The Unbelieving Tai Tan

Qian Renxue watched her retreating figure, shook her head helplessly, and quickened her pace to follow.

The two swung onto their horses and galloped toward the Strength Clan.

Along the way, Ye Yunxi rode with her red dress fluttering slightly in the wind, drawing frequent glances from passersby.

She, however, tugged at her hem with a look of disdain, cursing the system a thousand times over in her heart, yet she remained filled with anticipation for that ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Seeing her alternate between frowning and smirking, Qian Renxue couldn't help but ask:

"What kind of mischief are you plotting now?"

"Nothing~" Ye Yunxi turned her head and cast a flirtatious wink at her, her smile even more dazzling against the backdrop of her red dress. "I'm just thinking about how to make that old man Tai Tan willingly hand over the Strength Clan's forging techniques to the Heaven Dou Empire~"

"If only you had that kind of ability. You never have a serious bone in your body."

Qian Renxue scolded her, then continued to urge her horse forward to reach the Strength Clan.

As for Ye Yunxi, she was actually looking forward to seeing what kind of method she might come up with.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the location of the Strength Clan.

To show her sincerity, she hadn't brought any guards; only she and Ye Yunxi had come.

"So this is where the Strength Clan is? It's quite a desolate backwater after breaking away from the Clear Sky Sect."

Ye Yunxi jumped off her horse and looked around; it was indeed much poorer than she had imagined.

"They were one of the Four Great Sects to begin with, and after the Clear Sky Sect closed its mountain, they stopped caring whether these four sects lived or died."

Qian Renxue said, pulling Ye Yunxi toward the interior of the Strength Clan.

The disciples guarding the entrance were startled to see the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Princess, may I ask what brings you both here?"

"Little brothers, please inform Clan Leader Tai Tan that the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince have come to discuss a partnership."

Ye Yunxi blinked her eyes at the two, her tender and affectionate demeanor causing the guards' cheeks to flush red.

"Please wait a moment, Your Highness the Crown Princess, we will go at once."

As the words fell, one remained to keep watch while the other ran directly into the Strength Clan to report.

"You certainly have a way with words," Qian Renxue remarked out of the blue.

"Some things are better left to me," Ye Yunxi replied with a faint smile.

Before long, the guard returned, accompanied by another man.

Ye Yunxi stepped forward to take a look and realized it was Tai Tan's son, Tai Nuo.

Tai Nuo was somewhat puzzled to find only Ye Yunxi and Qian Renxue at the gate without any guards, but he dared not be negligent.

He offered a greeting and led the two toward the main hall of the Strength Clan.

Inside the main hall sat an elderly man with white hair, yet he was robust and sturdy; it was none other than the leader of the Strength Clan, Tai Tan.

"Clan Leader Tai Tan, I have long admired your reputation."

Qian Renxue stepped forward to greet him.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you've traveled a long way to come here—what kind of partnership are you seeking?"

Tai Tan asked indifferently; in truth, he knew in his heart that the Crown Prince wanted to subjugate the Strength Clan.

Ever since the Clear Sky Sect sealed its mountain, surrounding powers had all sought to subjugate them, including the Martial Soul Hall.

However, after formally meeting Tang San a few days ago, their Strength Clan had found a new glimmer of hope.

Just as Qian Renxue was about to speak, Ye Yunxi stepped forward first, her tone blunt and direct:

"Clan Leader Tai Tan, let's get straight to the point. The Strength Clan's forging techniques are excellent, but your current situation is likely not very favorable, is it?"

Tai Tan frowned and looked up at her, his eyes filled with confusion:

"What is the meaning of this, Your Highness the Crown Princess?"

"It means exactly what I said."

Ye Yunxi tapped her fingertip, her tone carrying a hint of certainty:

"The weapons you forge have enough hardness, but they lack toughness. They are prone to shattering during battlefield combat. Furthermore, the clan lacks high-quality iron ore, and even the earth fire used to temper metal is unstable, leading to low forging efficiency and poor yield rates."

She paused, sweeping a glance over the simple furnishings in the hall:

"After the Clear Sky Sect closed its mountain, no one provided you with resources, and the Martial Soul Hall is pressing in step by step. You want to find a reliable backer, but you don't want to lose the face of the Strength Clan, right?"

Tai Tan's expression shifted; this young girl had hit the nail on the head!

He said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness the Crown Princess is young—what do you know about forging? These are nothing more than hearsay."

"Hearsay?" Ye Yunxi raised an eyebrow, her tone instantly turning colder. "Whether I know or not is not for you to decide."

She stepped forward, her speech quickening, every word hitting the mark: "Forging isn't just brute force. The ratio of ores must be precise; fusing black iron with star-patterned steel in a three-to-seven ratio will increase toughness by thirty percent."

"During quenching, the earth-fire temperature must be controlled at thirty-two hundred degrees. Too high, and you'll ruin the metal's grain; too low, and you won't be able to remove the impurities."

"Furthermore, the Thousand-Hammer Forging Technique you currently use is too outdated. You should inject a faint trace of soul power while hammering to guide the reorganization of the metal molecules; only then can a weapon be both hard and flexible."

"Besides, the high-quality iron ore you lack is held by the Heaven Dou imperial family. I can help you find a stable source of earth-fire, and even the materials needed for forging can be provided by the Crown Prince."

As her words fell, the hall fell into dead silence.

Tai Tan stood up abruptly, his cloudy eyes filled with shock as he stared fixedly at Ye Yunxi:

"You... you truly understand forging?"

He had lived for so many years and seen countless forging masters, yet never had he met anyone like this young girl.

She had hit the nail on the head, pointing out the core issues of the Strength Clan, and even laid out the solutions with perfect logic!

Those details regarding ore ratios, earth-fire temperatures, and soul power injection were things the Strength Clan had spent decades studying without ever fully grasping!

Qian Renxue was also stunned, not expecting Ye Yunxi to actually understand these things; she had previously assumed the girl was just spouting nonsense.

Ye Yunxi lifted her chin triumphantly:

"I told you, I understand it better than you do. Did you think the Crown Prince came here to forcibly subjugate you? We are here to cooperate. You provide the forging craftsmanship, and the Heaven Dou imperial family provides the resources and protection. It's a win-win."

Tai Tan's breathing grew somewhat ragged. He looked at Ye Yunxi's confident gaze, then at the calm-looking Qian Renxue beside her, his heart churning with turbulent waves.

What exactly was the background of this Imperial Concubine?

A young woman, not only possessing a peerless appearance but also understanding such profound forging techniques—it was simply inconceivable!

He remained silent for a moment, his tone softening significantly:

"Since Imperial Concubine understands forging, then this old man would like to ask: regarding the injection of soul power to guide metal reorganization, how exactly should that be operated?"

Ye Yunxi knew that Tai Tan was tempted, and a smile curled at the corner of her lips:

"It's very simple. I'll demonstrate it for you, but we must go to your forge."

Tai Tan rose immediately:

"Good! This old man would like to see it with his own eyes!"

The group followed Tai Tan toward the forge, the path filled with the clanging sounds of hammering, the air thick with the scent of iron filings and sulfur.