"Alright, you've got quite the temper! Let's see how good your forging skills are."
The God of Forging smiled and patted the delicate forging hammer in his hand. The patterns on the hammer suddenly lit up, and an illusory forging platform separated from the hammer. It slowly solidified and eventually transformed into a tangible object.
"I won't say anything, nor will I explain how to use this forging platform. I want you to use it to create a piece of equipment that you believe best showcases your skills. Let's see how your forging ability stacks up."
Lou Gao cupped his hands respectfully toward the God of Forging, then stepped forward to inspect the forging platform. After spending some time probing its basic functions, he retrieved his usual hammer and the metals required for forging from the storage soul guide at his waist.
The forging hammer Lou Gao currently used was a custom hammer forged through fusion techniques. With Chen Ming's support, a significant amount of vitality had been infused into the hammer. After a long period of refining, it had become almost inseparable from Lou Gao, functioning like an additional appendage.
Under the watchful gazes of Chen Ming, the God of Arrogance, and the God of Forging, Lou Gao silently began his forging.
The forging platform provided by the God of Forging was a genuine divine artifact, equipped with numerous versatile functions. A single platform could replace the functionality of an entire forging workshop.
The flames burning within the forging platform were a gift from the God of Fire. Their size and temperature could be adjusted freely. The quenching water was derived from the divine power of the God of Water, with properties that could be altered at will, making it exceptionally effective for quenching.
For a blacksmith, such a forging platform was of unparalleled importance. Even the lowest-level craftsmen could easily produce high-quality weapons and equipment with it.
Lou Gao spent a full three hours forging, undergoing numerous rounds of complex metal fusion and quenching. During the process, he leveraged the unique properties of the quenching water formed from the God of Water's divine power to perform many techniques he wouldn't have dared to imagine in his daily work.
Immersed in his craft, Lou Gao didn't notice that the God of Forging was gradually smiling as the forging progressed. Though he remained silent, each time Lou Gao completed a metal fusion or quenching step, the God of Forging would take a hearty swig from the wine flask at his waist.
After numerous intricate operations, Lou Gao finally completed his forging. He had created a seemingly ordinary longsword by fusing over ten different metals. However, Chen Ming could sense that the laws of the Douluo world seemed to ripple subtly with the emergence of this sword.
If not for the divine power of the God of Forging concealing the area, Chen Ming suspected that the Douluo world's tribulation lightning would have immediately descended upon the longsword in Lou Gao's hands.
With full confidence, Lou Gao handed the longsword to the God of Forging. The God of Forging carefully examined the sword, feeling its properties, and solemnly nodded.
"Not bad, not bad. While your techniques still have some flaws and immaturity, you didn't waste my forging platform. Crafting a semi-divine weapon with your skills is barely passing."
Though he said "barely passing" with a serious expression, the God of Forging was inwardly overjoyed.
What a find! This guy has decent talent in cultivation, and his forging skills aren't a weak point either. With divine-grade materials, he can already attempt to forge divine artifacts. A few days of training (in the God Realm's time) should stabilize his ability to produce divine artifacts, and in a few months, he'll meet the minimum standards for inheriting my god position.
Ever since I ascended, I've been tirelessly forging in the God Realm, barely taking a break. I've been busy creating divine artifacts for the gods of the realm.
Now, I've practically stumbled upon a ready-made successor. With a bit of training, he can take over my responsibilities soon.
For lower-ranking gods and enforcers, semi-divine artifacts are more than sufficient; only second- and third-tier gods typically use full divine artifacts.
Anyway, I still have a pile of pending orders from the God Realm. These lower-quality weapons can serve as his divine trials. Didn't the God of Strength commission a sword? And the God of Speed wants a blade, right? I'll just go ask those two for some divine power or treasures and use them to refine this successor's foundational attributes.
There are plenty of gods in the God Realm who owe me favors. I'll borrow a little divine power from each of them and train my successor in no time. If that's not enough, I'll just borrow some resources. Once this kid ascends to the God Realm, he can repay those favors himself.
Although the God of Forging was a dwarf who enjoyed smithing, centuries or even millennia of nonstop forging had made him long for a break. He'd even tried to abandon his position and leave the God Realm recently, only to be persuaded back by the Five Great God Kings.
Now that he'd found a successor (or scapegoat), the God of Forging began envisioning a future where he could leave the God Realm, taking his accumulated wealth to travel the universe in search of fine wines.
Unless the God Realm somehow produced a God of Wine, who could provide him with endless drinks while he forged, not even the Dragon God could stop him from quitting.
After carefully examining the longsword, the God of Forging approached the platform and pointed out several technical issues to Lou Gao. Then he retrieved the forging platform, and his hammer flew out of his hand, turning into a streak of light that entered Lou Gao's forehead. A faint golden hammer imprint appeared on Lou Gao's forehead.
With the appearance of this mark, Lou Gao suddenly felt a flood of forging techniques and material utilization methods pour into his mind. It was as if he'd absorbed several soul bones at once—his spirit, body, and soul power all experienced a dramatic increase.
Lou Gao's soul power surged as if being inflated, jumping from level 86 to 90, officially making him a quasi-Title Douluo. The God of Forging then waved his hand, and a golden orb of light emerged from his ethereal body, flying into Lou Gao's hands.
"This is a God-bestowed soul ring. Absorb it, and you'll become a Title Douluo in your world."
"Senior, may I ask, does this mean I've inherited your divine trial?" Lou Gao asked, still holding the orb and feeling a bit confused.
"A divine trial? Of course, you've inherited it. It's a nine-trial process," the God of Forging casually waved his hand.
"Hurry up and absorb the God-bestowed soul ring. Then I'll assign you your next task. Forge diligently, and I guarantee you'll reach the pinnacle of your plane within ten years and ascend to the God Realm to inherit my position."
Though this violated the rules of the God Realm, the God of Arrogance standing nearby pretended not to notice.
After all, in the God Realm, the God of Forging was the true VIP. Even the Seven Deadly Sins had owed him favors in the past. Forget breaking the rules for a successor—he could commit outright transgressions, and the God Realm wouldn't dare punish him severely.
Considering the God of Forging had long wanted to quit and was already taking fewer commissions, the God of Arrogance figured most gods in the God Realm would be happy to see him leave and a rookie take over forging divine artifacts.