Totally unlike the carving training methods of the Zhence Dynasty's Inscription Masters, the process was already exceptionally arduous for Qian Jin. Now, within this space of thirty-seven times gravity, he still had to maintain high-speed inscription carving while simultaneously battling gravity and the bitter cold—the difficulty had unknowingly escalated tremendously.

"Oh right, are you wondering if that magic array you gave me can be corrected?" Aknash stopped abruptly as he approached the front desk, turning back to look at Qian Jin. "It can be altered. As for how? Once you've learned these projections, you should understand."

These were it? Qian Jin couldn't bother questioning Aknash further, nor could he complain. Duan Feng Er Bu was already using the Second Altar. If things continued smoothly in the future, a major problem might arise. Pan Hongji had been very good to him, and he should offer some help to the Serpent Emperor too. He figured this correction would be enough to allow Pan Hongji to let Duan Feng Er Bu use the Second Altar freely for the rest of his life.

That was right. Qian Jin took a deep breath. Since he hadn't found any retainers at the academy for the time being, he should do his best to help these comrades who had braved life and death together. They were more reliable than retainers.

Carving, exploding, carving again, exploding again...

Qian Jin discovered that things he could easily carve before now felt incredibly difficult.

Enlak stood before the rune shop's front desk, watching for a moment, then shook his head and turned to leave, muttering under his breath, "It seems I won't need to use the Thousand Armies for now against him in that magic device. Although solo practice brings improvement, engaging in group combat under such conditions would yield far greater benefits. Kid, you better work hard."

"Achoo!"

Qian Jin emerged from the magic device with his arms crossed, sneezing repeatedly. His Dou Qi rotation speed quickly recovered. In just a few hours, he could already feel himself rapidly progressing. This thing was truly wonderful.

Qian Jin circled the magic device nonstop. If this device could be replicated in the Zhence Dynasty, he could secure more practice time for himself, and also train with those few individuals still lingering in the Ancient Desolate Sea.

Battling within this space? Qian Jin nodded gently; the effect would be far superior to battling outside.

Without the thirty-seven times gravity, Qian Jin felt as if he might float away just by walking.

【No Battles Today】

Qian Jin pouted as he looked at the plaque on Enlak's Dou Qi room door. Why today of all days was it 'no battle'? He still wanted to inquire about the Third Dou Heart. It seemed he'd have to wait for next time.

He walked all the way to Uncle Black's blacksmith shop. The Uncle, who usually squatted in the corner, was dressed in formal blacksmith attire today, holding an ancient forging hammer—a massive hammer carved all over with magic inscriptions.

This hammer... Qian Jin swallowed hard, looking at Uncle Black's thick, powerful arms. It must weigh at least fifty thousand jin.

It wasn't the hammerhead that was immensely large; the special metallic mixture on it contained nearly a thousand different elements. Qian Jin could only recognize a few hundred, with many more hidden within, knowable only through direct touch and study.

Even so, relying on his understanding of metals, Qian Jin could roughly estimate the hammer's minimum possible weight: fifty thousand jin.

A hammer with runes! Qian Jin felt his vision swim. The dense array of runes carved upon it was far more complex than the one he had just seen. Compared to this hammer, even the Altar of the Nine-Headed Serpent family looked like a rudimentary child's toy.

Ancient runes were carved on the hammerhead and the shaft, and more than a dozen gemstones Qian Jin had never seen before were inlaid at the very end of the handle.

"Come here." Uncle Black spoke softly, his eyes fixed on the burning flames. "Today, the Fourth Strike of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak."

"Oh." Qian Jin trotted over, his mind swirling with boundless curiosity. The first three strikes hadn't warranted such formality from the Uncle; what was happening today?

"Remember what I told you about forging Divine Artifacts?"

Qian Jin froze, then nodded repeatedly. "Using ordinary tools to forge Divine Artifacts—that's all nonsense, the self-consolation of incompetent blacksmiths. Divine Artifacts can only be forged from the finest materials."

Uncle Black's usually silent face curved into a satisfied smile. "What do you consider a material?"

Qian Jin was stunned again, then suddenly slapped his head. Right! He had always considered the materials needed to forge superior Dou Weapons or even Soul Weapons, but rarely had he considered the quality of the tools he used for forging.

"Without top-tier tools, how can there be top-tier work?" Qian Jin's eyes shone with sudden clarity. "I was too focused on the work itself and neglected the quality of the tools I used."

Uncle Black's eyes showed a trace more satisfaction. "This is the Genesis Hammer from the Blacksmith Set..."

Blacksmithing... and a set? Qian Jin stared blankly at the forging hammer in Black's hand. Forging required sets too?

Black said no more, using tongs to lift a glowing piece of red iron from the furnace. The Genesis Hammer in his hand was raised naturally above his head.

In an instant, Qian Jin felt dizzy. How could this be the Fourth Strike of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak? This was clearly the starting stance of the First Strike!

Whoosh

A rapid rush of wind sounded in the air, like a sound trying to tear the sky and earth apart, erupting suddenly. The flames in the furnace instantly split apart to both sides. The lingering power of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak sliced the furnace flames directly in half—half of the scorching flames vanished in that instant.

Qian Jin watched clearly as an inscription on the Genesis Hammer lit up; it was absorbing the half of the flames that were about to disappear into the forging hammer.

Clang! A thunderous roar echoed. Qian Jin felt the ground beneath his feet tremble. Endless sparks shot out from the iron block, intertwining like fire snakes dancing wildly across the sky, forming firework displays more brilliant and magnificent than magic fireworks.

This... this was...

Qian Jin saw clearly, his limbs stiffening slightly. This Fourth Strike of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak... actually... actually integrated the previous three strikes completely!

The first three strikes were merely a decomposition of the fourth! A single strike achieved better results than the ten strikes of the previous Third Strike.

Clang! Another thunderous boom of metal sounded, and Qian Jin felt the ground beneath him begin to shake again.

Uncle Black's expression was completely different from before; the forging hammer rose and fell continuously, shaping the scorching iron block repeatedly.

In such a short time... such a short time...

Qian Jin had never expected that a piece of refined iron could be pounded out in this short duration.

Incredible! Too powerful! Qian Jin's limbs trembled with excitement. Although this was only one strike, the trajectory of its descent could manifest thousands of possibilities, even though the Uncle hadn't utilized all several thousand lines.

The Uncle waved his hand, and the heavy forging hammer, along with his blacksmith attire, vanished without a trace.

Qian Jin's spirit lifted. This was Uncle Black of the Dou Realm Blacksmiths; he too had a Dou Realm... well, there was no need to be surprised by this.

Picking up a forging hammer weighing over a thousand jin, Qian Jin stood by the furnace, closed his eyes, and earnestly contemplated and recalled the Uncle's process of forging weapons. The Blacksmith Breathing Technique slowly began to circulate, and the hammer in his hand was raised high above his head. The dormant Heart of the Earth Fire revived again; it could only move freely during forging.

Clang!

Qian Jin had never felt the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak being executed so stiffly. Before the hammer even fell half an inch, an error occurred, and by the time it fell completely, it no longer resembled the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak.

"The difficulty of the three-strike integration..."

Qian Jin clicked his tongue twice, listening to the system notification sound near his ear: Gained fifty proficiency points for the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak.

Fifty proficiency points even with such garbage execution? Qian Jin frowned. Having the Heart of the Earth Fire was truly beneficial. If he didn't have this artifact, that single strike would probably only yield one proficiency point.

The Heart of the Earth Fire rotated slowly, and under Qian Jin's control, it began to rapidly cycle through the variations of the first three strikes of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak.

Switching hundreds of times per second—Qian Jin realized how fortunate he was to have the Heart of the Earth Fire; otherwise, how could he manage these switches? Even with it, he couldn't complete the transition in a short time. After switching fifteen times just now, he was already too late.

The sequence for the Fourth Strike of the Eighteen Strikes of Ascending Peak slowly matured within the Heart of the Earth Fire. Qian Jin forgot about time and strength, continuously mobilizing the three Dou Hearts within his body, adapting to the Fourth Strike again and again.

Sixteen hours elapsed. Player Qian Jia leaves the Endless World...

Qian Jin opened his eyes, removed the hat covering his face, stood up, and stretched his fatigued arms. In just the past sixteen hours, the harvest was immense.

In terms of potions, he had gained Teacher Adams' approval. Regarding runes, he learned the error and correction method for the Pan family's Second Altar. Although he needed more practice, at least he had a direction. Aknash’s specially created magic device was even more...

Two thousand rotations... Qian Jin roughly calculated. In just a few hours of intensive training, the rotational speed of his Dou Heart had clearly increased by two thousand rotations. If he practiced for a long time under thirty-seven times gravity and freezing conditions, what realm would his Dou Qi rotation speed reach?

He must create that thing in the Zhence Dynasty!

Qian Jin got out of bed, stretched his completely recovered body slightly, and then lay back down, continuing to feign sickness. Although the beating he took yesterday wasn't fatal, he had suffered serious injuries. Who knew what the result would be if people discovered he had fully recovered now.

"Hello? Is anyone outside?"

"Me." Siluan stood outside the door, glaring with an expression of fierce indignation and threat at the others who were about to answer, implying that if anyone dared to reply, they shouldn't dare to buy medicine in Eternal Flow City the next time they were sick, or he would poison them all.

Lilitott sighed, adopting an expression that suggested, Do as you wish.

Hongseyork sighed as well, showing an attitude of deference to Siluan—You first. He felt a secret sense of helplessness. He was, after all, the City Lord's eldest son, yet he had been reduced to delivering messages for Qian Jin. Worse, he was now being threatened by the President of the Alchemist Guild.

"Can you bring me some food in?" Qian Jin managed to adjust his reclining posture slightly.