Blacksmith Association

"How so? You don't mean you want me to forge metal for Soul Beasts, do you?" Xia Yi asked curiously.

"Of course not. The rules of heaven and earth on the Douluo Continent only allow for one God-Rank Blacksmith—the Divine Craftsman. If you become a God-Rank Blacksmith, humanity will be without one for a very long time," Gu Yue said gravely.

Blacksmiths were the first foundation of Battle Armor Masters. Without blacksmiths, there could be no Battle Armor Masters.

And Divine Craftsmen, the God-Rank Blacksmiths, were the foundation of Four-Word Battle Armor Masters.

Although several Saint Craftsmen working together could create Four-Word Battle Armor even without a Divine Craftsman, such armor was far less powerful than armor made by a Divine Craftsman.

Moreover, the manpower and resources needed for several Saint Craftsmen to jointly create Four-Word Battle Armor were astronomical. Mass production was simply impossible.

That was why there were quite a few Four-Word Battle Armor Masters on the Douluo Continent, yet nearly all of them were connected to Zhen Hua.

Because he was the continent's current Divine Craftsman.

That was also why the Holy Spirit Cult wanted him dead so badly.

"Forging... perhaps I really can give it a try." After finishing his meal, Xia Yi went to find Ye Yingluo. When she heard that he wanted to learn forging, she was startled as well.

What a joke. Blacksmithing was the hardest of all secondary professions to learn.

More importantly, not a single teacher at Eastsea Academy was a blacksmith.

If he wanted to learn, he could only go to the Blacksmith Association in Eastsea City.

"The Blacksmith Association isn't easy to join. You can try first. If it doesn't work, you can look for Senior Mu Xi from the fifth grade. Her father happens to be the president of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association," Ye Yingluo said solemnly.

"Can't I just go straight to Senior Mu Xi?" Xia Yi asked curiously.

"Unless absolutely necessary, you'd better not look for her. I heard that Tang Wulin from Zero Class is quite close to her. You just beat Tang Wulin, so going to her might actually lower your chances of joining the Blacksmith Association," Ye Yingluo said helplessly.

"No wonder." Xia Yi nodded. No wonder Gu Yue had shaken her head when he asked whether he could learn forging at Eastsea Academy.

The Eastsea City Blacksmith Association was not too far from Eastsea Academy, only half an hour away.

Since blacksmiths were indispensable to all Battle Armor Masters and high-grade forged metals were priceless commodities, blacksmiths could be said to be rolling in money.

Even in a city like Eastsea City, the Blacksmith Association's building soared into the clouds. The gray building stood around thirty stories tall, with a huge hammer emblem on it. With that emblem, it did not even need a signboard.

"Blacksmith Association..." Xia Yi murmured softly. He tilted his head and looked around, discovering that most people passing this distinctive building cast reverent glances at the enormous hammer on the Blacksmith Association's building.

Some passersby also gave Xia Yi, who was standing foolishly outside the Blacksmith Association, curious looks.

Ignoring the gazes around him, Xia Yi strode through the Blacksmith Association's doors. Directly ahead stood a glass wall ten meters high, bearing a relief sculpture of a golden sledgehammer at least several meters tall.

After entering through the glass doors on the first floor, he saw a glass wall ten meters high directly ahead, bearing a relief sculpture of a golden sledgehammer at least several meters tall.

The Blacksmith Association's lobby was very spacious. Only two young women in gray professional uniforms stood at the reception desk.

"Little brother, who are you looking for?" Seeing Xia Yi enter, one sweet-looking young woman stood and greeted him.

Xia Yi scratched his head and said, "I'm here to join the Blacksmith Association."

Seeing that Xia Yi still looked sickly, the young woman immediately laughed. "Join the Blacksmith Association? Are you a blacksmith?"

Although she was not a Soul Master, much less a blacksmith, she had received all sorts of Soul Masters for so long that she had developed a basic ability to judge people.

Xia Yi was indeed handsome, but no matter how she looked at him, he did not resemble a blacksmith.

"No, but I can learn," Xia Yi said gravely.

"All right, little brother. You can't learn blacksmithing just because you want to. Stop fooling around and go home. Besides, joining the Blacksmith Association requires a letter of introduction. I don't suppose you even know what that is, do you? If you had one, you would have shown it already." The young woman covered her mouth and laughed.

"A letter of introduction?" Xia Yi froze. Neither Gu Yue nor Ye Yingluo had told him about that.

Then again, with Ye Yingluo's salary, she probably could not even afford a few Grade A Meals in an entire year, much less rare metals. She likely would never have anything to do with the Blacksmith Association in her life.

As for Gu Yue, she knew even less about it.

While Xia Yi was lost in thought, the doors behind him opened again, and a disdainful voice sounded from behind him. "Where did this country bumpkin come from? He wants to join the Blacksmith Association without even knowing that he needs a letter of introduction? Go home and farm."

Before Xia Yi could speak, an aged voice sounded again. "Sigh. Girl, how many times have I told you not to look down on others? He's merely indulging in fantasy. Not seeing himself clearly is pitiful enough; why are you putting him down too?"

Xia Yi turned around coldly. An old man and a girl of eleven or twelve came into view.

The old man looked to be in his sixties. His aura was similar to Ye Yingluo's, so he was likely a Soul King as well. The difference was that he wore a very distinctive badge on his chest.

The girl's looks were average, but she had a good figure. Her long black hair was tied with a purple ribbon and fell all the way to her curvaceous hips. When it swayed, it lightly tapped against her round, pert backside with faint, soft sounds. Her aura was roughly on Xia Yi's level.

"A Level-Four Blacksmith!" The young woman who had received Xia Yi earlier saw the badge on the old man's chest and immediately became respectful.

"Hoho, no need for formalities. I'm only here to bring my newly accepted disciple for her Level-One Blacksmith assessment." The old man chuckled. He seemed to enjoy the respectful look in the young woman's eyes, deliberately puffing out his chest to make the badge representing his Level-Four Blacksmith status more conspicuous.

"Certainly, esteemed Level-Four Blacksmith. Please follow me." The receptionist did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction and hurriedly led the old man and the girl away.

After they left, Xia Yi looked at the remaining receptionist and asked, "You didn't check their letter of introduction either, did you?"

"Blacksmith Badges can only be issued by the Blacksmith Association. With a Blacksmith Badge, a letter of introduction is naturally unnecessary," the young woman explained.

"What about that girl?" Xia Yi continued.

"She came for a blacksmith assessment. The Blacksmith Association provides forging rank assessments for all blacksmiths free of charge, so she doesn't need a letter of introduction either," the young woman explained patiently.

"Fine. In that case, I want to take a blacksmith rank assessment too. Take me there quickly." Xia Yi suddenly smiled.

Since the assessment was free, even if the Blacksmith Association refused to accept him, he would come every day for the assessment. He could watch how others forged for free and slowly learn from the side.

Sooner or later, he would become a Level-One Blacksmith.

As long as he became a blacksmith, joining the Blacksmith Association might become much easier.

Besides, since he was already here, it would be a shame not to try. Maybe he would pass the assessment today.