More than ten minutes later, both swords had taken shape! Blacksmith Shi San announced: "Time is up!" "Now begins the final stage—sword testing! This shall determine the victor!"
Shi San instructed two blacksmiths to each take one of the iron swords and prepare to clash them against one another.
Suddenly, a man dressed in a cyan robe spoke from the side: "There is no need." "This young brother has already won!"
The man stood tall and upright, his features lean and refined, his gaze sharp as a blade. An invisible aura of keen sharpness enveloped his entire being, as though he himself were an unsheathed sword.
With these words, he pointed directly at Tang Yi.
This declaration immediately displeased Tang San. "On what basis?" "You declare me the loser without even testing? You truly are blind!"
Tang San shouted in fury.
The cyan-robed man, possessing an extraordinary bearing and clearly a figure of great stature, grew angry at being so openly contradicted. The killing intent that emanated from him caused Tang San to shudder involuntarily in an instant.
"This person is not to be provoked lightly. Better to endure for now!" "He has already sealed his own death warrant. I shall seek retribution later!"
Tang San muttered inwardly.
In the end, Blacksmith Shi San intervened to smooth things over: "Everyone, please calm yourselves! Having the two swords clash is a simple matter."
With that, Shi San gave a signal to the two blacksmiths. One wielded the sword forged by Tang San, the other the sword forged by Tang Yi. Both men exerted their maximum strength and struck the blades against each other.
"Clang!"
A single resounding metallic cry rang out. The sword forged by Tang San immediately snapped in two. The sword forged by Tang Yi, however, remained perfectly sharp, its edge showing not the slightest deformation!
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
Tang San let out a strange, frantic cry, utterly unable to accept the scene before him.
Shi San stepped forward and carefully examined both swords. His brow furrowed as he vaguely perceived something unusual, yet his limited perspective prevented him from articulating the precise reason.
After a long moment, it was the cyan-robed man who stated the truth plainly: "I already said there was no need for comparison." "This fellow's forging skill is merely average; the iron sword he produced can only be considered a barely hundred-tempered iron sword."
Pausing briefly, the cyan-robed man turned his solemn gaze toward Tang Yi. "He, however, is entirely different!" "The iron sword he forged is a thousand-tempered-grade iron sword!"
Having spoken, even this proud cyan-robed man displayed a trace of respect toward Tang Yi.
Shi San and the other professional blacksmiths were well aware of the distinction between "hundred-tempered" and "thousand-tempered" iron. "What? A thousand-tempered-grade iron sword! In such a short time—this is truly inconceivable!"
Shi San was momentarily stunned.
Within the blacksmithing world, it had long been said that "hundred-tempered" ordinary iron could become fine steel, while "thousand-tempered" ordinary iron could ascend to become profound iron! The lifelong limit of an ordinary blacksmith was the "hundred-tempered" level. Yet the "thousand-tempered" level represented an exceedingly lofty achievement that many master blacksmiths could never attain in their entire lives!
Upon hearing this, Tang San descended into near-madness: "How is this possible!" "When Father was forging, you hardly paid attention at all! The Random Cloak Hammering Technique Father taught me—I have already begun to master it! How could I possibly lose to you!"
The cyan-robed man, hands clasped behind his back, looked upon Tang San's demeanor with even greater contempt.
He then proceeded to dissect Tang Yi's forging process step by step, as though peeling away layers: "The hammer falls like thunder, yet is wielded with effortless ease. Each strike carries the momentum to collapse mountains, with force penetrating straight to the iron's core. Observe the sequence: the initial hammer establishes the form and transmits strength throughout; the subsequent hammer purges impurities and drives out flaws; the following hammers condense and refine, with every blow executed as one unified whole."
"Though it appears crude and repetitive, in truth, the landing point, angle, and depth of each hammer strike are subtly adjusted, in perfect accordance with the profound principles of forging. This is not merely 'striking iron'—it is sculpting with colossal force, performing delicate work through overwhelming might."
The surrounding onlookers, having heard the cyan-robed man's meticulous analysis, immediately understood and nodded in realization.
Shi San and the other blacksmiths knelt before Tang Yi in unison, offering apologies: "Young brother! We were blind earlier! Please forgive our ignorance!"
Tang Yi gave a faint smile: "There is no need. You have done nothing wrong."
The cyan-robed man inwardly praised him even more: "A fine child—possessing both skill and virtue! To wield such forging mastery yet remain humble—his future is boundless."
By contrast, Tang San had been publicly humiliated and decisively defeated by Tang Yi in front of everyone. Unable to endure any longer, he shouted: "You must have cheated, little brother!" "I refuse to accept this! I demand another match!"
Blacksmith Shi San shook his head: "Little San, we all witnessed it with our own eyes. How can you speak of cheating?"
He then patted Tang San on the shoulder in consolation: "Little San, at your young age, to already be capable of hundred-tempered forging makes you an accomplished blacksmith. Losing to your younger brother this time is no great matter. In the future, you need only humbly seek guidance from young brother Tang Yi."
Tang San, furious to the point of rage, retorted: "Seek guidance from my younger brother? Utterly laughable!"
He abruptly knocked away Shi San's hand and cursed: "Perhaps you colluded with him to help him cheat! The iron blank you gave him was already profound iron, while what you gave me was mere ordinary iron!" "The quality of the two blanks was different from the start! What meaning does this contest even have?"
Tang San resorted to slandering Shi San directly in order to salvage his pride.
Shi San, an honest and straightforward man, could not tolerate such accusation. "Little San, you always appeared honest and simple—how have you become so different now!" "I, Shi San, am an upright man. The quality and weight of the iron blanks I gave you brothers were identical—both ordinary iron! How could I possibly conspire to cheat?"
Shi San spoke with righteous indignation.
Tang San, still attempting to force a way out, snorted coldly: "You helped him cheat—why would you admit it yourself!" "Enough! I'm returning to the academy. I have no interest in explaining myself to the likes of you!"
With that, Tang San turned to leave.
Tang Yi let out a cold laugh: "Very well, my dear elder brother! You may leave—but since you have lost the contest, kindly hand over the soul guide device, [Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges]!"
Unexpectedly, Tang San displayed utter shamelessness: "Little brother, you only won through cheating! This match does not count! I will not give you the soul guide device!"
Tang Yi clenched his fist: "Oh? It seems elder brother is truly without shame. Are you intending to default on the wager?"
Even now, Tang San remained arrogantly defiant. He shouted: "Martial soul—Blue Silver Grass!"
His level-fifteen soul power fully manifested.
Tang Yi thought to himself: "Well, well—this Tang San is clearly itching for a lesson. It appears I shall have to teach him one."
However, before Tang Yi could act, Tang San's utterly shameless behavior had already thoroughly enraged the cyan-robed man standing nearby.
"Impudence!"
A clear rebuke rang out like the sudden chime of a sword.
The cyan-robed man's face turned icy. Without any visible movement, the phantom image of an ancient, simple longsword abruptly coalesced behind him, radiating an extreme sharpness that caused one's soul to tremble, together with a vast, sea-like pressure of terrifying soul power!
"Martial soul—the Seven Killing Sword? He is the Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—Chen Xin?"
Tang Yi instantly recognized the identity of the cyan-robed man.