She can't do it!
That was Mu Chen's immediate judgment the moment he saw the girl's forging method. And this time, there would be no mistake like before!
Mu Chen had to admit—this girl indeed had some skill. Her martial soul could actually change the quality of metal during forging?
It was as if she disrupted the molecular structure of the metal and reconstructed it into an entirely new substance. What looked like scrap metal to Mu Chen was transformed into rare and precious metals after she finished forging it.
There actually exists such a miraculous martial soul in the world?
"No, I must take her as my disciple!"
As soon as Mu Chen understood the effect of the girl's martial soul, he instantly realized how significant it was for the art of forging.
Even if this girl knew nothing about forging techniques, her martial soul alone was enough for her to achieve great accomplishments in the future.
And if she could complete a Thousand Refinements in just a few breaths' time, did that mean becoming a Saint Forger, or even a Divine Forger, was no longer a dream?
Mu Chen's mood shifted once again. All his previous displeasure was swept away. To discover such a once-in-a-lifetime genius in a place like this—this was a huge stroke of luck for the Forging Association!
Though he was excited, Mu Chen still firmly believed in his judgment: the girl's Spirit Refinement would not succeed—because she had one fatal flaw...
Insufficient soul power!
Forging in Douluo Continent was completely different from ordinary blacksmithing. They were forging materials for Battle Armor!
To create top-tier Battle Armor, a forger must meet several conditions:
Possess high-quality metals
Have excellent forging techniques
And… Soul power!
That's because sensing changes in metal, altering its state, and removing its impurities—all of that requires soul power. There's no getting around it!
For example, the Spirit Refinement the girl was attempting now would normally require the soul power of at least a Soul Ancestor, someone above level 40. But this girl's soul power…
Mu Chen examined it closely. At most, she was just over level 20. She might have the skill to attempt Spirit Refinement, but her soul power wasn't nearly enough to support the process.
A bit disappointed, Mu Chen was already preparing to watch her soul power run dry. The forging was bound to fail.
"If she fails, I'll rush in immediately to save her."
However, it was as if the girl was determined to go against everything Mu Chen predicted. No matter how he calculated it, the result always exceeded expectations.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sounds of forging grew louder, and clearly, Heita was using more and more strength. Even the ground around her began to crack. But despite all this, she had no intention of stopping.
At this moment, Heita had entered a mysterious state. In her eyes, it felt like the whole world had transformed.
She could sense everything—the fluttering of birds' wings in the sky, the chirping of insects in the trees—even the hidden presence of a certain Eight-Star Saint Forger watching her from nearby, and, of course, the constant transformation of the metal beneath her hammer.
"So amazing!"
Yao Lan, having just obtained this powerful ability, couldn't help but feel emotional. Even though she now had a Heita avatar, seeing this scene stirred something inside her. Especially the feeling of being in control of everything—it was as if she were the creator of this world.
From what Yao Lan understood about the Astral Express, the Aeon of Erudition, Nous, was always calculating the future. Everything it predicted was destined to happen.
And since Heita was Yao Lan's first avatar, and her martial soul was based on Nous, she naturally had the ability to perform these calculations too. Though not nearly as powerful as the original, she was more than strong enough for the standards of Douluo Continent!
Even though she was still physically forging, in Heita's eyes, the Spirit Refinement had long since succeeded. Now, she was simply going through the motions on the path toward that future.
"Spirit Refinement completed. I (Heita) will now fall unconscious due to soul power exhaustion."
"But afterward, Mu Chen will appear, take me (Heita) away, and accept me as his personal disciple… Mmm!"
Her forging motion suddenly paused. Blood began to drip from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth—but even this situation had been part of her calculations.
"As expected… Using level-20 soul power to complete a level-40 Spirit Refinement, plus all the mental processing… it really is too much."
"In that case, let this final hammer mark the end of this forging session!"
"I command this—
Succeed!!"
BOOM—!!
Heita raised her hammer high, and purple light burst from it, swirling and condensing. With her shout, the light dyed the entire forest patch in a noble, regal violet hue.
"Spirit Refinement… succeeded?"
The voice that escaped Mu Chen's lips trembled uncontrollably. He hadn't even realized it himself—his tone was filled with awe.
This child actually used level-20 soul power to complete Spirit Refinement!
But looking at her swaying figure, she was clearly on the verge of collapse. Soul power and mental strength were both overdrawn. Seeing this, Mu Chen didn't hesitate any longer and rushed out. When he caught the collapsing girl, she had already slipped into a deep coma.
"A genius! A true genius!"
After confirming Heita was unharmed, Mu Chen immediately turned his attention to the piece of Spirit-Refined metal. With his Saint Forger's eye, he could see just how extraordinary it was.
"Near-perfect Spirit Refinement… barring accidents, she's destined to become a Divine Forger!"
Mu Chen gave her the highest praise he had ever given in his life—because the shock she brought him was far too great! Not only could she deconstruct and reform metal to enhance its quality, but she also completed a flawless Spirit Refinement with low soul power!
Mu Chen could already imagine how his eyes must be sparkling when he looked at this girl. A raw gem like this—never before, and possibly never again—had actually appeared before him?
He had to take her as his disciple!
This thought now consumed Mu Chen's mind. If he let her slip away, he'd regret it for the rest of his life!
A girl this young, already a Level 5 Craftsman… if she could raise her soul power…
Becoming a Divine Forger before the age of 30 wasn't impossible!
Just thinking about how he might personally train a Divine Forger in his lifetime made Mu Chen grin uncontrollably. When that day came, he'd have quite the status in front of Zhen Hua!
Zhen Hua: I'm a Divine Forger!
Mu Chen: I'm the Divine Forger's teacher!
Zhen Hua: ???
"Enough talking. From now on, I'll treat this child better than my own daughter… uhh, Mu Xi might not like that. I'll treat her like my own daughter then…"
After shaking those random thoughts from his mind, Mu Chen stuffed the Spirit-Refined metal into his pocket and carried Heita away.
Until this girl grew up, Mu Chen would protect her at all costs!
---
Meanwhile, inside the unconscious Heita, Yao Lan's consciousness remained awake, still planning her future.
"Heita has been accepted as Mu Chen's disciple, but the main body's situation is troublesome. Without an identity, you can't take a single step on Douluo Continent!"
"For now, I'll live through this 'safe period' using Heita's identity…"
At this point, Heita was no longer just a clone—Yao Lan had transformed directly into her avatar, meaning her main body and avatar were now one. This allowed her to enjoy all the resources that came with being a disciple of a Saint Forger.
Besides, Yao Lan had another thought:
Maybe there was no need for her true body to ever appear in Douluo Continent.
Once the system's power was fully unlocked and she had more avatars…
Her true self would ascend to godhood, carried by an army of clones.