Senior, Times Have Changed (Please Follow!!!)

"The other option, of course, is for you to send Grandmaster Blacksmiths here to study under me. I can teach them the techniques in full."

Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes and stared at Su Ming.

"Are you sure you're willing to share your techniques?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Su Ming countered.

If he were the only one who needed Rare Metals, it would be far too easy for others to target him. Once the prices of Rare Metals were driven sky-high, he alone would have no way to bring them back down.

Of course, he could raise the price of Spiritual Metals. But so far, Spiritual Metals did not provide Soul Masters with such a significant boost, and Ning Fengzhi's current offer was already the ceiling in a certain sense.

A price war?

Su Ming was a Soul Master. His goal was cultivation; getting deeply involved in business would put him at too great a disadvantage.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, on the other hand, had countless channels and could acquire metals with ease. Cooperation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was essential.

Besides the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Su Ming would also find a way to establish cooperation with Spirit Hall. For now, however, he had yet to see an opportunity.

As for the losses caused by sharing his techniques?

The future of the Spiritual Forging System lay in Su Ming's hands. He possessed a mature path for further advancement and could keep pushing its limits as though cheating. Even if other blacksmiths of this era learned Thousand Forgings with Spirit, the impact on him would be negligible.

Besides, was there really enough time to train blacksmiths now?

In the Dou San era, Thousand Forgings with Spirit was the threshold for a Level Three blacksmith—that was, the threshold for a Forging Master. But in this era, it signified a Divine Blacksmith!

Though that was due to limitations in materials and techniques, even in the Dou San era, mastering Thousand Forgings was no easy feat. As far as Su Ming knew, aside from himself, Tang Wulin, and a genius girl from the Star Luo Continent, anyone starting from scratch would need at least five years to master Thousand Forgings.

In this era, it would take at least ten years.

Thus, if one wanted to quickly become a blacksmith, Grandmaster Blacksmiths were theoretically the most convenient option.

Their skills were already sufficient. What they lacked was a large amount of material to practice on.

But then again, every existing Grandmaster Blacksmith was already a Soul Saint. To obtain a Soul Spirit, they would need to break through to Rank Eighty at the very least. Was that easy?

"Kid, how dare you?" Gu Rong's voice was hoarse and carried an intense pressure as his Soul Power locked onto Su Ming.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Su Ming remained calm.

With the physical qualities granted by the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, even though he was only a Soul Grandmaster, it would take pressure from at least a Soul King's Soul Power to make him show pain.

Gu Rong was merely testing him now and holding back his strength. The pressure was only at the level of a Soul Ancestor, so Su Ming could withstand it completely.

Seeing Su Ming's composure, Gu Rong was secretly startled.

"You dare reveal such things? Aren't you afraid this old man will forcibly take you away?" Gu Rong said. "Your teacher isn't by your side right now."

"Since Uncle Ning is so sincere as to come here personally to discuss cooperation with me, of course I trust you all as well." Su Ming smiled.

Ning Fengzhi had already appeared before him. If he still harbored ill intentions, Su Ming could only say that Ning Fengzhi had some nerve.

He was simply tailoring his approach to the situation.

Since Ning Fengzhi had personally come forward, Su Ming naturally revealed as much of the techniques as he could and discussed whatever cooperation could be discussed.

It was only Thousand Forgings First Grade metal, not Battle Armor technology or Soul Tool-level technology. It was simply metal that could resonate with Soul Masters, nothing more.

"You mean you can hurt him even under this old man's protection?" Gu Rong caught the implication in Su Ming's words.

Su Ming looked directly at Gu Rong.

He slowly stepped forward until he stood before Gu Rong, then backed away while counting aloud.

"One, two, three... seven!"

After the seventh step, he drew a line and shifted back slightly.

"Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster."

Su Ming produced a Soul Tool Ray Gun from nowhere and instantly fired a laser straight at Gu Rong.

As a dignified Titled Douluo, Gu Rong naturally reacted before Su Ming even took out the Soul Tool Ray Gun. Yet he only had time to release his Soul Power before the laser had already reached him.

The next moment, his expression changed slightly.

The laser had actually pierced through his Soul Power and struck him directly in the abdomen.

He touched his scorched clothing, his face turning grim.

"This is a Soul Tool my teacher and I obtained from some ruins. Senior, could a Soul King block that shot just now?"

"No."

"Could Uncle Ning block it?"

"No."

"Given Senior's stance just now, could you have intercepted it in time?"

At that, Gu Rong's expression darkened.

Beyond seven steps—and even with Su Ming having made it clear that he was about to use some method—he had only managed to react by releasing his Soul Power, blocking most of the laser's damage. Even so, his Main Body had still been affected.

Though he had underestimated Su Ming, before Su Ming indicated that he intended to demonstrate something, his contempt would only have been greater. He might not even have considered that Su Ming would dare resist.

Beyond seven steps, the gun was faster. Within seven steps?

Fast and accurate!

Ning Fengzhi stared fixedly at the Soul Tool Ray Gun in Su Ming's hand.

"Senior, times have changed," Su Ming said.

This was his confidence.

Using the technology of Dou Er and Dou San in the era of Dou Yi was nothing less than a dimensionality-reduction strike.

Battle Armor technology and ordinary Soul Tool technology were not even on the same level, nor was their difficulty of production. Making Little Gold's Claw Cover had exhausted him, but crafting a Fourth-level Soul Tool was effortless for him.

He had displayed the Soul Tool Ray Gun, but he had also secretly set up a fifth-level Fixed Soul Tool Cannon.

Not only that, he was equipped with an Invincible Shield as well!

The Invincible Shield's defensive power was beyond question, and it was not difficult to make. The key was a type of Gold Crystal Stone. During the era of Dou Er, such Gold Crystal Stones were a specialty of the Sun Moon Empire, but this was Douluo Continent, where the search and mining techniques had yet to catch up.

In truth, even during the era of Dou Er, a few Gold Crystal Stones occasionally found their way out on this side of Douluo Continent. The Gold Crystal Stone used in Su Ming's Invincible Shield had been something he happened to acquire while wandering around Gengxin City.

Su Ming did not continue explaining the Soul Tool Ray Gun. Instead, he turned back to discuss cooperation with Ning Fengzhi.

"Uncle Ning, what kind of partnership are you planning to use?"

Ning Fengzhi looked at Su Ming's now-empty hand, a hint of regret appearing in his eyes. If Su Ming had been willing to sell that Soul Tool just now, he could have afforded five million.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his thoughts back to the matter of their cooperation.

"If your techniques can be passed on, is the threshold for learning them high?"

"Of course. My Thousand Forgings with Spirit merely solves the issue of materials; it does not reduce the technical skill required for forging. Thousand Forgings with Spirit would have been considered the signature work of a Divine Blacksmith in the past. So if someone wants to learn my Thousand Forgings with Spirit, they can come find me after becoming a Grandmaster Blacksmith. I won't take disciples and teach them from beginning to end."

Hearing Su Ming's words, Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched slightly.

He looked Su Ming up and down.

At such a young age, you're already thinking about taking disciples?

"Can the two models be carried out at the same time?"

"They can."

"Then we'll proceed with both models simultaneously. Under the previous arrangement, I'll first order ten sets of this style of armor and weaponry. They must all be made from your Thousand Forgings First Grade metal. For each set, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can offer five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."

As Ning Fengzhi spoke, he took out a design blueprint. It showed the armor and weapon styles he wanted. The armor was similar to the design from their previous collaboration, while the weapon was a spear.

"All Thousand Forgings First Grade is impossible."

Su Ming shook his head and took out an ordinary Thousand Forgings piece, handing it to Ning Fengzhi.

"Uncle Ning, take a look. This is an ordinary Thousand Forgings work, and it is also metal forged through Thousand Forgings with Spirit."

Ning Fengzhi carefully inspected the ordinary Thousand Forgings metal and discovered the gap between it and Thousand Forgings First Grade.

Still, it was within an acceptable range.

"Fine."

Having finished discussing the ordinary form of cooperation, it was time for the other arrangement.

"My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will devote its full efforts to training several blacksmiths. Once their skills are sufficient, I'll arrange for them to come here to learn from you. But you surely won't hand over your techniques for nothing, will you?"

Ning Fengzhi's gaze burned as he looked at Su Ming, already prepared to make a deal.