Inside a mountain cave, a simple blacksmith's forge had been set up.
Tang Hao was beginning from zero, instructing Yun Chuan in the fundamental principles of hammer cultivation.
To learn hammer techniques,
one must begin with forging. After all, a hammer's original purpose is to smelt and temper weapons, so the cultivation process naturally involves striking iron.
"…The muscles of one's lower legs are like the body's second and third hearts. If a person wants to unleash their full strength, all three hearts must work together. Thus, when you wield the hammer, the power doesn't originate from your waist. The starting point is the three hearts." Tang Hao explained patiently beside the forge.
"When your heart races in your chest, start by exerting power from your calves. The force travels up to the thighs, passes through the waist, back, arms, and finally explodes out. That's true full-force. Heart power, waist as the axis. Watch."
With that, Tang Hao grabbed the forging hammer, twisted his torso, planted his feet, calves instantly tensed, and in a tiger-like pose, power shot from his legs as his waist rotated. The forging hammer came around, landing with a crisp clang on the glowing iron!
Yun Chuan watched intently, noting Tang Hao had not used soul power nor his full force—just muscle, amplified by technique. Even so, the iron block crumpled by a third.
"Use your calves to connect your body's strength as a whole for full-force." Tang Hao handed the hammer to Yun Chuan: "You try."
Yun Chuan nodded, adjusted his stance to imitate Tang Hao, used no soul power, planted his feet firmly, then sent power from his calves through his body, waist, back, shoulders, arms—
CLANG!
The hammer struck true, smashing the red-hot iron completely flat!
Tang Hao was astonished—Yun Chuan had grasped the essence with a single demonstration. His talent and comprehension far surpassed Tang San's. Tang Hao realized training Yun Chuan in hammer use would take much less time than he'd thought.
"How about it?" Yun Chuan asked, turning.
"Very good."
Tang Hao nodded slowly: "Remember, the legs do most of the work. Your calves are the root of all power. Control them, and your strength will grow."
He took back the hammer. "A full-powered strike is good for forging, but the recoil also puts pressure on your body. Without proper technique, you'll tire quickly and waste energy. Watch closely now."
Tang Hao then taught Yun Chuan a set of leveraging hammer techniques famous in the blacksmith world: the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique (乱披风锤法).
This technique is the signature martial art of the Clear Sky Sect, useful for both forging and combat.
Yun Chuan mastered the basics in a single demonstration, but it took half a month to get it truly smooth—eventually, he could easily deliver eighty-one consecutive hammer strikes.
That, at last, made him a competent blacksmith, at least in terms of technique.
But it wasn't enough; his goals went further.
Next, Tang Hao led Yun Chuan to the waterfall.
There, beneath the roaring 200-meter falls, was a protruding round stone. Tang Hao challenged Yun Chuan to stand on the slippery stone, using no soul power, and strike eighty-one times with the Chaotic Cloak Hammer under the force of the waterfall—only then would he be considered "passed."
—
Splash!
The eighth time, Yun Chuan was swept into the pool.
The waterfall's force was immense—only personal experience would reveal its power. Still, Yun Chuan's physical strength let him climb onto the rock, though stability was another matter entirely.
This task was about technique, not just brute force.
By the ninth climb, Yun Chuan had accumulated experience. Judging the stone's slickness, the force of the water, and learning to unload impact with every part of his body, he began to use the hammer's weight to anchor himself. The heavier he was, the less likely he'd be swept away.
Finally, his stance was unshakeable. The waterfall's assault could no longer shift him.
He began to hammer!
It's nearly impossible to stabilize on the slick stone and wield the hammer, but with skill, the difficulty melts away. Once he could stand firm, the hammer blows followed naturally.
One, two, three… In the original, Tang San took over three months to master this. Yun Chuan did it in one day—standing on the stone under the falls, striking out eighty-one times with the Chaotic Cloak Hammer.
The hammer swung in continuous arcs, creating a barrier that deflected the torrent, sending sprays of water everywhere.
BOOM!
As the last blow fell, Yun Chuan shot skyward like a cannonball, riding the upward current for ten meters. The waterfall surged in reverse direction, and even the rainbow over the pool rippled and twisted.
Normally, generating such force took considerable effort, but with only a little exertion, the Chaotic Cloak Hammer caused a powerful effect. Each blow compounded the power of the last; by the eighty-first, the combined force was tremendous even without soul power.
As water surged upward, Tang Hao was left speechless; he'd needed half a year to reach this stage, but Yun Chuan did it in a day.
His son's talent could only be described as monstrous.
(End of Chapter 91)