"Hello, we're here to see President Lou Gao."
The receptionist, who had been swinging a hammer in mid-air as part of a pantomimed forging act, paused and stopped his imaginary blacksmithing.
With a calm voice, he asked,"Do you have an appointment?"
Lin Feng gave an awkward smile."No."
The receptionist shrugged."You know how it is—President Lou Gao is always in the forge. You can't just meet him so easily. Over there's a sign-in sheet. Fill it out yourself and don't disturb me while I'm seeking the true essence of forging."
With that, he resumed swinging his hammer.
Come on, man… are you really improving like this?
That soulless hammering—you're wasting your youth!
Lin Feng exchanged a look with Qian Renxue and Ling Yuan, shook his head, and picked up the registration sheet to start writing.
"When might we be able to meet him?"
"In the afternoon, probably. You know how draining our work is—lunch is a must. The president usually comes around noon. You can wait in the main hall for now."
Lin Feng glanced around the hall in surprise and asked,"Your association even has furnaces and forging stations right in the lobby? Aren't you afraid it'll get too hot?"
The receptionist snorted coldly."You know how it is—this is what we do. What's wrong with putting forging equipment in the lobby? There are plenty of people using them."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow."Hey, man, the way you talk kinda sounds—"
"What about the way I talk? You know—"
Qian Renxue took a deep breath and loudly interrupted,"Enough! You don't need to keep talking. We'll just wait somewhere else!"
Ling Yuan and Lin Feng shot apologetic glances at the receptionist and followed Qian Renxue to rest in another corner of the hall.
Sitting on the sofa, Qian Renxue muttered,"Now I understand why he's the only receptionist here."
Lin Feng chuckled. Maybe all humans are just repeaters deep down?
Grabbing Qian Renxue's soft hand, he grinned and said,"I actually think he's kind of interesting. People with personalities like that make great blacksmiths."
Staring at the furnace ahead, Lin Feng fell into thought.
Earth births Metal.He had already established the soul veins of both elements.
The third soul vein gave him control over gravity. The fourth, the Golden Sword Formation.
Logically, it seemed faster and more efficient to just create an Unlimited Blade Works directly.
Weapons weren't all that useful to him, though—this wasn't the Soul Tool era of Douluo II.
At this point in time…Could he even reach the Sun-Moon Continent? How far along was soul tool development over there?
As the three of them meditated cross-legged, time quickly passed.
Then, a hearty, booming voice rang out, waking the trio from their cultivation.
"Hahaha! Today was so satisfying! That batch of newly arrived Registone ore was really tough to refine, but hey—come look at this sword!"
Curious, Lin Feng, Qian Renxue, and Ling Yuan looked over.
A towering figure was holding a glowing blue longsword, showing it off proudly.
"As expected of the President!"
"President, you're amazing! Look at this flawless blade! The perfect lines, the shaping—please teach us, President!"
Lin Feng nodded slightly—looked like the man himself had arrived.
Lou Gao, president of the Blacksmith Association, the strongest divine craftsman in Douluo, a Soul Saint.
He was massive—far taller than the average person, likely over two meters. Muscular and imposing.
His body showed signs of long-term labor and training, with sharp facial features and a resolute expression—clearly a man of iron will.
He wore a simple craftsman's outfit made of durable material, stained with metal dust and oil.
Majestic but approachable—a typical aura of a true master.
Even the receptionist put down his hammer and whispered something in Lou Gao's ear.
Lou Gao looked surprised and turned to glance at Lin Feng and his companions.
His eyes narrowed slightly. But when they landed on Ling Yuan, his expression changed.
He couldn't sense her cultivation at all… could she be a Titled Douluo?
Silently, he picked up the registration sheet and read it carefully.Lin Feng?So this is that Lin Feng scholar… the new Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. What's he here for?
He raised a hand, then withdrew it. Reaching into his storage ring, he retrieved a scabbard and sheathed the freshly forged sword.
Then he casually tossed it.
The surrounding blacksmiths scrambled forward, eager to admire his craftsmanship.
"Don't step on it!""Quick! Catch it!"
With questions in his mind, Lou Gao walked up to the trio.
Tentatively, he addressed Ling Yuan:"Your Excellency…?"
"Mhm."Ling Yuan nodded slightly.
Lou Gao's heart skipped a beat. So she was a Titled Douluo!
"Please forgive my earlier rudeness," he said hurriedly.
"It's fine."
She was clearly about to say something else, but Lou Gao's eyes turned toward Lin Feng.
"So, Scholar Lin Feng—what can I do for you?"
Lin Feng smiled calmly."President Lou Gao, this isn't exactly the best place to talk. Why don't you take us somewhere quieter?"
"Of course. Please, follow me."
Lou Gao led them to a secluded upper floor of the association headquarters.
There, at the top level, was a private forge he had personally built.
Beside it was a spacious hall with a huge floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of Gengxin City.
After serving them tea, Lou Gao finally voiced his question:"What brings you to see me? If I recall correctly, our previous order with the Spirit Hall was completed on time—and of top quality, no less."
Lin Feng shook his head with a smile."No need to be nervous, President Lou Gao. We're here for a different kind of collaboration."
"Oh?"
To a divine craftsman like Lou Gao, money held little interest.
As the president of the Blacksmith Association, he controlled vast amounts of rare metals and production chains—he and his organization were extremely wealthy.
The association also hosted auctions, meaning they could handle bulk trades in both metals and weapons—something only possible with ample funding and connections.
As such, someone like Lou Gao was likely only interested in one of four things:
Unknown tools
New forging knowledge or techniques
Precious minerals
Or…
Lin Feng just happened to have one of those.
His hand slid across his belt."President Lou Gao—please, take a look."
With that, Lin Feng slowly took out an exquisite jade box from his storage pouch.
The box emitted a soft, warm glow, as if it held some mysterious energy. He gently placed it on the table and opened it.
The moment it opened, a strange, refreshing aura filled the room.
Lou Gao's eyes widened in disbelief.
Swallowing hard, he asked with a conflicted tone,"What… exactly do you want me to do?"
Lin Feng and Ling Yuan exchanged a glance, and Lin Feng gave a faint smile."Nothing much. We just want to discuss a collaboration. One I believe you won't be able to refuse."
Lou Gao frowned."Our Blacksmith Association has no interest in getting involved in any conflict between the Spirit Hall and the two Empires."
Lin Feng looked at him in surprise."When did I say I wanted you to get involved in any conflict?
And… conflict? What conflict?"
Lou Gao paused, eyes still glued to the jade box."What do you mean by that?"
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on most of my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle