The smile on Han Tianyi's face faded, and his expression became solemn. "Zhen Hua is the only Divine Craftsman on the continent today, a Ninth-Rank Blacksmith!" He looked at Huo Yuhao, his gaze carrying a hint of expectation. "Yuhao, whether you can catch this Divine Craftsman's eye depends on your performance next."
Divine Craftsman! Ninth-Rank Blacksmith! The continent's only one! These words were like heavy hammer blows, striking Huo Yuhao's heart one after another, causing his eyes to widen instantly and his breath to hitch.
He knew the teacher his two mentors had found for him would be extraordinary, but he never imagined it would be the number one person standing at the very Peak of this path! A mixture of excitement and immense pressure surged into his heart, but immediately after, an even stronger determination quickly suppressed that trace of nervousness.
He tightly clenched his fists hidden in his sleeves, his nails sinking slightly into his palms, secretly telling himself that he must seize this opportunity, give it his all, and perform well! Under Mu Ye's lead, the three of them didn't walk far.
Diagonally across from his two-story building, a more magnificent and ancient-styled building came into view; it was the Heaven Dou City Blacksmith Association. The association's main doors were wide open, and the faint sound of voices could be heard.
Stepping inside, they found the vast hall on the first floor crowded with people, bustling and forming a large circle that was almost impassable. Everyone's gaze was focused on the center of the crowd.
A standard forging table had been temporarily set up there, with the furnace fire burning brightly. Standing by the forging table, surrounded by the crowd like stars circling the moon, was a middle-aged man.
He had thick black hair and deep black eyes, but the white hair at his temples added a touch of weathered experience to his originally resolute face. The surrounding blacksmiths, who were usually quite arrogant, now had only pure reverence and a thirst for knowledge in their eyes.
Mu Ye stopped and cast his gaze toward the center of the crowd, whispering, "He is Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua. Let's listen from the side first and go over when he finishes this segment."
Huo Yuhao was currently held in Han Tianyi's arms. His gaze crossed the crowd and landed on Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua in the distance. With his Spirit Eyes Spirit possessed, he didn't intend to miss a single detail.
"The profession of a blacksmith is actually more dependent on talent than that of a Spirit Master." Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua's voice was peaceful and spread clearly throughout the hall. "Only with a good foundation can one go further on the path of forging. So today, I won't talk about anything profound. I'll start from the most basic Hundred Forging..."
Even though it was just basic knowledge, the blacksmiths present listened with rapt attention and great interest. It had to be admitted that Zhen Hua truly deserved his title as a Divine Craftsman; his explanations were profound yet easy to understand. Even Huo Yuhao, who didn't know much about forging, felt he understood many key points and secretly admired him.
About half an hour later, Zhen Hua's explanation came to an end. He nodded slightly to the crowd and left the hall amidst respectful gazes, and the crowd gradually dispersed.
Seeing this, Mu Ye gave a look to Han Tianyi and Huo Yuhao. The three of them took the Soul Tool Elevator directly to the top floor and arrived at the area where the President's office was located.
Mu Ye was clearly familiar with the place. He walked to a heavy wooden door and pushed it open directly without even knocking. The office was spacious and bright, with furnishings that were both practical and elegant.
Zhen Hua was standing by the window, looking at the city scenery outside. Hearing the movement, he turned around. Seeing that the newcomer was Mu Ye, a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Why are you here?"
The relationship between the two was so good they were practically brothers, but Mu Ye usually wouldn't take the initiative to visit him at the Blacksmith Association unless something was up. Mu Ye stepped aside from the doorway, his tone as flat as usual. "I'm here to introduce a Disciple to you."
Zhen Hua's gaze moved past Mu Ye and saw Han Tianyi, who had followed him in, as well as the boy beside Han Tianyi who looked no more than six or seven years old. He naturally recognized Han Tianyi—the Phantom Brain Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda and an Elder of the Body Sect, a man of extraordinary status.
But this little fellow beside Han Tianyi... Zhen Hua's gaze lingered on Huo Yuhao for a moment. This was the 'Disciple' Mu Ye spoke of introducing to him?
Zhen Hua's expression turned serious. He glanced at Mu Ye, and although his tone was calm, it carried his own persistence. "Even if it's someone you personally introduced, if their talent in forging is insufficient, I will absolutely not accept them."
Mu Ye nodded, expressing his understanding, and then turned his gaze to Han Tianyi. His look seemed to say, 'See, those are the rules. It's not that I'm not helping.'
Zhen Hua said no more and walked straight up to Huo Yuhao. He leaned down slightly, looking at the young boy with clear eyes and a straight posture, and asked, "Little friend, what is your name?"
Huo Yuhao raised his head, meeting Zhen Hua's scrutiny without flinching, and said respectfully, "Hello, President. My name is Huo Yuhao."
Zhen Hua's brow twitched almost imperceptibly; this child seemed to have a calmness beyond his years. He then continued, his tone sounding more like a warning. "The path of forging is far more arduous than most people imagine. Without the corresponding talent and perseverance, it is impossible to continue."
Huo Yuhao had heard similar words from Master Wu in the blacksmith shop of Xilai City 10,000 years ago. He didn't answer directly but prepared to let his strength speak for itself!
Huo Yuhao's gaze quickly swept around the office, finally locking onto a forging room in the corner of the room. Under the slightly surprised gazes of Zhen Hua, Mu Ye, and Han Tianyi, Huo Yuhao turned and walked straight toward that forging room.
To seize this opportunity and become Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua's Disciple, Huo Yuhao was determined to show his strongest talent. He believed he did have some talent when it came to forging.
"Yuhao..." Han Tianyi had just started to speak when Zhen Hua raised a hand to interrupt him.
The Divine Craftsman no longer looked serious; instead, he wore a smile of great interest. His gaze was fixed tightly on Huo Yuhao as he whispered, "Don't be in a hurry. Let's see what this little fellow is up to."
Huo Yuhao brought over a small stool to stand on, positioning himself steadily so he was tall enough to reach the forging table. Then, recalling the operations he had observed Zhen Hua perform in the hall earlier, he opened the valve of the forging furnace and adjusted the air vent and fuel.
The furnace fire ignited with a whoosh, and orange-red flames rose up. Huo Yuhao was not in a rush. He waited quietly, his eyes focused on the color of the flames and the rhythm of their flickering.
Only when the temperature inside the furnace had climbed to a certain height did he use tongs to pick up a dark gray metal block with fine silver spots on its surface from the nearby material rack, steadily placing it into the hottest area of the furnace.
The metal block changed rapidly under the high temperature, its color turning from dark to bright, eventually taking on a uniform and translucent bright red. With a flick of his wrist, Huo Yuhao's tongs precisely reached in, steadily gripping the red-hot metal block and placing it onto the anvil!
"Eh?!" Zhen Hua, who had been calm all along, couldn't help but let out a short, clear sound of surprise!
The heavenly star iron that Huo Yuhao was calcining was a rare metal extremely sensitive to heat. And the optimal timing to remove heavenly star iron from the furnace for forging was extremely difficult to grasp. A moment too early and the interior wouldn't be soft; a moment too late and the surface would be over-damaged.
Even many experienced Rank 2or 3 blacksmiths might not be able to grasp it so precisely! Yet this child, who was only six or seven years old, could actually do it. This truly amazed him.
At this moment, the interest in Zhen Hua's eyes was truly ignited. He leaned forward slightly and stopped speaking, merely staring intently at Huo Yuhao's next move.
On the anvil, the heavenly star iron glowed with red light, and heat billowed from it. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and tightened his right hand around the forging hammer, which was still heavy for him. He knew that the real display was only just beginning.
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