Chapter Twenty-Two: Target—Gengxin City

Three months later, in Xiao Yu’s room.

At the massive metal desk, Xiao Yu sat in focused silence, gripping a slender metal carving knife as he meticulously worked on the block of metal before him. All around lay discarded chunks of metal, each abandoned halfway through the engraving process—clear evidence of his failed attempts at crafting soul devices.

Xiao Yu’s movements were slow and deliberate, every cut measured with utmost care. Over time, intricate patterns gradually emerged on the metal’s surface. At last, with a final stroke and a careful flick to remove the tiniest shavings, he stopped and leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long-held breath.

“At last, it’s finished!”

He slumped in relief, a wry smile touching his lips as he gently massaged his temples, trying to ease the fog that clouded his mind.

This was just a first-tier soul device!

Xiao Yu had to admit he had underestimated the difficulty of soul device craftsmanship. He had thought that, with blueprints in hand, the process would be straightforward. But now he realized he had been naïve. Soul devices were the crystallization of centuries, even millennia, of accumulated wisdom. Without painstaking study, true mastery was impossible. But did he have that kind of time?

In these three months, he had poured almost every waking hour into making soul devices, scarcely leaving any time for cultivation. His soul power hadn’t increased at all; the only solace was the marked improvement in his spiritual strength.

“I must find a solution. Though the advancement of soul devices is important, I can’t neglect my cultivation for their sake. In the end, victory is still decided by top-tier strength. Soul devices can certainly widen the gap between soul masters of the same level, but they’re unlikely to threaten those at the hundredth rank.”

Xiao Yu’s eyes shone as a thought occurred to him—a possible solution: the Blacksmiths’ Guild.

The creation of soul devices involved forging, shaping, casting, quenching, and polishing. Apart from the core inscription of arrays at the end, nearly every step was intimately linked with the work of blacksmiths. Even the final engravings, though never attempted by blacksmiths, surely demanded the same meticulous attention to detail. Xiao Yu was convinced that master blacksmiths, in their relentless pursuit of perfection, must have experience with delicate metalwork—a skill not unlike the core engravings of the soul device branch.

If he could find these shared skills, mastering the craft would be much faster, especially with precise blueprints on hand. Blacksmiths could transition to soul engineers with far fewer obstacles.

Most notably, there was the divine craftsman Lou Gao, creator of the Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus. With his talent and diligence, Lou Gao could very well reach the ranks of a high-level soul engineer in a short time.

As for searching the Sun-Moon Continent for trained soul engineers, the odds were simply too poor.

First, the Sun-Moon Continent would not collide with Douluo Continent for several thousand years. No one knew how far away it truly was, and the vast, trackless ocean offered not even a direction, let alone a destination.

Second, even if by some miracle he found it, how much time would that take? Tang San became a god at twenty-four; Xiao Yu had precious little time to spare.

Finally, just as the nations of Douluo resisted the Sun-Moon Empire in the sequel, would the Sun-Moon Continent not also reject outsiders? Why would anyone abandon their homeland to cross the sea and follow him to Douluo?

So, for now, the Blacksmiths’ Guild was Xiao Yu’s only real choice.

Moreover, crafting soul devices consumed rare metals at a prodigious rate. One way or another, Xiao Yu had to visit the guild’s headquarters—the Metal Capital, Gengxin City.

As if responding to his thoughts, the system suddenly issued a new directive:

“Ding! System Red-Level Mission: Recruit Divine Craftsman Lou Gao into the Nine Star Hall and sever Tang San’s fortune.”

In the original story, it was Lou Gao who developed Tang Sect’s three peerless hidden weapons—the Peacock Plume, Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus, and Storm Pear Blossom Needle—giving Tang San immense aid. Such a feat was well worthy of a red-level reward.

“It seems I have yet another reason to go to Gengxin City!”

After three months immersed in research, Xiao Yu allowed himself a brief respite, resting for two days to restore his soul power and spirits to their peak. Then he set out for Gengxin City.

Mu and Xuanwu stayed behind to oversee sect affairs, while Huohui, being something of a lone wolf, remained indifferent and unfamiliar with such matters. Thus, Xiao Yu’s safety fell to this Contra-level expert. Accompanying Xiao Yu on this journey were Zilong, Xie Wu, Mi Yimei, and Yao—four young talents whose age and cultivation meant they would certainly fight alongside him in future elite academy tournaments. Xiao Yu wanted them to experience more of the world.

Eden was meant to join them, but, much like in his past life, the second male lead’s aloof nature prevailed. Claiming he disliked crowds, he secluded himself for cultivation. Xiao Yu didn’t press the issue; he’d known Eden’s temperament well in his former life and saw no need to force change. He was no selfless Divine King, breaking people down to turn a favored child of fate into a loyal gatekeeper.

At that very moment, thousands of miles away in Nuoding City, a certain Divine King who had just found a worthy teacher suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sneezed twice.

“San, is the weather turning cold? Are you catching a chill?”

Having finally convinced a prodigy with innate full soul power to become his disciple, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang was especially doting. Seeing this, he asked with concern.

“I’m fine, teacher,” Tang San replied, wiping his nose and shaking his head.

Seeing that Tang San showed no real signs of illness, Yu Xiaogang quickly resumed his lecture on his invincible theories.

Meanwhile, after destroying several sects in succession, Xiao Yu found himself well supplied; at least he no longer had to endure hardship and exposure as he had when seeking soul rings in the Star Dou Forest. Before departure, he had arranged for two carriages to be hired so he could cultivate undisturbed along the way.

Gengxin City lay within the Star Luo Empire, closer to its inland regions. The Kingdom of Sylvia, by contrast, was in the northwest corner of the Heaven Dou Empire—over a thousand miles away. By the time Xiao Yu and his companions arrived, nearly a month and a half had passed.

Though Gengxin City was one of Star Luo’s principal cities, it was hardly famous—merely middling among the core cities. On the Douluo Continent, a land ruled by soul masters, a city of metal was naturally neglected. The status of blacksmiths was little different from that of commoners. The Blacksmiths’ Guild’s influence was only notable within this city. By comparison, the Hall of Spirits—essentially the Soul Masters’ Association—could sway the fate of the entire continent. The gulf between blacksmiths and soul masters was plain to see.

“Whew, we’ve finally arrived!”

As their destination drew near, everyone disembarked from the carriages. From afar, the towering city walls of Gengxin City came into view, their iron-gray hue making them seem almost forged of metal. Though they had yet to enter the city, the group could already sense the metallic aura that pervaded the air.

“Young master, what are your orders?” Xie Wu, the unicorn, asked with deference. Judging from his past life, this one had a bit of a sycophantic streak.

“Let’s enter the city first and find a guide. We’re strangers here—it’s best to get our bearings.”

Xiao Yu spoke coolly. Though Xie Wu’s flattery was obvious, Xiao Yu didn’t mind. Xie Wu was no mere bootlicker; he diligently trained throughout the journey. Xiao Yu estimated that, by the time they returned, Xie Wu would likely have broken through to the thirtieth rank.