It seemed that talking about his work sparked some interest in Tang Hao.
He pulled over a worn-out chair, sat lazily in front of the chunk of refined iron, and said casually, "San, tell me—what kind of blacksmith is considered the best?"
Hearing that wretched nickname, Xiao Yan's brow twitched, and he took the opportunity to pretend to ponder deeply.
San? Why not just call me Si while you're at it?After grumbling in his heart, Xiao Yan did start to seriously think about the question.
This old mutt Tang Hao rarely says anything halfway serious.And if he wanted that refined iron, he'd have to humor the guy a bit.
"It should be the blacksmiths who forge divine tools, right?"
He'd heard villagers talk about how divine tools really did exist in this world.
And if something's called a "divine tool," it had to be top-tier stuff.
A glint of mockery flickered in Tang Hao's dim eyes. "Divine tools? So you've heard of them too? Then tell me—what are divine tools made from?"
"What else? Naturally, they're forged from divine-grade materials."
Tang Hao wagged a finger in front of him. "If you want to be a true blacksmith, remember what I say: forging divine tools with top-tier materials doesn't make you a blacksmith—it just makes you a fabricator. Forging a divine tool from ordinary iron—that makes you a true divine craftsman."
If Xiao Yan didn't have a shock-resistant temperament, he'd already be laughing out loud.
This old dog Tang Hao must've drunk himself stupid.
Forge divine tools with ordinary iron? That's some certified brain damage right there.
By Tang Hao's logic, it was like saying that if someone wanted to succeed in life, they had to rise from the bottom rung of society.If you're born rich? Better off ending it and trying again.Because no matter how brilliant you are as a second-gen rich kid, your entire life's still a failure.Why use god-tier materials if you've got them—nah, let's use common junk and hope it turns into a masterpiece.
Even master smiths like Gan Jiang, Mo Ye, and Ou Yezi wouldn't dare try that nonsense.
Seeing Xiao Yan staying silent, Tang Hao pointed to a large square iron block on the other side of the room—must've weighed at least 50 kilograms. "If you want to be a blacksmith and learn forging from me, you'll need to hit that thing ten thousand times with a hammer before you're qualified."
Xiao Yan looked in the direction Tang Hao pointed and saw a pretty average-looking block of iron. It was full of impurities, and its quality was leagues below the refined iron from earlier.
"You can still change your mind," Tang Hao said indifferently, already preparing to head back to his room and resume his precious nap.
Xiao Yan hesitated.
Ten thousand strikes.For most kids, that would be a near-impossible feat—would probably take three to five months to finish.
But for him? Piece of cake. Wouldn't even take a full day.
Still, spending time on such a worthless chunk of scrap metal… felt like a serious waste.
But then again, he'd just declared to this old dog Tang Hao that he wanted to become a blacksmith. Backing out now would mess up his "good son" act.
After some mental calculations, Xiao Yan said with firm resolve, "Dad, I'm willing."
Tang Hao gave him a surprised look. "Alright."
With that, Tang Hao walked over, picked up the massive iron block like it weighed nothing, and placed it on the nearby forge.
All that was needed now was to light the coals, and the forging could begin.
Done with that, Tang Hao headed straight back into his room.
He'd already wasted far too much precious nap time today.
Once Tang Hao had left, Xiao Yan approached the iron block and gave it a try.
With his internal strength backing him up, lifting the thing wasn't hard at all.
Still, he didn't go all out and pick it up right away.
Estimating the weight, Xiao Yan couldn't help but suck in a breath.This chunk was easily over a hundred jin!Yet Tang Hao, a chronic drunkard, had lifted it effortlessly.
If it were a normal guy? Forget lifting iron—he'd be lucky to be walking upright.
This confirmed Xiao Yan's suspicion—Tang Hao had to be a powerful soul master hiding in plain sight.
Crossing his arms, Xiao Yan thought for a moment before lighting the charcoal and working the bellows.
He looked over at the massive blacksmith's hammer Tang Hao usually used.For a normal kid, just lifting that thing would be impossible—let alone swinging it.
And using it would definitely out him—no normal kid should be that strong.
Still, based on Tang Hao's behavior, this wasn't some useless drunk—this guy was likely hiding serious power.
Maybe he already knew Xiao Yan had been training outside the village.
When he asked for the refined iron earlier, Xiao Yan had already mentally prepared for Tang Hao to know some of his secrets. No turning back now.
And anyway, Tang Hao hadn't shown any signs of wanting to kill him—maybe he had some future plans in mind?
Once the iron block had turned red-hot, Xiao Yan walked over to Tang Hao's usual hammer.Grabbing the thick handle, he channeled his inner energy and gave it a light lift—not lifting it fully, just testing.
"So light… If I really went all out with this, I could hit ten thousand times in less than a day."
"Even though I've decided to reveal a little strength, finishing it all in one day would probably creep him out instead of impressing him. He'd think I'm some kind of freak."
With that thought, he retracted his internal strength and used only his raw, physical strength to grab the hammer and swing it.
Thanks to his Xuan Tian Body Refinement Art and a body nourished by internal energy and medicinal herbs, he had strength on par with several grown men—even at his age.
It was strange though…Back in the Tang Sect, herbs were precious and rare.But here, in the Douluo Continent, many herbs grew wild and freely. Like weeds.
Maybe this world didn't fully understand the value of these herbs.Or maybe, compared to the high-tier medicinal plants that were abundant here, the herbs he prized were just mid-tier at best.
Which was it? Xiao Yan didn't know.But either way, he was reaping the benefits.
He raised the hammer and brought it crashing down on the iron block.Clang!A dull, heavy sound echoed throughout the room.
Rubbing his ears, Xiao Yan chuckled inwardly."Let's see if that old dog Tang Hao can sleep through this racket!"
Meanwhile, in the back room, Tang Hao turned over in bed.Though his eyes remained closed, his expression shifted slightly—showing a trace of surprise.
Muttering in his sleep, he said:"He can lift the hammer… born with divine strength?"
(End of Chapter)