Chapter 207 - Follow My Rhythm

“Yes. The result of our investigations verified that he came from Eastsea City’s Blacksmith’s Association. The girl next to him is Mu Chen’s daughter, who is praised as one of this generation’s greatest blacksmiths. Who would’ve thought that they’ve raised an even greater and younger genius? It seems the Eastsea Blacksmith’s Association has truly been fortunate these last few years!” A middle-aged man exclaimed beside the old man.

The white-haired old man nodded. “I want to see if this brat can surprise us again today. Investigate deeper into him. Determine his family’s circumstances and his background.”

“Elder Duan, what are your intentions?” The middle-aged man asked in surprise.

The old man smiled slyly. “Although a fair share of geniuses has come from our Skysea Blacksmith’s Association, they can’t compare with those from Eastsea. It’s important to constantly think of ways to improve our situation since the younger the blacksmith, the less polished they are. This could also be an opportunity for us.”

“I understand. I’ll arrange it right now.” The middle-aged man finally grasped the old man’s plan. He quickly made some calls with his soul communicator.

Unaware of these events, Tang Wulin began forging.

A flash of light later, his forging hammers were in his hands. However, instead of his heavy silver hammers, they were tungsten.

He gently tapped the heavy silver, and a crisp note rang out.

Paying attention to his actions, Mu Xi copied him.

With her own thousand-refined hammers, Mu Xi’s tap issued a second, successive note.

Tang Wulin wrinkled his brows. He turned to Mu Xi and gave her a curt nod.

Although Mu Xi had yet to understand Tang Wulin’s plan, she was resolute and responded with a firm nod. Regardless of what Tang Wulin planned to do, she chose to believe in him and do as he said. If she could see what surprise Tang Wulin had up his sleeve, then so what if it ended in failure? They were still young and had plenty of opportunities waiting for them in the future.

Ding!

Tang Wulin’s hammer descended.

Mu Xi mirrored him. She felt the delay between their movements disappearing; furthermore, Tang Wulin’s strikes seemed heavier than usual, almost as if they were her own.

Moving in sync, Tang Wulin and Mu Xi raised their other hammer and smashed the metal.

The surrounding blacksmiths had also begun to forge. Many had been caught up in the tempest of Tang Wulin’s forging rhythm the day before, but today they had learned their lesson and threw themselves into the process as soon as possible.

With each resounding boom of Tang Wulin’s tungsten hammer, another soon followed.

Although Tang Wulin had slowed his pace, it still possessed a peculiar tempo to it.

Their hammers raised and fell together as they forged in unison, gradually increasing in speed and similarity.

As Tang Wulin’s hammers began to practically fly through the air, so too did Mu Xi’s.

Feeling! Rhythm!

These two words lingered in the back of Mu Xi’s mind. She had forged heavy silver countless times before, yet, this time, it was an entirely different sensation.

As Mu Xi forged with Tang Wulin, she discovered that she could sense the heavy silver’s breath clearer than usual, following her rhythm and cadence. As a genius in her own right, she soon immersed herself in this feeling.

A smile peeked out as Tang Wulin observed her changes. Senior disciple sister really is senior disciple sister! If she puts her mind to it, then she can really do it!

Few paid attention to them in the beginning due to their slow pace, but as the two sped up, a forging tempest like the day before appeared.

Tang Wulin’s hammers struck faster, spurring on Mu Xi to do the same. Their hammers rained down on the metal like a whirlwind, each strike resounding.

The most unusual thing was that the two reflected each other perfectly; even the location of their strikes and pull of the hammer were identical. Under their assault, the heavy silver slowly shrunk and transformed.

The blacksmiths on stage soon noticed this bizarre situation, giving them no small shock. What are these two kids doing? Why are their forging rhythms identical?

This was the first time they had ever seen anything like this.

Now that Mu Xi was completely immersed in the process of forging, she could clearly hear the heavy silver’s voice as it cheered with each strike on its body. She no longer needed to follow Tang Wulin’s rhythm, using her own senses to continue.

This was her first time experiencing such a mystical sensation. Her mind void of any distracting thoughts, she focused all her attention on forging.

Hammer after hammer descended, gradually shaping the heavy silver. Joyful rings sounded out in response to being purified .

Beautiful cloud patterns emerged onto the twinkling surface of the heavy silver.

Beads of sweat rolled down Mu Xi’s forehead. Although her soul power exceeded Tang Wulin’s by far, she couldn’t compare with his physical strength. Even after Tang Wulin lowered his strength to match Mu Xi’s usual output, their pace was exhausting her.

Only by concentrating her soul power into her arms did she just barely manage to continue this fast-paced forging. Mu Xi’s years of blacksmithing came together, culminating into a sensation that made her want to sing as she was held spellbound by this feeling.

Yes! It’s like this! Exactly like this! This thought echoed within her heart.

Bang!

The two’s final strike landed simultaneously. Two beams of light shot into the air from the heavy silver; though the light lasted no more than an instant, it had clearly been seen by everyone on the stage.

“What? A light came out?” The old man unconsciously shouted. Without a single exception, all the blacksmiths from the Skysea Alliance gawked at the duo.

Cen Yue was also on the stage, but on the other end. He had been paying attention to the two since the start of the competition.

Even with his prior understanding of the two, he was flabbergasted by their synchronized rhythms. What are those two brats doing? Why isn’t Tang Wulin using his heavy silver hammers? Just what is he doing?

However, all of his doubts were blown away when he saw the beam of light. Cen Yue was aware of Tang Wulin’s ability to thousand refine second-grade metals, but unexpectedly Mu Xi had accomplished it too! It was simply unfathomable. Mu Xi wasn’t even a third rank blacksmith yet and her Thousand Refinements was still unstable!

Even if it was the dimmest of lights that came from a thousand refined metal, it still signified that from that moment on, Mu Xi was a third rank blacksmith. Reaching third rank at the young age of fourteen was no small matter.

Not a single third rank blacksmith existed within the junior division; Tang Wulin was fourth rank, so he didn’t count.

The old man roused from his stupor by the sound of a gulp. He strode forward and leapt down from the stage with nimble movements unlike that of an elderly man.

He no longer cared that the competition was still in progress, directly charging in Tang Wulin’s and Mu Xi’s direction.

A light blue halo glimmered around the silver metal as Tang Wulin put away his tungsten hammers. The pattern spread evenly across the heavy silver’s surface, covering every single inch. He narrowed his eyes as he reflected on the process.

Mu Xi propped herself up against the forging table with her arms. That feeling just now! That feeling! Her eyes twinkled like stars as she kept recreating that feeling in her mind. She knew she had reached the next rank. It had been the first time she could perceive the will of the metal. As she carved this experience into her heart, she had a newfound appreciation for everything that came before.

“Don’t go over.” Just as the old man was about to reach the two, Cen Yue stopped him. “They’re comprehending things right now. We mustn’t disturb them,” Cen Yue said with a lowered voice.

The old man, as well as the other blacksmiths that had followed, all halted in place. As they were all of at least the fifth rank, they understood how important times of comprehension were to blacksmiths.