Chapter 73: The Future of the Association

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After hearing Ling Yi's positioning of the Blacksmith, Lou Gao felt as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had shone through.

Before this, even in the original timeline, Lou Gao had been pondering how to make the Blacksmith profession as respected and valued as the Soul Master profession.

But Ling Yi's words at this moment told him that they were already a part of the respected Soul Masters.

That's right, Lou Gao suddenly realized. Blacksmiths, especially those of intermediate level and above, were often played by Soul Masters.

He, Lou Gao, was now a Soul King, just a step away from becoming a Soul Emperor. His master, Iron Pagoda, the only Divine Blacksmith in the world, was a Soul Sage standing at the eighth realm of Soul Masters!

The three great masters of the Waterwood Principality, the Vajra Blacksmith Master was a Soul Venerable, and both Li Qiang Blacksmith Master and Fu Shan Blacksmith Master were Soul Patriarchs!

And the prodigious thirteen-year-old Blacksmith Master, Ling Yi, was also a one-ringed Soul Master!

Thirteen years old! Lou Gao himself had only become a Blacksmith Master in his early twenties, after his master's meticulous guidance and his own tireless, day-by-day practice.

The cultivation of martial souls and soul power, the hunting of soul rings, the learning and mastering of soul skills, the study of various forging techniques, and the memorization and absorption of different metallic properties...

Each of these required a tremendous amount of time.

Calming his inner turmoil, Lou Gao pursued, "Then... what should we do? Should we change the forging philosophy of Blacksmiths to focus mainly on defensive equipment? But if we do that..."

"Of course not!" Ling Yi didn't wait for Lou Gao to finish, shaking his head and interrupting, "That would only disrupt the stable lives of Blacksmiths and wouldn't make them any better—"

"Then..." Lou Gao looked at Ling Yi eagerly, waiting for his next words.

To this, Ling Yi spoke again, seriously asking Lou Gao, "Brother, do you want to increase the respect and importance of the Blacksmith profession, or do you want to elevate the status of every Blacksmith on the Douluo Continent?"

"Huh?"

Lou Gao was taken aback by Ling Yi's question. He had never really considered this before.

Now, under Ling Yi's gaze, Lou Gao began to think, asking himself what his true goal was.

A moment later, Lou Gao raised his head, looking into Ling Yi's clear eyes, and answered solemnly, "I hope the Blacksmith profession will be respected by everyone on the Douluo Continent, whether they are ordinary people or Soul Masters, whether they are one-ringed Soul Masters, Soul Sages, Soul Douluo, or even..."

Here, Lou Gao swallowed his suddenly dry throat, gritted his teeth, and continued, "Even Sealed Douluo! When they mention the Blacksmith profession, they will show a certain level of respect and treat us equally—!!"

Hearing Lou Gao's words, Ling Yi smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile or one that belittled Lou Gao's imagination, but a smile of encouragement and recognition, warm and uplifting, giving Lou Gao the motivation to continue.

"Regarding..."

Under Ling Yi's radiant smile, Lou Gao continued, "For each individual Blacksmith, to be honest, even my master, the president of the Douluo Continent's Blacksmith Association and the only Divine Blacksmith in the world, cannot and does not dare to think about elevating the status of every Blacksmith—!"

"Very good!"

Ling Yi clapped his hands in approval at Lou Gao's heartfelt words, saying with a smile, "Brother Lou Gao, your insight truly makes me admire and feel humbled—"

With that, Ling Yi's expression turned serious, and he continued, "Regarding the elevation of every Blacksmith's status..."

"I always believe that a person must rely on themselves!"

As he spoke, Ling Yi's expression was stern and serious:

"We can create a favorable external environment for them and provide them with a hopeful path for advancement, but we cannot forcibly pull and drag everyone to grow and become strong!"

"Right!" Lou Gao nodded in agreement, "I think the same. Everyone's talent is different, and the levels they can reach naturally vary. I can't possibly demand that powerful Soul Masters treat a Blacksmith apprentice, a mid- or low-level Blacksmith, with the same level of respect as a Soul Master of the same rank..."

"So..." Lou Gao looked at Ling Yi with eyes full of anticipation, asking word by word, "Brother, do you have any plans for the Blacksmith profession as a whole?"

"Two aspects..."

Facing Lou Gao's eager gaze, Ling Yi raised his hand, made a fist, and extended his index finger, saying calmly, "First, all Blacksmiths need a spiritual leader, someone who can serve as a symbol of our profession. In external interactions, this leader can act like a calling card, a presence that commands respect!"

"Leader... spiritual leader... calling card..." Lou Gao murmured softly, repeating a few key terms from Ling Yi's words.

Suppressing his curiosity, Lou Gao asked, "Then... what's the second aspect?"

"Second..."

Ling Yi changed his gesture, extending both his index and middle fingers, and continued, "All Blacksmiths need to be further integrated, forming a relatively close-knit relationship."

"Integration? Close-knit relationship?" Lou Gao furrowed his brow, feeling a bit confused. He seemed to understand what Ling Yi was saying but was also uncertain, as if he was missing a crucial point.

After some thought, Lou Gao realized that his mind was a bit sluggish due to his emotional turmoil and decided not to force himself to think. Instead, he turned to Ling Yi for guidance, "Brother, please explain to me in detail what these two points mean and how we should go about them—"

As he spoke, Lou Gao got up from his recliner, stood a few steps in front of Ling Yi, and was about to bow.

Before Lou Gao could bend, Ling Yi jumped up, grabbed his arm, and firmly supported him.

With a release and a pull of his strength, Ling Yi guided Lou Gao back to his recliner, shaking his head, "Brother, there's no need for that. Since I've spoken, I will certainly be thorough and frank..."

After a brief pause, Ling Yi continued, "Let's start with the first aspect..."

"The concept of a leader or spiritual leader means finding a powerful individual to represent us Blacksmiths, someone who can act as our calling card!

When we interact with other forces or powerful Soul Masters, this representative will be our backing, a presence that prevents others from easily bullying us!"

"Brother, think about it. If our Blacksmith Association has a Sealed Douluo, then any force would have to consider the existence of this Sealed Douluo, and thus give our Blacksmith Association a certain level of respect and importance!"

Hearing this, Lou Gao's eyes suddenly lit up.

That's right. If their Blacksmith Association had a Sealed Douluo, even the top forces on the Douluo Continent, such as the Soul Temple and the Heavenly Sky Sect, would not easily engage in conflicts with the Blacksmith Association under normal circumstances.

As for the two empires and other relatively weaker forces, they would no longer be able to treat the Blacksmith Association, or his master, the Divine Blacksmith Iron Pagoda, with such arrogance and condescension!

But—

The light in Lou Gao's eyes dimmed quickly, and he said hoarsely, "How is that possible?"

Yes, how is that possible? That's a Sealed Douluo! On the entire Douluo Continent, apart from a few top forces like the Soul Temple, the Heavenly Sky Sect, and the Blue-Electric Tyrant Dragon Clan, there are probably not even five Sealed Douluo roaming freely!

Even the official forces of the Tian Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire do not have any Sealed Douluo.

According to Lou Gao's knowledge, the Star Luo Empire only has the royal families of the White Tiger Dai Clan and the Spirit Cat Zhu Clan, who possess a soul fusion skill that can briefly unleash Sealed Douluo-level combat power.

So, why should a mere Blacksmith Association have a Sealed Douluo as its backing?

(End of Chapter)