Zhenhua: Times Have Changed, Should I Retire?

Zhenhua's joke soon turned into a boomerang that struck right back at him. Having long grown impatient, Gu Yuena heard Zhenhua speak and exchanged a glance with Huo Yuhao beside her, her eyes sparkling. Seeing this, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, took the initiative to rise, and asked, "Could we move to another room?" Zhenhua gave an understanding nod and led them toward a forging room. After all, they could hardly forge here in his office. Before leaving, Zhenhua gave word to a staff member to have Dark Phoenix Douluo wait there for a moment once she returned. "Right in here." Zhenhua led the group into a forging room. Inside, the walls were covered with all kinds of forging tools, several massive chunks of metal ore rested on the floor, and a giant forging table stood at the center of the room. Zhenhua had assumed Gu Yuena would take out some rare metal and place it on the forging table, but instead, he watched her simply walk to an open space to the side, retrieve a chunk of the rare metal Blue Gestational Copper, and with a flash of green light around her, the metal floated into the air. Do modern Forging Masters not even need a forging table anymore? When did I fall so far behind the times? Just from watching Gu Yuena's opening move, Zhenhua was already somewhat dazed. And when he saw that Gu Yuena showed no intention of taking out a forging hammer—instead, halos of four-colored elemental light appeared around her body and began circling the metal, while the elemental power in the air started to churn violently—Zhenhua could not help looking toward Huo Yuhao and Snow Empress. "What is the meaning of this?" Snow Empress looked at Huo Yuhao as well. The latter said softly, "Since the essence of forging is to extract and alter the metal source, there is no need to be rigidly bound by convention. Why must one use a forging hammer?" Zhenhua shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Even though I am a Forging Master, I don't cling rigidly to conventions either. Whatever method she chooses to forge with is her own business. It's just that what she is doing right now is far too similar to Heavenly Refinement..." At that point, Zhenhua lost his words, at a loss for how to articulate the shock in his heart. To mobilize the elemental power of heaven and earth to forge—was that not the method of Heavenly Refinement? It was just that unlike his Heavenly Refinement, the elemental power Gu Yuena mobilized was not as immense, nor did it carry an understanding of the laws, so it would not trigger an elemental Lightning Tribulation. Yet the power of heaven and earth being infused into the metal was utterly real! While stormy waves surged through Zhenhua's thoughts, Gu Yuena's fingers twitched slightly on the other side. The surrounding elemental power vibrated mysteriously, setting to work refining the metal. To improve precision, she currently summoned only four elements: wind, fire, earth, and light. Gu Yuena's movements were light and graceful. Under her control, the metal began to transform. Its surface gleamed with a faint light as the various elemental forces reshaped it. Under the influence of the elemental power, the metal gradually softened, taking on a new form under her guidance. Every subtle vibration made the metal's structure denser and its texture tougher. Gu Yuena's gaze was intensely focused, as though she could see through every minute detail of the metal. She precisely regulated the flow of elemental power, even releasing part of the restrictions on herself. She was going to do her absolute best—better than ever before! Time slipped by, and several minutes passed in a flash. Seeing Gu Yuena's movements gradually slow, Zhenhua opened his mouth to speak. But right at that moment, a brilliant beam of light suddenly burst from the midair Blue Gestational Copper, turning into a blue-gold pillar of light that soared straight into the air! Thousand Refinement with Spirit—Thousand Refined First Grade! Thousand Refined First Grade, also known as Semi-Spirit Refinement, was the stage where a Forging Master bestowed spirituality upon metal, giving it the initial aura of life. Metal processed through this technique would harmonize far better with a Soul Master when fusing with them, serving as the indispensable stepping stone before mastering the Spirit Refinement stage. Seeing this, Huo Yuhao looked at Gu Yuena in considerable surprise. She can even break through right on the spot? If she could consistently produce Thousand Refined First Grade, Spirit Refinement would not be far off. Previously, Gu Yuena could at most reach Thousand Refined Second Grade; he hadn't expected her to ascend yet another level this time. As expected of one of the main protagonists—she was truly different from an imposter like him. "Substituting Heavenly Refinement for Thousand Refinement... you youngsters truly have wild imaginations." Seeing that Gu Yuena had genuinely achieved Thousand Refinement—and Semi-Spirit Refinement at that—Zhenhua's expression twitched. "This young lady's Martial Soul must be capable of commanding multiple elements, right? Not only that, she has even comprehended four Hearts of Elements!" When an elemental Soul Master grasped a Heart of Elements, they could indeed mobilize the external power of the elements, but what cultivation realm did that normally require? In his memory, most elemental Soul Masters only managed to grasp a Heart of Elements once their spiritual power reached the late Spirit Sea Realm, and even then, they could only ever master a single Heart of Elements! For Heavenly Refinement, spiritual power and elemental affinity were both crucial components; only when both reached a certain level could one draw upon the power of heaven and earth. While Soul Masters who possessed a Heart of Elements certainly enjoyed a natural advantage in their Origin attribute and found it comparatively easy to mobilize the elemental forces of heaven and earth, mastering merely one Heart of Elements was still insufficient to perform Heavenly Refinement. Yet this girl was like the darling of the elements. Every element obeyed her every command, and the power of heaven and earth was grasped directly within her hands. As her spiritual power grew, she would be able to mobilize even greater power of heaven and earth. Once she ultimately comprehended the laws, she would naturally grasp the complete method of Heavenly Refinement! While others learned Heavenly Refinement step by step, she was running from the finish line toward the starting point. She was practically a born Divine Craftsman! She was far more terrifying than the "seed of a Divine Craftsman" he had envisioned before... At this moment, Zhenhua felt a surge of excitement, and the urge to take Gu Yuena as his disciple welled up within him. Regardless of whether she belonged to the Spirit Pagoda or not, this was a seed destined to become a Divine Craftsman; hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to the forging profession! Yet upon catching sight of Snow Empress quietly looking over, Zhenhua felt as though a bucket of icy water had been dumped over his head. He temporarily cooled down, merely marveling in secret at the Spirit Pagoda's terrifying foundation. The Spirit Pagoda's upper echelon boasted numerous Fierce Beasts, Super Douluo stationed across the realms, and their lower ranks were brimming with peerless geniuses. Their prosperity was truly everlasting. "Since you've shown me such capability, surely it wasn't just to make me green with envy?" Zhenhua said with a smile, looking at Snow Empress. "If it's her, I am willing to set aside sectarian divides and pass down Heavenly Refinement... even if she is unwilling to join the Forging Master Association." Snow Empress chuckled softly and shook her head. "She is not my disciple, but Heavenly Phoenix Crown's disciple. I cannot make that decision for her. It depends on her own wishes, or Heavenly Phoenix Crown's opinion." Zhenhua raised an eyebrow, looking thoughtful. "So she's that person's disciple." After pondering for a moment, he shifted his gaze to Gu Yuena, only to see her standing in front of Huo Yuhao with her hands clasped behind her back, her eyes glowing with anticipation. Huo Yuhao: "..." He smiled helplessly. "You did very well." Hearing this, Gu Yuena nodded gently, a contented smile spreading across her face. Zhenhua walked over and also smiled at the sight. "Using the method of Heavenly Refinement to replace Thousand Refinement—it is an audacious idea and a brand-new path. Carrying it out is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Even though you hold an advantage with your Martial Soul, pulling it off is still no easy feat. You must have practiced for a very long time, haven't you?" Gu Yuena blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "It only took around three months. It wasn't very difficult." Zhenhua: "..." Three months to walk a road that took me several years, going from zero experience to mastering Thousand Refinement? And blazing a new trail in the process? Little girl, even if it's the truth, you didn't have to say it out loud. That really stings... For a moment, Zhenhua didn't know whether to laugh or cry.