Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

The so-called fusion is a kind of fit that occurs between the blacksmith and the metal he works with.

It's not simply about understanding the sound, nor is it about relying solely on experience to judge where the next hammer should land. Rather, it's a state that only emerges when the blacksmith's strength, rhythm, and emotions truly mesh with the texture of the metal.

Once you reach this stage, the finished product is usually quite good.

Mu Chen stood outside the door of test room number three, listened for a while, but did not go in.

Even if he were the president of the East Sea City Blacksmith Association branch, he couldn't just barge in during the level test. Forging is something that's easily disrupted by external forces. At best, the test would be invalidated; at worst, it would leave a psychological scar, making it difficult to get back into the zone for a long time afterward.

He turned and went back to the front desk.

Who is conducting the test in room number three?

The receptionist immediately looked down to check the records.

"His name is Tang Wulin, and he was personally brought there by Master Cen Yue."

"Tang Wulin?" Mu Chen took the registration form, his gaze falling downwards. A moment later, his brow twitched slightly. "Nine years old?"

The staff member nodded.

"Yes, that's how the information was filled out. We were just wondering why such a young child would be doing a level assessment."

Mu Chen did not speak immediately.

Nine years old.

In the Blacksmiths' Guild, it's quite rare to see someone this age undergoing evaluation. Moreover, the hammering sound that came from room number three just now didn't seem like something a kid trying his luck could produce.

He had already become somewhat interested.

Before he could think any further, the soul communication device at his waist rang.

"Dad, I'm ready. Aren't you coming over?"

On the other end of the communication was Mu Xi's voice.

Mu Chen glanced down at the documents in his hand, then looked towards room number three, and finally replied, "I'll be right there."

My daughter's Level 2 assessment obviously can't be delayed.

He handed the documents back to the front desk and turned to walk towards test room number six.

Meanwhile, the forging continued in test room number three.

Time marches on, little by little.

Tang Wulin had completely sunk inside.

The two hammers rose and fell in his hands, pressing out impurities from the surface of the smelted silver bit by bit, while the edges continued to tighten. At this moment, the weight of the thousand-forged tungsten steel hammers became the most suitable for his hand, each strike landing solidly, and the rebound was even clearer.

His ears were twitching slightly the whole time.

Listen to the sound of the hammer, listen to the smelting silver, listen to the subtle changes in the metal after each hammer blow.

The reviewer hasn't hunched over a pen in a long time.

At this point, basic judgments are no longer very meaningful. All she needs to do now is see how it all turns out.

Cen Yue stood to the side, also remaining silent.

He had only wanted to see just how far Mang Tian had progressed in teaching his disciples. Now, after seeing it all, he understood perfectly well—

This child is definitely beyond the reach of even a Level 1 officer.

The only question is how he will finish this match.

Finally, the evaluation timer emitted a soft click.

"Time's up."

Just as the reviewer began to speak, Tang Wulin's final hammer fell.

"when--"

This sound was deeper and more steady than all the previous hammer blows.

Then, he retracted his hammers, and with a flash of dark light, the pair of thousand-forged tungsten steel hammers were put back into the sunken silver ring.

The forging room fell silent.

Tang Wulin stood before the forging table, his breathing slightly more rapid than an hour ago, sweat beading on his forehead, his face flushed from the heat. But that was all. He showed no signs of exhaustion; his shoulders and back remained steady, and his gaze was unwavering.

The evaluator's gaze first fell on the saturated silver on the forging table.

Cen Yue glanced at Tang Wulin's eyes first.

The focus in his eyes hadn't completely faded; it was as if the hammer had stopped, but he was still in the rhythm. This state didn't seem feigned, nor could it be luck.

He couldn't help but sigh again.

Mang Tian has truly struck gold this time.

"The purity of the immersion silver exceeds the standard of 100-fold refining." The evaluator finally spoke, his voice much more serious than before. "The volume has shrunk by about 7%, and the removal of impurities and the preservation of internal texture are both excellent. By the first-class standard, it not only passes, but will receive a very high score."

At this point, she looked up at Cen Yue.

"This kid will be a shoo-in for Level 1."

Cen Yue neither nodded nor spoke immediately. He simply stared at the piece of heavy silver on the forging table, and after a moment, murmured:

"That Mang Tian guy, he really did it on purpose."

The reviewer looked at him.

"You mean, he already knew this child was more than one grade high?"

Cen Yue smiled this time, but the smile was somewhat complicated.

"If he really just wanted his disciple to try out the first level, he wouldn't have sent him here in the first place." He then turned to Tang Wulin, "Little guy, besides purification, what else can you do?"

Tang Wulin slowly came back to his senses from that smooth, almost oblivious state.

He wasn't quite done yet.

If he had had a little more time, he was confident he could have pushed that piece of sunken silver further. At the very least, it wouldn't have stopped at the first level of purification.

"I can make some parts," he thought for a moment and answered honestly, "both small and medium-sized."

As soon as he said that, the reviewer's expression changed again.

A first-level blacksmith is only required to perform basic refining.

Medium-sized parts, on the other hand, already represent the threshold for Level 2.

Cen Yue was not surprised.

From the moment Tang Wulin first said, "My teacher asked me to do the assessments and then take on some work," he already had this in mind. Now it's just being confirmed.

The evaluator pondered for a moment, glanced at the dark silver on the forging table, and then looked at Tang Wulin.

"Do you want to try Level 2?"

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up immediately.

"May I?"

"Okay." The evaluator nodded. "But let me make it clear first, Level 2 is different from Level 1. In addition to purification, Level 2 also requires you to independently complete a qualified medium-sized part. If you don't do it well, you'll still pass Level 1, it won't affect your performance."

Tang Wulin did not hesitate at all.

I want to try.

Looking at him like this, Cen Yue became even more certain.

This child isn't just being stubborn.

He really wanted to fight.

"Then let's continue," the evaluator said decisively. "We'll still use that piece of smelted silver you just used. You decide what kind of medium-sized part to make. As long as the finished product is up to standard, it'll pass level two."

"Yes."

Tang Wulin responded and immediately returned to the forging table.

He didn't rush to strike, but first examined the piece of smelted silver that had already undergone one round of refining. After the volume was reduced, the internal texture was much clearer than before, and the remaining material was more than enough to make ordinary medium-sized parts.

The only question is, what is the most suitable thing to do?

Tang Wulin made his decision after only two breaths.

Joint components.

To be more precise, it's a protective component inside the mech's knee joint.

Immersed silver has good conductivity and sufficient density, making it very suitable for making medium-sized parts that bear pressure, transmit force, and require stable texture.

Once he had figured it out, he stopped.

I got the twin hammers again.

The hammer struck again.

This time, it was faster and more direct than the previous purification. Because after purification, what remains is no longer "penetration," but rather "formation."

The reviewer wanted to point out that ordinary metals could be used for the Level 2 test, and there was no need to continue with the sapphire. But she was silenced by a look from Cen Yue.

At times like these, it's best not to say anything.

Tang Wulin's condition is too smooth.

He clearly liked this piece of sunken silver very much. Or more accurately, he was very familiar with it. The previous round of purification hadn't "severed" him from the metal; on the contrary, it had made the bond even stronger.

As a result, the subsequent forging process became smoother.

Hammer after hammer, striking without the slightest hesitation.

As the slag is hammered with tungsten steel, it begins to deform, round, and bend, with the edges gradually closing and the curvature and thickness constantly being adjusted. The entire process is devoid of fancy movements; it's just the simplest forging technique. But it is precisely because of this lack of frills that each hammer blow appears extremely precise.

The more Cen Yue looked, the deeper the light in his eyes became.

That's very solid.

This kind of solid foundation isn't something you can develop in a day or two; it's built up little by little over a long period of time at the forging table. This kid knows almost everything: how to lift the hammer, how to apply force, when to go fast, and when to be steady.

Moreover, he didn't memorize it.

It has already been injected into the body.

More than an hour passed.

When Tang Wulin finished hammering and gently placed the silver-plated part on the forging table, the forging room fell silent once again.

It was a semi-circular medium-sized joint component.

The lines are rounded, the edges are neatly finished, and there are almost no unnecessary flaws on the surface. Most importantly, it's not just "made up," it's actually usable.

The reviewer stepped forward, looked down at it for a long time, and even gently ran his finger over it, as if to check for any tiny errors that the naked eye could not detect.

Finally, she straightened up and looked at Cen Yue.

This time, even she fell silent for a few moments.

Cen Yue didn't urge him either.

Because the result is already quite obvious.

A moment later, the evaluator looked at Tang Wulin again.

"This part is acceptable."

She paused, then clarified her explanation.

"It's not just passable. By the standards of a Level 2 assessment, it does very well."

Tang Wulin finally felt a little relieved from the breath he had been holding.

"So...does that mean I passed?"

The reviewer looked at the sweaty, incredibly young child who had somehow managed to beat up Chen Yin like this, and finally nodded.

"pass."

"Level 1 and Level 2, both passed."

Tang Wulin was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up.

That kind of brightness wasn't ostentation or smugness, but a very direct joy. It was as if only now did he truly realize that, since arriving in Donghai City, there was finally one thing that had settled down.

Cen Yue stood to the side, watching him like this, and couldn't help but smile.

"Little fellow," he said, "from today onwards, you are an officially registered Level 2 Blacksmith."