Chapter 0009: Gifted and Talented

Mangtian picked up two small metal hammers from the side and handed them to Tang Wulin. "Do you see that round metal block? Use these hammers to strike it one thousand times, five hundred times on each side. Only by achieving sufficient force will the counter register. It requires the strength of lifting the hammer and bringing it down. If you complete this, I will explain to you what forging is; if you do not, you need not come back tomorrow"

Have you finished smashing it

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! The continuous strikes caused the numbers on the screen to jump incessantly. The hammer did not seem too heavy; at least, Tang Wulin did not feel much of a burden. With a pair of iron hammers striking continuously, the numbers below kept increasing

Bang, bang, bang! Continue to strike, the next three hundred blows seem to be less heavy.

Two

Mangtian stopped in his tracks, turned to Tang Wulin, and said: "Do you know what forging is?"

Mangtian was momentarily taken aback, glancing at the watch on his wrist; it had only been half an hour since he assigned the task to Tang Wulin

Following Mang Tian into the studio, the hall of the studio was in disarray, with various metal components scattered everywhere alongside diagrams and books. Tang Wulin could only barely recognize that many of these components should belong to the parts of the soul-guided mecha.

The metallic roar startled him. The soul guide screen below seemed to be activated, and as the screen lit up, a number 1 popped up.

When Tang Wulin saw the hammer, he also had a pained expression. However, when he took the pair of hammers from Máng Tiān's hands, he was surprised to find that they did not seem as heavy as he had imagined

Alright. Tang Wulin picked up the hammer again; after resting for a while, the soreness in his arms had diminished somewhat

Based on the experience of forging in the Ming sky, he determined after just a few glances that the child's strength was sufficient to wield these hammers and complete the striking.

Tang Wulin revealed a smile that indicated his understanding, and with his right hand, he swung the hammer down onto the circular metal.

One thousand! The numbers finally jumped to the position required by Mingtian. Tang Wulin then put down his double hammers, gasping for breath. He could feel an indescribable pain in his palms, and his arms felt so sore that they seemed not to belong to him. In addition to this, there was an unexpected sense of exhilaration, as a tingling sensation originating from his tailbone spread all the way to his cervical spine, ebbing and flowing, creating an indescribable sense of constraint. He could feel an indescribable pain in his palms, and his arms felt so sore that they seemed not to belong to him. In addition to this, there was an unexpected sense of exhilaration, as a tingling sensation originating from his tailbone spread all the way to his cervical spine, ebbing and flowing, creating an indescribable sense of constraint.

Seeing him drenched in sweat, Mang Tian refrained from voicing any further doubts, as he always preferred to let facts speak for themselves. He stood up and led Tang Wulin back to the previous room

"Uncle Mang Tian, I have completed it." Tang Wulin searched for a long time before finally finding Mang Tian sitting in a room, fiddling with a component.

Mangtian did not stop and continued to walk inward, and he hurriedly followed.

"Strike me again, let me see. I will not say stop, you must not stop," said Mang Tian in a deep voice

The facade of this place is not large, but the interior space is quite ample. After passing through a corridor, Mingtian brought Tang Wulin into a room.

After five hundred repetitions, the soreness finally transformed into a painful ache, yet he continued to persevere, refusing to allow himself to stop

The left hand swung the hammer down, "Bang!"

Is this what is known as extraordinary talent?

Indeed! Tang Wulin nodded.

When he had struck one hundred times, he had already begun to sweat; it was only after three hundred strikes that he started to feel a sense of soreness in his arms

Bang, bang, bang... Each strike falls without any technique, without leveraging any force, just that simple and direct pounding on the metal block

"Come in." Mingtian said to Tang Wulin

Mangtian Dao: "This is your task for today." He pointed to the side

Oh

One thousand, a large number presented before my eyes, the instrument was set up by Máng Tiān himself, and a six-year-old child naturally could not cheat. Yet it remains hard to believe

Is it hollow? Uncle Mingtian looks quite fierce, but he is actually quite nice

Two hammers, of course, are not heavy for him, but they are certainly not hollow; each one weighs a solid ten pounds. A normal adult male, swinging such a hammer a thousand times, would likely find his arms so sore that he could hardly lift them, and it would be quite difficult to complete in half an hour. Not to mention a child who is only six years old.

Enduring the sensation of soreness and swelling, Tang Wulin continued to swing his twin hammers

On the ground beside, there is a metal platform approximately half a meter high, on which there is a circular metal block. Below it, there is a soul guiding screen

The metal hammer has a handle approximately one foot long, and the hammerhead is cylindrical in shape, measuring half a foot in length, with a cross-sectional diameter of about ten centimeters. Each hammer weighs around ten pounds. This is already a considerable weight for a six-year-old child, not to mention the effort required to swing it for striking.

Having spoken, he placed a pair of metal hammers into Tang Wulin's hands and turned to leave

It doesn't seem too difficult! Tang Wulin raised his arms and began to strike with the hammer.

Mangtian said lightly: "Actually, I didn't want to take you in at first. You are too young and not suitable for forging. But your father insisted on letting you give it a try. If you find it unsuitable after trying, just leave here, but do not cry and whine in front of me, understood?"

It took him a full five minutes to catch his breath

What he cannot see himself is that the faint golden lines are also constantly lingering along his spine, accompanying that tingling sensation

But everything before me

The test proposed by Mángtiān is essentially a form of polite refusal. He has a good relationship with Táng Zīrán and does not want to directly decline, yet he is truly unwilling to teach a six-year-old child whom he believes is fundamentally incapable of mastering forging.

He constantly reminded himself that he must work hard to learn forging, to earn money to buy souls. This would make his parents happy and also allow him to protect Na'er

We must persevere, my father said, perseverance is victory

After seven hundred repetitions, my arms already feel somewhat unable to lift, and the speed of swinging the hammer has noticeably decreased

The sensation of soreness was becoming increasingly intense, and Tang Wulin's arms had begun to show a slight redness, yet he continued to grit his teeth and persevere

In the room, there is a workbench, which is still out of reach for Tang Wulin at his current height

"I will not cry, Uncle Mang Tian." Tang Wulin replied firmly

Yet he still gritted his teeth and persevered, sweating profusely, the uniform issued by the academy already clinging to his body, with sweat continuously dripping down. But at that moment, Tang Wulin suddenly felt a numbness in his tailbone, and his whole body trembled as if it had been electrocuted, the original soreness surprisingly diminishing somewhat. The hammer in his hand, which had felt extremely heavy, also became a little lighter again.

Tang Wulin shook his head in confusion