Blacksmith Association

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Blacksmith Association
Original Name	锻造师协会
Alias(es)	Forging Association, proposed during the Dou Yi reforms; Blacksmiths Association, used for the renamed Dou Er organization 49 70
Organization Type	Professional association formed by blacksmiths 12
Occupation/Role	Blacksmith certification, training, metal procurement, forging orders, and development of forging techniques 12 49 165
Affiliation	Maintains a neutral public position; closely tied to the Body Sect in Dou Er 23 70 83
Headquarters	Gengxin City in early Dou Yi and Dou Er; Heavenly Forging City after the Dou Yi relocation; Heaven Dou City in Dou San 12 69 159 231
Leadership	Varies by era: Lou Gao, Su Ming, and Zhu Jiuyang in reformed Dou Yi; Su Ming in reformed Dou Er; Zhen Hua in Dou San 70 101 159
Status	Active, with branches supporting wartime forging and equipment production 564
First Appearance	Mentioned as Gengxin City's association when Su Ming considers obtaining suitable metals 6

Power Progression

The association's progression consists of changes to its forging system and technical standards, rather than a personal cultivation realm.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Traditional blacksmith system	9 12 13	Uses seven ranks. Hundred Forgings qualifies a Junior Blacksmith, ordinary Thousand Forgings qualifies a Blacksmith Master, and forging metal with spiritual essence qualifies a Divine Craftsman.
Proposed four-rank forger system	49	Su Ming defines Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Forging Master ranks, preserving advancement for ordinary smiths while making Thousand Forgings with Spirit the master-level threshold.
Nine-level system	70	Introduced in Dou Er to match the era's numbered professional rankings. Separates Hundred Forgings, Thousand Forgings, Spirit Forging, and advanced metal processing.
Spirit Infusion applied to ordinary metal	159 160	Publicly demonstrated in Dou San. Su Ming produces Saint Grade Thousand Forgings from Mortal Iron, reducing dependence on expensive rare metals for training.
Public introduction of Spiritual Alloy	206 223	Fusion Forging becomes a major focus of the association's publicity and expansion. Su Ming demonstrates Spiritual Alloy before two hundred thousand witnesses.
Soul Forging / Saint Craftsman	254	Su Ming achieves the first Soul Forging in the developing Dou Er system after more than a hundred attempts. Forged metal receives an inheritance rather than life alone.
Level 8 Saint Craftsman standard	394 402	Requires creating more than three Soul Forging formulas, or using an existing Fusion Forging combination to grant different inheritances.
Levels 10–11 Heavenly Forging	476	Su Ming and Zhen Hua establish Two Tribulations Heavenly Forging as the tenth-level threshold and Three Tribulations Heavenly Forging as the eleventh.
Super Forging	476 568	Defined as forging that receives cleansing from cosmic laws after three tribulations; Su Ming later undertakes his first Super Forging.

Organization and Certification

Core Functions

• Certification: Strict assessments make certified blacksmiths desirable to merchants placing bulk orders. Following the Dou Yi reforms, previously certified smiths must undergo recertification 12 104.
• Supply and commissions: The association helps members obtain metals and forging orders, giving individual smiths access to its collective commercial influence 12.
• Training and research: Grandmaster-level blacksmiths have dedicated fifth-floor areas in the early Gengxin City building for lessons and forging research 12.
• Historical records: Its archives preserve accounts of Divine Craftsmen's spiritual metals, including works capable of developing into Soul Beasts 9 69.
• Professional representation: Lou Gao insists that developing forging—not merely elevating Soul Master craftsmen above ordinary smiths—remain the association's purpose 49.

Rank Standards

Su Ming initially proposes a four-rank reform in Dou Yi. His Dou Er reform instead adopts numbered levels from one to nine 49 70.

System	Rank	Qualification
Proposed Dou Yi reform	Junior Forger	Master Hundred Forgings 49.
Proposed Dou Yi reform	Intermediate Forger	Shape Hundred-Forged metal into components 49.
Proposed Dou Yi reform	Senior Forger	Perform ordinary Thousand Forgings without inducing Spirituality, then shape the finished metal 49.
Proposed Dou Yi reform	Forging Master	Master Thousand Forgings with Spirit 49.
Numbered system	Levels 1–2	Hundred Forgings; level two requires better processing of metal parts 70.
Numbered system	Levels 3–4	Thousand Forgings; those who forge Spiritual Metal qualify as masters, with level four demanding additional processing skill 70.
Numbered system	Level 5	Spirit Forging Grandmaster: grants life to metal 70.
Numbered system	Level 6	Spirit Forging with further processing through Fusion Forging and Spiritual Alloy production 70.
Numbered system	Levels 7–8	Saint Craftsman ranks associated with Soul Forging; level eight has additional formula or inheritance requirements 394 402.
Extended system	Levels 9–11	Heavenly Forging, followed by the newly defined two- and three-tribulation thresholds 476.

Training Restrictions

• Advanced instruction is gated: Association regulations require reaching the former Blacksmith Master level before learning Spirit Infusion and Thousand Forgings with Spirit 98.
• Fundamentals come first: Learners are advised to master Thousand Forgings on ordinary metal before attempting spiritual metalwork 98.
• Repeated spiritual forging has costs: Daily Thousand Forgings with Spirit can damage a Soul Spirit and exhaust mental strength, interfering with Soul Power cultivation 98.
• Publication does not guarantee mastery: Even after Spiritual Forging and Soul Forging are made public in Dou Er, only a small number of blacksmiths master them. Spirit Forging Grandmasters eventually reach double digits continent-wide 507.

History

Dou Yi: Reform and Heavenly Forging City

Su Ming initially sees joining Gengxin City's association as the best route to suitable metals. Duan Jin brings him into the association and introduces him to his teacher, Si Long. The association's certification system provides both professional recognition and access to commercial work 6 8 12.

After developing Thousand Forgings with Spirit, Su Ming proposes sharing the technique, renaming the association, and replacing its traditional ranks. Lou Gao supports the reform but refuses to accept a system that excludes ordinary smiths from advancement. The reformed organization later has three presidents—Lou Gao, Su Ming, and Zhu Jiuyang—with Huo Lie initially performing much of its administrative work 49 50 101.

Cooperation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Spirit Hall, and both empires gives the association access to students, resources, and political protection. It establishes a Suotuo City branch and transfers nearly half its personnel there. Resistance from the Star Luo faction leads to the dismissal of twenty percent of that faction's personnel 46 108 109 113 114.

Su Ming subsequently secures support for Heavenly Forging City on the border between the two empires. Once the city is completed, the elites of Gengxin City and Suotuo City relocate there. The older branches remain as recruitment buffers, recommending promising smiths to the new headquarters 144 231.

Tang Hao repeatedly seeks the association's forging knowledge, first through intimidation and later by encouraging Tang San to join. Tang San's referral to Heavenly Forging City results in an assessment by Tang Long and Tang Hu. Tang Hao intervenes, prompting three Titled Douluo to attack him; Chen Xin severs one of his arms 104 114 231 232.

Dou Er: Revival and Continental Expansion

By Dou Er, the association has declined after an earlier period of prosperity connected to the Tang Sect. Its Gengxin City headquarters is dilapidated, although its president, Duan Lin, still possesses records concerning Spiritual Metal and metal lifeforms 69.

Su Ming proposes that the Body Sect use the association to expand its influence and recruit disciples beyond its restrictive membership requirements. Duan Lin accepts cooperation after seeing Spiritual Metal and Spirit Forged metal. Su Ming becomes president, Lei Zhen and Eight Arms become vice presidents, and the association adopts a nine-level ranking system 69 70.

Expansion proceeds through core branches, auctioned branch rights, and eventually certification of independent forging organizations. Public demonstrations of Spiritual Alloy encourage widespread interest in forging, while cooperation with Mingde Hall helps separate metalworking from Soul Engineering 205 206 223 299.

The profession's social position changes sharply. Blacksmiths become essential suppliers to Soul Engineers, and in the Sun Moon Empire their prestige eventually stands slightly above that of Soul Engineers themselves 391.

Dou San: Innovation and Inter-Faction Cooperation

In Dou San, the association is the foremost auxiliary-profession association and possesses the era's only Divine Craftsman, Zhen Hua. Its standing depends on serving multiple factions rather than openly favoring one. Poor relations with the Spirit Pagoda initially complicate Su Ming's attempt to become Zhen Hua's disciple 23.

Zhen Hua later organizes a major exchange conference in Heaven Dou City to introduce Su Ming's Spirit Infusion technique. Representatives from every city's association attend, alongside reporters and live-broadcast equipment. Su Ming's successful forging of ordinary iron demonstrates a cheaper source of training material for the profession 159 160.

Cooperation with Zhang Tianyang's Spirit Pagoda faction supports research into Artificial Rare Metal. Defective Artificial Spirits are sent to Heaven Dou City for selection and experimentation, while Zhen Hua refuses to redirect the association's research solely toward the Tang Sect's preferred cost-reduction project 162 165 166.

Wartime Production

During the later war, the association establishes branches in three newly completed major areas. Su Ming requisitions nearly every blacksmith who has mastered Spirit Infusion, while personally supplying large quantities of Spirit Forged and Soul Forged metal for exchange through contribution points 564.

Leadership and Personnel

Person	Era / Role	Responsibilities
Lou Gao	Dou Yi president; later former president	Supports technical reform and protects ordinary smiths' right to advancement 49 101 236.
Su Ming	Dou Yi co-president; Dou Er president; Dou San innovator	Develops techniques, establishes rank standards, negotiates agreements, and directs expansion 70 101 160 299.
Zhu Jiuyang	Dou Yi co-president	Oversees operations, teaches advanced forging, and liaises with major powers 101 112.
Huo Lie	Dou Yi administrator	Initially handles much of the association's work; later recommends Tang San to headquarters 101 231.
Duan Jin	Instructor and auction spokesman	Teaches fundamentals and publicly explains the developing forging system 112 206.
Si Long and Si Yu	Dou Yi senior blacksmiths	Help lead the personnel transferred to Suotuo City 114.
Duan Lin	Dou Er president before reform; later vice president	Accepts the Body Sect partnership and helps administer expansion 69 70 186.
Lei Zhen and Eight Arms	Dou Er vice presidents	Appointed during Su Ming's takeover and reform 70.
Zhen Hua	Dou San president and Divine Craftsman	Hosts exchanges, directs research, and supports Su Ming's innovations 159 165 166.
Mu Chen	Eastsea City president	Heads the local association visited by Su Ming 32.

Branch Network

Location / Network	Function or Development
Gengxin City	Original Dou Yi headquarters and site of the Dou Er revival; retains a recruitment branch after the Dou Yi relocation 12 69 231.
Suotuo City	Dou Yi expansion branch, later reduced to a recruitment buffer for Heavenly Forging City 113 114 231.
Heavenly Forging City	New Dou Yi headquarters. Shortly after completion, its scale surpasses Suotuo City and attracts major and minor factions 231 232.
Heaven Dou City	Dou San headquarters; also selected for a Dou Er branch 159 223.
Ling Dou City	Selected for the Dou Ling Empire's Dou Er branch 223.
Eastsea City	Dou San branch headed by Mu Chen 32.
Shrek City	Nearly sixty percent of its branch members are Shrek students or graduates at the time described 252.
Four core branches and ten auctioned branches	Dou Er expansion network intended to circulate Spiritual Metal and train personnel across fourteen branches 205.

Certification-Based Expansion

The association promises not to initiate additional branches beyond its fourteen-branch network for at least a century. Su Ming later expands its reach by certifying independent organizations instead 205 299.

Recognition requires:

• A resident Forging Master, ensuring access to Thousand Forgings with Spirit instruction 299.
• Recognition as an official organization by the host city 299.
• At least three complete layers of Evil-Illuminating Mirrors covering the city 299.
• Acceptance of the association's cooperation agreements 299.

The host cities bear the costs of development. Evil-Illuminating Mirrors can be purchased through association branches without an additional association fee 299.

Resources and Technology

• Rare-metal surveying equipment: Su Ming supplies equipment for locating ore veins and directs surveys within the Star Luo Empire 70.
• Rare-metal classification: The association distinguishes rare metals by their extraordinary properties and capacity to support Thousand Forgings with Spirit 109.
• Spiritual Metal grading: Su Ming classifies metal emitting more than one foot of Spirituality light as Thousand Forgings First Grade, with weaker results divided into Second through Fourth Grade 49.
• Spiritual Alloys: The association presents Jade Silver and Sunken Gold to Dugu Bo and discusses customized alloys for Dugu Yan 141.
• Artificial Rare Metal research: Seeks to impart both Spirituality and traits to ordinary metal. Early work encounters difficulties using uncooperative or unintelligent external spirits 165 166.
• Evil-Illuminating Mirrors: Used to expose Evil Soul Masters and made a prerequisite for certified local organizations 299.

Dou Yi Mining Agreements

The finalized rare-metal distribution gives the association half the output. The Star Luo court describes the association's original demand as effectively seventy percent before Spirit Hall's share is separated 108 109.

Recipient	Share
Blacksmith Association	50% 108 113
Relevant empire	20% 108 113
Spirit Hall	20% 108 109
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect	10% 108

Spirit Hall's participation includes combining blacksmith certifications with its own credentials, granting associated benefits, and providing authoritative appraisal of Spiritual Metal 109.

Relationships

• Body Sect — Principal power behind the Dou Er association. Its support supplies leadership and disciples while the association retains a neutral public strategy 69 70 83.
• Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect — Signs a mutual-support agreement and sends talented smiths for association training. Its future Forging Masters are required to join the association and recognize its professional authority 46 50.
• Spirit Hall — Dou Yi certification and appraisal partner. Cooperation is also intended to preserve the association's independence through political balance 106 109.
• Chen Xin — Provides crucial security in Dou Yi; Zhu Jiuyang acknowledges that the association repeatedly relies on him against external threats 103 112.
• Dugu Bo — Offers help finding rare-metal veins in exchange for becoming an honorary elder, motivated by the potential benefit of forged metal to Dugu Yan 141 142.
• Star Luo and Heaven Dou royal families — Resource and recruitment partners in Dou Yi, though the association's bargaining terms and personnel decisions provoke resistance 108 109 113 114.
• Mingde Hall — Collaborates on separating forging from Soul Engineering and supports the association's wider certification network 223 299 391.
• Spirit Pagoda — Initially has strained relations with the Dou San association; cooperation improves through Su Ming, Zhang Tianyang, and joint Artificial Rare Metal research 23 159 162 165.
• Tang Sect — Requests large-scale purchases of ordinary-metal Spiritual Forging and Soul Forging products, but Zhen Hua declines to redirect association research toward its preferred objective 164 165.
• Sun Moon Alliance — Seeks association mediation among its major tribes, giving the organization a role beyond professional training and trade 353.
• Tang Hao and Tang San — Seek access to its techniques through investigation, enrollment, and later plans to capture a knowledgeable member 104 231 233.

Neutrality

• Service across faction lines: In Dou San, even personal dislike does not exempt a Divine Craftsman from doing his best to forge Four-word Battle Armor for a client 23.
• No internal political intervention: Zhen Hua agrees to cooperate with Zhang Tianyang while explicitly refusing to interfere in the Spirit Pagoda's internal affairs 159.
• Balance despite sponsorship: The Body Sect's influence does not remove the stated need to preserve both organizations' neutral status 83.
• No competition using pooled recruits: The association refuses to gather other factions' talent and then use those recruits to defeat the contributing forces in tournaments 389.

Notable Quotes

“Our purpose is to promote and develop smithing, not to help some people who hammer iron escape the plight of being in a lowly profession.”
— Lou Gao, defending ordinary smiths during the reform discussions 49

“Fine. But the Blacksmith Association is neutral and won't interfere in any of your internal affairs.”
— Zhen Hua, discussing cooperation with the Spirit Pagoda 159