Chapter 44: Zi Ji in Peril

Although Xia Yi had a connection with Mu Xi, he didn't immediately head to Tiandou City with her. Instead, he made a stop at the Blacksmiths' Guild.

"Are you really going to use Azure Origin Copper to forge your forging hammer?" Mu Xi asked seriously. For a blacksmith, the forging hammer is of paramount importance. A hammer suited to the blacksmith could not only make forging much more efficient but also significantly increase the success rate.

What qualifies as a suitable forging hammer? It must be able to resonate with the blacksmith, forming a connection between their blood and spirit.

To achieve this resonance, the forging hammer must have life, even if only a faint semblance of consciousness.

However, Azure Origin Copper inherently cannot generate life or even the most basic sense of awareness.

Xia Yi had first obtained a small amount of Living Gold from Gu Yue before beginning the process of tempering the Azure Origin Copper.

"I've already decided," Xia Yi said firmly, ignoring Mu Xi's objections. He placed the prepared Azure Origin Copper into the forge to begin smelting.

After a month of study, Xia Yi was already well-versed in the techniques of spirit refining and blood bonding.

As the final hammer strike fell, he swiftly slit his wrist, letting his blood spill over the freshly forged Azure Origin Copper.

The moment his blood touched the metal, a sizzling sound echoed, accompanied by curling wisps of smoke. As the flames died out, the original appearance of the Azure Origin Copper was revealed.

Before Mu Xi could react, Xia Yi took out a pouch of green powder brimming with vitality and sprinkled it over the metal.

It was true that Azure Origin Copper couldn't inherently gain life, but by incorporating a small amount of Living Gold, Xia Yi had solved this problem.

Living Gold, being inherently alive, was ground into powder and merged with the blood-bonded and tempered Azure Origin Copper.

This process effectively allowed him to bond with both the tempered Azure Origin Copper and the Living Gold simultaneously.

Living Gold has the ability to devour any metal, but simultaneous bonding ensured that the Azure Origin Copper and Living Gold harmonized their energies, preventing the latter from consuming the former's metallic properties.

In an instant, even Mu Xi could sense a wave of life emanating from the Azure Origin Copper.

Xia Yi felt it even more intensely—it was as though the tempered metal was rejoicing.

"What did you just add? It made the Azure Origin Copper instantly develop a consciousness!" Mu Xi asked, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Though she was the daughter of Saint Craftsman Mu Chen, Living Gold had been extinct in the human world for countless years. Not even her father would know about this rare metal.

"My blood," Xia Yi replied with a cheeky grin, activating his first soul skill to heal the wound on his wrist.

"If you don't want to tell me, just say so!" Mu Xi snapped, grinding her teeth in frustration. She had painstakingly taught Xia Yi for a whole month, yet he still kept such secrets from her.

Xia Yi didn't respond further. He focused on crafting the tempered Azure Origin Copper into a forging hammer.

With the addition of Living Gold, Xia Yi was confident that his hammer would be one of the finest on the Douluo Continent.

"By the way, I forgot to ask—when will we be back from Tiandou City?" Xia Yi inquired as he worked on the hammer.

"Why do you ask?" Mu Xi asked curiously.

"I want to participate in the Tianhai Alliance Tournament. I'm not sure if I can make it in time," Xia Yi said seriously.

"The Tianhai Alliance Tournament is in a week. If everything goes smoothly, we should be back in time to register," Mu Xi replied. Traveling by bus from Donghai City to Tiandou City would take at least a full day and night.

Driving themselves, however, would be much faster.

A week was more than enough time.

Mu Xi herself planned to participate in the blacksmithing competition of the Tianhai Alliance Tournament. If time were tight, she wouldn't be taking Xia Yi to Tiandou City now; she would have waited until after the tournament.

The next day, Xia Yi took a leave of absence and, along with Mu Xi, drove to Tiandou City.

As a city with a history spanning at least 20,000 years, Tiandou City was more than ten times the size of Donghai City.

Fortunately, Mu Xi was very familiar with Tiandou City. With her guidance, Xia Yi quickly found himself at the Blacksmiths' Association in Tiandou City, where they met Zhen Hua.

He appeared to be only in his thirties, yet his deep and weathered eyes betrayed wisdom far beyond his apparent age. His temples were stark white, contrasting sharply with his black hair.

The most striking feature about him was his hands—at least 50% larger than average. Despite their size, they had no protruding joints, appearing white, slender, and delicate, almost like a woman's hands magnified several times. The skin on his palms was translucent, like flawless jade.

Before Xia Yi or Mu Xi could say a word, Zhen Hua spoke first. "Mu Chen has already told me about you. If you can break through to Soul Douluo before the age of thirty, I'll take you as my disciple."

"Soul Douluo by thirty?" Xia Yi frowned slightly.

"I acknowledge your talent in forging," Zhen Hua continued, "but I haven't taken a disciple in many years because I wish to train a Divine Craftsman. A Divine Craftsman must first have the strength of a Titled Douluo. I've seen your talent in forging. Now I need to see your potential in cultivation. As long as you can reach Soul Douluo before thirty, I have the means to help you ascend to Titled Douluo and become a Divine Craftsman."

"Master Uncle, can't you start teaching him forging now?" Mu Xi asked.

"No. Right now, his focus must be on cultivation. Auxiliary Soul Masters already progress more slowly than others. If he devotes too much time to forging, he'll never become a Divine Craftsman," Zhen Hua said firmly. Turning to Xia Yi, he added, "Patience is the most important quality for a blacksmith. Focus on cultivation now, and you'll go further in the future."

"Thank you for your guidance," Xia Yi said with a deep bow. If not for Zhen Hua's reminder, he might have taken the wrong path. Looking back, Xia Yi realized he had indeed spent too much time on forging over the past month.

"Alright, you may leave now," Zhen Hua said with a wave of his hand.

"Farewell, Senior," Xia Yi replied. Thirty years old and a Soul Douluo? He believed he could achieve it.

After leaving the Blacksmiths' Association, Xia Yi wasted no time returning to Donghai City with Mu Xi.

"Is it going to rain?" Xia Yi noticed something strange shortly after they left Tiandou City. Inside the city, the skies had been clear, but outside, they were dark and overcast.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the clouds.

Terrifying energy surged downward from the sky. For the first time, Xia Yi noticed flashes of purple light deep within the ominous clouds.

"Haha! I never expected such a surprise! To encounter a dragon beast near Tiandou City—heaven truly favors me!" A piercing laugh came from the depths of the clouds.

"It's Zi Ji!" Xia Yi exclaimed, looking up sharply. He quickly realized what had happened: Zi Ji had been secretly following him but had been discovered by a powerful human.

(End of Chapter)