Those willing to join the blacksmithing trade as Soul Masters were rare.
Usually, only children from blacksmithing families, influenced by the craft from a young age, would have such thoughts.
"This little fellow's Soul Power Fluctuation... could he have already obtained his First Soul Ring?" Silong asked.
Duan Jin chuckled. "Grandmaster Silong, your eyes are sharp indeed."
Silong was a Soul Saint, so it was hardly surprising that he could sense such things.
"Go on, go on. The Blacksmith Association hasn't had a talented newcomer join in a long time."
Soul Power was crucial for blacksmiths. Among the seven ranks established by the Blacksmith Association, starting from Blacksmith Master, Soul Power was needed as support.
Truly ordinary blacksmiths simply could not cross that threshold and reach the level of Blacksmith Master with mortal bodies.
There was no helping it. The more advanced the technique, the higher the demands on the blacksmith. Ordinary blacksmiths without Soul Power simply could not handle it.
For Silong, an outstanding newcomer joining was good news. As Lou Gao's eldest disciple, he might inherit the Blacksmith Association at any time in the future, so naturally he was happy to see it prosper.
Duan Jin cupped his hands and led Su Ming into the Forge Room next door.
Before leaving, Su Ming cupped his hands as well.
Once inside the Forge Room, Su Ming discovered the source of the noise. Complex machinery was operating throughout the room. Beside one enormous machine stood a somewhat aged middle-aged man, frowning in thought.
Hearing the door open, the middle-aged man looked up.
"Little Gold, you're back?"
His attention shifted to Su Ming.
Su Ming felt as though something had locked onto him.
"Teacher, this is Su Ming. He worked at my family's blacksmith shop for nearly a year. He's devoted to Forging and has talent, so I brought him to meet you and see whether you might take him as a disciple."
"Oh?"
Zhu Jiuyang revealed an interested expression.
He was not angered by his disciple's presumptuous decision.
He was more than willing for his disciple to bring him another student. He knew that anyone who caught Duan Jin's eye had to be a genius, especially one who also possessed talent in the field of Soul Masters.
He sensed things even more clearly than Silong and could confirm that Su Ming was a One-Ring Soul Master.
"What is your name?"
"Su Ming."
"Mm. How old are you this year?"
"Seven."
"Seven?" Zhu Jiuyang was startled. "You already became a One-Ring Soul Master at seven?"
"Teacher, he broke through level 10 just after turning seven. I was the one who took him to Hunt Soul for his First Soul Ring," Duan Jin answered from the side.
"You took him to hunt for a Soul Ring?" Zhu Jiuyang frowned.
Duan Jin knew why his teacher was frowning. "Don't worry, Teacher. Little Su's First Soul Ring came from a three-hundred-year Diamond Ape."
Zhu Jiuyang nodded in satisfaction, then instructed Su Ming, "If you enter my school, tell me when you need to obtain your Second Soul Ring. Don't look for Little Gold anymore. He's only a Soul Elder. How could he find the most suitable Soul Ring for you?"
Su Ming did not understand.
Zhu Jiuyang explained, "Once you enter my school, I will give you the best training in your cultivation as a Soul Master, whether it is obtaining Soul Rings or guiding your Soul Power cultivation."
"Soul Power is the foundation of the Soul Master World. With strength, blacksmiths will not be looked down upon. Likewise, the stronger your Soul Power, the more freely you can forge. The two complement each other. If I broke through level 80 now and became a Soul Douluo, I would become a Divine Blacksmith within three days!"
Su Ming was speechless.
So he was part of the realm-focused school of thought.
"Little Su, don't dismiss it. Every Grandmaster in the Blacksmith Association is a Soul Saint," Duan Jin explained from the side.
Su Ming nodded.
He was actually curious about the threshold for becoming a Grandmaster. It apparently required one to be a Soul Saint.
Zhu Jiuyang continued asking Su Ming about his circumstances. When he learned that Su Ming could perform Thousand Forgings, he was extremely surprised.
Under the Blacksmith Association's classifications, Hundred Forgings and Thousand Forgings were two thresholds. Completing Hundred Forgings made one a Junior Blacksmith. Intermediate Blacksmiths and Senior Blacksmiths then shaped materials on the foundation of Hundred Forgings, while Thousand Forgings was the threshold for becoming a Blacksmith Master.
It was worth mentioning that the Thousand Forgings of this era were actually no different from the Thousand Forgings of the Dou San era. The difference was that Thousand Forgings in the Dou San era were performed on Rare Metal and could draw out the Spirituality within the metal. That was what Thousand Forgings with Spirit meant.
In the current era, Thousand Forgings still could not draw out the nearly nonexistent Spirituality within metal.
"I only succeeded by chance that one time," Su Ming said modestly.
Although he had only done it once here, he had actually performed it many times.
After he achieved Thousand Forgings here through that moment of understanding, his self in the Dou San era directly obtained results. During the month Su Ming and Duan Jin spent traveling to the Savage Beast Mountain Range, he repeatedly Borrowed Power and completed true Thousand Forgings, displaying the talent of a Blacksmith.
It was also because the Su Ming of Dou San had reinforced that experience that he was confident he could perform another downgraded Thousand Forgings before Zhu Jiuyang.
Wasn't that right? The Thousand Forgings of the Dou Yi era had no spirit, so naturally it was a downgraded version of Thousand Forgings.
Of course, the technical difficulty was still similar. There was not much difference.
Spirit was the true difference between the Forging of the two eras.
At Zhu Jiuyang's request, Su Ming repeated Thousand Forgings once more and successfully became Zhu Jiuyang's disciple.
Over the next few days, he came to understand Zhu Jiuyang better.
Zhu Jiuyang's Martial Soul was Fire Spirit. It possessed the Mental Attribute and was a top-tier dual-attribute Martial Soul of fire and mental power. His Soul Power Level was as high as Level 79.
In fact, when Zhu Jiuyang demonstrated Forging techniques for him, Su Ming felt that Zhu Jiuyang's flames even carried an aura of holiness.
"Martial brother, does our teacher have any connection to Spirit Hall?" Su Ming quietly asked.
Spirit Hall?
Duan Jin shook his head, looking utterly confused.
"I've been under Teacher for more than ten years and have never heard of him having any contact with Spirit Hall. However, the Spirit Hall bishop in Gengxin City seems never to have shown our teacher any disrespect."
Miles, the bishop of Spirit Hall in Gengxin City, often bullied the blacksmiths of the Blacksmith Association. He had clashed with Grandmasters such as Silong and Siqi many times, and even Divine Blacksmith Lou Gao had been disgusted by him several times. Yet Miles had never provoked Zhu Jiuyang.
"I think it's more because Teacher is strong." Having been instilled with Zhu Jiuyang's belief in strength, Duan Jin deeply agreed with it. He told Su Ming, "Our teacher has Level 79 Soul Power and could break through level 80 to become a Soul Douluo at any moment. Of course, that isn't the key. The key is that he isn't an ordinary Soul Saint. Five years ago, he fought a Soul Douluo and did not fall at a disadvantage."
Five years ago?
He was Level 79 now. Five years ago, he probably had not even surpassed level 75, right?
Su Ming clicked his tongue in amazement.
In this era, those capable of fighting above their level were extremely rare. For his teacher to fight across ranks while still a Soul Saint was truly formidable. His belief that only strength prevented one from being bullied was well deserved.
"Just do the tasks Teacher assigns you. There's no need to exceed them. Our branch emphasizes Soul Power cultivation. Build up experience slowly over these next few years. Once you break through to Soul Elder, train intensively for another month, and you'll understand the benefits of a high Soul Power Level."
Duan Jin warned Su Ming not to overwork himself in Forging.
Before you continue