Chapter 105: Half-Step Profound Artifact!
As dusk gradually fell, Jiang Lin inside the Heaven-Class Forging Field raised his head to glance at the starry sky growing brighter above. He once again placed a set of gauntlets into the Crimson Dragon Cauldron and began the final "membrane sealing" refinement using the cauldron's intense heat and precise control.
"Are you sure this is his first time using the Crimson Dragon Cauldron?" At that moment, several blacksmiths had gathered in the surrounding corridor—six or seven in total. All were resident blacksmiths of the guild, and upon hearing that someone was taking the Tier-3 Blacksmith test, they naturally came to take a look. One burly man couldn't help but ask this when he saw Jiang Lin using the cauldron so adeptly.
All the blacksmiths present were built like powerhouses, with strong muscles and towering physiques. Among them, Yuan Bao, who stood nearly two meters tall, was the biggest. The guildmaster Hu Lei was only around 1.8 meters, Han Yu a bit shorter at 1.7, and the rest varied within that range.
No wonder the guild had Yuan Bao sit at the front desk when idle—his bear-like size alone was enough to intimidate. Even a Dou King might lower their voice in front of him.
"He probably is. He was clumsy at first, but then he got the hang of it quickly. His learning ability is astonishing," Han Yu replied in Jiang Lin's defense.
"Who's going to 'verify' it later?" Han Yu looked around at the others.
Aside from the two guildmasters, the other five blacksmiths exchanged looks. Finally, Yuan Bao stepped forward and said, "I brought him here, so I'll verify it."
Verification for blacksmiths was hard work. Unlike alchemists, who judged pills by quality, the Blacksmith Guild tested Dou Weapons through actual combat—to see how well the weapon performed.
Everyone had already noticed that Jiang Lin's technique seemed to carry a Dou Technique capable of transferring force through barriers. If they got hit, it'd hurt. So when Yuan Bao offered to take the hit, the others happily let him.
BOOM!
Just as the verification assignment was settled, a deep clang echoed from the Crimson Dragon Cauldron. Jiang Lin had slapped its lid, sending a crimson-gold flame dragon spiraling into the sky. A pair of gauntlets shot out with the flames, and Jiang Lin quickly caught them with a basin of special coolant.
Moments later, he retrieved the still-warm Intent-Focused Gauntlets. They fit perfectly over his hands and forearms—thin, light, glowing with a faint crimson-gold hue. The dragon-scale-like plates adhered to the backs of his fingers and hands, making his arms resemble a pair of red dragon claws. Closed fist became gauntlet, open palm became hand—blending the flexibility of human limbs with the toughness of draconic fists.
Buzz~ buzz~
The barrier around the forging field flickered, then vanished completely. As the surrounding blacksmiths looked on, Yuan Bao walked in. The barrier didn't block visual contact, so Jiang Lin had long known others were watching—but he didn't mind. He had been completely immersed in the forging process.
The Crimson Dragon Cauldron had offered him excellent feedback. It allowed him to skip numerous complex steps and focus directly on core refinement and forging.
"Blacksmith Jiang Lin, you've truly opened our eyes. Completing the Tier-3 assessment in one day—only the guildmaster has ever done that," Yuan Bao said as he approached, Dou Qi forming a red armor around him. Since testing the weapon required real combat, he was preparing to serve as a human punching bag.
"After forging, we verify the weapon's quality through combat. Unlike alchemists, blacksmiths test their work with fists. Our Tier-3 Great Dou Fighters probably can't withstand your full-force blows, so I, a Tier-4 Dou Spirit, will step in. Please give it your all," Yuan Bao said, armored and in defensive stance.
The forging field was large enough that even a Dou Fighter like Jiang Lin had plenty of space to move freely.
'Hmm? I was just about to try these fists—and a practice dummy shows up?' Jiang Lin rotated his wrists and looked at Yuan Bao with great interest. 'And he wants to block with just Dou Qi armor? Lucky me.'
Whoosh!
Flames rose on the Crimson Dragon Gauntlets. Jiang Lin ran through a fist form in place—his moves like wind, his punches like fire. The flaming fists blurred with speed, resembling fiery spirits too fast to follow.
'As expected—only the Dou Weapon best suited to me can unleash this kind of power. The Dou Qi response speed is astonishing. The gauntlets feel like an extension of my arm's meridians!' Jiang Lin completed a full set of Flame Fist techniques. The flames eventually faded, but the flowing fire patterns on the gauntlets proved that Dou Qi was still circulating.
"...Now that's what you call a genius," Han Yu muttered, wide-eyed at the glowing gauntlets resting silently on Jiang Lin's hands.
"You're not seeing things. That's a half-step Profound Artifact. Yellow-tier blacksmithing is already too simple for him—he's starting to reach for that perfect 'Profound' realm," Hu Lei said, his eyes shining with amazement.
"So you're the lucky one, huh? If he learns the soul forging method, he'll become a Tier-4 Profound Blacksmith!" Han Yu glared in mild jealousy. Profound Blacksmith was the other name for any blacksmith beyond Tier-3.
Hu Lei only smiled, eyes fixed on Jiang Lin. "What can I say? Luck's always been on my side."
There are two main differences between Profound Artifacts and Yellow-tier Dou Weapons. First: the seamless extension of one's meridians. Second: spirit infusion.
Meridian extension allows humans to use powerful, unusual Dou Techniques that would otherwise be impossible. It also gives weapons more diverse functions and superb controllability.
Spirit infusion grants the user a unique state—sharper blades, more precise strikes that exploit weaknesses in defenses. The Heavenly Craft Pavilion explains it like this: your soul force extends into your attacks, finding gaps in your opponent's Dou Qi particles and cutting directly through them. That's for combat—but in other fields, spirit infusion manifests differently.
For example, it lets Profound Blacksmiths incorporate spatial force into their work, forging storage rings and other spatial weapons, or even soul-containing rings.
(END CHAPTER)
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