Nuoding Academy's work-study program lived up to its name: students worked to pay their tuition. Classes ended, and the students scattered into the city to find employment. Xiao Wu and I, the newcomers, needed jobs too. Yu Xiaogang had paid our fees, but I had another motive. I needed to find the city's only weapon-forging blacksmith.
The sun dipped past its zenith, but the heat persisted. Nuoding City bustled. Vendors shouted over the clatter of boots and carriage wheels on the cobblestone roads.
After earning credit from Grandmaster, we experimented for another hour. Adding a person to the Soul Link boosted benefits during simultaneous meditation. The increase was slight, yet extraordinary. Spirit Masters would do anything for cultivation speed.
Beyond that, Grandmaster's sensation of returning youth shocked him even more than his increased soul power. I never claimed he had actually become younger. Fortunately, he believed it resulted from his breakthrough to Spirit Elder, which extended his lifespan.
Grandmaster's breakthrough meant he needed a suitable soul ring, so we postponed tomorrow's hunt. I didn't mind. I needed to figure out how to refuse his planned soul ring configuration. I refused to waste my first three soul ring slots like in the original story.
I navigated narrow alleys, scanning for a hammer and anvil symbol. Finally, I found it. An old building radiated heat and the scent of burnt iron.
A blast of hot air greeted me as I stepped inside. Dim light filled the interior, broken only by the furnace's bright embers. Metal clashing against an anvil deafened me, a steady rhythm of labor. A burly man, skin darkened by soot, swung a massive hammer. He focused entirely on the red-hot iron, ignoring my presence.
What a fascinating sight. It was like watching a YouTube video, but real. My Science talent reacted as I tried to comprehend his actions. Unfortunately, I hadn't bought the Engineering talent yet, so practical understanding had to rely on myself.
However, that would be the case if I lacked Add Potential.
He took his time finishing. The man plunged the red-hot iron into a water trough, triggering a loud hiss. White steam filled the room. As the steam thinned, he slammed the hammer down and wiped sweat from his face with a soot-blackened sleeve. His sharp eyes shifted to me, scrutinizing.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice hoarse and weary.
"Sorry to disturb your work, Uncle," I said, bowing slightly. "My name is Tang San, a work-study student at Nuoding Academy. I'm looking for a job."
The man's face crinkled. "Huh, you look like a new student. Go other place, kid," he grunted. "I don't hire new students. Besides, you're too weak to help here."
"I understand your concern, Uncle. However, I possess innate physical strength, and my father is a blacksmith. He taught me metal refining and basic techniques," I said, hopeful. "I can prove it." I eyed a piece of metal near the furnace.
He hesitated, then nodded. "Fine, but don't blame me if you get hurt." He stood, picked up the metal, tossed it onto the anvil, and stoked the furnace.
"Hurry up, kid, I don't have all day!" He handed me the massive hammer.
I couldn't suppress a smile. I took the hammer with ease, surprising the blacksmith. Ignoring him, I threw the metal into the furnace.
As the metal reddened, excitement built within me. I possessed Tang San's memories, but I had never forged metal. My confidence didn't come from memories or the Science talent. It came from Add Potential: Inspired Inventor.
The Company's decision to allow Inspired Inventor with Add Potential surprised me. Inspired Inventor is a cheat popular enough in fanfiction to replace the Waifu Catalog. Later, I realized this version differed significantly.
I mentally filled the single Inspired Inventor slot with the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method. A progress bar appeared in my peripheral vision.
[Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method - 3%]
The metal turned blinding orange. I clamped it with tongs and moved it to the anvil in one swift motion. Utilizing the hammer's weight and gravity, I raised it high.
Clang!
The first strike echoed through the room, heavy and powerful. I didn't rely on muscle alone; I used gravity for maximum impact. Each strike landed with precision, targeting the metal's structural weak points.
Relearning the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method from Tang San's memories felt like possession.
[Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method - 38%]
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"T-this is the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!" the blacksmith exclaimed. I barely heard him.
Every strike pushed the progress bar higher. The higher the percentage, the easier the swing. I gathered inertial force from each blow to strengthen the next. Power surged from my calves to my waist, back, arms, and finally the hammer. Each blow accumulated momentum.
Fifth strike!
Clang!
Sixth strike!
Clang!
Seventh strike!
...
..
Twentieth strike!
Clang!
Tang San's limit was supposed to be 20 strikes, but I reached 21 without fatigue.
[Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method - 62%]
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hammer felt like an extension of my body. Muscles worked in harmony, channeling multiplying kinetic energy. The metal shrank and condensed, radiating a pure sheen as impurities expelled themselves.
Thirty-sixth strike!
CLANG!
The final blow created an air wave strong enough to clear dust from the anvil. The metal had shrunk to half its size, its density multiplied.
[Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method - 85%]
"Thirty-six consecutive strikes without a break..." the blacksmith muttered, eyes wide.
I took a deep breath, steam rising from my body. I felt invigorated, not exhausted. I glanced at the progress bar. Only 15% left. However, the metal had reached its limit.
Seeing the blacksmith speechless, I smiled. "How was it, Uncle?" I placed the hammer down.
Time remained before curfew; enough to max out the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method and Hundred Refined (Bailian). That was how Inspired Inventor worked. Instead of instant mastery, I started with basic instincts and developed them manually. Other techniques wouldn't be this easy without Tang San's memories, but I preferred this satisfaction.
I wanted to focus on recreating the metal refining techniques from Soul Land 3. My target was to reach Spirit Refined (Linglian) before graduating from Nuoding Academy.
I spent the next four hours helping the blacksmith refine metal. I declined his apprenticeship offer and rushed back to the dorm.
On the way, I wondered if Tang Hao had watched me, or if he was visiting Yu Xiaogang to check the Soul Link's healing efficacy.