Douluo Continent: God Descends

Chapter 42 Blue Pregnant Copper

Lu Xingchen nodded without saying anything more and walked straight to the row of metal shelves.

Fifteen pieces of metal, each exuding a unique aura.

Some are as heavy as lead, some as light as a feather; some have a smooth surface like a mirror, while others are covered with fine lines.

This first step of selection is a test of a blacksmith's basic knowledge—if one doesn't even understand the types and properties of metals, and chooses the wrong metal that doesn't match their own skills, then failure is deserved.

But Lu Xingchen was prepared for this.

Over the past two weeks, with his extraordinary mental strength, he has thoroughly memorized books such as "Atlas of Rare Metals in Mainland China" and "Basic Forging Theory," and the melting point, density, and activity characteristics of each metal are clearly imprinted in his mind.

His gaze swept quickly across the metal rack, from the dark "black-patterned iron" to the crimson "fire copper," and then to the silvery "sinking silver." Finally, he stopped in the center of the metal rack and reached out to pick up a piece of metal that shimmered with a pale blue light.

"Um?"

Upon seeing his choice, Youyou and Lin Yue simultaneously gasped, their eyes filled with surprise.

That metal, called "blue-impregnated copper," is the most special of these fifteen metals.

It contains extremely strong activity, and the purification process requires precise control of the force. It is necessary to remove impurities while avoiding the loss of activity. The slightest carelessness will result in the failure of all previous efforts.

Even for a level-two blacksmith, it would take more than an hour to perfectly refine a piece of blue-coated copper, making it the most difficult of the fifteen metals to refine.

"Little brother, you're so silly..."

Youyou sighed softly to herself, and the last glimmer of hope she had was instantly gone.

Choosing blue-coated copper is tantamount to courting death. Not to mention a six-year-old child, even an experienced level-two blacksmith might not dare to try it easily.

Lin Yue's expression changed slightly. She knew the weight of the blue-coated copper better than Youyou—a square piece of blue-coated copper weighed as much as 500 kilograms, which was difficult for an ordinary adult to move.

But Lu Xingchen held it with unwavering steps, his face showing no sign of strain, as if he were holding a piece of cotton rather than heavy metal.

"What incredible strength!"

Lin Yue was secretly shocked, and her initial disappointment faded somewhat. This child was no ordinary person, judging solely by his innate superhuman strength.

Lu Xingchen gently placed the blue-coated copper on the forging table. When the metal block came into contact with the table surface, it did not make the slightest sound.

This precise control over power caused a hint of surprise to flash in Lin Yue's eyes.

Lu Xingchen asked, "Master, may I begin?"

Lin Yue composed herself and nodded, saying, "Let's begin. You have one hour. Within that hour, try your best to purify this piece of sunken silver. The degree to which you achieve this will determine the points you receive."

"Yes!" Lu Xingchen didn't think about anything else and immediately started operating according to the memories in his mind.

Turn on the forging table, heat it up, and put in blue-impregnated copper for calcination.

Dark red flames rose from the bottom of the forging table, enveloping the blue-coated copper. The high temperature spread rapidly, and the blue light on the surface of the metal block grew increasingly intense, beginning to soften slowly.

The calcination time is also included in the test duration, as stipulated by the association. True forging cannot tolerate any delays, and time management is an essential skill for blacksmiths.

Lu Xingchen wasted no time, walked to the tool rack in the corner, and took down a pair of the heaviest forging hammers.

These hammers are made entirely of fine iron, each weighing about eighty pounds, and are quite difficult for an ordinary adult to wield.

"He actually used the spare hammer?" Youyou was stunned again.

A blacksmith's forging hammer is like a Soul Master's Martial Soul; it is a companion that is carried with them day and night. It is not only easy to use, but also embodies the blacksmith's hard work and habits.

Even the most ordinary level-one blacksmith would never use the spare hammer in the testing room.

"It seems to be just natural superhuman strength." Lin Yue frowned again.

Without a dedicated forging hammer, his movements were somewhat clumsy, and he had chosen the most difficult blue-coated copper—all signs indicated that this child had extremely limited forging experience.

She sighed softly, picked up the whiteboard, and prepared to write down the comment "lack of experience".

Lu Xingchen ignored their gazes. Once the blue copper reached a certain temperature, he walked to the forging table, pressed the red button on the table, and made the blue copper float to the surface.

The spiritual power of the Spirit Sea Realm enveloped the entire forging platform like a fine net, clearly displaying every texture and every impurity inside the blue-coated copper in his mind.

"Now."

Lu Xingchen gave a low shout, gripped the handle of the forging hammer with both hands, exerted a little force with his arms, and the hammer head whistled as it smashed hard against the blue copper!

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the moment the forging hammer made contact with the metal, Lu Xingchen precisely guided the force with his mental energy, avoiding the active core and heading straight for the impurities.

The moment the forging hammer bounced up, he flicked his wrist, and the second hammer fell immediately, at a tricky angle, with a force that combined both strength and gentleness.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At first, the forging sound was rather slow, each strike carrying a tentative quality. But soon, the rhythm became faster and more frequent.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang bang bang!"

The forging sound was like a sudden storm, yet orderly, with each strike landing precisely on a different spot in the blued copper, creating a unique rhythm.

Lu Xingchen's gaze became incredibly focused, as if the entire world consisted only of him and the metal before him.

His arms swung like lightning, sweat dripping down his cheeks and onto the forging table, instantly evaporating into white mist. Yet his movements never faltered; the force, angle, and frequency perfectly matched the flow of activity within the blue-pregnant copper.

Lin Yue, who had been taking notes, suddenly stopped, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes. She abruptly raised her head, staring intently at Lu Xingchen's movements, her calm expression replaced by deep shock.

She had been a blacksmith for decades and had seen countless blacksmiths, but she had never seen such a focused gaze.

It is a kind of dedication that integrates the soul into the forging process, a state of "heart and hammer as one" that only a fifth-level forging master possesses.

What shocked her even more was that Lu Xingchen's forging rhythm seemed rapid, but in fact, every strike precisely avoided the active core of the blue copper. Each strike removed impurities while simultaneously regulating the flow of activity.

"Genius! This child is an absolute once-in-a-century forging genius!"

Lin Yue's heart pounded violently, and she nearly dropped the record board in her hand.

There was no need to look at the blue copper; based on her experience, she could clearly judge how efficient Lu Xingchen's purification of the blue copper was simply by listening to the tapping sound.