Chapter 26: Elementary Steel-Lamination Forging Technique

Setting aside the practical benefits of physical enhancement, the mere sensation of those two warm currents surging into my kidneys was enough to leave me wanting more. It felt absolutely incredible.

Once you’ve experienced that rush, what’s next? Naturally, you want to feel it again. How do you get it? You keep hammering away at those claw hammers.

They say that qualitative change is the result of accumulated quantitative change, leading to success once the conditions are ripe. Duan Chengliang now understood this perfectly. When he forged the first hammer head, he was clumsy and inefficient. By the time he reached the tenth, he no longer needed to heat and soften the metal three times; he could finish it in one go. This visible progress filled him with satisfaction.

More importantly, as he worked the iron, he began to clearly perceive the rhythm of the hammering and the impact of his strike points on the steel. This was progress in the craft itself, but the greatest joy came from discovering a new function within the space.

After choosing the "body" option five times in a row, he noticed that the stimulation from the fifth warm current had significantly diminished; it no longer carried that initial, intense wave of pleasure. So, when he finished the next hammer head and was presented with the selection screen again, he wondered: could he skip choosing this time and save the opportunity for later?

It worked. The four boxes vanished in a blink. Duan felt certain that the opportunity hadn't been lost; it had been saved, just as he wished.

Now, with his kidneys flushed by the heat of five hammer heads, he felt as if he were carrying two hot water bottles—a warm, comfortable glow that left him brimming with energy. This was a major reason why his forging efficiency continued to climb. His strength, agility, and control had all improved, and significantly so—by his own estimate, at least by a third.

After finishing the ten hammer heads, Duan Chengliang tossed his hammer aside and stretched. He then brought up the selection menu, eager to use the five saved opportunities.

The four boxes appeared. Finally, there was a change: the images of the blacksmith shop and the book were now glowing. All four boxes were active.

It seemed that for the two options other than body and items, he had to accumulate at least five hammer heads to unlock a chance to choose, though he had no idea what the reward would be. Duan hesitated. Should he choose the body or something else?

Suddenly, it occurred to him that he didn't need to overthink it. His space was no longer empty; it was stocked with steel, iron ore, and coke. He lacked neither raw materials nor fuel, meaning he could forge things at any time. In other words, he could earn new chances whenever he wanted. Why agonize over it? Just choose freely.

Duan’s principle was to prioritize self-improvement; everything else was secondary. This time, even though he wasn't choosing physical enhancement, he still wanted to boost his capabilities. He decided to try the book icon, hoping it might represent knowledge or skills.

With his mind made up, he didn't hesitate and tapped the book icon.

This time, a cool, refreshing stream surged directly into his brain. Damn, this sensation—while different from the heat in his kidneys—was a direct stimulation of the cerebral cortex. It felt amazing. The pleasure lasted for five or six seconds, which was already a better return than a single heat-flush to the kidneys.

After the rush subsided, he felt a wave of dizziness—not unpleasant, but rather like the light, floaty feeling of a mild buzz from alcohol. Immediately after, he felt his mind flooded with new information. It became clear, and almost subconsciously, Duan grasped the details.

Basic Steel-Cladding Forging Technique!

Duan was stunned for a moment. But as soon as the question arose in his mind, the full details of the technique appeared, crystal clear from start to finish. It felt as if he had developed muscle memory; he didn't just understand it—he knew how to do it. It was truly miraculous.

What delighted Duan the most was that this was a complete forging technique, covering the entire process, including quenching and tempering. While he didn't have a specialized, advanced understanding of quenching, this basic technique gave him the confidence to try it for himself.

For instance, if he were to re-forge the claw hammers now, he was certain he could improve their toughness and durability by several degrees through proper quenching.

Why wait? Time to get to work. Without hesitation, Duan decided to re-forge all ten claw hammers. This time, he would quench them all.

He stepped out of the space, returned to his east wing room, grabbed the salt jar, and went back inside. The quenching technique he had learned required a five-percent brine solution. He used a small basin, filled it with a few pounds of water from the courtyard well, and then, with a pang of regret, mixed in the salt until it dissolved.

He began re-forging the ten hammers, applying his newly mastered technique. He was certain the quality would far exceed his previous attempts.

Time flew by, and soon the last hammer was finished. Using his tongs, Duan submerged the claw end into the brine. *Sizzle!* A plume of white smoke rose. Without pausing, he turned the tongs and submerged the rounded head. Another plume of smoke—quenching complete. Having practiced ten times, he already had a solid foundation.

To an outsider, the technique might look simple, but the true mystery lay in the moment of submersion. The temperature of the steel, the temperature and concentration of the brine, the angle of entry, the duration, the depth, and most importantly, the movement of his hands—every factor had to harmonize. Each hammer required a slightly different approach, a judgment formed only through the unique experience of a blacksmith.

The ten re-forged hammer heads lay neatly on the ground. Unlike the rough versions from before, these were uniform, smooth, and, most importantly, shimmered with a deep, bluish light—the hallmark of a successful quench.

For the first two hammers he re-forged, he chose physical enhancement, resulting in two more flushes of heat to his kidneys. By the third, he chose enhancement again, and this time, two cool currents surged into his eyes.

Not bad at all. Whether blacksmithing or daily life, good eyesight is essential. In the forge, it ensures precision; in life, it helps you truly see people.