The Association's Future

After hearing Ling Yi's definition of a blacksmith, Lou Gao felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had finally come out.

Before this, and even in the rest of his life in the original timeline, Lou Gao was thinking about how to make the blacksmith profession a respected and valued group, just like the Soul Master.

But Ling Yi's words at this moment told him that we are, after all, members of the respected Soul Master.

That's right, Lou Gao suddenly realized. Blacksmiths, especially those of intermediate or higher level, are often Soul Master.

Lou Gao is now Soul King, just one step away from becoming Soul Emperor. His master, Tie Futu, is the Weiyi Divine Craftsman in the world and a Soul Saint who stands at the eighth level of Soul Master!

The three great craftsmen of the Water Wood Duchy are: Jin Gang Blacksmith is Soul Elder, and Li Qiang Blacksmith and Fu Shan Blacksmith, who are both Soul Ancestor!

And the monstrous thirteen-year-old Blacksmith Ling Yi in front of us is now a One-Ring Soul Master!

Thirteen years old! Lou Gao was only twenty years old when he became Blacksmith thanks to his master's careful guidance and his own diligent practice day and night.

Cultivating Martial Soul and Soul Power, acquiring Soul Ring, practicing and mastering Soul Skill, learning various forging techniques, memorizing and absorbing the properties of different metals...

Each and every one of these tasks requires a significant amount of time.

Composing himself, Lou Gao pressed on, "Then... what should we do? Should we change the blacksmiths' forging philosophy and focus on defensive equipment? But that would be..."

"Of course not!" Ling Yi interrupted Lou Gao before he could finish, shaking his head. "That would only disrupt the blacksmiths' peaceful lives, not make them any better off—"

"Then..." Lou Gao looked at Ling Yi expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

In response, Ling Yi spoke again, solemnly posing a question to Lou Gao, "Senior brother, do you want to increase the respect and importance attached to the blacksmith profession, or do you want to elevate the status of every blacksmith in this Douluo Continent?"

"Ah?"

Lou Gao Gaobei Ling Yi was taken aback by the question; it seemed he had never considered this question before.

Now, under Ling Yi's gaze, Lou Gao began to ponder, asking himself what kind of goal he was pursuing.

A moment later, Lou Gao raised his head, looked into Ling Yi's clear black and white eyes, and replied in a deep voice, "I hope that the profession of blacksmithing will be recognized by everyone on the Douluo Continent, whether they are ordinary people or Soul Master, whether they are One-Ring Soul Master, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, or even..."

At this point, Lou Gao swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry, gritted his teeth, and continued, "Even Titled Douluo! When they mention the blacksmith profession, they show a certain respect and treat us as equals—!!"

Hearing Lou Gao's words, Ling Yi smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile, nor was it a laugh at Lou Gao's wild idea. Instead, it was a smile of encouragement and recognition, very sunny and heartwarming, giving Lou Gao the motivation to continue.

As for~

Under Ling Yi's radiant smile, Lou Gao continued, "To be honest, even my master, the president of the Douluo Continent Blacksmith Association, who is also the Weiyi Divine Craftsman in the world, couldn't, and wouldn't even dare to dream of, elevating the status of every blacksmith!"

"Good!"

Upon hearing Lou Gao's heartfelt words, Ling Yi clapped at just the right moment, laughing as he said, "Senior Brother Lou Gao, your enlightenment truly fills me with sincere admiration and shame—"

As he spoke, Ling Yi's expression turned serious, and he continued, "As for the promotion of each blacksmith's status..."

"I've always believed that people must rely on themselves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Yi's expression turned serious, his face full of earnestness:

"We can create a favorable external environment for them and provide them with a promising path to advancement, but we cannot forcibly pull or drag each individual to grow and become strong!"

"Yes!" Lou Gao nodded in agreement. "That's what I think too. Everyone's talent is different, so the level they can reach is naturally different as well. I can't force a powerful Soul Master to treat a blacksmith's apprentice, or a mid-level or low-level blacksmith, with the same respect as a Soul Master of the same level..."

"So~" Lou Gao looked at Ling Yi with expectant eyes and asked, word by word, "Junior brother, what are your plans regarding the blacksmith profession?"

"Two aspects~"

Facing the longing gaze from the Lou Gao, Ling Yi leisurely raised his hand, clenched his fist, and made a "one" gesture with his index finger, saying calmly, "First, all blacksmiths need a leader, a spiritual anchor. In external exchanges, this leader can be like a calling card, someone who commands respect at first glance!"

"Leadership... spiritual support... calling card..." Lou Gao murmured softly, repeating several words from Ling Yi's words.

Without pausing for further discussion, Lou Gao suppressed his curiosity and pressed on, "Then... what about second place?"

"Second~"

Ling Yi changed his hand gesture, raising and spreading his index and middle fingers, and continued towards Lou Gao: "All the blacksmiths need further integration to form a relatively close relationship."

"Integration? Close relationship?" Lou Gao frowned slightly. He felt a little puzzled. He seemed to understand what Ling Yi was talking about, but he was also a little uncertain. He felt that he had missed some key point.

After thinking for a moment, Lou Gao realized that his mind was in turmoil, causing his brain to work somewhat sluggishly. So he stopped forcing himself to think and instead asked Ling Yi for advice, "Junior brother, please explain to your senior brother in detail what these two points mean, and how we should do them—"

As he spoke, Lou Gao got up from the recliner, stood a few steps in front of Ling Yi, and was about to bow with his hands clasped.

Before Lou Gao could bend down, Ling Yi jumped up instantly, grabbed Lou Gao's arm, and supported him firmly.

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled Lou Gao back onto the recliner. Ling Yi shook his head and said, "Senior brother, why bother? Now that I've spoken, I will naturally speak frankly and without reservation..."

After a brief pause, Ling Yi spoke again, "Let's talk about the first aspect first."

"The so-called leader or spiritual leader is intended to find a powerful figure to become our blacksmiths' spokesperson and a name card!"

When we speak with other forces or Grand Soul Master, this representative is a strong backer, someone who prevents us from being easily bullied!

"Senior brother, think about it. If we, the Blacksmith Association, had a Titled Douluo, then no matter which faction it was, they would all take that Titled Douluo's existence into consideration, and thus give our Blacksmith Association a certain degree of respect and importance!"

Upon hearing this, Lou Gao's eyes suddenly lit up.

Yes, if the Blacksmith Association had a Titled Douluo, then even the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect, two of the top forces in the Douluo Continent, would not usually have any disputes or conflicts with the Blacksmith Association.

As for the two great empires and other relatively weaker forces, it was even less likely that they could still treat the Blacksmith Association and his master, the Divine Craftsman Tie Futu, with the same arrogance and domineering attitude as before!

but--

The light in Lou Gao's eyes lasted only a short while before fading again. He said in a hoarse voice, "How could that be?"

Yes, how could that be? That's Titled Douluo! On the entire Douluo Continent, apart from a handful of top forces like the Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, there are probably fewer than five Titled Douluo who are not active outside the region!

Even the official authorities of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire do not have Titled Douluo.

As far as Lou Gao knew, the Star Luo Empire was merely a combination of the royal family's White Tiger Dai Family and the Spirit Cat Zhu Family family, possessing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that could unleash the combat power of Titled Douluo in a short period of time.

So, how could a mere "Blacksmith Association" possibly have a Titled Douluo- level figure as its backer?