Simply from the near-perfect purification Gu You had just performed, the value of that block of ice crystal had increased several times over.
Another hour passed. Gu You no longer knew how many strikes he had delivered. Gradually, the loud hammering faded away. Before his eyes, the golden glow within the ice crystal became dazzling. With each hammer's impact, it was as if the crystal "breathed" in sync with Gu You's own breath.
Gu You felt as though he was standing in a world of ice and snow. The aching and exhaustion in his body had vanished. Above this frozen world hung a purple sun, radiating not cold but a strange, comforting warmth.
Beside him, Feng Wuyu's attention was entirely on the ice crystal — he hadn't even noticed the subtle changes happening to Gu You himself.
A faint purple gleam flickered deep within Gu You's eyes. The speed of his hammer strikes began to increase. With every hit, the ice crystal gave off a faint, almost satisfied hum.
The ice crystal compressed further: five percent, fifteen percent — until it reached its density limit, beyond which it could shrink no more. From then on, every strike Gu You delivered refined its inner patterns, making the structure more harmonious and perfect.
'This… this is the feeling of thousand-refinement,' Gu You thought to himself, his mind sharpening with realization.
Feng Wuyu closed his eyes slightly and sniffed the air, his face relaxing into a pleased expression.
As a Saint Craftsman, Feng Wuyu could instinctively sense the subtle resonance — the synchronization — between Gu You and the ice crystal.
It was a feeling impossible to describe. Only those who had personally experienced true thousand-refinement could understand it.
'This child… he's destined to be a future Divine Craftsman.'
A pang of regret stirred in Feng Wuyu's heart. His greatest lifelong regret had been failing to reach the level of Divine Craftsman. But now, watching this child, he felt an immense hope stirring — maybe just witnessing Gu You's rise would bring its own kind of fulfillment.
Four hours…
At some point, Yun Ming had quietly arrived outside the forge room.
Yali had been missing Gu You. She had gently urged Yun Ming to check on the boy. After all, Gu You had only been studying for two days — if there was no clear progress, Yun Ming intended to bring him back to Sea God's Pavilion to focus on cultivation instead. He could always revisit his second profession later.
But as Yun Ming arrived, he saw something that made him pause.
Inside the forge room, Gu You's hammering rhythm was strange and beautiful — like a symphony echoing through the air.
Although Yun Ming didn't know much about forging, even he could tell from Feng Wuyu's enraptured expression that this wasn't ordinary work.
He chose not to interrupt. Yun Ming understood how crucial undisturbed concentration was to a forging master. With Feng Wuyu present, there was no need for him to intervene — clearly, Gu You was making a breakthrough.
Five hours…
A deep wave of exhaustion rolled through Gu You's body, threatening to overwhelm him. But he didn't stop. Even as his strength drained, his willpower carried him forward, his strikes staying firm and even.
'Almost there, almost there! Just a little longer — if I stop now, all the effort so far will be wasted!'
Gu You clenched his teeth, his heart pounding as he delivered another strike.
In that instant, the crystal blazed with golden light, flooding the entire forge room in yellow.
Gu You raised his hammer one final time, bringing it down with all his remaining strength. At that moment, the yellow glow burst into a brilliant flare.
Feng Wuyu stepped forward, timing it perfectly, and with a swift flick of a condensed soul blade, nicked Gu You's hand — letting a spray of fresh blood fall precisely onto the glowing crystal.
The raging golden light gradually subsided. Feng Wuyu shut off the forge's heat, and Gu You collapsed to the ground, completely drained. Yun Ming was there in a flash, catching the boy gently and channeling soul power into him to help stabilize his condition.
Faint sizzling sounds came from the ice crystal as the high temperatures faded away. Finally, the true form of the metal revealed itself.
Before forging, the ice crystal had appeared plain, its deep blue color striking but otherwise unremarkable. But now…
That rich blue had turned into a pale, translucent hue, almost like light passing through sapphire. Fine golden threads shimmered within, and its surface was perfectly smooth, flawless.
Different ores carried different forging challenges, divided into nine levels. For example, heavy silver or deep-sea ores, with their immense density, were notoriously difficult — but even they were only classified as level five.
Ice crystal ore, however, was a solid level-seven difficulty. Even level-four forging masters often avoided it if they could.
From the start, Feng Wuyu hadn't really believed Gu You could pull this off. Sure, the boy's first thousand-refined piece had been a lucky fluke. But this? This success…
Feng Wuyu's mind was filled with only two words: 'Unbelievable!!'
"This is thousand-refinement?! This is a thousand-refined product!!" Feng Wuyu shouted wildly, laughing like a madman.
Yun Ming, still holding the barely-conscious Gu You, was stunned.
Even as a Limit Douluo, Yun Ming didn't know much about forging — but he did understand the rankings. Thousand-refinement corresponded to a third-rank forgemaster, and fourth-rank simply divided further by grades.
For a six-year-old to reach the verge of fourth-rank… in the entire recorded history of humanity, there had never been a precedent.
Yun Ming glanced at Feng Wuyu, then at the boy in his arms — who looked completely harmless and innocent.
"Old lunatic, what exactly just happened?" Yun Ming furrowed his brows.
"Yun Ming, you really found yourself a gem of a son! This child's talent… he'll definitely become a Divine Craftsman in the future!!" Feng Wuyu kept laughing, practically glowing with excitement.
But just as the two men were exchanging words, the ice crystal suddenly emitted a faint white glow.
A small streak of light shot straight into Gu You's forehead — disappearing into him without a trace.
"…What just happened?" Yun Ming rubbed his eyes, bewildered.
Feng Wuyu had noticed too, and after a thoughtful pause, explained, "Because of the life essence infused during forging, the crystal temporarily developed a trace of spiritual will. But it won't last long. Since Gu You mixed his blood into it at the final step, it attached itself to him — now, he can summon it at will."
Gu You, still barely awake, weakly nodded along. To him, it sounded like some great teaching or revelation.
"Yun Ming, I need to talk to you," Feng Wuyu said quickly, pulling Yun Ming aside before the Sea God's Pavilion master could object.
Left alone, Gu You lay quietly, his mind drifting.
Inside his spiritual sea, Ji Ji Ba — his little dinosaur spirit — was still sound asleep.
Suddenly, a rift tore open, and a small, glowing piece of metal crashed down, smacking Ji Ji Ba squarely on the head, leaving a comically large red bump.
Ji Ji Ba jolted awake with an enraged roar — but when it saw the metal piece, it paused, bewildered, looking around as if searching for whoever had thrown it.
At that moment, Gu You's faint mental projection appeared.
Seeing the boy, Ji Ji Ba roared and charged.
Gu You, who had just been quietly observing the glowing ice crystal piece floating inside his spiritual space, instantly felt his face darken.
Ji Ji Ba was no longer the tiny little dino from before — after evolving into a thousand-year soul spirit, its body had undergone tremendous change. Now a fully-fledged sub-dragon type, it stood four or five meters tall, its muscular frame radiating the powerful majesty of a dragon.
'If this thing were female,' Gu You thought vaguely, 'and transformed into human form…'
Before he could finish the thought, Ji Ji Ba lunged forward, jaws wide, and swallowed him whole.
In the outside world, Gu You groaned softly, eyes fluttering open. He was speechless.
'This stupid dinosaur is way too violent… But at least I know where the ice crystal is now. I can just reach in and grab it whenever I need.'
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, and New BTTH Fic is Out. Go Check It Out.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.