The specific method is to add local specialty iron ore along with ingredients into a crucible, then repeatedly heat and cool it in the furnace for many cycles, and finally break open the crucible to obtain the steel cast inside.
In ancient times, Wootz steel was considered top-quality, but it wasn't necessarily better than the steel produced in later periods, as Wootz steel contained harmful impurities that were difficult to remove using the crucible method.
There's a term in martial arts novels called 'hundred-refined steel,' referring to a piece of steel repeatedly hammered and folded up to hundreds of times. The steel acquired by China often contained impurities and defects, which were removed and made uniform during the repeated hammering process. This method wasn't necessarily superior to works produced using the pouring steel method during the Ming and Qing Dynasty.
