NOVEL WEB Chapter 43: The Disarrayed Cloak Remains
Under the gentle call of Ling Yi, Wang Meng, who was slightly shocked, finally regained his senses and looked at Ling Yi with a complex expression, remaining silent for a while.
Forcing himself to gather his thoughts, Wang Meng shook his head, tightened his grip on the forging hammer, and felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.
Nodding towards Ling Yi, he said, "You analyzed it well... hmm..."
Wang Meng spoke with some hesitation, organizing his thoughts while continuing, "According to my master, when he studied in the Metal City 'Gengxin City,' his master mentioned that the Tang family of the 'Haotian Sect' is the only place on Douluo Continent, aside from the 'Blacksmith Association Headquarters' in 'Gengxin City,' to possess the full inheritance of the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.'"
"And the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' is indeed the strongest smithing art for blacksmiths to eliminate metal impurities!"
At this point, Wang Meng's previously chaotic emotions transformed into deep pride, and his entire demeanor calmed significantly.
Seeing this, Ling Yi didn't provoke him further. Instead, his eyes shone with eagerness, gazing directly at Wang Meng. "So, Fifth Senior Brother, do you and Master know the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique'?"
"Naturally!"
Wang Meng raised his head, lifted his chin, and laughed, "When Master studied smithing in 'Gengxin City,' he learned thirty-six forms of the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' from Grandmaster."
"Then… then…"
Although Ling Yi felt a slight disappointment at the number 'thirty-six forms,' he maintained an expression of longing and anticipation, looking at Wang Meng.
Wang Meng appreciated Ling Yi's gaze and expression, but this time, instead of directly saying what Ling Yi hoped for, he shook his head, sighed, and continued, "Unfortunately, my aptitude is lacking. I've only mastered thirteen forms, and I can't string together the fourteenth blow… no matter how I try…"
Wang Meng couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment in his heart, and soon he lost interest in boasting in front of Ling Yi.
Without further ado, Wang Meng lifted the forging hammer he had been holding and took two steps to the forging platform next to Ling Yi. He signaled to Ling Yi and said, "Xiao Yi, let me demonstrate once for you first, and then I'll give you a detailed explanation..."
With that, Wang Meng used tongs to retrieve an iron ingot from the furnace, where the flames had turned it a dark red, and placed it on the anvil.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Meng assumed the same stance as he did during forging. Then, he suddenly exerted force from his feet.
Under Ling Yi's spiritual perception, Wang Meng's calf muscles contracted and surged violently, channeling a massive force upward through his thighs, waist, back, and arms, all the way to the forging hammer tightly gripped in his hand...
"Clang—!"
With a resonant clang, the forging hammer struck the iron ingot. As the hammer rebounded, Wang Meng followed the force, spun around, and exerted power again through his calves. The powerful swing of the hammer created a fierce gust of wind, accompanying another loud crash. The hammer struck the iron block once more, this blow not only swift but also subtly stronger than the first!
Thereafter, each time the forging hammer rebounded high, just at the moment it was reaching its peak, Wang Meng's posture would trace an arc, sending the hammer in a circular motion before bringing it down again. The harmony between his motions and the rebound of the hammer achieved an almost perfect synchronization.
This scene somehow felt familiar to Ling Yi.
However, Ling Yi didn't delve into contemplating this familiarity and instead committed it to memory, focusing more on each action and detail performed by Wang Meng.
Having been in this world for over seven years, he finally encountered a native Douluo Continent secret technique beyond spirit skills and meditation—a technique that occupied a significant part in the original story's mid-to-late-stage battles. Naturally, it deserved some attention.
Observing that from the second strike onward, each strike was more forceful than Wang Meng's initial full-strength blow, Ling Yi noted how this mystically controlled posture managed to enhance the force without losing control, marrying the perfect movement with the hammer's rebound to minimize self-harm while augmenting the power into subsequent strikes.
Wang Meng's movements gradually accelerated, and the hammer in his hands transformed into a flurry of arrows pounding the iron ingot, swiftly deforming it. Wang Meng didn't strike the same spot consistently; instead, he evenly distributed his blows across every corner of the iron ingot. When the iron ingot was beaten down to a quarter of its original thickness, the hammer rose and fell with a sticky force, flipping the iron ingot to strike precisely on the original opposite side.
Only ten breaths, just ten breaths!
When Wang Meng struck down with his final hammer blow, it resounded with a deafening clang of metal. As he stood there panting heavily, only ten breaths had passed since his first strike!
The speed of the first three hammer blows was manageable, about one strike per breath. But starting from the fourth hammer, Wang Meng's speed increased dramatically; he unleashed the remaining ten blows in less than seven breaths.
Ling Yi's gaze shifted from the heavily breathing Wang Meng to the anvil, where a still dark red iron ingot lay.
At a glance, the ingot seemed almost unchanged, perhaps a bit smaller than before, perhaps not at all. But Ling Yi's sharp senses, coupled with his mental acuity, detected that the ingot had reduced by roughly one-thirtieth of its volume!
"Hoo—hoo—" Wang Meng's breathing gradually stabilized. His gaze fixed on the ingot before him, years of forging experience and keen observation allowed him to easily discern the change.
He first smiled in satisfaction, but then as if recalling something, he helplessly shook his head, turned to Ling Yi, and with a mixture of pride and humility, said, "This is the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique!'"
To be honest, this was the first time Ling Yi had seen Wang Meng wear such an expression since their month together.
"Amazing!"
Ling Yi gave a thumbs up, genuinely impressed, and praised Wang Meng loudly, "If the academy's master-level instructors saw this technique, they'd be left speechless!"
"Hehe~"
Hearing Ling Yi's compliment, Wang Meng's smile remained, but his arrogance receded, as if his earlier haughty demeanor had never appeared. He resumed his trademark bashfulness, waved a hand humbly, saying quickly, "It's not that impressive; this technique remains confined to forging, it can't be utilized in battle..."
“Besides, our master once said that the complete 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' could swing a total of eighty-one times. Back in his day, he only learned thirty-six swings, which was considered just a fragment of the technique.
I can only manage thirteen swings, barely a fragment of a fragment...”
Without waiting for Ling Yi to say more, Wang Meng took the lead and asked, "How about it? Ling Yi, after watching, what do you think of the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique'?"
Ling Yi withdrew his focus from the insight he gained watching Wang Meng perform a fragment of the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique'. He recalled a familiar sensation from before—the 'Farmer's Three Moves', specifically the hoe-swinging technique!
Thoughts surged, but he replied to Wang Meng without delay, "Based on your body movements, Fifth Senior Brother, it seems the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' involves a method of using force by leveraging your body's motion, arms, and the rotation of the forging hammer to counteract recoil, channeling it into the next strike...
However, it sounds easier said than done!"
“It's more than just difficult!”
Wang Meng, even somewhat immune to Ling Yi's extraordinary intellect, was still taken aback by his words, then chuckled wryly, shaking his head, "Just mastering the timing of that recoil alone stumps many. Of the numerous apprentices taught the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' by our master, no fewer than a hundred have been advanced blacksmiths to start, but fewer than thirty have reached this level!"
"And only twelve of us, his direct disciples, can swing more than ten times consecutively!"
If ordinary soul masters, masters, or even soul elders can craft hundred-forged tools with sheer power to be deemed advanced blacksmiths, then the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' isn't something one can simply brute force.
Its mastery involves forging techniques and experience, along with innate talent, to unravel its mysteries.
In this sense, the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' is not only an immensely powerful forging and combat secret technique, but also an excellent measure of a blacksmith's talent and skill.
Following Wang Meng's guidance, Ling Yi was about to embark on his first hands-on experience with the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.'
Wang Meng had been observing Ling Yi for the past month and knew that given Ling Yi's innate talent, it wouldn't take long before he could grasp the fundamentals of the technique.
How long it would take for Ling Yi to reach the level of Wang Meng's thirteenth hammer, though, was uncertain.
Wang Meng speculated that it would at least take half a year to a full year.
After all, mastering this secret technique necessitates skill through repeated practice.
Once Ling Yi had a firm grasp of it, they would visit Master Jin, the old master, to learn the subsequent parts of the technique.
Given the old master's age, he seldom engaged in hefting hammers in recent years, only doing so occasionally to keep his skills sharp.
He would only summon his disciples to assist alongside him when a significant customer requested his personal touch in forge crafting.
THE CHAPTER ENDS
(End of Chapter)
