Douluo Continent: From Internal Martial Arts to the Law of Heaven and Earth

In that instant, Xiao Kuang's figure suddenly exploded—two afterimages swept out almost skimming the ground of the city wall, so fast that they were just a blur.

Immediately afterwards, strange sounds of tearing cloth and the screeching of twisting metal armor rang out. The two soldiers standing guard on either side of the stone steps didn't even have time to utter a complete scream before their arms were forcibly ripped off their shoulders by Xiao Kuang, and thrown high into the air with splattered blood. The bright red blood mist instantly spread, drenching the old man from head to toe, and the warm, sticky sensation made everyone present freeze instantly.

Xiao Kuang slowly withdrew his hand, as if he were merely brushing away dust, and put both hands back into his pockets.

“General, keep your soldiers in check. I came up without wearing a uniform and without identifying myself, and you let me pass. This is very bad and a huge oversight.”

“Your Highness, isn’t this going a bit too far? When you first arrived, you said my soldiers lacked awareness, and now you’re saying they’re not vigilant enough. What exactly do you want?”

The old man was practically roaring in a low voice, his fists clenched, veins bulging on his arms, seven soul rings rising from his feet, his body slightly swelling, and large scales appearing and disappearing, his anger impossible to control.

"General, don't get so agitated. I just wanted to test these soldiers' reaction time, but they couldn't even react to my surprise attack. They're really a bunch of useless trash."

Facing the seven soul rings that pulsated up and down on the old man's body, Xiao Kuang was not afraid at all. The same standard soul ring configuration of two yellow, two purple and three black appeared under his feet, and his attitude remained indifferent.

"Does the general intend to take action? Of course, I would be more than happy to do so. Although I am certainly no match for the general, the general should also be aware of my soul skill, which seems to be difficult to control. If any of our soldiers are accidentally injured, it would be purely accidental. Please forgive me, general."

The old man, who had been itching to throw a punch, was instantly sobered up when he heard the arrogant words that followed.

He had no idea what kind of spirit the prince in front of him was. The prince's ultimate goal in training him was Dugu Bo of the Heavenly Dou Sect. Although he couldn't reach the peerless level of the prince due to the limitation of his innate spirit power, it would still be a powerful weapon in a war.

If we actually fight them, it's hard to say whether I'll be alright, but I'm pretty sure I'll lose 50-60% of my men. Such a heavy price to pay just to vent my anger over the enemy's two wounded men is really not worth it.

"Your Highness should go back and rest early."

The old man, feeling utterly aggrieved, angrily flung his hand away, not giving Xiao Kuang another glance, and hurriedly ordered his men to carry the two unfortunate soldiers away.

"Then I'll be going now. General, if there's anything I can help you with in terms of training, just let me know."

A smug smile spread across his face as he followed the trembling Zhang Shan and Li Shi away.

Card wipe!

After the arrogant old man, who had been leaning on the city wall, had gone far away, he could no longer contain his frustration and anger. The stones under his hands cracked inch by inch as he cursed, "Bastard!"

……

The Blacksmiths' Association is located in the heart of Gengxin City, covering a vast area. It is constructed entirely of rough bluestone blocks, with wide and imposing walls that are not towering, exuding a sense of stability and solidity.

On either side of the gate were discarded iron billets and forging scraps, and the air was filled with a faint smell of iron filings. The atmosphere was solid and understated, just like the temperament of a blacksmith.

Before Tangshan and Guyue even reached the association's entrance, they discovered that a considerable number of people had already gathered there, forming a large circle with an open space in the center.

Based on the information they obtained from Miles, Tang Shan and Gu Yue concluded that the center of the circle was most likely where the master craftsman Lou Gao had demonstrated his forging skills.

Tang Shan took Gu Yue's small hand, unleashed his strength, and plunged straight into the dense crowd.

With his superior physical abilities and skillful use of strength, Tang Shan quickly brought the girl to the very center of the circle.

The center is a wide, flat area with a square stone platform in the middle. On the platform are a stove, bellows, an anvil, and iron clamps—all the tools needed for blacksmithing.

At this moment, the stone platform was empty, obviously the time for Lou Gao to make his appearance had not yet come, but many blacksmiths had already arrived, whispering about their blacksmithing experiences.

Tangshan didn't pay attention to their discussion. Perhaps their exchange would be of great benefit to his future studies and training, but since he didn't plan to study it in the short term, there was no need to memorize this knowledge, lest he be distracted by trying to understand the deduction.

About ten minutes later, a short, stout old man walked out of the gate of the blacksmiths' association. He was round and thick, with his height and waist almost equal, and his skin was a deep bronze color.

What is most striking are his hands. His palms are exceptionally large and thick, with distinct knuckles, covered with thick, hard calluses, and the area between his thumb and forefinger and the center of his palms are marked with scratches of varying depths.

He was dressed in an ordinary short shirt, and walked steadily up the stone platform. His identity needs no introduction; he was Lou Gao, one of the three master craftsmen on the mainland.

"Today I will be explaining the shaping and fine carving of materials, which requires extremely high control over force and mastery of the forging hammer. Watch carefully!"

Lou Gao didn't say much, but his tone was calm and composed. After a brief introduction, he entered a state of focused concentration.

He raised his hand and took out a piece of iron from his storage soul tool, steadily put the iron into the furnace, and then gripped the bellows lever with both hands, slowly pushing and pulling it.

The flames roared with the help of the bellows, the orange-red light casting a crimson glow on his face. The flames licked at the black iron block, the temperature steadily rising, the iron softening little by little. From the moment he began, Lou Gao's previously half-closed eyes slowly opened, his gaze calm and focused, fixed intently on the iron block in the furnace.

His wrist was as steady as a rock, and the force and rhythm of pushing and pulling the bellows were not uniform, so the temperature fluctuated, but he controlled the heating effect to the most perfect state.

The blacksmiths present held their breath, watching Lou Gao's every move intently, hoping to learn even a glimpse of the master craftsman's skills.

Before anyone knew it, Lou Gao had grabbed the iron clamp and plunged it into the furnace. With a quick twist and a flick of his wrist, his round, plump body moved with a speed and agility completely out of proportion to his size.

Clang!

A crisp, heavy metallic clang rang out as the red-hot iron was steadily placed on the anvil.

With a flash of gray light, Lou Gao had already grasped two huge iron hammers in his hands. The hammers seemed to be a natural extension of his limbs in his hands, and the dense hammer shadows covered the entire piece of iron.

Sensing the unusual change in Lou Gao's aura, Tang Shan's face flashed with surprise: "The embryonic form of will."

He really didn't expect that a blacksmith who was focused on forging iron could actually develop a rudimentary form of will; this was truly unexpected.

Gu Yue, who had been watching with curiosity, suddenly widened her eyes upon hearing Tang Shan's surprise, and her relaxed expression instantly froze.

As the Silver Dragon King, who wields power over elements and life, she has yet to fully develop a nascent will. Yet this seemingly ordinary human Soul Saint has forcibly taken this step through forging, which is truly absurd.

Regardless of how astonished Tang Shan and Gu Yue were watching from below the stage, the towering ironwork on the stage continued.

The hammers flew up and down, the arms swung alternately, each hammer blow was steady, accurate and powerful, and the iron block the size of a human head dented in response, the force penetrating layer by layer.

With the combined blows of the two hammers, the volume of the iron was compressed to half of its original size in a short period of time.

Reducing the size of an iron block by half is the limit for most blacksmiths, but for Lou Gao, this is just the beginning.

Ping Pong Pong!

The hammer fell at a gradually slower speed, but maintained a strange and stable frequency, landing precisely on the target.

Although the iron shrinks at a slower rate than before, it is constantly being refined and compressed little by little, impurities are continuously hammered out, and the texture becomes increasingly dense.

"Such exquisite control of power."

Tang Shan, who was watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the short, fat old man's movements on the stone platform, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Lou Gao's control over power once again surprised him.

Internal martial arts control power in a synchronized manner throughout the whole body. There is no such thing as mastering one aspect to the level of Ming Jin (manifested strength) or Hua Jin (transformed strength). However, the level of mastery is different. By observing the opponent's physical exertion, one can roughly judge whether the opponent has even achieved the integration of Ming Jin and the power of the whole body. However, their subtle control over the power of their arms is already comparable to that of a practitioner of Hua Jin in internal martial arts.

Chapter 321 Forging Completed

This special situation is somewhat similar to when Tang Shan used his first soul skill to gain self-control, except that Tang Shan's mastery of a part of his body reached the pseudo-divine level, while Lou Gao's control over the strength of his arms approached the level of mastery.

……

The crisp knocking sounds gradually subsided, and the rate at which the hammers fell also began to decrease. When Lou Gao finally stopped his actions, only a piece of iron about the size of an adult man's fist remained on the anvil.

"This is the most basic purification, but it is also the basic skill of a blacksmith. Next is fine carving."

Lou Gao's voice was concise and aged; after saying a few simple words, he resumed his hand gestures.

He held the enormous hammer in one hand, and with a gentle flick of his wrist, it struck the iron material, each blow landing precisely in the same spot. Under the continuous hammering, the surface of the iron material was no longer rough, but began to become smooth and firm.

Without pausing, the arm maintained a steady rhythm, allowing the power to travel from the arm to the hammerhead, then steadily striking the metal. The iron changed shape little by little with each strike, each blow causing a visible change in the iron.

Jingle bells!

The sound was no longer dull; it sounded like chopsticks tapping on a porcelain bowl.

Originally just an ordinary piece of iron, as it was struck from a higher position, the oval shape gradually elongated, revealing a small handle. The handle was of uniform thickness and had a grooved pattern specifically designed for gripping.

As you move upwards along the handle, the hammering speed increases again, and the thick iron material is slowly hammered into a thin blade. As time goes by, the blade is gradually flattened and straightened, with uniform thickness, and the edges gradually narrow and thin.

Next, the heavy back of the axe was easily hammered out, followed by further carving.

When the towering structure finally came to a complete stop, a small, exquisite iron axe, more of a work of art than a weapon, sat quietly on the anvil.

Tang Shan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Lou Gao's masterpiece, truly awestruck. The smooth lines and beautiful patterns on the iron axe were all hammered out by the old man on the platform, demonstrating his exquisite control over power.

He also knew very well that this was by no means the old man's limit. The old man's true ability lay in creating the Buddha's Wrath Lotus, the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles, and the Peacock Feather directly after his first encounter with mechanical hidden weapons and mechanical systems.

Indeed, even without pursuing the path of sublimated metal, Lou Gao's craftsmanship has reached a level that is absolutely unimaginable to ordinary people.

If we consider the orthodox path of sublimating metal as the path of cultivating internal strength and soul power, then Lou Gao's exquisite carving of metal can be seen as a skill similar to mastering swordsmanship and creating one's own soul techniques.

Of the two paths, the former is obviously easier to follow, but if the latter is truly mastered, why can't one become a true master craftsman?

Of course, we still need to provide some ideas. Lou Gao's exceptional talent doesn't mean that the entire blacksmithing community can reach that level. Good technological development requires successors to carry on the legacy. Judging from the current situation, there are very few people in the entire Douluo Continent who possess Lou Gao's level of forging skill. Exploiting it further is simply absurd; it's better to stick to the path of refinement and enhancement.

More importantly, if no one helps him research methods for refining metals, wouldn't he have to figure it out himself from scratch when he picks up forging again in the future?

"This concludes the forging demonstration. I hope everyone has gained something from it."

Lou Gao picked up the small, exquisite iron axe from the anvil and rubbed it with his large, rough hands, as if examining a rare treasure. "Remember this: what is a master craftsman? It is to have the ultimate control over strength and the forging hammer, and to have all forging under your mind."

The blacksmiths who had witnessed the entire forging process remained silent, constantly recalling Lou Gao's previous actions. Combined with his explanation, many of them showed expressions of sudden realization.

"Alright, that concludes today's demonstration."

After speaking, the tall, short, and stout figure walked straight down the steps and headed towards the gate of the blacksmiths' association.

"slow!"

A sharp shout rang out in the air, carrying a considerable fluctuation of soul power that caused the blacksmith watching to feel his blood surge.

Lou Gao frowned, stopped in his tracks, and stared straight in one direction, asking in a deep voice, "Miles, what are you trying to do now?"

Under the watchful eyes of those on high-rise buildings, the blacksmiths in that area were forced to separate, and a luxurious carriage barged in recklessly.

Tang Shan's expression was somewhat strange. He had reason to suspect that Miles had not just arrived, but had been waiting for a while, waiting for the building's demonstration to finish before coming out to teach the other party a lesson.

I need to remind Miles later. If Lou Gao really develops the Thousand Forging Technique, its value is far beyond that of a Spirit Hall Master. If the other party takes it to heart, he will be the one who suffers in the future.

While Tangshan was still pondering their relationship, the atmosphere between the two on the other side was already tense.

Miles leisurely lifted the curtain, stepped down from the carriage, and raised his chin slightly, exuding an arrogant and disdainful air. His face, as smooth as an orange peel, was full of contempt and disdain, making him incredibly arrogant.

"May I ask what brings Lord Miles here?"

Lou Gao didn't give the other party a friendly look and asked in a sarcastic tone.

Facing Miles, he showed no fear whatsoever. If it weren't for the Spirit Hall behind him, he would have already found an opportunity to deal with him. However, a Soul Emperor was nothing to him.

"What, can't I come just because I have nothing to do? Chairman Lou, you're putting on airs. I don't know when this blacksmith association became your private territory, where you have to give permission to come in."

"Hmph, nonsense. If you have something to say, come to my office."

Lou Gao frowned, noticing that many of the blacksmiths watching had their fists clenched, fearing that they might act impulsively and force their way in, which would make things difficult to handle later.

He was a master craftsman and a Soul Saint, so naturally he wouldn't fear Miles's retaliation. But those blacksmiths were just ordinary people. If they forcibly stepped forward and attracted attention, even if it was just a casual act by Miles, it would be an unbearable burden for them.

"Okay, let's talk in your office."

As Miles agreed, his eyes subconsciously searched his surroundings, clearly trying to find Tang Shan and Gu Yue hidden in the crowd.

Lou Gao was surprised that Miles was so easy to talk to today.