Chapter 140: Jing Jing Shuhu's Shock

A heaven-defying talent!

Jing Jing Shuhu was so shaken that he only just managed to keep his composure by crushing his own fingers.

His own talent was exceptional; in several hundred years the Casting Weapons Valley had rarely seen its equal, yet back when he first encountered the art of casting weapons, it had taken him a full half-year just to cross the threshold.

One month…

"One month to cross the threshold—good, good, good! Good, hahahahaha!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan had meant to hold back too, but the moment he weighed that piece of iron in his hand, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, completely ignoring the look his own senior brother was giving him.

He truly couldn't hold it in.

In these several hundred years of the Divine Weapon Valley, disciples with dragon-shaped or great dragon-shaped root-bones were not unheard of.

But a disciple who truly possessed heaven-defying talent would surely prioritize the martial Dao; how many of them would be willing to burrow down into this lightless underground to smith iron?

Besides, martial Wu Gong talent can still be judged to some extent from the root-bone, but smithing—that is real, solid Ku Gong.

"Talent is the stairway that leaps beyond the rules!"

Seeing Lei Lei Jingchuan burst out laughing, Li Yuan's heart settled at once; he knew the matter of learning the Weapon-Armor Spirit-Communion Art was already in the bag.

He had rich experience in coaxing old men, and he understood very well: to break the rules and get the complete text of the casting weapons art, the breakthrough point lay with this temperamental old man, Lei Lei Jingchuan.

Not with Jing Jing Shuhu…

"This disciple was merely fortunate."

Li Yuan bowed.

Lei Lei Jingchuan's face was flushed and radiant, his mood excellent; every wrinkle on his face had smoothed out.

He was both astonished and deeply pleased—so much so that, had he a daughter, he would have been thinking of taking a son-in-law.

"Just one month, and you've already crossed the threshold of the casting weapons art—better than this old man, better than…"

"Junior brother!"

Jing Jing Shuhu frowned and gave a light cough, displeasure in his heart.

So what if the talent is good? A dignified Third Elder of the Casting Weapons Valley—surely this is too undignified.

Lei Lei Jingchuan paid him no heed at all, gave Li Yuan a heavy pat on the shoulder, looking quite radiant:

"This old man will teach you the casting weapons art Shoubashou Sect—come, pay your respects to the master…"

"Bang!"

Jing Jing Shuhu couldn't hold back either; one slap sent Lei Lei Jingchuan staggering, his beard flying up:

"With your paltry tricks, you still dare teach someone?!"

He was very annoyed.

The better a disciple's talent, the more carefully one must teach them for them to become great; he had already thought up a whole pile of trials in his heart just now.

The moment those words left Lei Lei Jingchuan's mouth, he instantly found himself in an awkward spot.

"Old fossil!"

Lei Lei Jingchuan flew into a rage, turned, and struck back: "You dare insult me?!"

Bang!

Shockwaves surged, dust and debris flew.

The gathered smiths had never expected such a turn; one and all covered in dust, it took them quite a while before they remembered to step in and break it up.

"Master, Grand Elder, please stop fighting."

Niu Jun came back to his senses, the shock and envy in his heart nearly spilling over.

He had lived so long and never seen sect elders come to blows over a disciple—no, he'd never even heard of such a thing.

"Elder…"

The gathered smiths were all at a loss; this kind of scene they truly had never seen. Some stepped forward to intervene, only to be blown into rolling gourds by the gusting wind.

More of them retreated again and again, only feeling their eyes sting and redden.

What kind of treatment is this?

They had never even dreamed of it!

Bang!

Bang!

Dust scattered on all sides; two old fellows whose ages added up to nearly two hundred were going at it hammer and tongs, their force wild and violent, and everyone retreated to several dozen meters away.

"Vigorous in old age."

Li Yuan stood in place watching, clicking his tongue in wonder.

Of course the two of them weren't truly fighting for real, but every move they made was genuinely forceful and heavy; in terms of physical prowess, among those he had seen, they were probably second only to Ba Ba Wanli.

And Han Han Chuijun, whose depth he could not read.

Boom!

Before long, Lei Lei Jingchuan staggered back, each step leaving a footprint, nearly knocking over the chimney.

"Enough!"

Jing Jing Shuhu flicked his sleeve, sending shockwaves rippling, swept a glance at the smiths all around, and a fire rose in his heart:

"What are you looking at? Get back to whatever you should be doing! Today's workload increases by thirty percent! If you don't finish, you're not leaving!"

His old face darkened; he glared fiercely at Lei Lei Jingchuan—at his age, still making a fool of himself like this?

"Huh?"

The smiths who had been watching the show were instantly dumbfounded; casting resentful glances at Li Yuan, they filed back to their forging stations.

Before long, the sound of hammering rose again in a chorus.

"Follow this old man!"

Jing Jing Shuhu turned and swept his sleeve away.

The anger on Lei Lei Jingchuan's face vanished instantly; he patted Li Yuan and smiled: "Go, this old man awaits your good news."

"Thank you, Elder!"

Li Yuan bowed solemnly, feeling grateful in his heart.

"This old man awaits the day you forge a divine weapon; at that time..."

Lei Lei Jingchuan waved his hand:

"Forget it, just study well."

"This disciple shall remember."

Li Yuan clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and quickly caught up with Jing Jing Shuhu.

"Fight for me to see!"

Inside the Crimson Fusion Cave, Jing Jing Shuhu stood with hands clasped behind his back, his face as calm as water.

"Yes!"

Li Yuan took a deep breath, adapting to the intense heat here; only after his blood and qi circled his body did he feel better.

He lifted the forging hammer, holding nothing back, and began with a heavy strike.

Clang!

The instant the hammer sound rang out, Jing Jing Shuhu's expression changed.

The amateur hears the noise; the expert sees the method.

This strike possessed full force yet was condensed and perfect; all momentum was vented into one spot without the slightest leakage,

and moreover, it spread evenly, equivalent to hammering the entire iron ingot.

This was a sound only achievable by one with considerable attainment in both hammer techniques and forging methods.

Boom!

Hammer rising, hammer falling, Li Yuan projected momentum through his entire body; every strike used full strength, appearing ordinary yet containing the force techniques of the Wind-Cloak Hammer, the Duel-Killer Hammer, and other Wu Gong.

During the process of altering his bone structure, his mastery of various blade and combat techniques deepened continuously.

Sword techniques, blade techniques, hammer techniques, Gun Fa, and even the force techniques of Quan Zhang Wu Gong gradually converged into one under his hands.

Directly commanding the Root-Structure Diagram to cultivate momentum was like studying problem-solving while looking at the answers; the progress was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.

Soon, Li Yuan was immersed in the sound of hammering iron; hammer rising, hammer falling, his blood and internal momentum circled his body, infusing it.

"At thirty, this old man only reached this level..."

Jing Jing Shuhu's expression changed several times; chaotic thoughts surged in his heart, a tangled mix of joy, excitement, and annoyance.

Why was such a genius of talent, precisely, the disciple of Han Han Chuijun?

If he were this old man's disciple...

Ding!

After a long while, a crisp, explosive sound came.

Jing Jing Shuhu finally returned to his senses, suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his heart, reached out to grab the glowing red iron ingot, and weighed it:

"Indeed, you have entered the path."

It was not luck; he had truly mastered it!

Li Yuan set down the forging hammer, his head bowed slightly.

These past days, he had also learned of the grudge between Jing Jing Shuhu and Han Han Chuijun.

Over sixty years ago, they were both direct disciples of the same batch, both used hammer weapons, both possessed excellent talent, and their relationship was very close; they were once called the 'Divine Weapon Twin Hammers'.

It was only later, after the death of another direct disciple, that the two turned against each other.

The direct disciple who died fifty years ago was a female disciple who had nearly reached the stage of discussing marriage with Jing Jing Shuhu.

"If it were merely a misunderstanding, the two could not have turned against each other; I fear that direct disciple was truly killed by Old Han..."

"One month to enter the path of the Casting Weapon Art."

Jing Jing Shuhu suddenly reached out and, with the speed of lightning before one can cover one's ears, slapped Li Yuan on the shoulder.

Buzz!

Li Yuan felt his whole body shudder; his blood and internal momentum were instantly frozen

as if, his bones and tendons making 'crack crack' sounds.

"Eleven Forms!"

A moment later, Jing Jing Shuhu lowered his hand:

"How many Forms were you born with?"

Li Yuan did not raise his head: "Nine Forms."

"Born with Nine Forms, plus the Great Perfection of the Wind-Cloak Hammer technique?"

"Yes!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Heh~"

Jing Jing Shuhu gave no definite answer, looked at him deeply, did not pursue the question further, but asked:

"With such bone structure and such talent, you should devote yourself entirely to practicing Wu Gong; why do you wish to learn the Casting Weapon Art?"

"This disciple is a blacksmith by birth and admires the Casting Weapon Art..."

"Enough!"

Jing Jing Shuhu's face was full of displeasure.

This boy's personality is like it was carved from the same mold as Han Han Chuijun; he'd rather die than speak the truth.

However, seeing him show such deep respect, Jing Jing Shuhu felt slightly relieved; if he truly had Han Han Chuijun's temperament,

he would never, even under threat of death, teach this boy the Art of Casting Weapons.

"The Art of Casting Weapons is the untransmitted secret of our Divine Weapon Valley, and also the very foundation upon which we established ourselves."

Jing Jing Shuhu spoke.

Li Yuan felt a weight lift from his heart, knowing he had passed the test, and his attitude became even more respectful.

"But the Founding Ancestor believed that Wu Gong is the true foundation of existence; without sufficiently formidable martial power, even if one can forge Divine Weapons, one cannot protect them..."

Jing Jing Shuhu paced with his back to Li Yuan, recounting the transmission history of the Art of Casting Weapons.

"The words are correct, but the true reason for the decline is likely that Divine Weapon Valley can no longer forge Divine Weapons..."

Li Yuan listened silently, pondering in his heart as well.

Over a thousand years ago, Divine Weapon Valley was a major sect capable of sealing an entire province, with strength, influence, and connections surpassing Huizhou's 'Huailong Palace'.

A sect capable of stably forging Divine Weapons possessed a breadth of connections incomparable to ordinary sects.

But Divine Weapon Valley has not forged a single Divine Weapon in seven hundred years...

"... The attraction of the five secret transmissions within the inner sect was far greater than the Art of Casting Weapons; over time, decline was inevitable."

Jing Jing Shuhu sighed.

He briefly recounted the rise and fall of the Art of Casting Weapons, then turned around, looking solemnly at Li Yuan:

"The Art of Casting Weapons is difficult to enter, and even more difficult to master; I have hammered iron for over sixty years and dare not claim to have penetrated its mysteries. If you truly wish to learn it, you will inevitably delay your other Wu Gong."

"This disciple understands."

Li Yuan did not hesitate even for a moment.

Even without the 'Divine Fire Weapon-Forging Furnace', he would never abandon iron forging; mastering the Weapon Register is his true foundation.

"You possess the Eleven Dragon-Form Bone Structure; your talent and comprehension are superb. In a hundred years at Divine Weapon Valley, only Han Han Chuijun and the Valley Lord have had better endowments than you."

Jing Jing Shuhu said in a deep voice:

"As long as you do not violate the sect's rules or recklessly kill fellow disciples, you will inevitably become the number one Elder of the inner sect in the future, second only to one person, and above ten million others."

"The Art of Casting Weapons, do you truly wish to learn it?"

Jing Jing Shuhu laid out the pros and cons.

"This disciple is willing to learn!"

Li Yuan answered, still without hesitation.

He was sweating profusely; the temperature inside the Red Fusion Cave seemed even higher than before. Having not eaten the Spirit Fish today, he truly found it hard to endure.

"Good."

Jing Jing Shuhu said no more:

"Starting tomorrow, come here every afternoon. I will transmit to you the Hammering Method... and also, the Spirit-Communication Technique for Armor and Weapons."

"Yes!"

Li Yuan bowed deeply.

Since the day the Fire Vein trembled, the Red Fusion Cave has been sealed; except for the three Great Elders of the Weapon-Casting Valley, outsiders are strictly forbidden from entering.

One of the many reasons he wanted to attach himself to Jing Jing Shuhu lay in this.

As he left, Li Yuan cast a reluctant glance toward the far end of the Red Fusion Cave: "The Sea-Splitting Dark Whale Hammer."

I will get my hands on it sooner or later!

In the days that followed, Li Yuan lived a fuller, busier life.

Every day before dawn, he would rise to practice standing post and hammering, as well as the Mang Niu Gong and other Wu Gong; after breakfast, he would go to the Weapon-Casting Valley to repair the various weapons he had taken on.

In the afternoon, he would go inside the Red Fusion Cave to study the Art of Casting Weapons.

Although Jing Jing Shuhu had promised to personally transmit the Art of Casting Weapons to him, most of the time it was Lei Lei Jingchuan who led him, pointing out tricks not recorded in books.

Only every few days would Jing Jing Shuhu come to test his progress and teach him different techniques.

Li Yuan discovered that this Great Elder of the Weapon-Casting Valley possessed a profound understanding of the Art of Casting Weapons, always able to point out his deficiencies.

"Listen to the breathing, the rhythm!"

"Iron is dead, but people are alive; your breathing is its breathing!"

"Your blood and qi are its meridians; make it come alive. This is casting weapons, not just hammering iron!"

Inside the Red Fusion Cave, Jing Jing Shuhu constantly scolded, his severity making Lei Lei Jingchuan unable to bear it on many occasions.

Li Yuan, however, did not take it to heart.

He had heard words far more unpleasant than these; this was nothing to him.

"Breathing, rhythm!"

The hammer blows rose and fell; Li Yuan focused intensely, using the five forging hammers he commanded to digest Jing Jing Shuhu's guidance.

Progress in the Art of Casting Weapons soared.

"There are countless rare iron materials in the world, each with its own characteristics: some are tough, some sharp, some resistant to extreme heat, some resistant to wear..."

"What is a sharp blade? Pushing one characteristic to its limit creates a supreme blade, but a famous artifact must combine at least two or more characteristics!"

"Ordinary smiths can only forge a famous artifact when struck by a flash of inspiration, but once one enters the Art of Casting Weapons, every piece forged must be a famous artifact!"

……

Inside the Crimson Fusion Cave, Jing Jing Shuhu paced back and forth, pointing, lecturing, and berating.

Beside him, Lei Lei Jingchuan's brow had never once smoothed out; he figured the old coot was seizing the chance for payback, that the demands were far harsher than what they themselves had endured back in their training days.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Li Yuan's bare upper body flushed red, the sweat he shed evaporating before it could hit the ground.

He breathed in quick, shallow draws, hammer rising and falling, fulfilling every one of Jing Jing Shuhu's demands without the slightest slip.

Five forging hammers, twenty-two Palm Control effects tied to hammer techniques, forging arts, and Weapon-Casting methods, drove him forward at a jaw-dropping pace.

"Add another one!"

Jing Jing Shuhu's eyelid twitched from time to time.

Li Yuan stamped the ground, and another kind of iron stock flew up onto the forging platform, merging with the first under the searing heat and the hammering.

The fire-vein beneath Crimson Fusion Cave ran at an extreme temperature; the forging platform before him was like a small volcanic crater, scalding beyond endurance.

'This kid…'

Jing Jing Shuhu barked:

"Add more!"

"Add more!"

The hammering never paused for an instant; the forging hammer in Li Yuan's grip seemed to possess a life of its own, swift and nimble.

Under Jing Jing Shuhu's scolding, from striking a single kind of iron stock, to several kinds,

until later, he was even hammering over a dozen kinds of iron stock together, each blending seamlessly with the rest, no conflict at all.

Bang!

When Li Yuan set down the forging hammer, his whole body was like a piece of red-hot iron-coke, wisps of blue smoke curling off him nonstop.

Lei Lei Jingchuan startled, hurriedly catching him and dumping him into an iron vat filled with Cold Pool water.

Ice and fire in one breath!

Li Yuan clenched his jaw tight, and only after a good while managed to let out a long breath.

Gazing at the dazed Jing Jing Shuhu, his thoughts drifted:

"Weapon-Casting isn't simply piling iron stock upon iron stock; it's gathering the properties of every kind of iron stock into one place, and ultimately forging a blade that combines all those properties!"

Then, could the Palm Control effects of a finished weapon be transferred?