Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 24 Hammering and Chaining, the Raging Bull Shakes the Mountain

[Weapon Slot (Tier 1 0%)]

Number: 1 grid

[Weapon]: Small Iron Hammer

[Quality]: Low-grade Tier 2

[Status]: Not equipped

[Description]: A secondary hammer for forging, with a black iron core and a green wood handle, weighing three pounds and six ounces.

[Equipment Requirements]: Strength greater than or equal to 3.6 jin (approximately 1.8 kg).

[Equipment Effects]: 1. Inflicts control and shaping effects on metal workpieces, increasing hit rate by 15%; 2. When used in conjunction with the main hammer, triggers the "Master-Apprentice Concerto" buff, increasing forging efficiency by 1.15 for two quarters of an hour, with a one-quarter-hour cooldown.

Seeing that the effect was not bad, Chen Yu equipped the small iron hammer and began to work under Xiahou Fei's command.

"The 927th hammer blow."

Xiahou Fei called out the numbers in a loud voice that drowned out the roar of the bellows.

"You're in charge of the small hammer, you need to control the sides."

"Great talent, keep up with the bellows, go three points faster."

Cheng Daqi, sitting in the corner, remained silent, simply pulling the bellows with a whooshing sound, completing a cycle every five breaths.

"Thump"

Xiahou Fei swung the eighteen-pound main hammer.

The hammerhead sliced ​​through the sweltering air and slammed into the middle of the blade, sending sparks flying like fireflies.

"bite"--

Chen Yu's small hammer followed closely behind.

The 3.6-pound hammerhead is used to press against the edge of the blade, removing burrs, shaping, and controlling the curvature.

With the buffs from the [Weapon Slot], the force, angle, and timing of each hammer strike perfectly match the rhythm of Master Xiahou Fei's hammer.

"Dong" — "Ding" —

"Dong" — "Ding" —

The rhythm and cadence are perfectly matched.

"The 955th strike!"

"Flip it over."

The sledgehammer tapped the blade three times.

Chen Yu immediately grabbed some pliers to help flip it over.

The other side of the knife is placed on the anvil.

This is a goose-feather saber, standard issue for border troops.

The blade is two feet three inches long and one inch and eight-tenths inches wide, with a smooth, flowing pattern that trembles slightly in the firelight.

"The 997th strike!"

The shape of the goose-feather knife is beginning to take shape.

Xiahou Fei gripped the knife with iron tongs, his single eye narrowed into a slit as he carefully examined it by the firelight at the furnace opening.

"It's mostly formed, with few impurities left."

He turned to Chen Yu and said loudly.

"The final three blows, you do it."

On Xiahou Fei's first day training Chen Yu, he originally thought Chen Yu was just an ordinary apprentice, but he didn't expect that Chen Yu could keep up with his pace on the very first time.

Moreover, they follow up quickly and steadily, a feat that even a master and apprentice working together for many years might not be able to achieve.

So he wanted to see what Chen Yu could do with the hammer.

The basic shape of the goose-feather saber is complete, but it still needs a few final strikes, which will be perfect for testing the apprentice's skill.

"The anvil is the earth, supporting all things without moving."

"The great hammer represents heaven, opening chaos and bringing order."

"Xiaochui is a person who understands the subtleties of creation."

"These are forging techniques passed down through generations."

As Xiahou Fei explained, he casually handed the large iron hammer to Chen Yu.

"Let's see how well you smash with the small hammer; let's see if you can even break it with the big hammer."

"Raise the hammer with force, strike accurately, and retract steadily."

"If you can't do these three things, go back and practice moving iron ingots for three months."

After Xiahou Fei finished giving his instructions, Chen Yu didn't waste any words and took the big iron hammer to start equipping himself.

[Weapon Slot (Tier 1 0%)]

Number: 1 grid

[Weapon]: Large Iron Hammer

[Quality]: Low Grade, Tier 4

[Status]: Equipped

[Description]: A forging hammer, cast from black iron and refined steel, weighing eighteen catties.

[Equipment Requirements]: Strength greater than or equal to 18 jin

[Equipment Effects]: 1. Deals a heavy blow effect to metal workpieces, directly reducing the rough blank thickness by 30% and inducing metal fatigue; 2. Each hit adds 1 layer of "Scorching," and when 3 layers are reached, "Softening" is triggered, increasing the heavy blow effect of the next hit by 25%.

Once the equipment was complete, Chen Yu lowered his stance and swung the sledgehammer to smash.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

The sledgehammer fell with the force of tearing through the air.

The three consecutive strikes were executed flawlessly in one go.

The hammerhead collided with the anvil, and the shockwave rippled outwards in a visible ring.

Until the final hammer fell.

The lingering sound echoed back and forth between the four walls of the workshop, gradually coalescing into a long, drawn-out hum.

The impurities of the goose feather blade have been completely removed, and the silvery forging patterns ripple outwards from the point of impact.

Chen Yu put down the large iron hammer.

Xiahou Fei stared at the finished product on the anvil, its patterns layered like dragon scales, and remained speechless for a long time.

"You kid... are you really a newbie?"

"How can you hammer it so well?"

Xiahou Fei snapped out of his daze and looked at Chen Yu suspiciously.

Although he only has one eye, he has never misjudged anything he forges.

Finally, the last three hammer blows came down.

The impurities in the wild goose feather knife were completely removed from the patterns, and the entire blade was perfectly shaped without a single crack.

It's very difficult to reach this level unless you're a seasoned expert with years of experience.

Unless he is a one-in-a-hundred forging genius.

"The student is indeed a novice blacksmith."

"The fact that it's been forged to this extent is entirely due to the excellent teaching of my master."

"First, without the success of my master's first 997 hammer blows, there would be no success of my last three hammer blows."

"Secondly, without the forging techniques taught by my master, I wouldn't even know where to begin, let alone succeed in forging it."

"Thirdly, I want to thank my master for handing me the big iron hammer. He deserves the most credit for making this possible!"

"..."

Xiahou Fei listened in silence for a while.

He believed that Chen Yu was not lying and was not a seasoned blacksmith.

The reason is simple: if he were truly a master blacksmith, he could have already made his fortune in the Central Academy. Why would he bother being an apprentice in the Outer Academy, where it's hard, tiring, and doesn't pay much?

Moreover, according to his observation, although Chen Yu was skillful with the hammer, he did not have a very advanced forging technique.

That's just an instinct.

The instinct of a genius blacksmith.

Because of his lack of power and influence, and his disability in his right eye, Xiahou Fei had not taken on any apprentices for a long time.

Although his skills were no less than those of other blacksmiths, this was not a place where strength alone mattered.

Apprentices are also opportunists; if the master is not well-regarded, how many people will want to become apprentices?

Having finally discovered a promising talent, Xiahou Fei couldn't help but feel a surge of appreciation for his abilities.

My mentor cared for me a lot back then and taught me everything he knew.

Now it's my turn; I must pass on all that I've learned in my life, just like my master.

"Keep working!"

Xiahou Fei gave the order.

Although he valued talent, he was not in a hurry to teach Chen Yu any skills.

It's only been the first day we've met, so we don't yet know what kind of person he is.

We need to observe for a while longer before making a decision.

……

Seven days passed in a row.

Xiahou Fei made a preliminary judgment on Chen Yu's character.

So far, they seem to be behaving themselves properly, working diligently and learning new skills all day long, without any problems.

So he decided to teach Chen Yu something real.

Outside the forging room, the Sword Washing Stream flows gently.

Chen Yu and Xiahou Fei stood on the open ground beside the stream.

"What level are you at in martial arts right now?" Xiahou Fei asked.

He could tell that Chen Yu was at the level of skin refining, but he didn't know whether it was at the great success or the perfect stage.

"Master, I am currently at the peak of Skin Refining," Chen Yu answered honestly.

"To forge iron, you first need to have strength. You've just reached the peak of your skin-refining stage, and your strength is only a little over 300 jin. If you want to go further, this level is far from enough."

At this point, Xiahou Fei changed the subject.

"But it's not bad. At your age, in your early twenties, there's still hope!"

"Master, what hope are you talking about?"

"The hope of getting into the Intermediate People's Court... to get into the Intermediate People's Court, one must at least be a master of meat refining!"

Xiahou Fei paused for a moment, then continued.

"Watch closely, I'm going to teach you the Wild Bull Shaking Mountain Hammer Technique, an advanced method for refining flesh, with a total of thirteen levels."

"Upon completion, one's strength will exceed 500 jin, reaching the pinnacle of flesh refining!"