When Qin Da Niu brought down this palm strike, it must have carried the force of ten thousand catties. Even though the third-generation disciples had drawn Qi into their bodies and were no longer mortals, not every low-level disciple could withstand it easily.

Feng Zikang remained impassive. This immediately charmed the coarse blacksmith, as Qin Da Niu was highly satisfied with the young man’s earlier composure, courtesy, and respect for his master’s reputation.

Thus, Feng Zikang became the only third-generation disciple handling business at the Hundred Arms Workshop who was offered a bowl of water.

The bowl was a common, coarse porcelain vessel, and the water was ordinary spring water from the mountain—refreshing and sweet, not some elixir of jade nectar. Yet, this was a privilege neither Liang Si'an nor Huo Zhongguang, the chief disciples of Sunset Peak who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, had ever enjoyed. Even ordinary second-generation disciples often failed to earn Qin Da Niu's favor.

“Feng Wá'er, are you here to learn the art of artifact refinement?”

Upon hearing his purpose, Qin Da Niu’s eyes lit up with even greater joy.

Dragon and Tiger Mountain's Military School had a thousand-year heritage, and artifact refinement was originally one of its orthodox branches, producing masters like Ou Yezi, who was unparalleled in sword forging. The forging techniques of that era surpassed today's standards, achieving divine skill that bordered on the Dao itself.

In those days, among the seven branches of the Military School, the Refinement lineage possessed its own core mental cultivation methods and wondrous transformations, which were by no means inferior to the other six branches.

Today, a Refinement Master of the sixth rank of the Profound Grade is considered a top figure, but compared to the godlike Grandmasters of old, they were utterly insignificant—perhaps not even qualified to tend the bellows for firing the furnace.

Yet, in this current age, for some unknown reason, artifact refinement had declined. The lineage within the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Military School had withered, and other schools were even worse off; refinement was merely an auxiliary skill, not a true Dao tradition.

Roving cultivators or weaker sects lacking dedicated forging units might teach themselves some rudimentary, makeshift refinement skills for emergencies. Within established, orthodox sects like the Military School, since units like the Hundred Arms Workshop existed to assist with forging, why would third-generation disciples bother to study it themselves?

After all, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth was weakening; no one had achieved ascension in three hundred years. Honing the Great Dao and polishing divine abilities was the ultimate truth, and few were willing to spend time on other skills.

Everyone knew refinement was important and respected the masters of the art highly, but few were willing to abandon the pursuit of immortality to study these 'heretical' paths.

Consequently, within the Hundred Arms Workshop, apart from a few menial apprentices, there were truly no core disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage who came to learn artifact refinement. However, the path of refinement must begin before Foundation Establishment to have any hope of future achievement. Thus, experts who had reached the Core Condensation stage or higher all knew a few rudimentary techniques, but their works were crude and barely functional.

If they needed to forge powerful magic artifacts, they still had to seek Elder Hu of the Hundred Arms Workshop, dutifully offering materials and merit points.

When Qin Da Niu found Feng Zikang interested in refinement, he felt an even deeper kinship.

In truth, Feng Zikang had no choice. While others could openly bring materials and merit points to the masters at the Hundred Arms Workshop for forging, there were several powerful demonic artifacts in his spiritual consciousness that he certainly could not present for refinement.

He could only grope his way through the principles of refinement and find a way to forge them himself.

However, this desperate necessity caused this Uncle-Master Qin Da Niu to look upon him with admiration—a result Feng Zikang had not anticipated.

“As far as I know, the realm of artifact refinement has three stages!”

Qin Da Niu spoke excitedly, launching into an impromptu lecture.

He himself was a simple blacksmith. By persistently striking iron at home, he unexpectedly awakened his Dao Heart, earning the title of Divine Craftsman across a thousand li. Elder Hu Tiehan of the Military School’s Hundred Arms Workshop recognized his aptitude, took him as a disciple, and taught him the Immortal Forging Arts. He immersed himself, cultivating the art of refinement with fanatic devotion every day for two centuries without fail.

He had no other hobbies in his life; his sole pursuit was the art of refinement. Now that someone wished to learn, he was ready to impart everything without reservation.

“The first level is called Strength Forging.”

Altering an object's nature and shape through immense physical power, and inscribing formations or divine abilities onto it—these all fall under the category of Strength Forging.

Whether it is an ordinary blacksmith hammering out a common blade or a cultivator pouring supreme divine abilities into rare heavenly materials to form a magic tool, if the heart remains unchanged, they have not transcended Strength Forging. Artifacts made through Strength Forging can certainly possess astonishing power, but they lack the true spirit of refinement.

“The second level is called Blood Forging!”

Using one’s own vital blood to refine an object until it gains sentience—that is the realm of Blood Forging. For example, the final step in cultivating a Natal Magic Weapon involves using Blood Forging to link the weapon spiritually to the self, allowing for seamless, unobstructed use.

“The next level up is called Heart Forging…” Qin Da Niu sighed and shook his head; two centuries of arduous practice had not allowed him to reach this stage.

“Master said there is a so-called Divine Forging method above that, but those techniques are not passed down in this realm. They are subtle, miraculous, and deeply captivating…” Qin Da Niu’s eyes were filled with longing. Even his speech grew refined, clearly relaying the words of his master, Hu Tiehan, rather than his own crude blacksmith’s musings.

“For beginners in refinement, of course, you must start with Strength Forging…”

Qin Da Niu looked at Feng Zikang’s unimposing frame, first shaking his head, then nodding. “Although you aren't very sturdy, you withstood my palm strike without flinching. This first step of Strength Forging, you might be able to manage…”

The first step of Strength Forging was simple.

It was called Holding.

Holding is the holding of persistence. Holding the eight thousand four hundred jin hammer, holding it aloft for one full hour, until it feels as light as a feather, achieving perfect unity of essence, energy, and spirit—only then is the first step considered successful.

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?”

Qin Da Niu choked, coughing uncontrollably, spraying water from his lungs. “Feng Wá'er, don’t think this is simple! Back in my day, Old Qin here practiced that for a full year… Don’t assume I was an ordinary mortal then; I was already a fifth-level Qi Condensation disciple!”

“Just like that?”

Feng Zikang lightly held the massive sledgehammer Qin Da Niu used to strike the anvil. With a slight exertion, he raised it smoothly to eye level, then his entire person seemed to freeze, utterly motionless.

His eyes watched his nose, his nose watched his heart; essence, energy, and spirit were unified within.

A faint, calm smile played on Feng Zikang’s lips. If not for the hammer in his hand, one might have thought he was merely holding a sprig of apricot blossom.

“A genius!”

Qin Da Niu gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. Feng Zikang’s Holding was utterly flawless, no less accomplished than Qin Da Niu’s own result after a year of grueling practice.

One could even say that at this stage of Holding, Qin Da Niu’s current Core Condensation cultivation and Profound Grade One refinement skill could not achieve a better result than Feng Zikang’s!

Keep in mind, this was the ten thousand eight hundred jin hammer Qin Da Niu was accustomed to using, not the eight thousand four hundred jin hammer for beginners.

“Wá'er! Were you a blacksmith in a past life?”