Nine Castings of the Flesh

At the Great Xia Civilization Academy, turbulent currents surged. Zhao Li forging an embryonic Heaven armament had even overshadowed the matter of Feng Qi. To the Great Xia Prefecture, Zhao Li succeeding would mean far more than the birth of a Sun Moon cultivator. Great Xia had a fair number of Sun Moons, but it possessed only a single Earth-rank armamentsmith—a truly pathetic state of affairs. ... In the air. The golden patterns across that colossal hammer were growing fewer and fewer. On the first day, the golden patterns decreased to fifty. On the second day, they dropped to twenty-five. On the third day, the golden patterns continued to decline, and the reversal forging was nearing completion. To be able to complete a reversal forging meant that Zhao Li already possessed the capabilities of an Earth-rank Civilization Master. Even Hu Qi and Old Chen, both mid-tier Earth rank, could not guarantee they would definitely be able to reverse-forge an Earth armament. ... Inside the research institute. Su Yu looked pale, feeling somewhat anxious. *Calm down!* After forging continuously for days, he had crafted a civilized armament with fifty-four golden patterns, reaching the absolute pinnacle of mid-tier Profound rank. Yet he was still a step shy of high-tier Profound rank. Zhao Li was drenched in sweat as well, no longer paying heed to speed. For three consecutive days, he had continually reverse-forged under immense pressure. After three days, the reversal was practically finished. Just as he was about to eliminate the final few golden patterns, Zhao Li barked in a low voice, "Stop forging! In a moment, you watch. Watch from start to finish. I'm going to reforge the civilized armament, and you will observe the whole thing! When I need your help, only then will you step in!" "Teacher!" Su Yu felt dejected and even a little regretful. He shouldn't have come. "I haven't reached high-tier Profound rank yet!" "Shut up!" Zhao Li snapped. "I told you to watch me forge, not for me to watch you forge! Brat, I'm warning you—keep your eyes peeled. I'm forging this from beginning to end for you. If your mind wanders for even a second, don't blame me if I beat you black and blue!" Su Yu said nothing and merely nodded. He would watch carefully. Once the reversal was complete and the Earth armament was reforged, since their paths of armamentsmithing were so similar, with enough luck and cultivation, Su Yu might soon be able to forge Earth armaments himself. At that very moment, Zhao Li let out a low shout! *Boom!* With a thunderous crash, the final golden pattern on the colossal hammer vanished. A surge of power spilled out, sweeping in all directions. It was an armament dissipating its cultivation. From quasi-Earth rank, it plunged down to unranked. The hammer returned to its primordial state. This meant that all the effort and sacrifices Zhao Li had poured into forging this civilized armament decades ago had returned to zero, leaving behind only a blank. Zhao Li took a deep breath and immediately began restoring his strength. "Once its residual might disperses, I'll begin forging right away, building it anew from its blank form!" "Watch closely: the force, the heat, the forging techniques, the process... Our divine characters are different, so you don't need to copy me completely, but the general principles are identical. You actually have a bigger advantage than me. Your divine characters are better suited for forging armaments; your Five Elements divine characters are ideal for weapon crafting." "Furthermore, all your divine characters belong to the human race. Divine characters of the same race confer distinct advantages when forging!" "Su Yu, all you lack is experience and cultivation. I will teach you the techniques..." Zhao Li explained at length, passing on numerous details. Su Yu listened in silence, committing every word to memory. After about half an hour, the colossal hammer stopped releasing energy. A large forging hammer materialized in Zhao Li's hand. He drew a deep breath. "Once I begin, it cannot be interrupted. If it breaks off, the civilized armament will shatter, and the backlash... will be catastrophic!" "Watch closely. I should be able to forge up to around seventy-two patterns on my own. But once I reach fifty-four, jump in and help me forge..." Su Yu nodded. Zhao Li added, "Pick the right moment when you step in. Kid, this will take a long time, and you might not be able to endure it." "I can!" Su Yu said quickly. "I'll recover now. By the time you forge up to fifty-four patterns, I should be fully recovered!" There was another thing he hadn't mentioned! If he truly hadn't recovered fully, or truly couldn't hold on... he would simply shatter a divine character to absorb its willpower. He still had two Sun Moon divine characters stored away in his storage ring. Worst-case scenario, he would just shatter a divine character! What was there to fear? Sun Moon divine characters were valuable, but shattering one to cultivate wasn't something he hadn't done before. If push came to shove, he would just kill a few more Sun Moons in the future! Zhao Li naturally had no idea what he was planning. He hadn't expected the kid to be carrying Sun Moon divine characters, much less that he was contemplating shattering one to replenish willpower. Had he known... he probably would have beaten him to death. *Damn it, nobody wastes things like that.* Many Sun Moon Civilization Masters only possessed a single Sun Moon divine character, while stronger ones might have a few. Stripping them was difficult too. Several Sun Moons had died last time, yet in the end, only three Sun Moon divine characters had been extracted. If not for the combined might of an entire prefecture, where could Su Yu have obtained so many Sun Moon divine characters? Zhao Li didn't dwell on it; recovering willpower was inherently difficult. Now, he officially commenced forging. Flames soared! Zhao Li's white hair flew in the wind. Dressed only in shorts, his physique was exceptionally muscular. The old man had transformed into a wall of muscle, bringing his hammer crashing down with a deafening boom! Soundwaves vibrated! This strike carried far more power than Su Yu's. With a resounding crash, the walls of the research institute shuddered violently. Su Yu, however, felt no painful jarring. The small hammer in his hand resonated with the vibrations, which coursed through his entire body and into his sea of will. He felt a pleasant, numbing tingling all over. Zhao Li said in a deep voice, "You can cast your body now. Cast your body while watching. I'll slow down at first so you can grasp the rhythm of my vibrations. Later, when you step in, maintain the exact same rhythm as me!" "Understood!" Su Yu nodded and began releasing Heaven Yuan Qi to cast his body. When setting out this time, he had brought the equivalent of roughly three hundred Heaven Yuan Fruits. Having consumed some earlier, plenty still remained. Su Yu began absorbing it, activating the Yuan Shen Vitality Art. *Poof, poof* sounds rang out... Zhao Li froze for a moment. He nearly made a misstrike, barking, "I told you to cultivate, not fart!" Su Yu said awkwardly, "Teacher, please continue. I'm not farting; it's the Sky-Piercing Aperture. This technique keeps the physical body strong and extends longevity. It also stimulates the absorption of Heaven Yuan Qi. It's an exceptionally powerful technique..." "..." Old Zhao's composure nearly collapsed. *I'm forging an armament, and you're farting? Are you kidding me?!* Speechless for a long moment, he finally muttered, "I'm never using this Yuanqi Secret Realm again. You've polluted it!" "..." Su Yu chuckled dryly. What kind of talk was that? What he was puffing out was probably even purer than the ambient yuanqi here. He was absorbing Heaven Yuan Qi, so what vented out was hardly inferior to standard yuanqi. Old Zhao was overthinking things. Su Yu paid it no more mind. Cultivating this way made his progress vastly faster. He wanted to see if he could seize this chance to achieve his ninth casting. Zhao Li ignored him as well, continuing to hammer away. Su Yu's small hammer channeled the reverberations, washing over his body and rippling continuously through his sea of will. ... Outside. Faint hammer strikes could be heard echoing periodically. They possessed a distinct rhythm! Hu Qi and Old Chen exchanged glances. An instant later, Old Chen's voice boomed across the area, "Everyone, be quiet! Sit cross-legged and cultivate. Sense the rhythmic vibrations! An Earth-rank armamentsmith is employing a supreme art to temper your flesh and purify your seas of will!" Such an opportunity did not come every day. Of course, filtered through the secret realm, the effect was very faint; the one truly benefiting was Cui Lang inside. Whether Zhao Li was doing this out of necessity or deliberate intention, Old Chen could not say, nor did he care to guess. At that moment, countless students sat cross-legged, tuning their senses to the subtle sonic vibrations. Under this resonance, some people's apertures began to loosen, making them noticeably easier to open. *Dong!* *Dong!* Strike after strike, beat after beat, perfectly measured, oscillating endlessly through heaven and earth. Upon the suspended civilized armament, golden patterns began to appear one by one. ... Inside the Prefecture Lord Manor. Having watched for several days, the Invincibles finally discerned something. King Dahan said softly, "What grand ambition. That fellow must have attained Earth-rank ability long ago, and not merely at an introductory level. He is clearly aiming for Heaven rank. It's a pity Tianzhu didn't come; otherwise, I believe Tianzhu and he might have found common ground." At this moment, the figures were seated in the great hall. Yet looking outward, the secret realm seemed to sit right within the hall, as if they had crossed space to hover directly above the Great Xia Civilization Academy, even though their physical bodies remained in the manor. The Invincibles looked down from above as though spectating on-site. Earth rank wasn't bad. Naturally, to Invincibles, only Heaven rank counted as peers of the same tier. Earth rank was merely comparable to Sun Moon, still a tier lower in status. Just then, a chuckling voice came from outside the hall: "Greetings, Elders!" King Dahan smiled. "Tianbing, you arrived quickly." King Miecan laughed heartily. "Little Zhao, your junior brother doesn't look any weaker than you. Your master was truly worthy of being someone who could debate the Dao and vie with Tianzhu!" "..." Even King Dasong exchanged a few pleasantries. The person outside the door was Zhao Tianbing, who had just arrived. He had come straight here! Straight toward the Invincibles! Having only recently advanced to the Sun Moon Realm, he would not normally have qualified for such courtesy from the Invincibles. However, he was currently the top armamentsmith grandmaster in the Human Realm closest to reaching Heaven rank. The Invincibles were hoping he would forge armaments for them once he broke through to Heaven rank. Stepping into the hall, Zhao Tianbing also seemed to enter that shared vantage point, looking down upon the entire Great Xia Civilization Academy, viewing the Yuanqi Secret Realm, and hearing the hammer strikes within. Entering the hall, Zhao Tianbing looked, sensed the situation, and went straight to the point: "Respected Elders, my junior brother is acting recklessly. He has embedded a divine character into his civilized armament. If he fails, the armament will shatter and the divine character will be severely damaged. Tianbing has come to request that if he fails, you Elders might step in to separate the civilized armament from the divine character." King Dahan smiled. "You don't think he can do it?" Zhao Tianbing sighed helplessly. "It isn't that I lack faith in him; my junior brother simply lacks the strength right now to forge so many inscriptions. If he merely wanted to craft an ordinary Earth-rank civilized armament, he could do so with absolute certainty! But he insists on forging an embryonic Heaven armament, forging dozens of embryonic golden patterns. The further along he goes, the harder it gets. The probability of failure is simply too high!" "He has Cui Lang helping him." Zhao Tianbing was at a loss for words. "No matter how gifted that Cui Lang is, he can hardly be of much assistance to my junior brother. I have no idea what my junior brother was thinking, seeking help from an outsider at a time like this—and a mere Profound-rank armamentsmith at that. Had I known, my helping him would have yielded a much higher chance of success." King Dahan chuckled. "Very well. If your junior brother is truly on the verge of failure, we will intervene." "My profound thanks, Elders!" Zhao Tianbing bowed in gratitude. Marquis Xia said cheerfully, "Brother Tianbing, take a seat and let's chat. Watching from here is just as good, lest you head over there, get noticed by Old Zhao, make him blow his top in fury, and ruin the forging." Zhao Tianbing ignored him. Marquis Xia chuckled. "Brother Tianbing, am I right or am I right?" Zhao Tianbing snorted and said coolly, "If Great Xia hadn't neglected the armamentsmithing faction back then, why would I have ever left? The falling-out with my junior brother was your Great Xia Prefecture's doing as well. Do you really have the face to make sarcastic remarks now?" Marquis Xia said helplessly, "Listen to yourself. What do you mean by 'neglected'? You were overthinking things. You insisted on opening an independent armamentsmithing academy, but wouldn't that cost money? Where was Great Xia supposed to get the funds to establish another academy!" Zhao Tianbing didn't bother replying. He had no fear of Xia Xiao'er. Even in Great Zhou Prefecture, he was an honored guest of the Manor Lord. In the decades he spent there, he founded an armamentsmithing academy and trained disciples, one of whom had already become an Earth-rank armamentsmith, albeit an entry-level one. In the armamentsmithing world, his status was second only to King Tianzhu. Of course, their personal strengths were incomparable. An early-stage Sun Moon Realm cultivator was far too weak beside an Invincible. "Will Old Zhao succeed this time? Is there truly no hope at all?" Marquis Xia was still somewhat hopeful. He wanted Zhao Li to succeed. Zhao Li wouldn't leave; he was unwilling to abandon the Great Xia Civilization Academy, where his father had struggled his entire life. Zhao Tianbing said gravely, "Thirty-seventy. A thirty percent chance of success, a seventy percent chance of failure! Even if he succeeds, depending on circumstances, it might not turn out as my junior brother hopes." Marquis Xia nodded slightly and smiled. "Brother Tianbing, now that you've returned, how about staying for good?" "..." Zhao Tianbing ignored him. He would never agree. Great Xia was currently a quagmire; he even wanted to take his junior brother away with him. Then again, Great Zhou wasn't looking much better lately. That Su Yu kid had given Great Zhou quite a beating last time. Naturally, Zhao Tianbing had no desire to involve himself in those politics. Su Yu shared deep ties with his junior brother, and over in Great Zhou, the brothers Zhou Polong and Zhou Potian treated Zhao Tianbing with great courtesy, so he didn't want to take sides. A genius could thrive anywhere. When he first arrived in Great Zhou, King Dazhou had personally received him several times. Inside the hall, the five people focused their attention on the secret realm. None brought up the matter of Feng Qi; the three Invincibles didn't wish to mention it, and Zhao Tianbing didn't give it a second thought. ... *Dong! Dong! Dong!* Strike after strike, beat after beat. The aura of the civilized armament steadily intensified! Golden patterns emerged one by one. Meanwhile, Su Yu's body was constantly cleansed by the vibrations, making his absorption of Heaven Yuan Qi thirty percent faster. He watched unblinkingly; by now, Zhao Li had forged eighteen golden patterns. The beginning was easy; the latter half was difficult. This was merely the start! It was already late at night on the twenty-seventh. Su Yu paid no attention to the time, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. His willpower had steadily recovered to its peak, and the Fire of Inheritance burned continuously within him. He comprehended and observed, growing more and more astonished the longer he looked. *Dong!* With an exceptionally rhythmic hammer blow, Su Yu was struck with utter shock. That wasn't a single strike! Only now did he see clearly—no, feel clearly! A hundred and eight strikes! That single blow of Zhao Li's had instantly vibrated a hundred and eight times. It was actually a hundred and eight layered hammer strikes! "Stacked hammer strikes!" In that moment, Su Yu understood, his mouth agape. He had thought he was close to Zhao Li's level, but only now did he realize—*Holy crap, I'm practically nothing!* Was Old Zhao really just a Profound-rank armamentsmith? *This* was a Profound-rank armamentsmith?! Su Yu had watched for so long, and only through the burning of the Fire of Inheritance did he faintly sense something amiss. It wasn't one strike. It had taken him several days just to realize this! Zhao Li heard his muttering and chuckled. "Not bad. You finally heard it!" Very good! This meant Su Yu's comprehension had deepened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to discern it! Even among the outsiders, hardly anyone could truly hear it, unless they possessed immense cultivation or were top-tier armamentsmiths. Right now, he was at the Earth rank! In truth, he had reached it many years ago. It was just that his cultivation wasn't high enough and his primary divine character was locked away, so he couldn't forge other Earth-rank civilized armaments. But whether in experience, technique, or awareness, he was fully Earth rank. It was simply that until this Earth armament was successfully forged, he lacked the capacity and energy to forge other Earth armaments. Amidst his awe, Su Yu cast all reservations aside and swung his small hammer, attempting to emulate it. A hundred and eight strikes in an instant! Even with his perception, it had taken days to hear it. How terrifyingly powerful was this? Stacking! Swinging down with that kind of strike, bashing someone stronger than himself to death wouldn't be a problem at all. This was a divine skill—a deeper application of the Mind Expansion Hammer. Su Yu sensed the rhythm and wave fluctuations, beginning to imitate and experiment. *Buzz, buzz...* The hammer swung, yet the sounds still emerged distinctly, one after another, failing to stack together. Su Yu wasn't discouraged. He persevered, swinging again and again. Zhao Li smiled. With each hammer fall, the vibration carried a thread of guiding force, drawing Su Yu's small hammer along. The large and small hammers resonated with each other, and Su Yu gradually grasped the pattern. *Buzz, buzz!* Two strikes still came out as two distinct sounds, but the second was barely audible now. Zhao Li continued forging while subtly guiding Su Yu, remaining silent to let Su Yu absorb the sensation on his own. Had Su Yu failed to notice it by now, Zhao Li wouldn't have gone out of his way to teach him how to stack strikes. Forcing it artificially was not beneficial in Zhao Li's eyes. Only when you heard it yourself and gained your own insight would he teach you. ... Within the academy. As hammer strike after hammer strike echoed, Old Chen murmured, "Is Zhao Li... preparing to take another disciple?" He sensed it! He could tell from the rhythm of the hammer strikes that Zhao Li was deliberately imparting guidance. Of course, anyone outside the trade would find it hard to comprehend. He looked toward Hu Qi, who said with a faint smile, "Cui Lang is immensely talented. If Zhao Li truly intends to do so, there's nothing wrong with Cui Lang apprenticing under him. He is merely Old Niu's nominal disciple; taking a master is perfectly fine." "No, what I mean is, Zhao Li has such an eccentric temper. How did Cui Lang manage to suit his tastes so well?" The others listened as well, grasping the general gist. Zhao Li appeared to be teaching Cui Lang armamentsmithing. As for how Old Chen and Hu Qi could hear that from hammer strikes, it was far too profound for outsiders to understand. Hu Qi chuckled. "Who knows? Perhaps Cui Lang's personality is just likable!" Old Chen was at a loss for words, then asked after a moment of thought, "How many did Old Hu hear?" Hu Qi said with a light smile, "One hundred and forty-four. What about you?" "One hundred and thirty-eight. It seems I didn't catch all of them." Saying that, Old Chen looked at the disciple beside him and asked calmly, "How many did you hear?" His disciple, a middle-aged man, remained silent for a moment before replying in a low voice, "One hundred and eight!" Old Chen frowned, then turned toward Senior Brother Wang not far away. "Little Wang, what about you?" Senior Brother Wang gave an honest smile. "One hundred and twenty-two. I've listened to it since childhood, for decades now, so I caught a few more." Old Chen nodded. "In terms of pure armamentsmithing ability, your teacher was actually somewhat stronger than me back then. Even now... it's about the same. One hundred and forty-four aligns with the peak Heaven-rank number. Elder Hu is indeed sharper than me, hearing the full count. If your teacher succeeds this time, he may well surpass me!" Senior Brother Wang said nothing; he didn't dare chime in on that. The others, however, were thoroughly bewildered. *What does that mean?* A large crowd of Earth-rank, Profound-rank, and Yellow-rank armamentsmiths had gathered here. The Yellow-rank smiths felt nothing, while those below mid-tier Profound rank barely sensed anything either. Only some high-tier and peak Profound-rank armamentsmiths faintly grasped a few nuances. Their gains were correspondingly greater; while ordinary onlookers heard only a single strike, some among them could distinguish dozens of layered beats within each shockwave. ... At the same time. Zhao Tianbing was surprised as well. "Xia Xiao'er... *cough*, slip of the tongue, apologies—Acting Manor Lord Xia, could you give me a copy of Cui Lang's dossier? My junior brother seems inclined to take him as a disciple, even intending to pass on the Expanding Will Art. Who exactly is this Cui Lang?" Marquis Xia was exceptionally strong as well. He shot Zhao Tianbing a glare, tossed a jade talisman over, and frowned slightly. "Zhao Tianbing, how many strikes did you hear? That junior brother of yours... his cultivation is only average, but his armamentsmithing methods are first-rate!" "Of course!" Zhao Tianbing smiled faintly. "Back when my master was still alive, he said during our youth that my junior brother possessed extraordinary talent. Not because he was Master's son, but because his talent was genuinely formidable—even surpassing mine. Not long after Master began teaching him, Master fell in battle on the All-Heavens Battlefield. My junior brother studied under me after that. At age eighteen, he forged Yellow-rank weapons; at twenty, peak Yellow-rank; at twenty-eight, Profound-rank; and at forty-five, peak Profound-rank... *Sigh!*" A long sigh! Inexpressible regret. Forging peak Profound-rank armaments at age forty-five, yet in the decades that followed, his junior brother had gone off to research other bizarre nonsense. After their master died, Zhao Tianbing hadn't had the time to keep him in check. Afterward, Zhao Li began creating the Expanding Will Art, spending several decades on that single cultivation technique alone. Then he ran off onto heterodox paths, pursuing the unity of human and armament method, which was far from orthodox armamentsmithing. Otherwise, his junior brother would have reached Earth rank long ago. What a waste. Putting those thoughts aside, Zhao Tianbing smiled. "One hundred and eighty strikes stacked together. Junior Brother has actually improved. When he forged that Earth armament back then, he could only stack up to one hundred and forty-four strikes. This time, he is noticeably sharper!" King Dahan and the others smiled as well. King Miecan roared with laughter. "Indeed, only peers truly understand peers! I heard one hundred and eighty strikes too, though I didn't think of armamentsmithing. I was wondering if I could stack time one hundred and eighty times—maybe then I could kick the Dragon Silkworm King back into antiquity with a single stomp!" Zhao Tianbing chuckled. "Lord Miecan must be joking. That's merely small tricks. His cultivation is low, so stacking is easier. Once you reach the Invincible Realm—or rather, forget Invincibles, even I cannot achieve a stack of one hundred and eighty. One hundred and forty-four is my absolute limit, primarily because I haven't learned the Expanding Will Art. Naturally, the armamentsmithing techniques themselves are largely similar." "The Expanding Will Art..." King Dasong spoke up as well. "It is an impressive divine skill, just with a rather high threshold. If one can stack strikes that many times in battle, Zhao Li... I'd wager he could handle anyone below the third tier of the Shanhai Realm without issue." Zhao Li was merely at the seventh tier of the Lingyun Realm. Yet several Invincibles held his art in high praise. King Dahan suddenly remarked, "I wonder how much of the true inheritance Su Yu in the Great Ming Prefecture obtained! I watched the recording of his battle against Shan Xiong earlier; he was still at an elementary stage. Previously, I thought the Expanding Will Art was merely a decently effective divine skill. Savoring it today, it seems Su Yu has yet to grasp its true essence." He practically said Su Yu was disgracing the name of the Expanding Will Art. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but listening to the resonance today, he realized the technique was truly remarkable, not in the least inferior to certain Heaven-rank divine skills, and exquisitely subtle. ... Inside, Su Yu hadn't thought about all that. He had only heard a hundred and eight strikes. And that was from right beside Zhao Li! His mastery of armamentsmithing was still far behind, unable to match veteran high-tier Profound-rank smiths. Still, with a master guiding him directly, he was no worse than mid-tier Profound-rank practitioners. Su Yu continually attempted to stack his strikes. Once, twice, three times... He experimented, beginning to grasp the fundamentals. Once he crossed the threshold, the difficulty dropped significantly. A few hours later, Su Yu swung his hammer, producing continuous hums with nine distinct beats in rapid succession. Zhao Li smiled and said, "Practice until you're proficient. Stacking nine times should roughly suffice. Your talent truly is exceptional!" "I can't compare to Teacher; the gap is far too wide. Teacher stacks a hundred and eight times in a single swing, while I only manage nine, and I can barely make it seamless." Su Yu shook his head. Zhao Li offered no correction, simply smiling as he continued forging. *A hundred and eight times?* *Not bad!* *Still, your elder is still your elder. I stacked one hundred and eighty strikes in one go—did you even hear that?* Of course, to truly hear the full count from outside after the dampening of the secret realm, one would need to be at high-tier or peak Earth rank. In the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-eighth. Zhao Li was beginning to feel the strain. By now, thirty-six inscriptions had been forged. "Find your opening and jump in!" Su Yu was already fully focused. Hearing the command, he didn't hesitate. Without blinking, he pushed his "Fire" inherited divine character to its limits, while his "Calm" character vibrated steadily. The next moment, brandishing his hammer, he soared upward and brought it down in a powerful strike! *Clang!* *Dong!* Two sounds rang out simultaneously. Zhao Li shouted, "Follow my rhythm and forge together! Don't lose the beat!" "Understood!" Su Yu shouted back in a low voice and swiftly matched Zhao Li's cadence. The two of them began forging in unison. ... At that moment, only a few Earth-rank armamentsmiths and high-tier Sun Moon experts outside noticed something different. It was no longer just one person! This time, it was two. Both were forging! The sound had changed subtly, though ordinary observers noticed nothing. Hu Qi's eyes flickered, and Old Chen murmured once more, "Cui Lang has reached high-tier Profound-rank standard!" Hearing this, those around him were astonished. *You can tell that too? How do you even know?* Old Chen offered no explanation, unwilling to elaborate. He felt surprised and regretful. The boy wasn't from Great Xia Prefecture. Great Xia seemed to have so few armamentsmithing prodigies, yet Great Ming had produced another one! Su Yu had fled there earlier, and now in armamentsmithing, another genius named Cui Lang had popped up! ... Inside the great hall. Zhao Tianbing was surprised as well. "This Cui Lang's skill is quite impressive! To keep up with my junior brother's rhythm, he must have the strength of an entry-level high-tier Profound-rank smith. I haven't heard much about this person before!" King Dasong chuckled. "I actually heard of him once, though not because of armamentsmithing. Over in Great Tang, Cheng Mo hunted him down a few times. The kid fled to our Great Song Prefecture on one occasion, which was when I heard people mention him." "Cheng Mo?" King Dahan smiled. "Has Cheng Mo ended his seclusion?" "Not yet. Old Cheng wants to attain the Dao... which is rather difficult." King Dasong said with regret, "He lacks an Invincible ruin; otherwise, Old Cheng would have had a decent shot." He was a figure from an older era. King Miecan laughed heartily. "Cheng Mo... shameless fellow, chasing after a kid without caring about losing face." King Dahan and King Dasong ignored him. *You talk about face? If you cared about face, you wouldn't have fought that Dragon Silkworm King for hundreds of years! You can't even kill him, yet you fight him every day—what's the point?* They exchanged a few more words without paying much attention to Cui Lang. High-tier Profound rank was decent, but these days, geniuses were everywhere. Su Yu, Shan Xiong, Qin Fang, Huang Teng... who among them wasn't a genius? All were frighteningly young! Cui Lang was already thirty-five. Reaching high-tier Profound rank made him worth nurturing, but calling him dazzling was an overstatement. If he reached Earth rank, then he might turn heads. ... Inside the Yuanqi Secret Realm. Only upon joining the forging did Su Yu feel how difficult it was. He kept up with the rhythm, but the recoil was terrifyingly fierce. Forging while shouting, Su Yu yelled, "Teacher, why does your physical body feel stronger than mine? Doesn't the vibration rattle you?" "I neutralize it! Besides, why shouldn't my body be stronger than yours?" Zhao Li was speechless! "It shouldn't be!" Su Yu shook from the tremors. "M-my... my body is very strong! My explosive strength is over four thousand apertures' worth of force... T-Teacher... are you really stronger than me?" *Aren't you a Civilization Master? Your body is only at the Lingyun Realm, so that should be about it, right?* "D-Don't... don't stutter when you speak! What are you shaking for? When you shake... I start shaking too..." Zhao Li had actually been influenced into trembling slightly! Steadying himself, Zhao Li said swiftly, "My body's explosive strength is around eight thousand apertures' worth of force. You dare compare yourself to me?" "T-That strong?" "D-Did you think you were the only genius around?" "N-No..." "No chitchat! Shut your mouth, forge, and focus!" Zhao Li cursed. *Damn it, you clearly still have plenty of energy left if you have time to chat with me. From the looks of it, you haven't suffered nearly enough!* After a little while, Su Yu suddenly trembled, "T-Teacher..." "What now?!" "I need to step out for a moment... I'm about to complete my ninth body casting..." "...Fuck!" Zhao Li cursed aloud. *Are you a masochist? After getting rattled by vibrations for half a day, you're breaking through?!* *Damn it, fine, go ahead! This kid is something else!* Forging for a little while and his physical body was advancing. The next moment, Su Yu withdrew his hammer, dashed off to the side, and began devouring massive amounts of Heaven Yuan Qi. Zhao Li looked on with envy. *Where the hell did this kid get so much Heaven Yuan Qi? He's gulping it down like it's free!* What was more, the kid was already on his ninth casting. Under standard cultivation arts, his physical body would already have broken into the Lingyun Realm. Truly frightening. Su Yu's golden body glimmered. Soon, his aura erupted, noticeably more formidable than before. He said joyfully, "Teacher, my physical strength is nearly forty-five hundred apertures' worth of force! If I cast my body a few more times, I'll be just as strong as you!" Zhao Li ignored him. *I'm a Civilization Master; physical strength is nothing! Only brutes compare physical power!* *And do you think you can just cast your body as many times as you like? That's not up to you to decide!* When he saw Su Yu rejoin the forging while continuously absorbing Heaven Yuan Qi—pulling out more and more of it—Zhao Li couldn't help feeling sour. *Why didn't I have this kind of treatment back in my youth? If I did, I would have pursued the warrior path long ago!* *Fuck!* *This kid gets hunted down, envied, and suppressed, and he totally deserves it.* *Who told you to carry around so many good things!* The envious Old Zhao hammered with even greater vigor. Su Yu, shuddering uncontrollably with clattering teeth, barely managed to match the rhythm as he stammered, "T-T-Teacher... s-s-slower... please..." *If you hammer any faster, I'm going to be vibrated to death.* At that moment, the golden patterns on the civilized armament grew ever more numerous.