Note: Brackets are for Soul Land's three names of the rank.
1st Rank (Master): Junior smith
2nd Rank (Master): Intermediate smith
3rd Rank (Grandmaster): Advanced smith
4th Rank (Grandmaster): Master smith
5th Rank (Master Craftsmen): Grandmaster Smith
6th Rank (Master Craftsmen) Smith Scholar
7th Rank (Saint Craftsmen): Divine craftsman in SS1
8th Rank (Saint Craftsmen): None
9th Rank (Divine Craftsmen): None in SS1
1st Rank (Master): Blacksmiths are unable to accept tasks directly. Instead, a higher rank blacksmith had to accept the task and assign some of the work to them. The test consists of choosing one of 15 kinds of metal to purify. The examiner will grade the examinee based on the metal they choose and the degree of purification. If their score surpasses 60, then they will earn the title of a rank-one blacksmith.
2nd Rank (Master): Blacksmiths can accept tasks directly. The requirements to be a second rank blacksmith is to forge a medium-sized component and to have the ability to Hundred Refine rare metals. A blacksmith could only collect tasks within their rank or ones of lower ranks. They were unable to collect tasks that required rank higher than theirs.
3rd Rank (Grandmaster): Blacksmiths become elites in the social class and can enter the higher levels of an auction. The requirements to be a third rank blacksmith are to be able to do the Thousand Refinement.
4th Rank (Grandmaster): Blacksmiths will be granted one storage ring with a capacity of 10 cubic meters. The requirement for a fourth-rank blacksmith is to be able to perform the Thousand Refinement on two different types of metal in a row, and then be forged into specific forms to pass. These metals must be of second-grade quality.
If a blacksmith can first-grade a thousand refined metals with spirit, then they are at the peak of this rank and will soon break through to the next rank. Refining with spirit refers to extracting the essence from metal through a refining process.
5th Rank (Master Craftsmen): The requirement to be a fifth-rank blacksmith is to be able to forge a Spirit Refinement metal. A blacksmith has to infuse life into the metal using one's martial soul as the bridge. Every spirit refining is a major ordeal for blacksmiths, as the smith must harmonise soul power, life force, and metal together in a process that is taxing on the mind. "To spirit refine was to connect one's life with the metal!"
Normal blacksmiths must have rank 40+ soul power. Even then, the chances of failing are high. Those with innate divine strength and talent for forging can reach this rank with 30+ soul power.
6th Rank (Master Craftsmen): They must be able to Spirit-Refine multiple metals together into alloys.6 two-metal alloys and three three-metal alloys.[6]The requirement to be a sixth-rank blacksmith is to be able to perform fuse forging. Forging alloys tests a blacksmith's techniques and understanding of metal, rather than their mental, spiritual, and physical abilities.[7]Blacksmiths tend to start alloy forging when they reach the sixth rank.[6]Wulin is an exception.
7th Rank (Saint Craftsmen)The requirements to be a seventh rank blacksmith are to be able to Soul-refine and metal. They must have a rank of 60 or higher in soul power. Those with innate divine strength and talent for forging can reach this rank with 50+ soul power. Many rank-6 blacksmiths could never get to this stage at any point in their lives. One can only teach another person the feeling of soul refinement. There were no techniques to be taught. It had to be experienced and understood by the blacksmith himself.
8th Rank (Saint Craftsmen: )A blacksmith must be able to use the spirit alloy to forge a soul-forged metal and also fuse one's natural endowments (life and intelligence) into the metal. There are fewer than 20 saint artisans on the Douluo Continent.
9th Rank (Divine Craftsmen) The requirements to be a ninth rank blacksmith are to be able to refine any metal heavenly. A person should have a soul power of 90 or higher. When refining, one must endure a tribulation of lightning strikes. There are said to be seven Divine Craftsmen in recorded history, making Tang Wulin the eighth.
In SL4, Tang Wulin said that Heavenly Refinement of seven metals seems to be the limit for 9th Rank Blacksmith. However, if you can advance to another rank, break away from the category of ordinary forging, and forge with a divine consciousness, the Heavenly Refinement of nine metals is also possible. Nine is the best. However, the required metal quality will be extremely high.