Chapter 13: Twin Martial Soul (Four)

Tang Hao gently shoved with his forging hammer, pushing Tang San back a few steps. At the same time, he swung his own hammer back around, let out a low shout, twisted his body halfway, and dug both feet firmly into the ground. The two calves bared below his tattered trouser legs tensed instantly, his entire body coiling like a tiger ready to spring. Power surged from his legs, his waist whipped back around, and the forging hammer swept back in an arc almost imperceptibly. With a deafening clang, it slammed down onto the red-hot pig iron.

Tang San could feel it clearly—this was simply a process of channeling the body's force. Tang Hao had no internal energy, no Martial Soul power, nothing of the sort. This was pure physical strength. And the iron block, which had been glowing red just a moment ago, had been crushed until nearly a third of it had collapsed inward. The deformation was striking.

"Power from the calves—connect your body's strength into one unified whole. That is full power." Tang Hao placed the iron hammer back into Tang San's hands. "You try."

"Okay." Tang San had never imagined there was such a technique to forging. This method of generating force wasn't limited to forging alone—it should work just as well in his Tang Sect martial arts.

Gripping the hammer handle with both hands and imitating Tang Hao's earlier stance, Tang San fixed his gaze intently on the red-hot iron block. The Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated slowly, channeling deep into his calves as both feet locked firmly to the ground.

Tang San gave a sharp shout. Leg strength and the Mysterious Heaven Skill activated simultaneously. Force exploded from his calves and spread in an instant—waist twisting, back drawing in, shoulders rolling, arms swinging through. He could feel it clearly: his power had become something fiercer than anything he'd ever felt before. From the initial burst in his calves to the moment the hammer swung overhead, his entire body felt as if this tremendous force was about to lift him off his feet.

Clang—the hammer struck the iron block squarely, sending out a thunderous ring.

Tang San's feet actually left the ground from the force of the swing, and he stumbled forward a step. The hammer bounced back. Although the Mysterious Jade Hand protected him and his grip was fine, the recoil sent a wave of numbness and soreness through both arms. Fortunately, the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated in time, and the sensation gradually faded.

The result was obvious. Although Tang San's strike, hampered by his young age and even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill supplementing his strength, couldn't match Tang Hao's, compared to his earlier blows, this single strike was worth several dozen of them put together.

Watching Tang San's movements, Tang Hao offered no comment. But the flash of surprise in his eyes told the story—Tang San had done noticeably better than he'd expected. Tang Hao hadn't anticipated that Tang San would master this technique so quickly.

How could he know that Tang San had been training in Tang Sect martial arts for years? Not only did he have the foundation of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, but Crane Control Dragon Catch, Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail, and the Mysterious Jade Hand had given him coordination far beyond that of other children his age. His natural aptitude was solid as well, so picking up this generating-force technique came naturally. Of course, this was his first time, and his execution was still rough.

"Dad, did I do it right?"

Tang Hao nodded slowly. "Do you understand the heart's role now? The calves are the most-used muscles in the human body. They are the root of all power. Use your calf strength well, and your power will increase enormously."

With that, Tang Hao walked over to the bellows and sat down. From beneath the bellows, he pulled out a device forged from pig iron—a pair of foot pedals, which he attached to the base of the bellows. Gripping the bellows handle with both hands, he said, "During forging, the bellows are also critically important. Metal burns more completely when fed with proper airflow, which makes for better forging—it increases the metal's resilience. And any piece of metal, no matter how impure, has a soul of its own. If the temperature drops too low and you strike too hard in your forging, causing it to crack, then even if you melt it down and forge it again, that metal is nothing but scrap. So when you're striking with full power, you must maintain the temperature. Operating the bellows also uses calf power—it not only minimizes energy expenditure but maximizes the bellows' effect."

He planted both feet on the pedals and pushed off sharply. Starting from his legs, his body sprang backward, his arms naturally pulling the bellows handle wide. His legs went from straight back to bent as he returned the handle. Back and forth, the bellows roared to full capacity. Tang Hao's movements didn't look fast, but each cycle drove the bellows to its absolute limit. Led by his calf muscles, his body and the bellows fell into a special rhythm. Flames surged from the furnace, and the iron block was instantly burned to a blazing red.

"You try the bellows—follow my movements." Tang Hao yielded his spot to Tang San.

Drawing on his earlier experience with the hammer and his careful observation, Tang San took Tang Hao's seat and quickly grasped the method of operating the bellows. He was still a bit clumsy, but with careful attention, every push of force started from the calves. Sure enough, just as Tang Hao had said—not only did it save a great deal of energy, but the effect was incomparably better than before.

Tang Hao picked up Tang San's forging hammer and said calmly, "Striking with full power during forging lets you unleash your strength completely. But at the same time, each blow's recoil puts enormous strain on your body. Without a proper method of guiding that force, you'll not only risk hurting yourself but also lose a portion of the power before it reaches the metal. Watch my next movements carefully. This will be the key to whether you can hammer this pig iron down to the size of a fist in a short time."

Tang Hao drew a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened with focus. As Tang San pumped the bellows, the entire iron block had been burned to a glowing crimson. Searing flames licked upward, making the room unbearably hot.