Gengxin City

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gengxin City (庚辛城)
Alias(es)	Metal Capital
Affiliation	Star Luo Empire (originally); Grace Hall (later)
Occupation/Role	Continental blacksmithing center; materials depot, arsenal, and base of operations for Grace Hall
Status	Active
First Appearance	23

Background / History

Metal Capital

Gengxin City is a major city in the southwest interior of the Star Luo Empire. Its historic importance came from metalworking: it possessed high-quality mineral deposits and a vast concentration of blacksmiths, but its surrounding region originally lacked farmland, pastureland, and other stable resources besides a single mine. Most non-mineral necessities had to be imported. 23 313

Before Grace Hall's rise, the city had limited long-term opportunities outside official work, soldiering, and blacksmithing. Its city lord held little practical authority, while the Blacksmith Association—headed by Lou Gao—effectively exercised decisive influence over local affairs. 318 319

The city was renowned as a blacksmith's paradise, reportedly containing more than a thousand blacksmith shops and tens of thousands of blacksmiths. Craftsmen from other regions came to take advanced blacksmith examinations and, if successful, settle there. 420

Mo Lin's Early Influence

Mo Lin first visited Gengxin City to replenish his diminishing supply of rare metals and alloys. He used the Black Dipper Armor, a compact defensive soul tool that could contract into a bracelet or anklet, to gain an audience with Lou Gao. 23

Afterward, Mo Lin used poison qi and Double Full Hands to alter Lou Gao's cognition and secure a permanent supply of materials and fuel. This also placed the Blacksmith Association's headquarters under Mo Lin's influence, laying the foundation for the city to become a future arsenal and materials depot. 24 284

Transfer to Grace Hall

Mo Lin chose to acquire Gengxin City through legitimate authority rather than military seizure, recognizing that forcibly taking the city would alienate its ordinary residents even if the Blacksmith Association supported him. 304

The Star Luo imperial decree subsequently granted Grace Hall private ownership and development rights over Gengxin City and the surrounding hundred-kilometer area. Grace Hall also received command of the local military, recruitment rights, and authority to levy taxes. 313

Layout and Infrastructure

• Traditional urban core — Dense with blacksmith shops and metalworking businesses, retaining the metallic atmosphere that defines the former Metal Capital. 420
• Reconstructed district — A formerly abandoned district was rebuilt by Soul Beast Island residents alongside local craftsmen and laborers. It became a busy mixed-use neighborhood with restaurants, snack stalls, tailor shops, stone shops, and other daily-life businesses. 319
• Second city wall — Built during Grace Hall's early development; its grandeur approached that of Heaven Dou City and Star Luo City. 389
• Outer white walls — Qilin later constructed a vast outer ring of white walls around Gengxin City, enclosing new pastureland and agricultural fields as well as the original city. 420
• Night market — The reconstructed Grace Hall district became the center of an extensive night market, with food streets, shopping streets, and other nightlife venues serving primarily common residents rather than only the wealthy. 428
• Housing expansion — Qilin rapidly established building foundations, allowing the city to accommodate large-scale immigration while preserving space for commerce, services, and lodging. 436

Economy and Industry

Metalworking and Artifact Crafting

Gengxin City's foundational industries are mining, blacksmithing, weapons production, armor production, and magical-artifact refinement. Years of preparation turned the city and its surrounding region into both a materials depot and an arsenal capable of developing into a major military fortress. 284

The Blacksmith Association was later renamed the Craftsmen Association, expanding beyond blacksmiths to include carpenters, stonemasons, and other trades necessary for construction and industrial development. 451

• Blacksmith examinations — Advanced forging examinations attract craftsmen from outside the city, while hereditary local techniques can rival or surpass the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer in forging utility. 420 568
• Weapons and armor — Improved materials enabled small-scale production of formerly difficult weapons, armor, and magical artifacts, which were sold externally at high prices. 436
• Military reserves — Grace Hall retains its finest weapons, armor, and magical artifacts rather than selling them abroad. 436

Phoenix-Assisted Smelting

Phoenix's fire grants Gengxin City's smiths temperatures unattainable through conventional methods. This substantially improves ore-smelting efficiency, removes more impurities, and produces higher-quality ores, alloys, weapons, armor, and magical artifacts. 352 436

Ores exposed to Phoenix's flames may also undergo beneficial changes into special varieties superior to ordinary natural ore. 436

Diversification

Under Grace Hall's planning, Gengxin City developed farming, herding, labor, commerce, services, and entertainment alongside its original heavy industry. Farmers, herders, laborers, and performers were all able to establish livelihoods there. 436

Within a year of its transformation, the city became a comprehensive metropolis. Its economic output was described as ranking below only Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and Star Luo City. 451

Administration and Defense

Grace Hall is the city's true governing authority. Its nominal city lord is one of Grace Hall's people, while Yu Yuanzhen has overseen city operations during Mo Lin's absences due to his experience as a former sect master. 415 500

Before Grace Hall's administration, weak military strength and limited guards left public security poor. Cooperation with the local Spirit Hall branch also produced biased enforcement. Grace Hall later assumed responsibility for city order, criminal arrests, incarceration of dangerous Soul Master offenders, and city defense; its more impartial conduct improved public trust. 415

Defensive Formations

• Essence-Returning Eight Trigram Array — A formation covering the entire city that accelerates Soul Power circulation, recovery, and cultivation for Soul Masters within Gengxin City. 489
• Everlasting Arcane Gate Formation — Established after an evil Soul Master attack caused sixty-eight Grace Hall deaths. It covers the entire city and extends one thousand meters beyond the walls, functioning as an all-direction monitoring and attack system without blind spots. 518 519
• Dragon vein — Mo Lin created a dragon vein beneath the city as part of his long-term defensive strategy. 519
• Arcane Gate operators — Mo Lin intends for members of the Zhou Family, whose martial souls are Bagua Disks, to connect with and operate the citywide formation. 519

Population and Society

Soul Beast Island residents were settled in the reconstructed district and integrated successfully with local society. While only a small number remained with the Blacksmith Association as apprentices, many others learned practical trades such as cooking and tailoring. Their cooperation with local residents helped create a district with stronger everyday commercial life than many of the city's older blacksmith-centered areas. 319

Early Grace Hall development created an unusually high proportion of Soul Masters among the population, especially among wall patrols. Continued immigration later restored a more normal balance between ordinary residents and Soul Masters. 389 451

Key Organizations and Figures

• Grace Hall — Gengxin City's effective ruling organization; administers security, defense, development, and military affairs. 313 415
• Craftsmen Association — Formerly the Blacksmith Association; the city's principal craft organization, expanded to incorporate blacksmiths, carpenters, and stonemasons. 23 451
• Lou Gao — President of the Blacksmith Association during Mo Lin's first visit; his influence enabled the association to dominate practical city affairs and later provide Grace Hall with a large district. 23 319
• Qilin — Earth-element divine beast whose abilities enabled major construction projects, including the outer walls, building foundations, and agricultural enclosure. 352 420 436
• Phoenix — Fire-element divine beast whose flames revolutionized local ore refining and smithing quality. 352 436
• Yu Yuanzhen — Grace Hall elder and former sect master who manages Gengxin City during Mo Lin's absences. 415