CLANG. CLANG.
In the dim Earth Fire Chamber, the roaring flames were the only source of light. Zhao Zuo held his hammer, his head bowed in concentration as he watched the block of Refined Iron in the blaze.
Each strike was no simple blow. It was an act performed in concert with his Mana, meant to fuse the Spirit Powder with the Refined Iron. Every single hammerfall demanded his full attention.
Zhao Zuo hammered with his right hand while using his left to adjust the iron's position with a pair of tongs. He began a new, methodical round of hammering, his expression serious and focused.
In the blink of an eye, he was already on the sixth round of hammering.
Sweat soaked Zhao Zuo's forehead. He carefully examined the block of Refined Iron on the anvil. With each strike, he grew more proficient, more precise in finding the perfect angle.
The tongs held the block of iron tightly as his right hand hammered it again and again. As the Refined Iron gradually cooled, Zhao Zuo had no choice but to place it back into the Earth Fire to reheat.
Once it was glowing red-hot, the seventh round began.
CLANG! CLANG!
A streak of Golden Light separated from the block of Refined Iron and flew into Zhao Zuo's forehead. It transformed into a cool stream that felt like a massage for his mind, leaving his brain feeling light and refreshed.
The exhaustion weighing down his entire body seemed to ease.
'Wait, this forging session feels easier.'
Zhao Zuo suddenly remembered that during his last attempt, he had only managed to convert the Refined Iron into Spirit Iron near the end of the seventh round. This time, however, the transformation had occurred just three strikes into the seventh round.
'My efficiency has increased!'
It wasn't an illusion. Zhao Zuo realized he was instinctively correcting the flaws in each hammer strike to achieve a near-perfect state. The improvement was subtle, but impossible to ignore.
Zhao Zuo casually channeled a wisp of Mana into the Spirit Iron. Seeing it emit a faint, silvery glow, he nodded in satisfaction.
He then knocked on the iron window and exchanged his work for two and a half catties of Spirit Rice.
This time, Zhao Zuo could finally eat his fill. It took him about half an hour to finish the two and a half catties of Spirit Rice, after which waves of warmth began to radiate from his abdomen.
'To forge iron, one must be strong as iron.'
The process of forging Spirit Iron today had shown Zhao Zuo just how important stamina was. He decided to resume practicing the Body Refining Technique his body's previous owner had neglected. The Golden Body Technique consisted of just nine movements, and completing a full, perfect cycle was equivalent to one session of Quenching.
By repeating this process, once his body felt like it had broken through some limit and its strength had increased significantly, it would mean he had completed the second transformation and reached the Body Refining Second Layer.
Unfortunately, the version Zhao Zuo had purchased only went up to the Third Layer. According to the shopkeeper who sold it to him, the Fourth Layer increased the number of movements to eighteen, with all eighteen comprising one cycle. Cultivation beyond the sixth layer required the aid of a Secret Medicine.
Zhao Zuo removed the key to the Earth Fire, gulped down two large mouthfuls of cool water, and hefted the gourd. He realized only a third of his drinking water was left. He would have to ask that person to help him refill it the next time he submitted his Spirit Iron.
The person on the other side was also an employee of the Earth Fire Forging Hall, essentially in a clerical position. The job was easy, and it allowed them to benefit from the dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power in the Market's central district, though the pay was lower.
After a quick wipe of his sweat, Zhao Zuo assumed the first bizarre posture of the Golden Body Technique in the empty space before his bed. Each pose had to be held for about sixty seconds, meaning the nine movements took nine minutes to complete.
Having not practiced for a long time, his movements were inevitably clumsy, but fortunately, his muscle memory remained. They gradually became more fluid and precise. As he performed the Golden Body Technique, his stomach began to churn, rapidly digesting the Spirit Rice into Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power that stimulated every muscle in his body, causing them to activate and tremble slightly.
WHOOSH—
With that long exhalation, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power began to rapidly course through his body. The trembling in his muscles intensified, and Zhao Zuo could feel his physical form steadily growing stronger. The price was that the Spirit Rice in his stomach was also being digested at an accelerated rate.
Half an hour later, Zhao Zuo pushed off with his legs and returned to a standing position, his breathing slightly ragged.
In the span of a single two-hour period, eighty percent of the two and a half catties of Spirit Rice had been digested. He now understood why the body's previous owner had given up on practicing the Body Refining Technique. It truly was a bottomless pit.
After a short rest and a few gulps of cool water, he began a new round of forging.
Zhao Zuo grew more and more skilled, carefully correcting the errors in each of his strikes. He was improving at an astonishing rate, so earnest and focused that he gradually entered a state where he and his work were one.
Before the sixth round was even over, the Golden Light flooded into his mind. The Refined Iron had successfully been forged into Spirit Iron.
Before the Creation Points could be absorbed by the transparent panel, a portion was intercepted. This portion enhanced Zhao Zuo's comprehension, but what was actually growing stronger was his Soul.
The Golden Light could nourish the Soul, and the Soul's growth manifested as an increase in comprehension.
Scribing Spirit Patterns was incredibly difficult to begin learning, the biggest problem being a lack of comprehension—or in other words, insufficient talent. Now, a way to increase his talent was right in front of him. How could Zhao Zuo not be excited?
His hammering became even more forceful and meticulous. This time, he didn't even rest before starting a new round of forging Spirit Iron. This was no longer just about Spirit Stones; it was about increasing his Creation Points and his own comprehension.
As Zhao Zuo hammered the block of Refined Iron, he gradually found his rhythm. The frequency of his strikes fell into a certain pattern. He was careful and focused on every detail, every step. He constantly adjusted the position of the iron block as sparks flew, the vibrations from his hammering simultaneously expelling impurities.
At the beginning of the sixth round, the block of Refined Iron began to emit a faint, silvery glow. A streak of Golden Light surged into Zhao Zuo's mind, and the familiar, cool sensation spread from his head, alleviating both his mental and physical fatigue.
Zhao Zuo rested for a short while before continuing to forge. Although his body was tired, his spirit grew more and more invigorated. He had a feeling he was at a bottleneck; if he could break through it, he would be able to drastically increase the speed at which he forged Spirit Iron.
After a brief rest, he began forging the fifth block of Refined Iron.
He skillfully tossed the Refined Iron into the Earth Fire to heat it, then began the cycle of hammering, correcting, and drawing it out. This process gradually removed the impurities from within the iron, while the Spirit Powder steadily fused with it, causing a faint, silvery light to slowly appear.
After six rounds of hammering, the silvery light spread. The Spirit Iron was complete.
His speed of producing Spirit Iron had increased again, but the improvement wasn't significant. He still hadn't broken through the bottleneck.
Zhao Zuo had intended to continue forging, but his stamina was nearing its limit. It was clear that he wasn't yet capable of processing three blocks of Refined Iron consecutively. He could only rest for a while.
At the same time, Zhao Zuo spent another Black Iron Coin to exchange for two and a half catties of Spirit Rice.
After resting and getting some sleep, he resumed his work, completing the forging of the sixth piece of Spirit Iron.
After submitting his quota for the day, Zhao Zuo was utterly exhausted. He didn't even have the energy to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power to advance his Cultivation. He lay stiffly on his bed, and before long, his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.
In his dreams, memories of forging Refined Iron replayed endlessly in his mind. Eventually, the Refined Iron transformed into a Great Demon King. Each hammer strike only chipped away a single drop of its health, while the Demon King had a passive percentage-based heal. On the bed, the smile on Zhao Zuo's face slowly vanished, twisting into a grimace.
First day of smithing: worked to death, zero progress in Cultivation, one Spirit Stone left over as pay.
...