novelslam Chapter 401 Secret Technique - The Eight Hammers of the Clouds
Chapter 401 Secret Technique - The Eight Hammers of the Clouds
All eyes were on Chen You and Tongxu.
Tongxu stood with his hands behind his back and his neck tilted back, trying to make his 1.4-meter height appear more imposing.
His eyes, yellowed from the smoke of the stove, gleamed with a fanatical light.
"Young man, ordinary blacksmithing methods are no longer worthy of your monstrous talent." Bronzebeard lowered his voice, trying to create an epic sense of destiny.
Chen You dusted off his hands and looked at the short man in front of him who had just been greedy for money but was now acting like a wise hermit.
"So?" Chen You asked calmly.
Copperbeard took a deep breath, his beard moving without wind: "Here I possess an ancient forging technique that has been lost for a long time."
"It is not bound by materials, nor confined by the furnace; it emphasizes the connection of hearts and minds, using the heart as the fire and intention as the hammer!"
The old dwarf paused, his gaze sweeping over the players who were listening intently, and then lowered his voice even further: "This technique is called—Eight Hammers of the Clouds!"
There was a two-second silence in the hall.
Chen You fell silent.
He looked at Copperbeard's serious face, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"Say it again, what's it called, 'Hammer'?"
"Xia! Ji! Ba! Chui!" Copperbeard enunciated each word clearly and forcefully.
"The 'xia' of 'rosy clouds,' the 'ji' of 'ultimate,' and the 'ba' of 'eight directions'! Legend has it that, upon reaching mastery, eight hammer blows can summon the colorful clouds of the nine heavens, forging a divine weapon!"
Chen You rubbed his temples.
Is the game designer of this lousy game just too idle?
Just randomly hammering away, why make it sound so artistic?
The guy standing next to him, "Old Iron No Problem," had his eyes wide open.
The only hidden skill in the entire server! This player's luck is practically cheating!
"Fine," Chen You sighed, too lazy to dwell on the name.
He expertly opened the backpack interface. "How much? Name your price."
The inscrutable expression on Copperbeard's face froze instantly.
He glanced at Chen You, then at the bulging money pouch at Chen You's waist, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.
Given his usual personality, he would have demanded at least 100,000 or 200,000 gold coins at this point.
But the hidden task logic assigned to him by the system was like an invisible shackle, firmly holding back his hand that reached for the money bag.
"Talking about money is vulgar." Copperbeard struggled to look away from his money pouch, then looked up at the ceiling with a pained expression.
"Such divine skills cannot be measured by gold or silver; they are priceless! Everything depends on fate!"
Chen You raised an eyebrow.
Having spent so much time in the "Source Realm," he knew all too well the nature of these NPCs.
The so-called "depending on fate" means "regular currency is no longer enough for me, I need to pay more, or I need rare items."
Without saying a word, Chen You took out a stone that emitted a seven-colored light from his backpack and slammed it on the table.
[Heaven-Mending Stone (Fragment): A mythical-grade material containing the source of creation.]
This was one of the materials he obtained during the anniversary event.
The entire Forging Guild Hall was instantly enveloped in a seven-colored light.
Copperbeard's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He lunged onto the table, clutching the stone tightly with both hands, his breath catching in his throat.
"This...this...this..." The old dwarf stammered for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"Has our destiny arrived?" Chen You asked.
Copperbeard suddenly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, tears welling up in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, his mind a fierce battle between the code representing greed and the code representing the task rules.
Three seconds later, Copperbeard let out a wail more pitiful than a pig being slaughtered, and shoved the Sky-Mending Stone back in front of Chen You.
"Not enough! This is not enough!" Copperbeard clutched his chest, as if his heart was bleeding.
"The Eight Hammers of the Rosy Clouds is a unique skill passed down solely through the lineage of the Lord of East Iron City! To learn it, the problem isn't the materials, but... the state of mind! It's about absolute devotion to forging!"
Chen You narrowed his eyes.
"How can I prove my piety?"
The fire in the hall was blazing, and the heat distorted the air.
Copperbeard turned around, his thick fingers pointing to the center of the hall.
There were dozens of dwarf blacksmiths there, shirtless, their sweat and soot mixed with coal dust, frantically working on the red-hot metal on the anvil.
"Look at them," Copperbeard's voice carried a sense of vicissitude.
"For ten years, he remained steadfast, oblivious to worldly affairs, listening only to the sound of the hammer."
"This is absolute devotion."
Chen You looked in the direction he was pointing.
One dwarf missed his target with his hammer, sparks flying onto the other dwarf's backside. The two immediately dropped their hammers and began wrestling and rolling around on the ground.
Chen You withdrew his gaze and looked at Tongxu.
Copperbeard coughed without changing his expression: "Details are not important; what matters is their heart."
"so?"
"You must gain the approval of any ten senior blacksmiths in the hall," Bronzebeard said solemnly, his hands behind his back.
"Only by gaining the resonance of ten devout hearts can you be qualified to inherit the 'Eight Hammers of the Clouds'."
Chen You nodded and skillfully opened the system shop panel: "Okay. What should we compete in? Competing to upgrade high-level materials or refining levels?"
"Put away your money-grubbing materials!" Bronzebeard roared, his voice filled with indignation. "Forging is sacred! This is not like blacksmithing!"
Chen You paused, then asked, "What are we competing in?"
"Discussions," Bronzebeard pointed to his head, "You must answer their questions."
"Use your understanding of forging to win them over. Remember, only the purest craftsman's heart can move them."
Chen You understood.
A battle of wits.
He closed the shop, straightened his collar, and strode toward the nearest dwarf blacksmith.
The dwarf, half-burnt, was staring at a dark, charred lump of iron, looking worried.
Seeing Chen You approach, he didn't even look up and immediately asked the question.
"Young man," the half-bearded dwarf's voice was deep, "how can a piece of the most ordinary iron possess a soul?"
Without a second thought, Chen You said, "Set it with a mythical gem."
The half-bearded dwarf suddenly looked up, glared at Chen You, and slammed his iron hammer heavily onto the felt mat.
"Nonsense! This is an insult to forging! The soul comes from the hammering and forging process, from the blacksmith's dedication and effort! Your approach, relying on external tools..."
Chen You silently took out a [Lost Star Core] from his backpack.
It's about the size of a fist, radiating a mesmerizing, ethereal blue glow, as if a galaxy is flowing within it.
The half-bearded dwarf's voice abruptly stopped.
His gaze was fixed on the star core, his Adam's apple bobbing wildly.
"...But if it's such a large star core." The half-bearded dwarf swallowed hard, his tone instantly becoming incredibly gentle.
"I feel like it not only has a soul, it could even recognize me as its father."
"Young man, your understanding is profound, I acknowledge your insight."
A sliver of light emanated from the half-bearded dwarf's head and entered the Grandmaster badge on Chen You's chest.
Progress: 1/10.
Copperbeard, who was following behind, stared wide-eyed, his beard trembling.