NOVEL WEB Chapter 73: The Future of the Association
Up until now, and perhaps even in the remainder of his original timeline, Lou Gao had always been pondering how to elevate the blacksmith profession to a level of respect and importance comparable to that of spirit masters.
However, Ling Yi's words at that moment revealed a new perspective: "We are already respected members of the spirit master community."
It suddenly dawned on Lou Gao. Indeed, blacksmiths, especially those of intermediate rank or higher, were often spirit masters themselves.
Lou Gao was now a Soul King, just a step away from becoming a Soul Emperor. His mentor, Iron Pagoda, was the only Divine Craftsman of the era, and a formidable Soul Sage standing in the eighth realm of spirit masters!
In the Waterwood Duchy, the three great craftsmen were distinguished figures: the King Kong Blacksmith was a Soul Exalt, while Li Qiang the Blacksmith and Fu Shan the Blacksmith were both Soul Ancestors!
And now, facing him was the prodigious thirteen-year-old blacksmith, Ling Yi, who was also a one-ring spirit master!
Thirteen years old! Lou Gao remembered that he was already in his twenties before he became a blacksmith, under his mentor's meticulous guidance, coupled with his relentless dedication and tireless practice.
The cultivation of martial spirit and soul power, acquiring soul rings, mastering soul skills, learning various forging techniques, memorizing, and absorbing the distinct properties of different metals...
All of these endeavors demanded immense amounts of time.
Calming his inner turmoil, Lou Gao inquired, "Then...what should we do? Should we shift the blacksmiths' focus towards forging defensive tools? But if we do that..."
“Of course not!” Ling Yi shook his head, cutting off Lou Gao before he could finish his sentence. “Doing so would only disrupt the stable lives of blacksmiths today rather than helping them improve—”
“Then...” Lou Gao looked at Ling Yi expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
Ling Yi spoke again, posing a serious question to Lou Gao, “Senior Brother, do you wish to enhance the respect and attention people have for the blacksmith profession, or do you want to raise each blacksmith's status on the Douluo Continent?”
“Huh?”
This question taken Lou Gao by surprise, as he seemed to have never considered it before.
Now, under Ling Yi’s gaze, Lou Gao began to reflect on what kind of goal he truly pursued.
After a moment, Lou Gao raised his head, looking into Ling Yi’s clear and sincere eyes, and answered in a solemn voice, “I hope that the blacksmith profession on Douluo Continent can gain recognition from everyone, whether they are ordinary people or spirit masters, whether they are first-ring spirit masters or Spirit Saints, or even...”
At this point, Lou Gao swallowed, feeling his throat inexplicably dry, and continued with determination, “even titled Douluo! When talking about the blacksmith profession, people will give it proper respect and treat us with equality—!!”
Hearing Lou Gao’s words, Ling Yi smiled. It wasn’t a mocking smile nor one that dismissed Lou Gao's seemingly fanciful ambition. It was a smile filled with encouragement and approval, warm and radiant, igniting within Lou Gao the motivation to continue speaking.
“As for~”
Under Ling Yi's radiant smile, Lou Gao continued speaking: "To be specific about each blacksmith, to be honest, even my master, the President of the [Blacksmith Association Headquarters] on Douluo Continent, the only divine smith in the world, cannot achieve this, much less dare to think of elevating the status of every blacksmith—!"
"Exactly!"
Hearing Lou Gao's heartfelt words, Ling Yi clapped appropriately, applauding as he smiled, "Senior Brother Lou Gao, your enlightenment truly earns my sincere admiration and self-reflection—"
As he spoke, Ling Yi’s expression turned serious, and he continued, "As for the elevation of every blacksmith's status—"
"I've always believed that people must rely on themselves!"
As these words left his mouth, Ling Yi’s demeanor was solemn and earnest:
"We can create an excellent external environment for them, providing them with a promising path for advancement, but we cannot forcefully drag each one to grow and become powerful!"
"Exactly," Lou Gao nodded in agreement, "That’s how I see it too. Everyone has different talents, and naturally, the level they can achieve differs too. I can't demand that powerful soul masters treat apprentice, mid-level, or low-level blacksmiths with the same regard as those of their level..."
"Two aspects~"
Faced with Lou Gao's eager gaze, Ling Yi leisurely raised his hand into a fist, lifted his index finger, showing a 'one' gesture, and said calmly, "First, all blacksmiths need a leader figure, a form of spiritual support. When engaging in external exchanges, this leader can act like a business card, a presence so renowned that no one would dare overlook it!"
"Leader... spiritual support... calling card..." Lou Gao murmured softly, repeating some of the key phrases from Ling Yi's words.
Without dwelling on it, Lou Gao suppressed his curiosity and asked, "Then... what about the second point?"
"The second~"
Ling Yi changed his hand gesture, raising his index and middle fingers, then continued to Lou Gao, "All blacksmiths need further integration to form a relatively close relationship."
"Integration? Close relationship?" Lou Gao furrowed his brows, feeling a bit puzzled. He seemed to understand what Ling Yi was implying, yet felt uncertain, as if there was a crucial aspect he was missing.
After some thought, Lou Gao realized that his mind was currently swayed, causing his cognitive functions to be sluggish. He decided to cease pondering and directly asked Ling Yi for guidance, "Junior Brother, please explain these two points further to me. What do they mean, and how should we proceed?"
As he spoke, Lou Gao stood up from his recliner, stepping a few paces in front of Ling Yi as if to bow in respect.
Before Lou Gao could bend over, Ling Yi swiftly leaped up, grasped Lou Gao's arm firmly, and helped him back to his seat.
With a forceful yet gentle release and movement, Ling Yi guided Lou Gao back onto the recliner, shaking his head, "There's no need for such formality, Senior Brother. Since I've spoken, I will naturally hold nothing back."
After a brief pause, Ling Yi continued, "Let's discuss the first aspect~"
“When we talk about a leading figure or a spiritual leader, we mean finding a powerful entity to act as our spokesperson, a name card for us blacksmiths!
When engaging with other factions or strong spirit masters, this representative is our backing, a presence that prevents others from easily bullying us!”
“Senior Brother, just imagine, if we in the [Blacksmith Association] had a Titled Douluo, then any faction would have to respect the existence of this Titled Douluo, and thereby pay due regard to the [Blacksmith Association]!”
Hearing this, Lou Gao's eyes suddenly lit up.
Indeed, if their [Blacksmith Association] had a Titled Douluo, even the top powers of Douluo Continent like the [Spirit Hall] and the [Clear Sky School] would not easily engage in conflict with the [Blacksmith Association] under normal circumstances.
As for the two empires and other relatively weaker factions, they would certainly no longer treat the [Blacksmith Association] or his master, the godly craftsman Iron Pagoda, with such disdainful commands.
But—
The spark in Lou Gao's eyes lasted only briefly before dimming again. In a hoarse voice, he said, “How could that be possible?”
Exactly~ How could it be? That is a Titled Douluo~ Throughout the Douluo Continent, aside from a few top forces like the [Spirit Hall], [Clear Sky School], and [Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan], there are probably not even five roaming Titled Douluo!”
Even the [Heaven Dou Empire] and [Star Luo Empire], the officials of the two empires, do not have a single Titled Douluo.”
According to Lou Gao's knowledge, even the Xingluo Empire's royal families, such as the White Tiger Dai Clan and the Spirit Cat Zhu Clan, merely possess the ability to combine their martial souls to unleash power equivalent to a Titled Douluo for a brief period.
So, how could a mere Blacksmith Association possibly have a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse backing them?
(End of Chapter)
