(Continued surge! This is the fourth update for today!

Begging for votes! Come back this afternoon!) Feng Zikang was certainly not a blacksmith in his previous life, nor in the one before that.

The reason he could take to the first step so easily was simply because he was gradually beginning to understand the "Dao" of all things. All things possess a Dao.

Since he cultivated both the Demonic Dao and the Way of the Soldier simultaneously, he naturally understood this principle far more clearly than ordinary disciples. In other words, everything has its inherent pattern; once this Dao is grasped, one can proceed with ease, making learning anything—whether it be smithing, alchemy, cooking, or calligraphy—exponentially faster during the foundational stages, even if he couldn't immediately ascend to the master tier in any of them!

Of course, at this time, he himself was still muddled, only vaguely glimpsing the trajectory of the Dao without being able to perceive it clearly, much less articulate it. This situation was not like that of Luo Lianxin, a cultivation genius who could grasp the essence of "Holding" so quickly; perhaps even he himself couldn't explain why.

"That makes things easy then!" Qin Daniu scratched his messy, unkempt head and laughed heartily. He hadn't expected that even here in the Hundred Weapons Workshop, where he spent his days hammering iron, a genius would walk right up to his door.

"The second step is called Striking..." Qin Daniu, in the rare role of a teacher, revealed everything he knew, chattering with Feng Zikang all the way until dinnertime. ※※※ Nothing is achieved overnight.

Feng Zikang understood the essential secrets of artifact forging and knew that achieving mastery would take far more than a few days. He planned to return and practice slowly, and if any questions arose, he could always ask Qin Daniu again.

After all, this Martial Uncle Qin now treated him like a close brother, practically wishing Feng Zikang would move into the Hundred Weapons Workshop, sleep side-by-side, and discuss the Dao of smithing late into the night—what a joy that would be! Feng Zikang shivered and politely declined the enthusiastic invitation, making the excuse that he still needed to diligently practice his sect's core methods and couldn't fully dedicate himself to forging just yet; he could only proceed slowly.

Qin Daniu was somewhat disappointed, reluctant to let him go. With that, Feng Zikang’s trip to Sunset Peak for the day concluded successfully.

Now he had too many things to organize and practice, so he didn't press his luck further, using his control over objects to descend the mountain and return first to the small bamboo grove to rest. The little fox seemed to still be suffering from a hangover, staggering around the thatched hut.

Seeing him return, it chirped happily, clinging to him and refusing to let go. Feng Zikang fed it an elixir pellet, but the fox remained unsatisfied and insisted on playing with him.

Feng Zikang’s thoughts flickered. He pulled out a sheet of South Sea Mulberry Hemp paper and, using the Ruyi Brush from his spatial storage, quickly sketched a pair of winged flying squirrels, tossing them onto the ground.

The little fox was overjoyed at the sight and chased them relentlessly, the flying squirrels darting up and down in alarm until Feng Zikang was finally able to slip away from the fox’s attention. He sat cross-legged, quietly reviewing his gains and contemplating the direction of his recent cultivation.

In terms of core methods and divine abilities, he had advanced his Formless Heavenly Demon Heart Method to the fifteenth level. With his demonic heart now settled, he could aim for the twentieth level soon.

The Marvelous Calculation Heart Method had reached the fifth level, but to cultivate the Way of the Soldier’s divine abilities effectively, he also needed to push this one to the twentieth level quickly. These two heart methods were paramount, the foundation for his divine abilities, requiring the most intensive effort.

For offensive abilities, he had acquired the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique. This technique held immense power and seemed to possess potential for further growth.

In Feng Zikang's view, he shouldn't regard it merely as a Yellow Grade, Third Rank ability. Furthermore, the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique was likely to be his primary conventional attack for a significant period, so he needed to ensure its development kept pace with the level of his core methods.

The Thousand Mile Travel ability could enhance his speed during travel and combat—a fundamental skill for survival. It would be ideal if he could cultivate it to the same level as his core methods, but at the very least, he shouldn't let the gap widen too much.

The Gentle Spring Wind Nurturing Rain ability was highly effective for healing and recovery, but sadly, it was an Outer Sect technique, meaning it could only be cultivated to the tenth level at most. Among his Demonic Dao abilities, the Formless Heavenly Demon Incarnation needed to advance in sync with his core method.

The stronger the incarnation, the greater his personal security. Other demonic abilities lacked obvious utility, so they didn't warrant much effort for now.

Regarding artifacts and treasures, the Four Symbols Divine Demon Array was currently his most formidable trump card—the fastest route to improving his strength. However, he didn't know where to collect the remaining fragments of the divine or demonic figures, so he needed to pay attention in his daily life.

The Devouring Heaven Ancient Sword felt mysterious and strange, but Feng Zikang faintly sensed that as this sword continued to devour and repair itself, it would become one of his most potent weapons. He needed to find an opportunity to question the Zen Master about this sword clearly.

The Star River Shuttle, the Spirit Shaman Bone, the Vajra Sarira, and the Heart-Piercing Nails were all treasures capable of yielding miraculous effects when used skillfully, especially the Star River Shuttle. Unfortunately, despite expending considerable effort, he still couldn't break the law governing the next restriction, leaving him to wait for destiny.

Finally, the Ruyi Brush and the South Sea Mulberry Hemp Paper he had just acquired were extremely interesting; they might prove uniquely useful in special circumstances. Compared to these, his original set of gear—the Soul Bone Sword, the Crown Cloud Helmet, and the Bell—seemed rather lackluster.

The ability attached to the Soul Bone Sword was too low-level and useless in higher-tier battles, while the other two items were too low-grade, essentially becoming redundant. Feng Zikang considered this and used the Devouring Heaven Ancient Sword to devour the Soul Bone Sword.

As expected, this top-grade Yellow Grade, Second Rank Soul Bone Sword offered little benefit, only slightly mending a crack on the front surface of the iron sword, far inferior to the Sky Serpent Blood-Siphoning Thorn and the Moon-Slaying Demon Sword. He decided to keep the other two items for the time being; until he found better replacements, they could serve to conceal his true strength.

Aside from all this, having just glimpsed the initial stages of artifact forging, he also needed to dedicate significant time to practicing that art. Lastly, there was one pressing matter: within the Four Symbols Divine Demon Prison, there was Martial Brother Huo, who inherited the Demonic Dao legacy—he was currently holding out, but in a few more days, Feng Zikang was sure he would talk willingly!

When that happened, he might be busy all over again! Therefore, before that time, he needed to digest and consolidate everything he currently possessed.

It looked like he needed to enter seclusion for a while. For the next few days, Feng Zikang settled into the small bamboo grove, diligently cultivating his core methods and practicing his divine abilities.

The Zen Master did not come looking for him, but he wasn't anxious; after all, judging by the old monk's demeanor, the Devouring Heaven Ancient Sword was certainly extraordinary, and the Zen Master would eventually seek him out to share the tale. His demonic heart achieved penetration, and his Demonic Dao cultivation surged forward like breaking waves.

The Formless Heavenly Demon Heart Method advanced through three levels consecutively, a vast improvement compared to the bottleneck period before. In his Way of the Soldier cultivation, having completed the refinement of his five senses, the subsequent refinement of the various acupoints in his mind seemed like a natural progression.

Within days, he broke through again, ascending five levels, connecting all his vital points, making his mind clearer and finding a logical path for all matters and things. As for his other divine abilities, touching upon them briefly allowed him to achieve entry into each without much difficulty.

Only the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique presented a few vexing difficulties!