Never mind! Lei Guangming shook his head slightly, looking around for the perimeter of the Blacksmiths' Guild. He needed to find the figure of the Family Head, Lei Zhen; word was that the Family Head would also appear here today. If the prevention failed, he would immediately move to eliminate Qian Jin.

“Since they are all weapons,” Yun Xinghui Sheng observed the arms of the two men, “then the comparison becomes quite straightforward.”

Chun Zhongsheng proudly handed over his weapon. He trusted Yun Xinghui Sheng’s character implicitly; the man had served as a judge for several Divine Craftsmen Conventions. What reason was there not to trust him?

“A Battle Weapon?” Yun Xinghui Sheng weighed it in his hand. “Not bad, not bad. For a temporary combination like yours, to produce such a fine weapon indicates significant growth, and it’s a Rank Two Battle Weapon at that.”

Qian Jin presented the dark, plain iron rod, and Yun Xinghui Sheng’s eyes immediately lit up. “A Rank Four Battle Weapon? This…”

A Rank Four Battle Weapon! Yun Xinghui Sheng genuinely couldn't fathom how Qian Jin had forged a Rank Four weapon in just four hours! Even he, with prior preparation, couldn't achieve such a feat!

“A Rank Four Battle Weapon?”

The deacons and vice-presidents, their faces etched with exhaustion mixed with pride, roared out in unison, disbelieving what they heard. Forging a Rank Four Battle Weapon in four hours? Did they think a Rank Four weapon was like weeds on the roadside, available for the taking?

Qian Jin exhaled a long breath. He had expected to forge, at best, a Low-grade Battle Weapon today. Unexpectedly, by utilizing the eighteen strikes of the Ascending Peak technique and circulating the Heart of Earth Fire within his body using the Smithing Breathing Method, the difference was night and day compared to working without the Earth Fire Heart.

Although the gap between a Rank Three and a Rank Four Battle Weapon was only one tier, the magnitude of the difference was clear only to those present.

Rank One, Two, and Three Battle Weapons were collectively known in the blacksmithing world as Low-grade Battle Weapons. Rank Four, Five, and Six were Mid-grade Battle Weapons, Rank Seven, Eight, and Nine were High-grade Battle Weapons, and a Rank Ten Battle Weapon was termed the Ultimate Battle Weapon!

There was only a single tier separating Rank Three and Rank Four. Without the Heart of Earth Fire, Qian Jin estimated it would have taken him a full day to forge it. To complete a Rank Four Battle Weapon in four hours with the Earth Fire Heart was incredible!

“Impossible! This black, dull object is a Rank Four Battle Weapon?”

Chun Zhongsheng shouted first. The group of them had collaborated to forge one weapon, yet Qian Jin, working alone, produced a Rank Four? When had Battle Weapons become so worthless?

Yun Xinghui Sheng carelessly handed both weapons back to Chun Zhongsheng. The difference between a Rank Four and a Rank Two Battle Weapon was immense; even if Chun Zhongsheng were a Demon-slaying Warrior capable of channeling Battle Qi into the Rank Two weapon, he couldn't damage the Rank Four. Besides, he wasn't a Demon-slaying Warrior, so there was no need to worry about cheating.

A Rank Four Battle Weapon? The moment Chun Zhongsheng grasped his sword, he knew trouble was coming! This was insane! Could it truly be a Rank Four Battle Weapon? No way. Perhaps he possessed some secret forging technique that could make a weapon appear like a Rank Four?

Chun Zhongsheng took a sharp breath, channeling Battle Qi into his longsword, and swung forcefully at the iron rod.

Clang! Sparks flew alongside the screeching sound of metal colliding. Tiny metallic granules danced in the air. Chun Zhongsheng felt a sudden surge of joy. See! With just one sword strike, the iron rod was chipped...

“Ah…” Qian Jin sighed. “A perfectly good Battle Weapon…”

“Hmph hmph… What Battle Weapon? You…” Chun Zhongsheng stared dumbfounded at the sword in his hand. He had misjudged! It wasn't the iron rod that was faulty; a small piece of his sword's edge had actually shattered!

How could this be? The top experts from the Blacksmiths' Guild stared blankly at the sword in Chun Zhongsheng’s hand. The weapon they had poured four hours of collective focus and skill into forging was inferior to the one Qian Jin produced alone in four hours?

Xian Qiang stood watching the stunned crowd, arms crossed and sneering inwardly, feeling a surge of dark satisfaction: They were terrified, weren't they? Haha! I wasn't scared this time! This kid had already frightened me once! So badly I nearly wet myself.

Defeated! Lei Guangming felt a chill run through his limbs. The collective effort had lost to Qian Jin? What did that signify? It meant that Qian Jin’s individual value was greater than all of them combined! At this point, even if they all threatened to quit, only a fool wouldn't know which side to choose.

Furthermore, Yun Xinghui Sheng was still present! His influence remained! It would be impossible to find many within the entire Guild who would truly oppose Guild Master Yun Xing. Most of them had merely wanted to test Qian Jin's actual forging prowess. Since Qian Jin proved himself, then…

“Wait a moment!” Chun Zhongsheng held up his sword high. “You proposed this contest. Clearly, you must have been prepared in advance! We must have another round!”

Qian Jin smiled indifferently. “We can have as many rounds as you like. How about this time, the stakes are measured in hours?”

Chun Zhongsheng’s face tightened. He knew he couldn't win even if the stakes were measured in hours; his forging technique was simply too inferior.

“Bet on something else!” Chun Zhongsheng swallowed his pride. “As a blacksmith, one must possess acute discerning ability. Let’s test discernment!”

“Fine, but—but—but…” Qian Jin looked at Chun Zhongsheng. “…If I lose, I leave. If you lose, what do you have left to wager?”

Chun Zhongsheng froze. In the previous round, he had wagered everything precious he owned. Now, he was practically penniless, with only a few gold coins, which were nothing compared to Qian Jin’s position as Guild Master. “Wager your freedom. If you lose, you become my retainer.”

Qian Jin looked coldly at Chun Zhongsheng. People like him needed to be handled ruthlessly, and this would also serve to intimidate the others. He was too young and easily underestimated. Mere forging skill might not be enough to keep everyone in check; he needed to demonstrate the weight of his resolve.

Freedom! Retainer! Chun Zhongsheng had never imagined betting so high. But how could he back out now?

How could he retreat? Chun Zhongsheng felt the gazes of the crowd upon him. If he refused to bet now, he would never be able to work in the Yongliu Blacksmiths' Guild again, nor could he return to the main headquarters in the Divine Capital.

Right! There was one other way! Chun Zhongsheng drew a sharp breath. “Alright! I accept the wager!”

Qian Jin snapped his fingers. The Luo family, he heard, was starting to get involved in this line of business. Sending a Vice-President level forging master from the Yongliu Guild over—even if the skill level of that Vice-President was… lackluster—at least they would have connections.

“Guild Master,” Chun Zhongsheng whispered into Yun Xinghui Sheng’s ear, “I wish to borrow the Guild Treasure for a moment.”

Yun Xinghui Sheng, who had maintained a faint smile throughout, suddenly stiffened. The Guild Treasure!

Every Guild had its treasure. For the Apothecaries’ Guild, it might be a potion or a material; for the Blacksmiths’ Guild, it could be a weapon, a piece of equipment, or a rare material.

The Yongliu Blacksmiths' Guild Treasure was unique, unmatched in this world! It was an axe—a massive battle-axe! And it wasn't an ordinary Battle Weapon axe; it was a… Soul Weapon!

Yes! It was a broken Soul Weapon.

Yun Xinghui Sheng remembered acquiring it quite unexpectedly. While taking over a bankrupt smithy, he found it amidst a pile of scrap weapons—a broken Soul Weapon.

The axe edge had reached the end of its service life. Because it lacked elaborate decoration, it looked like a very common, ordinary weapon.

Yun Xinghui Sheng studied the weapon for several days before finally confirming that he had luckily stumbled upon a Soul Weapon! Even though it was broken and unusable.

But a Soul Weapon held intrinsic value; studying it could reveal crucial insights into forging Soul Weapons, although such study was incredibly time-consuming.

Yun Xinghui Sheng had spent over a decade researching it. His last attempt to forge a Soul Weapon personally resulted in only a Battle Weapon, which he had gifted to the City Lord at last night's banquet.

Testing his eyes? Yun Xinghui Sheng finally understood what Chun Zhongsheng intended to test Qian Jin on. Bringing out a Soul Weapon to see if Qian Jin could recognize it—that was truly a challenge!

Soul Weapons and Battle Weapons were entities from entirely different tiers! Many people, looking at it, might just see an ordinary weapon, and without deep study, recognition would be difficult.

Qian Jin’s forging skill? Yun Xinghui Sheng admitted that was undeniable. But this Soul Weapon was another matter entirely! What if Qian Jin had never even seen a Soul Weapon before? He had already declared he would leave if he lost; backtracking now would be impossible.

“Master,” Lei Guangming disregarded their master-disciple relationship and called out loudly, “Surely you aren't thinking of favoring Qian Jin, are you?”

Qian Jin shrugged, signaling it made no difference. Identifying weapons? How many weapon manuals had he not seen in Uncle Black’s study? Even Saint Artifacts…

Qian Jin opened his Battle Domain for a quick glance. The Dark Demon Armor sleeping within his domain—he even possessed Dark Demon Armor of the Luciferian royal line!

He could probably recognize a Saint Artifact too! Qian Jin smiled as Chun Zhongsheng quickly departed. High profile! This was not the time for modesty. Only by constantly maintaining a high profile could he gain greater room to maneuver and acquire the capital necessary to contend with the Qian Family and Qian Zhanxuan!

In just a few minutes, Chun Zhongsheng returned to the center of the courtyard, carrying a massive box on his shoulder, his face alight with excitement, following closely behind Yun Xinghui Sheng.

“If you recognize this item, then I concede defeat!”

Chun Zhongsheng hammered hard on the wooden box in his hands, producing an excited thudding sound.

Yun Xinghui Sheng produced two keys from his robes—special keys possessing magic conduction abilities. No third set existed in the world, indicating the immense importance of this Guild Treasure.

Creeeeak…

The box slowly swung open to both sides, revealing an axe so utterly plain that, aside from its excessive size, it looked like something used for chopping firewood.

Xian Qiang glanced at the axe and secretly shook his head. If the Guild Master hadn't confirmed it was a Soul Weapon, he wouldn't have given it a second glance even if it had been placed right in front of him.