Douluo: Martial Soul Seven Kill Sword, The Sword Opens Heaven's Gates

Following behind Si Yu, Ning Tianchen's group first ascended to the third floor of the Blacksmiths' Association.

Today happened to be the day of the monthly blacksmith rank assessment.

Blacksmiths of different age groups had gathered here to take the test for their ranks.

Si Yu smiled and introduced the group, "Originally, I was supposed to be one of the judges for today's assessment. However, I don't particularly enjoy crowded places."

"If esteemed guests wish to learn more about the blacksmith assessment, I can take you to have a look."

Ning Rongrong smiled and replied, "No need. We aren't blacksmiths, so we don't know much about this field."

"That's true," Si Yu responded briefly, not saying anything further.

When they reached the fourth floor, Si Yu didn't intend to take the group up to the fifth floor.

After all, he wasn't familiar with Ning Tianchen and the others, and bringing outsiders to the core area of the Blacksmiths' Association would be inappropriate.

Just as he was about to speak, Ning Tianchen preemptively said, "Master Si Yu, I happen to have a few design blueprints with me. Would you mind taking a look at them?"

"Rest assured, they will completely overturn your understanding."

With that, he took out a hidden weapon blueprint from his spirit-guided device and gave it a quick flash in front of the other man.

"This…"

In just a glance, Si Yu noticed the intricacy of the blueprint. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Follow me."

Bringing guests to his forge room wouldn't violate any rules.

Between the fourth and fifth floors, there was only a thick metal door blocking the staircase.

Si Yu walked up to the door and lightly tapped on it with his hand.

It was clear that as he knocked, the force of his palm kept changing.

This way, even if someone observed carefully, it would be difficult to replicate his knocking pattern.

After thirty-six knocks, the heavy metal door slowly opened.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, the decoration here was completely different from the lower floors. What greeted them was a long, dimly lit corridor.

On either side were numbered forging rooms, and the sound of metal being hammered could occasionally be heard.

Si Yu explained, "This is the heart of the Blacksmiths' Association. Without an invitation, no one is allowed to enter."

"Since I feel we've met under fortunate circumstances, I'll make an exception this time."

With that, he continued walking forward until he stopped at the forging room numbered "8" and gently pushed the door open.

At his instruction, Ning Tianchen and the others entered.

Si Yu's forging room wasn't very large but was filled with various forging tools.

The forge placed against the right wall still retained some residual warmth.

"Esteemed guest, may I see your design blueprints?" Si Yu asked eagerly.

Ning Tianchen chuckled and complied, taking out firearm and hidden weapon blueprints from his spirit-guided device.

"These are the two blueprints, Master Si Yu. Please take a look."

Si Yu kicked away the forging hammer on the ground and tossed the tools on the workbench aside, clearing the table completely before laying out the blueprints.

At a glance, Si Yu could tell which of the two blueprints was superior.

He pointed to the hidden weapon blueprint and said, "What an ingenious weapon! I can help you forge it, and I won't charge you. Of course, in exchange, I'd like to make a copy of this design for my own study."

Ning Tianchen couldn't deny that the Tang Sect's hidden weapons were exquisite works of art.

But in terms of power, they were far inferior to firearms.

"Master Si Yu, won't you take a closer look at the other blueprint?" Ning Tianchen prompted.

Si Yu waved his hand dismissively. "The other blueprint is just a simple pipe. What's there to look at? The only challenging part might be carving the internal grooves. Hmph, any senior blacksmith downstairs could handle that—I don't need to waste my time on it."

Ning Tianchen said nothing further, simply making a polite gesture. "If Master Si Yu is interested, you can begin crafting now."

The forging room wasn't spacious, and if metal forging began, Ning Tianchen and the others wouldn't have anywhere to stand.

Eager to forge the hidden weapon, Si Yu led the group to the VIP lounge on the fourth floor before starting the furnace.

---

In the lounge, Feng Xiaotian couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to use Master Si Yu as a breakthrough to persuade Grandmaster Lou Gao?"

Ning Tianchen nodded.

They didn't personally know Lou Gao and lacked the connection Tai Tan had.

Approaching Lou Gao directly to recruit him would definitely not yield good results.

Not to mention, after the recent conflict between the Blacksmiths' Association and the Spirit Hall, Lou Gao would undoubtedly be even more wary of outsiders.

But with Si Yu, one of Lou Gao's disciples, assisting from the side, at least Lou Gao wouldn't view them as enemies.

Ning Rongrong smiled faintly and said, "Brother Tianchen, if Tang San finds out you're using his hidden weapon blueprints, I wonder what expression he'll have on his face?"

Ning Tianchen shrugged indifferently and continued, "The Great Dao is simple. While hidden weapons are ingenious, the more complex a mechanism, the higher its failure rate."

"The silent sleeve-arrow blueprint I provided has already been tested by the sect. If used in sandy or dusty areas, it's prone to jamming. And if dropped, the internal components can easily break, rendering it unusable."

"On the battlefield, this would be disastrous."

Any weapon that could be called "legendary" must be simple and reliable.

Take, for example, the bows and crossbows used by armies on the continent. If they malfunction during use, they can be repaired quickly, restoring combat effectiveness.

On the other hand, hidden weapons are extremely intricate.

If they malfunction on the battlefield, ordinary people wouldn't be able to open the casing to fix them.

Moreover, each hidden weapon is single-use. In large-scale battles, these gadgets would hardly influence the outcome.

Not to mention, the production process for hidden weapons is complex, and their output wouldn't match consumption in a short period.

"Hopefully, Master Si Yu's help will prove useful. Otherwise, we might have to use Miles' head as our 'letter of introduction,'" Ning Tianchen said languidly as he leaned back on the sofa.

"Do you really plan to move against the Spirit Hall?" Oscar couldn't help but ask.

Ning Tianchen shrugged. "If we recruit the Blacksmiths' Association, they'll eventually have to leave Gengxin City. How could Miles let them go so easily? Regardless, conflict is inevitable."

The best approach would be to write to Qian Renxue and have her deal with Miles internally.

But there wasn't enough time—they couldn't stay in Gengxin City for too long.

---

About two hours later, Si Yu, still wearing his apron, rushed over with the freshly completed hidden weapon in hand, drenched in sweat.

"It's done! It's done!" Si Yu laughed heartily. "What an intoxicating piece of art! My teacher will surely be delighted when he sees it."

Ning Tianchen said, "Master Si Yu, shouldn't we test its power?"

"Right, right, right! Since it's a weapon, its power must be tested." Si Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and gestured. "Follow me, we'll go upstairs to test it."

Back in the forge room, Si Yu kicked the scattered tools to the side, clearing a space.

Then, he brought out a wooden board to test the hidden weapon's power.

"Ah, I forgot to ask—what's the name of this thing?"

Ning Tianchen replied, "Silent Sleeve-Arrow."

"But a wooden board alone won't be enough to test its power. Use this instead."

With that, he took out a steel plate five centimeters thick, made of refined iron.

Si Yu stroked his chin. "For the internal arrows, I used iron essence as the material. Piercing this plate shouldn't be a problem."

"What do you think its range is?" Ning Tianchen asked again.

Since Si Yu had personally forged the internal springs and tension bows, he was well aware of its power and range.

"If we maintain arrow stability, it probably has an effective killing range of about thirty meters."

With that, he raised the sleeve-arrow and aimed it at the steel plate.

Ning Tianchen placed his Seven Kill Sword in front of him, forming a soul power barrier to prevent the arrows from ricocheting off the metal plate and causing unnecessary trouble.

As the trigger was pulled, over a dozen arrows shot out, colliding with the metal plate and producing a series of sharp sounds.

Unexpectedly, the arrows didn't penetrate the metal plate; they only left a few shallow dents and scratches on its surface.

Si Yu bent down to pick up the arrows from the ground.

Seeing that the tips of the arrows were completely damaged, he sighed bitterly. "It seems I overestimated the hardness of iron essence. Using a harder metal should increase its power."

Ning Tianchen countered, "And what about the cost?"

"What cost?" Si Yu asked, puzzled.

Ning Tianchen retrieved an identical silent sleeve-arrow from his spirit-guided device.

"This is a weapon—a weapon meant to kill enemies on the battlefield. If every sleeve-arrow were crafted using high-value metals, how much would it cost to equip an army of ten thousand soldiers?"

Si Yu realized the severity of the issue. He glanced back at the blueprint and shook his head. "On the battlefield, this kind of weapon has no room to shine."

A range of thirty meters—what practical use did that have in battle?

In large-scale troop clashes, cavalry would always lead the charge.

Within thirty meters, cavalry could close the distance in just a few breaths. With such a weapon, one might gain an advantage in the first wave, but that was all.

In the chaos of actual combat, soldiers using hidden weapons likely wouldn't even have time to draw their weapons before being overwhelmed and decapitated by charging enemies.

This type of hidden weapon might only be effective in skirmishes involving fewer than a hundred people.

"Its power may be lacking, but it's still a work of art," Si Yu said as he carefully tucked the silent sleeve-arrow into his chest like a precious treasure.

Ning Tianchen chuckled and pointed to the blueprint beside him. "Master Si Yu, the weapon next to this one has a range of six hundred meters—don't you want to take a look?"

"Six hundred meters?" Si Yu exclaimed. "Even a bow with a draw weight of 160 stones would struggle to reach six hundred meters. Are you telling me this awkward-looking iron pipe can do it?"

Ning Tianchen didn't elaborate further. Instead, he took out a firearm from his spirit-guided device.

The weapon bore a striking resemblance to the legendary rifles from his previous life. It relied on a gas-operated system to enable rapid fire.

Si Yu was momentarily baffled. "I admit, I've never seen anything like it. But this weapon has no sharp edges—how does it kill? How does it strike down enemies from six hundred meters away?"

"Master Si Yu, please open the door. This weapon's power is too great—we should let the others leave first to avoid accidental injuries."

Without saying anything further, Si Yu opened the door.

As Ning Rongrong and the others left the forge room, they didn't forget to stuff cotton into their ears and cover them tightly.

Ning Tianchen pulled Si Yu behind the forge furnace. Holding the weapon above his head, he aimed the barrel at the metal plate from earlier.

"Stay low and don't stick your head out."

With that, he pulled the trigger.

The moment the bullet fired, a deafening roar erupted.

In such a confined space, the sound was extraordinarily loud.

After emptying a magazine, Si Yu was left with ringing ears and a dazed expression.

Ning Tianchen gave him a nudge, snapping him out of it.

"Power… incredible power."

Muttering to himself, Si Yu rushed forward to inspect the metal plate.

The rifle hadn't fully penetrated the plate, but it had left several deep craters on its surface. Bullet fragments had also gouged multiple marks into the metal floor.

"Just half a centimeter short of piercing the plate—what terrifying power. Below the rank of Soul King, no one could withstand this."

"Incorporating gunpowder into a weapon—what a bold attempt."

After praising it, Si Yu asked, "How much do those few shots cost?"

Since it was a weapon, cost was the most important factor.

"About one silver soul coin per shot."

"So cheap?"

Si Yu was utterly dumbfounded.

Compared to the ostentatious but impractical hidden weapons, firearms had virtually countless advantages.

After some explanation, Si Yu finally understood the principles behind firearms.

"If these were used on the battlefield, under such firepower, the enemy's cavalry would be wiped out in no time."

Si Yu was completely won over by this kind of weapon.

Most importantly, if firearms malfunctioned, ordinary soldiers could repair them. And thanks to modular design, soldiers could quickly replace parts of the gun in a short amount of time, maintaining continuous suppressive fire.

If such firearms were distributed by the Blacksmiths' Association, the status of blacksmiths on the continent would undoubtedly rise significantly.

But for master blacksmiths, the simplicity of firearms meant that even ordinary blacksmiths could craft them. Who would respect master blacksmiths then?

Humans always needed some sense of purpose.

Si Yu had spent decades learning under Lou Gao to achieve his current status—how could he give that up so easily?

Unaware of what was going through the other man's mind, Ning Tianchen smiled and asked, "I think there might be room for cooperation between us."

"In addition to these standard weapons, we also have more powerful ones that are harder to manufacture. Would the Blacksmiths' Association be interested?"

More powerful weapons, yet harder to make!

Si Yu inwardly smiled.

This way, master blacksmiths would still hold a lofty position within the blacksmith community.

It posed no loss to him, and in fact was highly beneficial—he naturally agreed.

"Hurry, let me see!"

Ning Tianchen didn't carry firearm blueprints with him at all times, but his spirit-guided device contained a physical example—a large-caliber firearm.

"This gun once obliterated the head of a Soul Emperor from three hundred meters away," Chen Huayu joked from the doorway.

Ning Tianchen took over, saying, "This weapon has a range of about two kilometers, but its production cost is significantly higher than the previous one."

Si Yu nodded seriously and suggested, "Shall we test its power?"

"You'd better cover your ears well," Ning Tianchen chuckled, pointing to the wall. "Is this wall sturdy enough?"

Si Yu confidently replied, "Feel free to try."

With that, he quickly covered his ears.

Ning Tianchen pulled the trigger.

A thunderous roar instantly erupted, echoing throughout the forge room and the external corridor, lingering for a long time.

Once Si Yu regained his composure, he hurried to check where the bullet had landed.

To his amazement, the bullet had completely penetrated the forge room's wall. Through the hole, he could clearly see the scene in the adjacent room.

"Penetrated!" Si Yu exclaimed.

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