76. Soul Tool and Iron Weapon

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The Bustling Great Spirit Arena

As the afternoon approached, the crowd outside the Spirit Arena grew even larger instead of thinning out. The streets were packed with an endless stream of people, making it nearly impossible to move freely.

Fortunately, their carriage had been parked far away. Otherwise, they might have been forced to abandon it just to leave.

This scene further confirmed the immense popularity of the Great Spirit Arena across the continent.

Most Spirit Arenas scheduled their most exciting matches in the evening, aligning with people's rest hours. This allowed spectators to enjoy the battles with their families after work, making nighttime the peak period for spirit fights.

After carefully maneuvering through the dense crowd, Quan Yi and Su Ling'er finally reached a less congested road, where their carriage was waiting.

"Where are you heading next?" Su Ling'er asked as they approached the carriage.

"It's still early, so I want to visit the blacksmith shop," Quan Yi replied.

For the past six months, he had been completely immersed in cultivation, relying only on letters to communicate with the blacksmiths.

Now that he was finally out, it was necessary for him to inspect the shop in person to ensure it was operating according to his expectations.

Su Ling'er nodded. "That's a good idea. At this time, everyone should still be at the blacksmith shop. You can use this opportunity to get to know the workers better."

During Quan Yi's long training period, Su Ling'er had been overseeing his business affairs.

Originally, this responsibility belonged to Quan Ying, but once Su Ling'er learned about Quan Yi's vision, she took full charge of managing the blacksmith shop on his behalf.

With their destination set, the carriage moved steadily toward the blacksmith shop on the outskirts of the city.

Inside the carriage, Quan Yi turned to his mother.

"Mom, are Soul Tools common in the market?"

Su Ling'er nodded. "Yes, quite a few can be found, but most of them are antiques excavated from ancient ruins."

She continued explaining patiently. "Soul Tools are divided into different levels. The majority are low-grade relics—damaged or barely functional. Only a few are of high quality, and truly rare Soul Tools—like the Heart of Fierce Sun—are incredibly difficult to come by. Their prices are also extremely high."

"So, the current state of Soul Tools is quite mixed?" Quan Yi asked.

"Exactly," Su Ling'er confirmed.

Quan Yi thought for a moment before voicing another doubt. "I heard that the knowledge of crafting Soul Tools has been lost."

Su Ling'er sighed. "Yes, all existing Soul Tools today are remnants of the past. None are newly made."

"Then why has no one tried to recreate or research them?" Quan Yi pressed, voicing his deepest confusion.

Hearing this question, Su Ling'er fell silent, lowering her head in thought.

After a moment of reflection, she responded. "I think the biggest reason is that the cost is too high, and the results are too uncertain."

Su Ling'er continued, her tone steady and analytical.

"The primary focus of every major clan and power is on cultivating Soul Masters. Even the strongest forces wouldn't spend massive amounts of gold soul coins on researching Soul Tools that have no direct impact on combat. Instead, they prioritize training young prodigies and acquiring powerful talent."

"Besides," she added, "the demand for Soul Tools is far too small. Most buyers are people with innate Soul Power—but they are already rare to begin with. And since ancient ruins continue to provide a steady stream of artifacts, there's no pressing need to create new ones."

Quan Yi remained deep in thought.

Unlike most, he tended to question things from unconventional angles, often bringing up points that others overlooked.

However, Su Ling'er never dismissed his questions with vague excuses. Instead, she always took the time to analyze and provide logical explanations.

Given her experience in business, she instinctively approached the topic from a supply-and-demand perspective, making her reasoning clear and easy to understand.

After hearing her explanation, Quan Yi suddenly felt enlightened.

Indeed—human society revolves around demand.

Currently, the Douluo Continent was a place of constant power struggles. Many factions sought dominance, and powerful individuals stood at every corner, influencing the course of history.

For ambitious clans and sects, wealth was invested into cultivation—strengthening their forces and securing their survival.

Meanwhile, nobles and wealthy merchant families indulged in luxury and entertainment, showing little interest in anything beyond their personal pleasure.

Most Soul Tools were designed for daily life, with no offensive applications.

Without demand, there could be no development.

Realizing this, Quan Yi temporarily set aside his thoughts of replicating Soul Tools.

Now was not the right time.

In this era of hidden conflicts and rising tensions, if a Soul Tools could not be used for combat, there was little reason to invest in its development.

He refocused his thoughts—

Researching Soul Tools was still too far ahead of its time.

For now, his priority remained on ironwork research, which had more immediate and practical applications.

Thankfully, Quan Yi's Iron Research Institute had not let him down.

After half a year of dedicated research, they had finally discovered the material he had been searching for.

As the carriage pulled to a stop, Quan Yi stepped out and glanced at the blacksmith shop's entrance.

It was just as quiet as the last time he had visited.

However, there were noticeable changes—

The surrounding walls were now higher, built from plain gray bricks, making the building look modest and inconspicuous.

Above the entrance, the plaque still bore the name:

"Yuan Family Blacksmith Shop."

Nothing had changed on the surface.

These were all Su Ling'er's arrangements—a way to reduce the shop's visibility and avoid unnecessary attention.

"Let's go in and take a look," Su Ling'er said as she stepped inside. "It's no longer the blacksmith shop it once was."

Upon entering, they arrived at the main hall.

Rows of weapons were displayed, their polished surfaces gleaming under the dim light. The cold steel carried an imposing presence, clearly well-maintained by dedicated hands.

At first glance, it seemed nothing had changed.

But the moment they stepped into the backyard, Quan Yi heard the deep, rhythmic clang of iron being hammered.

The sound was different from human hammering.

Near the basement door, a wave of hot air rushed out, brushing against their faces.

Yet, to Quan Yi and Su Ling'er, who were both Soul Masters, this heat was neither painful nor uncomfortable—not even a bead of sweat formed on their skin.

However, something felt different this time.

Quan Yi could sense his Soul Power subtly reacting to the environment.

It felt like a mimetic cultivation environment.

Before he could analyze it further, his attention was drawn to the astonishing scene ahead.

The once deserted underground forge had undergone a complete transformation.

Inside, nearly every forge station was occupied by blacksmiths, each one working with unwavering focus.

The basement itself had been expanded, allowing for more than a dozen blacksmiths to work simultaneously, their hammers rising and falling in rhythmic precision.

The atmosphere was filled with the sounds of metal clashing, the glow of molten iron, and the scent of burning coal.

Despite the noise, the blacksmiths remained completely absorbed in their work—only a few, who were taking a break, noticed Su Ling'er and Quan Yi enter.

The rest were too immersed in forging to be aware of their arrival.

"Madam, you're here! Ah—Young Master, welcome!"

A familiar voice called out as Yuan Fei, the son of Blacksmith Yuan, walked toward them with a respectful bow.

"Where is Blacksmith Yuan?" Su Ling'er asked.

"He's in the independent research room. Please, follow me."

Unlike the main forge, the research institute was located outside the blacksmith shop—an independent private courtyard.

This space originally belonged to another shop, but it had since been purchased by the Quan family and integrated into the blacksmith shop.

A passageway had been built, turning it into a hidden research base.

As they approached—

"BOOM!"

A sudden explosion erupted from inside.

Quan Yi's eyes lit up with anticipation, and he instinctively quickened his pace.

Stepping inside, the first thing Quan Yi noticed was the thick scent of burning powder—

A distinct sulfur-like aroma that instantly triggered a memory from his past.

This scent alone made him excited.

"Father, may we come in?" Yuan Fei called out.

"Enter."

The moment they stepped in, they saw Blacksmith Yuan standing in front of a wooden target, holding a long black iron weapon in his hands.

The target was placed roughly 50 meters away, and at its center—

A perfectly pierced circular hole.

Turning toward them, Blacksmith Yuan grinned, his face alight with excitement.

"Madam, Young Master—you came at the perfect time. I just completed the first round of test firing!"