"…the energy needed to maintain the tightness between metals," Zhen Hua finished explaining today's topic with a gentle smile.
There were hundreds of people present, and the entire hall remained quiet. Many had eyes full of awe.
Fusion forging—something that most forgers couldn't even begin to understand—was rare, as few reached the sixth rank or higher. But for their future development, this knowledge was invaluable.
"I know many of you still have questions. I'll give you an answer—but not from me. From my disciple."
Disciple?
The entire hall fell into even deeper silence. The Divine Craftsman had a disciple? Why hadn't there been any news about this?
Gu You's lips twitched. He never wanted to show off.
He stepped onto the stage. Zhen Hua had thoughtfully prepared a forging station.
All eyes turned to him. Everyone wanted to know—who was this mysterious person who could become Zhen Hua's disciple?
"It's him?!"
Some people gasped aloud on the spot.
"Who?"
Those who didn't know asked curiously.
"This guy's got quite the background."
The one answering only gave a meaningful, knowing look.
"Hello everyone. Since Master asked me to demonstrate, I'll give it my best. The fusion alloy I'm forging is Jade Silver."
As Gu You spoke, two forging hammers appeared in his hands. He used his left hammer to gently nudge something onto the forging table.
The two types of ore needed for Jade Silver fusion automatically entered the smelting table.
Once the heating time was sufficient, the two ores slowly began to rise.
Gu You began forging with both hands, striking one ore with each hammer.
Not just Zhen Hua—everyone in the audience opened their mouths in shock at this technique.
"Clang—"
A crisp ring echoed through the hall.
Gu You's eyes widened, and faint violet-gold light flashed in his pupils. "Shock!"
He shouted the single word, and both hammers fell.
Heavy as ten thousand pounds!
"Boom—"
The blow forced the two ores to bond together immediately, refusing to separate no matter what.
The crowd went silent again. The method was so direct and forceful that many in the audience felt they could do it themselves.
Zhen Hua nodded slightly. This kid doesn't follow the rules.
After a full three-second pause, Gu You raised his hands again and brought the hammers crashing down.
"Boom—"
The two metals shook. Tiny particles of residue flew off in the impact.
"Boom—Boom—Boom…"
Each strike was followed by a three-second pause. Heavy, steady forging.
"Boom—" The sixth strike landed. The combined ores tumbled, impurities extracted, and a flash of light appeared—
Hundred-forge completed!
Six strikes = Hundred-forge!
Zhen Hua subconsciously stood up straighter.
Booming sounds continued. Gu You had fully entered a forging state.
No one knew how much time passed until suddenly—
A hum echoed, and two beams of light soared into the air.
The fused metal emitted radiant silver light on one side and shimmering starlight on the other. They rose over six feet into the air, refusing to dissipate.
Thousand-forge: First Grade!
The audience was stunned. Normally, first-grade thousand-forge metals could only raise five feet of light at most. But this young man had forged two metals with six feet of light each!
What did that mean?
Divine Grade! The legendary divine-grade thousand-forge!
And this was only the beginning!
A green soul ring rose beneath Gu You's feet. Instantly, the fused metals lightened in weight and took on an agile, almost living quality. A vibrant life force seemed to burst from within.
At the same time, Gu You's twin hammers moved in unison, striking gently inward.
The heavy forging phase was over. Now came the light tapping.
This… this was fusion forging!
Some forgers in the crowd were completely captivated. A boy so young was performing fusion forging. Even the president couldn't do it at his age! And judging by his technique, this wasn't even his first time.
A typical high-rank forger would spirit-forge first, then proceed to fusion forging.
But Gu You blazed his own trail—skipping straight from thousand-forge to fusion forging.
Watching his hammering like a fierce storm, Zhen Hua unconsciously took a step forward, eyes locked onto the forging table.
Gu You was remarkably steady. His twin hammers never faltered, and his stance was rooted, unmoving. Green soul light rippled across his body, radiating a soft glow.
When the final strike landed, an intense wave of excitement burst from the metal itself. The Jade Silver gleamed brilliantly, and faint dragon-shaped patterns formed in the glow.
Fusion Forging with Spirit!
Clap! Clap!
Applause echoed from the crowd.
Gu You gave a bow and left the stage with Zhen Hua.
"Hungry?"
"Mm!"
They arrived at a small dining hall—not large, about twenty square meters—with a round table and simple decor. Nothing extravagant.
The first dish: Millennium Earth Dragon Tendon.
Just a small piece of an entire thousand-year-old tendon. No one knew how long it had been stewed, but it was tender, flavorful, and incredibly fragrant. One whiff and Gu You felt his blood and energy surge.
There was also a bowl of rice—Moonlight Rice, one of the highest grades, harvested only once every three years from the frigid far north. The grains were shaped like crescent moons and emitted a faint silver glow. The aroma was clean and refreshing, and the taste was sweet and delicate. Paired with the dragon tendon, it was beyond delicious.
As Gu You was happily enjoying the meal, the chef brought out another dish.
The chef was a thin man in his fifties.
Even before the dish arrived, a powerful aroma preceded it.
What is this?
On a giant half-meter tray lay six red creatures, resembling shrimp.
Their entire bodies were blood red, with a jade-like sheen. Their shells had been removed, and no visible seasonings were present. The heads were large, and the strong scent came from within.
"What day is it today? Even the Red Jade Shrimp? You never even let me eat that usually!" Zhen Hua looked at the chef in surprise.
The chef snorted. "This kid's eating so well, I made three extra for you."
"Haha, no need. Let the kid have them all." Zhen Hua waved it off.
Gu You was a bit surprised. He noticed the casual, equal interaction between the chef and Zhen Hua. For a chef to earn Zhen Hua's respect—that's no ordinary man.
The chef chuckled, "Eat up, kid. Have as much as you want. Red Jade Shrimp, also known as Blood Shrimp, live over 3,000 meters deep in the Blood Sea Trench. They're a rare species, and their blood essence closely resembles that of humans."
"Thanks."
Gu You ate all six. Nothing unusual happened to his body.
The chef stared at him, as if trying to see through him—but…
(End of Chapter)