The hall was simple yet imposing. Seated in the place of honor was a refined, elegant middle-aged man with a face as handsome as jade.
He was none other than Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Standing beside him was an old man dressed in white as pure as snow, with white hair and beard, and a long sword cradled in his arms.
He was like a drawn sword, its sharp edge laid bare—Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
Ning Fengzhi saw Ji Feng, "transported" there by Bone Prison.
He also saw Gu Rong beside him, looking as though he had "completed his mission."
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help rubbing his brow and smiling helplessly. "Uncle Gu, didn't I ask you to 'invite' this young brother to visit our sect? How did you..."
"Invite him? What a hassle!" Gu Rong pouted and plopped down to one side. "This kid showed off some decent forging skills at the auction house. Weren't you interested, Sect Master? Why not just bring him back and ask him about it?"
At those words, Ji Feng's expression darkened beneath his black robe.
Steadying himself, he cupped his hands toward Ning Fengzhi without either groveling or showing disrespect. "So you are Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, along with the two honored Douluo."
"May I ask why you 'invited' me here in this manner? If this is about working with the auction house, I believe a conversation built on coercion is unlikely to be sincere."
A flicker of surprise crossed Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
The boy looked no older than twelve or thirteen. Yet even under the pressure of two Titled Douluo and after such an abrupt "invitation," he remained calm and responded with clear reasoning. His composure was no small thing.
"Please don't take offense, young brother. Uncle Gu is a little impatient. Allow me to apologize on his behalf."
Ning Fengzhi spoke gently, then took an object from his sleeve and set it on the table beside him. "It was indeed presumptuous of us to invite you here. The main reason was this item. We hoped you could take a look at it for us."
It was a delicately crafted metal sleeve arrow, black all over, with smooth lines: the Silent Sleeve Arrow Tang San had made.
Ji Feng glanced at it and understood.
He walked over and picked up the sleeve arrow, lightly brushing his fingertips over several key mechanisms.
Then he held it up to the light and studied the shadows cast by its inner workings.
A moment later, he set it down and said evenly, "The structure is ingenious, and the mechanism that drives it has some clever design choices."
"Especially the silent firing and continuous reloading mechanisms. It's a decent low-grade Soul Tool."
"Or, you could call it a... Hidden Weapon."
"The craftsmanship is a little rough, and the material is just ordinary refined iron, so its durability is limited."
"It might catch anyone below Soul Elder rank off guard, but against a Soul Ancestor with even slightly stronger defenses, its effectiveness would likely be greatly reduced."
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged a glance, both surprised. Ji Feng's assessment was spot-on. He had even pointed out some minor flaws they had not paid much attention to before.
"Hmph. You make it sound so convincing. Who knows if you're just guessing!" Gu Rong snorted from the side. He had never thought much of forging.
Ji Feng turned to look at Gu Rong. His expression was hidden beneath his black robe, but his voice grew colder. "Senior Bone Douluo, first you abducted me by force."
"Now you're questioning me as well. Is this how the wealthiest sect in the world, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, treats its guests? Or does being a Titled Douluo give you the right to look down on everyone else?"
"You brat, you!" Gu Rong's eyes widened, and the aura of a Titled Douluo was about to erupt. He was the mighty Bone Douluo—when had a mere Soul Elder ever talked back to him like this?
"Uncle Gu!" Ning Fengzhi raised his voice, a hint of reproach in his tone.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's serious expression, Gu Rong also noticed Chen Xin give a slight shake of his head.
He could only swallow his anger and turn away with a disgruntled look. In a gruff voice, he said, "...All right, all right. I... I was a little heavy-handed just now. Kid, I'm sorry!"
The apology was painfully forced, but coming from Bone Douluo, it was already no small thing.
Ning Fengzhi turned to Ji Feng once more, his expression even more apologetic. "Young brother, I'm truly sorry. Uncle Gu... meant no harm."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sincerely invites you, young brother. We have no intention of forcing you."
"I've heard that you know a great deal about minerals and forging. Our sect happens to have an excellent forge and a stockpile of various ores. If you don't mind, you're welcome to use them whenever you like."
Ji Feng's heart stirred.
He had been worrying about how to raise his blacksmith level quickly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's resources were undoubtedly a shortcut.
But he kept his expression neutral and considered the offer. "Sect Master Ning is most generous. I would be rude to refuse."
"However, I do need some rare ores for forging practice."
"If Sect Master Ning can provide them, I'll be deeply grateful. As for this sleeve arrow, if you need a better replacement, perhaps... I could give it a try."
He didn't promise too much, but the word "try," combined with the discerning eye he had shown at the auction house, was enough to stir Ning Fengzhi's expectations.
"Excellent! It's a deal!" Ning Fengzhi said with a delighted laugh, clapping his hands before immediately giving the necessary orders.
Before long, Ji Feng was taken to a top-notch forge within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, reserved exclusively for its core members.
The underground fire burned steadily, the tools were all in place, and the neighboring storeroom was piled high with ores collected from all over.
There was everything from ordinary black iron and refined iron to rare cold iron and mithril, and even a small supply of dark iron.
Ji Feng wasted no time and got straight to work.
He started by practicing with ordinary iron, getting used to the underground fire and the tools.
The blacksmithing knowledge granted by the system flowed through his mind as he swung the hammer in his hands.
At first, his movements were a little awkward, but he gradually hit his stride. The rhythm, force, and angle of every hammer blow carried a unique cadence.
He wasn't simply forging iron. He was "grinding" his proficiency.
Every time he finished a properly made rough blank, the experience bar beside "Blacksmith (Intermediate)" on the system panel would tick up slightly.
With an endless supply of practice materials at hand, his proficiency rose at an astonishing rate.
A day and a night passed, without sleep or rest.
When dawn came again, the last piece of Hundred-Refined Iron in Ji Feng's hands finished quenching and rang out with a clear, bright note. At the same time, a soft chime sounded in his mind.
Blacksmith (High-Level)!
He had finally broken through!
A High-Level Blacksmith was equivalent to the Soul Grandmaster realm and could purify metal through Hundred Refinement.
He could also begin trying to craft low-grade Soul Tools or equipment with special attributes.
More importantly, he had met the requirement for the King Equipment System—he could now forge Level 2 equipment!
Ji Feng suppressed the urge to try forging something at once and collected himself. Though a little tired, he was buzzing with excitement.
Then he left the forge.
He bade Ning Fengzhi farewell, saying he needed to go back and digest what he had gained, and promised to bring over some results from his "attempts" in the future.
Ning Fengzhi readily agreed and personally escorted him to the sect's entrance.
Watching Ji Feng's departing figure, Gu Rong couldn't help muttering again, "Sect Master, do you really think this kid can come up with anything? Can you really hammer a flower out of iron?"
Before you continue