Blood-Forged Spirit Gold!? Spirit Forging!

Inside the dim blacksmith shop, only the faint light from the embers prevented them from knocking things over.

As the two ventured deeper, the pungent scent of rust and debris suddenly surged into Fang Le's nose and mouth.

While the smell of rust in a blacksmith shop was perfectly normal, Fang Le couldn't shake the feeling that something about this odor was off.

"Holy crap!"

After passing through two partition walls, light reappeared before Fang Le's eyes.

But when he saw the scene before him, he couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's lair? Does my luck have to be this bad?!!"

Wasn't it said that the city was generally safer than the wilderness?

Why was everything he encountered either human trafficking or pure insanity?

The courtyard, which appeared cluttered, was actually far from clean.

Bloodstains were splattered everywhere, both dried and fresh.

Even in the corner of the wall, there were two buckets filled with a bright red liquid.

The information relayed by his five senses confirmed over and over that this was all blood.

And what the hell was that bucket of white stuff in the corner?

"Uncle! You aren't an Evil Soul Master, are you? Right!?"

Looking at the blood-drenched scene before him, Fang Le had already begun to consider whether he should summon the Warden to fight his way out.

"No, I'm not even a Soul Master, so how could I be an Evil Soul Master? Rest assured, that is all my own blood."

Shi You was already accustomed to the reactions of outsiders entering this place; they were mostly all the same.

However, ever since he began his research, he rarely let anyone walk into this courtyard.

Those who came and went on a daily basis were either acquaintances or relatives.

"It's a bit messy. Just wait here for a moment; I'll go grab something and be right back!"

Shi You looked at the wary Fang Le and didn't offer much explanation, knowing that the facts would prove everything later.

He tossed aside the scrap metal blocking his path and walked toward a small hut further inside, simply instructing Fang Le to stay where he was.

"This... Old Green!"

Although Shi You had offered an explanation, the quick-witted Fang Le remained vigilant and summoned the Warden.

As he brought it in front of him, he slowly began to retreat.

"Old Green, you've been grinding levels for so long, it's time for you to prove your loyalty!"

"Roar!"

He didn't forget to talk trash while retreating to ease his nervous mood.

The Warden looked confident, patting the large mouth on its chest and letting out a low growl.

After grinding small animals for over a month, Fang Le had barely reached level five.

The Warden's strength was at least equivalent to a Soul Grand Master.

Furthermore, only geniuses with top-tier assault-type beast martial souls above level 25 would have the qualifications to last two rounds against it.

As for ordinary people, it shouldn't have any major issues fighting a Soul Elder.

Right now, it was the only thing that could provide Fang Le with even a shred of security.

"Hahaha! You kid, you really are quick on the uptake; this level of caution is impressive!

Is this your martial soul? It's brimming with dominance—no wonder you were so confident."

Before Fang Le could even retreat, Shi You walked out from the inner room carrying a box.

He laughed and praised the boy upon seeing him summon his martial soul and back away cautiously.

Although still quite raw, he believed that as the master of his current masterpiece, the boy wouldn't let it go to waste.

"Come here! You kid, didn't you want a precious sword? If you want it, come over and help!"

Shi You walked to the side, opened the box, and took out a strange-looking hammer.

At the same time, he beckoned to the wary Fang Le.

"Uncle, what exactly is going on here?"

Fang Le slowly approached to observe.

Only then did he see the full appearance of the hammer.

The hammerhead featured intricate patterns, and a long tube at the tail end connected to a strange, capsule-shaped device.

"Kid, do you know what kind of weapon can be called a Divine Tool?"

Facing Fang Le's inquiry, Shi You took out a piece of finished silver-blue metal and placed it into the furnace to heat.

He had asked a question that seemed completely unrelated to the topic at hand.

"A Divine Tool? Something that can split mountains and crack the earth, heavy as Thousand Jun, yet light as a feather and free to retract once it recognizes its master? Or perhaps something that can reverse time and space, turning yin and yang upside down with ever-changing abilities?"

Fang Le pondered for a moment, stating his understanding of what a so-called Divine Tool was.

"You brat! You certainly have a wild imagination—reversing time and space, turning yin and yang upside down! Why don't you just say it can help you ascend to godhood in a single step?"

Shi You had intended to show off, but he hadn't expected Fang Le's understanding of Divine Tools to reach a level he wouldn't even dare to dream of.

The young man's heart was far too ambitious.

"Well, if a Divine Tool didn't have any special abilities, how could it be called a Divine Tool?"

Fang Le spoke as if he had gained some confidence, taking it for granted.

"Indeed, although I would also love to forge such a divine weapon. But if I had that kind of ability, would a little bean sprout like you even be able to see me? What are you thinking, kid! However, having said all that, you got one thing right: recognizing a master! Make the weapon in your hand your second martial soul, and let the weapon grow continuously alongside your own growth."

Seeing the atmosphere soften, Shi You reverted to his unscrupulous uncle persona, speaking to Fang Le with disdain.

Yet, when the topic turned to forging, his previously genial posture was replaced by a heavy, solemn gravity.

Recognizing a master?! Is this something a regular blacksmith should be thinking about? That sounds like the work of a Soul Engineer.

Watching Shi You's confident expression, Fang Le felt shocked, yet he decided to wait and see.

In this world of martial souls, the concept of a weapon recognizing its master was something only high-level Soul Engineers would consider.

Most others probably hadn't even heard of such a concept.

Therefore, Fang Le remained silent, waiting quietly for what Shi You would say next.

"Blacksmiths had a brief moment of glory ten thousand years ago when the Sea God Tang San created hidden weapons. But after the borders with the Sun Moon Continent opened, they were beaten back to their original state; aside from refining metals to remove impurities, they became useless once again. I have been searching: what is the way forward for blacksmiths? The strength of metal has its limits; the weapons and even Soul Tools forged from it are inherently constrained. They could never surpass a tool-type martial soul that grows alongside a soul master. Until later, I suddenly had an idea: could a weapon be turned into a martial soul? But I could never grasp the essence of it. Yet, after scouring ancient texts and years of research, I finally found it!"

Shi You's emotions fluctuated, his expression agitated and his face beaming with excitement.

"A thousand-foot tower rises from its foundation, and blacksmithing is the same. Only with good steel can you have good weapons. Ten-fold forging, hundred-fold forging, thousand-fold forging—is there another level beyond that? Spirit recognition! As long as it is supplemented by the user's bloodline and soul power, one can forge metal that possesses special attributes and is perfectly attuned to the user's blood and soul! Then, forge it into a weapon. Through constant nourishment by soul power, the weapon grows—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a person's second martial soul. Therefore, I call it 'Blood-Forged Spirit Gold'!!"

"Ah!?"

Shi You's entire speech made Fang Le doubt whether this was still the world of Douluo Continent 2.

What the hell? That was definitely Spirit Forging!

How did Spirit Forging pop up here!?

Looking at the fanatical Shi You, Fang Le didn't even know what to say.

"So, Uncle, how far has your research progressed?"

Fang Le felt he had to ask; after all, to perform Spirit Forging, one should at least have the strength of a Soul Ancestor.

Even the protagonist of Douluo Continent 3, Wulin, was only able to perform Spirit Forging when he was a Soul Elder.

Although this boss had soul power, he felt that even he couldn't compare to that.

It wasn't that he looked down on the man, but if he wasn't even a soul master, how could he possibly pull off Spirit Forging?

"It is a matter of time and fate! I had originally planned to wait a few more years, until my son became a soul master, before attempting it. Now, you will be the first person to experience this great technology."

As if struck in a sore spot, the previously fanatical Shi You scratched his face, looking somewhat awkward, though he quickly regained his confidence and spoke to Fang Le.

After nearly a decade of practice, he was confident he could make this final leap!

"Deal! I want to see what this Blood-Forged Spirit Gold is all about!!"

Fang Le's interest was also piqued, and he nodded excitedly at Shi You.

"Alright then! Come on, first draw some blood! Then extract some soul power!"

"Ah!"