Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

Xue Lan knew that she would definitely be the champion of this trial.

Because she was different from the other trial participants present, she was not a person of this world, but a soul that came here from a thousand years ago.

Her mastery of materials and her grasp of the art of crafting are the culmination of thousands of years of experience.

People say that only after the great waves have washed away the sand can true gold be found.

She had sifted through the sands of time for thousands of years, even though she initially lacked understanding and confidence in the art of weapon crafting.

In the end, he became frighteningly confident.

After the person on the top tablet finished speaking, the others took turns commenting on the magical artifacts crafted by the other trial participants. They especially praised the longsword crafted by Lin Su.

Xue Lan felt that Lin Su genuinely liked longswords.

After the review was completed, the spirit of the Wan Gong Box spoke.

The old man, leaning on his cane, stroked his beard and said to Xue Lan, "You have excelled in every aspect of the trial so far, and you have succeeded in everything you do. You should rightfully become the next head of this Wan Gong Workshop. However, after this trial is completed, there is still one final test of your conscience."

Upon hearing the words "Questioning the Heart Gate," Xue Lan sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

Xue Tong's voice was tinged with bitterness: "Ever since I met you, you've never been in a good mood, have you?"

Xue Lan felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart.

Xue Tong then asked, "Can't you just pretend to be normal?"

Xue Lan shook her head with a wry smile: "Cultivators at my level cannot go against their own will, or they will suffer the punishment of Heaven."

A demon lord at the fifteenth realm was just one step away from becoming a demon master and living as long as heaven and earth in his previous life. Mental state is something that can be faked.

"Nothing I do can go against my conscience."

Xue Tong questioned her: "Are you afraid of divine retribution? You're kidding me!"

Xue Lan suddenly burst out laughing. She realized Xue Tong wasn't wrong; she was just fooling a ghost.

"The Myriad Crafts Workshop is a place for forging weapons. Weapon forging encompasses all things. In ancient times, powerful weapon cultivators forged divine weapons here, creating heaven and earth, moving mountains and filling seas, slaughtering demons, and guarding the land. Today's question for the Trial of the Heart is—What is the spirit of craftsmanship?"

As the spirit of the Wan Gong Box finished speaking, it waved its sleeve and placed several prayer mats on the open ground outside the main training ground.

"You all have twenty days to speak freely and express your thoughts and ideas."

Xue Lan whispered to Xue Tong, "I'm afraid this year's Wan Gong Workshop trial won't be able to select a workshop leader?"

Why? You've lost confidence in yourself now?

Xue Lan shook her head and remained silent.

What is craftsmanship?

For the next twenty days, Xue Tong had Xue Lan put her in her sleeve again, watching as the various geniuses argued fiercely outside the main training ground. Each held their own opinion, and at times the arguments were so heated that they looked like they were about to fight.

Xue Tong suspected that if it weren't for the spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box guarding the place, this suspended mountain would probably have been blown up by the geniuses long ago.

"Is this how you all discuss the Dao in your cultivation world?" Xue Tong asked.

Xue Lan nodded.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone has their own thoughts. Xue Lan remained silent, listening to the various trial participants discuss their own ideas about craftsmanship.

It's like a stage where one act ends and another begins, but it's not as interesting as watching a play.

Treat it with utmost care and diligence, and refine it through countless trials. Xue Lan agreed.

Be confident before taking action. Xue Lan agreed.

Everyone present was a genius, and what they said was all correct, though some were too one-sided. Xue Lan, who had been listening from the sidelines for half a month, remained completely unperturbed.

The reason it has always been like this is because Xue Lan knows that she lacks craftsmanship.

Since Xue Lan began forging weapons, she has always followed her own plan in creating them. The Spirit Sharing Ring she made for Zhu He, the Soul Guide she crafted for the weapon-forging assessment, and even the Mysterious Fiend Spear she is currently forging for Ji Jinjin—all of these were crafted according to plan.

Xue Lan wasn't confident; she was thinking that even if she failed, it wouldn't be a big deal.

She felt no emotion towards the things she created, only an endless desire for control.

Just like the Spirit Shard Ring, what if the latest generation encounters problems before Zhu He reaches the Nascent Soul stage, thus deviating from her plan?

Xue Lan felt she was going insane.

Xue Lan sighed and said to Xue Tong, "In both my past and present lives, I have always hated discussing the Dao with my own conscience."

"A group of people were chattering away, trying to figure out some vague things."

The girl's voice was languid and hoarse: "The incredibly tedious process of refining weapons has to be imbued with unnecessary emotions."

Xue Tong clearly disagreed with her point of view, and retorted angrily: "You're obviously the kind of emotionless engineering student. All you do is mechanically memorize formulas."

Xue Lan did not refute her.

After Lin Buyu finished explaining her understanding, Xue Lan considered her explanation to be very comprehensive. However, the spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box still seemed dissatisfied, shaking its head with a smile.

Xue Lan wondered what else she wanted. The next moment, her name was called.

"Xue Lan!"

Xue Lan straightened her back immediately. Xue Tong was even more exaggerated; she gasped as if her soul had been frightened out of her body.

"You're so scared because it wasn't her who called out to you, it was me?"

What do you know? Anyone would panic if they heard someone with the same last name as them during roll call in class!

Xue Lan slowly straightened her sleeves. As she stood up, she looked at the various trial participants sitting on the futons and the spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box in the center, and felt that this scene was very similar to that of a powerful figure and his disciples a thousand years ago.

That great master had six thousand disciples, and he liked to hold discussions with them from time to time, each lasting three months.

Xue Lan first paid her respects to the spirit of the Wan Gong Box, and then clearly explained her understanding of craftsmanship.

The spirit of the Wan Gong Box looked at the girl in front of it.

The girl still wore that black robe that had been struck by lightning; the hem was tattered and stood out conspicuously among the crowd of people in fine clothes. But when she spoke, she was full of dejection and looked very unwilling.

"Is this what you consider craftsmanship?" the spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box asked.

"Exactly!"

The old man stared intently at the young woman before him. Then he shouted sharply, "This isn't the craftsmanship you see; you probably... have no heart at all!"

The moment the words were spoken, everyone present was astonished. Some of the trial participants looked at the artifact spirit, while others looked at Xue Lan.

Xue Lan was only surprised for a moment, then her expression returned to normal. The young woman's almond-shaped eyes were gentle, and her speech was calm:

"Senior, you're mistaken! If Xue Lan were heartless, how could she be here laughing and discussing philosophy with you?"

They seemed completely unafraid.

The spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box spoke again: "As I said before, you strive for perfection in everything."

Xue Lan didn't take it to heart: "As a craftsman, I strive for perfection in everything I do, and I consider everything carefully. What's wrong with that?"

The spirit of the Wan Gong Box looked at the girl arguing with him and slowly shook its head.

"To master something with force is to be a craftsman; to master it with heart is to be a true artisan!"

"The mind is ever-changing and unpredictable. Xue Lan disagrees with your opinion, senior." Xue Lan retorted with a cold laugh.

"Why did you have to argue with him?" Xue Tong was getting anxious.

The spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box sighed, then slowly raised its hand, and a jade disc appeared in the sky.

The jade disc split into four pieces, which fell into the hands of Lin Buyu, Lei Chuxi, Lin Su, and Xue Lan.

"Time is running out. In this trial, I have discussed with the masters and decided not to select a new head of the Wan Gong Fang for the time being. This will be the key to the next Wan Gong Fang trial."

The spirit slowly rose and bowed to the four people in front of it.

"May you four find your own craftsmanship. See you again in fifteen years."

Xue Lan held the jade fragment in her hand and looked at the spirit of the Myriad Crafts Box who was bowing to her.

"Fifteen years..."

Fifteen years in the mortal world, a mere instant for an immortal.

The others clearly hadn't expected this outcome, but considering the imminent collapse of the Wan Gong Fang secret realm, it was understandable that they were cautious about taking over the position of workshop leader.

Lin Xunfan, who hadn't received the key for the next round, stared at Lin Su as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Xue Lan knew there was no point in staying any longer, so she bowed and prepared to leave.

Just as Xue Lan looked up, she heard a strange voice:

"I entrust Su Jun to you. I hope you will understand when you visit Wan Gong Fang next time..."

Xue Lan looked up at the many memorial tablets in front of her.

The voice spoke slowly and deliberately: "Objects have form, but the craftsman's spirit knows no bounds!"