Research into Runic Forging was soon put on the agenda.
It was another evening, and the bright lights illuminated Lou Gao's office as though it were broad daylight.
The clutter that had covered the round table had all been pushed aside, replaced by manuscripts and research notes spread across its entire surface.
Pen in hand, Lou Xu leaned over the table, sketching an intricate diagram.
Lou Gao and his four disciples gathered around the furnace and anvil, testing the compatibility between runes and various metals.
They had already been researching for almost a month.
At first, figuring out how to activate runes with soul power had gone smoothly. Thanks to Lou Xu repeatedly releasing primal fire to light up the runes, they could observe closely and follow those clues in their soul power experiments. They solved the problem in less than ten days.
But progress in finding metals compatible with the different runes had remained slow.
Lou Gao bent over his notes, writing and sketching as he directed his disciples' work.
His second disciple, Siyu, recorded the results of experiments with various materials.
His third disciple, Si Kai, was responsible for returning failed experimental materials to the furnace for refining. He headed the Heaven Dou Branch. Though his forging and appraisal skills were somewhat lacking, his cultivation was hardly inferior to Lou Gao's: he was a level seventy-one Soul Saint.
His fourth disciple, Si Di, was a craftsman through and through. His forging skills were on par with those of the eldest disciple, Si Long, so the hammering and engraving were entrusted to the two of them.
The sounds of hammering and discussion rose and fell throughout the room.
Looking at the completed chart, Lou Xu let out a long breath and hurriedly called everyone over.
Lou Gao sat beside him while his four senior brothers gathered around, all lowering their heads to examine the diagram in Lou Xu's hands.
"I've organized our recent research and the entire rune system into a complete rune chart. Our development from here on will depend on this."
He laid the diagram flat and pointed to the tree diagram at the top, systematically explaining it to those gathered around.
"The rune tree's trunk consists of the five systems of World Runes: precision, domination, resolve, sorcery, and inspiration.
Each system extends downward into four branches: one keystone rune branch and three regular rune branches.
Neither type is superior to the other. They simply serve different purposes.
Each branch contains three to four runes. Those are the leaves."
He pointed to a separate branch beside it. "The eight attribute runes are the soil. They only provide enhancements, not Soul Skills.
But any two runes must be linked by an attribute rune.
A Main-System Rune Array, a secondary-system rune array, or a complete rune array must also have an additional attribute rune connecting the beginning and end to form a closed circuit."
"For example, a complete Main-System Rune Array requires one keystone rune and three regular runes, connected by four attribute runes into a single whole.
A complete rune array, meanwhile, consists of a main system with one keystone rune and three regular runes, paired with a secondary system containing three regular runes.
Those seven world-system runes are linked by six attribute runes, then one more attribute rune is added to close the circuit, producing a seventh-tier Runic Weapon corresponding to the Soul Saint level!"
"Junior brother, you said the main and secondary systems could use the same system if the materials allowed it... that means at least a hundred and ninety thousand combinations."
Siyu answered without hesitation. Then he took an exquisite little abacus from inside his clothes and moved its beads a few times to confirm his answer. As a merchant, he had the keenest eye for numbers.
"Right, but that doesn't include engraving just a single rune, a single secondary-system rune array, or a single Main-System Rune Array, or cases above the seventh tier that require multiple rune arrays or combinations of arrays."
"Xu, could we engrave only attribute runes?"
Si Long rubbed his chin as he asked, his gaze thoughtful.
"We could, but just like ordinary rune arrays, there's a limit to how many the metal can hold and how much the body can bear.
If we count eight attribute runes as one set, regardless of whether they're identical, we'd have to spend much more time carefully testing what tier hundred-refined, thousand-refined, and ten-thousand-refined metals could reach, what level of Soul Master the finished products would suit, and how much power they could unleash. It would be far more dangerous and troublesome.
And below the seventh tier, it would be manageable, but above that, we'd have no way to define their tiers."
"What about ordinary rune arrays above the seventh tier?" Lou Gao asked.
"We'd combine multiple rune arrays, of course. As for how to combine them, what ideas could I possibly have right now as a mere Soul Grandmaster? I'd probably have to become a Soul Saint first."
Lou Xu spread his hands.
He had never even experienced a Martial Soul Avatar firsthand. How he could research anything at the Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo level was even more of a mystery to him.
As far as he knew, below the Soul Saint level, quantity could still compensate for quality. Above it, only armies arranged in battle formations could offer any resistance. That was a qualitative transformation.
Lou Gao stared at the diagram, his eyes growing ever more fervent, and murmured in a daze.
"Xu, could I explore every possible rune array and combination of arrays within my lifetime?"
"If you could become a Limit Douluo and add a thousand years to your lifespan, you might have a chance."
Lou Xu looked at him with a soft chuckle. Lou Gao shook his head and sighed deeply.
His innate soul power had not been low, but he was already old. Without some extraordinary stroke of fortune, this was as far as he would go in this lifetime.
Just then, Si Long pointed to the inspiration system runes on the diagram. "Junior brother, all the other runes have detailed descriptions and patterns. Why isn't anything recorded for the inspiration system?"
"Precision corresponds to enhancement, and its regular runes are divided into heroism, legend, and combat.
Domination corresponds to hunt, and its regular runes are divided into premeditation, tracking, and hunting.
Resolve corresponds to eternal life, and its regular runes are divided into brute force, resistance, and vitality.
Sorcery corresponds to destruction, and its regular runes are divided into treasure, excellence, and might.
And the inspiration system corresponds to the 'wisdom' keystone runes. Its regular runes..."
Lou Xu paused, tapping his pen against the three branches on the diagram that contained only circles.
"Ingenious tool, future, and transcendence."
"Ingenious tool runes... Future Runes and transcendence runes?!" The normally composed Si Kai suddenly widened his eyes and cried out.
Their recent research had made it clear to all of them that the runes' names were never pulled out of thin air.
For example, the precision system's legend rune, tenacity, could permanently increase mental power!
Then didn't this Future Rune mean... controlling the future?
"Exactly. These things are far too dangerous. At this stage, they have to stay buried. We absolutely cannot touch them!"
"Why?" Si Di was technically minded. Frowning, he brought his forging hammer down on the anvil with a clang.
"Junior brother, why leave greater power unused? Wouldn't it be fine as long as we didn't spread it around?"
Lou Xu shook his head, warning them firmly. "Stopping time, rewinding yourself, drawing on the future in advance-those abilities sound tempting, don't they? They are, and the stronger someone is, the more tempting they become! If word accidentally reaches someone with impure motives, all our lives will be in danger!"
At worst, the other four systems could nurture a boss. As long as he dared show his health bar, someone would be able to deal with him.
Without the actual World Runes or arcane magic, Lou Xu wasn't worried about anyone using the four systems to create wild runes, either.
Only the inspiration system runes were different. The side effects of using the future bracelet Lou Xu had secretly crafted still hadn't faded. He had gritted his teeth and endured until now, only feeling a long-absent trace of soul power growth yesterday.
From now on, he could only use this rune to break through cultivation bottlenecks. But for a Peak Douluo or even a Limit Douluo, it would be a single step into the heavens!
He silently resolved that until they could stand proudly above the continent through their own strength, he would absolutely never teach the old man or his senior brothers the inspiration system runes!
He hadn't forgotten that the Blacksmith Association had two other Divine Craftsmen, and neither was a good man.
Everyone's expression grew solemn. They nodded silently and took his warning to heart.
"Old man, how are the material experiments going?"
Lou Gao picked up the materials list and tapped it with a finger. "Attack, soul power, vitality, speed, defense, recovery, and critical hits-we've found compatible metals for all seven of those attribute runes. Only the experience rune remains. We still have no leads on a compatible metal."
"But our tests have confirmed that hundred-refined metals have few impurities. If we add compatible metals through Fusion Forging, we can successfully forge them whether we engrave only attribute runes or World Runes with additional attribute runes. We've tested cases involving up to two runes!"
"Then... old man, there's really no need to rush the experience rune. Researching the secondary-system rune array and Main-System Rune Array won't happen overnight, anyway. Why don't we start making the first batch of runic equipment and distribute it to a few auction houses to see the response?"
After days of sleepless research, everyone looked excitedly at Lou Gao upon hearing that they could make finished products. When he nodded, they could no longer contain themselves, rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Just then, Si Di scratched his head and asked, "Teacher, junior brother, with so many runes, which should we forge first?"
Lou Xu and Lou Gao exchanged smiles, then reached out together to point at the same spot on the diagram.
"Engrave the hunt rune: Electrocute! Then pair it with an attack attribute rune!"
"Strictly speaking, it won't be a second-tier Runic Weapon made from two world-system runes paired with an attribute rune. But together, these two runes will be no less powerful than an ordinary second-tier rune setup!"
It would summon a bolt of lightning after three attacks. Versatile, widely compatible, and simple to forge-the grandfather and grandson had settled on this idea during their discussions a few days earlier.
Si Long could barely sit still. He looked to Lou Gao for permission.
Lou Gao did not answer immediately. His gaze swept over his disciples' disheveled hair, thick stubble, and bloodshot eyes before he spoke with a smile.
"Anyone who's tired, go back and rest. Anyone who isn't, come forge with me!"
"Si Long, Siyu, go find some blacksmiths and prepare two hundred jin of blood-patterned iron and two thousand jin of black iron... we start work right away!"
"Runic equipment enters the world today!"
"..."
After three days and nights of nonstop work.
Forty pieces of runic equipment departed in ten horse-drawn carriages, carrying news of runic equipment's debut toward the continent's foremost auction houses.
As the founder of runic knowledge, Lou Xu named the first batch of runic equipment Jingzhe.
It signified the sudden crash of awakening thunder and the arrival of Runic Forging in the world.
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