the Federation.
Not long ago, Xu Yuan proposed that the Star Dou Battle Network open more permissions.
Thus, the Federation Council unanimously approved Xu Yuan's first proposal to launch the vocational exchange module on the Star Dou Battle Network.
Moreover, this technology only needed half a month to truly go live on the Star Dou Battle Network.
One could say the efficiency was extremely high.
"Xu Yuan, the Federation has some things they want to know. Is that unique forging you performed earlier the level above heavenly forging?" Dong Zi'an took a deep breath.
He was a soldier and not adept at pleasantries. His face showed some discomfort while saying these words.
Xu Yuan didn't dwell on these matters.
For politicians, he would nitpick, but for soldiers, he didn't have so many requirements.
Dong Zi'an got straight to the point, and Xu Yuan didn't need to engage in scheming. They could both be more relaxed.
"Divine forging is the level above heavenly forging that I discovered. As for the effects, it's a fusion with martial souls, deeper than our current integration of battle armor with martial souls. If we say the current battle armor is like wearing a suit of armor on a martial soul, then the divine-forged metal integrates with the soul master's martial soul, a true fusion."
"I can say that even a single piece of divine-forged metal brings a qualitative change to a set of four-character battle armor. It acts as a bridge between the martial soul and the external set of armor, making their connection tighter. The power of the battle armor can almost naturally integrate into the martial soul through this bridge, becoming part of the martial soul's power. Coupled with the divine-forged metal's inherent enhancement of the martial soul, the probability of a soul master achieving godhood will significantly increase."
Xu Yuan's words were incredibly shocking, leaving Dong Zi'an unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Indeed, it could assist soul masters in achieving godhood.
And not just achieving godhood; this divine-forged metal seemed to have even stronger effects.
"This divine-forged metal shouldn't stop here, right?" Dong Zi'an took a deep breath and asked.
Xu Yuan smiled, nodded, and said, "In your opinion, which is stronger: a set of four-character battle armor or a divine artifact?"
"Four-character battle armor."
Although four-character battle armor couldn't be called a true divine artifact, its effect surpasses that of a divine artifact, especially the enhancement for soul masters, already exceeding that of attack-type divine artifacts.
Of course, the key point was that four-character battle armor fits the user perfectly, whereas finding a suitable divine artifact was extremely difficult.
Their values should be equivalent, but one is custom-made, and the other needs to be found, and there's no guarantee of finding one.
Weighing the options, this led to Dong Zi'an's answer.
"A single piece of divine-forged metal is itself a divine artifact." Xu Yuan calmly stated.
Deriving its own laws, equivalent to having its own law power within the metal, this was characteristic of divine artifacts.
In terms of rank, it was a divine artifact.
"A set of battle armor composed of divine-forged metals will grow stronger as the soul master grows. A full set of divine-level battle armor growing will have no limits, perhaps comparable to a super-divine artifact."
Although there was no verification yet, it was just a vision, Xu Yuan still mentioned these points.
Vision still needed to be painted.
After all, this was a fact. The prospects of divine-forged metals were this high.
Comparable to a super-divine artifact?
Dong Zi'an took a deep breath, his emotions stirred.
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