"When it comes to blacksmithing, the first level is the mortal level, which basically refers to the normal blacksmiths in this world. At this level, you use mortal materials to craft weapons and study how different weapons are made. Moving beyond this stage, we enter the realm of the Apprentice level in blacksmithing. It is at this juncture that the true disparity between a conventional blacksmith and a cultivator blacksmith becomes apparent," Grizzle explained.
"You said this before, tell me what is the difference," Alvin asked impatiently. This old man was repeating his words on and on without getting to the main point.
"Darn kid, I thought you might have forgotten about it, so I reminded you," Grizzle looked at Alvin with irritation and said, "Unfortunately, you are my grandson; otherwise, I would have kicked you out for interrupting me."
Alvin just smiled; he had heard about Grizzle's character from his sister and mother a lot. In front of his family, he is just a kind old man and loves them dearly. So Alvin was also not reserved in front of Grizzle and acted like how he spoke to his mother and sister.
Seeing the cheeky smile on Alvin's face, Grizzle sighed helplessly. "Fine, kid, you better listen carefully. If you ask me to repeat any of my words a second time, I will smash your bottom until you can't sit down for a few days," Grizzle said sternly, patting his hammer. "And yeah, don't even think of asking for help from your mother. Before becoming your mother, she is my grandchild. Even if this old man beats you to my heart's content, she won't blame me," he declared firmly.
Alvin could only nod his head speechlessly. After all, Grizzle was his great-great-grandfather; even if he was beaten by Grizzle, no one could blame him. After all, grandparents have the right to discipline their grandchildren, right?
Seeing Alvin's speechless expression, Grizzle nodded in satisfaction and said, "Back to our topic. The apprentice level is divided into three levels, namely low, mid, and high-grade apprentice levels. I will first tell you about low-grade apprentice-level blacksmiths. You will be able to understand the rest of the levels based on that."
Alvin nodded in agreement.
"Low-grade apprentice-level blacksmiths are blacksmiths who create initiate realm weapons. The low-grade apprentice level is again divided into nine stars corresponding to the level of weapon they are capable of making, ranging from one star to nine stars," he elaborated.
"Um... Grandpa, you didn't tell me about the difference between the initiate realm weapons and mortal weapons," Alvin reminded Grizzle tentatively. He was somewhat afraid of being beaten up by the old man if he asked this question once again, but his curiosity got the better of him and he asked.
Seeing the cautious approach of Alvin, Grizzle chuckled and knocked him on the head playfully and replied, "I was getting on to that. In this world, there are monsters called phantom beasts, which are capable of cultivating like other races but are wild and cruel in nature. Unlike us, they cultivate phantom essence in their body, which is similar to divine essence. When we kill them, we can obtain their phantom essence soul. We blacksmiths combine this phantom essence soul along with various materials into weapons in order to make weapons of the corresponding level. For example, if you use the phantom essence soul and materials from a 1st level initiate realm phantom beast, you can refine a one-star initiate realm weapon. This weapon will also have some characteristics of the beast they are made from."
Alvin took a moment to digest the information before replying with some confusion, "Then can anyone who is capable of creating mortal level weapons create initiate realm weapons if they are given phantom beast materials?"
Grizzle laughed, "Kid, only someone familiar with initiate realm energy can craft an initiate level weapon. Also, it is not that simple; the blacksmith has to know how to perfectly merge the phantom essence soul into the weapon, which can't be taught by anyone. One has to study it through many trials and errors. If you didn't have a natural talent for blacksmithing, then even if you are an immortal level cultivator, you won't be able to make even the most basic one-star initiate realm weapon."
Alvin was stunned. "Then why are you teaching me forging when you didn't even know if I have talent in it or not? What if I don't have any talent in blacksmithing?"
Grizzle retorted with a sneer, "Kid, you must know blacksmithing, alchemy, and formation. These three are the golden professions in the world of cultivation. If you even have luck with any one of them, you don't have to worry about money in your entire life, so spending some time in it is totally worth it."
Actually, Alvin was not worried about becoming a blacksmith. After all, he had recorded the law of blacksmithing in the golden book, so the so-called luck with blacksmithing meant nothing to him.
Thinking of this, Alvin once again diverted the conversation back to different levels of blacksmithing. "So, Grandpa, if that is the case, the mid-grade apprentice will be blacksmiths who are capable of creating Radiant Realm weapons, and high-grade apprentice will be those capable of creating Legendary Realm weapons, and so on, right?"
Grizzle nodded in approval. "Yes, fortunately, you are not completely dumb. After the apprentice level, there will be artisan level, master level, and so on. For every cultivation realm, there will be an equivalent blacksmith level and number of stars that blacksmith have represents, up to which level of phantom beast soul they can turn into a weapon. For example,1star low-grade apprentice level blacksmiths can only create weapons using one-star initiate realm phantom essence soul."