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The exchange competition was a comprehensive exchange.
It wasn't just about comparing strength but also about showcasing secondary professions.
The first match of the exchange competition was for blacksmiths.
"Wulin, you take this match," Xu Yuan decided to send Tang Wulin onto the stage.
Tang Wulin hesitated for a moment before nodding. He slowly stepped out from the ranks of Class One, Grade One and ascended the platform.
This year's exchange competition was particularly grand, drawing many interested Outer Court students and even some school leaders as spectators.
Due to factors surrounding Xu Yuan and Tang Wulin, more than one Elder Council member appeared in the audience.
Ya Li came to watch, along with Zhuoshi and Feng Wuyu. Additionally, Cai Yue'er, the Outer Court Dean, was present.
"Xiao Yuan isn't participating himself?" Ya Li's gaze flickered.
She carefully observed Tang Wulin, seeing him in person for the first time.
His dragon martial soul bloodline was even stronger than the combined bloodlines of Zhuoshi and Feng Wuyu's True Dragon martial souls. Even at Rank 30, he exerted an abnormal level of bloodline suppression that made two Super Douluo uneasy.
"Hehe, see that? That's my disciple!" Feng Wuyu said proudly.
"Hmph, isn't he also my grand-disciple?" Zhuoshi retorted, pointing out that he was a generation older.
"What do you mean, Zhuoshi?" Feng Wuyu immediately flared up.
This old geezer was taking advantage of him!
"All right, enough bickering from you two. Focus on the match," Ya Li scolded without turning her head. Her calm voice subdued the two hotheaded elders, who begrudgingly turned away, each watching the match with one eye.
The referee for the match was Shen Yi.
After Tang Wulin and He Xiaopeng, the forging representative from Class One, Grade Two, took the stage, she began announcing the rules of the match.
"The first match is a forging exchange. The task is metal purification. Each of you will receive a piece of titanium crystal. You have two quarters of an hour. Whoever achieves the better purification result wins. The winner will receive 1,000 contribution points. If the first-years win, they'll receive an additional 30% bonus."
He Xiaopeng from Class One, Grade Two was a Level Four Blacksmith. His methods were steady, opting for low-speed hammering with vibrational techniques to purify the titanium crystal.
Titanium crystals were extremely hard but also very brittle, making them difficult to forge. Applying too much force could cause them to shatter outright.
He Xiaopeng's method was more efficient for purification but placed greater demands on technique, making it highly challenging.
On the other hand, Tang Wulin chose repeated sharp strikes, using high-speed hammering to gradually knock impurities out of the titanium crystal.
Unfortunately, while Tang Wulin's method had a higher success rate and greater margin for error, it was also more time-consuming.
His heating time was shorter, allowing him to start forging earlier. However, by the time He Xiaopeng finished his forging, Tang Wulin was still mid-process.
He Xiaopeng successfully completed his forging, transforming the titanium crystal into a 1st-Grade Thousand-Forged piece. The crystal emitted a one-foot-tall glow, indicating excellent quality.
In contrast, Tang Wulin remained unfazed.
He continued his steady hammering.
At the last moment, just as Shen Yi began the countdown, Tang Wulin delivered his final strike.
Up until that point, to the untrained eye, the titanium crystal in front of him seemed unchanged—its size and appearance showed no obvious alterations, making it seem as though his two quarters of hammering had been futile.
However, in reality, he had been "calling" to the crystal, establishing a resonance during the initial stages.
With the final strike, a dragon's roar echoed, and golden ripples flowed from Tang Wulin's forging hammer into the titanium crystal. The crystal's color rapidly shifted from reddish-orange to brilliant gold, and a surge of golden light erupted skyward.
The titanium crystal underwent a spiritual transformation, emitting a five-foot glow at its peak. At the highest point, the golden light faintly took the shape of a dragon's head.
The titanium crystal, which had shown no changes throughout the prolonged hammering, now transformed. It became a perfectly round sphere with delicate, regular patterns, shrinking by a third in size.
Could the change brought by the final strike be so terrifying?
No, it wasn't due to that single strike.
It was more like the titanium crystal spontaneously evolved after undergoing a metamorphosis.
"Brat, hurry up and proceed with Spirit Forging! With spirit formation already achieved, you're guaranteed to succeed in Spirit Forging. This is your best chance to attempt it!" Feng Wuyu, who had somehow sneaked behind Tang Wulin, smacked him on the back to snap him out of his daze.
Tang Wulin came to his senses, realizing the significance of this moment for him.
Indeed, with spirit formation achieved, this titanium crystal forging had brought him into an incredibly profound state, breaking through previous limitations and directly reaching the realm of spirit formation—a state in forging known as almost guaranteed success in Spirit Forging.
Even though he wasn't a master blacksmith and didn't know Spirit Forging yet, his strong foundation gave him the qualifications to attempt it. This titanium crystal was his best chance to achieve Spirit Forging!
If successful, it would be a one-time accomplishment!
Achieving Spirit Forging in a single attempt was unprecedented in the history of forging.
It wasn't just about setting records—it also meant he could save a significant amount of rare metals that would otherwise be wasted during repeated attempts at Spirit Forging.
Cai Yue'er took a deep breath and announced, "The first exchange match is won by the first-years. Everyone else retreat. Let him finish forging this titanium crystal."
Tang Wulin took a deep breath, channeling his blood essence, and swung his forging hammer down with tremendous force.
Unlike before, this time he adopted a more violent forging approach.
Each strike was incredibly powerful.
More intense than He Xiaopeng's earlier efforts.
BANG, BANG BANG BANG!
The surroundings fell silent, with only the sound of Tang Wulin's hammer striking the titanium crystal echoing through the arena.
With each strike, the changes in the titanium crystal were clearly visible. Its internal patterns became more natural, sinking deeper into the metal. Waves of spiritual energy fluctuated intensely, as if something was coalescing within.
BOOM!
With the final strike, a crack appeared on the surface of the titanium crystal.
Like a shell breaking, the outer layer shattered, revealing a soft glow emanating from within. Every ray of light brimmed with vitality.
Spirit Forging!
The entire arena was stunned.
Was this really a first-year student?
Who didn't know what succeeding in Spirit Forging meant?
A Level Five Blacksmith was essentially considered a Master Blacksmith.
Above Master Blacksmiths were Saint-Level Craftsmen, the pinnacle of existence on the continent. Even Shrek Academy only had one Saint-Level Craftsman.
Above Saint-Level Craftsmen were Divine-Level Craftsmen.
Of course, by rank, Tang Wulin was only a Level Five Blacksmith. He'd need to reach Level Seven to become a Saint-Level Craftsman, requiring two more levels of advancement.
But this was already astonishing.
Across all six grades of Shrek's Outer Court, the number of blacksmiths capable of performing Spirit Forging could be counted on one hand.
"Wow, is Tang Wulin really this strong?"
Yang Nianxia muttered to himself.
This was his first time witnessing Tang Wulin's forging skills.
Previously, after visiting Xu Yuan's forging workshop, he thought Xu Yuan was unparalleled in forging. He never expected there to be someone even stronger than Xu Yuan?
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