Akash walked off the soul train and jogged up the mountain he got there he opened the door and was shocked to see Alan was waiting for him. He looked extremely handsome now that his beard was shaved off his dark blue hair was tied behind his back he wore over rolls he walked straight toward Akash who smiled at him.
"So have you graduated?"
"Yes. I have graduated."
"Will you have to go to the Intermediate Soul Academy in Zike City?"
"Yes! I was planning to tell you. Once I go to Zike City to study, I will not be able to continue learning how to forge from you." Akash replied.
Alan turn around he put on his earbuds and he started to listen to music he turn around and he opened his mouth.
"Just because I like this place for its peacefulness does not mean I won't leave this place. The truth is, all of the work that is requested comes from Zike City. Your blacksmith education cannot deteriorate. I also have a workshop at Zike City and I will give you your own blacksmith workshop. Every so often, I'll visit you and give you some instruction."
"Teacher you..."
"I am proud to be your master, and your godfather the moment you were brought in front of me you were nothing but a pure light just like your two siblings so don't give up on yourself," Alan said he turn around while he stared out of the window and stopped his music.
"But if you want to live Sky Quin City, you must do one of my test."
"What test?"
"Thousand Refinement technique if you can do this you pass if not you are staying here do you understand me?"
"You have fused with a spirit soul and your strength has risen sufficiently. You should be able to withstand the Thousand Refinements. Finishing one execution of the Thousand Refinements will count as you passing my test."
"Alright teacher when do we start?"
"Hold on a moment I need to check your strength first, these days you been failing your projects," Alan said he walked inside a room that had a machine that measures one strength.
That day, after he fused with the spirit soul, he had tried to apply force through his arm and that had resulted in a resounding crack as his movements split the air apart. His strength had indeed grown immensely.
In the end, since he had been constantly out in search for Na'er, along with the fact that he was still extremely depressed due to her departure, he had not paid any attention to the situation of his body. It was only when Mang Tian reminded him of it that he remembered that there was such a problem that occurred prior to everything that had happened!
Thus for the last few days, as he had attempted to forge his assigned tasks, he had failed several times due to his strength being too forceful.
Alan brought Akash to his own workshop. His workshop was a lot messier than Akash's workspace. In a large pile of randomly strewn tools, Alan managed to find the tool that was specially designed to gauge one's physical strength.
Strength Testing Tool
While it was a simple act to manufacture such a tool, it still required one to be meticulous in order to ensure that it would be able to accurately gauge a person's strength. This strength testing tool was built using two parts. The lower portion was a flat square base, while the upper portion consists of a round cylindrical pillar. Behind it lies a two meter tall metal pillar, whereas inside the pillar was a long thin tube filled with mercury.
When the blacksmith wishes to test his strength, all he has to do was strike the metal pillar, at that point, the mercury would rise according to the force of the strike and thus gauge the strength.
One would have to use a blacksmith hammer weighing 50kg for the test; the strength testing tool would automatically deduct the excess force acquired from the hammer's weight.
Tang Wulin gripped the forging hammer in his left hand. The spiral pattern on its handle dug into his tender hand and tough calluses. His grip became exceptionally firm.
He took a deep breath and turned his body around halfway. Then his arms suddenly swung the forging hammer with the condensed power of his whole body. At that moment when he fully exerted his strength, he felt a surge of warmth flowing from his tailbone. In a flash, this warmth spread up throughout his vertebrae. The hammer let out an ear-piercing whistle as he swung it, ruthlessly smashing the plate.
Bang~~~
The mercury inside of the pillar shot up in a flash. A clear sound rang out in Akash and Alan's ears, giving them a brief moment of tinnitus.
Alan kneaded his eyes, as if to confirm that what he saw before him was the truth. At this time, the screen revealed a number.
An electronic voice coldly stated.
"Striking power, 483 kilograms."
Akash and Alan could only stand there foolishly in shock. Akash was the most shocked he just stared at his left hand before he frowned deeply thinking about his strength so strange.
When he took the test the year before, Akash was already able to shock Alan when his right arm exerted 200 kilograms of force. But now, this number already exceeded the fully grown Brother Long's!
In but a short year, his strength had shockingly increased dramatically again. Moreover, this was just his left arm… A nine-year-old child was actually able to exert nearly 500 kilograms of force with a single arm! This truly had to be innate divine strength!
"Alright do your right arm now."
"Yes teacher!"
The whole room trembled slightly under its power. This time, Alan had to cover his ears to protect himself from the ringing. The room continued to tremble from the impact.
"Striking power, 543 kilograms." 543 kilograms? He had broken through 500 kilograms!?
Alan was once again at a loss. Although he had already guessed the boy's strength increased by no small amount, he definitely hadn't expected it to have increased by such an extent.
At nine years old, his two arms had a combined strength of over a thousand kilograms. His existence could already be considered to that of a little monster's. Although this was merely explosive power, this was still the strength that could be used when forging. Even with the machine's automatic deduction of the hammer's weight, his arms could still reach a strength of about five hundred kilograms. Even power system Soul Zenu wouldn't necessarily possess such strength! It wasn't until the Soul Elder ranks that this type of strength could be seen.
He had this kind of innate divine strength, but why was his martial spirit Lyu Grass!? It should have been a power type martial soul. If his martial soul had been a hammer, then he truly would have been a genius.
Akash was also shocked by his own strength. Even if he didn't understand the significance of 500 kilograms of strength, he still clearly understood how terrifying this type of strength was for someone who only had one soul ring. Few could compare with his strength even if they used a soul skill.
"Teacher, c-can I really learn the Thousand Refinements Technique?" He asked tentatively.
"Yes, your strength is enough," Alan muttered as he walked out of the room and walked inside Akash forge room which was extremely neat and clean. It's not like Akash was a clean freak at all. He just likes to know where everything is so that's why it's neat now if you talk about his room well it's a different story.
"The so-called Thousand Refinements isn't as simple as just pounding the metal a thousand times. Rather, the metal's impurities must be dispelled under continuous forgings, thus increasing its density. Also, the most important effect of the Thousand Refinements is refining. It can only be called Thousand Refinements if the metal is refined and improved. For example, there's the tungsten steel in the Thousand Refined Tungsten Hammer you're using. It was already very strong, but after undergoing Thousand Refinements, its size has been reduced by a third while its strength has doubled! Another effect is that its weight has increased by thirty percent. Compared to another piece of tungsten, only a qualitative change could increase its weight as well as its exceedingly tremendous strength.The tungsten steel's refinement is among the simplest of refinements. Exceptionally good Thousand Refinements can give rise to even more unusual effects. The better the effect of its refinement, the higher the value of the Thousand Refined metal. After reaching the level of the Thousand Refinements, you must first have the metal undergo the Thousand Refinements before you use other techniques to shape it. As a result, the value of anything made with Thousand Refined metal is a hundred times higher than those made of Hundred Forged metal. Only after you've attained the skill of utilizing the Thousand Refinements can you then be considered a true blacksmith."
"Wow so if I am able to do this I will be a true blacksmith?" Akash asked.
"Yes you will be a true blacksmith. But the thousands refinements technique is different from everyone and the sound it makes is also different, some is calm, some are stuff, other are hard, it all really depends on one thousand refinements harmony sound, like for mine is a like a burning forging room you could feel it and you feel like you are seeing a forging master, that's what I want everyone to feel like it when they hear my hammers now this will be your turn."
Thousand Refinements Harmony Sound required more than just strength; what truly mattered was comprehension. Especially in regards to the feelings of the metal.
Akash had studied hard for three years. Only now, coupled with his innate divine strength, did he finally have the qualifications to attempt the Thousand Refinements.
"Teacher, what techniques are needed when performing the Thousand Refinements Harmony Sound?" Akash asked while he stared at his master.
"There aren't any techniques that I can teach you. The only thing I can tell you is that when you are forging, you must treat the metal as if it were a living organism. You must think of a way to communicate with the metal while you are forging it. Only with perfect communication will you be able to attain its approval. Find its secrets, its veins. Thousand Refinements is also called Thought Forging. Every single blacksmith's style of doing the Thousand Refinements is different. They all have their own distinct characteristics. Use your heart to forge. Go and try to comprehend my words."
"Yes."
Rather then helping Akash Alan left the room letting Akash to go ahead and learn by himself. Akash stared at the metal in front of him. He grabbed the two hammers he threw them in the air and he court them he grabbed his white black bandanna that was around his wrist and he put it on his forehead.
After opening up the forging table, he placed the Heavy Silver within the forging table's furnace and began heating it.
This piece of Heavy Silver was about 30 centimeters squared. It twinkled a soft silver light. When it entered the forging furnace, Akash began to recall the introduction to the properties of Heavy Silver that Alan had given him before.
Heavy Silver was an uncommon metal that could only be found on the seafloor at depths surpassing one kilometer. It was extraordinarily hard and possessed amazing ductility under high temperatures, it was also an excellent conductor of soul power. In fact, it was so good that it could amplify soul power and give it a five to ten percent boost.
Whether it is used for industrial purposes or for manufacturing mechas, it was still an excellent metal that was hard to come by.
Still, Heavy Silver was not without its own flaws. It was simply too dense, bestowing upon it an extraordinary weight. For instance, this piece of Heavy Silver that was less than a third of a meter long was over 200 kilograms in weight. In fact, it likely neared 300 kilograms!
As a result, even if Heavy Silver was produced in excess, it would still be impossible to use it in large-scale mecha manufacturing. Its weight also restricted its applications in mecha manufacturing. It was much more prevalent in large, solid state soul devices.
Heavy Silver was rarely found in cities that were located further inland. It was instead much more common in seaside towns and acted as an important source of income for these seaside towns.
His teacher had given him a chunk of Heavy Silver. Upon inspection, it appeared extraordinarily perfect. Its color was very even, signifying that it had already been purified before. Lastly, it felt heavier than usual.