"Saint Craftsman."
Xu Yuan calmly stated his blacksmith rank.
"Saint Craftsman, huh? Hmm!? Saint Craftsman?" Long Yuxue's eyes widened in disbelief.
She pointed at Xu Yuan, her tone filled with doubt. "You? A Saint Craftsman? That means you can perform soul forging?"
Xu Yuan nodded.
"That's right. A Level Seven Saint Craftsman—truly deserving of the title."
He took out his artisan badge, which Zhen Hua had personally crafted for him.
As Long Yuxue looked at the badge in Xu Yuan's hand and felt the surging vitality emanating from it—a vitality indistinguishable from that of a living being—she couldn't help but swallow hard.
A bold guess formed in her mind.
Could this badge be made from Heavenly-refined metal?
Long Yuxue wasn't mistaken. This badge was indeed crafted from a piece of Heavenly-refined-level metal, far superior to an ordinary Saint Craftsman badge.
Zhen Hua had specially made this badge for Xu Yuan so he could constantly sense the aura of true Heavenly-refined metal, allowing him to gain early insights into it and prepare for eventually breaking through to Heaven Forging.
"I'll leave the question about your badge alone," Long Yuxue decided not to ask about its material.
Some things were better left unasked.
Considering Xu Yuan's age and his achievement as a Saint Craftsman, the most reasonable explanation was that he had a close relationship with that legendary Divine Craftsman.
Were they master and disciple?
Or relatives?
"Cough, cough. Could you give me an overview of the forging situation in our camp?"
Xu Yuan cleared his throat twice, bringing Long Yuxue back to reality.
After meeting Xu Yuan, Long Yuxue had zoned out more than once.
Xu Yuan found this perfectly normal.
There was no helping it—he was simply too outstanding, and it wasn't anyone else's fault for being distracted.
"In our camp, we don't have any Saint Craftsmans," Long Yuxue exhaled slowly and said.
"Given our circumstances here, the demand for soul-forged metals is quite significant. Especially for the Nine Blood Gods and officers with soul power above level seventy, whether it's crafting or maintaining three-word battle armor, they all rely on Saint Craftsmans."
Long Yuxue looked at Xu Yuan.
Though she didn't explicitly say it, she had already conveyed the value of a Saint Craftsman.
Here, the price of soul-forged metals was bound to be much higher.
"Our legion should have a fairly high status, right? Why doesn't the Federation assign us a Saint Craftsman?" Xu Yuan was also curious about this point.
Long Yuxue sighed bitterly. "How many Saint Craftsmans are there on the entire continent? There are only four publicly known Level Eight Saint Craftsmans, and they're all strategic resources for their respective factions. They basically never leave their own organizations. Although there are slightly more Level Seven Saint Craftsmans, they're still rare. How many of them would willingly come here to endure such hardships?"
It wasn't that Saint Craftsmans lived pampered lives.
Every Saint Craftsman who endured the solitude of forging and rose to prominence had undoubtedly suffered countless hardships.
It was just that the environment here was extremely unfriendly for Saint Craftsmans.
"In fact, if we have any need for soul-forged metals, our requests to higher-ups are processed faster than those of any other legion—even the Central Legion, which has Saint Craftsmans stationed within it, can't match the Federation's investment in fulfilling our needs." Long Yuxue continued. "Our legion's requests are given the highest priority, whether in the Blacksmith Association or the Federation system. Any Saint Craftsman capable of handling the task will choose to take on our requests."
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
He recalled some high-value-for-effort soul-forging tasks he had completed through the Blacksmith Association.
Indeed, some tasks offered exceptional rewards.
Of course, Xu Yuan had only selected the most cost-effective ones under conditions where he was confident in his abilities.
"Of course, while the supply of soul-forged metals may be better fulfilled here, there's still the issue of distance. We can't communicate face-to-face, specific needs may not be clearly conveyed, and we can't participate in the forging process either—which is admittedly frustrating." Long Yuxue didn't only highlight the advantages.
She looked at Xu Yuan and added, "Now that you've joined our legion, I'm certain you'll be highly valued. After all, having a blacksmith who can communicate face-to-face is far more convenient than submitting requests sporadically via communication methods."
Long Yuxue let out a sigh of admiration.
One thing was certain—with such skill in soul forging, Xu Yuan would soon catch the attention of the Nine Blood Gods.
"Yuxue, what do I need to prepare if I want to set up a forging workshop here?"
Long Yuxue's eyes flickered.
If she hadn't known about Xu Yuan's soul-forging abilities, she might have proposed funding his workshop in exchange for a share of the profits.
But now that she knew his blacksmith rank, she naturally wouldn't entertain such thoughts.
She was well aware of her own standing.
"I don't recommend setting up a workshop. If you trust me, after we finish eating, I'll help you submit a request to the higher-ups. I'm sure once the Blood Gods know about you, they'll create a special channel to directly connect you with the legion's soul-forging needs."
Xu Yuan nodded.
"As for today's meal—no, the cost of your meals before you earn merit points—I'll cover it for you. No need to repay me. I just hope that when I need something forged in the future, I'll be able to get on your list."
Xu Yuan glanced at Long Yuxue and didn't refuse.
Long Yuxue would definitely benefit from this arrangement.
Of course, this assumed Xu Yuan ate a normal amount of food.
If Tang Wulin were here instead, it might be debatable whether Long Yuxue would come out ahead.
After all, Tang Wulin's appetite was instinctual.
Xu Yuan's large appetite, on the other hand, was primarily for cultivation purposes.
In fact, he could eat less and rely on absorbing ambient elemental energy to sustain his body's needs.
This was one of the effects of mastering the Devouring Heaven and Earth Great Technique to a profound level, requiring deep insight into the five elements and a thorough understanding of how the human body interacts with these forces.
"Let's go. I'll show you what our Blood God Legion has to offer for meals."
Long Yuxue exhaled deeply and led Xu Yuan onward.
As they wandered through the camp, she introduced the functions of various buildings they passed along the way.
The mess hall.
The mess hall was massive, spanning thousands of square meters. At a glance, at least two thousand people were dining here, with even more arriving.
There were over a dozen windows for collecting food, each marked with simple numbers: one, two, three, four…
"The smaller the window number, the more expensive the food—but also the more nutritious it is, better for your body, and more conducive to smooth cultivation. This is one of the reasons many people strive to earn merit points," Long Yuxue explained quietly to Xu Yuan.
"Yuxue!"
While they were talking, a pleasant voice called out from behind them.
Xu Yuan turned his head.
A female officer with a ponytail approached, wearing the insignia of a captain on her shoulders. Like Long Yuxue, her crisp military uniform accentuated her striking figure.
In terms of appearance, she was no less stunning than Long Yuxue. The difference lay in her softer eye lines and the mischievous glint in her large eyes.
"Qiyue." (T/N: Her name literally means July bruh. My brain was fried and I deadass almost wrote July.)
Long Yuxue's face broke into a smile.
Jiang Qiyue arrived in front of them, curiously eyeing Xu Yuan, who was dressed casually.
"A newcomer? Quite handsome, aren't you?"
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