The end of Gaowu: Becoming stronger from not practicing

Fine beads of sweat appeared on General Ma's forehead, and his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the newly forged longsword.

The sword is entirely silver-white, with faint golden patterns flowing along the blade. This is a divine weapon that he spent fifteen days crafting with all his heart and soul.

Whether the reputation of Shenjiangpu can be preserved depends on this one move.

"Father, we can definitely do it!"

Ma Fei said excitedly.

On the fifteenth day, General Ma's divine weapon was finally ready.

Whether or not the reputation of the Divine Craftsman Shop can be preserved depends on Master Ma.

From childhood to adulthood, Ma Fei has always admired Ma Dashuai.

They believed that General Ma was omnipotent.

But when the moment actually arrived, Ma Fei still watched General Ma's every move with extreme tension.

Wu Xiaomei, Master Yang, Master Wang, Master Liu and others also held their breath, their eyes fixed on the long sword in Ma Dashuai's hand.

Even Zhang Lingfeng wanted to know if Commander Ma could eventually forge a divine weapon that could help him advance to the fourth round.

The fate of the entire Divine Craftsman Shop now rests entirely on this sword.

As long as it meets the standards of the conference, the reputation of Shenjiangpu can be preserved.

As a result, the staff at the Divine Craftsman Pavilion also felt somewhat nervous.

The Divine Craftsman Pavilion is already second to none in Baidi City.

However, the existence of the Divine Craftsman's Shop tarnished the reputation of the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion.

In any case, the Divine Craftsman Pavilion wanted to take this opportunity to remove the Divine Craftsman Shop signboard and make the Divine Craftsman Shop disappear forever, so that people would only know the Divine Craftsman Pavilion and not the Divine Craftsman Shop in the future.

Therefore, Shen Pengyun and Shen Qiming both stared intently at Commander Ma.

He even prayed in his heart that General Ma would suffer a crushing defeat.

Commander Ma took a deep breath and poured the remaining divine power in his body into the longsword.

The golden patterns on the sword gradually brightened, like tiny bolts of lightning dancing across the blade. He could clearly feel the sword's internal breathing system operating, continuously strengthening the divine power he was infusing it with.

He is still refining this divine weapon.

With two hours remaining, Commander Ma was not in a hurry.

He knew that with his skills as a peak fourth-level blacksmith, he could forge a weapon that could be filled with maximum power within a quarter of an hour.

Creating a divine weapon that allows its power to breathe and grow on its own, while simultaneously ensuring that this released power can directly penetrate the physical defenses of a high-ranking god, is no easy task.

It could even be said that the chances of success are less than 10%.

But even if there is only a sliver of hope, Commander Ma will not give up.

He had long forgotten everything.

All I want is to successfully forge this divine weapon in my hand.

As for what achievements others have made.

He didn't care at all.

He didn't even know that Wu Xiaomei, his successor, had been eliminated.

Fifteen minutes later, Ma Dashuai suddenly opened his eyes.

He gave a low shout: "Open!"

The longsword burst forth with dazzling golden light, and a sharp sword aura roared out.

The divine power injected into it seemed to be completely absorbed at that moment.

The respiratory system inside, and even the various details of the divine sword, seem to have been forged to perfection by Master Ma.

He then followed the instructions of the conference, channeling a small amount of divine power into his body and feeling it gradually grow stronger within his respiratory system.

It was as if this divine sword, which originally only had a faint divine power, had quickly come to life.

A quarter of an hour.

It takes about fifteen minutes for this divine power to reach its peak.

It filled the entire internal space of the divine sword.

Ma Dashuai looked nervous yet full of anticipation.

The crowd was also affected by the emotions.

Shen Qiming and Shen Pengyun have already successfully forged their items. With their skills, they can easily enter the fourth round, especially since they are both members of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

Both of them were sensing the aura fluctuations of the sword in Ma Dashuai's hand.

They wanted to test whether the sword in General Ma's hand could fill and strengthen a meager amount of divine power to perfection within a quarter of an hour.

"Master Ma!"

Master Yang did not leave the forging table.

"Master!"

Wu Xiaomei called out softly.

General Ma gripped his longsword tightly with both hands.

Sweat dripped onto the sword.

A quarter of an hour is exactly a quarter of an hour.

General Ma felt that the divine power within the divine sword had finally been expanded to its full potential.

The energy amplification rate inside has reached the conference standard.

I have finally completed my first assessment.

At least we made it through the first hurdle.

His hands were trembling slightly.

He couldn't help but feel nervous, as it concerned the very survival of the Divine Craftsman's Shop.

Chen Fenfang, Master Liu, and Master Yan all came to watch.

All three hoped that Commander Ma could overcome his difficulties.

Upon seeing the divine weapon forged by Commander Ma, which met the standards for entering the fourth round in terms of energy enhancement and absorption, the three were happy for Commander Ma.

A smile appeared on Zhang Lingfeng's face.

He also hoped that Commander Ma could single-handedly protect the reputation of Shenjiangpu and leave Shenjiangge speechless.

"kill!"

Also at this time.

General Ma conducted the second test.

If you pass, you can proceed to the fourth round.

He held his longsword and swung it forcefully at the black iron pillar in front of him, which was specifically used for testing.

This black iron pillar was specially made by the conference and can mimic the physical defense of a high-level god.

"boom!"

The sword energy struck the black iron pillar, producing a muffled thud.

However, only a shallow scratch appeared on the surface of the black iron pillar, and not even a crack appeared.

"This"

General Ma's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Shut up!"

"Haha, what a pity!"

Boos and laughter erupted from all around the venue.

"Even Master Ma of the Divine Craftsman's Shop is nothing special!"

"You can't even break through the Xuan Iron Pillar, and you still want to pass the third round?"

"Looks like the name of the Divine Craftsman's Shop is going to change hands today!"

Everyone was talking about it.

Shen Pengyun, Shen Qiming, and many other members of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"father!"

Ma Fei burst into tears.

Wu Xiaomei was also heartbroken.

If the Divine Craftsman's Shop doesn't have a signboard, can it still be considered a Divine Craftsman's Shop?

This is all going to collapse.

Master Yang, Master Wang, and others were also extremely distressed.

If the Divine Craftsman's Shop closes down, what will they do? Will they really follow Commander Ma and leave Baidi City?
Master Yang is willing to follow.

But Master Wang, Master Liu, and others have a deep attachment to Baidi City.

"Hey!"

Zhang Lingfeng also felt sorry for Ma Dashuai.

He hoped that General Ma could protect the Divine Craftsman's Shop on his own. He knew how proud it would be to protect what he loved with his own strength.

Just like when he broke Shen Rufeng's laws and regulations.

Defeat Zuhe and others through your own strength. Only by doing things personally and successfully can you gain more joy.

Of course, as someone who always wants to practice lying down to the end, Zhang Lingfeng only hopes that someone can do everything for him so that he can always practice lying down to the end and thus gain more lying down points.

General Ma staggered back two steps, and the long sword in his hand clattered to the ground.

His eyes were vacant as he muttered to himself, "Impossible... I forged it according to the standards... Why can't it break through the defenses..."

"Is this the end for the Ma family's master craftsmanship shop?"

General Ma was unwilling to accept this.

But have to accept reality.

He was swaying precariously.

"father!"

Ma Fei shouted, "Don't worry, let's try again!"

Ma Fei hopes that Commander Ma will regroup and build up his strength once again.

Let's give it a try; perhaps this time the divine sword can break through the defenses of the black iron pillar.

"it's useless……"

General Ma shook his head with a bitter smile.
“I’ve tried… I’ve reached the required energy level, but the power I release… can’t even break through the physical defenses of a high-ranking god…”

His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a soliloquy: "I have failed my father's expectations... I have failed to uphold the reputation of the Divine Craftsman's Shop..."

"The Divine Craftsman Shop is finished in my hands."

Ma Dashuai looked guilty and heartbroken.

Thinking about this, I felt utterly hopeless.

Unable to face his father.

Suddenly, General Ma pulled out a special dagger from his pocket and was about to stab himself in the heart!
This dagger can make his soul fly away.

It took his life directly.

It can devour his divine body, drain his divine power, and crush his divine soul.

Even if he were a mid-level god, if the dagger were plunged deep into his heart, the power on it would instantly erupt and destroy everything he possessed.

"Dad, no!"

Ma Fei's eyes widened in fury. He recognized the origin of the dagger at a glance and rushed towards the forging table without regard for anything else.

Wu Xiaomei and Master Yang also exclaimed in surprise, but they were too far away to stop them in time.

Just at this critical moment, a calm voice came from the direction of the forging platform.

“Master Ma, if you die like this, the reputation of Shenjiang Shop will truly be lost.”

The sound wasn't loud, but it resounded like thunder in the hall.

Everyone turned to look at it simultaneously.

Zhang Lingfeng was slowly wiping a throwing knife in his hand, without even raising his head.

General Ma's hand froze in mid-air, the dagger only inches from his heart.

He slowly turned his head, looking at Zhang Lingfeng in disbelief: "Master Zhang?"

Zhang Lingfeng then raised his head and looked calmly at Ma Dashuai: "If you die now, the people of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion will probably laugh their heads off. They got the signboard without lifting a finger and even forced a fourth-level blacksmith to his death. This deal is too good to pass up."

Taking advantage of the moment, Ma Fei snatched the dagger from Ma Dashuai's hand, his voice choked with emotion: "Father, Master Zhang is right, we still have a chance!"

"Chance?"

General Ma said with a wry smile, "I can't even meet the standards of the conference."

Just because you can't achieve it doesn't mean others can't.

As Zhang Lingfeng spoke, he raised the throwing knife in his hand.

The throwing knife was entirely black, with fine silver patterns covering its blade. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but when sunlight shone on it, the silver patterns appeared to flow as if they were alive.

The room fell silent immediately.

One of the leaders of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion frowned and looked at Zhang Lingfeng: "Who is this?"

"Zhang Lingfeng, the blacksmith of the Divine Craftsman's Shop."

Zhang Lingfeng smiled slightly and added, "I am a level three blacksmith."

"A level three blacksmith?" The person in charge scoffed, disdainfully saying, "Even a level four blacksmith like Commander Ma failed, what can a level three blacksmith like you do?"

Zhang Lingfeng calmly explained: "According to the rules of the conference, there are three criteria for the third round of assessment."

First, powerful weapons must have a complete breathing system.

Secondly, the energy must be amplified to its maximum within 15 minutes.

Third, the released energy must be able to break through the defenses of a higher-ranking god.

He held up the throwing knife: "I have already tested the first two aspects of this throwing knife. Now, I will demonstrate the third aspect."

As he spoke, Zhang Lingfeng held the throwing knife horizontally and began to slowly infuse it with divine power.

Surprisingly, the throwing knife absorbed divine power extremely quickly; the silver patterns, like thirsty snakes, frantically devoured the surging divine power.

Just a quarter of an hour later, the throwing knife emitted a soft "hum," indicating that its energy was fully charged.

"This is impossible!"

"How come it's so fast?"

Shen Qiming and Shen Pengyun exclaimed in surprise.

Many people exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Lingfeng ignored him and threw the throwing knife.

"call out……"

The flying knife transformed into a black lightning bolt, striking the black iron pillar in an instant.

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound echoed throughout the venue.

To everyone's astonishment, a hole the size of a bowl appeared on the surface of the black iron pillar. The edge of the hole was as smooth as a mirror, and the flying knife had pierced through the pillar and was embedded in the stone wall behind it. The blade was still trembling slightly.

The meeting hall was silent.

Several seconds later, a blacksmith in charge of evaluating the standards exclaimed, "The flying knife forged by Zhang Lingfeng of the Divine Craftsman Shop can break through the defense of the Xuan Iron Pillar and achieve the effect of harming the physical body of a high-level god."

"boom!"

The venue instantly erupted in chaos.

General Ma stared blankly at the pierced iron pillar, then looked at Zhang Lingfeng.

"Master Zhang, you..."

Zhang Lingfeng walked over and patted Ma Dashuai on the shoulder: "Master Ma, the signboard of Shenjiang Shop has been saved."

"Who said that?"

Shen Qiming looked grim.

"Although you broke through the Xuan Tie pillar's defense, we haven't yet verified whether you can accumulate enough energy within a quarter of an hour, or whether the throwing knife has a complete breathing system, as you mentioned."

Shen Qiming reminded him.

"That's right, the conference has a complete set of testing standards, it's not something you can fool people with."

Shen Pengyun then spoke.

"He's clearly only a level three blacksmith, how could he possibly break through the defenses of the black iron pillar? Could it be that he added an extra bit of divine power when he threw it?"

"Things aren't settled yet, don't get too excited."

Let's check it again!

……

Everyone said something to me.

Their voices made Ma Dashuai's heart jump again.

Zhang Lingfeng took the dagger from Ma Dashuai's hand. A dagger that could make Ma Dashuai disappear into thin air clearly required the skill of a level 5 blacksmith to forge.

Could this sword have been forged by Ma Dashuai's father?

But what does it mean for General Ma to use it at this time?
"Okay, please check carefully!"

Zhang Lingfeng was confident and wanted to take down the throwing knife.

"Don't touch him!"

Shen Pengyun shouted.

They were afraid that Zhang Lingfeng would do something underhanded.

People couldn't help but feel a little disdainful.

With so many people watching, how could Zhang Lingfeng possibly pull any tricks?

But Zhang Lingfeng still stepped aside.

Immediately, a blacksmith from the grand assembly stepped forward and took the throwing knife off the pillar.

Master Ma, Master Yang, and the others were all releasing their senses, trying to determine the level of the throwing knife. For some reason, they felt that this throwing knife could not have been forged by a level three blacksmith.

This is clearly no ordinary divine weapon. (End of Chapter)