The sledgehammer rose with the slow, unstoppable driving force of a rising earth-shaking plate.
Tie Shan planted his triple-soled iron-shod boots into the dark rock scree, his knees bent, his hips rotating with the explosive moving power of an Iron-Bone master. Under the crushing gravity crushing weight, every pound of muscle in his broad back and shoulders strained against his torn ox-hide harness, the crimson tiger sash tightening across his ribs until the stitched silver threads creaked.
He brought the eight-pound steel hammer behind his neck. His eyes were locked on the anvil cap of the five-foot master shunt.
BOOM!
The hammer dropped.
The hardened steel face of the sledge struck the flat cap of the heavy dark metal-alloy star-copper rod with a bone-shaking blast that shattered the surrounding frost into white powder. A fountain of bright orange and blue sparks erupted from the impact point, with a metal report that rang like a royal temple bell across the cloud sea.
The five-foot master shunt sank two feet into the central fissure.
Tie Shan didn’t pause for a split second. He used the heavy elastic rebound of the steel face. He carried out a fluid, circular overhead swing that brought the hammer down a second time with even greater speed.
