I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

With Qian Sen's command, the massive spatial teleportation array shone brightly.

Eleven young figures transformed into eleven streaks of light and vanished instantly from the teleportation array.

When they opened their eyes again, a blast of cold air, mixed with gunpowder smoke, blood, and biting wind, instantly filled their nostrils.

Before me stretched a vast, boundless white world covered in ice and snow.

The sky is an eternal, hazy, leaden gray.

In the distance, a colossal, writhing dark purple spatial rift, seemingly tearing the heavens and earth apart, stretched across the sky like a hideous scar.

This is the North.

Between humanity and the void, at the forefront and in the cruelest way, lies the meat grinder.

The moment Gu Tianye, Xiang Batian, and the others stepped onto the northern ice plains, a sense of dread from the depths of their souls instantly spread throughout their bodies.

This is not because of the cold.

Rather, it's a chilling feeling of being spied on from another dimension by countless greedy and evil eyes.

"Welcome to forward position T-03."

A hoarse yet steady voice rang in their ears.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged man wearing heavy exoskeleton armor and with a hideous scar on his face standing in front of them.

His aura was like ice that had never melted for thousands of years, sharp yet profound.

Behind him stood a squad of equally armed soldiers, their eyes cold and ruthless. Each of them exuded a strong aura of bloodlust and menace.

Those are the true iron-blooded soldiers who can only be forged by repeatedly rolling in mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

"I am the commander of this position, codename 'Ice Blade,' a B+ rank Star Envoy," the scarred man introduced himself succinctly. "From today onwards, I will be in charge of your combat training."

"Rookies, put away your laughable arrogance from back in the academy. Here, you only have one identity—new recruits!"

"Here, my orders are absolute! Do you understand?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that made Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, those two troublemakers, instinctively straighten their backs.

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

"Very good." Ice Blade nodded, his face expressionless.

His gaze swept over everyone, finally lingering for half a second longer on Xiang Batian and Mu Bingli, the two S-level geniuses, but that was all.

In his view, these so-called "geniuses" are nothing more than fragile porcelain pieces that need protection, before they have experienced the true baptism of blood and fire.

"Your first task is very simple."

Ice Blade pointed to a fortress not far away, constructed of black metal and ice, bearing the marks of war.

"Run twenty laps around this 'Black Rock Fortress' carrying a 100-kilogram load. If you don't finish, you won't get any food today."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian immediately objected.

"Sir! We're here to kill the enemy, not to run around!" Xiang Batian was the first to stand up and protest.

"Exactly! Let's go fight the void creatures! What kind of skill is running in circles!" Gu Tianye shouted along.

However, Ice Blade merely gave them a cold look.

Are you questioning my orders?

A chilling, bone-chilling killing intent instantly enveloped the two of them.

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian felt as if an invisible ice blade was placed on their necks, and their blood froze instantly.

They had no doubt that if they uttered another word, the man in front of them would really kill them!

"We wouldn't dare!" The two immediately cowered and obediently shut their mouths.

"Then go quickly!"

At Bingren's command, the soldiers behind him immediately carried over a dozen heavy metal backpacks covered in frost.

With grimaces, everyone hoisted the 100-kilogram backpacks onto their backs.

Then, they began their first "morning exercise" on this icy plain.

……

Meanwhile, far away in the Celestial Realm, inside the "Divine Craftsman's Palace".

Lu Yuan was sitting leisurely in a huge room that resembled a library.

This room is called "Wanfa Pavilion".

It contains all the knowledge about forging, enchanting, alchemy, and runic literature that China has collected over thousands of years.

This knowledge has been digitized and stored in individual crystals that float in the air and emit a pale blue light.

Lu Yuan only needs to reach out and tap lightly to download this massive amount of knowledge directly into his mind.

For the past two weeks, aside from meditation and training, he has spent most of his time here.

He was like a dried-up sponge, frantically absorbing this higher level of knowledge that he had never encountered before.

"So, the essence of advanced enchanting is to construct a stable 'energy loop' at the microscopic level of materials, which can guide the flow of psionic energy."

"The so-called 'blessing' is to connect and resonate this 'energy circuit' with a certain 'rule' of the world's origin."

"The reason why my talent [Blessing of All Things] can ignore the success rate and forcibly perform enchantment and blessing is essentially because my mental power can skip the step of 'constructing energy circuits' and directly imprint the 'rules' onto the materials."

"This is simply a case of 'dimensional reduction attack'."

The more Lu Yuan studied, the more he felt the terrifying and unreasonable nature of his talent.

He also realized that there was still a lot he needed to learn to fully realize the potential of this talent.

Just as Lu Yuan was immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

Zhao Qingxuan's figure appeared silently beside him.

"Mr. Lu, news has come from the northern border."

Zhao Qingxuan handed a tablet to Lu Yuan.

On the tablet, a video was playing showing Gu Tianye and his friends running laps in the snow and ice, carrying heavy loads.

In the scene, Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, the two guys with the best stamina, were exhausted like dogs, but they still gritted their teeth and persevered at the front.

However, geniuses like Lin Ziling and Mu Bingli, who specialize in magic, were clearly struggling. Their pretty faces were pale, and they were covered in sweat. They were only holding on with their indomitable willpower.

"How is it, Mr. Lu? Are you satisfied with your 'classmates'?" Zhao Qingxuan asked with a smile.

"Not bad." Lu Yuan looked at the screen and nodded. "They're all good prospects, but they need some polishing."

"Commander Iceblade is one of the most skilled instructors in the army at 'polishing' new recruits. I believe that after his month-long 'Hell Week' training, each of them will undergo a complete transformation," Zhao Qingxuan said.

"Hell Week?"

"Yes," Zhao Qingxuan explained, "This is a month-long extreme survival and combat training program tailored for them by the military. During this month, they will face not only brutal physical training, but also various high-pressure missions simulating real battlefields."

"For example, surviving for seven days in a void-contaminated zone without supplies."

"Or, infiltrate behind enemy lines and assassinate designated high-value targets."

"Even more so, a direct assault on the nests of void creatures, destroying their 'hatching pools' within a limited time."

"These missions have extremely high mortality rates."

Although Zhao Qingxuan's tone was calm, Lu Yuan could hear the bloody cruelty contained within it.

"This is like raising a venomous insect," Lu Yuan pointed out the essence of the training incisively.

"That's right." Zhao Qingxuan did not deny it. "Only in the most brutal environment can the most powerful 'Gu King' be selected. This has always been the core concept of the 'God-Making Project'."

Lu Yuan fell silent.

Looking at the screen, at those once-arrogant geniuses who were still running desperately to avoid falling behind, for the first time, he felt a genuine sense of recognition for them.

Perhaps they are indeed proud and arrogant.

But they also possess a heart that yearns for strength, unwilling to be mediocre and eager to become stronger.

"Oh, right, Mr. Lu," Zhao Qingxuan said, as if remembering something, "Just now, Mr. Gu Tianye and Mr. Xiang Batian both sent you a 'gift' through a military-encrypted channel."

He manipulated the tablet, and two enormous packages made of space compression boxes appeared out of thin air in front of Lu Yuan.

"This is……"

"They said this is their first token of 'sincerity' in honoring you."

Lu Yuan looked at the two enormous metal boxes in front of him, each taller than himself, and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"Filial piety? Sincerity?"

He finally understood why Gu Tianye and Xiang Ba-tian had run away so decisively yesterday.

So he was in a hurry to go home, to plunder his family's wealth, to please himself, the "master craftsman"!

"Open it and take a look," Lu Yuan said to Zhao Qingxuan.

"Yes."

Zhao Qingxuan stepped forward and entered a complex password into the identification area of ​​the two metal boxes.

"Click".

The box opened with a click.

In an instant, two completely different, yet equally powerful, energies surged out from the box!

The box on the left was sent by Kotenno.

Inside was the complete skeleton of a giant beast, still radiating a chilling aura!

The skeleton was entirely ice-blue, and each bone was engraved with naturally formed, mysterious patterns resembling lightning.

A violent and pure power of lightning and ice emanated from the skeleton, causing the temperature of the entire "Pavilion of Ten Thousand Laws" to drop by several degrees.

[Thunderous White Tiger Bone (Epic Material)]

[Description: The complete skeleton of the level 50 lord-level star beast 'Thunderous White Tiger', which lives in the far north ice plains. Its bones, tempered by millennia of ice and lightning, possess both 'extreme cold' and 'thunderstorm' attributes, making it an excellent material for forging top-tier ice and lightning dual-attribute weapons.]

"Thunderous White Tiger?" Lu Yuan looked at the complete skeleton, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This thing is a priceless treasure on the market, with no available supply.

The Thunderous White Tiger is not only incredibly powerful but also extremely cunning, and its numbers are extremely limited. To hunt even one, at least three B-rank Star Envoys forming a top-tier hunting team are needed for any chance of success.

And how did the Gu family manage to obtain such a complete skeleton?

It seems that the family behind this "Beast King" has a much deeper foundation than I imagined.

Lu Yuan then looked at the box on the right.

This box was sent by Xiang Batian.

What's inside isn't any star beast material, but a huge, seemingly still burning, dark gold metal!

The metal was more than half a person's height, and its surface was covered with strange patterns that resembled muscle fibers.

A heavy, domineering, and terrifying aura, seemingly capable of crushing everything, emanated from the metal.

Titan Iron (Legendary Material)

[Introduction: Legend has it that this is the exclusive divine metal used by the ancient Titans to forge weapons. Its density and hardness far surpass all known metals. It is said that each piece of Titan iron contains a trace of the purest 'source of power' of the Titans.]

"hiss……"

When Lu Yuan saw the properties of the metal, he couldn't help but gasp.

Legendary material!

Moreover, it is the top-tier Titan Iron, containing the rules of "source of power"!

This thing, let alone the Xiang family, you probably couldn't find another one like it in the entire national treasury of China!

Xiang Batian, that brute, even brought out his family heirloom just to please me.

This is an incredibly extravagant gesture!

"Mr. Lu," Zhao Qingxuan said with a smile, looking at Lu Yuan's shocked expression, "The Xiang family is one of the oldest military families in the country. One of their ancestors was an SSS-level ancestor who awakened the [Titan Bloodline]. This piece of Titan Iron was brought back by that ancestor from an ancient ruin."

"It has always been regarded as the treasure of the Xiang family. It is never used except in a life-or-death situation for the family."

"But last night, after learning about your situation, General Xiang, Xiang Batian's father, did not hesitate at all and immediately sent this piece of divine iron over."

He also asked me to pass on a message to you.

"What did you say?" Lu Yuan asked.

General Xiang said, "No matter how fine the divine iron is, it is still just an inanimate object. Only in the hands of a true master craftsman can it shine with its true brilliance."

"He hopes that you can use this divine iron to forge an invincible battle axe for Xiang Batian and for our Chinese nation, a weapon capable of splitting the heavens and opening the earth!"

After listening to Zhao Qingxuan's account, Lu Yuan fell silent.

He could sense the heavy trust and expectation in the words of General Xiang, whom he had never met before.

"I see."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and looked at the two generous gifts in front of him, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"Tell them that I have received their 'sincerity'."

"I will personally forge their weapons, giving them priority."

……

Meanwhile, in the North, at forward position T-03.

"Aaaaaah! I can't do it anymore! I really can't run anymore!"

Gu Tianye collapsed onto the cold snow like a dead dog, panting heavily.

He carried a heavy metal backpack weighing 100 kilograms on his back, and his whole body was soaked in sweat and frozen into ice crystals by the biting cold wind.

Beside him, Xiang Batian's condition wasn't much better.

His face was also deathly pale, and his legs were trembling. He was holding on with only an indomitable will.

They have already run a full nineteen laps around that massive "Black Rock Fortress".

One lap to go.

But this last lap felt like an insurmountable chasm, blocking their way and making them feel that no matter what, they couldn't cross it.

"Get up! You two pieces of trash!"

The icy voice of the ice blade was like a devil's whip, lashing them mercilessly.

"You can't even finish twenty laps, and you want to go to the battlefield to kill enemies? Do you want to be snacks for the void creatures?"

"I..." Gu Tianye struggled to get up, but his muscles felt like they were filled with lead, and he couldn't exert any strength at all.

"Sir...we...we really...have reached our limit..." Xiang Batian said breathlessly.

"Limits?" Ice Blade sneered. "Limits are meant to be broken! If you can't even break your own limits, then you deserve to be trash for life!"

After saying that, he ignored the two guys who were sprawled on the ground and turned to look at the few figures who were still gritting their teeth and persevering not far away.

Lin Ziling, Mu Bingli, Ye Cang...

Although their situation was equally dire, their eyes remained bright, filled with an indomitable fighting spirit.

"Look at them! And look at you!" Ice Blade pointed at the girls, mocking them mercilessly. "Two grown men, and you can't even compare to a few girls! Don't you feel ashamed?"

These words, like a sharp knife, pierced deeply into the hearts of Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian.

Yes!

They are SSS-class and S-class geniuses!

They are the future "Beast King" and "God of War"!

How could I be outshone by a few women here?

more importantly……

They remembered the boy who was still in the Celestial Realm, waiting for them to collect materials.

They remembered those two weapon blueprints, which held all their hopes and future.

If they can't even pass this small test.

Then what right do they have to possess the divine artifacts personally crafted for them by the "divine craftsman"?

How can they possibly have the face to see Master Lu, who has already given everything for them!

"Aaaaaaah!"

Gu Tianye suddenly let out a beast-like roar, and his eyes, which had been somewhat unfocused due to exhaustion, rekindled with a raging fire!

He actually managed to stand up again from the snow, relying on his strong willpower!

"I'm fucking...still able to run!"

He roared and staggered as he launched his final charge toward the finish line!

"You bastard surnamed Gu! You just wait!"

When Xiang Batian saw this, his eyes turned bloodshot. He roared and used the last bit of strength in his body to get up from the ground and follow closely behind Gu Tianye.

The two, like two wounded beasts, were competing with each other and encouraging each other, moving step by step toward that unattainable destination.

Seeing these two guys whose fighting spirit had been rekindled, Ice Blade's perpetually icy face revealed, for the first time, a barely perceptible smile of approval.

……

three days later.

Inside the "Divine Craftsman Palace".

Lu Yuan stood before the enormous [Heaven and Earth Creation Furnace], his expression focused.

After three days of rest and study, his mental state has reached an unprecedented peak.

Before him, all the materials needed to forge the [Thousand Transformations Beast Soul Axe] were neatly laid out.

He had already used his mental power to break down the complete [Thunderous White Tiger Bone] into the finest bone powder.

He also used a special method to purify the most core "Berserk Blood Origin" from that Lord-level [Berserk Blood Demon Ape Heart Crystal].

There are also dozens of other auxiliary materials, both epic and fine-grade, that were "gifted" by Kotenno.

"We can begin."

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and pressed the start button for the [Heaven and Earth Creation Furnace].

The golden "Creation Fire," containing the primordial energy of the World Tree, blazed fiercely.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yuan first threw the legendary-grade [Titan Divine Iron] provided by Xiang Batian into the furnace!

What he wants to forge is not just Gu Tianye's battle axe.

He wanted to forge both Gu Tianye's and Xiang Batian's weapons at the same time!