Douluo Continent: God Descends

Chapter 41 Skysea City Blacksmith Association

In the center of Tianhai City, a colossal tower made of gray stone rises from the ground, its thirty-story structure piercing the clouds like a pillar supporting the sky.

Below the spire, a giant hammer sculpture, forged entirely from black iron, hangs high. The hammerhead is sharply angular, and its surface is covered with fine forging marks. Despite the erosion of time, it still exudes a majestic and profound aura.

This is the symbol of the Tianhai City Blacksmith Association. No nameplate is needed; this "giant hammer" alone is enough to make all the Soul Masters on the continent take notice.

The afternoon sun shone on the square in front of the tower, and a hover taxi slowly came to a stop.

The car door opened, and a small figure stepped out.

Lu Xingchen looked up at the towering hammer sculpture, took a deep breath, and strode towards the association's main entrance.

The Blacksmiths' Association holds a very high position on the continent because top-tier mechs and battle armor all require rare metals forged by high-level blacksmiths as their base.

Metal is the vessel of power, and the blacksmith is the one who gives metal its soul.

This is why the ability of high-level blacksmiths to amass wealth is terrifying.

Behind the reception desk on the east side of the lobby, two young women in gray business attire were talking in hushed tones. Their uniforms were embroidered with tiny hammer patterns, the insignia of junior staff members of the association.

Hearing footsteps, a sweet-looking girl looked up and immediately saw Lu Xingchen walking towards the front desk. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly stood up and gave a gentle smile: "Little brother, who are you looking for?"

Lu Xingchen appeared somewhat shy and said, "I... I'm here for the blacksmith level assessment."

"Pfft—"

The plump girl next to him, with dimples on her cheeks, couldn't help but laugh out loud. She gently poked her companion's arm and said, "Look at him, his face is all red. Little brother, you're so cute."

This wasn't a joke, because Lu Xingchen really is very cute.

Most Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent mature early. After their Martial Soul awakens, the energy they absorb from Soul Rings accelerates their physical growth. It is common for a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy to be as tall as an adult man.

Lu Xingchen was an exception—even after absorbing his first soul ring, his height was still the same as that of an ordinary six-year-old child, his skin was so delicate that there was not a single wrinkle, and his little hands were so white that it looked like he had never touched anything heavy. He was a cute little boy that made people want to protect him.

The sweet-looking girl gave Youyou a reproachful look, then turned to Lu Xingchen, her tone softening: "Youyou, stop fooling around. Little brother, have you come to the wrong place? This is the Blacksmith's Association. Are you here to find someone?"

"No, sister."

Lu Xingchen shook her head, her small hands clenching tighter, but she still insisted, "I really came here for the blacksmith assessment."

Upon hearing this, both girls froze. The sweet girl's smile faded slightly, and her tone became somewhat serious: "A blacksmith assessment? Little brother, where are your parents? Or didn't your master come with you?"

It's no wonder they were so surprised. The blacksmith assessment is no joke. Even the lowest-level first-class blacksmith needs to master basic metal refining and forging techniques, and there are strict requirements for strength, endurance, and mental strength.

The child in front of me looks no more than six or seven years old. Let alone lifting a forging hammer, he probably can't even bear the weight of an iron block. How could he possibly participate in the evaluation?

Lu Xingchen shook his head. "The teacher said I should do it myself."

The two girls exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

Sending such a young child to the association for evaluation alone—this teacher is incredibly audacious! If it weren't for professional ethics, they would almost think this was some rich kid's prank.

The voluptuous girl named Youyou suppressed her doubts, stepped out from behind the counter, and gave Lu Xingchen a gentle smile: "In that case, little brother, come with me. The testing room is on the third floor."

Lu Xingchen nodded and followed Youyou's steps toward the elevator on the left side of the lobby.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and the mirror reflected the two figures—Youyou was tall and slender, while Lu Xingchen only reached her waist, like a little tail following behind an adult.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and as the number jumped to "3", the doors opened, and a series of rapid clanging sounds rushed in.

That was the sound of forging metal, deep and powerful, carrying a scorching heat that seemed to penetrate the air and burn one's eardrums.

The third floor is the training floor for blacksmiths, with dozens of testing rooms on both sides. The sound of forging can be heard from each room, rising and falling like a magnificent symphony.

Youyou led Lu Xingchen to the service desk on the third floor and said to the staff in dark blue uniforms, "Please open a testing room and ask an evaluator to come over. A child needs to undergo a Level 1 Blacksmith evaluation."

The staff member looked up, glanced at Lu Xingchen curiously, and then took out a form: "Okay, but you need to fill in basic identity information first. Name, age, place of origin, and college you belong to, all of these must be filled in clearly."

Youyou took the form and handed it to Lu Xingchen: "Little brother, fill this out first, and don't make any mistakes."

Lu Xingchen took the pen, her small hand gripping the pen handle. Her posture was a little clumsy but she was very serious as she filled in the paper, stroke by stroke.

Youyou stood to the side and casually read out the contents of the form: "Lu Xingchen, hometown Tianhai City... six years old, not yet in school?"

Her voice suddenly rose in volume as she spoke the last few words. The staff behind the service desk also looked up abruptly, staring at Lu Xingchen as if he were a monster—six years old? Not even in school yet?

Youyou originally thought that Lu Xingchen was only young in appearance and at least ten years old in reality, but she never expected that he was really only six years old!

At six years old, this child has probably only recently awakened his martial spirit.

Historically, the youngest evaluator in the Blacksmiths' Guild was eight years and six months old. That person was an unparalleled genius blacksmith, who now resides at the Blacksmiths' Guild headquarters and has become a revered master craftsman across the continent.

And this child in front of us is only six years old! If he can pass the test, it will be an unprecedented record!

Of course, this is all on the premise that he actually passes the test.

The staff member composed himself, quickly operated the terminal, and said, "Youyou, go to test room number five."

"Understood." Youyou picked up Lu Xingchen's form. "Little brother, come with me."

Test Room No. 5 is a standard forging room, with an area of ​​about 50 square meters. In the center is a brand-new constant temperature forging table with precise temperature markings engraved on the surface.

On a metal shelf on one side, fifteen square metal blocks, each a foot in size, are neatly arranged. They are of various colors, ranging from dark black iron to rare metals that shimmer with blue light.

Several pairs of spare forging hammers, varying in size, hung in the corner, the heaviest weighing a hundred pounds.

As soon as Lu Xingchen entered the room, a middle-aged woman dressed in black walked in.

Her hair was tied up high, revealing her smooth forehead. Her hands were covered in calluses, and her knuckles were large, clearly indicating that she was a veteran who had been dealing with forging hammers for many years. She was Lin Yue, a level three blacksmith in the association and also the evaluator for this event.

Lin Yue's gaze immediately fell on Lu Xingchen, and then she subconsciously looked at his hands. When she saw that his hands were fair and delicate, without any calluses, her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Normally, she wouldn't need to do the evaluation of newcomers, but when she overheard that the person taking the test was a six-year-old child, Lin Yue suddenly became curious and used her authority to take over the evaluation.

She was initially curious about this "six-year-old evaluator" and even secretly hoped to meet a once-in-a-century genius.

But the child in front of me had skin even more delicate than a little girl's, and his hands showed no signs of forging whatsoever. He didn't look like someone who had ever been involved in forging.

"He probably just casually hammered a few times at home and thought being a blacksmith was easy, so he came here to join the fun."

Lin Yue pondered to herself, but didn't show it on her face. She simply walked to the forging table and said in a calm tone:

"The testing rules are simple. Here are fifteen types of metals. You can choose one to forge and purify. I will score you based on the difficulty of the metal you choose and the final degree of purification. A score of 60 is passing, and you will be certified as a Level 1 Blacksmith."

She paused, then added, "The core requirement for a first-class blacksmith is to complete the 'hundred-times purification' of metal—through one hundred precise forgings, removing impurities from the metal and concentrating its activity."

"Level two requires forging and shaping on this basis, while level three requires reaching the 'thousand-times-forged' level. Every step requires solid accumulation, and there is no possibility of taking shortcuts."