Chapter 200: Quasi-Soul Forging and Quasi-Heavenly Forging? (Four Thousand)

Two pieces of news, each more explosive than the last, instantly drew a chorus of sharp intakes of breath from the audience.

A Godly Alloy fused from nine metals — that is a legendary existence — but compared to this ethereal, intangible research that who knows when it will bear fruit, the crowd cared more about two other things.

Zhenhua wants to take that girl from Spirit Pagoda as a disciple, and even says with full confidence that she will be the next Divine Craftsman?

This...

The crowd below looked at each other in dismay; for a moment no one dared speak up to question it.

That is Divine Craftsman Zhenhua, the peak existence of the forging world; who would dare easily deny someone he favors?

And in the crowd, one figure's gaze was the most complex.

That was none other than Mu Chen, President of the East Sea Blacksmith Association!

He looked at Zhenhua and Gu Yue Na, Huo Yuhao, and Xiong Jun at his side with an expression of utter disbelief, clutching his chest as his heart twitched violently.

What on earth was he thinking before?

Even Senior Brother Zhenhua, this Blacksmith Association President, doesn't care about sectarian prejudice and is willing to take a Spirit Pagoda person as a disciple — why did he used to care about that stuff?

He felt his heart ache; if he could return to the past, no matter what he would have accepted Tang Wulin the very first time they met — to hell with sectarian prejudice!

Seeing the crowd fall silent, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na exchanged a smile.

With the Blacksmith Association participating, their chances of completing the Godly Alloy will be even higher.

Just as everyone was silent, a discordant voice suddenly cut in: "Your Excellency Zhenhua, aren't you being a bit too confident?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Zhang Gongyan and Lin Yuhan both frowned in unison, looking toward the doorway of the Blacksmith Association not far away — their Star Luo Delegation colleague Ning Fengzhi was standing there with a cold smile, followed by several Star Luo Empire blacksmiths.

No one present had seen these people before, and they were momentarily confused, but soon those who followed current affairs recognized them: "They're from the Star Luo Federation Delegation!"

Zhenhua's gaze shifted slightly, and he spoke calmly: "So it's friends from the Star Luo Federation. I wonder what guidance you've come from afar to offer?"

Ning Fengzhi stepped forward, cupped his hands slightly, yet his tone carried a hint of arrogance:

"Your Excellency Zhenhua, long have I admired your great name. I, Ning Fengzhi, come representing the Star Luo Federation to visit the Federal forging world; I didn't expect to coincidentally run into your grand disciple-acceptance event."

His gaze swept over Gu Yue Na and Huo Yuhao, the corner of his mouth hooking a meaningful smile.

"We naturally trust your judgment, but even if you are a Divine Craftsman, that doesn't mean your disciple will necessarily become a Divine Craftsman, right? Even if it's to build momentum for your disciple, this is too much — she might be crushed by the pressure."

Instantly, the blacksmiths who had still been hesitant about this matter all revealed angry expressions — this is on Douluo Federation turf, yet Star Luo Federation people dare so arrogantly question Divine Craftsman Zhenhua?

No matter what, it's not an outsider's place to speak!

Huo Yuhao looked at Ning Fengzhi and also secretly frowned.

Ning Fengzhi?

Isn't that the name of Ning Rongrong's father from twenty thousand years ago?

No, this era does seem to actually have this person.

Linking the Star Luo people with Ning Fengzhi, Huo Yuhao thought carefully and finally recalled this person.

It seems he was the Spirit Cult blacksmith who appeared when Zhenhua was ambushed; because the name was too conspicuous, he remembered it.

But this guy really knows how to pick names — wonder if the Nine Treasures Liuli Sect would recall their ancestor upon learning of his existence.

Facing Ning Fengzhi's provocation, Zhenhua's expression remained calm; he spoke slowly: "Master Ning, as a blacksmith you must understand — forging values talent and perseverance, not verbal disputes. Since I dare accept a disciple, I naturally have my confidence."

"Since that's the case, may I ask if Your Excellency Zhenhua's esteemed disciple could spar with my Star Luo Federation's younger generation, so we can witness her skill?"

Zhenhua frowned slightly and said: "The Blacksmith Association is originally a place for everyone to exchange skills; sparring is naturally fine. However, Your Excellency making such a big show of it will likely affect others — that's not very appropriate."

Ning Fengzhi's tone was low as he spoke slowly: "I merely want to verify whether the Blacksmith Association is in name only. Today the Association has established an exchange system; I'm willing to use three techniques as the competition stake — if we lose we'll hand them to the Association. Conversely, you don't need to provide any price, and I'll also leave one technique as a challenge fee. President Zhenhua, as a Divine Craftsman, do you dare accept this challenge?"

The moment these words fell, the surrounding atmosphere froze instantly.

All blacksmiths, along with Your Excellency Zhenhua's gaze, turned thoroughly cold.

Words have come to this point — we must fight whether we want to or not.

Zhang Gongyan looked at his colleague Ning Fengzhi with a bewildered face; because of the other's maneuver, he and Lin Yuhan were also noticed by the crowd as the delegation envoys, and could only helplessly walk to Ning Fengzhi's side, accepting the angry glares from all sides.

"What are you doing? Why provoke the Blacksmith Association?"

"Verification. Since Zhenhua is so certain his disciple can become a Divine Craftsman, there must be his reasoning — don't you want to know why?"

Ning Fengzhi transmitted: "With your disciple's level, you can probe that girl's standard. As for the hostility from their side... don't forget just because of the Federation's recent hospitality that we aren't part of the Douluo Federation — rather, we're their enemies!"

This is also why the Star Luo Federation has no choice but to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Cult — facing the Douluo Federation's threat, the Star Luo high-ranking officials... have no other choice.

The common people below can surrender — the Douluo Federation might be magnanimous — but would the Star Luo high-ranking officials dare surrender?

If they surrender, what awaits them is only a dead end.

Zhang Gongyan still didn't quite understand: "But even if we know her strength, what's the significance? Just to see the gap between our sides?"

"..."

Ning Fengzhi did not answer.

Could he say he wants to recruit one more talent for the Holy Religion?

Their Holy Spirit Cult does have blacksmiths, but no Divine Craftsman!

As long as the Douluo Federation has a Divine Craftsman, Heavenly Forged metals keep being produced, and they'll always be suppressed a head in Battle Armor and other fields — this is also why they plotted to ambush Zhenhua in the past.

And now Zhenhua says his disciple has Divine Craftsman potential — naturally they must verify.

If the other party truly has the aptitude to become a Divine Craftsman, they'll have to scheme, find a way to make her join the Holy Religion. If that really won't work, they must destroy such a talent.

The Douluo Federation is already strong enough — it must be weakened!

Anyway it's just a kid — much easier to deal with than Zhenhua, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master and Divine Craftsman.

Getting no answer from Ning Fengzhi, Zhang Gongyan couldn't help but knit his brows tightly, but things have come to this — whatever is said is too late; the only Blacksmith Association junior present is his disciple Lin Yuhan.

He took a deep breath, looked at Zhenhua, and said in a deep voice: "Since Master Ning Fengzhi insists on a spar, then let my disciple Lin Yuhan experience the forging art of Your Excellency Zhenhua's esteemed disciple."

Lin Yuhan walked out with a solemn expression. Though young, as the Star Luo Federation's most outstanding young blacksmith, she had absolute confidence in her own strength.

Although the Douluo Federation's prosperity and strength gave her a huge shock, it wasn't enough to make her lose confidence in forging — even if the opponent is a Divine Craftsman's disciple, she believes she also has the power for one battle.

"Miss Gu Yue Na, please instruct me."

Gu Yue Na saw this, and without waiting for Zhenhua to say anything, she had already stepped forward, her gaze calmly sizing up Lin Yuhan. "Then I'll be asking for your guidance." Having said that, she struck her teacher's face; as a disciple, she naturally had to speak up.

Zhenhua raised an eyebrow, a trace of comfort rising in his heart, and directly said to the work staff:

"Prepare a forging platform."

"Yes!"

Preparing the tools needed for forging at the Blacksmith Association was naturally simple, but what surprised Lin Yuhan and others, as well as the association's blacksmiths, was that Zhenhua for some reason only prepared one forging platform.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Zhang Gongyan furrowed his brow.

"You will understand shortly." Zhenhua did not explain, only saying: "Now first choose the metal you wish to forge, using the spirit forging completion degree as the judging standard."

As this referee Zhenhua spoke, Lin Yuhan no longer thought much, immediately entering the state: "Alright, I choose Blue Gestation Copper."

Gu Yue Na: "I choose Star Silver."

Hearing her directly choose a spirit alloy, Lin Yuhan furrowed her brow, but was not too worried.

The forging difficulty of the Blue Gestation Copper she chose was not small either; the result would still depend on the final forged product.

Zhenhua had people prepare the rare metals needed for Blue Gestation Copper and Star Silver, then said:

"Begin."

Lin Yuhan nodded slightly, her gaze instantly becoming focused and sharp. Her pair of blue eyes, under focus, shone brilliantly like two sparkling sapphires.

She spread her arms to both sides of her body, two rays of light suddenly flashed, and two Spirit Forging Blue Pregnant Hammers were already held steadily in her hands, while four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—quietly appeared.

Without too much brewing, Lin Yuhan quickly began forging the metal.

Each hammer strike stayed on the Blue Gestation Copper for several seconds, and her Spirit Forging Blue Pregnant Hammer was not bounced back. When the Blue Gestation Copper hammer struck the metal, it made a "crack" crisp sound; immediately after, streaks of electric light could be seen sprinkling from the hammer and injecting into the Blue Gestation Copper.

Her movements were clean and crisp, every hammer strike carrying a precise soul mental rhythm, the metal emitting a clear ringing sound under her hands. As a forging genius of the younger generation of the Star Luo Federation, her skill was indeed flawless. Even Mu Chen had to admit that this fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl was indeed a forging genius, far superior to his daughter.

However, when people's gazes turned to Gu Yue Na, everyone held their breath, their faces showing expressions of disbelief.

Only to see she did not rush to make a move, but gently raised her right hand, taking out a piece of metal, palm facing up, five black soul rings quietly rising.

The next second, the metal levitated on its own, then various elements surged from the surroundings, beginning to temper the metal.

Wind, lightning, light, darkness... various elements circled the metal like a star river, each collision bursting forth with dazzling energy sparks, while the metal gradually shed impurities under the tempering of the elements, blooming with brilliant spirituality radiance!

And at the moment they saw this scene, Zhang Gongyan, Ning Fengzhi, Mu Chen and others all understood: Zhenhua had not lied; this girl indeed possessed the talent of a Divine Craftsman.

"Relying on the power of heaven and earth to forge... this... is Heaven Forging! Just without adding law power, so it won't attract lightning tribulation."

Zhang Gongyan widened his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the forging scene, his expression somewhat dazed.

Is this using the Heaven Forging Method to perform Spirit Forging? How could there be such a forging genius in the world?

Although the power of heaven and earth drawn was far inferior to true Heaven Forging, making an ordinary rare metal withstand these powers of heaven and earth was equally difficult as ascending to heaven; to what extent had her affinity and control over elements reached, that she could actually accomplish such a thing?

Is she the daughter of the elements?

After the shock, everyone carefully observed for a moment and discovered that Gu Yue Na's skill was above Lin Yuhan's; clearly she was younger than Lin Yuhan, yet while researching this new forging method she had raised her skill to this degree, exceeding everyone's expectations.

"It seems the outcome is already decided."

Ning Fengzhi said with his head down, doing his best to conceal the excitement in his eyes.

Very good, it seems the position of Sheng Nu also has a place.

Whether in cultivation or forging technique, Gu Yue Na's peerless talent is worthy of the Holy Religion "recruiting".

"Indeed." Zhang Gongyan looked at Gu Yue Na with a complex gaze, "The Federation's geniuses truly emerge endlessly."

Originally thinking one Huo Yuhao was already enough to be surprising, unexpectedly there is also an existence like Gu Yue Na...

Even setting aside her attainments in forging, Gu Yue Na is also a very excellent Soul Master. In comparison, Lin Yuhan with four-ring cultivation is far inferior.

When Lin Yuhan was fully focused completing the Spirit Forging Blue Gestation Copper, the Star Silver in Gu Yue Na's hands had already bloomed with brilliant starlight, the metal surface flowing with star-like radiance.

"This..." Lin Yuhan looked at the work in Gu Yue Na's hands, her eyes full of shock. She had never seen such a perfect Spirit Forging work; that Star Silver seemed to already possess life, trembling slightly in Gu Yue Na's hands, with a rich life aura flowing, wanting to nourish Gu Yue Na but she did not absorb it.

Creation Spirit Forging!

This is the highest level of Spirit Forging, but Gu Yue Na seems to have advanced even further on this basis!

Lin Yuhan had seen her teacher's Spirit Forging works, but absolutely none were as godly as Gu Yue Na; that Spirit Forged metal seemed to have vaguely transcended this level.

And the many Saint Craftsmen saw even more than Lin Yuhan.

"Above Spirit Forging is Soul Forging. This is our blacksmiths' definition, but forging itself is the process of letting metal grow; a tower of ten thousand zhang rises from flat ground, hundred refinements, thousand refinements, Spirit Forging all bathe it in the power of heaven and earth, so the metal's level naturally rises step by step."

"Although what the President's disciple completed is only Spirit Forging, because she has always used the power of heaven and earth to bathe the metal, its level has been constantly rising. Although because no intelligence was endowed to produce a qualitative change, it cannot be described as Spirit Forged metal."

"Her forging method has already surpassed the limits of traditional Spirit Forging; she made the metal nurture a quality comparable to Soul Forging at the Spirit Forging stage, but because there is no intelligence, it can only be described as Quasi-Soul Forging."

Saying this, Mu Chen swallowed, "And if she continues to use such a forging method at the Soul Forging stage..."

Quasi-Heaven Forging?

Many blacksmiths' hearts stirred.

By that time, the quality of the Soul Forged metal Gu Yue Na completes might be enough to make Quasi-Four-Word Battle Armor; the Soul Master nurturing it a bit could turn it into Four-Word Battle Armor.

Something that requires many Saint Craftsmen working together to accomplish, she alone is enough.

And being able to use the Heaven Forging Method for the preceding steps, reaching Soul Forging, and finally entering the Heaven Forging level—not to say it's easy as pie, but at least not as difficult as imagined.

She might even go further than President Zhenhua!

This is a peerless genius who walks from the end point to the starting point!

By this point, everyone who originally had no objections completely accepted this matter, and some people's gazes toward Gu Yue Na became solemn.

This is a future Divine Craftsman!

Zhang Gongyan secretly sighed.

Before coming to Douluo Continent, Zhang Gongyan was full of confidence in his disciple Lin Yuhan, but now it seems the Star Luo Federation has been left far behind in the field of forging.

Whether now, or in the future...

"We lost."

End of Chapter