Douluo Continent: I can nurture soul beasts and even perform super evolution.

Chapter 158 Forging Department! Vice Dean?

"Dean?!"

Several men and women in red and white school uniforms rushed in, their expressions surprised as they caught sight of this scene.

The leader, a man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, spoke up in surprise.

"Alright, we're conducting Su Wen's inner court test," Yan Shaozhe said, waving his hand.

"Inner Court...test!" The inner court disciple looked around in astonishment. He was only at the peak of the Soul Emperor realm, so he naturally knew how sturdy this dueling arena, specially built for the inner court, was. Many Soul Saint seniors had come to spar, and even using their full strength, they had difficulty crushing it. But Su Wen's inner court test...

Moreover, he saw Wu Ming and Han Ruoruo looking disheveled, and Su Wen with a calm expression.

Could it be...

"Alright, enough nonsense. Call Zhang Heng to clean up this mess," Yan Shaozhe said impatiently, waving his hand.

"Yes!"

The man quickly nodded, turned and left, his flying soul tool rising into the air, leaving a faint trail in the sky.

The others looked at each other in bewilderment.

To be honest, seeing this scene in the dueling arena, I thought they had broken in from outside...

Or it could be a duel between powerful individuals at the level of the senior sister.

Who would have thought that such a huge commotion would be caused by just a disciple's inner court assessment?

Oh right... this person seems to be the next generation's successor of the Sea God Pavilion, then that makes sense.

After exchanging greetings, everyone withdrew.

Su Wen nodded in approval. Their strength was indeed not a problem, and their stance was also very cool. The only thing they lacked was the spirit of a true "elite". Shrek Academy has always been a place where students are raised in a relaxed manner. Inner Academy disciples are not lacking in resources. It is not true that they lack practical experience. After all, once they graduate from the Inner Academy, they have to complete dozens of life-and-death trials.

So where does the problem lie...?

As Su Wen pondered, Yan Shaozhe patted his shoulder and said, "Let's go, Old Master Du has been waiting for you for a long time."

"oh oh."

Su Wen snapped out of his thoughts and followed Yan Shaozhe out of the academy.

Shrek City.

In a small courtyard.

The clanging and banging continued, and as Su Wen listened carefully, he could faintly detect a strange rhythm, as if a piece of music was being played.

"Alright, since you're determined to study that battle armor, then study the forging techniques properly. Master Du is the only master craftsman still alive in this world. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find another person on this continent who can surpass him in forging techniques," Yan Shaozhe said seriously.

"A master craftsman?" Su Wen suddenly realized.

He vaguely remembered that in the entire Douluo Universe, Lou Gao was one, Tang Hao was one, and there was one person ten thousand years later who could be called this.

The blacksmith profession only saw a brief resurgence when Tang San founded the Tang Sect, briefly gaining popularity due to the popularity of hidden weapons. Otherwise, it has remained in a slump, especially now. With the rise of soul tools, many blacksmiths are barely making ends meet, and even children from ordinary families are unwilling to be sent to blacksmith shops as apprentices, let alone soul masters.

It wasn't until ten thousand years later, when blacksmithing was further developed and supplemented with soul tools, that the profession once again shone brightly.

But despite all that, this profession is really tough.

Compared to the glamorous and promising profession of Soul Master, being a blacksmith is simply asking for trouble...

"Bang~"

Accompanied by the last crisp hammering sound in the courtyard.

The courtyard gate seemed to be pushed open by the air.

A lazy voice came from inside: "Come in, kid."

Old Du, dressed in coarse linen clothes and carrying an iron hammer, looked Su Wen up and down: "Since you want to learn forging, and Song Yunzhi has written to me asking me to do my best to teach you, as a member of Shrek Academy, I will naturally not keep it to myself. But if you want me to do something like soul tool + forging, get lost. If you want to do it, learn it yourself and do it. Don't drag me into it."

"Mmm." Su Wen nodded obediently.

In Du Lao's eyes, soul tools were most likely just strange and ingenious tricks, and this incongruous combination was an insult to his forging skills.

It has a feeling of an old scholar pointing at something new and saying it's not proper.

But Mr. Du, times have changed.

Forging metals and combining them with soul tools—he really has potential.

"Here, try hammering this rare mithril first, and see how strong you are."

"It has a spirit?" Su Wen raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you know quite a bit, huh? Looks like you've got some knowledge of it. But forging is hard work. Why don't you bring out your giant ape or behemoth and let me see this kind of ancient soul beast with its bloodline?" Old Du grinned.

Especially that Behemoth...

But Su Wen took off his coat, stepped forward, and slowly grasped the handle of the brown, ancient-looking iron hammer that Old Du had just casually tossed on the ground.

Old Du's lips curled up.

With his hands behind his back, he had a smiling expression.

Clearly, he was up to no good. This iron hammer weighed 80,000 jin (40,000 kg). Ordinary soul masters couldn't even lift it, let alone use all their strength (soul skill amplification). Only titled Douluo, or soul douluo with strength attributes, could lift it with their physical strength—just lift it! Not swing it to forge iron!
He had originally prepared a hammer for Su Wen.

But this kid is so arrogant, he actually tried to take his hammer. Well, let's teach him a lesson...

"Om..."

Su Wen noticed something was wrong.

He gripped the coat tighter and tighter, then draped it over his shoulder with his other hand and gently lifted it up to test the depth.

The result shocked Mr. Du.

His hammer seemed to move for a split second!
Is he getting old and his eyesight is failing?
The hammer handle trembled slightly, but Su Wen did not lift it, which made Elder Du secretly breathe a sigh of relief and become proud again. Looking at Shrek Academy, there are very few people who can lift this hammer with one hand.

No one can challenge his authority.

But the next moment.

Su Wen gripped it with both hands and lifted it up with a sudden burst of strength.

The hammer seemed to let out a mournful cry, looking sadly at the indifferent but actually stunned Old Du beside it. It swung down like a crescent moon, the hammer carrying immense force, crashing down with a deafening roar. The area below seemed to be in a vacuum, with air currents surging out from both sides like a tide.

The entire hut could no longer hold on and was destroyed by the scattered air currents.

The area where the two were standing suddenly became empty.

"boom!!!"

The loud noise echoed for miles around.

This caused quite a commotion.

A moment later, Old Du looked at the mess in the courtyard, his lips twitched violently, and then glanced at Su Wen, who was standing respectfully to the side. For a moment, he didn't know whether to be shocked or angry.

As a master craftsman, ordinary people would think that his forging would be earth-shattering and awe-inspiring, but in reality, it is not. The more refined his forging skills are, the stronger his control over his surroundings becomes, and the less noise he makes.

Even the surrounding residents always regarded him as an ordinary craftsman.

He confidently told Su Wen to train him, never expecting that the kid could actually lift his hammer! He even swung the hammer in a wide arc!

"No! It's the spiritual energy I just forged!"

Old Du seemed to remember something, his expression changed, and he quickly looked at the mithril on the forging table. Thousand-refinement mithril wasn't difficult; he was just practicing. But regardless, it was a trace of life he had just forged...

On the forging platform.

The mithril had completely changed shape, becoming as thin as paper, spread out on the surface, while the trace of spirituality and life he had just forged had long since vanished into thin air.

Was he hammered to death?
Old Du's face twitched violently.

Looking at the mess all around him, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Old Du, do I not have any talent?" Su Wen asked timidly.

“No, you are very talented.” Old Du took a deep breath.

"Forging is all about communicating with the metal; you can think of it as nurturing life. A hundred forgings remove impurities and improve toughness and strength, while a thousand forgings are to give it life..."

"Of course, simple refining can only endow this piece of mithril with a certain degree of spirituality, that is, the previous state of this piece of mithril, and a trace of weak life, just like an embryo."

"Then comes fusion forging and soul forging. Simply put, the former is to combine several pieces of metal of different qualities into one, which already requires a very high level of difficulty. Not to mention the subsequent soul forging, which requires one's own talent to be integrated into the metal."

"For example, if a thousand forgings produce spirituality and life, it is like nurturing life in an embryo. Then, the finished product of soul forging is like a newborn baby."

"As for Heaven Forging, it uses heaven and earth as a furnace, drawing upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth to forge divine-grade metal. Compared to the previous step, this process is like an infant growing to the age of six, undergoing a martial soul awakening ceremony. If the awakening is successful, it becomes divine-grade metal; if the awakening fails... it reverts to ordinary metal."

After saying that, Old Du sighed softly and took the hammer from Su Wen's hand.

“Your strength is sufficient, which is an inherent advantage in forging metal. However, forging metal is not simply about using more force or hammering harder to achieve better results. You need to control the elasticity and texture of the metal. Now, let me demonstrate for you.”

As he spoke, Old Du stepped forward, his expression becoming increasingly serious.

The hammer in his hand swung, leaving only a blur, and a deep, orderly sound rang out, sounding extremely simple, as if the great way is simple.

But the mithril on the forging table became "full" amidst the rapid and dull hammering sounds.

Nearly half an hour later.

Nearly a thousand hammer blows fell.

The mithril regained its previous metallic luster, gleaming on the forging table. Although it had never been in motion, Su Wen felt as if it had come alive...

Of course, this is due to the spiritual power characteristics of a Soul Master. To an ordinary person, this piece of mithril would still appear as mithril.

"Your talent is exceptional, so I won't waste time teaching you the Hundred Forging Techniques. Let's skip it and go straight to the Thousand Forging Techniques. To be honest, if you want to become a master craftsman, it has nothing to do with the level of your soul power—of course, it can't be too low. It's actually closely related to your own martial soul. My martial soul is furnace fire, while Lou Gao ten thousand years ago had a diamond chisel, and Tang Hao had the Clear Sky Hammer. They are all part of forging itself."

"The advantage of your Martial Soul has given us a lot of help, but there's something else that blacksmiths value... immense strength. If I'm not mistaken, your Martial Soul's characteristics should allow you to possess some of the attributes of a Soul Beast, right? A Behemoth?"

"Hmm." Su Wen remained silent.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a damn monster!" Old Du shook his head and sighed.

"The path of Soul Masters is already incredibly powerful, and now they want to compete with the blacksmithing profession. But I'm rather curious to see how far your power will reach in the future. To become a master craftsman through sheer strength, that's interesting..."

"Let's go." Old Du casually picked up a few oddly shaped iron blocks, then threw the forging table and hammer into his storage soul tool. After scanning the surroundings, he turned his gaze to Su Wen.

"Where?"

"Go to the academy. It's a good opportunity to change locations. I'll go find Yan Shaozhe to get a permit and some budget. Since you're planning to make some battle armor, the academy will definitely support you. I must take this opportunity to promote blacksmithing and take on some apprentices to fulfill my teacher's dying wish to revive the blacksmithing industry."

"Start a forging department?" Su Wen asked, taken aback.

"Oh ho? You're really bold, kid. But the blacksmithing profession has actually declined quite a bit and can't attract any students." Old Du was somewhat tempted, but he was clearly well aware of the current status of blacksmithing.

"Once the battle armor is released, the forging class will be extremely popular!" Su Wen tempted.

"hiss……"

Old Du grinned.

To be honest, he was genuinely moved.

After pondering for a long time, he went to the back of the courtyard and kowtowed three times to a tombstone: "Master, your unfilial disciple was only bewitched by this kid in order to revitalize our blacksmithing profession. If you are angry in heaven, just go and cause trouble for him."

Su Wen: "..."

"Let's go!"

Old Du glanced longingly at the tombstone, then, carrying Su Wen, vanished in a flash.

A few minutes later.

Only then did several figures in black robes arrive to handle the aftermath...

……

"Forging?!"

Yan Shaozhe stared at Su Wen in astonishment.

"What exactly are you trying to do, kid! I thought you were going to join the Soul Guidance Department..."

"It's not impossible."

Su Wen shrugged.

"Anyway, with Elder Du, this peerless master craftsman, around, we'll join the Soul Guidance Department and develop battle armor. But once it's actually developed, the Martial Soul Department will probably become an appendage of the Soul Guidance Department..."

"Hiss..." Yan Shaozhe's face showed difficulty.

He sighed softly after a long while.

"That's all."

"Let's hold a meeting at the Sea God Pavilion. It's just a formality, and the elders won't object. Of course, we hope you, Elder Du, can also attend. And I have one request..."

"Speak," Old Du said calmly.

"My Martial Soul Department can grant many students access to the Forging Department and promote it extensively, but Forging and Martial Soul shouldn't conflict! Forging can be an elective, but I hope the focus can still be on the Martial Soul Department, except for certain forging geniuses, of course..."

In fact, it is similar to a large arena, and can be considered a separate "force" from the Martial Soul System and the Soul Guidance System.

A courtyard within a courtyard.

"Okay!" Old Du nodded.

"We in the forging department don't want waste either."

Yan Shaozhe: "..."

"Moreover, there's no need to hold the Sea God Pavilion meeting anymore." Su Wen shook his head and said, "The Martial Soul Department will provide the venue, student quotas, and forging expenses from 10% of the academy's annual income. I'll find sponsors for the rest myself."

"Hmm?" Old Du's calm and composed demeanor vanished. With his back to Yan Shaozhe, he glared at Su Wen, wishing he could cover Su Wen's mouth.

"Are you sure?" Yan Shaozhe asked with a strange expression.

"Sure!"

Su Wen nodded solemnly.

"I have no money!" Old Du grumbled.

"Don't worry, I have..."

Su Wen said with a smile.

The initial investment isn't actually that much. Where does the high cost of forging come from? The purchase of various rare metals accounts for 90% of the cost. Yan Shaozhe provides the forging facilities for free, while the students only pay a few coins. Iron Hammer directly bails out Old Master Du.

As for rare metals... that's the golden finger of time-travelers. Regardless of how many rare metal mines are deep in the far north, he can't let go of the rare metal vein mentioned in the original work, which is located between Dragon City and the frozen forest on the outskirts of the far north.

So this forging department was more about getting Master Du out of retirement, like making dumplings for this dish of vinegar...

It would be too troublesome to argue with the Soul Guidance Department and the Martial Soul Department for funding again. Besides, the entire Martial Soul Department only accounts for 60%, and the 10% he wants is worth more than 10 million gold soul coins (every year).

"You're still a Martial Soul type, right?"

Yan Shaozhe hesitated for a moment, then asked.

"Of course!"

Su Wen said with a smile.

……

"That's it."

Yan Shaozhe pointed to an unused three-story building.

"This was originally intended to be used as a division for the Soul Fighting area. The upstairs was divided into rooms of seven or eight hundred square meters each, with floors made of a special metal material that provided good sound insulation. But then something unexpected happened, and it was left unused..."

"Not bad!" Old Du nodded in satisfaction.

"As for the 10% of the funds, I'll hand it over to you later. By the way, who's in charge, you or Xiao Wen?" Yan Shaozhe asked with a strange expression.

“I’m the dean, so he’s the vice dean!” Old Du waved his hand and said, “I don’t care about those trivial matters. Just give him the money. It would be best if you could send another teacher who is good at management.”

"it is good!"

"Vice Dean Su, I'll transfer the money to you later," Yan Shaozhe said with a smile.

"..."

Su Wen's face twitched.

However, after glancing at the three-story building, he let out a long sigh of relief.

How did I end up as a vice dean?
That's so weird...

wrong!

He can't even do thousand-fold forging; does he really deserve to be the vice dean?!
"Hehe, let's try going in now."

Old Du grinned, lifted Su Wen by the shoulder, and the two were instantly in an empty room on the top floor.

It was indeed completely black.

The floor, and even the lower edges of the walls, were made of metal, clearly showing considerable effort had been put into its construction. There was even a worn-out soul-guided access card hanging at the entrance, requiring a swipe of the card for entry...

P.S.: I had diarrhea today, my stomach was upset from eating something bad, and I only got back from the hospital at 10 am and I'm still writing this now (crying).

There's one more chapter coming at 2 PM, but it'll probably be hard to reach 10,000 words. Sorry...

(End of this chapter)