To capture the tal Tower's attention, most blacksmiths showcase their creations on the tower's first floor, which also serves as an open marketplace. However, despite the abundance of talented blacksmiths, only about ten individuals gain the tal Tower's recognition every few hundred years.
"I've been selling my creations here for about a hundred years now," the man said. "In all that ti, I've only seen three people be recognized by the tal Tower. But let tell you, being recognized doesn't an you'll be accepted—that's an entirely different matter."
"I see. Thank you for the information," Yuan said to the man.
He left shortly after and began roaming the first floor, examining all of the stores available.
Now that Yuan understood how to attract the tal Tower's attention, he knew he needed to craft treasures that would quickly build his reputation. The simplest and most effective way to achieve this was to create sothing far superior to anything else being showcased around him.
After exploring every store on the first floor, Yuan observed that most of the treasures on display were only Ancient-grade, with a few Mythic-grade items scattered among them. However, even the Mythic-grade treasures were of noticeably low quality.
'A few peak-quality Mythic-grade and Empyrean-grade treasures should be more than enough to attract the tal Tower's attention.' Yuan thought to himself as he left the tal Tower.
Thanks to the tal Tower's influence, the area surrounding it was teeming with smithies and smithing-related stores, including shops selling various materials and tools essential for crafting.
Yuan entered a nearby smithy and requested to use their workshop.
"Hello, I would like to borrow the workshop to create so treasures."
The bulky man standing behind the counter looked at Yuan like he was crazy.
"You got any identification? A blacksmith identification, to be more specific."
"Sorry, but I don't have anything like that."
"Then we cannot lend you our workshop, no matter how much you offer. If you wish to use our workshop, you need to be an official blacksmith."
"How do I beco an official blacksmith?" Yuan asked.
"Hahaha! You want to beco an official blacksmith, but you don't even know how? You're an amusing one!" The bulky man laughed out loud.
He continued, "Ten blocks down, there is a place called the Blacksmith Association. In order to be recognized as an official blacksmith, you must pass several tests."
"Thank you. Then I will be back after I acquire my identification," Yuan said to the man.
"Hahaha! If a scrawny kid like you can pass the assessnt, I'll gladly let you use my workshop for free!"
"Scrawny?" Yuan raised an eyebrow. This was the first ti he had ever been referred to with such a term.
Yuan's physique might appear scrawny compared to the bulky man standing before him, but in reality, it was perfectly balanced and refined to an unparalleled degree of perfection, being neither too skinny nor too bulky.
Yuan left the store shortly after, but he didn't imdiately head to the Blacksmith Association. Instead, he decided to try his luck at a few more smithies. Unfortunately, all of them required him to be an official blacksmith.
'I guess this is a process I must go through to progress the trial.' Yuan thought to himself as he visited the Blacksmith Association.
The Blacksmith Association was an enormous building spanning several streets, its reflective surface and tallic structure giving it the appearance of a solid block of steel at first glance.
Yuan walked inside the building and approached the nearest worker.
"I'd like to take the assessnt to beco an official blacksmith."
The worker, a young man, nodded, "Sure thing. May I ask how experienced you are with the art?"
"I'd say that I'm quite experienced."
"Then what is the highest grade of treasure you've created?"
"Celestial-grade." Yuan calmly responded.
The young man's eyes imdiately widened with disbelief. He didn't respond for several monts due to being speechless.
Eventually, he said, "That's a good joke, but I need a serious answer."
Yuan's expression remained calm as he responded, "I am dead serious."
Seeing Yuan's solemn gaze, the young man swallowed nervously and spoke in a stiff voice, "T-then will you be fine with accepting the most difficult assessnt? If you pass, we'll grant you the highest Blacksmith Rank we can possibly give you. Even if you fail, you can try again with a lower difficulty."
Yuan nodded, "Sure, give your most difficult assessnt."
The young man nodded and said, "Please give a mont to notify my superiors."
Soti later, an old man with long, short white hair and a curly mustache approached Yuan and asked, "Are you the one who requested our most difficult assessnt?"
Yuan nodded.
"Follow ."
Yuan followed the old man to the basent, where a large workshop was available.
"Since you claim to be able to craft Celestial-grade treasures, we'll have you craft an Empyrean-grade treasure for your assessnt. If you are able to do so, the Blacksmith Association will imdiately promote you to our highest blacksmith rank," said the old man.
Yuan pondered for a mont before asking, "Does the Blacksmith Association have any connections with the tal Tower?"
The old man quickly understood what Yuan was trying to ask and said, "While we do have so connections and can recomnd you to the tal Tower, it is up to them whether they are willing to accept you. Moreover, Divine Blacksmiths are not rare in the tal Tower, so even if you are capable of crafting Celestial-grade treasures, it won't guarantee you a spot in the tal Tower."
"I see. Thanks for the explanation."
The old man retrieved a pile of materials a mont later and said, "You have three months to craft the treasure using the materials we provide you. Are you ready to begin?"
"I am ready."
Yuan spent a couple of minutes examining the materials. Once he was prepared, he imdiately began to work.
Less than a day later, Yuan presented his finished creation to the old man, who was utterly gobsmacked, not only by the masterpiece itself but also by the sheer brilliance of the process that had brought it to life.
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