Chapter 323

"Truly worthy of being the strongest smith in the world!"

Watching the pink trident bobbing up and down in the iron pot bubbling with vile green foam, the red-haired woman couldn't help but raise her thumb and praise with full admiration:

"Even with such crude tools, you still produce top-tier anomalies—truly remarkable!"

"Hmph, simple-minded fool!"

The square-headed old man scowled impatiently, then spoke with obvious pride in his eyes:

"Compared to when I was still alive, the tools for forging anomalies have improved vastly—but the smiths' skill has declined. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because they're too obsessed with technique! Too picky about forging environments and materials!"

He slammed his tool down, scraping off a large chunk of paint from the pot, then grumbled in displeasure:

"The source of anomalies is emotion! Obsession! Hope! Ultimately, it's the power of the soul—and the soul has no 'correct answer'!"

"Nowadays, these smiths think that if they use the best tools and perfect materials, they'll automatically produce something great. When they fail to create something satisfying, they blame the materials or the process, completely ignoring the soul's importance—it's a complete detour!"

Unaware his coffin lid had already been stolen, the third-generation Director, fired up by the conversation, scowled and complained:

"Let me tell you, the human soul is the most complex and yet the simplest thing. If you can understand it, comprehend it, and guide it properly, that's all you need. Process and tools? All illusions. They only affect your success rate—they can't influence the final product's effect."

"Don't believe me? Look at me—even with a furnace built from broken bricks and a pot picked up off the street, I can forge anomaly items of divine rank. And if I didn't need the imagery of 'fire' and 'forging,' I wouldn't even need the pot—I could shape anomalies with my bare hands!"

"How could I not believe you?"

Watching the trident gradually take shape in the pot, the Red-haired woman slipped a signal to urge Li Ang to return quickly, then smiled warmly and flattered:

"Since the day I first met you until now, whenever the Taurus Director's seat has been vacant, you've always been the greatest smith in the world—that alone proves your skill. If I can't believe you, who else can I believe?"

"Hah, you're just saying that to flatter me."

Glancing sideways at the Red-haired woman's excessive flattery, the square-headed old man sneered:

"If you truly believed me, why don't you come to me more often to have things forged?"

"I know you too well, little girl—you're cunning through and through, not a single word out of your mouth is true. If this generation's Taurus hadn't sealed himself off, I probably wouldn't even see your face!"

"You're wronging me, sir."

Catching out of the corner of her eye Li Ang carrying the coffin into the graveyard, the Red-haired woman subtly relaxed, then smiled slyly with fox-like eyes:

"I do want to come to you more often to have things forged, but first, you've lived in the Death Realm for years—getting here is a nightmare. Second, these past years have been quiet, so there's been no good material. Ordinary items are fine for ordinary smiths to practice on—they don't need your hands."

"Besides, even if they train their whole lives, they can't match even a fraction of your skill—but they're still inheritors of the forging arts. If we kept coming to you for every slightly decent item, those ordinary smiths would never get practice. What if the forging arts were lost in our Bureau?"

"Tsk. Honestly, your current level is no different from having lost the arts… Fine. You, boy—come here. The item's done!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing the square-headed old man finish forging, Li Ang—who had already returned the coffin lid to its place—stepped forward half a pace, merging completely with the illusion created by the Red-haired woman, then hurried toward the two.

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

Noticing the sweat on Li Ang's forehead, the square-headed old man frowned in confusion:

"My furnace is colder than ice water—how are you sweating?"

Damn! I'm exposed!

Hearing the third-generation Director's question, Li Ang's heart jolted. He quickly wiped the sweat with the back of his hand and, following the Red-haired woman's prearranged script, bowed respectfully:

"It must be from excitement… The current Taurus Director once guided me, sharing some basic forging techniques. So I'm technically a smith."

"For a smith, to witness firsthand the undisputed greatest smith in history forging an item—my heart trembles, I can't control myself. That's why I'm sweating a little."

"Tsk… Another liar!"

Though he saw right through Li Ang's lie, the phrase "undisputed greatest smith in history" made the square-headed old man's lips twitch upward involuntarily. He waved him off with disdain:

"Fine, don't tell me if you don't want to. I won't press you… Come here. Since you're someone Olivia brought, I'll give you a little guidance on forging arts if you have questions."

Guide me?

Hearing the square-headed old man's words, Li Ang's expression brightened slightly.

The Director was right! The core logic for communicating with this third-generation master is simple: never leave out "greatest smith." As long as you say that, the rest doesn't matter.

"Thank you, Third-Generation Director!"

Opening his badge panel, Li Ang activated both badges—"Inheritor of the Art (Taurus)" and "Inheritor of the Art (Aquarius)" —then bowed deeply with gratitude and regret before asking:

"I'd like to ask you…"

"Wait—I haven't finished speaking!"

Raising a hand to signal pause, the third-generation Director crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly:

"I don't mind giving you a little guidance—but not everyone deserves it. First, let me see your skill."

Li Ang froze slightly, glancing at the pot bubbling with green foam, then hesitated:

"You mean… I should forge an anomaly item right here for you?"

"Forget forging."

Hearing Li Ang's suggestion, the square-headed old man sneered:

"Current smiths are too weak. Watching you carve like artisans gives me a headache—I won't suffer through that. Instead, you just stood beside me and watched how I forged the anomaly. Use that as your test."

He swept his hand through the pot, scooping up something from the bottom and tossing it to Li Ang. Seeing the boy's hesitant expression and obvious lack of confidence, the old man chuckled wickedly:

"Go on—don't channel any power to activate it. Just use what you learned from this generation's Taurus, and recall my forging process—tell me what kind of anomaly item I made for you."