Chapter 160

Chapter 160: One Hammer, One Refining, Thousand Refining Treasure Embryo

Master Lin saw that as Lu Qing’s heavy hammer came down.

Under the huge force, the red-hot iron bar, in an instant, sparks flew, was squeezed and collapsed, and turned into a discus.

Then Lu Qing folded it, and hammered it down again, hammering it into a discus again.

In this way, Lu Qing hammered one hammer after another.

The iron bar was like dough, and was easily flattened by him.

But Master Lin and his apprentices knew that it was not that the iron bar was as soft as dough, but that Lu Qing’s strength was really amazing.

Every hammer could easily flatten the iron bar.

The most important thing is that Master Lin and his apprentices noticed that Lu Qing did not just use brute force to smash it down.

Instead, every hammer contained various changes, just reaching the limit of the iron bar, squeezing out the impurities inside it, but not using too much force to break it.

“One hammer, one refinement? How is that even possible?”

Watching Lu Qing swing his heavy hammer with such effortless grace, hammer after hammer, Old Craftsman Lin’s eyes were already dazed, and he muttered to himself in a trance.

His heart was filled with indescribable shock.

He had never imagined that forging iron could be done like this.

Each strike of the hammer was a refinement. Such a miraculous forging technique was beyond the reach of even the true master forgers he had met.

Yet, he had never imagined it would actually happen right before his eyes.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In the backyard of the Heart Forging Workshop, Lu Qing swung his hammer relentlessly. Each blow, the immense force of the collision, shook the entire courtyard.

Everyone, watching this scene of power and beauty, was stunned.

Even Chief Steward Wei was no exception.

In fact, due to his higher cultivation level, he could even more deeply appreciate the terrifying nature of Lu Qing’s hammering technique.

He estimated that even at the peak of his Inner Viscera Realm, he wouldn’t be able to withstand a few of Lu Qing’s blows.

Lu Qing forged tirelessly for over an hour.

Suddenly, a feeling struck him, a sense of something. He stopped folding and forging, and began to shape the iron bar in his hands.

Gradually, the iron bar in his hands began to change shape, taking the form of a sword.   With another blow of the hammer, sparks flew, and Lu Qing finally stopped forging and placed the now-formed sword blank in cold water. With a swish, Lu Qing

removed   the sword blank from the mist and examined it intently.   A rich red light emanated from the sword blank. [Thousand-Refined Sword Blank: A sword blank   formed   through repeated folding and forging has reached the Thousand-Refined level.]   [A thousand-refined sword blank is forged to become a weapon. A Thousand-Refined sword blank already has the potential to become a magical weapon.]   [Due to the limitations of the material, this sword blank has reached its limit; further forging and folding will not improve its quality.]   As expected.   After reading the information about the sword blank, Lu Qing understood.   He had sensed something earlier, while forging.   Feeling that the iron bars had reached their limit, there was no point in continuing to fold and forge them.   It seemed that ordinary iron was still ordinary iron, and its quality could not be improved by endless folding and forging.   The Thousand Refinement level was already the ultimate quality of these iron bars.   ”Lu, Young Master Lu, may I ask if I could take a look at this sword blank?”   At this time, Master Lin asked with a trembling voice.   His eyes were full of hope.   ”Of course.”   Lu Qing casually handed the sword blank to the old master.   Master Lin respectfully took the sword blank with both hands and looked at it carefully.   This time, his apprentices did not care about the etiquette between master and apprentice, and all gathered around to look at the sword blank together.

The sword blank Lu Qing forged this time was slightly smaller than the previous one because he had completely hammered out the impurities.

Of course, that wasn’t what Master Lin and his disciples noticed.

Their first focus was on the veins on the sword blank.

Then, upon seeing the incredibly fine veins,

Master Lin’s body trembled. “This veining is indeed a thousand-refined treasure blank! This sword blank has reached the thousand-refined level!”

“Master, has it really reached the thousand-refined level?”

The disciples, who had never seen thousand-refined fine iron before, were equally shocked.

“No doubt about it! The fine lines, like scales, are the hallmark of a thousand-refined treasure blank!”

Hearing Master’s unwavering certainty, all the disciples were stunned.

They all huddled together, gazing enthusiastically at the sword blank, their eyes glued to it.

For a blacksmith, to witness a thousand-refined ironwork was a tremendous honor!

Master Lin held the sword blank, his lips trembling as he looked at Lu Qing.

He had anticipated the quality of this sword blank.

After all, he had watched Lu Qing forge the sword blank from beginning to end. He didn’t count the number of times he’d folded and forged it, but he had a rough idea.

But precisely because of this, when he actually saw the markings on the blank, marking its Thousand Refinement level, his heart was even more shaken.

The forging skill Lu Qing displayed while forging the sword blank was truly breathtaking.

One hammer, one refinement—such a miraculous method actually existed!

Old Craftsman Lin had never seen a Grandmaster forging expert, so he didn’t know the true extent of their skills.

But he was certain that Lu Qing’s forging skills, if nothing else, in just the forging itself, were comparable to any Grandmaster!

“Thousand Refinement Precious Blank?”

Chief Steward Wei couldn’t help but gape.

He hadn’t expected Lu Qing to forge a Thousand Refinement-level sword blank.

Even the Wei Mansion didn’t have many swords of this caliber.

“Young Master Lu, thank you for your gift.”

Master Lin, holding the sword blank, approached Lu Qing and respectfully handed it back.

He looked as respectful as an apprentice facing a master craftsman.

“It’s just a sword blank. Master Lin, there’s no need to be so formal,” Lu Qing said with a smile, not accepting it. “It just so happens that I have something I’d like to ask you for help with.”

“Young Master Lu, please tell me. Anything I can do will be of great assistance!” Master Lin said quickly.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just about this sword blank. I’d like you to help me craft it into a longsword.

A good friend of mine is having a happy event in the next few days, and I’d like to give him this sword as a gift. Is that possible?”

“Of course, that’s no problem, but why don’t you do it yourself, Young Master Lu?” Master Lin asked, somewhat puzzled.

“To be honest, Master Craftsman, I’ve only gained some experience in forging. Other casting techniques are quite unfamiliar to me, unlike your vast experience.”

Forging a perfect sword involves more than just forging the blank.

There are also steps like inlaying, polishing, and sharpening, all of which Lu Qing is unfamiliar with.

“I see. Rest assured, Young Master Lu, I will live up to your expectations and craft this precious sword!”

Master Craftsman Lin’s heart raced with excitement. Forging a thousand-refined sword with his own hands was an unprecedented experience for him.

However, after the excitement wore off, he suddenly remembered something.

“But Young Master Lu, didn’t you say you came to borrow the furnace to forge a weapon for yourself? Aren’t you forging this blank for yourself?”

“I’m not in a rush for my weapon yet,” Lu Qing shook his head.

“I’m here simply to hone my forging skills. I’ll be back to bother you again in a few days, once I’ve gathered all the materials.”

(End of Chapter)