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Day by day passed, and Ye Wen watched as those who came to learn about soul-guided technology gradually mastered the first two relatively simple stages of Hundred Forging and Thousand Forging.
In this era, knowledge once learned became one's own. Thus, the forging techniques Ye Wen had taught quickly spread across the entire continent.
Experienced old blacksmiths were moved to tears. After being treated as lowly for most of their lives, they had suddenly become highly sought-after treasures in the eyes of various powerful factions.
For this reason, many blacksmiths revered Ye Wen as a true Divine Smith, while others even proclaimed him the reincarnation of the God of Forging.
As Ye Wen felt the faint threads of faith gathering from the heavens and earth, he found it utterly absurd.
In the days that followed, Ye Wen lived a peaceful life.
He simply taught his students, drank tea, and relaxed.
During this time, Ye Wen didn't rush to approach Ju Zi. After all, these exchange students weren't here for just a few months—they would remain for several years until Ye Wen had imparted the complete technology for crafting Level 7 soul-guided armor.
If he wanted to stir up trouble, there was plenty of time.
At this moment, Ye Wen sat calmly in front of the group of exchange students, sipping his tea with a content expression. After all, there were quite a few beautiful young girls wielding large hammers, pounding away at metal ingots.
Their sweat-drenched faces flushed red, exuding an undeniable charm.
Ye Wen reflected on how he had wasted his past life. Life wasn't devoid of beauty or interesting things—it was just that he had lacked the ability to notice them before.
Ju Zi's face, however, was filled with frustration. A person consumed by revenge and devoid of complex emotions, she preferred to slack off whenever possible.
"I rely on my intellect to survive! I never should have agreed to Prince Xu Tianran's request to come here and study Tianxing Douluo's soul-guided knowledge—why did no one tell me I'd have to swing a giant hammer? This is infuriating!"
But seeing her like this only piqued Ye Wen's interest further. He spoke directly:
"Put some effort into it, Ju Zi. Yes, I'm talking to you.
You've already mastered Hundred Forging, and Thousand Forging may seem simple, but with that attitude, you'll never break through. Focus!"
Ju Zi had no desire to learn forging, but with Xu Tianran's backing and a transcendent Douluo standing right in front of her, she had no choice but to force a smile. "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Tianxing. I understand my mistake."
As a support-type soul master, Ju Zi was naturally frail. Though she possessed decent cultivation, swinging a heavy hammer was truly exhausting.
Seeing her feigned smile, Ye Wen lost his teasing mood. Observing how much closer Ju Zi had grown to him, Ye Wen decided it was time.
After a day of forging training, Ju Zi felt as though her entire body was on the verge of collapse. Her right arm, in particular, was swollen and aching.
"Am I going to develop muscles? That wouldn't look good at all," Ju Zi thought distractedly, then began flipping through the soul-guided books Ye Wen had distributed.
In essence, battle armor was still a type of soul-guided device. Though the array patterns Ye Wen possessed surpassed this era, the fundamentals remained unchanged. As long as Ye Wen provided the blueprints, those exchange students with sufficient cultivation levels would naturally learn to craft them.
The soul-guided armor worn by Huo Yuer and her peers was a genuine Level 7 soul-guided device. However, when factoring in the use of Spiritual Metals, it could be considered a Level 8 soul-guided device.
Unfortunately, since the competition, Huo Yuer and the others hadn't shown off their armor even once. Otherwise, its value would have been enough to make every soul master drool.
Currently, the most fervent learner of forging was Jing Hongchen, the Sun Moon Academy's lead teacher. He had already glimpsed the path to becoming a Level 10 soul engineer.
The knowledge of soul-guided armor Ye Wen had distributed was beyond the reach of these students for now, but for a Level 9 soul engineer like Jing Hongchen, it was child's play. The revolutionary array patterns Ye Wen had introduced sent him into a frenzied obsession.
All he needed now was a soul-guided device forged from Spiritual Metal that could fuse with his body, and he would break through to the Level 10 soul engineer rank set by the Sun Moon Empire!
This meant that the top-tier combat power of the Sun Moon Empire and the Three Kingdoms of Douluo was once again leveling out.
However, this didn't mean peace would prevail. The dissemination of Ye Wen's soul-guided knowledge benefited not just Jing Hongchen but also other Level 9 and Level 8 soul engineers of the Sun Moon Empire.
They had entered a frenzied race to break through using the knowledge Ye Wen had imparted.
This signified that the Sun Moon Empire's overall combat strength would skyrocket!
The Three Kingdoms of Douluo were well aware of this situation. Though they wished to maintain peace, if the Sun Moon Empire continued to grow stronger at this rate, they feared being caught off guard in a war and utterly crushed.
Tensions between the two sides began to escalate sharply.
It was only now that the Three Kingdoms of Douluo truly realized what it meant to be weak and vulnerable. They could no longer rely on the high-level soul masters cultivated over thousands of years to suppress the Sun Moon Empire.
Regret gnawed at the Three Kingdoms of Douluo. They deeply lamented allowing Ye Wen to spread his soul-guided knowledge so freely.
But it was too late to undo what had been done. Moreover, Ye Wen was a transcendent Douluo who maintained a neutral stance. They were both intimidated and at a disadvantage, leaving them no choice but to endure the tidal wave of change Ye Wen had unleashed.
After poring over Ye Wen's soul-guided books for a while, Ju Zi massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on. This knowledge was far too abstruse for someone like her—a mere Level 5 soul engineer.
However, Ju Zi understood that even if she couldn't fully master it, it didn't matter. She was merely a pawn pushed forward by Xu Tianran to demonstrate allegiance.
Though Ju Zi wanted to keep trying, she knew her talent was limited. No matter how hard she trained, she couldn't break through to become a Title Douluo, especially with her auxiliary-type martial soul.
Thus, Ju Zi could only rely on her intellect to exact revenge. Feeling dispirited, she considered slacking off and going to sleep.
But just as she was about to extinguish her soul-guided lamp, a distant, ethereal voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Come alone. I'll be waiting for you at the pavilion in the middle of the lake."
Ju Zi's body stiffened. Long-distance sound transmission was a skill that required at least the powerful spiritual force of a Soul Douluo. And this voice—she had heard it countless times before.
Pressing her lips together, Ju Zi hesitated for only a moment before leaving her room.
A Title Douluo had summoned her. How could a weak woman like herself dare show the slightest disrespect?
The night was dark, and the exchange students, including Ju Zi, had been required to wear Tianxing Academy uniforms, blending seamlessly into the campus.
When she arrived outside the pavilion, Ju Zi took a deep breath as she gazed at the indistinct figure shrouded in the darkness.
Though she didn't know why Tianxing Douluo had summoned her, Ju Zi believed she would be fine.
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