Chapter 23: The Failed Forging

"What great tribulation?" Huo Yuqing looked at the woman in confusion.

Beside her, the black tiger let out a low growl. Strangely, Huo Yuqing could understand what she was saying.

"Mother, I beg you, if not for me, then for the Sacred Beast…"

"I'm sorry, my dear. I will always love you." The woman cupped the black tiger's head, giving it a gentle kiss, and then stroked the head of the Sacred Beast. "I do believe in your plan, but now I have something more important that I wish to accomplish."

"If you love me, why do you insist on leaving?" the black tiger roared, "Why?"

"I…" The three-eyed golden beast tried to speak, but the tall man in black hair and black robes suddenly interrupted.

"Tiger Queen, you know," his voice was extremely calm, with no discernible expression on his face, yet his entire being exuded an oppressive aura, "if I wanted to, I could ask the Sovereign to forcibly suppress your tribulation."

"I know." The purple-haired woman smiled, staring intently at the black-haired man. "But I know you. You won't do that."

The black-haired man stared at her, silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty, "Yes, I won't."

"The development of the Soul Spirit is only one crucial step away. Within two hundred years, this final hurdle will surely be overcome!" The Sacred Beast seemed to sense something, speaking urgently and trembling as he did so. "If you are willing to wait until then, you might even have the chance to gain immortality!"

"Sacred Beast." The black-haired man's tone was steady. "Respect her choice. Over hundreds of thousands of years, the Tiger Queen has always been this way—willful and unchanging. She never changes for anyone."

The Sacred Beast opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately gave up, lowering his head in despair.

"Mother, please don't do this. Don't force me to hate you…" the black tiger choked, tears streaming down her face. Standing beside her, a silver-haired middle-aged man sighed and gently patted her back.

"Tiger Queen, you…" He looked pleadingly at the woman with short purple hair.

The Tiger Queen shook her head. "Little Long, you are my daughter's contracted partner. Though you're human, I've watched you grow up. You're practically half a son to me. Humans mature faster than soul beasts, and my daughter's temperament is still not fully developed. Please take care of her."

Huo Yuqing's eyes widened. That silver-haired middle-aged man was from the Beast Sect?

"Yes, of course." The silver-haired man lowered his head.

"Ah Yun, you're always like this." The woman in purple-scaled armor said, "You'll never change for those who love you, will you?"

"Is this your first day knowing me, Zi Ji?" The Tiger Queen shook her head. "All good things must come to an end. There are things I must do."

She turned, focusing her gaze on the purple thunder roaring in the sky, and a wild smile spread across her face. "I will use my tribulation to complete the greatest work of my life."

A black staff-like object appeared in her hand.

The moment the black staff appeared, the surroundings seemed to dim. Yet, for some reason, Huo Yuqing felt that it was alive—it breathed, it anticipated, it rejoiced.

Even with her spirit eyes open, the girl couldn't discern what material it was made of. The surface of the black staff seemed smooth, yet it did not reflect any light. Upon closer inspection, intricate, almost ethereal patterns could be seen on its surface—patterns so dark they seemed to surpass blackness itself, resembling cracks in the void or lightning streaking across the sky.

Staring at those patterns for just a while made Huo Yuqing's eyes sting, as though her very soul might be absorbed into them.

"Stop looking," a gentle voice came from above her head. "At least not so intently. Your cultivation is too low."

Another Sacred Beast appeared behind her.

"What's going on?" Huo Yuqing asked in astonishment.

"This is my memory," Wang Rui answered. "I had intended to lead you straight out, but I didn't expect you to end up in this memory… It's fine. You might as well stay and watch. I'd like someone else to remember her, too."

"That Tiger Queen… is she your…?" Huo Yuqing hesitated.

"My foster mother." Wang Rui lowered his head, resting his chin lightly on Huo Yuqing's head. "Unless under extremely rare circumstances, most soul beasts can only live for another thousand years after reaching a hundred thousand years of cultivation unless they undergo their first tribulation to extend their lives.

Every additional hundred thousand years of cultivation requires another tribulation. At two hundred thousand years, a soul beast can assume human form—what you humans call 'fierce beasts.' The Tiger Queen… she was a fierce beast with nearly seven hundred thousand years of cultivation. This was her seventh tribulation."

"She had a chance to survive… but, as you've seen, she was a reckless lunatic. That's why I hate her, and that's why I love her," Wang Rui said with a bitter smile.

"When I was just a little cub, merely the mascot of the Star Dou Great Forest, I had many ideas that sounded crazy. The Tiger Queen was the only one willing to patiently listen to me and support me unconditionally—because she found it interesting and wanted to do it."

"That was her charm, and also her most infuriating trait."

"Actually, you don't hate her, do you? You're just in too much pain," Huo Yuqing asked softly.

"Yeah…" Wang Rui sighed. "Did you see the object in her hand?"

The girl nodded.

"That's an alloy," Wang Rui said, looking up as the Tiger Queen rose towards the valley's sky. "I obtained knowledge beyond this era from fate itself—how to forge metal, purify it through a hundred strikes, refine it through a thousand strikes, imbue it with life through spirit forging, give it a soul through soul forging, and, finally, heavenly forge it by merging it with the laws of the universe to create an artifact."

Huo Yuqing's eyes widened in astonishment.

"It sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?" Wang Rui muttered. "That's why the other fierce beasts didn't believe it. Only my mother did. She spent thousands of years turning theory into reality. Together, we forged soul-forged metal with a soul. And now, what she holds is living, spirit-forged metal."

The forging method summarized by the soul beasts was not exactly the same as the one mentioned in Douluo 3, but the end result was similar.

"And now, she wants to attempt heavenly forging," Wang Rui growled almost angrily. "But in this era, heavenly forging is simply impossible!"

"Why?" Huo Yuqing couldn't help but ask.

"Your cultivation is too low right now; knowing too much won't be good for you," Wang Rui shook his head. Seeing the hint of disappointment on her face, he quickly added, "I mean, if you still want to know once you've grown stronger, I'll tell you everything then."

The girl looked at him in surprise and then smiled slightly. "All right, it's a promise. Once I've grown stronger, you'll tell me."

"Deal." Wang Rui nodded.

"I told her heavenly forging was impossible, but she insisted on trying." His voice was full of bitterness. "If only I hadn't told her about heavenly forging back then—she's a madwoman. She wanted to use thunderfire to temper the metal, then infuse it with the trace of destruction law contained in her heavenly tribulation."

Huo Yuqing thought of her late mother and hesitantly reached out to pat Wang Rui on the head. "It's really cruel to be the one left behind, but it's not your fault."

They fell into silence, watching the Tiger Queen hover in the sky above the valley. She loosened her grip, and the black metal rod floated in mid-air.

Dark clouds churned in the sky, and purple lightning twisted through them like endless dragons.

A stifling tension filled the air, making Huo Yuqing hold her breath.

In mid-air, the Tiger Queen tilted her head back and let out a long roar—a deafening sound, filled with exhilaration and an inexplicable anticipation.

Behind her, a solidified illusion took form—a ferocious giant tiger, with blazing blood-red flames coiling around its body.

"Is she sacrificing herself???" The woman in the green dress cried out in shock.

"She's not only drawing in heavenly thunderfire—she's also planning to sacrifice her flesh, her soul rings, and her soul bones!!!" The recalled Wang Rui screamed. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! The metal already has life, so sacrificing to it is entirely feasible. She's completely lost it!"

Then, the heavenly thunder came crashing down.

Purple lightning surged down from the sky, turning everything in the world white for a moment. The roar of thunder that followed shook the very air, and even Wang Rui's recalled memory projection trembled slightly.

The Tiger Queen stood tall, arms spread wide. At this moment, she appeared not like a fierce beast but a queen standing alone against the heavens. Her entire body was enveloped in a glowing red flame. The blood-red fire wasn't ordinary—it was her life essence burning away. Every second it burned, her vitality diminished.

"Stop! Please stop!" Wang Rui's voice echoed, carrying both anger and helplessness. Yet no matter how he shouted, it couldn't reach her. This was, after all, only a memory—there was nothing he could change. He was forced to watch it unfold once again, as he had countless times before.

The first bolt of lightning struck the black rod directly. Upon impact, the black surface briefly emitted a strange glow, as if the metal had come alive. It absorbed the thunder's power, trembling slightly as if crying out in pain.

Huo Yuqing could hardly believe her eyes. She had seen countless soul weapons, but never anything like this. The black rod was clearly being refined by the heavenly lightning, yet instead of disintegrating, it endured.

The second bolt of lightning struck even harder, splitting into several branches, each aimed directly at the Tiger Queen. She roared again, releasing a surge of power that turned into a shield of crimson fire, blocking most of the lightning. However, a portion still pierced through, scorching her left shoulder and leaving a deep, charred wound.

"Mother!" Wang Rui clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging as he suppressed the overwhelming emotions surging within him.

"She really… intends to give it everything," he muttered hoarsely.

More lightning struck, each bolt fiercer than the last. The crimson flames grew weaker, flickering as the Tiger Queen's life force drained rapidly. Her breathing became ragged, and yet her expression remained resolute.

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound echoed through the valley. Huo Yuqing's eyes widened in shock as she realized the black rod had changed. Its surface, which had initially been smooth and featureless, now bore a fine network of cracks. Each crack glowed faintly with purple light, as if it had absorbed the lightning's essence.

"She succeeded…" Wang Rui whispered in disbelief. "She actually succeeded in reaching the first stage of heavenly forging!"

But just as he spoke, the heavens seemed to grow angrier. The dark clouds above churned violently, and an enormous bolt of lightning—several times larger than the previous ones—began to form.

"No… No!" Wang Rui's voice trembled. "This is a punishment strike! The heavens won't allow her to succeed!"

The Tiger Queen looked up, her eyes filled with both exhaustion and unyielding determination. She knew what was coming, yet she showed no fear. Instead, she smiled—wild, reckless, and defiant until the very end.

As the massive bolt of lightning descended, she closed her eyes and whispered softly, "Forgive me, Ah Rui. This is my choice."

The lightning struck, and an explosion of blinding light consumed everything.

When the light finally faded, Huo Yuqing found herself kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. Even though she was only experiencing this through a memory, the intensity of the event left her feeling drained.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the black rod lay motionless on the scorched ground, its surface now smooth once again but exuding an indescribable aura of power. Of the Tiger Queen, there was no trace left—only a lingering warmth in the air, as if she had become one with the flames she once wielded.

Wang Rui knelt silently, his eyes fixed on the black rod. Huo Yuqing hesitated before stepping forward and placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

"She didn't fail," she said softly. "She created something extraordinary… and her will lives on in it."

Wang Rui didn't respond immediately. After a long moment, he exhaled deeply and rose to his feet. "You're right. She didn't fail. But she also didn't live to see what she created."

Turning to Huo Yuqing, he added, "That rod… it's called the Tiger's Legacy. It's more than just a weapon. It contains her spirit, her will, and the culmination of her life's work."

As he spoke, the surroundings began to blur. The memory was coming to an end.

"Come," Wang Rui said. "We've seen enough. Let's leave this place."

Huo Yuqing nodded, but just before the memory faded completely, she glanced back one last time. In the distance, she thought she saw a faint figure—a woman standing tall, surrounded by crimson flames, her eyes filled with unyielding determination.

And then, the vision was gone.