Chapter 3

"Having just formed my divine soul, I can actually already sense the pulse of the earth." Kong Fang looked at the three pieces of forging materials he had stepped into the ground, his eyes shining with excitement.

This is a world where the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth form the foundation, with light and darkness dividing the two extremes, and wind and thunder serving as the trials. Kong Fang possesses the earth element talent, which naturally makes him compatible with the earth element among the five elements.

However, even so, Kong Fang had never dared to hope that he could sense the pulse of the earth when his divine soul was just formed. According to the norm, one must reach the 'Spiritual Entry Realm' to possibly sense the pulse of the earth. Yes, just possibly, not definitely.

It should be noted that the next realm after the 'Soul Induction Realm' is the 'Spiritual Entry Realm'.

But now, Kong Fang had somehow achieved this early, which made him momentarily disbelieve it himself.

However, what excited Kong Fang even more was not just sensing the pulse of the earth, but also discovering something extremely strange when he sensed the pulse. If the fleeting sensation he had just experienced was real, then he might have a way to pass the sect's assessment this time.

Kong Fang stared at the three pieces of forging materials he had stepped into the ground, his face full of excitement.

"I have just formed my divine soul and cannot control the earth element in the world before cultivating magical power. But just now, when I sensed the pulse of the earth, I found that I could control a bit of the earth element in the earth. More strangely, the earth element in the earth could flow through the three pieces of forging materials I stepped into the ground." Kong Fang was extremely excited. The ability of the earth element to flow through the forging materials meant he could control the various substances within them.

"If the feeling just now was real, I might really be able to forge." Kong Fang's eyes sparkled, and his heart beat rapidly, unable to control it.

Kong Fang suddenly pressed his right hand on the ground, and the earth element in the surrounding dozen meters of earth quickly gathered to his right hand. Then, under Kong Fang's control, the earth element directly entered the three pieces of forging materials in the ground.

"It really works." Kong Fang exclaimed in surprise.

However, he quickly suppressed his excitement and tried his best to control the earth element in the forging materials, removing the unnecessary impurities.

The peak gold in the three pieces of forging materials is very beneficial for enhancing the sharpness of weapons, but it is the hardest to remove impurities. Therefore, new disciples would not easily use peak gold unless absolutely necessary, for fear of being unable to remove the impurities, which would ultimately lower the quality of the entire weapon.

But at this moment, under the influence of the earth element, the impurities in the peak gold flowed out like gentle water, following the 'channels' formed by the earth element.

This discovery made Kong Fang even more excited, and he also felt more anticipation for the weapon he was about to forge.

The sky, which was originally just a light gray, had already begun to brighten, but Kong Fang, immersed in excitement, did not notice.

As the sky brightened, the new disciples living at the foot of the mountain also walked out of their small houses. Some rushed to the Fire Cloud Hall to forge their unfinished weapons, while others who believed they could pass the assessment went to the 'Heavenly Opportunity Hall' to find tasks, hoping to accumulate some sect contributions to exchange for the cultivation techniques or spiritual treasures they desired.

Just as everyone was about to leave, suddenly, a wild and unrestrained laugh rang out, causing many to stop and turn to look in the direction of the laughter.

"That direction... isn't that where the miserable Kong Fang lives?"

"Indeed, it is him."

"How could he suddenly be so happy? Did he find some good forging materials?" Although they guessed this, the speaker's voice was full of disdain. "Hmph, even if he finds something good, he won't be able to keep it. In the end, it will benefit others."

"That's his own fault. A person with earth element talent running to the Forge Sect to forge, he must have a problem with his head."

Yesterday, Elder Xu Chunyang's words in the Heavenly Storage Hall had quickly spread, and many already knew that Kong Fang only had a single earth element talent.

The new disciples who had stopped to discuss for a moment turned and went about their business. In their eyes, Kong Fang, with his earth element talent, had no chance of standing firm in the Forge Sect, so no one was willing to bother with him. Associating with someone with no future was a waste of time in their view.

At a place a bit farther from Kong Fang's dilapidated wooden house, Zhao Yong and his three followers also stopped and looked toward the small mountain hollow where Kong Fang lived.

"Could he have found something good?" A greedy look flashed in Qian Ziguang's eyes beside Zhao Yong.

Zhao Yong squinted his eyes and observed for a while, then coldly snorted. "Regardless of whether he found something good, I want you to keep a close eye on him for the remaining days. I'm afraid he might realize he can't forge a good weapon and try to run away at the last moment."

Zhao Yong glanced at the three beside him and continued, "You three will take turns watching him. If you find something good, secretly take it, but be careful not to leave any evidence. As the assessment period approaches, the Law Enforcement Hall will be more vigilant. If they catch you, even I can't protect you."

Qian Ziguang and the other three smiled sinisterly. "Rest assured, Master, dealing with that waste of space, Kong Fang, is a piece of cake."

Zhao Yong nodded in satisfaction. "Do a good job for me, and once we enter the Inner Hall, I will take you three as my followers. And you must understand that my status will only come into play after entering the Inner Hall. At that time, I won't let my followers down."

Qian Ziguang and the other three exchanged glances, their faces showing unhidden joy. To step onto the path of cultivation in the Forge Sect, one must first become an Inner Hall disciple. Only then will the Forge Sect bestow the soul refinement method and cultivation techniques.

However, becoming an Inner Hall disciple is not easy. Apart from some exceptionally talented new disciples, others must meet the sect's requirements to qualify as Inner Hall disciples. This qualification is determined by ranking in the top thirty in the biennial forging assessment.

The Forge Sect has nearly a thousand new disciples, but only thirty can become Inner Hall disciples, making the competition extremely fierce and even brutal.

Becoming an Inner Hall disciple is too difficult for many, so some less talented individuals become followers of those with backgrounds or potential. This way, they can also receive the sect's bestowed cultivation techniques and soul refinement methods. Of course, the techniques received by followers cannot compare to those of Inner Hall disciples.

"You two follow Master, and I'll watch him on the first day. A small fry like Kong Fang can't escape our grasp." Qian Ziguang laughed wickedly.

The four of them burst into laughter.

Zhao Yong and his two followers left, and Qian Ziguang chose a less noticeable path to approach the small mountain hollow.

In the dilapidated wooden house,

Kong Fang held a two-foot-long black short sword in his right hand and gently stroked it with his left, his expression extremely satisfied.

"Haha, indeed, there is always a way out." Kong Fang was extremely pleased. "Although I don't have the fire element talent and can't control fire to forge weapons, who would have thought that the earth element could also be used for forging, and it has an advantage in removing impurities." Kong Fang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Using the earth element to forge, this has never happened in the Forge Sect. While it might not be unprecedented, it is certainly unprecedented.

If the elders of the Forge Sect knew someone was using the earth element to forge, they might be so surprised they would fall over.

Looking at the black short sword in his hand, Kong Fang pondered, "Although the earth element can also be used for forging, this is a completely new path. For now, I can only remove impurities and create the weapon's base. The subsequent tempering needs to be done at the Fire Cloud Hall, but fortunately, the soul refinement can be done anywhere."

Kong Fang took the black short sword and prepared to go to the Fire Cloud Hall. Suddenly, his brows furrowed, and his gaze swept over a small hill nearby, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Qian Ziguang thought he was hiding well, but he didn't know that Kong Fang had already formed his divine soul, making his perception of the surroundings extremely strong.

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**End of Chapter**