Bledas felt an urge, a surge of impulse, to simply rush forward and strike Gan Jin dead on the spot, lest the Dwarven forging capabilities lag behind the Zhence Dynasty for a considerable period afterward.

The forging skills Dwarves were proudest of, about to be surpassed by mere humans? Bledas desperately fought the urge to kill Gan Jin, recalling the rumors that this young man’s combat prowess was so immense he had even managed to fell the Thunder Lion, a warrior born of the Gryphon King's bloodline.

Cannot win, cannot kill!

For the first time, a sense of utter powerlessness washed over Bledas.

The smiths quickly noticed Bledas's nearly desperate expression, reading volumes within that look. Yun Xinghui Sheng, maintaining a calm smile, stroked his white beard repeatedly; the reason he had coughed up blood earlier wasn't because his equipment had shattered, but because he had been frantic searching for Gan Jin.

Now, Gan Jin had returned! He came back with the expectations of everyone watching, returning as the undisputed sovereign of the smithing circle, forging a mere cleaver right before their eyes!

While it remained uncertain whether this cleaver could actually destroy the Shattering Whip, the sheer speed at which such an item was created was something Bledas absolutely could not match.

The gap between the two sides, in truth, felt clearly defined! The pride of the Zhence Dynasty's smithing circle, suppressed by their rival for who knew how many years, finally straightened its back in this very moment.

"You... you..." Bledas stared at Gan Jin's wrist, his eyes suddenly lighting up, "Let me ask—who taught you those forging techniques?"

Who taught him? Bledas mentally retraced Gan Jin's methods, suddenly realizing a striking similarity to the colossal scroll housed within his own family archives.

It was a scroll dating back an unimaginable age, so ancient that even the Bledas family didn't know when it first appeared.

The only certainty was that the Bledas family became the foremost forging family among the Dwarves directly because of that painting hidden within their secret chamber.

Only Dwarves whose forging mastery reached a certain realm were permitted entry to observe that depiction: the figure seen from the back, holding a smith's hammer.

A mere silhouette provided the Bledas family with endless inspiration! It was because of this figure that the Bledas family even adopted their surname.

Bledas recalled his elders telling him in childhood that their clan hadn't originally carried this name; it was only at the moment someone became the strongest smith in the tribe that they began to use the name Bledas.

Bledas had always assumed the human figure on the scroll was merely a masterpiece accidentally produced by an artistic genius, not the depiction of an actual blacksmith of such incredible power.

Yet, Gan Jin's preceding actions carried the unmistakable shadow of that scroll, signaling that a real human could indeed accomplish the feats and capture the spirit depicted in the painting.

Realm! Yes! This was a disparity of entirely different realms!

As for how vast this gap truly was, Bledas couldn't articulate it; he could only believe that the authority to judge the magnitude of such a gap resided solely with Gan Jin.

"The Shattering Whip?" Gan Jin smiled, grasping the numerous shards of the fractured Soul Weapon, and brought down the cleaver as if slicing vegetables.

Clang! As sparks of metal fire erupted, the rings on the Shattering Whip vibrated violently, seemingly poised to shatter the cleaver once more.

The crowd watched the plain cleaver with mounting tension...

One second... Two seconds... Five seconds...

The cleaver remained a cleaver, showing no cracks, much less shattering. It rested in Gan Jin’s hand, looking exactly as it had initially, while the Shattering Whip now displayed a faint hairline fissure.

"I lost..." Bledas's mouth filled with bitterness. Although the cleaver hadn't severed the Shattering Whip, the whip also hadn't damaged the cleaver, and this cleaver had been forged in less than a day.

Gan Jin casually tossed the Shattering Whip toward Bledas, then reached out to sweep up the mountain of materials. These weren't just materials for forging Soul Weapons; many were materials for Sacred Artifacts. The Bledas clan's hoard, collected over generations—perhaps decades, even dozens of them—suddenly found a new owner.

The moment Bledas's palm closed around the Shattering Whip, the supposedly complete steel whip snapped with a sharp crack! Yes! The Shattering Whip, forged over three grueling years, was broken that easily.

The surrounding smiths were stunned silent, especially the high-level ones who knew the terrifying reputation of the Shattering Whip. Such a formidable weapon had been rendered useless by a single swing of Gan Jin's cleaver.

Bledas's eyebrows twitched violently as he glared at Gan Jin. Every piece of equipment had a weakness, unless it was a Sacred Artifact which might possess no true flaw. But even Soul Weapons held inherent vulnerabilities.

However, the weaknesses in Soul Weapons were extraordinarily subtle, hidden so deeply that even a Forging Grandmaster would require an extensive period to locate them upon receiving the weapon.

Gan Jin had merely grasped the Soul Weapon, glanced at it, and brought down his blade...

What kind of sight was that? Cold sweat broke out on Bledas’s palm. This boy cannot be allowed to live! Absolutely cannot let him live! Otherwise, the Dwarves' forging glory, which spanned millennia, might truly end here.

Want to kill me? Gan Jin’s gaze flickered toward Chekfulite nearby; the Fallen Angel bloodline Martial Artist had already sensed Bledas's bone-chilling murderous intent.

Gan Jin chose not to dwell on Bledas's thoughts. Too many people were watching now; it was inconvenient to strike down this threat directly. After all, the old Dwarf held considerable prestige, and killing him openly might provoke the dissatisfaction of the Barbarian tribes.

Bledas no longer considered how to steal Gan Jin's forging methods; his entire mind was consumed with how to eliminate him. This young man had perfectly integrated his Battle Soul into the smithing hammer, coupled with his unique forging and fire-control techniques; he truly might become a Divine Artisan in the future.

To achieve Artisan status was already difficult! To become a Divine Artisan! That was the highest title in any profession, whether smith, alchemist, or any other craft.

In the Zhence Dynasty, the Demon Race, or the Barbarian tribes, typically only deceased talents were posthumously awarded a title of Artisan. Gan Jin stood a chance of being the one to earn such a title while alive.

He was far too young! Bledas believed that even a pig, possessing all of Gan Jin's current abilities, could become an Artisan after thirty more years.

Moreover, Gan Jin clearly wasn't a pig, and his Battle Soul forging technique was something other smiths couldn't replicate.

"Bledas came from the Barbarian lands; I presume you are fatigued. Perhaps you should rest today, Master Bledas, and we can hold a rematch another day?"

From within the crowd, a voice brimming with absolute dominance suddenly rang out, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present. They could clearly discern that the speaker was subtly leaning toward Bledas.

In the capital city of the Zhence Dynasty, for a resident of the Zhence Dynasty to speak up when the Dwarf was being so overbearing, and then still invite a rematch—everyone was eager to know who this person was.

The speaker's appearance was somewhat unusual: his skin held a faint grayish hue, and he was robustly built, standing well over two meters and twenty centimeters tall. His shoulders seemed capable of holding up the sky, and his imposing gait exuded an air of supreme, unparalleled authority. Embroidered in large characters on the center of his light blue martial robe was the single character: Han ( - Cold).

A man from Hanlizhou!

Only one person dared to embroider this character on his chest—the pride of Hanlizhou, Jin Zetianlu!

Gan Jin’s gaze settled on Jin Zetianlu’s forehead, where a faint, very faint mark—an insignia—was visible. Other people might miss that emblem, but it could not escape the notice of a disciple trained by Master Akenash.

Jin Zetianlu's pale gray skin wasn't caused by the cultivation of his Battle Qi; the true reason lay in the insignia on his forehead—an emblem belonging to the Undead race!

Jin Zetianlu is Undead? Gan Jin was somewhat surprised. Hanlizhou was not remotely close to the Ancient Desolate Sea, and he hadn't expected the influence of the Undead to extend this far!

Jin Zetianlu was quite famous in the Zhence Dynasty. Gan Jin had read some records about him, knowing this man had never ventured into places like the Ancient Desolate Sea, yet he possessed an Undead emblem. This raised suspicion about where he might have encountered the Undead.

The Endless Deep Sea? The Ghost Battleship?

In Gan Jin’s mind, a location he had never personally visited suddenly surfaced, along with that special warship existing only in legends.

Bledas was slightly surprised that someone from the Zhence Dynasty would step in to help him at this juncture. A wry, relieved smile touched his lips as he carefully studied the suddenly appearing veteran warrior, wondering what specific reason this powerful figure had for approaching him.

"Bledas, are you interested in taking refuge at my place for a rest?" Jin Zetianlu felt the hostile gazes of the surrounding crowd, and his body gave a slight tremor!

A cold, lifeless, yet immensely powerful Battle Qi erupted from him, and a gray Battle Soul shot straight into the sky from within his body. A circular Soul Domain expanded outward...

Saintly Attainment!

The display of strength from Jin Zetianlu caused the expressions of all surrounding warriors to change instantly—this Jin Zetianlu, who had been in secluded cultivation for years, had actually achieved Saintly Attainment!

A common warrior, without the aid of Master Gan Jin, had successfully attained the Saint realm!

Duan Fengbu’er narrowed his eyes, regarding Jin Zetianlu with a strange look; this was truly unexpected! For a common warrior to reach the Saint realm, apart from Soul Weapons and Sacred Artifacts...

"The Undead Insignia..." Gan Jin stared intently at the insignia on Jin Zetianlu’s forehead, marveling once more at the wonder of Inscriptions. Apart from Soul Weapons and Sacred Artifacts, there was indeed another way to achieve Saintly Attainment—though it demanded an even higher requirement! At least, higher than that for Soul Weapons!

Inscriptions could also lead to Saintly Attainment! But carving and crafting these Inscriptions was far more troublesome!

"Fellow warrior," Duan Fengbu’er leaned in close to Gan Jin and whispered, "It seems you still have a pending duel with him? If things get really tight, I can step in? Attaining the Saint realm isn't difficult for me right now."