The team battle rewards hadn't even been distributed yet, and seeing the meager prizes for the forging match, Gu You had already lost all interest in so-called rewards.
Three pieces of titanium crystal—for someone of his forging skill, the most he could get out of them would be about ninety million Federation coins in value.
A block of titanium crystal was soon placed on Gu You's forging table.
Titanium crystal looked like a piece of crystal ore, filled with countless fine, chaotic golden threads. One of the hardest parts of purifying it was refining those threads while minimizing volume—organizing them through forging. The more orderly the threads, the higher the titanium crystal's final quality.
It was said that, long ago, a Tang Sect ancestor once crafted a hidden weapon using titanium crystal's internal gold threads. The weapon was incredibly powerful.
"The match begins. Melting phase begins." The referee's voice rang out firmly.
Both contestants calmly pressed the buttons on their forging stations, and their titanium crystals were slowly fed into the furnace to begin the smelting process.
When both had completed the smelting phase, the referee called out again, "Melting complete. Countdown to forging begins."
Gu You and his opponent both fell silent, closing their eyes in sync to adjust their states.
His opponent was the first to open his eyes and strike. His forging technique was forceful—each strike on the titanium crystal was powerful, the chunk gradually deforming under the hammer.
Gu You, however, kept his eyes closed, silent as ever, making some students in the audience confused.
"Why isn't he forging yet?"
"So slow… this is boring."
Just then, Gu You suddenly spread his arms. Twin forging hammers appeared in his hands.
"Whoa, he's alive!"
Laughter bubbled up in the stands.
Gu You's right-hand Life Essence Hammer lightly tapped the button on his forging table, signaling the end of his crystal's smelting.
The center of the forging platform split open, and the scorched orange-red titanium crystal slowly rose into view.
Gu You gently tapped the titanium crystal three times, feeling out what the metal needed.
Souga~ It needed life.
Without hesitation, the Life Essence Hammer fell onto the titanium crystal. What followed was a series of crisp, clear notes.
A thin soundproof barrier surrounded the forging station—designed to prevent the forge's occupant from being distracted by outside noise. The forgers couldn't hear the crowd, but the crowd could hear every sound from the forge.
Each strike of the hammer on the titanium crystal produced a crisp ding ding ding.
It was like the sound of a fine needle dropping onto metal—clear and pleasant, never harsh or heavy. It sounded more like a percussion instrument than a forge.
Such gentle forging.
What seemed heavy was actually incomparably delicate. That was what the audience could feel.
His twin hammers danced lightly, like fine needles tapping gently. Every swing carried an indescribable grace.
Then, a storm began.
Gu You's twin hammers whirled to life, unleashing a downpour of strikes on the titanium crystal like a torrential storm.
Ding ding ding!
The sound echoed continuously.
The experience was surreal—so beautiful it was hard to describe. Like percussion music reverberating across the arena. Meanwhile, the titanium crystal spun slowly on the forge, adjusting its angles as Gu You struck. But the lightness of his technique made it seem like the crystal hadn't reduced in size at all.
Is this really forging?
Many forging students found themselves questioning. No doubt, Gu You's control over his strength was impeccable. But what was the point of such light forging? Was it just for show? After all, the outcome would be determined by the purification level. Each contestant had two quarters of an hour. With this kind of gentle forging, even Hundred Refinements would be impossible to complete in time.
As Gu You launched fully into his forging rhythm, his opponent glanced up, momentarily surprised.
But when he saw Gu You's focused eyes and the storm of hammer strikes falling upon the titanium crystal, a flicker of shock passed through him. Still, he quickly turned back to his own station.
In a forging duel, the greatest taboo was allowing yourself to fall out of rhythm. Though young, his opponent had studied forging since early childhood and had considerable talent. He quickly dismissed any distractions and focused back on his own technique.
Among all the forging masters present, only Feng Wuyu watched Gu You with a faint smile, nodding in satisfaction.
"What kind of technique is that?" asked the Crimson Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi. Though he was a top-level powerhouse, he knew nothing of forging and couldn't help but ask the proud Feng Wuyu beside him.
Perhaps because he was too pleased with himself, Feng Wuyu didn't even argue with him this time. He explained, "Watch carefully. His forging may look light, but each strike channels power directly into the titanium crystal. While the outer shell remains unchanged, the internal gold threads are being adjusted. He's like a weaver, unraveling and straightening the titanium strands, smoothing them out, locating the crystal's natural structure and lifeforce. Then he coaxes that life out—amplifying it with his Life Essence Hammer. This forging method is called from within outward, and it's ideal for rare metals like titanium crystal."
"Of course, someone like you wouldn't understand the deeper layers of this. Let me simplify it—only master-level forgers and above can pull off this kind of technique. And even then, not all of them can. Just watch. This is the level I taught him to reach. Hmph!"
Zhuo Shi curled his lip but surprisingly didn't argue. Watching Gu You perform better and better actually made him feel proud.
He thought back to when Gu You was just six years old. It had been seven or eight years since they met. Watching such a prodigy grow up filled him with a unique, inexplicable satisfaction.
Zheng Yiran nudged Yang Nianxia and asked softly, "If it were you, how would you forge titanium crystal?"
Yang Nianxia gave her a puzzled glance. "Probably the same as He Xiaopeng. His forging relies on vibrations. He uses heavy, forceful strikes to shake the internal gold threads into alignment. But it's a very difficult method—titanium crystal is extremely hard, yet brittle. You have to smelt it at high temperatures and apply exactly the right amount of pressure. Too much and it shatters; too little and nothing happens. Judging by his control and rhythm, He Xiaopeng's clearly a veteran. Way beyond my level."
Zheng Yiran looked across the arena at the boy standing opposite Gu You. A look of disgust crept into her gaze.
Time ticked on. A full quarter-hour had passed.
Gu You's forging now moved into the final stretch, steadily approaching the two-quarter limit...
(End of Chapter)
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