The rotation period is approaching, and a series of major events will occur in the next six months.

The appearance of adventurer teams and the invasion of the Black Mountain tribe's army.

To change the worst outcome, preparations must be made early.

Then Li Meng led Bai Ling into the Iron Cave.

As soon as they entered the cave, a scorching heat wave rolled in.

It felt like being inside an oven, making it unbearably hot.

The cave was bustling with noise.

The clanging of metal echoed throughout.

Accompanied by the loud cries of goblins.

Looking towards the underground riverbank, the cave was as bright as day.

Dozens of blast furnaces, about five meters high, stood on the riverbank.

Behind the blast furnaces were countless bonfires.

Closest to the river were groups of goblins forging iron.

They swung their hammers vigorously on the anvils.

Each hammer strike sent a shower of sparks flying.

Deeper in the cave, faint "thud thud" sounds could be heard.

A large number of male lizardmen could be seen carrying iron ore in bamboo baskets.

On the shallow banks of the river, some male lizardmen were bathing.

The high temperature inside the cave made the skin of the male lizardmen prone to cracking.

They needed to bathe frequently to rehydrate and alleviate this process.

"Boss, boss, why are you here again?"

As soon as they entered the cave, Gobu Ge, who had received the news, came running over.

"What, can't I come?"

Li Meng glared at Gobu Ge.

Gobu Ge shrank his neck and smiled obsequiously.

"The boss can come whenever he wants."

"Enough nonsense, prepare a blast furnace for me, I want to smelt iron!"

Gobu Ge nodded vigorously.

Then turned around to lead the way.

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"Boss, boss, this way, this way!"

Following Gobu Ge, Li Meng and Bai Ling ventured deeper into the cave.

Finally, they stopped in front of a blast furnace.

"Boss, here it is!"

Li Meng took the apron made of animal skin from Gobu Ge and put it on.

The apron could effectively block the splattering molten iron.

And also shield against flying sparks while forging.

"Bai Ling, go stay in the river!"

Bai Ling couldn't withstand the high temperature near the blast furnace.

She would faint in at most two hours.

Bai Ling silently walked forward and stepped into the cold river water.

Then she sat down in the shallow water about a meter deep.

Her head just above the water, watching the Big Goblin on the riverbank.

At this time, more than a dozen goblins ran over to assist Li Meng.

In the following time, Li Meng busied himself around the blast furnace.

Until the afternoon of the next day, with a furnace of molten iron ready, Li Meng entered the blacksmithing mode.

By the water's edge, Li Meng held a massive hammer in one hand.

Furiously hammering a long weapon on the anvil.

Sometimes quenching, sometimes tempering, sometimes hammering.

Each hammer strike echoed with a crisp metallic sound in the cave.

The sound was the loudest, drowning out all other noises.

As the saying goes, "steel is forged through a hundred refinements," to get good steel, it must be hammered a thousand times.

"Is it smelting iron?"

Bai Ling had been observing the goblin on the bank from the river.

Since arriving at the Iron Cave yesterday, it hadn't paid attention to her.

Bai Ling was no stranger to the Iron Cave.

She had been here hundreds of times.

Although she could never get close to these furnaces.

But from a distance, she knew what the goblins were doing.

The swamp lizardmen, though barbarians, did not harbor animosity towards humans.

Bai Ling had also communicated with human adventurers.

She was not unfamiliar with iron tools.

On the third day, the loudest metallic clanging in the cave finally ceased.

"Bai Ling, what do you think of this weapon?"

The call from the master on the shore made Bai Ling step out of the water.

She came ashore and stood before her master.

Looking at the long-handled weapon in her master's hand, Bai Ling's pupils contracted.

"Master, this weapon... is so mighty!"

The weapon in the master's hand had a long handle and blade, almost as tall as the master.

The weapon was iron-gray all over, with a very smooth surface.

The sharpened blade gleamed fiercely in the firelight.

Holding this weapon, the master's aura seemed to grow stronger.

"This is a Mo Dao!"

Li Meng wielded the Mo Dao with both hands, swinging it a few times.

In a flash, he charged towards a giant rock on the riverbank not far away.

"Slash!"

The distance of over twenty meters was covered in an instant.

Li Meng wielded the Mo Dao with both hands, letting out a powerful shout.

A standard waist-to-shoulder downward slash.

"Boom!"

A thunderous crash was heard.

The Mo Dao sliced through the nearly two-meter-high boulder like cutting through tofu.

The massive impact shattered the boulder into pieces.

The commotion startled the surrounding goblins.

This scene left Bai Ling utterly astonished.

What a sharp weapon!

It actually sliced such a large rock.

Satisfied with his strike, Li Meng nodded approvingly.

He picked up the Mo Dao again to inspect the blade.

Upon seeing it, a trace of disappointment flashed in Li Meng's eyes.

The blade showed no chips, but it was slightly twisted.

His strength was simply too great, exceeding what the Mo Dao could withstand.

The phenomenon of cold weapons getting bent was unavoidable.

Shaking his head, Li Meng discarded the Mo Dao.

"Bai Ling, go back to the water."

Bai Ling looked at her master, then at the Mo Dao discarded on the ground.

She silently turned and returned to the water.

On the riverbank, Li Meng began tinkering with the blast furnace again.

The next morning, another furnace of molten iron was ready.

On the riverbank, Li Meng began swinging the large hammer again.

With each swing, sweat flew off his body.

The scorching heat made Li Meng sweat profusely.

In the cold underground river, a flash of white passed by.

Moments later, splashes erupted on the river's surface.

Bai Ling emerged from the water.

She held a Black Rock Fish frozen into an ice block.

Bai Ling dragged the Black Rock Fish back to the shallows.

Sitting in the water, she quietly watched the Big Goblin forging on the bank.

Over the past few days, Bai Ling had come to understand.

The reason her master brought her was both a deterrent and a warning.

It was to show her that the goblins with iron-smelting technology were not something the swamp lizardmen could challenge.

Time passed bit by bit.

The daily life of the Iron Cave did not change with Li Meng's arrival.

The next day, in the afternoon.

"It's done!"

On the underground riverbank, Li Meng held a large iron rod and planted it in the ground.

The iron rod was about 2.5 meters long and 5 centimeters in diameter.

For Li Meng now, the iron rod was a bit long and a bit thick.

But once Li Meng evolved into a Goblin Soldier.

The iron rod would be very handy.

Looking at the large iron rod in his hand, Li Meng nodded with satisfaction.

This was the weapon he forged for himself.

Compared to those bladed weapons, Li Meng felt blunt weapons suited him better.

Originally, Li Meng wanted to forge a long-handled mace.

But after careful consideration, he decided against it.

The uneven weight of a mace made it unsuitable for close combat.

When fighting strong opponents, every move must be fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Any slight mistake could become a fatal weakness.

Against weaker foes, any weapon would suffice.

Even without a weapon, he could kill enemies with his fists.

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