Rare metal plus Spirit Soul?
Thinking of this round's theme, En Ci slowly closed his eyes, adjusting his breathing.
Even with his Limit Douluo cultivation and this state of full concentration, he still felt his heart beating faster.
Too much.
Su Ming had mastered too many new techniques!
Each technique was enough to turn the blacksmithing world upside down.
Today, Su Ming demonstrated the Spirit Fusion Method.
He redefined the very definition of Fusion Forging.
"Isn't he forging against the requirements? Wasn't this round about Fusion Forging?"
"Are you stupid? Infusing a Spirit Soul into the metal turns it into a rare metal. Fusing that with another inherently characteristic rare metal is Fusion Forging! And I guarantee this kind of fusion forging has no fusion degree limitations."
"Huh?"
"Huh what? He's the blacksmith, you think he doesn't understand Fusion Forging?"
"So that's the definition of Fusion Forging?"
The organizing committee held an emergency discussion and ultimately determined that the special metal forged by Su Ming's Spirit Fusion Method qualified as a Fusion Forged product.
Because, in terms of result, his finished product possessed the effect of fusion forging. In terms of process, his technique fully incorporated numerous details of fusion forging.
"The Spirit Soul infused into the metal via the Spirit Fusion Method can also be replaced by a Spirit Soul already fused by a Spirit Master."
Su Ming spoke for the first time, offering a brief explanation.
A single sentence that prompted deep thought.
What are the benefits of using a Spirit Master's Spirit Soul for Spirit Fusion?
Day Four.
The Blacksmithing Competition entered its finals.
In the final round, only three blacksmiths remained on the stage.
Apart from Su Ming, the other two contestants were both twenty-nine years old.
Although held alongside the Youth Spirit Master Competition, the Blacksmithing Competition had its own set of rules, with the age limit relaxed to thirty.
There was no helping it; blacksmithing was a secondary profession that required slow, steady accumulation. Being able to consistently perform Thousand Refinement by twenty was already considered genius.
Someone like Yang Niansha, who could perform Thousand Refinement at thirteen, was a top-tier genius.
As for Su Ming's level...
He was one of a kind.
Below Su Ming and above the top-tier geniuses, there was also Tang Wulin.
"The finals impose no further restrictions. Contestants may choose the technique they are most proficient in for their forging. Materials are self-selected."
One could choose only Fusion Forging without Spirit Refinement, creating a Fusion Forged piece with extremely high compatibility, challenging one's own limits.
One could also choose only Spirit Refinement without Fusion Forging, pushing the quality limit of their Spirit Refinement.
Of course, if confident, one could attempt Fusion Forging at the Spirit Refinement level.
Su Ming was different.
He chose an option outside these three directions.
"Ice Silkworm, Fire Bird—two hundred-year Spirit Souls, plus the rare metal Primordial Spirit Iron!"
En Ci watched the materials Su Ming took out and praised, "An excellent combination. Primordial Spirit Iron inherently possesses elemental control characteristics. Fusing two elemental Spirit Souls, and opposing ones at that—if successful, its characteristics will definitely not be poor."
This time, he witnessed the most incredible aspect of Su Ming's Spirit Fusion Method.
Custom Crafting.
This was something the audience had discussed earlier.
Compared to rare metals, the variety of Spirit Souls, or Spirit Beasts, was simply immense.
Even the same type of Spirit Beast could produce different mutant varieties.
If forging utilized Spirit Souls, then blacksmithing was truly about to enter an era of mass customization.
"Wait."
After his praise, En Ci sensed something was amiss.
Su Ming seemed very serious today.
In the previous days, Su Ming had been very calm before and after forging, as if performing trivial tasks. Today, he was unusually focused.
Boom!
Spirit Power erupted.
After participating in the blacksmithing competition for three days, Su Ming finally summoned his Martial Spirit, revealing his Spirit Rings.
Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Red, Red!
When these six Spirit Rings appeared, En Ci was stunned.
The audience was stunned.
"Did I walk into the wrong venue? Isn't this the Blacksmithing Competition?"
"The thing is, even in the Spirit Master competition, you shouldn't see this kind of Spirit Ring configuration, right?"
"Now that you mention it, I heard someone in the Spirit Master competition next door has a golden Spirit Ring."
"Really? Dyed, probably?"
"Be more precise; it should be simulated."
Su Ming moved.
His Spirit Power merged into the metal.
Seeing this step, En Ci's heart jumped into his throat.
He exclaimed.
His voice even slightly hoarse from excitement and shock.
"Soul Refinement!"
Yes.
In the finals of the Blacksmithing Competition, Su Ming was preparing to attempt Soul Refinement.
The Su Ming from Douluo 1 and Douluo 2 had both succeeded in Soul Refinement and successfully condensed the nascent form of the Godhood of the Forging God. This Su Ming from Douluo 3 was attempting it for the first time.
However, with ample experience, each of his hammer strikes landed precisely on different parts of the Primordial Spirit Iron.
The force penetrated deep into the Primordial Spirit Iron. The spirituality of the two ice and fire Spirit Souls began to intertwine and merge.
Su Ming's Spirit Power didn't carry ice or fire attributes; it merely acted as a catalyst, drawing out the power of the two Spirit Souls and breaking down the outer shell of the Primordial Spirit Iron.
Life Embryo!
He integrated all the techniques demonstrated in the first three rounds.
Life Embryo + Spirit Fusion + Soul Refinement!
In just a hundred hammer strikes, Spirit Refinement was achieved.
Subsequently, Su Ming tirelessly swung his forging hammer.
Behind him, a vortex phantom appeared, madly swallowing Heaven and Earth Vital Energy to replenish his consumption.
"Spirit Core!"
Spirit Emperor cultivation plus a Spirit Core—with just the power of this era, Su Ming was sufficient to perform Soul Refinement.
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Su Ming's spirit was highly concentrated.
Soul Refinement was also stressful for him.
En Ci held his breath, carefully observing the effect of Su Ming's every hammer strike.
"Completely correct!"
At least so far, from En Ci's perspective, he could find no fault in Su Ming's forging.
All correct!
En Ci couldn't believe his eyes.
How was this possible?
Wasn't blacksmithing about slow, steady accumulation?
How old was Su Ming?
How could he have such rich forging experience?
How did he practice?
Did he forge twenty-four hours a day?
But that still wouldn't be enough!
Could it be that one day for him was like three days for other blacksmiths?
En Ci couldn't comprehend it.
"Fifteen years old, Spirit Emperor, two hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings, and now, attempting Sacred Blacksmith?"
No, not attempting.
In the time En Ci was doubting himself, Su Ming's forging was already nearing its end.
The Primordial Spirit Iron before him began to solidify. Above it, an apparition of an Ice Silkworm and a Fire Bird circling each other emerged. Ice and Fire powers spontaneously began converging towards the Primordial Spirit Iron.
It was no longer Su Ming guiding the elements; it was the Primordial Spirit Iron instinctively attracting them.
It had gained a legacy.
The Ice Silkworm and Fire Bird naturally absorbed Ice and Fire energy.
Their auras were far from the initial hundred-year level; they were at the thousand-year level. As Su Ming's forging progressed, nearing the Soul Refinement transformation, their auras gradually approached the ten-thousand-year level.
"Right, this is the Spirit Fusion Method. The Spirit Souls themselves carry a legacy, which can assist in Soul Refinement."
En Ci found a reason to convince himself.
"Yes, Su Ming being able to attempt Soul Refinement at this age is just him taking a shortcut."
He convinced himself.
But, the next moment, watching the Taiji Diagram that formed outside the apparitions of the Ice Silkworm and Fire Bird after they absorbed the Ice and Fire energies, En Ci's self-hypnosis was shattered.
He could no longer deceive himself.
This Taiji Diagram was clearly not the work of the Spirit Souls.
This was Su Ming bestowing a legacy upon the Primordial Spirit Iron itself!
***
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