Strength, it was all about strength.
Ultimately, he was too weak and needed to become stronger as quickly as possible.
Lin Rong took a deep breath, entering a state of serene clarity to block out the distracting thoughts. With a focused mind, he began cultivating the Marrow Cleansing Scripture.
Meanwhile.
Star Luo Empire.
Southwest, Gengxin City.
"Elder Titan, is this really the holy land of blacksmithing you mentioned, the metal capital, Gengxin City?"
Tang San sat inside the carriage, gazing out the window at the colossal steel city in the distance.
Unlike Heaven Dou City, which he remembered as the most majestic and grand, Gengxin City presented him with a sense of vastness and awe.
Even from this distance, he could almost hear the sounds of metal being forged.
The towering, thick city walls were also iron-gray, appearing as if cast from metal, exuding a strong metallic aroma.
"It truly lives up to its reputation!"
Over the past year, the metal reserves of the Strength Clan had been almost entirely depleted during the forging of hidden weapons.
Therefore, Titan had mentioned Gengxin City to Tang San.
While metal could be procured elsewhere, Gengxin City offered better prices, especially for bulk purchases, which would save a considerable amount of Gold Soul Coins.
Furthermore, to forge better hidden weapons, the rare metals required could only be fully acquired in Gengxin City.
As for why Tang San had come along, it was because Titan had said he wanted to introduce him to someone.
Someone with the greatest potential to forge those three peerless hidden weapons.
"I hope I can find the Cold Iron Iron Mother here in Gengxin City, and that the techniques of the Divine Craftsman Lou Gao are truly as exquisite and unparalleled as they say."
"If all goes smoothly, with my past life's successful experience, combined with Lou Gao's own formidable skill, there's hope of forging the Tang Sect's first mechanical hidden weapon – the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus – within four months!"
"Once I have that, I don't believe I can't win over the remaining three clans of the Single Attribute Four Great Clans!"
Tang San narrowed his eyes, gazing at Gengxin City in the distance. A sliver of light flashed through the gap in his gaze.
Over the past year, Tang Yuehua and Titan had gradually shared much of the Clear Sky Sect's past with him.
This included information about the Single Attribute Four Great Clans.
The patriarch of the Control Clan, Niu Gao, had a deep relationship with Titan, and the patriarch of the Agility Clan, Bai He, was his maternal granduncle. Winning over these two clans shouldn't be too difficult.
Only the Breaking Clan posed the greatest challenge, as its patriarch, Yang Wudi, harbored deep resentment towards the Clear Sky Sect.
Although Tang San also held no favorable impression of the Clear Sky Sect, it ultimately impacted his ability to recruit them.
The Breaking Clan excelled in refining medicine and poison, making them perfectly suited to develop the poison-related heritage of the Tang Sect.
Therefore, Tang San had high hopes for the Breaking Clan and naturally intended to find a way to bring them into the Tang Sect.
"This useless Clear Sky Sect is really causing me trouble!"
Thinking of this, Tang San subconsciously touched his cheek, recalling the time at the Clear Sky Sect when those elders had bullied him with their superior strength and seniority.
Tang San would never forget that day, as he had experienced the greatest humiliation of his life.
When he eventually forged the three peerless hidden weapons – the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles, and the Peacock Plume – he would personally ascend the Clear Sky Sect's mountain peak. Using his hidden weapons, he would show those elders why flowers were so red!
The humiliation he suffered that day at the Clear Sky Sect would be repaid tenfold!
However, to achieve all of this, he first needed to find the rare metals required to forge those three peerless hidden weapons: Cold Iron Iron Mother (Cold Heart Iron Essence), Deep Sea Silver, and Mysterious Iron (Black Veined Iron).
Tang Yuehua had once told Tang San.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, as the foremost auxiliary Martial Soul in the world, not only granted its possessor the innate skill of Fusion Ring but also bestowed extremely powerful treasure appraisal abilities.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had consequently become the wealthiest sect on the entire continent.
If, on this journey, a Spirit Master whose Martial Soul was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could help procure rare metals, that would be ideal.
With the appraisal abilities of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, as long as Gengxin City possessed Cold Iron Iron Mother, Deep Sea Silver, and Mysterious Iron, they would certainly be able to find and purchase them.
Unfortunately, this matter involved the Tang Sect's secrets, and Tang San could not reveal the specifics to anyone who was not a Tang Sect disciple.
"If, in the future, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can be incorporated into the Tang Sect, entrusting them with the task of procuring rare metals would not be a bad idea either!"
Tang San envisioned the future of the Tang Sect, and his expectations for Gengxin City grew even higher.
Whether Gengxin City could procure the Cold Iron Iron Mother was beyond Tang San's control; he could only hope.
Thus, verifying whether the Divine Craftsman Lou Gao was qualified to forge the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus was the most urgent matter Tang San wished to confirm at the moment.
Therefore, after entering Gengxin City, Tang San and his party headed straight for the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association.
It was a tall building located in the central area of Gengxin City.
The building had five floors, and directly above its entrance hung a dark iron plaque, engraved with raised patterns of a hammer and a chisel.
The first level inside was the trading area, the second level was the advanced trading area, the third level was the blacksmith registration and assessment area, the fourth level was the VIP area, and the fifth level was the Blacksmith Association's office area.
As the president of the Blacksmith Association, the Divine Craftsman Lou Gao's office was naturally located in the core area of the fifth level.
With Titan, the vice president of the Blacksmith Association, leading the way, Tang San and his group smoothly arrived at the fifth level of the Blacksmith Association.
On the fifth level, Si Long, one of Lou Gao's four direct disciples, walked ahead to guide them. His peripheral vision inadvertently swept over Tang San, and he thought:
Who is this person? How can Vice President Titan address him as Sect Master?
Even if this person is the son of that certain someone, Vice President Titan should still call him Young Master. Why...
On their way in, Tang San occasionally heard the sounds of forging coming from passing rooms, which made him a little confused. Wasn't this the office area?
Si Long, who was carefully observing Tang San, noticed his confused expression and explained:
"What the Blacksmith Association calls offices are actually private forging rooms exclusive to each blacksmith."
Every blacksmith of Grandmaster level or above has their own space here.
"My teacher's forging room is forging room number one, located at the very back of the fifth level."
"We've arrived. It's here."
Si Long stood respectfully before the metal door and raised his hand to knock.
"Who is it?"
A rough voice came from inside the forging room.
Si Long quickly replied, "Teacher, apologies for the disturbance. Vice President Titan has something to discuss with you, so your disciple has come to inform you."
After his words, there was no sound from inside the forging room.
However, after a series of mechanical sounds, the large iron door slowly slid open, revealing a brightly lit room.
There were no windows inside. The reason it was bright was simply due to a Spirit Tool lamp luxuriously hung from the ceiling.
As the door opened, Tang San finally saw the appearance of the Divine Craftsman Lou Gao that Titan had mentioned.
He was a short and stout old man.
His height was about 1.6 meters, and his waistline was also about 1.6 meters.
He had prominent ears, small eyes, messy short hair, and wore a wide, loose robe. His face was still dusted with metal powder.
Although appearances can be deceiving, could this person truly possess the skill to forge the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus?
As Tang San was thinking this, a rough voice reached his ears.
"Hey, kid, what are you staring at?"
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