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The Dragon Halberd Sect successfully reached an alliance agreement with the Tang Sect. That night, Zhao Wuji and Zhang Erhe were summoned to the main hall of the sect to discuss supporting Dai Mubai's rise to power with Meng Shu and others.
For this purpose, Dai Mubai personally promised them numerous benefits.
For instance, helping Zhang Erhe clear his name, distributing profits from the Star Luo Empire, and even granting them official titles and promotions once the plan succeeded.
In short, in order to gain power, Dai Mubai was willing to sell off everything without hesitation or regret.
Zhang Erhe, who had been working in intelligence for a long time, quickly relayed the news safely to Ning Tianchen.
Seeing that things were proceeding according to plan, Ning Tianchen arrived at the Blacksmiths' Association in Elemental City on this day.
The new Blacksmiths' Association, funded by the Tianjian Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, consistently received weapon orders from the empire.
Compared to the past, every blacksmith's income had doubled.
With two major sects as their backers, no one dared to cause trouble for them. Though the blacksmiths were busy every day, they always wore smiles on their faces.
When Ning Tianchen arrived, the blacksmiths warmly welcomed him, gathering around him and praising what he had done for the association.
Ning Tianchen waved his hand. "Everyone, get back to work. The empire's war effort is pressing—weapon production must not be delayed."
"I'm here to see President Lou Gao. Do you know where he is?"
Before he could finish, an elderly blacksmith smiled and replied, "Young Master Ning, President Lou is in the office on the top floor studying soul tool technology. He mentioned that you can go up directly without asking anyone for permission."
Ning Tianchen nodded, exchanged pleasantries with the blacksmiths for a moment, and then followed one of them to a room.
"No stairs?" he asked, puzzled.
The blacksmith chuckled. "This is Master Si Long's newly developed elevator—it goes straight to the top floor."
Hearing the explanation, Ning Tianchen couldn't help but smile faintly. Wasn't this just the elevators found in every building in his previous life?
However, the automatic elevator here clearly wasn't powered by electricity but by some kind of more intricate mechanical device.
The elevator doors opened, and Ning Tianchen stepped inside. Instinctively, he pressed the floor button and repeatedly pressed the door-close button.
The blacksmith was astonished. "Young Master Ning, how are you so familiar with this?"
Only someone who frequently used elevators would habitually press the door-close button repeatedly—it was evidently a habit carried over from his past life.
Ning Tianchen coughed lightly. "It's nothing. I'll head up now."
As the elevator doors closed, it carried him toward the top floor.
The blacksmith looked at the elevator with suspicion. "How strange. Why is Young Master Ning so proficient with the elevator?"
Before he could dwell on it further, imperial officials brought new weapon orders.
Amidst the busy work, he quickly forgot about the matter.
…
On the top floor, stepping out of the elevator, a long corridor stretched before him.
Similar to the original layout of the Blacksmiths' Association, the deepest room was President Lou Gao's forge.
Approaching it, the door to the forge was slightly ajar, and Lou Gao's impatient voice could be heard from inside. "Si Long, what are you tinkering with all day? What use is that broken elevator? We've been researching soul tool technology for so long with no progress. How am I supposed to explain this to the two Ning Masters?"
Si Long was better at researching and manufacturing mechanical items, but when it came to soul tools, he had no clue and naturally made no progress.
Outside the door, Ning Tianchen's lips curved into a faint smile.
Lou Gao's words pleased him greatly. The two sects had invested a significant amount of money, and while there had been no breakthroughs in soul tool technology, at least the Blacksmiths' Association's attitude was commendable.
He knocked lightly on the door, and a sharp voice rang out from inside. "Who's there? Can't you see I'm scolding someone?"
Ning Tianchen walked in and said with a smile, "President Lou Gao, am I disturbing you?"
Upon seeing who it was, Lou Gao immediately put on a sycophantic grin. "Ah, it's Young Master Ning. Please, have a seat. The Blacksmiths' Association owes its success today entirely to you."
After years of not seeing him, this old man had learned to flatter.
But it was undeniable that the Blacksmiths' Association was indeed thriving.
"Si Long, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and pour some tea!" Lou Gao glared at him.
After sitting down, Lou Gao spoke at length.
In recent years, the Blacksmiths' Association had welcomed many newcomers, including blacksmiths who had come from Gengxin City.
Having missed the earlier free resettlement, these blacksmiths had to solve their housing issues on their own when they arrived.
Of course, in the face of such substantial income, rent was negligible.
Finally, Lou Gao said apologetically, "Young Master Ning, please don't be angry. Soul tool technology has no clear direction—we've studied it for a long time but still can't figure out how to make the energy storage device."
"Using the condensed force crystal from before, we managed to create a single soul tool, but we couldn't replicate it. I told Master Ning that if we could obtain a large number of condensed force crystals, perhaps we could mass-produce soul tools…"
Before he could finish, Ning Tianchen retrieved the soul tool research materials he had brought back from the Sun Moon Continent and spread them out on the table.
"I know your difficulties, so here's the solution."
Lou Gao picked up one of the manuals skeptically. Upon flipping it open, an unrestrained smile immediately spread across his face.
He even jumped up in excitement.
Si Long entered the room carrying tea, startled by his reaction, causing the tea to spill on the floor.
Lou Gao didn't bother with these details and exclaimed excitedly, "Fantastic! With this material, I can create a soul tool right now!"
Ning Tianchen gestured for him to calm down. "Don't get too excited yet. There's a lot of content in these books—don't rush to make something after seeing just one example. Before starting actual production, I hope you'll spend more time carefully studying the material."
"After completing the preparations, it won't be too late to try making soul tools."
"Remember, take it step by step—don't rush."
Ning Tianchen had reviewed the manual beforehand. Low-tier soul tool materials were manageable, but the materials for mid- and high-tier soul tools were extremely valuable. Each failure would result in a significant loss.
Given the current situation on the continent, the income of the Tianjian Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect had sharply declined, making it difficult to sustain the expenses of soul tool research in the long term.
"Young Master Ning is right. Si Long, why are you still standing there? Come over and study together!"
Although Lou Gao often scolded Si Long harshly, he undoubtedly placed great hopes on him, hoping he would one day inherit his legacy.
As for his other disciples, Lou Gao rarely met with them, let alone scolded them.
Master and apprentice sat in front of the forging table, carefully reading through the soul tool manufacturing techniques.
Ning Tianchen glanced at them and quietly sat aside.
He himself was not a technician and didn't know if there were any omissions in the manual.
If there were, he could ask Cang Tianyou to supplement them when he returned to the Sun Moon Continent in the future.
…
Lou Gao and Si Long had rich forging experience, and combined with their years of studying soul tools, they had laid a solid foundation.
The content in the manual primarily addressed problems they had previously struggled to solve.
For example, the energy storage device was described in great detail in the manual.
Lou Gao even made one on the spot. Though rough, the energy storage device worked perfectly when installed on a third-rank soul tool.
"It's done! I've done it! The future of soul tools lies in my hands!" Lou Gao laughed aloud.
What Ning Tianchen cared about most, however, was the storage-type soul tool.
During wartime, to ensure the frontlines didn't suffer from supply shortages, food and supplies were continuously transported to the front.
Forget a million-strong army—even supplying a few tens of thousands of troops was troublesome.
Relying solely on animal-powered transport was like adding water to flour and then adding more flour—it became an endless cycle. The more supply wagons, the more food was consumed along the way.
If they could mass-produce storage-type soul tools, a single sack could resolve the supply needs of an entire army of tens of thousands.
Si Long examined the details and explained, "Young Master Ning, storage-type soul tools might not be easy to produce."
Storage-type soul tools didn't require an energy storage device but did need space stones.
Space stones could only be obtained from spatial turbulence or brought out due to spatial turbulence.
A cubic storage-type soul tool could achieve its effect using a certain mechanism, but to make larger ones, space stones were essential.
How easy was it to obtain space stones?
Ning Tianchen's inherited godhood wasn't that of the Space God. If he were sucked into spatial turbulence, he wouldn't even know which world he'd end up in.
Realizing his idea was far-fetched, Ning Tianchen stood up, preparing to leave.
Before departing, he instructed, "Continue researching soul tools and quickly train a group of craftsmen capable of making them. In future continental wars, soul tools will be the primary weapons."
...
After leaving the Blacksmiths' Association, Ning Tianchen's next target was the two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts deep within the Great Star Dou Forest.
He knew that Bibi Dong had long coveted these two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
Before heading to the Sun Moon Continent, he had arranged for people to keep watch at the outskirts of the Great Star Dou Forest, confirming that neither Bibi Dong nor any teams from the Spirit Hall had entered it.
Although the seventh trial was already completed, his second martial soul currently only had one soul ring. Absorbing two hundred-thousand-year soul rings, along with the four divine-bestowed soul rings in his possession, would undoubtedly lead to a qualitative leap in his soul power level.
Whether he could break through to Level 99, however, Ning Tianchen couldn't guarantee—after all, the higher the level, the more soul power was required to advance.
But the sooner he reached Level 99, the faster he could complete the ninth trial.
Upon returning to the sect, Feng Xiaotian and the others submitted their resignations.
The subsequent trials for these individuals could only be completed by relying on their own strength, and the locations were scattered across the continent.
Early that morning, Ning Rongrong had already departed with Gu Rong and Zhu Zhuqing to the Endless Abyss, preparing to begin her seventh trial.
Chen Huayu, on the other hand, went to assist Oscar with his divine trial, hoping to receive the Food God's trial to further enhance his strength.
For a time, Ning Tianchen found himself alone.
After arranging his next steps, he prepared to set out for the Great Star Dou Forest.
On the night before his departure, a majestic voice echoed in his mind: "Eighth Trial of the Asura: The Uniqueness of the Heir! Requirement: Defeat Tang Chen while he is in a lucid state and take the Asura Demon Sword from him!"
"There is no time limit for this trial. The moment you encounter Tang Chen, he will automatically regain consciousness."
Hearing the content of the trial, Ning Tianchen couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He already possessed an Asura Demon Sword, and now Tang Chen had another one. The Asura Demon Sword was the source of the Asura God's power—could it be that the other party had yet another one?
After all, the materials required to craft a super-divine artifact were enough to bankrupt any god. Was the Asura God really so wealthy?
With a light touch of his finger on the mark on his forehead, the Asura Demon Sword appeared in his hand.
Now that his Asura affinity had reached 100%, upon carefully examining the sword in his hand, he discovered the issue.
The sword in his possession was merely a defective product—or rather, it was incomplete on its own.
Taking the Asura Demon Sword from Tang Chen and merging the two might result in a complete super-divine artifact.
Though the eighth trial seemed to offer no rewards, wasn't a fully restored Asura Demon Sword itself the greatest reward?
The City of Slaughter hadn't been wiped out by Tang San's Snow Swan Kiss—it still existed. Finding Tang Chen (the King of Slaughter) wouldn't be difficult.
However, before that, Ning Tianchen decided to first head to the Great Star Dou Forest.
…
Ning Tianchen didn't ride in a carriage but instead relied on his own flight ability to rush toward the Great Star Dou Forest.
Along the way, he learned about the situation at Jialing Pass from the disciples of the intelligence department.
After Dugu Bo arrived on the battlefield, he released a small-scale toxic mist, instantly killing hundreds of enemy soldiers.
Previously, Ning Tianchen had already instructed him to exercise restraint.
Even if the Star Luo forces weren't deterred by his threat and broke through Jialing Pass, he still wasn't allowed to release large-scale toxic mist.
Killing hundreds of thousands of people single-handedly would ensure that both Dugu Bo and the Tianjian Sect behind him would "go down in history"—but not in a good way. They'd be despised by the masses.
The Tianjian Sect was founded by Ning Tianchen himself; it was his new home. And Dugu Bo was one of his closest friends and family—he couldn't let their reputations be tarnished.
Dugu Bo's reputation had long spread across the continent.
Even without his area-of-effect abilities, he was still a Title Douluo.
The appearance of a Title Douluo on the battlefield meant that the balance had been broken. The Star Luo army had now retreated to a position a hundred miles outside Jialing Pass, with no intention of advancing again in the short term.
Being able to intimidate the enemy and temporarily stabilize the situation demonstrated how crucial Ning Tianchen's arrangements had been.
Thus, the Tian Dou Empire was given some breathing room—and even precious time for the Tang Sect's plans.
Inside the Soul Beast Town.
Due to the war, everyone on the continent was living in fear, and no one came here to hunt for spirit beasts anymore.
Apart from a few residents who remained in the town, Ning Tianchen might have been the only outsider to visit.
Entering a teahouse, disciples from the intelligence department immediately reported the situation to him.
"Master, news just came in this morning. A team from the Spirit Hall has entered the Soul Beast Town near Suotuo City. Bibi Dong hasn't been seen yet, but this team is led by Ju and Gui Douluo."
The Great Star Dou Forest was vast, naturally having more than one entrance. To be precise, anywhere within the forest could be considered an entrance. However, for logistical reasons, most people chose to enter through the Soul Beast Town.
Ning Tianchen's expression shifted slightly. "It seems we've coincided on the same day."
"Alright, I understand. Your mission ends here. Return and report to Elder Bai He. As for your reward—"
As he spoke, Ning Tianchen wrote a note and handed it over to the disciple to deliver to Bai He for fulfillment.
Leaving the teahouse, Ning Tianchen immediately set off into the Great Star Dou Forest.
Two paths diverged—one leading to the Spirit Hall's team.
On the side of the Spirit Hall's team:
In this timeline, Qian Daoliu was even more stubborn than before, refusing to relinquish authority to Bibi Dong for a long time, causing the soul-hunting plan to be delayed repeatedly.
Seeing that the ninth trial couldn't be initiated for such a long time, Bibi Dong grew extremely anxious.
Unfortunately, during this period, Qian Renxue's trial had reached a critical stage, and Qian Daoliu couldn't afford to be distracted. Only then did Bibi Dong manage to seize partial authority and send a team ahead to scout the way.
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