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After seven days of procurement, Tang San and Ning Rongrong had gained quite a lot. Among the various rare metals, they even found a piece of Life Gold the size of a human head.
Although Life Gold is extremely hard, it cannot be said to be purely metal. It is a peculiar substance formed through the concentration of life force, which can be consumed and refined by soul masters to directly enhance soul power, improve physique, and even mental strength.
Of course, it is also excellent for crafting weapons.
Tang San did not plan to absorb this piece of Life Gold. Instead, he intended to use it as the core for a future "Godly Seat."
"Third Brother, could you slow down next time? I can't take it," Ning Rongrong complained softly, lying on Tang San's strong chest.
During these seven days, besides procuring materials, Ning Rongrong treated it as a date with Tang San, eventually ending up in his bed and giving herself completely to him.
Ning Rongrong finally understood why Xiao Wu was willing to be with Guang Ling. His stamina was astonishing!
It was like an endless energy source!
"Really? Who was the one asking to go faster last night?" Tang San asked in confusion, starting his morning exercises amid Ning Rongrong's cries of surprise. "Your body is a bit weak; let me help you train with my energy and blood!"
"Oh~"
Amid playful sounds, the room was filled with joyful laughter...
...
After they finished getting ready, Ning Rongrong's blush had not faded. Seeing Tang San wanting to train with her again, she retreated in fright but with a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "No, we're already dressed."
"That's what makes it fun."
"I didn't expect you to be like this!"
"I never hid it. Besides, don't you like it?"
"I do, but it's already daylight."
However, their playful banter did not continue, as Tang San sensed someone approaching outside.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
When the door opened, Tang San saw a tall young man over two meters high. Beside him was an elderly man with graying beard, only about one meter six tall, but looking somewhat stout.
However, Tang San judged by the solid muscles on his arms that the old man's bulk was not fat but muscle.
More importantly, the short, stout elder had the badge of the Blacksmith Association's president on his chest.
Undoubtedly, the person before him was the divine craftsman Lou Gao!
"Hello, Little Brother Tang San. May I invite you to visit the Blacksmith Association?" Lou Gao asked directly.
"Of course." Tang San readily agreed.
If possible, he wanted to recruit Lou Gao.
Although Gengxin City is located within the Star Luo Empire, it is one of the few independent cities, not directly governed by the Star Luo royal family.
As the president of the Blacksmith Association, Lou Gao commanded the allegiance of the majority of the blacksmiths on the continent. If he could join the Spirit Hall, they would at least have their own weapons manufacturing factory.
However, what Tang San valued most were the blacksmiths' skills and their production capacity.
With industrialization and the establishment of machinery suited to the Douluo Continent's development model, efficiency would undoubtedly increase significantly.
These people are the foundation of industrial development!
"But please wait a moment. Rongrong and I need to take the rare metals we procured to the local Spirit Hall and send them to Spirit City," Tang San added.
"No problem," Lou Gao said, indicating he had plenty of time. He gave a kick to Si Long beside him and said, "What are you standing around for? Help out!"
"Oh? Oh!" Si Long snapped out of it, immediately pushing the pile of storage soul devices out of the room and following Tang San and Rongrong as they left the inn, heading towards the Spirit Hall.
The head of the Gengxin City's Spirit Hall branch was named Nora, a powerful Soul Saint-level female, though she was somewhat older, at fifty-six.
She had been appointed in the past six months.
The previous head was replaced due to numerous complaints of corruption, which had been documented and sent to Spirit City, resulting in his removal by Bibi Dong's orders.
This sort of incident had become quite common recently. Many branch heads had been replaced, punished, or even expelled from the Spirit Hall.
As a result, the local residents realized that not all Spirit Halls were the same; some had good people, and others had bad ones.
Initially, Si Long had no good feelings toward the Spirit Hall because the previous head of Gengxin City was overly arrogant, always causing trouble at the Blacksmith Association.
But now, with a new head, the atmosphere in Gengxin City had improved significantly. This made Si Long realize that the previous disdain from the blacksmiths towards the Spirit Hall was due to personal issues with the former head, not the entire organization.
It's true what they say: one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.
"Greetings, Your Highness," Nora bowed in respect.
"No need for formalities. Just help transport these storage soul devices back to the Spirit Hall Manor in Spirit City," Tang San said, taking the cart from Si Long and pushing it to the branch head. He then handed over a soul card. "This is for the transport fee, ten thousand gold soul coins."
"I wouldn't dare charge Your Highness," Nora said, flustered, but under Tang San's persuasion, she eventually accepted the soul card, her expression becoming more genuine and respectful. "Rest assured, Your Highness, I will ensure these are delivered to your manor."
After leaving the Spirit Hall, Lou Gao remarked, "I'm surprised that even the Spirit Hall's Saint has to pay for transportation. I've truly seen it all now."
"Since I haven't earned any merit, I would feel uncomfortable asking for free services," Tang San said with a smile. "For a large organization, it's crucial to handle the details well. If people get used to easy and free things, it will be hard to change that later."
Lou Gao understood the deeper meaning behind Tang San's words but was more interested in sharing the history of the Blacksmith City. "Gengxin City was established by the first generation of the Blacksmith Association and has a thousand-year history. Unfortunately, it has been declining. Only during wartime are we in high demand."
In this era of cold weapons, a place with the highest concentration of blacksmiths can only hope for war to thrive. Only then can they receive large orders for weapons and armor.
During normal times, most blacksmiths make a living by crafting farm tools and kitchen utensils. Only a few don't worry about basic needs and can continue to focus on the art of forging.
"Although it sounds wrong, the truth is that most blacksmiths in Gengxin City hope for war to break out on the continent," Lou Gao sighed. "With the Spirit Hall's rise over the past three hundred years, the two great empires only have minor skirmishes, and Gengxin City has been declining. My father told me that three hundred years ago, Gengxin City was very prosperous. The emperors of the two great empires would even visit the Blacksmith Association personally. But now, even the local city lord seldom comes. Only the former head of the Spirit Hall branch came frequently, seeking attention."
"Does Senior Lou Gao also long for war?" Tang San asked quietly.
"Naturally, I don't long for it," Lou Gao immediately shook his head. Setting aside the fact that he himself was a person who delved into forging techniques, even if he did long for war, he couldn't say so.
That would be against humanity!
However, for most people in this city, war is the best opportunity to showcase their talents and earn a lot of money.
"You're also a blacksmith, aren't you, Your Highness?" Lou Gao changed the subject. "I watched the videos of the Continent's Elite Tournament, and your use of strength was extremely clever. Can you explain about Soul Forging?"
"Soul Forging? What's that?" Lou Gao instinctively realized that it was a realm of forging. His breathing quickened, and regardless of its authenticity, he stared straight at Tang San, hoping for a clear explanation.
"Forging, I have divided into several stages: first, there is ordinary forging, which means iron that has been forged can be used to make farming tools, kitchen utensils, and the like; second, there is forging for rare metals, which is the ability to perform preliminary purification for rare metals; third is Soul Forging, which allows metals forged at this level to be used to create weapons and armor. The armor and weapons of the Spirit Hall, the Imperial Knights of the Tian Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire are all forged at the Soul Forging level."
"And the fourth stage is Thousand Forging."
"Thousand Forging imbues metals with spirit. The weapons and armor forged from such metals are extremely precious and can conduct soul power. If they can be matched with one's own martial soul, they can enhance the defense and attack power of a soul master."
Lou Gao nodded frequently. "That's right, I can achieve Thousand Forging."
Seeing Lou Gao looking pleased with himself, Tang San suddenly realized that the divine craftsmen of this era would only be equivalent to fourth or fifth-level forging masters in Douluo.
"And after Thousand Forging comes Spirit Forging."
"That's when you give the metal the energy of the world, allowing it to truly emit spirituality."
"After that, the sixth stage is Fusion Forging, where you infuse your own blood, soul power, or will into the metal."
"The seventh stage is Soul Tempering, which is like giving the metal a soul, although it doesn't make the metal truly alive. It's just a metaphor, roughly meaning to make it spirited enough to produce wonders. With this, it can be used to create true artifacts, not the kind of divine weapons you imagine, but the kind of artifacts controlled by those who have reached the Hundred Rank."
"The eighth stage is still Soul Tempering, but under normal circumstances, only those who have reached the rank of Titled Douluo can achieve it. Therefore, to make it simpler, it's called Premium Soul Tempering."
"And the final step is Heavenly Forging, which involves imparting the metal with the laws of the dimensional plane, making it truly divine metal."
Even though Lou Gao didn't know exactly how to do it, he trembled all over as if he were about to enjoy the "Big Sword" service, unable to contain his excitement.
On the other hand, Si Long thought that Tang San might be exaggerating, but considering his identity as the Spirit Hall's Crown Prince and a master of martial soul theory, he didn't dare to argue.
When someone's identity and status are there, no matter what others say or do, they have to think twice before acting.
(End of this chapter)