Upon hearing this, everyone sat upright, focusing intently on Yun Ze, listening carefully.
"After arriving in Mingdu, Bi Ji will be responsible for selecting locations," Yun Ze instructed. "Find two storefronts near Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, preferably adjacent to each other."
"Renovate them according to the standards of Yaowang Pavilion and the forging workshop, and try to complete everything within a month."
"In addition to these two shops, you also need to find a large building to serve as our future base of operations."
"Understood," Bi Ji responded.
Yun Ze then turned to the middle-aged man, Wan Yao Wang, and the young-looking Yao Ling. "Have you memorized the medical compendium I gave you?"
These two were both fierce beasts of immense strength, once ranking among the top ten ferocious beasts.
"We have memorized it," they nodded. Their formidable cultivation had granted them excellent memory, and after years of diligent study, they had fully committed the five-centimeter-thick book to heart.
The compendium was a collection of medicinal texts from this world, which Yun Ze had obtained through Gu Yue Na's connections with Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
"Good. From now on, you two will lead a team of soul beasts with a keen sense for spiritual materials and venture into mountains and lakes to search for them."
"The chosen soul beasts should have at least 50,000 years of cultivation, with a maximum of twenty in total."
"I will also provide them with Transformation Pills to help them assume human form, making travel across the continent easier."
"We're going to search for spiritual materials?" Wan Yao Wang was taken aback. Wasn't this just sending a 500,000-year-old beast on an errand?
Before Yun Ze could respond, Gu Yue Na's expression turned cold as she looked at Wan Yao Wang. "Are you unwilling?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Wan Yao Wang trembled, his face showing fear as he hurriedly replied, "No, no! I will do my best to find them."
"Don't be angry. It's my fault for not disciplining my subordinates properly," Gu Yue Na apologized to Yun Ze, worried that he might be displeased.
Having witnessed Yun Ze's capabilities, she was convinced that he could help her revive the soul beast race. She didn't want a minor issue like this to cause friction between them.
Yun Ze smiled. "Since you've said so, of course, I won't mind. Otherwise, I'd seem petty."
Gu Yue Na smiled back, then turned her sharp gaze toward Wan Yao Wang again, making her warning clear.
Wan Yao Wang lowered his head, regretting his words. Why had he spoken up at all?
Meanwhile, Yao Ling smirked at his misfortune. Thankfully, he had remained silent—otherwise, he would have been the one getting scolded.
"Prioritize searching for Qing Ling Grass, Gui Yuan Fruit, and Jin Xue Vine," Yun Ze instructed. "Regardless of their age, collect as many as possible. They will be of great use soon."
"Understood," the two responded in unison.
Having finished with them, Yun Ze turned to a burly man seated across from Di Tian. "Xiong Jun, what level is your forging skill now?"
The nearly three-meter-tall Xiong Jun stood up, grinning. "Heh, I've reached the seventh-tier as a blacksmith."
He straightened his chest toward Di Tian, his expression full of pride, as if saying, See how impressive I am?
Despite his large frame and somewhat dim-witted nature, Xiong Jun was exceptionally talented in forging.
As an Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear, he had an innate affinity for metals. Combined with his extreme strength, forging was as easy as drinking water for him.
In just a few years, under Yun Ze's guidance and through his natural talent, he had become a seventh-tier blacksmith. If he could deepen his understanding of forging, reaching the eighth or even ninth-tier as a Divine Craftsman wasn't impossible.
His soul power, immense strength, and sensitivity to metals made him an ideal candidate—it was just a matter of comprehension.
Although Yun Ze had never practiced this world's forging techniques, his vast knowledge and analytical skills allowed him to deduce the best forging methods by examining various finished metals.
Theoretically, he was already at a master level, comparable to a Saint Craftsman.
As for whether he could match a Divine Craftsman, that remained uncertain—since Xiong Jun had yet to reach that level under his guidance.
"Not bad. How are your clan members progressing?" Yun Ze asked.
The Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear species had always struggled with reproduction. Combined with human hunters, their numbers had dwindled to near extinction—only eight remained, including Xiong Jun.
However, despite their small numbers, each was powerful. The weakest had over 60,000 years of cultivation, while three had surpassed 100,000 years, though only Xiong Jun had reached the 200,000-year mark.
Yun Ze had not only trained Xiong Jun in forging but also instructed him to return to the Star Dou Forest to teach the other seven.
Since they couldn't yet take human form, their forging method was quite crude—they simply used their hands. With palms harder than any hammer, shaping metal was no challenge for them.
Once a soul beast exceeded 10,000 years, its intelligence would awaken, and after 50,000 years, it would significantly improve.
With their growing intelligence and Xiong Jun's strict training, they had become quite competent at forging—though occasionally, they would misjudge their strength and flatten the metal into pancakes.
"Those little cubs aren't as smart as me, but they're doing well," Xiong Jun boasted. "The slowest learner is at the second-tier, while the best has reached the fourth-tier."
He puffed up his chest with pride, clearly satisfied with their progress.
"They will also receive Transformation Pills," Yun Ze stated. "Once they take human form, make sure to teach them well. They will be the backbone of the forging workshop."
"Got it! Don't worry, Young Master—I'll train them properly!" Xiong Jun pounded his chest, full of confidence.
Unlike others, Xiong Jun and his clan addressed Yun Ze as Young Master instead of using his name directly.
"That makes nearly 40 to 50 Transformation Pills in total," Gu Yue Na murmured, leaning close to Yun Ze. "Can you really produce that many?"
In her view, pills capable of transforming soul beasts into humans must be incredibly rare. Yet, Yun Ze was distributing them like candy.
Yun Ze chuckled. "Whether I refine 50 or 100 pills in one batch doesn't make much of a difference for me."
"Since I had Bi Ji prepare enough materials for 100, I might as well make them all at once—saves me the trouble later."
"I see," Gu Yue Na nodded in understanding.
"That concludes the current plan," Yun Ze said. "Focus on completing these tasks first. We will discuss the next steps later."
At that moment, Gu Yue Na stood up. Her striking purple eyes swept across the room, her expression cold and commanding.
"Let me emphasize this again," she declared. "Yun Ze's words are my words. Whatever he says, you will listen and obey."
"If anyone dares to question him or does not give their full effort, do not blame me for what happens next."
Her gaze finally landed on Wan Yao Wang, sending a chill down his spine.
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.