Chapter 476: Sun Luguo Test (2)
Chapter 476: Sun Luguo Test (2)
The entire square fell silent. The roar of the forge seemed to be the only sound in the world, the crackling of the spiritual flames echoing against the stone walls.
Sun Luguo looked at the book. Then at Kyrian. His eyes moved back and forth between the two several times, processing what he had just witnessed.
"You’ve... finished reading it?" His voice was measured, but there was a barely concealed note of disbelief.
"Yes."
"You’ve already memorized it?"
"Yes."
The enormous blacksmith stared at him for several long seconds. The weight of his gaze was almost physical, as though he were trying to pierce through the young man’s facade and find even the slightest trace of deception.
His instincts told him that the young man was not lying. There was a sincerity in those violet eyes, a certainty that came from within and needed no words to prove itself.
Even so... it seemed absurd.
"Are you sure?"
Kyrian simply nodded.
"I don’t make a habit of lying."
Around them, several people exchanged glances. The silence was broken by growing whispers, voices unable to contain their astonishment.
"Impossible..." A gray-bearded blacksmith slowly shook his head.
"In less than a minute?"
"He didn’t even have time to turn the pages properly." A dark-haired woman added, frowning.
"How could anyone memorize forty pages in less than a minute?"
Another voice answered, calmer and more thoughtful.
"If he really memorized it... then his memory is monstrous."
"No..." The red-haired apprentice said, his eyes fixed on Kyrian.
"More than memory... it’s comprehension. He isn’t just memorizing words. He’s understanding the content."
Sun Luguo opened the book once more. His large, calloused hands turned the pages carefully. He selected a random passage, a note about a specific metal.
"What is the main difference between Deep Gray Iron and Spiritual Gray Iron?"
Kyrian answered immediately, as though the response had been waiting on the tip of his tongue.
"The former develops small dark-blue veins when exposed to spiritual fire. Those veins become more visible as the temperature rises, creating a pattern that resembles lightning. The latter displays small silver specks near its natural edges, which shine intensely when heated but quickly lose their luster if cooled too abruptly."
"In addition, Deep Gray Iron is approximately thirteen percent denser than Spiritual Gray Iron, making it better suited for weapons that rely on weight and impact."
The man turned a few more pages, his eyes quickly scanning the contents.
"Crimson Scaled Metal?"
"Excellent conduction of fire Qi, but poor affinity with water techniques. Its scaled structure allows Qi to flow through natural channels like flames, but those same scales become fragile when exposed to prolonged moisture. It is ideal for forging blades that channel fire attacks, but it should be kept in dry environments and treated with special oils to preserve its integrity."
Another question. Another answer. Then another.
Every answer was precise and detailed, containing not only the information from the book but also the notes Sun Luguo had added over the years. Kyrian seemed to have absorbed everything, like a sponge expanding to hold every drop of knowledge.
Every answer was given without the slightest hesitation, the young man’s voice steady and clear.
Sun Luguo finally closed the book. His eyes gleamed faintly, and an almost imperceptible smile curled the corners of his lips.
’Perfect memory...’
’No.’
’He truly understood it.’
It was not merely a matter of memorizing words. Kyrian had internalized the contents, connecting the information naturally. His answers were not mechanical recitations but demonstrations of genuine understanding.
Without saying a word, he returned the book to his spatial ring. The gesture was slow and deliberate, giving the crowd time to process what they had just witnessed.
Immediately afterward, he took out eight metallic blocks. He carefully placed them on a stone table, arranged in two rows of four.
At first glance... they appeared exactly the same.
The same shape. The same size. The same silvery sheen reflects the light of the nearby flames. A casual observer would find no difference between them.
Several people smiled, recognizing the trap.
Now the difficult part was about to begin.
Sun Luguo pointed at the eight blocks, his voice echoing throughout the silent square.
"Among them, only four are real metals." His fingers moved along the row, hovering above each block.
"The other four are merely special stones carved to resemble metal. Stones that have been polished and treated to imitate the appearance of genuine metal."
He raised his chin, his eyes fixed on Kyrian.
"I want you to identify the real ones."
Kyrian stepped toward the table. His movements were calm and measured, without haste or anxiety. He stopped before the blocks, his violet eyes carefully examining each one.
First, he observed them normally. The color. The luster. The way the light reflected off their surfaces.
Then...
His violet eyes glowed faintly. A soft, almost imperceptible light appeared within his pupils, as though an inner flame had been lit.
The world seemed to slow down. The smallest differences became enormous.
The texture of the surface. Some bore regular polishing marks, while others displayed natural crystallization patterns.
The natural distribution of impurities, tiny particles formed during the creation of the metal. The microscopic lines indicate the direction of Qi flow during forging.
The reflection produced by the light revealed the material’s density and purity. The almost imperceptible flow of Qi emanating from the genuine metals, was a subtle energy the stones did not possess.
Everything matched perfectly with the notes he had just read. Sun Luguo’s descriptions were accurate down to the finest detail.
Less than fifteen seconds later...
Kyrian pointed, his finger moving with confidence.
"These four."
Sun Luguo remained motionless. His eyes examined the indicated blocks, then the remaining four.
He picked up the first one. It was genuine, its surface ringing beneath the blacksmith’s touch.
The second. Genuine as well. Its weight, texture, and response to Qi all confirmed its authenticity.
The third. Genuine.
The fourth. Genuine.