NOVEL WEB Chapter 66: The Tracks of Destiny
“Clang——! Clang——! Clang, clang, clang……”
The sound of a furious storm of strikes echoed as two yellow and two purple rings of light spun around the tall young man's figure.
Not far from him, an equally tall but more muscular young man watched intently, occasionally nodding with a smile, other times furrowing his thick brows.
‘Though the young master is progressing rapidly in strength, he still maintains the impatience of youth. He can't settle his heart to understand the changes in force, relying instead solely on sheer power to control the Haotian Hammer…’
“Clang——!”
A thunderous noise shattered the muscular youth's train of thought.
“Titan~” The young man wielded the hammer, turned, and looked at the muscular youth, raising his chin as he asked, “Come and take a look…”
“Yes, young master~” The muscular youth, named Titan, responded promptly, stepping forward.
As Titan covered his hand with spirit power and picked up a blazing hot greatsword, the young man seemed uninterested in these actions. Instead, his gaze drifted slightly toward the window, gazing into the distant, undulating mountain range, his thoughts racing:
‘Still too weak. In the next tournament, I, Tang Hao, will not remain merely a Soul Ancestor. I will become a Soul Sage, then a Soul Douluo, and finally… a Titled Douluo!!’
...
Just as the sixteen-year-old Tang Hao made a vow deep in his heart, far away across the vast expanse, Yu Luomian, after handling some family affairs, made an excuse of official business to leave the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's territory in the Yulong Mountains.
A few days later, in the Heaven Dou Empire, in the city of Lorin, at a small courtyard in the east of the city.
Inside the courtyard gate, a young woman in her early twenties embraced a little girl, silently watching the tall figure preparing to leave. In a soft voice she asked, "Luomian, when will you come by next time? Erlong... she misses you a lot."
The lady wore a simple blue dress, her hair tied up with a cloth scarf, her face as fair as jade, with exquisite and captivating features, eyes like paintings.
At this moment, her deep black eyes, like pitch ink, held a trace of reluctance and expectation, silently gazing at the tall figure.
The tall figure, who was indeed Yu Luomian, paused, nodded slightly towards the woman in the blue dress, then crouched down to look into the eyes of the little girl, who also showed a hint of reluctance. With a gentle smile, he said, "Father promises you, on Erlong's third birthday, I'll be here to spend it with you, okay?"
...
In the Star Luo Empire, within the city of Gengxin, on the fourth floor of the Blacksmith Association's headquarters.
A short and stout figure, resembling a rolling ball, exuding the heavy scent of metal and charcoal, pushed open the door of a room and boisterously exclaimed, "Master, you called for me?"
Under the dazzling sunlight streaming through the windows, despite the bushy beard on the face of the short and stout creature, one could discern from the facial features—the bright and vibrant eyes—and despite the soot and metal dust, the still glossy and elastic skin—that this individual was not very old, probably around thirty, just under forty.
Inside the room, behind a large workbench cluttered with various items, an elderly man with white hair looked up and shot a disgruntled glance at the short, portly young man. "Nonsense, of course I called you. Otherwise, how would you, brat, make it down from the fifth floor?"
"Yes, yes~" The young man responded, his comical head nodding swiftly. "Master, if you need anything, just say the word. I'll handle it thoroughly and beautifully for you..."
"All right, all right~" The elderly man waved his hand, motioning the young man over to talk.
Once the young man approached the workbench, the elder gestured for him to sit, then picked up two metal ingots from the table as he began to speak:
Upon hearing the term "Divine Craftsman," the initially nonchalant young man instinctively straightened his rounded waist, his expression turning serious as he listened attentively to the elder.
"Every blacksmith, before becoming a master, follows the same path~" The elder, ignoring the young man's change in demeanor, continued to fiddle with the metal ingots, speaking slowly and steadily.
"Advanced blacksmiths start from the basics of forging, honing their skills step by step; time and again testing the fusion of different metals, grasping the essence—
Until they can smelt a metal alloy capable of withstanding a thousand strikes, and successfully forge it into shape, thus becoming a master blacksmith..."
At this point, the elder seemed to remember something and casually added, "Last year, that rascal Titan wrote to me, asking whether simply forging a single metal a thousand times and succeeding would qualify one as a master blacksmith."
“Titan?” The short and round youth responded, his bushy eyebrows or perhaps his beard twitching slightly, interjecting, "Hasn't that guy been a blacksmith for ages now? Last I recall, when we met, he was already a master blacksmith, with skills rivaling my own..."
“I suspect the Tang family folks are just asking around,” the white-haired elder shook his head, evidently not interested in delving into the topic further.
Curiosity getting the better of him, the short and round youth questioned, “So, teacher, what did you say to him? After all, a single metal forged a thousand times can inherently be as strong as a thousandfold alloy, but the properties are too singular, and the crafted tools might...”
Before the young man's sentence could find closure, the white-haired elder calmly interjected, "I replied that the person in question is a blacksmith, a remarkably talented one at that, with the potential to become a divine craftsman one day."
The short and round youth blinked wide-eyed, staring dumbfounded at his teacher’s serious demeanor.
“Smack—!” “Ouch! Hiss—!!”
Rubbing his head, the short and round youth looked on in disbelief as the white-haired elder withdrew his hand, slamming a metallic ingot, now smudged with specks of carbon and metal dust, onto the workbench, muttering under his breath, “Idiot~”
“Hiss—what was that for—” gasping as he spoke, the rotund youth protested, "I get it, Master, you're trying to curry favor. With such a powerful martial spirit, one just can’t argue with someone who can so effortlessly refine materials..."
"The most notable thing," he continued, slightly vexed, "is that they're part of the world’s most prestigious sect, backed by ninety-nine level supreme Douluo, and have almost double digits of Soul Douluo and Soul Saints under them. With such strength and power, if they choose to learn forging and occasional blacksmithing, that’s already a tribute to our craft!"
“Enough with the nonsense!” The white-haired elder bent over slightly, rummaging under the workbench for a while before he finally pulled out a somewhat old letter.
He placed the letter on the workbench, then turned to the short and round youth, "Lou Gao, with your current level as a Grandmaster Blacksmith, you can't further improve just by staying in the forge room.
You need to venture out, visit the origins of these metals, see how the ores appear in their natural state, and while you're at it, travel across the Douluo Continent. Meet various soul masters, interact with different blacksmiths, and exchange forging insights."
Previously, someone once said, 'Read ten thousand books, walk ten thousand miles.' It's time for you to embark on this journey, to discover your path to becoming a divine craftsman..."
Listening to his master's earnest advice, the short and round youth, Lou Gao, nodded silently, yet his eyes were fixed on the old letter on the workbench.
Following Lou Gao's gaze, the white-haired elder also looked at the old letter, with a touch of reminiscence on his face, “This was sent to me by a senior martial brother two years ago. He mentioned discovering a young boy with exceptional forging talent, who has the makings of a divine craftsman.
Unfortunately, Brother King Kong's talents were limited, and he only mastered the first thirty-six styles of the 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.' On your journey across the continent, if you pass by there, pay him a visit for me, and meet that genius kid. If he indeed has talent, pass him the remaining forty-five styles.”
Lou Gao nodded again and asked, “Where is this Brother King Kong now?”
White-haired elder: “He returned to his hometown over forty years ago, in the [Shuimu Principality]—”
The winds of fate had started to shift, revealing new paths for those brave enough to tread them. With every hammer strike upon the anvil, the rhythm of destiny echoed, propelling them forward.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a tranquil silence enveloped the bustling village. In the dimly lit forge, Lou Gao, a young blacksmith apprentice, wiped the sweat from his brow and inspected his latest creation—a gleaming sword that shimmered with untapped potential.
"Your craftsmanship improves with every passing day," the white-haired elder praised, his voice resonating with wisdom. "But remember, true mastery involves understanding the essence of the metal itself."
Lou Gao nodded, his heart fully committed to the pursuit of knowledge. "I will set out on my journey at once," he declared, his eyes reflecting both determination and hope.
"Seek out those who have walked different paths," the elder advised, handing Lou Gao a small, intricately carved wooden box. "And when you find this young talent, give him this. It is bound to guide him towards his destiny."
With a respectful bow, Lou Gao accepted the gift, feeling the weight of both the box and the responsibility it carried. As he stepped out into the night, the paths of destiny lay waiting for him, ready to unfold with every step he took.
(End of Chapter)
