Firearm Manufacturing Mastery

"Solitary Bamboo had little offensive power, but its defense was astonishing.

"If it were only a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo, I'd let you try it yourself.

"But this one is a full two hundred years old. With your strength, you probably wouldn't even be able to hurt it.

"So I'd better help you."

When Ding Xiulun finished speaking, he swung the rake in his hands and brought it down on the Solitary Bamboo.

"Clang!"

The rake struck the bamboo with a crisp, short sound, like metal on stone. Its tines trembled faintly from the impact.

"See? This Hundred-Year Solitary Bamboo is tough, isn't it?

"I'm a Soul Grandmaster, and I can't damage it directly. There's no need to mention a little kid like you."

Tang San nodded gently. "Thanks for the effort, Deacon Ding!"

Ding Xiulun chuckled. "If it means you can get a powerful Soul Ring, then no amount of effort is too much!"

"First Soul Skill, Power of the Rake!"

"Second Soul Skill, Power of the Rake!"

Ding Xiulun gave two sharp shouts in succession. The Ten-Year Soul Ring and Hundred-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up one after the other, and two layers of earthen-yellow light covered the rake in his hands.

"Fall!"

Ding Xiulun shouted with vigor, swung the rake up, and struck the Solitary Bamboo again.

"Thump!"

With a dull crash, the two-hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo toppled over, but didn't break cleanly. A few fibers still held it together.

Ding Xiulun quickly called out, "Tang San, use your knife to cut through the remaining fibers."

Tang San did as he was told. It took quite a while with his kitchen knife, but he finally managed to finish off the Hundred-Year Solitary Bamboo.

As the Hundred-Year Solitary Bamboo crashed to the ground, a yellow Soul Ring slowly rose into the air.

Ding Xiulun said with satisfaction, "Go on, absorb your Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

Tang San nodded, sat cross-legged where he was, and began absorbing the Soul Ring using the method Ding Xiulun had taught him.

In less than an hour, he successfully claimed the Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring. The entire process went smoothly.

After successfully obtaining his First Soul Ring, Tang San wasn't particularly happy or excited. Instead, he felt he might have made the wrong choice.

"Choosing Solitary Bamboo for my First Soul Ring wasn't wrong. It's just the age..."

Tang San realized belatedly, "Two hundred years seems far below my limit."

It's not reaching your limit that's the point. You should be glad you got a two-hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo to absorb.

If I weren't worried you wouldn't take the bait, I'd have arranged a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo for you.

If you really absorbed a four-hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo, wouldn't that be a legendary upgrade?

Duan Fan had just finished lunch and returned to his room.

He'd spent the entire afternoon keeping an eye on what was happening with Tang San. Things had gone a little awry along the way, but in the end, the result was just what he'd expected.

I originally meant to arrange a Solitary Bamboo just over a hundred years old for Tang San. I didn't expect him to get so lucky and run into one that was two hundred years old. Even so, I should still get a system reward.

If Tang San had followed his normal course of development, his First Soul Ring would have come from a Mandala Snake roughly four hundred years old.

Though the Mandala Snake wasn't especially well suited to Tang San, its age was still impressive.

Compared to it, a two-hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo fell far short.

Just as Duan Fan was thinking about his system reward, the system notification arrived right on cue.

[Modification successful! Tang San's First Soul Ring has changed. His growth will slow down!]

[Reward acquired: Firearm Manufacturing Mastery; Modification Chance *1!]

"The reward really came through!"

"What's this Firearm Manufacturing Mastery supposed to be? Is it related to Tang San's Hidden Weapons?"

"Could firearms even be made with Douluo Continent's current level of industrial manufacturing?"

Duan Fan wondered skeptically.

Just then, a wealth of knowledge about firearm manufacturing appeared deep in his mind.

From the most primitive matchlock, a crude weapon that required gunpowder to be poured down the muzzle and tamped down with a ramrod before lighting the match cord and waiting for a dull bang;

to the hand-cranked Gatling gun, which used a handle to rotate six barrels and fire in rapid succession;

to the semi-automatic rifle with a magazine feed, which could eject a spent casing and load the next round with a single pull of the trigger.

The structure, parts, and gunpowder formulas for every firearm were clearly etched into his mind. He even knew exactly how to cut the rifling inside a barrel, how deep to make it, and what twist rate to use.

But knowing how to make something was one thing. Being able to actually make it was another.

After all, this was Douluo Continent.

And it was the era of Douluo I.

Industrial manufacturing was extremely limited.

For starters, the barrel alone would rule out most possibilities.

A barrel needed seamless steel tubing. Even the simplest smoothbore barrel required a sheet of iron to be rolled and forge-welded, and the weld had to withstand the pressure of the gunpowder gases without bursting.

Could the blacksmiths in Douluo really make one?

Duan Fan took a deep breath, trying not to be so pessimistic.

Then he thought of something, and his hopes for firearm manufacturing rose a little.

"Actually, Douluo's industrial manufacturing might not be as backward as I imagined. Tang San's Hidden Weapons are proof enough.

"Some of his Hidden Weapons contain incredibly precise parts.

"If he can even make the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus, then making a gun might not be impossible.

"With a good enough blacksmith, and enough time spent hand-finishing everything regardless of cost, it should be possible to make a gun's basic components."

Duan Fan began imagining all kinds of firearms being made. Just as he was about to lose himself in the fantasy, his reason brought him back to reality.

What am I thinking?

I'm only six years old.

How could a six-year-old get into making guns without his uncle and aunt finding out?

And if they caught me, what would I say—that I'd dreamed it all up?

Why does that excuse sound so familiar?

Someone else tried it, but it didn't work.

Even if my uncle and aunt didn't question who I was and chose to believe me, there's an even more important question.

Where would I get the money?

Making guns was incredibly expensive, especially starting from scratch.

This stuff cost a lot more than Hidden Weapons.

"I'd better set gunmaking aside for now. Once I'm older and have some money, I can gradually work toward it.

"If I get the chance, I can ask around at a blacksmith's shop. Making a few fire lances and the like shouldn't cost too much."

Duan Fan lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, his thoughts still wandering as he began to consider other things.

"Uncle said at lunch that Notting City Elementary Spirit Master Academy won't start its new term for another three months. If I want to enroll at Notting Academy, I can start now and graduate a year early, then move on to a higher-level academy sooner.

"If I'm going to Spirit City, I should make up my mind soon, too. The earlier I go, the sooner I can get a feel for the place.

"If I can't settle in Spirit City, I can always hurry back."

Duan Fan made up his mind. "Then I'll go to Spirit City. I'd regret it if I didn't at least take a look."

"However you look at it, it has better prospects than staying at Notting Academy.

"If I really manage to establish myself there, I'll bring Uncle and Aunt over after I've spent a few years and found my footing.

"It'll also be easier to do my own thing there, like making guns.

"I still have two chances to modify fate, and I can keep getting more from Tang San later. I don't need to worry about running into trouble there."

That evening, Duan Fan told Fang Qingshan what he'd decided.

As always, Fang Qingshan supported him. The next day, he set out with Duan Fan on the road to Spirit City.