Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Miracle! It is indeed a miracle!" Guild Leader Zhong muttered with a face dazed with astonishment.

With just a cultivation technique and three pills, a person had actually managed to change the attribute of his zhenqi and achieve a breakthrough while he was at it. This was already a feat that could be considered a miracle!

Despite witnessing the entire process with his own eyes, he still couldn't help but feel as if he had been dreaming. The matter was just too inconceivable for him.

"This is the prowess of Principal Zhang?" Pavilion Master Feng was also shocked beyond words.

As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed an eye of discernment far superior to those of his peers. Naturally, he could also tell how valuable the cultivation technique that had been imparted to Song Zhen was.

To create such a formidable cultivation technique within moments and give it away unreservedly to another This was how a true master teacher should act! Here was a role model that all master teachers should strive to be like!

It was no wonder he could become the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at such a young age and win the respect and admiration of all elders and students. Indeed, there was no mediocre man beneath a true legend.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Song Zhen completed his cultivation while the duo was still overwhelmed with shock, and he hurriedly rushed up to Zhang Xuan and kneeled before him respectfully.

At this moment, he was filled with nothing but gratitude and admiration for the young man before him, such that he would even end his life without any hesitation at a word from the other party.

"I am not your teacher, so there is no need for you to be so courteous around me." Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

"You have taught me such a valuable cultivation technique and given me the strength to continue living on. You are the only teacher I will acknowledge in my life, and this won't change until death!" Kneeling on the ground, Song Zhen kowtowed several times with unshakable resolve in his eyes.

Without the other party, he would have been nothing more than a cold corpse lying in an alley. His family would still have been mocked by others for his incompetence. Sun Jin would still have been the high and mighty elder he was, and the atrocities he had committed would eventually have been buried amid the dust of history. Perhaps, countless other apprentices who had harbored hopes as great as his would have ended up walking in the same footsteps as him as well.

Principal Zhang hadn't just taught him a cultivation technique; he had changed his life. Even if the other party was unwilling to take him in as his student, he would still view the other party as his teacher, and this wouldn't change until death.

Seeing the determination in the Song Zhen's eyes, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded in agreement. "Very well then. I can't take you in as my direct disciple, but since the workings of fate have brought us together, I shall take you in as my blacksmith student."

To accept a direct disciple was a heavy commitment. Song Zhen might have been extremely talented, but Zhang Xuan valued character far more than anything else. Given how short a time he had spent with the other party, it was still too early for something like that. Nevertheless, it was fine for him to take the other party in as his blacksmith student.

After all, the responsibility of a master teacher was to spread their knowledge across the world, so it wasn't rare for master teachers to have innumerable students. In a sense, this was similar to his relationship with the members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well. Thus, it wasn't anything much for Zhang Xuan to take Song Zhen in as his student

Hearing those words, Song Zhen hurriedly kowtowed earnestly in agitation. "Thank you, Teacher!"

Seeing such a sight, looks of envy surfaced on the faces of the blacksmiths gathered around the area, and this was no exception even for the elders and Guild Leader Zhong as well.

It was apparent that Principal Zhang possessed an unfathomable understanding of smithing. One who was able to become his student, even if just in name, would surely have a boundless future ahead of them.

Ignoring the looks from the crowd, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, "As your blacksmith teacher, it would be unbecoming of me if I didn't do something for you."

Flicking his wrist, a massive cauldron fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "This is the Guardian Saint Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, a Saint low-tier artifact, the Golden Origin Cauldron! I intended to reforge it once more but since you are my student, I will be leaving this job to you. This experience should do you much good in your future endeavors as a blacksmith, and even becoming a 7-star blacksmith shouldn't be a problem to you in the future!"

"You want me to reforge a Saint low-tier artifact? T-t-this But I am only an apprentice! I have never successfully smithed a Mortal-tier weapon before; I can't possibly take on such a heavy responsibility." Song Zhen was scared out of his wits.

The other blacksmiths in the room, including Guild Leader Zhong, also nearly fainted from the sheer ridiculousness of what they were witnessing.

A Saint-tier artifact was something that only 7-star blacksmiths were qualified to come into contact with. Being able to work with one would indeed allow one to make huge progress as a blacksmith, be it in terms of skill or state of mind.

This was especially so for 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths. This experience might very well have opened a brand-new window for them into smithing, thus becoming the impetus for them to make a breakthrough.

But to allow an apprentice who hadn't even succeeded in smithing a Mortal-tier weapon before to work with it Was the other party really not afraid of breaking the Saint Guardian Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?

"Master, you can't be serious" Not only were the crowd acting in such a manner, even the Golden Origin Cauldron itself was on the brink of tears. "Actually I think that my current cultivation is wonderful as it is; there is no need for me to make another breakthrough."

It did want to make a breakthrough, but only if it was done through its master's hands would it be able to rest assured.

To allow a fellow who has never successfully smithed a weapon in his life to work on it instead What the heck is that?

Did I do something that so greatly offended you recently that you had to find such a reason to do me in?

"Enough! What is with this nonsense that you are spouting?" Paying no heed to the horrified Golden Origin Cauldron, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Even though his current mastery as a blacksmith was indeed at 6-star pinnacle, the reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron didn't just involve refining and quenching. More importantly, the Violetgilt Metal would have to be smithed into the Golden Origin Cauldron, a task that involved forging.

And that happened to be something that he wasn't good at.

If he were to really attempt to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron before so many formidable blacksmiths, not only would it be embarrassing for him, the Golden Origin Cauldron could very well be hammered out of shape in his hands, possibly becoming an unseemly slab of metal!

While Song Zhen was only an apprentice, Zhang Xuan could tell through how the other party forged his sword earlier that he had all of the basics down. Perhaps it was due to his inability to handle flames, Song Zhen seemed to have focused all of his efforts in refining his forging skills, granting him a forging mastery that was on par or even superior to most 6-star blacksmiths. Without a doubt, the other party was the ideal candidate to smith the Violetgilt Metal into the Golden Origin Cauldron!

With this success, Song Zhen would be able to gain a deep insight into smithing. It would only be a matter of time before he became a 6-star blacksmith or even beyond that.

Through this, not only would Zhang Xuan be able to avoid any embarrassment due to his inability to forge weapons, he would also be able to portray himself as an unfathomable expert, thus deepening the respect others had for him. More importantly, he could temper this newly-accepted student of his while he was at it.

In a sense, it was like killing three birds with one stone, so why not?

"Yes" Seeing that his teacher had gotten angry at his hesitance, Song Zhen dared not say any more. Nodding, he plucked up his courage and walked over, facing the Golden Origin Cauldron with an ashen face.

On the other hand, the Golden Origin Cauldron was shaking uncontrollably, devoid of the haughtiness and arrogance it usually commanded when it crushed Saint realm experts. Its three thick legs were trembling so much that it seemed as if they would cave in at any moment.

Seeing the states that the man and cauldron were in, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Without wasting any time, he began issuing instructions. "The reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron is an extremely important task. I will be issuing you instructions, so make sure to follow them carefully. There is no room for mistakes here!"

"Yes!" Hearing that Zhang Xuan would be guiding him along, Song Zhen heaved a sigh of relief.

"Take out the Violetgilt Metal I had you bring along earlier, you will need it in the forging process"

After the preparations were done, Zhang Xuan began issuing more detailed instructions to Song Zhen. "First, place the Violetgilt Ore into the cauldron and drive the earth flames with your zhenqi for thirteen breaths so as to melt it. Thirteen breaths later, place the Golden Origin Cauldron inside and begin fusing the two together. Twenty-seven breaths later, take the resulting alloy out and use the Thousand Metal Forging Technique to hammer the Golden Origin Cauldron 184 times, not one more, not one less. Make sure to hammer it all over, and every strike must consist of only 80% of your full strength"

Instead of using zhenqi telepathy, Zhang Xuan said the instructions out loud. Hearing the instructions, the blacksmiths in the area glanced at one another with shocked faces.

They had thought that the instructions that Zhang Xuan would be issuing Song Zhen would be simple, basic ones. However, after hearing those words, they realized that they had been utterly wrong. Never in the world had they seen such precise smithing before!

How in the world could the other party issue such detailed instructions? That would require a thorough understanding of the Golden Origin Cauldron, Violetgilt Metal, and even the properties of the earth flames! Not just that, the other party had to know Song Zhen's capability and strength inside out!

This wasn't something that could be achieved with just outstanding eye of discernment alone. The sheer number of calculations required in doing so were bound to be at a fearsome level as well!

"Yes!" Hearing those words, Song Zhen suddenly had a feeling that his teacher might have calculated the entire smithing process from the start to the end, and he couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. Swiftly memorizing what was being said, he grabbed the Violetgilt Metal ore by the side and tossed it into the cauldron.

In the Blacksmith Guild, there was no nearly no room that didn't have a formation that was connected straight to the earth flames beneath the ground. Driving his newfound strength as a Half-Saint, flames surged from the ground, and before long, the Violetgilt Metal had melted. Following which, Song Zhen placed the Golden Origin Cauldron inside

All kinds of procedures were carried out strictly to Zhang Xuan's demands, without the slightest deviation.

"Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

As he had expected, the other party's mastery in forging had indeed reached the level of a true master. Even most 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths would struggle to match him.

His twenty-four years of hard work hadn't been futile. It was only due to his unyielding perseverance even in the face of failure that he had managed to achieve such a level of skill.

An hour later, a resounding chime reverberated from the Golden Origin Cauldron's body, and its Saint low-tier prowess began rising steadily. At that moment, an overwhelming aura burst into the surroundings, forcing the surrounding spectators to retreat continuously.

Hu!

A few moments later, the aura was reined back in. The Golden Origin Cauldron carried a lofty air around it and a brilliant glow.

"Saint intermediate-tier artifact? Good job!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

With just a look, he knew that he had made the right call.

The current Golden Origin Cauldron had managed to fuse perfectly with the Violetgilt Metal, reaching the level of a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, granting it strength on par with Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts!

If he were to meet the Goldenleaf King and the others once more, he would easily be able to subdue them with just a devastating crush from his cauldron! With this, the days when he would have to go through so much effort talking others into drinking his wine were finally over!

"I am still alive? Not only am I still alive, my cultivation has risen as well? Wonderful!" While Zhang Xuan was feeling glad, the Golden Origin Cauldron began pouncing about excitedly.

With a mere apprentice blacksmith working on it, it had thought that certain doom was awaiting it. Who could have known that, not only would the smithing be successful, its cultivation would even rise by a greater extent that it had initially envisioned? At this moment, it was so happy that it could hug Song Zhen and give him a good kiss.

"Teacher" At the same time, Song Zhen also hadn't expected that he would succeed. An agitated glint rippled in his eyes, revealing the immense joy and delight he felt from his success.

While a huge reason for his success was due to his teacher guiding him along step by step, this experience had still given him a deep insight into smithing. As long as he could raise his cultivation to the required level, the 7-star blacksmith examination wasn't beyond reach!

It could be said that this single experience had built his foundations in smithing. As long as he continued working hard, his future accomplishments would be boundless!

In order to give him such an experience, his teacher had unhesitatingly entrusted the Saint Guardian Artifact of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to him. To have such deep trust in him this favor was something that he would never be able to repay in his lifetime!

"Alright. As long as you internalize this experience, you should be able to advance to great heights as a blacksmith in the future."

With a grab, Zhang Xuan returned the Golden Origin Cauldron to his storage ring before waving his hand. "Pavilion Master Feng, I will be taking my leave first. I will be counting on you to take care of the other matters here!"

After saying those words, he turned around and walked away. Before long, he had already disappeared from view.

Departing with a fling of the sleeves after the job is done, asking for no compensation in return for his efforts This is a true master teacher!

Seeing how Zhang Xuan departed without the slightest hesitation, such thoughts emerged within the minds of the remaining crowd.