231: Chapter 232 [The Forger], Tang Valley Forging and [Root Resonance]

[Permanent Dream Mission World — Tanggu]

A heatwave rushing towards the face, the exclusive mark of this special [Dream Mission World].

Before the feet of a Host arriving in this world even touched this scorched red earth, a heatwave carrying scorching fire elements, accompanied by the smell of burning, would first drill into the nasal cavity, followed immediately by the burning sensation the high temperature inflicted upon the skin.

Even for mid-Rank Hosts specializing in fire element abilities, simply standing on the outskirts of Tanggu was enough to make them sweat profusely; the moment sweat from their foreheads hit the ground, it would evaporate into a wisp of white steam within seconds, vanishing in an instant.

This world, dominated by fire elements, is famous for its abundant fire element energy that nearly monopolizes the world, making it one of the Holy Lands for all Hosts cultivating fire elements and tempering their bodies; at the same time, due to its extreme heat and danger, it blocks the vast majority of Hosts on the outskirts of Tanggu.

The place where Tanggu's fire elements are most concentrated is at its center. Correspondingly, the closer one gets to the center, the higher the surrounding temperature becomes. Coupled with Tanggu's intricate terrain and powerful fire element lifeforms, even though it is rich in treasures related to fire elements, no one has ever been able to approach the very center of Tanggu.

Crimson Rock peaks rise from the ground, with scorching magma flowing between the crevices, and bubbling volcanic hot springs can be seen everywhere. The rising white steam interweaves with the fire element light spots floating in the air, dyeing the entire world a passionate crimson red.

Occasionally, small, flame-condensed fire element lifeforms dart past. Their bodies are surrounded by dancing flames, and the high-temperature fire that constitutes their bodies does not scorch even a single char mark when touching the crimson Rocks found everywhere in Tanggu.

In the past, many Hosts attempted to explore deep into Tanggu and attack those seemingly harmless fire element lifeforms. Later, only a very few lucky Hosts managed to escape. The intense physical activity of their desperate flight tore at their severely burned skin, and they eventually collapsed on the outskirts of Tanggu without a shred of clothing, only to be saved from the brink of death by Hosts with healing-type Talents.

As for the other Hosts who did not escape Tanggu, they had already become part of the charred smell in the air.

Most subsequent Hosts chose to stay on the outskirts of Tanggu, utilizing the fire elements—which, compared to the center of Tanggu, were thin but gentle—to cultivate and gain insights.

At this moment, there was only one day left before the start of the "Battle of Sequences". At a location one thousand meters deep into Tanggu, beside a hot spring hidden among the peaks, sounds of hammering echoed continuously.

The temperature here was shockingly high; if one were to casually pull out a piece of paper, it would spontaneously ignite into ashes the moment it touched the air. The hot spring water, which seemed exceptionally gentle compared to magma, shimmered with a faint orange-red hue, and a thick layer of scorching white steam floated on the surface year-round. Even from half a step away, one could feel the stinging pain of skin being scalded.

In this place of extreme heat that Hosts lingering on the outskirts of Tanggu could absolutely not endure, a dark-skinned, bald youth was standing shirtless and steady on the scorching crimson sandy ground—he was only wearing red shorts embroidered with flame patterns. On his bronze skin, fine beads of sweat evaporated into wisps of white steam the moment they emerged, showing no signs of distress at all. His entire body, with slightly reddened, sturdy muscles, revealed a firm physique full of a sense of power.

The dark-skinned youth held a forging hammer taller than half his height. The hammerhead was thick and heavy, decorated on both sides with a pair of curved ox horns. The ox horns shimmered with a heavy brownish-red luster, complementing the pitch-black hammer body—this was his Dream Spirit [Ox Horn Hammer], and also the closest partner on his path of forging.

At this moment, the youth was slightly hunched over, his arm muscles bulging. Every swing of the hammer carried the force of a thousand jun. The "Clang—Clang—" sound of hammering was dull yet powerful, resounding throughout the entire forest of peaks, shaking the surrounding mountain Rocks until they trembled slightly. Every time the hammerhead fell, it would splash up tiny sparks that fell onto the giant crimson Rock, instantly melting away.

The youth's name was Niu Dali, the only son of a single-line forging family in the Dragon Country. Since he could remember, the forging room had been his entire world. Even before he could speak, the naturally strong Niu Dali could easily lift a small forging hammer the size of himself, wielding it with flair, imitating the forging posture of his elders.

Later, while signing up for an international forging competition online, he was accidentally selected by the [Dream System] and became a Host of the [Dream System]. After a little thought, he gave himself a title that suited him better—[Blacksmith], and after his first trial task ended, he successfully manifested his own exclusive Dream Spirit, [Ox Horn Hammer].

After accidentally passing through the [Dream Gate] in his family's backyard and entering the [Dream World], the [Blacksmith] did not rush to continue the [Dream World Task]. Instead, during many days of exploration, he "coincidentally" arrived at a village. That was the famous "Village of Forging" in the [Dream World], where Blacksmiths from various [Dream Mission World]s and native Blacksmiths of the [Dream World] would all arrive under the guidance of a mysterious force. The [Blacksmith] quickly integrated into the "Village of Forging" and dove headfirst into learning the unique forging techniques of the [Dream World].

During an accidental pursuit of knowledge, he obtained an ancient book recording the [Dream Forging Method] from the village chief of the "Village of Forging". In order to master this unique forging technique, he studied tirelessly in a remote forging room for nearly half a month, keeping company with fire and Ore day and night, finally integrating the [Dream Forging Method] with his own family's forging methods. It was precisely at the moment he mastered this exclusive forging technique that his Talent underwent a qualitative leap. Not only did he succeed in establishing a connection with the two major [Root]s of [Forging] and [Strength] through his extreme dedication to forging, reaching the [Root Cognition] stage, but he also completed a Talent Reforging in an instant, evolving his original Talent into the A-Rank special unique Talent [Person of Forging].

"Clang—!!!" A crisp yet heavy hammering sound shot straight into the sky. Unlike the dullness before, this time the sound carried a hint of spiritual crispness.

This was the 999th time the [Blacksmith] had accurately landed the [Ox Horn Hammer] hammerhead onto that [Lava Ore] on the giant Rock—a rare Ore unique to Tanggu, entirely crimson red, containing rich fire element energy, and with an incomparably hard texture that ordinary physical attacks and flame scorching could not shake in the slightest. However, under the continuous hammering of the [Ox Horn Hammer], this [Lava Ore] had gradually shed its initial hardness, and under the force of this final hammer blow, it instantly transformed into a mass of soft, crimson-red liquid. The liquid's surface shimmered with a scorching luster, like flowing magma, yet it was more gentle and more condensed than magma.

A flash of brilliance crossed the [Blacksmith]'s eyes. Without the slightest pause, he turned his wrist slightly, and the [Ox Horn Hammer] in his hand flipped quickly. On one side of the hammer face, where it was originally smooth, a regular circular groove quickly formed. His movements were smooth and skillful, without any hesitation. He raised his hand and waved, and that mass of crimson-red lava liquid was affected by a suction force, slowly flowing into the circular groove of the [Ox Horn Hammer], filling the groove perfectly—not a fraction more, not a fraction less.

Immediately after, the [Blacksmith] grasped the handle of the [Ox Horn Hammer] with one hand, exerting a little force to slowly sink the heavy [Ox Horn Hammer] into the hot spring beside him.

"Sizzle—!!!" A violent sound of steam erupted instantly. The hot spring water was splashed up by the lava liquid in the [Ox Horn Hammer]'s depression, and the rolling white steam surged madly. The originally calm surface of the hot spring quickly began to boil, bubbling with dense air bubbles. The already high water temperature rose once again, and even the air above the hot spring became distorted.

A moment later, the [Blacksmith] gripped the hammer handle tightly and quickly lifted the [Ox Horn Hammer] from the hot spring. His movements were effortless, as if what he held in his hand was not a hundred-pound forging hammer, but a light feather. He casually tossed the [Ox Horn Hammer] into the air, the hammerhead rotating in the air, tracing a beautiful arc. The [Blacksmith] simply raised his hand forward and steadily caught the [Ox Horn Hammer] as it fell from the air.

The moment the [Ox Horn Hammer] was back in his hand, a crimson-red ring descended from the sky, carrying rich fire element energy. Like breathing, it flickered with red light and steadily settled onto the ox horn on one side of the [Ox Horn Hammer]. The instant the ring fitted onto the ox horn, a "click" sound rang out, and crimson-red light burst forth instantly, spreading along the ox horn to the entire hammer body, giving the originally heavy, pitch-black forging hammer a few more degrees of scorching heat.

At the same time, a highly impactful wave of [Dream Power] burst forth with the [Blacksmith] at its center. This wave, carrying the weight of forging and the violence of strength, along with the sound of his intense heartbeat, spread throughout the entire Tanggu like a clap of thunder.

Hosts on the outskirts of Tanggu looked toward the depths of Tanggu, their eyes filled with shock and confusion—they could feel that the intensity of this wave far exceeded theirs by several, or even dozens of times.

As for the person involved, the [Blacksmith], he remained calm. Holding the [Ox Horn Hammer], he slowly walked into the boiling hot spring. The high-temperature spring water wrapped around his body, dispelling the fatigue brought on by forging, and even made him squint his eyes comfortably. A faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth. He raised his hand and tapped open his own [dream system panel], and the pale blue panel slowly emerged amidst the white steam of the hot spring.

[dream system panel]

[Host] [Blacksmith] (Real Name: Niu Dali)

[Comprehensive Rank] A-Rank

[Dream Power Reserve] 1110 points

[dream coins] 12 (1 dream coin = 100 Dream Power, can only be converted one-way.)

[dream permission rank] LV3

[Communication ID] AAA004399 (Only displayed on the panel after "dream permission LV2")

[Personal Data]

Physical: A++ Rank (Includes physical-related abilities such as Strength, Agility, Defense, Stamina, Vitality, etc.)

Mental: A Rank (Includes mental-related abilities such as Intelligence, Perception, Energy Value, Energy Manipulation, etc.)

Talent Root: Forging (Resonance) (Only displayed on the panel after "Enlighten Talent")

Soul Base: Strength (Cognition) (Only displayed on the panel after "Gaze at Soul")

[Talent] [Person of Forging] (Special unique Talent A-Rank) (Talent Reforging - Completed)

[Forging Power]: By performing "forging actions", [Forging Power] can be accumulated. Consuming Forging Power can increase the forging success rate and significantly increase the probability of triggering "Flash of Inspiration".

[Forging Root]: Has reached the [Root Resonance] stage with the [Root], specific effects need to be explored by the Host.

[Strength Root]: Has reached the [Root Cognition] stage with the [Root], specific effects need to be explored by the Host.

[Talent Characteristics]: Automatically absorbs subsequent [Dominators Gaze] or [Divine Blessing] obtained, converting them into Talent growth resources without loss;

[Dream Spirit] [Ox Horn Hammer]

[Form]: A forging hammer with ox horn decorations on both sides of the hammerhead.

[Hammer and Mold]: The hammer face can be used for forging and hammering, or the depression on the hammer face can be used as a shaping mold.

[Weight of Ten Thousand Jin]: Can consume Dream Power to increase the weight of the hammer body, up to a maximum of ten thousand jin.

[Hammer of Strengthening]: Can use forged items to strengthen itself (Current strengthening: Fire Element Ring)