When striking, Hongyan didn't use his inner strength. Although, doing this will gradually slow the progress of refining the iron chunk, but he didn't mind. He fully immersed in forging, as his life depend on it. Every strike of his hammer was strangely precise & filled with force. He himself did not notice this strangeness.
The decision of not using inner strength was his own. According to him, a craftsman must put his heart in his craft, and using inner strength is just like an insult to craft. Although, using soul power or inner strength is not wrong, but he feels like that he should complete his basics of forging without using Soul Power.
There was one more reason he did not use his Soul Power. One of the conditions for becoming a Powerful Soul Master was to obtain optimal age Soul Ring, and to do so one must have a strong body & will to bear the impact of Soul Ring. So, he didn't use Soul Power to forge, but uses his physical strength. After exhausting every ounce of his physical strength, he run Mysterious Heaven Art throughout his body, this not only provide him better health condition but also strengthen his body. Also, by doing this his Soul Power became more concentrated.
His willpower was also getting stronger as he strikes the iron till his last bit of strength remained in his body.
Tang Hao entered his room after finishing his lunch. As he was resting, he heard clinking sound of hammer striking the iron.
Tang Hao thought to himself, Innate Divine Power coupled with Innate Soul Power its no wonder that both boys can swing the hammer at such young age. Though, he still amazed by Hongyan forging methods. Unlike Tang San's relentless striking, Hongyan strike slowly but he uses enough force on every strike, like a veteran Craftsman. Also, after he completed his Ten-Thousand strikes, his way of using force also improved.
He was so amazed by Hongyan's growth in forging that calling him Genius Craftsman will not be exaggerated. Even though Hongyan wasn't his own child, Tang Hao still felt pride to raise such child.
Knowing the potential Hongyan held, Tang Hao thinks it will be wrong to not guide him in this path. He also wants to guide Tang San in forging, as he himself was a Divine Craftsman. And being his son, Tang San also has this potential and he did not want Tang San to waste this potential.
He decided to check on Tang San & Hongyan progress.
He stood up and decided to check on Tang San first.
As he enters Tang San's room, the striking sounds ceased. Tang Hao gestured him to continue, then stood aside quietly, simply watching.
Only then did Tang San resume hammering, his clothes already soaked with sweat. With his current level of Inner Strength, he was not able to adapt to the temperature, and this was undoubtedly heavy physical labor.
Ding, ding, ding...the striking sounds continued, and Tang San's small body wielded the disproportionately large hammer with each swing full of vigor.
Watching sweating Tang San, Tang Hao finally made up his mind.
"Stop for a moment." Tang Hao said.
Tang San put down the hammer, breathless, and quietly stimulated his Mysterious Heaven Method to recover his strength.
Tang Hao approached Tang San, took the hammer from his hands, and then looked at the red-hot iron block on the furnace, "All your hammering like this, even for a year, would not make it the size of a fist."
Tang San looked up at his towering father, "Then what should I do?"
Tang Hao cooly asked, "Tell me, when you swing the forging hammer to strike it, which part of your body exerts force first?"
After thinking for a moment, Tang San replied, "It should be the waist. The waist drives the back, which then brings up the arms to swing the hammer, right?"
Without confirming or denying Tang San's answer, Tang Hao continued, "Besides the brain, what's the most important part of the human body?"
"The Heart," Tang San answered without hesitation. Both the heart and brain could be fatal in an instant, but while the brain was protected by skull, the heart was covered only by skin and muscle. As a disciple of the Tang Sect, he was well aware of the human body's structure; piercing an enemy's heart with a hidden weapon was the most effective and concise method of killing.
Tang Hao paused for a moment before saying, "Then tell me, how many hearts does a person have?"
"Ah?" Tang San looked at him in surprise, not quite grasping his meaning. How many hearts a person had – wasn't that common knowledge?
"Answer me," Tang Hao said coldly, his stature and presence making it hard for Tang San to breathe.
"One," Tang San responded.
Tang Hao shook his head, "No, you're wrong. Remember, a person has three hearts, not just one."
"Three hearts?" Tang San stared at Tang Hao in astonishment, not understanding his meaning.
Tang Hao turned the forging hammer around and tapped Tang San's legs with handle, "Here. The muscles in a person's two legs are the second and third hearts. If a person wants to exert all their strength, then it must be result of all three hearts working simultaneously. Therefore, the waist is not the starting point when exerting force. The three hearts are the origins."
"When your heart in the chest beats rapidly, exert force from both legs, the strength travels upward, reaching the thighs, then through the waist, back, arms and finally released. This is what full force in a strike means. The heart exerts force, the waist is the axis. Watch."
Tang Hao's forging hammer lightly nudged, causing Tang San to retreat a few steps. Simultaneously, his hammer flipped back into position. With a low shout, he half-twisted his body, his feet firmly planted on the ground. The muscles in his exposed lower legs beneath tattered trousers tensed instantly; his whole body like a tiger ready to pounce. As his legs powered up and waist spun back, the hammer was drawn back invisibly, and with a thunderous clang, it heavily struck the red-hot iron.
Tang San could entirely feel that this was merely the process of a human exerting force. Tang Hao had no Inner Strength, nor was there any release of Soul Power. This was purely physical strength. Yet, the iron block, which was previously glowing red, was smashed down by nearly a third, deforming significantly.
"With the strength of your lower leg, connect all your body's strength into whole, which is to exert full force." Tang Hao handed the hammer back to Tang San, "Your turn."
"Okay." Tang San had never considered that forging could have such an entry point. This method of exerting force was not as simple as use in forging alone. It could also be applied in his own Martial arts of the Tang Sect.
Holding the handle with both hands, Tang San imitated Tang Hao's previous posture, staring intently at that red-hot iron block. The Mysterious Heaven Method slowly revolved, deeply into his lower legs, his feet tightly gripping the ground.
With a loud shout, Tang San's leg strength and power of the Mysterious Heaven Method were exerted simultaneously. The power burst from his lower legs, spreading instantly. His waist turned, driving his back, to his shoulders, and then to his arms. He clearly felt an unprecedent surge of power within him, starting the with explosion from his lower legs to the swinging of hammer, as if his body was about to be lifted off the ground by this formidable force.
Clang--, the hammer struck accurately on the iron block, emitting a loud noise.
The momentum of the hammer swing caused Tang San's entire body to lift off the ground, and he staggered forward a step. The hammer rebounded, and although his Mysterious Jade Hands protected his hands from harm, his arms were numbered by the reverberating force. Thankfully, the Mysterious Heaven Method promptly circulated, gradually easing the numbing sensation.
The result was evident. Although Tang San's effect with the hammer was not as pronounced as Tang Hao's due to his age, plus the use of the Mysterious Heaven Method, it was equivalent to many dozens of his previous strikes.
Watching Tang San's movements, Tang Hao did not offer any evaluation, but the flash of surprise in his eyes suggested Tang San had performed better than he had anticipated. Tang Hao hadn't expected Tang San to master this method of exerting force so quickly.
How could he know that Tang San had been diligently practicing the Martial arts of Tang Sect? Not only did he have the foundation of the Mysterious Heaven Method, but the other abilities of Tang Sect also significantly enhanced his coordination beyond his peers. Coupled with his good comprehension ability, mastering this exertion technique came naturally of him. Of course, since this was his first attempt, his execution was far from perfect.
"Dad, did I do it right?"
Tang Hao nodded slowly, "Do you understand the role of the heart? The calf muscle is the most used muscle in the human body; it's the source of all strength. Harness the power of the calves well and your physical strength will greatly increase."
Saying this, Tang Hao sat next to the bellows and pulled out a device made of raw iron from beneath. It resembled two-foot pedals, which he connected to the bottom of the bellows. Holding onto the bellows, he said, "In forging, the role of the bellows is also important. Fully burned metal can be better forged as it becomes more malleable. And any metal, no matter how impure it is, has a soul. If the temperature is insufficient and excessive force during forging causes it to break, then even if it is melted and reforged, that metal will only be scarp. Therefore, when you strike the iron block with full force, you must maintain its temperature. Pulling the bellows, one also uses the power of lower legs. Not only does it minimize the consumption of energy, but it also maximizes the effectiveness of the bellows."
He vigorously pushed the two-foot pedals, starting with the legs, his body quickly recoiled backwards, naturally leading the bellows handles apart with his arms, then bending his legs to push handles back. In the cycle of push and pull, the bellows ran at full capacity. Tang Hao's movements did not seem fast, but each motion maximized the bellows' capacity. Under the guidance of calf muscles, the body and bellows established a special rhythm. Flames suddenly soared from the furnace, heating the iron block to a glow.
"You take over the bellows, mimic my movements just now." Tang Hao gave up his position to Tang San.
With his previous experience swinging the hammer and careful observation, Tang San quickly mastered the technique of operating the bellows, sitting in Tang Hao's previous spot. Though still somewhat clumsy, under his careful attention, each exertion of force began with calves. Indeed, as Tang Hao had said, not only was there a significant saving in strength, but the effect was also many times better than before.
Holding Tang San's forging hammer, Tang Hao said indifferently, "Swinging the hammer with all your strength can allow you to fully exert your power. However, the rebound force of such a blow can also create a significant burden on oneself. Without appropriate methods to guide it, it's easy to injure oneself and lose part of the force that should act on the metal. Pay close attention to my next movements. This will be key to weather you can forge this block of iron down to the size of a fist in a short time."
Taking a deep breath, Tang Hao's eyes become focused. With Tang San operating the bellows, the entire iron block was heated to a glow. The scorching flames rose, making the room exceedingly hot.
Tang Hao moved, and his action seemed to have no difference from before; he used his legs to drive his back to drive his arms, and with a clang, the hammer smashed down onto the iron block.
As the hammer rebounded due to the reaction force, Tang Hao suddenly turned around, still powering the movement from his calves, whipping the rebounding hammer up in the air, swinging it in a circle with a fierce whistling sound, and with another loud bang, it struck the iron block again. This strike was not only incredibly swift but also seemed even more powerful than the first.
The hammer rebounded high, and Tang Hao's movements perfectly matched the amplitude of the hammer's bounce. Not too early, not too late, just at the moment the hammer was about to reach its highest point, his body spun, taking the hammer round in a circle before smashing it down once more.
Tang San's eyes lit up; this was clearly a method of leveraging force, using the rebound from the hammer's collision with the metal to power the next strike, the movements seamless and coordinated, minimizing recoil damage to oneself while transforming that force into a continuous assault. From the second blow onwards, each strike was stronger than Tang Hao's full force, yet still under his control.
Tang Hao's actions became faster and faster, the forging hammer striking the iron block as if drumming on it, the metal deforming under the barrage of hammer blows. Surprisingly, Tang Hao's strikes were incredibly precise; whenever the iron block was flattened to half its original thickness, his hammer would strike the edge of the block at just the right moment to flip it, ensuring that it evenly withstood the blows rather than being smashed into a simple iron pancake.
In a blink, thirty-six hammers had been swung, Tang Hao's hands driving the forging hammer to spin three consecutive circles in the air before dissipating the hammer's force and coming to a standstill. His face was not flushed, and he was not out of breath, as if the previous striking had nothing to do with him.
The entire iron block had shrunk by a full circle within these thirty-six hammers, and its impuriries were now barely visible to the naked eye.
This was the true blacksmith skill, such beautiful hammer method.
"Understood?" Tang Hao looked at Tang San, who was continuously operating the bellows.
Tang San pondered for a moment and said, "Leveraging force, I understand the principle. However, it seems not so simple."
Tang Hao smiled when he heard Tang San's response. If it was easy to do, then anyone can become grandmaster level blacksmith. Even if he thinks it wasn't easy to perform this forging method, Tang Hao will not underestimate Tang San's talent, after all he understood the principles with just a glance. So, he said, "To reach this level, there's only one method, practice makes perfect. At the same time, remember that if you are hammering ordinary metal, when it has most impurities, it also most likely to shatter. At that moment, you should reduce your strength when striking. As the impurities gradually diminish, you can begin to increase your strength gradually, maintaining the effectiveness of your blows. Control of the hammer's force is key. Practice on your own. Don't blindly increase power and speed; accuracy is just as important. At the very least, you need to know where your hammer will land with each strike; otherwise, what's the use of power?"
The forging hammer returned to Tang San's hands, and Tang Hao turned and walked away. Because, he also needs to check on Hongyan. He was satisfied with Tang San's performance and looking forward to Hongyan performance.
Practically speaking, Hongyan talent in forging should be better than Tang San's. In Tang Hao's eyes, Hongyan does not need his full guidance like Tang San. Even if Tang Hao did not guide Hongyan, he will certainly figure out on his own. Tang Hao was 100% sure of this. But this will take most of Hongyan's time and he will not have time to cultivate his Soul Power. That's why he decided to guide him thoroughly.
Thinking of this, his steps became faster.
NOTE:- Once again, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter. Also, Sorry for delaying the chapter. It's Just my result just came out a few days ago & my marks were not that good. That kill my motivation to write the chapter further. But we will eventually overcome the sorrow of Past by correcting the mistakes.
So, to keep me motivate, vote me with your power stone.
Also, if you like this story then add it to your library.
Okay, that's all for today, See ya.👋👋👋👋👋👋