The members of the Flame Adventurer Group all showed surprise, expressing their astonishment at Qian Jin's level of insight. While both the magic and warrior academies taught knowledge about Battle Stones, such information was usually reserved for intermediate or advanced-level courses. The emblem on the child's chest clearly indicated he was a student from a junior academy.

"That's right, this is a fourth-grade Battle Stone," Xiao Changleiming admitted without concealment. "Since you are a warrior student, you must know that warriors typically don't trade Battle Stones externally; they prefer to use them themselves. Even if they are desperately short of money, they would go to a specialized Battle Stone shop for a fair exchange. We were in a bit of a rush this time, so..."

Qian Jin nodded in understanding and turned to Franklin. "Boss, what price do you think this Battle Stone should fetch?"

Franklin, hefting his large hammer, scrutinized Qin Fen. "You're interested in this Battle Stone?"

Qian Jin shrugged noncommittally. How could a warrior not be interested in a Battle Stone? Even those Qian family bloodline warriors who had already completed the initial awakening of the Elven King's bloodline were intensely interested in Battle Stones!

The main stone for the Spirit Battle Array was always a tenth-grade Battle Stone! If one could bring a fourth-grade Battle Stone into a future Spirit Battle Array, even by standing in the second or third closest position to the array's core, the benefits gained would be nearly as great as standing at the absolute center.

And if one could stand at the closest position and carry a fourth-grade Battle Stone? Qian Jin’s face broke into a broad smile as he thought of it—that would be magnificent!

"In that case..." Franklin pondered, stroking his long beard repeatedly with his hand. He suddenly slapped the wooden table, which was not much shorter than he was, and declared, "How about this, Mr. Xiao Changleiming? Since our chief blacksmith, Warrior Qian Jin, is interested in the Battle Stone, I will forge a weapon for each of you, based on second-grade refined iron. What do you say?"

One weapon for everyone? The entire Flame Adventurer Team, along with Qian Jin, showed shared astonishment, collectively staring at the boastful Franklin.

Lucas also stared at Franklin in surprise. As Oakland’s chief blacksmith, he understood perfectly that such an exchange offered no profit whatsoever. Had Franklin gone mad?

"Haha, Qian Jin, don't look at me like that," Franklin beamed with obvious delight. "Without your appearance, I wouldn't have access to second-grade refined iron. To forge weapons based on second-grade refined iron, one usually has to pay exorbitant prices to a certain individual. Therefore, you are the pillar of our smithy. Since you like this Battle Stone, our smithy will gladly take a loss for once."

"That's right!" Franklin slapped Qian Jin on the back. "As long as you like it."

The other members of Franklin's smithy also displayed earnest smiles. Qian Jin’s performance yesterday had conquered everyone, especially since he could forge second-grade refined iron yet displayed no arrogance at all, negotiating terms of payment with Franklin with extraordinary ease.

"Really?" The look of disbelief on Xiao Changleiming's face had not entirely faded. "Then..."

"Heh heh... Captain Xiao Changleiming..." Lucas drawled, interrupting Xiao Changleiming. He picked up the tea prepared for guests on the table, took a sip, and smiled leisurely. "It's normal that you aren't a blacksmith and don't know the inner workings of the trade. However, there are certain smiths within the industry who do know these things but fail to explain them clearly to their customers. I have always despised those who focus only on profit while disregarding their customers' lives."

All members of the Flame Adventurer Group looked at Lucas in confusion; it sounded like there was some hidden context to his words.

Lucas set down his wooden teacup, his smile edged with disdain as he glanced dismissively at Franklin and the others. "I don't know if Franklin's smithy can truly forge second-grade refined iron. But I do know that there are quality distinctions even among second-grade refined iron!"

"Lucas, what do you mean!" Franklin's voice suddenly rose, the sledgehammer in his hand trembling with agitation. He craned his neck, leaning in toward the tall, slender Lucas. However, he was significantly shorter, and even on his tiptoes, he only reached Lucas's chest, looking somewhat comical and failing to project any real menace.

"What do I mean?" Lucas delicately wiped the two strands of golden-yellow beard beneath his nose, his lips curled into a smug, superior smile. "What else could I mean? I'm simply stating facts. If Captain Xiao Changleiming doesn't believe me, he can follow me..."

Lucas shoved the interfering Franklin aside and strode into the smithy's backyard. With practiced ease, he picked up an iron bloom with tongs and tossed it directly into the roaring furnace, barking, "Heat it up!"

The man from Lucas's smithy who had accompanied him quickly rushed to the bellows and began pumping vigorously, causing the flames to blaze higher and hotter.

Franklin stared at Lucas with deep resentment. It was now perfectly clear what this city's second-grade smith intended to do! He was going to forge a piece of second-grade refined iron right here and now, using superior quality to strike a blow against Franklin's smithy!

With years of experience as a second-grade smith, Franklin knew that Lucas was capable of forging superior-grade second-grade refined iron! To call for a halt now would be an implicit admission that Lucas was correct.

He turned to look at the calm Qian Jin, feeling a degree of anxiety. The young man's second-grade refined iron forged yesterday was also top-tier, but the problem remained that the youth lacked experience; time was a factor. The conditions during the hammering process could fluctuate. What if...

Franklin's expression darkened with worry, which Lucas observed with internal delight. The smile on his lips widened, and he thought to himself: You want to challenge my dominance in the city's blacksmithing world? Franklin, you are simply not qualified!

The fire grew hotter. Franklin carefully lifted the iron bloom from the furnace and placed it on the anvil. He took up a heavy, thirty-plus-pound sledgehammer and began striking the bloom with rhythmic ding-dong-dong sounds, occasionally using the large tongs to quickly flip the metal, making it look like a burning butterfly dancing across the anvil.

Franklin let out a resentful snort through his nostrils but had to admire Lucas's skill in smithing. Not only were his techniques flawless, but he managed to make the hammering process feel as if the hammer itself were dancing—truly worthy of being the number one smith in the city of Oakland.

When the searing hot metal met cool water, a cloud of white mist rose, and a piece of brilliantly lustrous second-grade refined iron appeared before everyone's eyes.

Lucas did not stop there. He tossed several more raw iron ingots into the furnace, waiting for them to glow red-hot before swinging his hammer down heavily onto the fresh iron.

The long two hours slowly slipped away under Lucas's relentless forging. He gasped for air, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow. The muscles in both arms twitched uncontrollably, showing signs of exhaustion, yet his eyes shone with triumphant satisfaction as he swept his gaze over the focused crowd.

"Ahem..." Lucas coughed lightly, placing two pieces of second-grade refined iron on the anvil. He clapped his hands, stretched his shoulders, and walked toward the onlookers. "To ensure fairness, I will not judge them myself. Mr. Franklin, if you are still a true blacksmith, please offer your appraisal."

"Top grade! One could even call them exquisite!" Franklin's voice held a trace of undeniable reluctance, yet he could not violate his professional judgment. To forge two pieces of second-grade refined iron in such a short time suggested Lucas’s skill was approaching that of a third-grade smith!

Lucas clapped his hands and shrugged, his eyes turning toward Qian Jin, his gaze filled with even more blatant provocation. "Kid, your turn."

: The ranking push starts at midnight tonight; four updates tomorrow... I sincerely ask everyone to support us then. Thank you, Gaolou. Oh, there will also be a regular update this afternoon. B