Blacksmith Shop? No, This is Umbrella Corporation! Tang San, Welcome to Nightmare Factory.

Nuoding City, Iron Heart Blacksmith Shop.

This was the largest and best-equipped blacksmith shop in the city; on any given day, the clanging of hammers could be heard for a mile.

But today, it was as quiet as a funeral parlor.

"Is this what you call... forging?"

Qin Feng casually picked up a freshly forged refined iron sword and pinched it lightly with two fingers.

"Snap."

That high-quality iron sword, which claimed to have been "tempered a thousand times" and sold for five Gold Soul Coins, broke into two pieces just like a crispy biscuit.

The shop owner was a muscular man named Tie Shan, who was also a Soul Grand Master. At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, gripping the forging hammer he usually took such pride in, but he couldn't bring himself to swing it.

This was because a cold, vibrating High-Frequency Particle Cutting Blade was pressed against the carotid artery in his neck.

Holding the blade was a long-haired man in a purple kimono with a face as pale as paper.

"Boss, your heart is beating very fast."

Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked Tie Shan's ear lightly; the cold, slimy sensation nearly made Tie Shan lose control of his bladder on the spot.

"I want this place."

Qin Feng sat in the master chair that originally belonged to the owner, his feet propped up on a coal-dusted table, toying with a purple crystal core he had extracted from the body of a Thunder Tyrannosaurus.

"All the equipment, all the inventory, and all of you... labor force."

"I want it all."

Tie Shan swallowed hard, bracing his final shred of dignity: "This... this shop is certified by the Martial Soul Hall! You are forcing a sale! I'm going to report you to the authorities!"

"Report us?"

Qin Feng laughed, his smile incredibly brilliant.

He snapped his fingers.

"Brother Wolf, show this boss, who still hasn't grasped the situation, what an 'Industrial Revolution' looks like."

"You got it! Watch closely!"

Grey Wolf chuckled, pulled a palm-sized metal cube from behind his back, and tossed it into the massive furnace.

"Beep—Program initiated."

"Miniature Anti-Gravity Forge, deploying!"

"Rumble--!"

A teeth-gritting sound of mechanical transformation erupted. The small cube instantly expanded and unfolded, countless precision mechanical arms blooming like a lotus flower.

In just three seconds.

A silver-white, sci-fi-looking automated machine tool had completely covered the original, clunky coal-fired furnace.

Grey Wolf grabbed a piece of unrefined iron ore and tossed it into the feed port.

"Sizzle--sizzle--"

A blue laser beam flashed; it was plasma high-temperature smelting.

This was immediately followed by the muffled thud of hydraulic pressing.

"Clang!"

In less than five seconds.

A standard-issue military saber, gleaming with cold light, completely free of impurities, and with an edge so sharp it could slice a hair in the wind, slid out of the discharge port and embedded itself into the ground in front of Tie Shan.

It sank three inches into the stone, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

All the blacksmiths stared with wide eyes, as if they had seen a ghost.

They had spent their entire lives forging iron and swinging hammers, working themselves to the bone to produce only two swords a day.

This thing... one every five seconds?

And the quality was better than the best tempered steel they had ever seen in their lives!

"This is called an assembly line."

Qin Feng stood up, pulled out the military saber, and casually spun it in his hand.

"From today on, this place will no longer be called the Iron Heart Blacksmith Shop."

"Take down the plaque."

"Replace it with this."

Qin Feng tossed out a blueprint.

On it was drawn a red and white umbrella pattern, with a line of imposing text written underneath:

[Umbrella Corporation Notting Branch]

"Whether it is the City Lord's Mansion or the Martial Soul Hall."

"From today on, if you want weapons or equipment, you'll have to look to me, Qin Feng."

"Do you understand?"

Tie Shan looked at the blade embedded in the ground, then at the man beside him whose eyes were like a viper, and finally at the strange wolf currently debugging a machine.

"Thump."

He knelt down.

"Boss! From today on, you are my own father! Whoever you tell me to hit, I will hit!"

In this world where the strong are respected, truth is always held in the hands of those with harder fists and superior technology.

Meanwhile.

Notting Academy, Dorm Seven.

"Ah!!!"

A roar, suppressed to the extreme, squeezed out from Tang San's throat.

He bolted upright from his bed, his hands clutching tightly at the black Cursed Seal on his neck.

Pain!

Heart-piercing pain!

"Haa... haa..."

Tang San was drenched in cold sweat, his eyes bloodshot. Within his originally black pupils, three eerie black tomoe were slowly rotating.

Power.

An unprecedented, violent power was rampaging through his body.

Under the stimulation of this power, his Mysterious Heaven Skill internal energy had directly broken through the bottleneck of the first level!

Soul Power Level... fifteen!

In a single night, he had risen four levels!

"Is this... the 'Blessing of Science' that madman spoke of?"

Tang San looked at his own hands.

His fingernails had become sharp and blackened, and black patterns were faintly crawling beneath his skin.

Although this power was filled with evil and coldness, making him feel nauseated.

But... it was strong!

"Qin Feng..."

Tang San gritted his teeth, a flash of crazed killing intent crossing his eyes.

"The humiliation you gave me, I will repay it a hundredfold with this power!"

He desperately needed to vent right now.

If this power wasn't released, he felt like he would explode.

Furthermore, his Sleeve Arrow had been damaged in last night's battle, and his Bone-Piercing Nails were all used up.

He needed metal.

A large quantity of high-quality metal!

As long as he could forge stronger hidden weapons, combined with this surging Soul Power and the eruption of that eerie Cursed Seal...

"Qin Feng, the next time we meet will be the day you die!"

Tang San grabbed a coat and threw it on to cover the Cursed Seal on his neck, grabbed his coin purse, and rushed out of the dormitory with a sinister look in his eyes.

His target: the largest blacksmith shop in Nuoding City.

Half an hour later.

Tang San stood at the entrance of "Iron Heart Blacksmith Shop"... no, it should be called "Umbrella Corporation" now.

He froze.

The shop that used to be filled with the scent of smoke and fire was gone.

In its place was a strange building wrapped in silver-white metal plates.

Standing at the entrance were two security guards, two meters tall, holding strange black tubes and wearing sunglasses.

They were the "T-001 Tyrant Guards" modified by Grey Wolf (in reality, they were just the blacksmiths led by Tie Shan wearing sets of powered exoskeletons).

"Halt!"

One of the guards extended a mechanical arm, blocking Tang San.

"No unauthorized entry! This is a restricted military zone!"

Tang San furrowed his brows, suppressing the irritation in his heart: "I'm here to buy refined iron. Call your boss out."

"Buy refined iron?"

The guard looked through his sunglasses, disdainfully sizing up Tang San's tattered school uniform.

"Where did this poor wretch come from? We only take large-scale orders here, no retail."

"Get lost, get lost, don't block us from shipping goods."

As he spoke, the guard reached out to shove Tang San.

"You're courting death!"

The tomoe in Tang San's eyes spun violently.

Even a clay figurine has three parts of temper, let alone him, whose mind was being eroded by the Cursed Seal!

"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!"

Tang San's figure flashed, bypassing the mechanical arm like a ghost, his right hand turning the color of jade as he slammed a palm fiercely toward the guard's chest.

Mysterious Jade Hand!

This palm, carrying the violent soul power augmented by the Cursed Seal, was enough to split stones and break monuments!

"Clang!"

A muffled sound rang out.

Tang San felt as if he had struck a half-meter-thick steel plate, his palm stinging from the vibration.

The guard didn't budge an inch; instead, a blue light lit up on the metal armor covering his chest.

"Beep! Attack detected! Counterattack mode activated!"

The black tube in the guard's hand jerked upward, pressing directly against Tang San's forehead.

"Bang!"

A massive wave of air exploded outward.

This wasn't a bullet, but a High-Pressure Air Cannon!

Tang San only had time to tilt his head before he was blasted away by the immense force, slamming heavily into the wall across the street and leaving a human-shaped crater.

"Cough, cough..."

Tang San climbed up in a sorry state, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Damn it!

Even a gatekeeper is this strong?

What kind of hellish place is this!

Just then, the gate slowly opened.

Qin Feng walked out slowly, wearing a white lab coat and holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Orochimaru followed behind him, staring greedily at the Cursed Seal on Tang San's neck with the look one might give a lab rat.

"Yo, isn't this our 'Child of Destiny'?"

Qin Feng blew on the steam of his coffee, his face full of mockery.

"What? You just gained a little power, and you're already impatient to come here and die?"

Tang San stared fixedly at Qin Feng, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

"Qin Feng! This shop... is it yours?"

"Correct, but there's no prize."

Qin Feng pointed to the sign behind him.

"Starting today, all metal circulation in Nuoding City is under my control."

"You want to buy iron? You want to forge hidden weapons?"

A cruel arc curled at the corner of Qin Feng's mouth.

"Sorry, you are a blacklisted user."

"Don't talk about refined iron; I wouldn't even sell you a rusted nail."

Despair.

A sense of despair, being blocked on all fronts, enveloped Tang San.

Without materials, his Tang Sect techniques were like cooking without rice.

Without hidden weapons, what could he use to fight this madman who possessed terrifying technology?

"You've gone too far!"

Tang San let out a furious roar, and the Cursed Seal on his neck instantly turned crimson red.

Reason shattered.

Killing intent boiled over!

"I'm going to kill you!!!"

Tang San kicked off the ground, his entire body transforming into a black streak of lightning as he charged toward Qin Feng, heedless of everything else.

He wanted to use the power of the Cursed Seal to tear that detestable smiling face to shreds!

However.

Qin Feng didn't even move.

He simply took a light sip of his coffee and gave a wink to Orochimaru behind him.

"Doctor, your test subject seems to be a bit out of control."

"Leave it to me."

Orochimaru extended his long tongue, and his figure vanished in an instant.

The next second.

"Smack!"

A pale hand gripped Tang San's throat tightly, intercepting him in mid-air.

Orochimaru's cold, sinister face was pressed almost against the tip of Tang San's nose.

"Shh—"

"Little one, this power is something I lent to you."

"You want to use my power to attack my partner?"

"Isn't that... a bit disobedient?"

Orochimaru's finger tapped lightly on the Cursed Seal.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

The Cursed Seal that had been providing power to Tang San instantly turned into a red-hot branding iron.

That agonizing pain, which pierced deep into his soul, caused Tang San to lose his combat ability instantly, leaving him twitching in the air like a dead dog.

"Throw him further away."

Qin Feng waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

"Don't dirty the entrance to my company."

"Also, Tang San, remember one thing."

Qin Feng walked over to the still-twitching Tang San and looked down at him from above.

"The times have changed."

"Those so-called ultimate techniques of yours are not even worth as much as trash in front of my production line."

"Want revenge?"

"Then work hard to stay alive and become a more valuable test subject."

"Thud!"

Orochimaru tossed him aside casually, throwing Tang San into the sewer ditch beside the street.

The surrounding onlookers pointed and whispered, but no one dared to step forward.

Lying in the sewage, Tang San looked up at the "Umbrella" sign hanging high above, tears of blood streaming from his eyes in humiliation.

Qin Feng...

I, Tang San, swear!

As long as I don't die, one day, I will smash everything you have to pieces!

After dealing with this little fly.

Qin Feng turned and returned to the interior of the factory.

Grey Wolf was excitedly circling the first batch of products to come off the line.

They were rows of neat, black firearms emitting a cold, metallic luster.

Although the structure was simple, they were epoch-making products.

AK-47 Assault Rifle (Douluo Modified Version).

Using compressed soul power rounds, they required no gunpowder, and their power was sufficient to pierce the defense of a Soul Elder within a hundred meters.

"Boss! The first batch of one hundred units has come off the line!"

"And five 'Italian Cannons' are currently being assembled!"

Qin Feng picked up a rifle and pulled the bolt.

"Click."

The crisp sound was the symphony of industrial civilization.

Just then, a guard hurried in, holding a gold-embossed letter in his hand.

"Boss! Someone has delivered a calling card!"

"They say... the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi, wants to meet with you!"

Qin Feng took the letter, looked at the Seven Treasure emblem on it that symbolized the wealthiest sect on the entire continent, and smiled.

The fish had taken the bait.

"Tell him."

Qin Feng tossed the gun to Grey Wolf.

"If he wants to see me, he can."

"Tell him to bring his sincerity, and... that pampered little princess of his."

"He can come and wait in line himself."