dmims Chapter 19: Forced Forging
Chapter 19: Forced Forging
Mang Tian's heart began to pound. He even wondered if Yu Chen's mental energy had been completely depleted in that instant.
Just a second before Mang Tian was about to forcibly interrupt the test, an unexpected change occurred.
Yu Chen's time limit has been lifted.
In just a few seconds, the piece of dark silver, which had been struck hundreds of times, suddenly burst out with a dazzling golden light without warning, followed by a sharp metallic groan!
Yu Chen used Time Zero for forging, intending to finish quickly, but he overlooked the fact that inanimate objects are not exempt from Time Zero's effects, and thus things went wrong.
The molecules in the metal collided briefly and rapidly in just a few seconds, and now it's about to explode.
"Clang—click!"
A piercing metallic cracking sound rang out. A tiny crack appeared on the surface of the silver, and the red glow of the entire piece of metal instantly dimmed, like a charcoal ember about to go out.
"Oh no! The metal structure has collapsed!"
Mang Tian exclaimed in alarm, his expression changing drastically, "Yu Chen, stop immediately! Otherwise, the entire piece of metal will be ruined, and it might even explode and injure people!"
Tang Wulin turned pale with fright, but he did not back down. His heart was filled with worry for Chen Ge, who always took care of him.
Yu Chen was sweating profusely, realizing he had messed up. He hadn't expected that "Time Zero" had placed such a heavy burden on the sunken silver, directly causing its internal structure to collapse.
"No! We can't stop!"
Yu Chen steadied himself, not intending to give up. If he failed the first time he tried to refine his skills, he would lose face big time.
"Let's give it our all!"
Golden light flashed in Yu Chen's eyes, and he immediately activated "First Blood Explosion".
A surge of immense power coursed through his arms. He grabbed a sharp blade from the side, slashed his palm, and splattered his blood onto the shattering silver. Then, he swung his hammer and began a frantic attempt to salvage the situation.
The blood of dragons possesses a unique power known as the power of words. But for a true dragon king, the power of words is merely a thought, a fleeting idea.
Although the dragon blood within Yu Chen's body had not yet fully awakened, it possessed the same domineering characteristics.
Dragon blood splattered onto the scorching metal, making a sizzling sound, as if engaging in some ancient form of communication.
"Hold on!"
Yu Chen roared inwardly, for this was not only an infusion of power, but also a suppression of will.
With each hammer blow, carrying Yu Chen's unparalleled will, he commanded the metal not to explode, but to submit!
Upon witnessing this scene, Mang Tian was utterly devastated.
"What is this kid doing? Why is he performing a blood sacrifice before completing the Thousand Refinements? This is too reckless! Why is he going to take such a wild approach?!"
In the world of forging, blood sacrifice is a final ritual, not a life-saving measure. At this moment, Mang Tian even felt that Yu Chen was somewhat giving up on himself.
Just as Mang Tian decided to rush up and interrupt Yu Chen, and pull the two children apart to prevent them from getting hurt.
Yu Chen brought down his final hammer blow. He poured all his strength, all his will, and the tyrannical power of his bloodline into this single strike.
"Bang—!!!"
A deafening roar erupted, and the floor of the entire forging room seemed to tremble.
The massive piece of silver, on the verge of collapse and explosion, was miraculously sealed shut by this single hammer blow. The impurities inside were completely shattered and expelled, and a burst of brilliant golden light erupted, turning the entire room golden.
As the light faded, the metal slowly descended onto the forging table.
"Is it over?" Tang Wulin asked in horror.
Mang Tian was also terrified, thinking the metal had exploded.
However, when the golden light faded, the piece of silver lay quietly on the forging table.
However, when the golden light faded, the piece of silver lay quietly on the forging table.
The volume has shrunk by a full quarter.
Its surface exudes a restrained golden luster and is covered with inscriptions resembling mountains and rivers.
"This...this is...done?" Tang Wulin was dumbfounded.
Mang Tian was also completely bewildered:
"Just a moment ago, the structure was clearly about to collapse, so how did he manage to 'smash' it back up with that hammer blow? This doesn't conform to the principles of forging! Does forging no longer exist?!"
The metal was about to explode a second ago, but how did it turn out fine after Yu Chen "randomly" smashed it? Is this the supreme forging technique he was talking about earlier—Xia Ji Ba Da?
No, that's not right.
Mang Tian wished he could slap himself. As a master forging expert, Yu Chen's forging technique was just haphazard and careless. His success was purely by luck. If others had done it like that, the metal would probably have been ruined long ago.
"Excellent! Yu Chen, strike while the iron is hot and offer a blood sacrifice to this piece of sunken silver!"
Although Mang Tian was full of questions, Yu Chen had already performed a blood sacrifice, but the Thousand Refinement was not yet completed at that time, so he didn't know if it would have any effect. Now that the Thousand Refinement was completed, there was no harm in trying again.
"Ah! Oh."
Yu Chen realized what was happening, picked up the dagger again, and without hesitation, slashed it across his palm.
The reason for making another cut was that the wound on my hand had already healed thanks to the powerful regenerative abilities of the dragon's physique.
"Sizzle..."
A spurt of blood, warm in its breath, gushed out and splashed downwards, precisely staining the still faintly glowing piece of silver below red.
Completing the Thousand Refinements of Feathered Feathers brought immense joy, like finally solving a difficult math problem after expending a great deal of mental energy—a sense of accomplishment that is hard to describe.
"By the way, teacher, Brother Chen, what did you mean by blood sacrifice?"
After congratulating Yu Chen, Tang Wulin remembered the scene of Yu Chen's blood sacrifice and couldn't help but ask.
Mang Tian said in a deep voice:
"Ordinary forging only makes the metal harder and purer. But blood sacrifice is when the blacksmith imprints his own blood and soul into the deepest part of the metal."
He pointed to the piece of dark silver, his tone becoming serious:
"It's like signing a 'soul contract.' From then on, this piece of metal is no longer an inanimate object; it will recognize its owner. For the owner, it will become more easy to handle and may even resonate slightly with the owner's growth; but for outsiders, it is just a piece of scrap metal and may even reject their touch."
Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"So it was a ritual to recognize a master! Teacher, if it's so powerful, why didn't we perform a blood sacrifice on the other thousand-refined metals in our workshop? If we did that on every piece, wouldn't Senior Brother become a 'dried corpse'?"
Mang Tian gave Tang Wulin a light tap on the head, annoyed. "You brat, all you do is talk nonsense! Blood sacrifice isn't that simple!"
He sighed and explained:
"To injure the enemy a thousand, you will also lose eight hundred of your own. Although blood sacrifice can imbue metal with spirituality, it is extremely taxing on the blacksmith himself. Each blood sacrifice consumes the blacksmith's life essence and spiritual power. Unless it is a work that is of great significance to him or a weapon he has forged as his own destiny, no one would be foolish enough to use blood sacrifice lightly."
"Moreover, this is a path of no return," Mang Tian said to Yu Chen earnestly.
"Once the blood sacrifice is complete, this metal will be bound to you. If someone else touches it, it will resist; if someone else tries to reforge it, it will crumble. This means that this precious thousand-refined silver is practically worthless to anyone except Yu Chen himself or his descendants."
"Therefore, I must warn you two." Mang Tian's expression was more solemn than ever before.
"Unless it is a masterpiece you cherish as your life, or the final resting place you have created for yourself, never lightly use blood sacrifice on thousand-refined metal. That is not just bleeding, that is shortening your lifespan."
"Yes, teacher!" Tang Wulin stuck out his tongue in fright and nodded repeatedly.
Yu Chen nodded silently, his gratitude towards Mang Tian deepening.
He understood that Mangtian was not only teaching them knowledge, but also how to survive in this cruel world.
"Alright, let's not talk about these heavy things anymore."
Mang Tian clapped his hands, trying to dispel the oppressive feeling brought on by the thrilling scene just now, but his face was still a little pale.
He looked at Yu Chen with an extremely complex expression, a mixture of amazement at the genius and heartache at having survived such a close call.
"To be honest, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have imagined that someone could complete the forging of such a difficult metal as Thousand-Refined Silver at the age of eight! It's simply a miracle!"
Mang Tian spared no praise.
"Yu Chen, your strength, comprehension, and the patience you've displayed over the past six months have all reached an incredible level. In the path of forging, you are the uncrowned king of the entire Douluo Continent!"
The tone shifted abruptly, Mang Tian's face instantly darkened, his eyes becoming sharp as knives. He took a sudden step forward, pointing his finger at Yu Chen's nose and cursing:
"But! You little rascal, what exactly were you doing just now?!"
Mang Tian's voice suddenly rose, trembling with lingering fear:
"Who taught you to forge like that? When the metal was on the verge of collapse after a thousand forgings, you actually dared to use a blood sacrifice?! Do you know that if you hadn't been so lucky, or if that piece of metal hadn't been slightly inferior, what exploded just now wouldn't have been golden light, but countless metal fragments! You're playing with your life!"
He was so angry that he spun around twice on the spot, his chest heaving violently.
"And that last hammer blow of yours, it looked powerful, but it was full of openings! Did you think that strength could solve everything? If you hadn't held back that blow, your hand would be useless by now!"
Yu Chen lowered his head, listening to Mang Tian's angry curses, without making any excuses, his eyes full of guilt.
After venting his anger, Mang Tian looked at Yu Chen's pale face and, ultimately, heartache prevailed. His tone softened, but his words remained earnest:
"Yu Chen, remember this: skill breeds daring, but recklessness is not skill. Never use that kind of chaotic, incomprehensible technique again unless absolutely necessary! Forging is a rigorous art, not a street brawl!"
Yu Chen raised his head and met his master's concerned yet reproachful gaze. A warmth filled his heart, and he nodded solemnly.
"I understand, teacher. Just now... I was too impatient."
"Hmph, good that you know!" Mang Tian snorted, then his expression turned serious again.
"However, although the process was chaotic, the result was good. So, you need to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
He lowered his voice, his tone unusually solemn:
"Remember this saying: 'The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.' Your strength is still too weak. If those powerful forces find out that a child possesses such miraculous forging abilities, they will spare no effort to capture you, dissect you for research, or lock you up as a tool."
"Therefore, everything that happened today, including your completion of the Thousand Refinements and your use of the Blood Sacrifice, must remain a secret. Until you are capable of protecting yourself, this matter must not be revealed. Understand?"
Mang Tian's tone was resolute, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Ah, this..."
Yu Chen opened his mouth, a rare look of embarrassment on his face. Although he understood the saying "possessing a treasure is a crime," the practical problem instantly came to mind—he was short of money!
Since spending one million federal dollars to buy the soul, his original savings have shrunk like a punctured balloon, instantly shrinking to a pitiful two hundred thousand.
For the past six months, I've been busy with cultivation and forging, and haven't taken on many orders. I've been living off my savings, and now that my two big eaters are indulging in gluttony every day, how long can the remaining money last?
He had originally hoped to supplement his family's income by obtaining a Level 3 blacksmith certificate and taking on some high-priced commissions.
Seeing Yu Chen's hesitant and even pained expression, Mang Tian frowned and immediately let out a disgruntled snort:
"Hmm? What's wrong? You're already reluctant to part with it?"
That cold snort exploded in his ears like a thunderclap, and Yu Chen instantly snapped to attention, all his "little plans" shattered in an instant. Yes, no matter how much money you have, you have to be alive to spend it.
If we were captured by those powerful forces and used as guinea pigs, we wouldn't be able to get our money back, let alone 200,000 or even 2 million!
After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Chen immediately suppressed his greed and his expression became serious:
"I understand. I will continue to keep a low profile, just like I have for the past six months."
"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you."
Seeing that he had finally come to his senses, Mang Tian's expression softened, and he waved his hand dismissively:
"Alright, stop making that face. Who said you can't make money if you keep a low profile? We'll still take all the regular orders from the studio. If you're frugal, it'll be enough for you and Wu Lin, those two half-grown kids."
"Yes, teacher!"
Yu Chen was overjoyed. As long as he didn't stop working, with his current skills, earning some pocket money would be a piece of cake.
"Yes, I'm glad you understand."
Looking into Yu Chen's eyes, which instantly shifted from "melancholy" to "shrewdness," Mang Tian felt a strange sense of relief, a mixture of amusement and exasperation. This child, why has he become a bit... greedy lately? But as long as this cleverness isn't used for anything wrong, that's fine.
Although he felt that the child's love of money was incurable, Mang Tian was still quite relieved to see that he listened to advice.
He turned and walked to the forging table, carefully holding the still-warm piece of thousand-refined silver in his palm and handing it to Yu Chen. His expression changed again, and now he said with a smile:
"Xiao Chen, this piece of thousand-refined silver is yours."
Under the studio's soul-guiding lights, the silver gleamed with a warm golden luster, its surface crisscrossed with fine patterns, as if it were breathing with life within it.
Yu Chen could clearly feel the pulse emanating from within the metal, subtly resonating with the rhythm of his heartbeat—it was the mark left by the blood sacrifice, permanently connecting this piece of metal to his own bloodline.
Mang Tian pushed the piece of metal, which radiated a warm golden light, in front of Yu Chen, his tone leaving no room for argument:
"That's the unwritten rule in the forging world: once a breakthrough-level piece is made, the raw material provider has no right to reclaim it. Besides, this thing has undergone a blood sacrifice and is imprinted with your life essence. No one in this world can drive it except you. Don't try to deny it to me."
He paused, his gaze falling on the pair of tungsten steel hammers in Yu Chen's hands. The hammers were covered in fine dents, and the handles were worn smooth, clearly indicating they had been swung hundreds of times. Mang Tian frowned and said:
"Now that you've crossed the threshold of a thousand forgings, those tungsten steel hammers can no longer keep up with you. Blood sacrifice items resonate extremely strongly with soul power. If they are made into hammers, they often develop some special abilities—some can enhance the penetrating power during forging, some can reduce the consumption of soul power, and some can even help the blacksmith perceive the changes in the texture inside the metal."
Yu Chen stroked the warm surface of the silver, feeling the pulse within, but shook his head:
"Teacher, my old hammers can still last a few more years. In the art of forging, tools are important, but the person using those tools is even more crucial. Isn't forging extraordinary works with ordinary hammers the best way to hone one's will?"
"you……"
Mang Tian was about to get angry when he realized the child was too stubborn.
Yu Chen pointed to his chest, a peculiar glint in his eyes:
"This piece of sunken silver is connected to my bloodline. If I were to transform it into a sharp blade, it would become my true trump card. In critical moments, it could shield me from a fatal blow and cut through any obstacle. A hammer is for forging, but a weapon is for saving one's life."
He raised his head, his gaze resolute:
"In this world, martial spirits are certainly powerful, but having more trump cards means having more security for survival. Besides..." He paused,
"I always felt that my blood was calling for such a weapon."
Yu Chen did not refuse the silver offered by Mang Tian, but then thought that he lacked a suitable weapon. After pondering for a while, he also expressed his thoughts.
"Weapons?!" Mang Tian was somewhat surprised, his brows furrowed.
"As a blacksmith, why did you choose to forge a weapon instead of a blacksmith hammer? You should know that the first creation of the Thousand Forging Blood Sacrifice is of extraordinary significance. Many blacksmiths only have this one chance in their entire lives to create a tool that perfectly suits them."
"Yes, as you just said, the creations made through blood sacrifice have an extremely high compatibility with the person, almost achieving a perfect unity between man and weapon. Moreover, due to the characteristics of blood sacrifice, the weapons forged can only be used by me, and there is no possibility of betrayal."
Yu Chen's words were reasonable and well-founded, and he had almost made up his mind. It was not a decision he made on a whim to turn it into a weapon.
In the profession of forging, the special ritual of blood sacrifice creates a forging hammer that is almost the forging hammer of the blacksmith's destiny. So how can the weapon forged from it not be the weapon of the soul master?
As for the fact that his crafted weapons might not keep up with his current level of skill, Yu Chen's plan was to reforge them multiple times when he was able to perform higher-level forging.
Moreover, there's a prophecy among the dragons: "All those who bleed with the blood of a king will perish by sword." Now that he's become a hybrid, he absolutely needs his own sword.
The Douluo Continent has always emphasized the cultivation of martial souls, and this has been especially true after the emergence of battle armor, which is almost always used to assist in the cultivation of martial souls.
It's not that no one has thought about turning blood sacrifice works into weapons; however, the weapons they created were far less cost-effective than martial spirits, not to mention the rapidly evolving soul tools.
"Have you thought this through? The first forging hammer crafted through the Thousand Refinements Blood Sacrifice is not just a commemorative piece; it will also greatly benefit your future forging skills."
"Teacher, my mind is made up."
Mang Tian wanted to try to persuade him further, but Yu Chen had already made up his mind.
"Well then, how about this? This piece of smelted silver is enough to forge a weapon and a forging hammer. How about that? It's the best of both worlds!"
Faced with Yu Chen's resolute attitude, Mang Tian still wanted to try. He really didn't want a promising forging talent to be delayed in his forging progress because he lacked a suitable forging hammer. So he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Although he only had a blood sacrifice forging hammer, it was better than nothing.
"Um, teacher, senior brother, can't blood sacrifices be performed multiple times?"
Just as the master and apprentice were arguing about whether to forge a weapon or a forging hammer, Tang Wulin raised his hand and said weakly.
"..."
Silence, a deathly silence. The master and disciple were so engrossed in their argument that they completely forgot that blood sacrifices could be performed multiple times.
"Ahem, that's right, Wu Lin, you're absolutely right."
Yu Chen felt a little embarrassed, realizing he had completely forgotten about it.
"Since you want to forge weapons, then forge them according to your wishes. However, as a blacksmith, you still need a suitable forging hammer. After you rest for a few days, you can perform the thousand-forging again, and then use blood sacrifice to forge two forging hammers that belong to you."
After Tang Wulin's reminder, Mang Tian relented, but still urged Yu Chen to forge his own forging hammer as soon as possible.
"Okay, teacher."
Although the blood sacrifice hadn't taken a heavy toll on him, Yu Chen really wanted to do another thousand forgings and then another blood sacrifice. However, the previous thousand forgings had consumed a lot of his mental energy, which was no longer enough to support him to do it again. He had to put the matter aside for now.
After a brief incident,
Yu Chen placed the thousand-refined silver in his hand into the storage cabinet. Then, he turned around, walked up to Tang Wulin, patted him heavily on the shoulder, and encouraged him with a smile:
"By the way, Wu Lin, I've noticed your soul power has been fluctuating frequently lately. Are you about to break through to level 9 Soul Warrior?"
Tang Wulin was taken aback by the question, but then a strong light of confidence flashed in his eyes as he answered truthfully:
"Yes, senior brother! I estimate that in about another month, I'll be able to break through to level 9 Soul Warrior. There are still ten months left, and I must break through to level 10 before the end of the year and become a Soul Master in one fell swoop! I believe I can do it!"
"Yes, that's ambitious!" Yu Chen nodded approvingly. "Believe in yourself, you're the best!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Tang Wulin clenched his fist gratefully. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, "By the way, Senior Brother, I... may I take a look at your Thousand-Refined Silver? Just one glance!"
"Of course, take it and have a look." Yu Chen took out the silver from the cabinet and handed it to Wu Lin, while instructing him.
"But be careful. Although its size has shrunk, its density and weight have increased several times. It probably weighs more than 300 pounds now. Don't let it fall on your foot."
.........
Afterwards, Yu Chen bid farewell to the two of them and left the studio with the piece of Thousand-Refined Silver in his hand.
On his way back, the dragon bloodline within him quietly began to circulate. The wounds on his hands, left by the blood sacrifice, had long since healed completely, without even leaving a scar. The fatigue he had felt vanished with the flow of his blood.
The only thing that needs time to recover is the excessive mental energy.