Wu Liang then pointed to an empty space nearby and said to Wei Xian:
"Chief Wei Xian, I need to build another Blacksmiths Workshop here using the refractory bricks we fired."
"A Blacksmiths Workshop?"
Wei Xian and Eliza both looked puzzled.
"It's a place specifically for forging weapons from the iron blocks we smelted."
Wu Liang explained concisely.
He quickly drew a simple blueprint on the ground with charcoal: a semi-open shed structure, inside which several furnaces with different functions would need to be built.
One was a heating furnace to reheat the iron ingots until they glowed red, and the other was a forging platform for hammering.
"Understood."
Wei Xian quickly gave orders according to Wu Liang's requests.
After witnessing the successful iron smelting, the women's enthusiasm was boundless; they seemed to work tirelessly without knowing fatigue.
In less than half a day, a crude but fully functional Blacksmiths Workshop rose from the ground.
Wu Liang arranged for people to find a hollowed-out giant log to make a piston-type bellows. He used thick beast hide and wooden boards for the piston, and flexible rattan for the transmission mechanism.
When two Female Warriors stepped on the pedals, making the huge piston move back and forth inside the log cylinder, a strong blast of air whistled out from the outlet, directly making the charcoal in the furnace spark.
"Wow! This is amazing!"
The two Female Warriors were once again shocked by Wu Liang's novel invention.
With the furnace fire resolved, next came the hammer and anvil.
But this became a chicken-and-egg problem.
Without a hammer, how could one forge ironware?
After some thought, Wu Liang came up with a solution.
He had the women find the largest and hardest piece of granite possible, which would be polished flat to serve as a temporary anvil.
Then he selected several of the strongest Female Warriors and had each of them don protective gear made of thick, water-soaked leather cloaks.
After heating the first shaped iron ingot until it glowed red, Wu Liang instructed the Female Warriors to begin hammering it with stone hammers.
"Smash!"
At Wu Liang's command, several Female Warriors swung their heavy stone hammers, taking turns to strike down.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The dull thuds were incessant, each strike deforming the iron ingot a little more.
The stone hammers continuously cracked and broke under the high temperature, replaced one after another, as the iron ingot was gradually hammered into a long strip.
After repeated heating and hammering, the first crude iron hammer gradually took shape.
With an iron hammer, subsequent forging became much easier.
Wu Liang used the same method to forge a flat iron anvil, completely replacing the cracked granite.
Everything was ready.
After forging a few iron tongs, Wu Liang placed a glowing red iron block onto the anvil.
He then said to a Female Warrior named Kayla, who had quite a talent for blacksmithing:
"Kayla, you come. Use this hammer, strike here."
Kayla was a squad leader in the Tribe's hunting team, tall and with explosive strength in her arms.
"Yes."
She already had great faith in Wu Liang.
Although a bit nervous, she still swung the hammer and began to strike.
Crisp, loud sounds echoed through the workshop, and sparks flew.
"Good! Just like that! Keep going!"
Wu Liang nodded in satisfaction.
Under his guidance, Kayla and several other Female Warriors began to learn how to forge ironware.
They started with the simplest tasks, hammering iron blocks into iron rods, and then hammering the iron rods into sharp spearheads.
The clang of hammers resounded throughout the workshop, and the women's shouts shook the heavens.
This was not an easy job; the faces and bodies of these Female Warriors were covered in black soot, and sweat soaked their leather armor, yet their eyes burned with excitement.
When the first batch of a dozen sharp iron spearheads was forged, tribesmen quickly brought pre-prepared wooden shafts to attach them, and iron spears were thus completed, one after another.
"Bring the shields, the strongest ones!"
Wu Liang looked at Wei Xian, and then someone brought the Tribe's strongest shields, made of multiple layers of beast hide and wooden boards, for testing.
A Female Warrior, holding an iron spear, took a deep breath and lunged forward fiercely!
Pfft!
A soft sound.
The heavy shield, capable of withstanding wild boar tusks and Black Bear claws, was easily pierced by the iron spearhead as if it were a thin piece of paper!
"My heavens..."
"It's too sharp!"
"This is ten thousand times better than a stone spear!"
Everyone cheered wildly!
With such weapons, what fierce beasts, what terrifying enemies, did they have left to fear?
Wei Xian picked up an iron spear and held it in her hand, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
"Wu Liang, these iron spears you've made are indeed excellent. From now on, my Black Rock Tribe will be invincible in the Great Desolate Mountain."
A glint flashed in Wei Xian's eyes.
Wu Liang smiled: "This is just the beginning."
"I think you should also get a handy weapon. It's impossible for a dignified Chief to still use a stone axe, right?"
After speaking, Wu Liang turned and walked back to the forging furnace.
He took out a large iron ingot, specially reserved for Wei Xian, from the furnace.
"Please wait a moment. I will personally forge your weapon for you."
Wu Liang's words made Wei Xian slightly stunned, and her heart was inexplicably touched.
Over the next few hours, Wu Liang continuously hammered the iron ingot.
His skilled technique and strength were like that of an experienced old blacksmith. Each time he folded, hammered, quenched, and re-hammered the iron block, these movements were seamless, mastering every detail just right.
Wei Xian stood closest, watching motionlessly.
She watched the man's focused profile, the bulging muscles on his arm as he swung the hammer.
Watching Wu Liang's eyes, red from the furnace fire, her heart inexplicably pounded.
This man was personally forging a weapon for her... Finally, as dusk approached.
As Wu Liang plunged the shaped Double-Bladed Axe into water to cool, a large amount of white steam immediately rose in the Blacksmiths Workshop.
As the steam dissipated, a pair of rugged Double-Bladed Axes finally revealed their true form.
The axe bodies were heavy, with smooth lines, and the sharp blades shimmered with a chilling, ghostly blue light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The axe handles were made of the hardest wood, wrapped with non-slip leather ropes, and inlaid with heavy iron rings at the ends.
This way, it could both increase balance when swinging and be used as a blunt weapon to strike people.
"What beautiful axes!"
The moment Wei Xian saw the axes, she was deeply shocked, her eyes filled with undisguised affection.
"Want to try them?"
Wu Liang smiled and handed the pair of Double-Bladed Axes to Wei Xian.
"Good!"
Wei Xian joyfully took the Double-Bladed Axes, but immediately felt her arms sink!
So heavy!
They were at least ten times heavier than her stone axe; even with her strength, holding them felt quite strenuous.
Yet, when Wu Liang held them just now, he seemed so effortless?
Wei Xian couldn't help but recall Wu Liang's words to her; Wu Liang's strength had already surpassed hers.
"It's normal not to be used to it at first; you'll get accustomed to it gradually."
Wu Liang clearly saw through Wei Xian's thoughts and comforted her with a smile.
Wei Xian's character was always strong, and Wu Liang's words instead ignited her competitive spirit.
She was already an expert with axes, and after a brief period of adaptation, she quickly mastered the knack of the Double-Bladed Axes.
Holding one in each hand, Wei Xian swung with immense power and force.
The sharp blades cut through the air, almost tearing it apart.
The axes seemed to merge with her arms, transmitting the unleashed power perfectly.
Wei Xian then walked to a large rock nearby, instantly activating her Beast Blood Burning skill, and fiercely struck the rock with both battle axes!
Bang!
Shattered rocks flew, and the large rock was instantly crushed with one blow.
"Good! Long live the Chief!"
Wei Xian herself was stunned, and her adoration for these Double-Bladed Axes reached its peak.
"Thank you! I really like this axe!"
Wei Xian sincerely turned back and smiled at Wu Liang, her eyes full of gratitude.
Eliza gazed at Wu Liang, lost in thought, silent.
That night, the Black Rock Tribe held a grand bonfire party.
Wei Xian was in an excellent mood tonight, downing cup after cup of Fruit Wine.
The women gathered around the roaring bonfire, eating roasted meat and drinking Fruit Wine, singing loudly to celebrate the great achievements of the day.
Everyone was very happy. When the atmosphere reached its climax, Wei Xian pushed through the crowd and walked up to Wu Liang, pulling him out from a group of women who were plying him with drinks.
Her wild and charming face carried a hint of drunkenness as she imperiously lifted Wu Liang's chin.
"Come on, come into the tent with me!"