Chapter 1765 — Chapter 1765 Metal Tower(3)

"What do you think? Did I pass the assessment?" Yuan asked the dumbfounded old man, who was staring at the finished treasure with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

Although smithing had advanced significantly since Tian Qiyuan's era, with the emergence of many more Divine Blacksmiths, Tian Qiyuan's smithing skills remained unparalleled.

"C-can I examine the treasure?" the old man asked.

Yuan nodded and handed the sword to him.

The old man held the sword in his trembling hands, feeling as though he were cradling a priceless treasure of unimaginable value.

"I have never seen an Empyrean-grade treasure of this quality before!" he muttered.

"Pass! You pass! Congratulations, you are now officially an Obisidian-rank blacksmith!" The old man handed Yuan a black badge, its surface gleaming with understated elegance. This badge held immense significance in the world of blacksmiths, representing the pinnacle of achievement. Within the Blacksmith Association, there were six ranks that could be obtained, with Obsidian—the rank represented by this badge—being the highest and most revered.

Normally, becoming an Obsidian-ranked blacksmith required passing multiple rigorous assessments. However, Yuan's flawless performance in his first trial was so extraordinary that the remaining tests were deemed redundant and unnecessary by the old man, who was also a Divine Blacksmith.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. I am the head of the Blacksmith Association, Lie Yan. If you ever need any assistance from the Blacksmith Association, we will always be there to help you," said the old man.

Yuan nodded and asked, "Do you think I can borrow some materials? I would like to craft a few more treasures."

"Of course! All official blacksmiths under the Blacksmith Association are entitled to a specific allotment of materials every ten years as a privilege," Lie Yan explained. "As an Obsidian-ranked blacksmith, you have near unlimited access to most of our materials, provided the amount you request is reasonable."

"I don't need much. Just enough to craft several Mythic-grade treasures. Also, do I get to keep that sword?" Yuan pointed at the treasure he'd crafted for the assessment.

Lie Yan, seemingly reluctant to let the treasure go, said, "O-of course."

Sometime later, Lie Yan left to acquire the materials Yuan had requested.

Once Lie Yan returned with the materials, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I boldly request to watch you work? Even as a Divine Blacksmith, I feel my skills improve simply by observing your craftsmanship."

"Do as you wish," Yuan said.

Yuan proceeded to use almost all of his materials to craft five peak-quality Mythic-grade treasures.

"Thank you for the experience." Lie Yan bowed to Yuan.

"Then I'll take my leave now."

"One more thing before you leave. Although I cannot help you join the Metal Tower, I know some people there. I'll mention your name the next time I visit them. Hopefully, that will help you a little," said Lie Yan.

"Thanks."

Yuan left the Blacksmith Association shortly afterward. However, instead of heading directly back to the Metal Tower, he made his way to the shop with the bulky man.

Once there, Yuan casually revealed his Obsidian badge. The man's jaw practically hit the floor, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the badge in stunned silence.

"Do I qualify to use your workshop?" he asked.

After snapping out of his daze, the man said, "O-of course! You can even have my whole shop if you want!"

Yuan merely shook his head with a slight smile on his face.

The man led Yuan to his workshop at the back of the shop a moment later.

Once inside, Yuan set to work, using the materials he had purposely saved for this occasion. Within a few hours, he had crafted a flawless Mythic-grade treasure, leaving the bulky man utterly speechless as he stared in awe at the masterpiece before him.

"Thanks for lending me the place."

"You can come back here to borrow my workshop whenever you want, Senior! It will always be available for you!"

With his six finished treasures, Yuan returned to the Metal Tower to set up his showcase.

"Oh? You're back already?"

The man who called Yuan ignorant was surprised to see Yuan return so soon. It'd only been a day since their conversation, after all.

"Yes. I took your advice and went to craft some treasures. Do you mind if I set up my showcase next to yours?" Yuan said.

"Hahaha! You've only been gone for a little over a day!" the man laughed, shaking his head. "There's no way whatever you created in such a short time would attract the Metal Tower's attention! Each of my treasures required months, if not years, of hard work!"

"Maybe that's why you haven't gotten the tower's attention." Yuan shrugged.

The man frowned and cursed, "You cheeky bastard!"

Yuan said nothing more and began setting up his spot. He spread a simple blanket on the floor and casually placed the six treasures he had crafted onto it, treating them as if they were mere toys rather than extraordinary creations.

The man's eyes widened with shock after seeing the five Mythic-grade and one Empyrean-grade treasure.

"Y-you crafted that in one day?! That's impossible! You clearly purchased these treasures!" the man screamed out loud, attracting the attention of those nearby.

"That's quite the accusation," Yuan said.

"Anyone with a working brain knows that isn't possible! Even a Divine Blacksmith wouldn't be able to craft six treasures of such quality in a day!"

"Guess I am just different." Yuan casually shrugged.

The man gritted his teeth in frustration.

"This is blasphemy! You're a disgrace! I bet you're not even a blacksmith!"

"Now you're just slandering me. Do you have proof that I didn't craft these treasures? How do you know that I didn't craft them prior to our last conversation?"

"T-that's… Right! If you had these treasures from the start, you would've shown them during that day! Why did you leave for a day?!"

"I was hungry, so I went to eat some food," Yuan said, leaving the man speechless.