Chapter 1026: Tempering the Golden Source Cauldron

"A miracle, truly a miracle!"

Murmuring to himself, President Zhong stood dumbfounded.

A single technique and three pills had forcibly reversed the nature of true qi and enabled a breakthrough. This could no longer be called guidance; it was nothing short of a miracle!

Even witnessing it with his own eyes, it felt like a dream, unbelievable.

"Could this... be Director Zhang's true strength?" Hall Master Feng was also too shocked to speak.

As a renowned master, his insight was sharper, and he naturally knew how precious the secret manual given to Song Zhen was.

To create such a powerful technique on a whim and give it away without reservation—this was what a true master should be, a quality worth learning for a lifetime!

No wonder he could become the dean of the Master Academy, admired by countless elders and students. Indeed, a great reputation never rests on falsehood.

"Thank you, teacher!"

As the two were marveling, Song Zhen, who had finished his cultivation on the side, knelt before Zhang Xuan with a face full of admiration.

He now fully believed the other's words; even if the young man before him told him to kill himself, he would not hesitate for a moment.

"I am not your teacher, no need for such courtesy." Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"You taught me a technique and gave me hope to live... In this life, I recognize only you as my teacher, and I will never change until death."

Kneeling on the ground, he heavily kowtowed several times, his eyes revealing an unshakable determination.

Without him, he might now be a corpse, and moreover, his family would still be drowning in the mockery of others!

This Sun Jin nearby would still be hiding his fangs, making it impossible to see his true face, deceiving batch after batch of newcomers dreaming of becoming blacksmiths.

Director Zhang had not only taught him a technique but also changed his life and avenged him. Even if he did not accept him as a student, he would always regard him as a role model in his heart, never changing for life.

"Very well. Although I won't take you as a personal disciple, since we've met, it's fate. Today, you will be my student in blacksmithing."

Seeing the firmness in the other's eyes, Zhang Xuan sighed.

Personal disciples required not only talent but also assessments of character and many other factors. He had spent too little time with this man to take him directly, but accepting him as a blacksmithing student was acceptable.

A master's students fill the world. A teaching student, like the members of the Xuanxuan Society, could be taken in many without issue.

"Thank you, teacher, for your kindness!" Excitedly kowtowing again, Song Zhen's eyes were full of devotion.

The many blacksmiths lying around showed envy, and even the elders and President Zhong wore similar expressions.

This Director Zhang was powerful and had a profound understanding of blacksmithing. Becoming his student, even just nominally, would surely lead to a boundless future.

"Since I am your blacksmithing teacher, I would feel remiss if I didn't make you a six-star blacksmith."

Ignoring everyone's expressions, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and looked over. With a flick of his wrist, a massive furnace landed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "This is the Golden Source Cauldron, the academy's treasured artifact, a lower-grade sacred artifact! I happen to plan on reforging it... Since you are now my student, you will do it. If you succeed, it will greatly aid your blacksmithing skills, and becoming a seven-star blacksmith will be no problem!"

"Temper a sacred artifact? This, this... I am just an apprentice, unable to even forge a mortal weapon. I cannot bear such a heavy responsibility..."

Song Zhen was startled.

The other blacksmiths, and even President Zhong, nearly fainted on the spot.

Sacred artifacts were something only seven-star blacksmiths were qualified to handle. Being able to temper one once would indeed greatly improve one's blacksmithing, both mentally and technically.

Especially for a peak six-star blacksmith, a sudden enlightenment could even lead to a breakthrough.

But... letting an apprentice, a novice who had never even successfully forged a mortal weapon, do it... Was he really not afraid of ruining the treasured artifact of the prestigious Master Academy?

"Master, you can't be serious..."

Not only the crowd, but the Golden Source Cauldron nearby also trembled, feeling like it was about to cry: "Actually... Dingding thinks its current strength is pretty good. Suddenly, it doesn't want to upgrade..."

Although it wanted to increase its power, it needed the master to do it himself...

Letting someone who had never forged before handle it—what was that about?

Was he displeased with it and looking for an excuse to destroy it?

"Alright, enough with the nonsense!" Ignoring the crowd's shock and the Golden Source Cauldron's fear, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Although his blacksmithing skill had reached peak six-star, making this thing advance was not simply a matter of forging and quenching; the key was to fuse the Purple Gold Flame into it—that is, tempering the artifact embryo!

And that was what he was worst at.

If he were to do it himself, in front of so many skilled blacksmiths, not only would he make a fool of himself, but the Golden Source Cauldron would likely be refined to death, or even smashed beyond recognition, losing its former appearance.

This Song Zhen, though merely an apprentice, had previously used the library to thoroughly research forging, laying a solid foundation and mastering it firmly. Having him fuse the Violet Gold was absolutely the best choice—he would be even more adept than a six-star artificer.

If successful, he would gain deeper insights into forging, and becoming a six-star artificer, or even higher, would only be a matter of time.

This way, he could resolve his own embarrassment of not being able to forge a vessel, display his mastery as a superior, earn greater admiration from the crowd, and also temper this novice student without losing face...

It could be said to kill three birds with one stone—why not do it?

"Yes..." Seeing his teacher angry, Song Zhen dared not say more, nodded, and reluctantly walked over.

His face showed a look of death-defying resolve, while the Golden Origin Cauldron opposite him trembled incessantly, no longer displaying the arrogance and bluster with which it had crushed Saint Domain experts. Its three thick legs seemed ready to give way at any moment, collapsing to the ground.

Seeing the expressions of the man and the cauldron, Zhang Xuan shook his head, offered no further explanation, and directly said, "Improving the quality of a sacred artifact is of utmost importance. In a moment, I will guide you on how to forge it—not a single step may go wrong!"

"Yes!" Song Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Take out the Violet Gold I had you bring. This refinement will require it..."

Without pausing, Zhang Xuan began to outline the steps for tempering the Golden Origin Cauldron: "First, melt this ore. Use true qi to drive the earth fire for thirteen breaths, then place the Golden Origin Cauldron into it for fusion. After twenty-seven breaths, remove it and use the Thousand Hammer Forging Method to strike it one hundred and eighty-four times. Each strike should use eighty percent of your strength. The requirement is simple: under so many strikes, you must hammer every part of the Golden Origin Cauldron—not one strike more, not one less..."

He did not use telepathy but spoke directly, his clear voice reaching all the artificers, who looked at each other in astonishment, their eyes filled with shock.

They had thought it was merely guidance on forging, not too difficult, but now they realized this was not just forging—it was a form of cultivation!

Not only did he need to know all the properties of the Golden Origin Cauldron, Violet Gold, and even the earth fire, but he also had to have a detailed understanding of Song Zhen's strength and abilities.

This was no longer just a matter of insight; the calculations in his mind must have been immense!

"Yes!"

After hearing his words, Song Zhen knew that his teacher had already anticipated every possible situation he might encounter. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, memorized the content, and then grabbed the Violet Gold and threw it into the earth fire.

This was the Artificer Guild; every room had a formation connected to the earth fire. Driven by his newly advanced Half-Saint power, the flames blazed up, quickly melting the Violet Gold, and then he placed the Golden Origin Cauldron into it...

He followed all the forging techniques strictly according to the other's instructions, without deviation.

"Not bad!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

As he had guessed, the other's skill in forging vessel blanks had indeed reached the pinnacle, even surpassing some peak six-star artificers.

No wonder—having been unable to break through all these years, he had poured all his energy and effort into this, thus acquiring such ability.

Half an hour later, the Golden Origin Cauldron emitted a sound like a great bell, its power, previously only that of a low-grade sacred artifact, surged step by step, its formidable aura forcing everyone back repeatedly.

Whoosh!

It came to a stop, gleaming with golden light, exuding an air of superiority.

"A mid-grade sacred artifact? Excellent..."

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

With a single glance, he knew his gamble had paid off.

At this moment, the Golden Origin Cauldron had perfectly fused with the Violet Gold, reaching the mid-grade Saint Domain level, its strength comparable to a Saint Domain Fourth Layer peak!

If it encountered Golden Leaf King and the others again, it could simply smash them to death with one strike, without the trouble of making them take medicine.

"I'm not dead? Not only am I not dead, but my strength has also increased? Excellent..."

While he was filled with relief, the nearby Golden Origin Cauldron jumped up in excitement.

It had thought that being tempered by an apprentice who couldn't forge would at best leave it half-dead, but not only had it succeeded, it had greatly improved its strength, rising an entire grade. It was so happy it wanted to hug and kiss the nearby Song Zhen.

"Teacher..."

At this moment, Song Zhen, who had not expected to succeed either, had shining eyes filled with excitement.

Although this time his teacher had guided him step by step, this experience had given him immense confidence in forging. In the future, passing the six-star exam, or even the seven-star when his strength was sufficient, would be no problem!

It could be said... this single opportunity had laid the foundation for his forging career, making his future boundless.

To unhesitatingly entrust the academy's treasured artifact to him for tempering—such trust, such kindness, was something he could never repay in a lifetime.

"Alright, since you have gained some insight, becoming an artificer in the future will be no problem!"

With a grab of his hand, Zhang Xuan retrieved the Golden Origin Cauldron into his ring and waved his hand: "Hall Master Feng, I'll leave the rest to you. I'm off!"

With that, he turned and walked away, soon disappearing from everyone's sight.

"He finishes his task and leaves without seeking any reward... This is a true master!"

Seeing him turn and leave without the slightest hesitation, the crowd could not help but sigh with emotion.