The team competition rewards hadn't even been distributed yet, and now seeing the meager prizes for the Blacksmithing Duel, Gu You had already lost interest in these so-called rewards.
Three pieces of Titanium Crystal.With Gu You's current forging skill, even the highest-quality product wouldn't fetch more than ninety million federal coins.
A piece of Titanium Crystal was placed onto Gu You's forge.
Titanium Crystal looked like a piece of translucent crystal stone, filled with countless fine, chaotic golden threads inside. One of the main challenges in refining it lay in using forging techniques to sort those inner threads while minimizing the crystal's size. The more orderly the threads, the higher the quality of the final product.
Legend says that long ago, one of Tang Sect's ancestors had used Titanium Crystal's golden threads to forge hidden weapons of immense power.
"Begin the match. Melting phase starts now," the judge announced solemnly.
Both contestants calmly pressed the button on their forging stations.The Titanium Crystals were slowly pulled into the furnace, ready for continuous smelting.
Once both had completed the smelting phase, the judge declared:
"Melting phase complete. Match countdown begins now."
Gu You and his opponent both fell silent.They closed their eyes at the same time, adjusting their mental and physical states.
The opponent opened his eyes first. His forging style was aggressive—each strike of the hammer landed with force, smashing the Titanium Crystal repeatedly into new shapes.
Meanwhile, Gu You remained still, eyes closed, and utterly silent.
This puzzled the spectators in the stands.
"Why isn't he starting yet? What's he waiting for?"
"So slow… This is boring…"
Just then, Gu You suddenly spread his arms wide.Two forging hammers appeared simultaneously in his hands.
"Oh wow, he's alive again!"
Some jokes echoed from the spectator stands.
Gu You's right-hand Life Essence Hammer gently tapped a button on his forge, signaling that the Titanium Crystal's burning phase was complete.
The center of the forge split open, revealing a glowing orange-red Titanium Crystal, slowly rising upward.
Gu You lightly tapped it three times to get a feel for what the ore "needed."
Souga~ It needs life.
Without hesitation, his seemingly heavy Life Essence Hammer landed gently on the Titanium Crystal, producing a series of clear, crisp sounds.
A thin sound-insulating barrier surrounded the forge—specially designed to keep the forging master from being distracted by audience noise.Inside, nothing could be heard—but outside, the sound of the hammer striking the crystal rang out clearly.
The sound was like a fine needle dropping onto metal—clear and pleasant, never harsh or grating.It resembled percussion music, light and harmonious.
Such delicate forging.
Though the hammers looked heavy, the strikes were incredibly gentle.That's what the audience could sense.
The twin hammers continued their rhythmic, agile tapping—like needles gently pricking the crystal. Each strike radiated a kind of ethereal elegance that was hard to describe.
A storm was coming.
Gu You began to swing his hammers in full motion—a whirlwind assault upon the Titanium Crystal.
The rapid ding ding ding sounds filled the air.
The sensation was indescribable—there was an artistic rhythm to it, like a piece of music.As he struck, the Titanium Crystal spun and rotated on the forge, constantly adjusting its orientation.
However, Gu You's strikes were so light that the crystal's volume didn't appear to shrink at all.
Is this really forging?
Many of the other forging students were confused.
No doubt, Gu You's control over force was at an astonishing level—it amazed them all.But what was the point of such gentle forging?Was it just for show?
In the end, the match would be judged on refinement level. Everyone had the same time limit—two quarters of an hour (i.e. 30 minutes).At this pace, he couldn't even finish a Hundred Refine, let alone deeper forging levels.
As Gu You's forging rhythm intensified, his opponent looked up in confusion.When he saw the youth's focused eyes and the mesmerizing rhythm of the hammers, a flicker of surprise appeared on his face.
But he quickly looked down again and returned to his own work.
When two forgers are competing, the greatest taboo is to be thrown off your own rhythm.
Though young, Gu You's opponent had started forging early in life and was already very skilled.He quickly suppressed his distractions and focused on his own crystal.
Among all the forging masters present, only Feng Wuyu, watching from the platform, nodded subtly and smiled with pride as he observed Gu You's technique.
"Is there something special about his forging style?"asked Scarlet Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi, a renowned powerhouse but completely ignorant when it came to forging.
Unusually, perhaps because of his smugness today, Feng Wuyu didn't pick a fight with Zhuo Shi this time. Instead, he patiently explained:
"Look closely. His strikes may seem light, but each one accurately transmits energy into the Titanium Crystal. Although the crystal isn't shrinking in size, the internal golden threads are being reorganized."
"It's like unraveling silk—first, he straightens out the chaotic threads, finds the crystal's natural vein and life essence, and then slowly draws it out, enhancing it with his own Life Essence."
"This kind of forging is called 'inside-out refining'—it's best suited for high-grade rare metals like Titanium Crystal."
"Of course, someone like you wouldn't understand that. In short, only Grandmaster-level or higher forgers can use this technique, and not even all of them can do it."
"Just watch. This level of forging—hmmph—is what I teach!"
Feng Wuyu wore an immensely proud look.
Zhuo Shi curled his lip but didn't argue back—oddly enough.As he watched Gu You's forging become more and more refined, his heart filled with happiness.
He thought back to when Gu You had first met him at age six.Now, seven or eight years had passed.
Watching such a young genius grow… there was a strange kind of pride in it.
On the other side of the stadium, Zheng Yiran nudged Yang Nianxia, asking in a low voice:
"If it were you, how would you forge Titanium Crystal?"
Yang Nianxia gave her a weird look and replied:
"Probably like He Xiaopeng. His method uses vibrations. He strikes with heavy dual hammers, using controlled shockwaves to sort the Titanium Crystal's inner threads for purification."
"But it's extremely difficult. Titanium Crystal may be hard, but it's also brittle. You have to superheat it, and strike with just the right amount of force. Too heavy and it shatters; too light and it does nothing."
"But based on Gu You's strike force and consistency, he's clearly been immersed in this for years. His skill… is way above mine."
Zheng Yiran looked at the youth across the arena, and her gaze turned icy.
Time ticked by.
Gu You had already passed the first quarter hour and was heading toward the second.
(End of Chapter)