Inside the shadowy smithy, the faint glow of the fire was the only light, barely enough to keep them from knocking things over.
As they ventured farther in, the pungent stench of rusty residue suddenly flooded Fang Le's nose and mouth.
A smithy smelling of rust was perfectly normal.
But Fang Le couldn't help feeling that something about this smell was off.
"Holy crap!"
After they passed through two walls, light appeared before Fang Le once more.
But when he saw the scene before him,
he couldn't help swearing.
"Out of the tiger's den and straight into the wolf's lair? Does my luck have to be this bad?!"
Weren't cities supposed to be safer than the wilderness?
Why was it that everywhere he went, it was either human trafficking or some genuine lunatic?
The courtyard looked cluttered, but it wasn't just messy—it was filthy.
Bloodstains were splattered everywhere, both dried and fresh.
Even in the corner, two buckets of bright-red liquid sat untouched.
Everything his senses told him confirmed that it was all blood.
And what the hell was that white stuff in the bucket by the wall?
"Uncle! You're not an Evil Soul Master, are you? You're not, right?!"
Looking at the blood-soaked scene before him, Fang Le was already considering whether to summon the Warden and fight his way out.
"No. I'm not even a Soul Master, so how could I be an Evil Soul Master? Don't worry, it's all my blood."
Shi You was used to outsiders reacting this way when they entered. They all reacted more or less the same.
But ever since he'd begun his research, he rarely let anyone into the courtyard.
The people who came and went were usually acquaintances or relatives.
"It's a bit of a mess. Wait here for a moment. I'll fetch something and be right back!"
Shi You glanced at the wary Fang Le and didn't bother explaining further. The truth would prove everything.
He casually tossed aside a piece of scrap metal blocking the way, then headed toward the little room deeper inside.
He only told Fang Le to stay where he was.
"This... Old Green!"
Even after Shi You's explanation, the now-intelligent Fang Le remained wary and summoned the Warden.
He brought it in front of him and slowly backed away.
"Old Green, you've been grinding levels for ages. Now it's time to prove your loyalty!"
"Roar!"
He kept talking trash as he retreated, trying to ease his nerves.
The Warden, meanwhile, looked confident. It patted the gaping mouth on its chest and let out a low growl.
After spending over a month grinding on small animals everywhere, Fang Le had barely reached level five.
The Warden was at least as strong as a Soul Grandmaster.
Only a genius with a top-tier Beast Martial Soul in the Power Attack System and a level above twenty-five could last two rounds against it.
Against an ordinary person, it shouldn't have much trouble beating a Soul Elder, either.
At the moment, it was the only thing that could give Fang Le even the tiniest sense of security.
"Hahaha! You catch on quick, kid. That's cautious enough!
So this is your Martial Soul? What an imposing presence. No wonder you were so confident."
Before Fang Le could back out, Shi You emerged from the inner room carrying a box.
Seeing Fang Le cautiously retreat with his Martial Soul summoned, he laughed and praised him.
It was still very young, but as the owner of what was now Shi You's finest work, he ought to be able to do it justice.
"Come on, kid. Didn't you want a sword? If you do, come over and give me a hand!"
Shi You walked to one side, opened the box, and took out an unusual hammer.
Then he beckoned to the wary Fang Le.
"Uncle, what exactly is going on here?"
Fang Le cautiously approached to get a better look.
Only then did he see the hammer clearly.
Its head was etched with lines, and a long tube at the end of the handle connected to a strange capsule-shaped device.
"Kid, do you know what kind of weapon can be called a divine weapon?"
In response to Fang Le's question, Shi You took out a finished piece of silver-blue metal and put it in the furnace to heat.
Then he asked a question that seemed completely unrelated.
"A divine weapon? One that can split mountains and crack the earth, weigh a thousand jun, recognize its master, and shrink or expand at will, light as a feather? Or one that can reverse time and space, turn yin and yang upside down, and wield countless powers?"
Fang Le thought for a moment, then offered his idea of what a divine weapon ought to be.
"You kid! You've got quite the imagination. Reverse time and space, turn yin and yang upside down! Why not say it can make you a god in one step?"
Shi You had meant to show off, but Fang Le's idea of a divine weapon was far beyond anything he'd ever dared imagine.
Kids these days dreamed big.
"A divine weapon without any special abilities? How could you call that a divine weapon?"
Fang Le spoke as if it were obvious, as though he'd gained the upper hand.
"True. I'd love to forge a divine weapon like that, too.
But if I could do all that, would a little bean like you even get to meet me? What are you thinking, kid?
Anyway, after all that, you did get one thing right: it has to recognize its master!
The weapon in your hand must become another Martial Soul of yours, growing alongside you."
Seeing that the tension had eased, Shi You returned to his usual shameless uncle act and gave Fang Le a scornful look.
But when he spoke of forging, his warm manner gave way to a solemn gravity.
Recognize its master?! Was that something an ordinary blacksmith would even think of? That was a Soul Engineer's work, wasn't it?
Fang Le watched Shi You's confident expression. Shocked, he decided to keep observing for a while.
In a world where everyone used Martial Souls, only high-level Soul Engineers would even consider making a weapon recognize its master.
Most other people probably hadn't even conceived of the idea.
So Fang Le said nothing and quietly waited for Shi You to continue.
"A blacksmith's craft flourished briefly, over ten thousand years ago, when Sea God Tang San invented Hidden Weapons.
But after the Sun Moon Continent joined with the Douluo Continent, it was knocked back to square one. Aside from refining metals by removing impurities, blacksmiths became useless once again.
I've always wondered: what path was there for blacksmiths?
There's a limit to how strong metal can be. Weapons and Soul Tools made from it are inherently constrained.
They could never surpass a weapon-type Martial Soul that could grow alongside its Soul Master.
Then, one day, an idea suddenly came to me. Could a weapon be turned into a Martial Soul?
But I could never figure out how.
After years of studying ancient texts and conducting research, I finally found the answer!"
Shi You's voice rose and fell as he spoke, his expression animated and his arms waving with excitement.
"A towering building begins with its foundation. The same goes for forging.
You need good steel to make a good weapon. There are ten, a hundred, and a thousand refinements—but are there no stages beyond that?
A living being recognizes its master! By infusing the metal with the user's bloodline and Soul Power,
you can forge metal with special properties, metal that resonates with the user's blood and soul!
Then you shape it into a weapon.
As it grows through continuous nourishment by Soul Power, it could even be called a person's second Martial Soul.
That's why I call it 'Blood-Forged Spirit Gold'!"
"Huh?!"
After Shi You's speech, Fang Le couldn't help wondering whether this was even still the world of Douluo Continent II.
What the hell? That was definitely Spirit Forging!
How had Spirit Forging shown up here?!
Looking at Shi You's fanatical expression, Fang Le had no idea what to say.
"Then, Uncle, how far along is your research?"
Fang Le figured he'd better ask. To achieve Spirit Forging, you'd need at least the strength of a Soul Ancestor.
Even Tang Wulin, the protagonist of Douluo Continent III, hadn't managed Spirit Forging until he was a Soul Elder.
This blacksmith had Soul Power, but he didn't even seem as strong as Fang Le.
It wasn't that Fang Le looked down on him. How could someone who wasn't even a Soul Master possibly pull off Spirit Forging?
"Fate has its own plans! I'd intended to wait a few more years, until my son became a Soul Master, before trying it.
But now you'll be the first to experience this great technology."
As if Fang Le had hit a sore spot, the once-fanatical Shi You scratched his face, looking a little awkward. But he soon regained his confidence and spoke to Fang Le.
After nearly ten years of practice, he was confident he could take this final step!
"Fine! I want to see what this 'Blood-Forged Spirit Gold' is all about!"
Fang Le's interest had been piqued, and he nodded excitedly at Shi You.
"Good! Come on, let's draw some blood first! Then I'll extract some Soul Power!"
"Huh?!"
Before you continue