Lao Jie Ke was clearly very patient with Tang San. In his heart, there was no child in the village more sensible than the one standing before him. It was truly hard to imagine how a father like that could have such a well-behaved son.
"A Great Soul Master is a title within the Soul Master rank. Soul Masters are the most noble profession across the entire Soul Land. They can be powerful warriors, or they can possess outstanding supportive abilities. But regardless of what kind of Soul Master one is, ranks are always sorted according to the same system of titles."
"All Soul Masters possess their own Martial Soul power. Depending on the strength of that Soul Power, the ranks are divided into ten major titles, and each title is further divided into ten levels. The very first stage, when one has just entered the path, is called a Soul Apprentice. Once one's Martial Soul awakens, everyone begins as a Soul Apprentice. If the Martial Soul can be cultivated, then once Soul Power reaches level eleven, one advances to the next title — a Soul Master. And Great Soul Master is the third title in the entire sequence. Reaching the Great Soul Master stage means one is already a considerably powerful Soul Master. The ten titles in order are as follows."
"Soul Apprentice, Soul Master, Great Soul Master, Soul Venerable, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, and Titled Douluo. The name of our very Soul Land comes from these titles. Legend has it that any Titled Douluo who reaches level ninety or above can grant themselves their own title. They are simply invincible existences!"
His eyes shone with a glow of pride. "Our Sacred Soul Village once produced a Soul Saint — the eighth title — a hundred years ago. In the entirety of Nuoding City, or even the whole of Fasnuo Province, that is exceedingly rare."
Tang Hao, standing off to the side, curled his lip. "Lao Jie Ke, that's just a legend."
As if someone had struck a nerve, Lao Jie Ke flew into a rage. "What do you mean, 'just a legend'? Legends are born from facts! Tang Hao, you've been in this village for six years now — you should understand what that Soul Saint means to us. If I hear you insult the great Soul Saint one more time, I'll throw you out of the village! If it weren't for Little San's sake, do you think I'd willingly come to this dog kennel of yours?"
Tang Hao showed no anger. He simply kept hammering the farming tool in his hands, as if he hadn't heard a word Jie Ke said.
Jie Ke glared at him viciously, then turned to Tang San. "In the future, whatever you do, don't end up as listless as your father. Alright, I'm heading out now. I'll come for you in three days."
With that, Lao Jie Ke stormed out of the blacksmith's shop in a huff.
"Dad." Tang San called out.
"Hmm?" Tang Hao shot him a cold glance. Seeing the chill in his father's eyes, Tang San had no choice but to swallow the words he wanted to say. He lowered his head and retreated to his own room to continue his ten thousand strikes.
Night fell. After dinner, Tang Hao wiped his mouth and headed out as he always did. For him, it was routine — going out to drink. The cheapest barley ale he could find.
"Dad, wait a second." Tang San didn't have time to tidy the bowls and chopsticks before calling out to stop Tang Hao.
"What?" Tang Hao shot him an impatient glare. Although Tang Hao had never once hit Tang San, for some reason the boy had always felt a certain instinctive fear toward his father. Even with the memories and awareness of two lifetimes, he couldn't change that feeling.
"The ten thousand strikes — I'm done," Tang San said.
"Oh?" The gleam in Tang Hao's eyes seemed to brighten slightly. "Bring it here, let me see."
"Okay." Tang San dashed back to his room and quickly emerged holding an iron block.
The block was pitch-black throughout. Although its shape was irregular, every surface appeared remarkably smooth, with a subtle dark luster gleaming within. The block was roughly one-quarter the size of the original lump of iron, and it was only because Tang San channeled the Mysterious Heaven Skill that he could hold it without strain.
Tang Hao grabbed the black iron block and held it up before his eyes for a careful look. "Now do you understand what I was telling you?"
Tang San nodded. "Hundred-fold refining turns iron into steel. No matter how poor the quality, any metal can be refined into something excellent through continuous forging and purification. Dad, was that the lesson you wanted me to learn?"
Tang Hao realized that over these past days, his son had been full of surprises. He handed the iron block back. "Then keep at it. When you've forged it down to the size of a fist, bring it to me again." With that, he turned and walked out the door.
By his own original words, forging the iron block ten thousand times should have been enough for him to teach Tang San the craft. But now it seemed he had gone back on his word. Still, Tang San didn't mind. He was simply thinking about what Tang Hao had said.
"The size of a fist?" Could such a large block of iron really be forged down to the size of a fist? Even though it was already only a quarter of its original volume, Tang San knew well that with each round of forging, the density of the iron only increased, making it ever harder to reduce its size. Forging it down to truly fist-sized would take far more than another ten thousand strikes.
Hundred-fold refining turns iron into steel — so what about ten thousand folds? A bright gleam flashed through Tang San's eyes. He shifted his feet with a slight pivot, his body slipping nimbly back into his room. Before long, the clanging sound of hammering rang through the blacksmith's shop once more.
Three days passed quickly. Each morning, Tang San still climbed to the hilltop for his routine exercises. After returning home, aside from cooking, he did nothing but forge. He had essentially locked horns with that block of raw iron. His hammering speed increased day by day. The Mysterious Heaven Skill helped him recover his stamina rapidly, allowing him to sustain the relentless forging process.
"Little San, Grandpa's here to pick you up." Lao Jie Ke arrived at the blacksmith's shop right on time. Perhaps out of annoyance toward Tang Hao, this time he didn't even step inside, instead just calling for Tang San from outside.
Tang San glanced at his father, who had just finished breakfast beside him. Tang Hao said coldly, "Go on. Don't be late for lunch."
(End of Chapter)