54: Chapter 54 Let's keep refining it until we succeed.

Qin Lie was stunned by this calm question and subconsciously looked at the piles of metal blocks and auxiliary materials in his shop.

He didn't understand why Gu Changming could remain so calm, but he still shook his head. "No... I haven't used them all. It's just... the shadow crystal cores are gone, but once I save up enough points..."

"If they aren't used up, then refine again," Gu Changming interrupted him.

Qin Lie was stunned again, thinking the other party hadn't heard clearly. He opened his mouth to explain that he needed to wait for a while, until he saved enough points to buy another shadow crystal core, before he could start forging again.

But Zhang Zhenhai chimed in at that moment with a sneer, his words laced with sarcasm. "Yeah, just refine again. After all, shadow crystal cores only cost five or six hundred points each. Maybe he even has another one."

Gu Changming glanced at him and said indifferently, "How did you know?"

After he spoke.

*Clack.*

A soft sound echoed.

On the tabletop, a sharp-edged shadow crystal core with a dim luster was placed just like that.

Qin Lie froze, and the surroundings instantly fell silent.

Everyone's eyes were now focused on that single shadow crystal core.

Then, with a rustling sound, the crowd's gaze began to shift.

Slowly moving away from the crystal core, their eyes landed on Zhang Zhenhai, whose face was stiff and whose smile was frozen on his lips.

In those gazes, there was a hint of suspicious scrutiny and a touch of playful amusement, as if watching a show.

Didn't you just say he lacked strength? How does he have another shadow crystal core?

One could be called luck, but what about two? It's impossible they were all obtained through deception.

Zhang Zhenhai's face turned ashen, feeling uncomfortable from the piercing gazes cast from all around.

Then, hardening his heart and forcing an air of bravado, he said:

"So what if you take out another one? You know exactly what you did in the secret realm. You dodged that Cutter and nearly got us killed..."

Following his words, the crowd's gaze shifted back to Gu Changming in unison, wanting to see how he would respond to this statement.

However, Gu Changming didn't look his way at all, instead keeping his eyes on Qin Lie.

Qin Lie was currently staring intently at the newly appeared shadow crystal core on the table, his expression complex—filled with longing and struggle.

But in the end, all those emotions turned into a sort of cowering avoidance.

Qin Lie took a half-step back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he avoided Gu Changming's gaze. "I failed last night. Trying again would... would mostly likely just waste your crystal core. You should find another Blacksmith."

Yesterday, in the secret realm, he had said what he wanted to say in front of Zhang Zhenhai's team and later stood up for Gu Changming.

He thought he had finally changed, that he had the courage and ability to be himself.

But now, he had failed to forge Gu Changming's Tang Dao even after using two crystal cores... perhaps he was useless after all, just a piece of trash.

Before Qin Lie could finish speaking, the burly stall owner from before squeezed forward impatiently.

"Give it to me! I can definitely forge it for you. I can make whatever you want, and I definitely won't waste your materials! Unlike some people who just ruin good things..."

Hearing such slanderous words, Qin Lie buried his head even lower.

But Gu Changming seemed not to hear the noise. He stepped forward, walked straight to the wooden table, and reached out, placing his hand over the crystal core.

Just as everyone thought he was going to pack up the shadow crystal core and the Tang Dao together—

*Clack.*

Another soft sound.

A second shadow crystal core of similar size landed steadily beside the first one.

The stall owner's mouth hung open, his subsequent words stuck in his throat, his eyes wide and round.

A chorus of suppressed gasps rose from the surroundings.

That's the third crystal core. What on earth did he do? Did he kill three Shadow Devourers?

Zhang Zhenhai's eyelids also twitched involuntarily several times.

Gu Changming turned his head, his gaze landing on Qin Lie's pale, avoiding face. His tone remained flat.

"I have more crystal cores. If you fail, then refine again."

After Gu Changming finished, he paused and added another sentence: "If you fail again..."

As soon as these words came out, the hearts of the onlookers tightened, worrying for Qin Lie. Two more chances—if it still didn't work, would there be nothing left to say?

Although doing this was already more than fair, even too good to Qin Lie, but...

Zhang Zhenhai's mood lifted. If he failed two more times, then the two of them would never be able to hold their heads up again.

Before everyone's thoughts could finish—

The next second.

*Clack.*

*Clack, clack.*

*Clack, clack, clack...*

The sounds of light collisions rang out one after another.

Under everyone's wide-eyed, almost catatonic gaze, one shadow crystal core after another slid from Gu Changming's sleeve and dropped onto the wooden table.

Five, ten, fifteen...

The dim lusters merged together, almost piling up into a small black hill on the table.

In an instant, the surroundings were deathly silent. Everyone looked as if they had been hit by a binding spell, mouths agape and eyes bulging.

Zhang Zhenhai also looked as if he were being strangled, his face turning beet red, unable to utter a single word.

There must be at least fifty or sixty shadow crystal cores here, right?

What is he trying to do?

It was then that Gu Changming finished his sentence.

"If you fail again... then refine until you succeed."

Qin Lie stared blankly at the small pile of shadow crystal cores on the table, feeling his scalp tingle as blood seemed to rush to his head.

He looked up blankly at Gu Changming, his lips trembling slightly, but he couldn't make a sound. His mind was a complete blank, not knowing what to say or do at this moment.

Without waiting for him to react, Gu Changming casually picked up a crystal core from the table and tossed it to Qin Lie.

Qin Lie scrambled to catch it. The icy touch gave him a jolt, bringing him back to his senses slightly.

"Can you refine it?" Gu Changming asked.

Qin Lie subconsciously tightened his grip on the crystal core in his hand. His throat was dry, and he swallowed hard before finding his voice.

"I can. Tomorrow... no, tonight! Tonight, I will definitely refine it."

Gu Changming shook his head. "No, refine it now. Refine it right here."

A clear look of hesitation flashed across Qin Lie's face as he subconsciously glanced at the surrounding crowd.

Forge it on the spot under the gaze of so many people?

Just the thought of it made him feel a bit apprehensive.

What if he failed?

Gu Changming followed his gaze, swept his eyes over the crowd, and then looked back at Qin Lie, his eyebrows lifting almost imperceptibly.

"You can't?"

These words were like forcing him to make a choice.

Being pushed like this, the pent-up frustration in Qin Lie's chest, mixed with unwillingness and the pressure brought by Gu Changming's almost irrational trust, surged up violently.

The daze and avoidance in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a resolve akin to burning one's bridges.

"I can!"

Qin Lie grabbed the Tang Dao and looked at Gu Changming, his tone firm.

"I'll refine it right now! Once it's done, I'll give it to you on the spot!"