"The other model, of course, is for you to send Grandmaster-level blacksmiths to learn from me. I can teach the technique in its entirety."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes narrowed as he stared at Su Ming.
"You're certain you can share your technique externally?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Su Ming countered.
If only he demanded rare metals, it would be too easy to be targeted. The price of rare metals could be driven sky-high, and he alone couldn't suppress it.
Of course, he could raise the price of Spirit Metal, but so far, the enhancement Spirit Metal provided to Spirit Masters wasn't that significant. Ning Fengzhi's current offer was already the peak in a certain sense.
A price war?
Su Ming was a Spirit Master; his goal was cultivation. Getting deeply entangled in the commercial sphere would be too disadvantageous.
Instead, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had numerous channels and convenient access to acquire metals. Cooperating with them was essential.
Besides the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Su Ming would also find ways to establish cooperation with Spirit Hall, but so far, he hadn't seen an opportunity.
As for the losses from spreading the technique?
The future of the Spirit Refinement system lay in Su Ming's hands. He possessed a mature subsequent advancement path and could continuously break through the upper limits like cheating. Even if other blacksmiths of this era learned Thousand Refinements with Spirit, the impact on him would be minimal.
Besides, was there even enough time to train forgers now?
Thousand Refinements with Spirit was the threshold for a Level Three Blacksmith, i.e., a Forging Master, in the Douluo 3 era. But in the current era, it signified a Divine Blacksmith!
Although limited by materials and technology, even in the Douluo 3 era, mastering Thousand Refinements wasn't easy. From what Su Ming knew, besides himself, Tang Wulin, and a talented young woman from the Star Luo Continent, starting from zero to mastering Thousand Refinements took at least five years.
In the present time, it would take at least ten years.
Therefore, to quickly become a blacksmith, Grandmaster-level blacksmiths were theoretically the most suitable.
Their skills were sufficient; what they lacked was ample practice material.
But then again, the existing Grandmaster-level blacksmiths were all Spirit Sages. To obtain a Spirit Soul, they would need to break through to the eightieth level at least. Was that easy?
"Kid, how dare you." Gu Rong's voice was hoarse, carrying intense pressure as his Spirit Power locked onto Su Ming.
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Su Ming remained composed.
With the physical constitution provided by the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, even as just a Grand Spirit Master, it would take Spirit Power pressure at least at the Spirit King level to make him show pain.
Right now, Gu Rong was just testing him, holding back. The pressure was only around the Spirit Ancestor level, which Su Ming could completely withstand.
Seeing Su Ming's posture, Gu Rong was inwardly surprised.
"You dare to say these things. Aren't you afraid I'll capture you by force?" Gu Rong said. "Your teacher isn't here right now."
"Since Uncle Ning is so sincere, coming personally to discuss cooperation, of course, I trust you," Su Ming said with a smile.
If Ning Fengzhi, appearing before him in person, still had any malicious intentions, then Su Ming could only say Ning Fengzhi was bold.
He was also tailoring his approach to the situation.
Since Ning Fengzhi showed up personally, Su Ming would, of course, disclose the relevant technology to the greatest extent possible and discuss feasible cooperation.
First-grade Thousand Refinements metal was just that—metal, not Battle Armor technology, nor Spirit Tool-level technology. Pure metal that could resonate with Spirit Masters, that's all.
"You mean you can harm him under my protection?" Gu Rong heard the underlying meaning in Su Ming's words.
Su Ming looked directly at Gu Rong.
He slowly stepped forward until he was right in front of Gu Rong, then stepped back, counting numbers under his breath.
"One, two, three... seven!"
After the seventh step, he drew a line on the ground and moved back a bit further.
"Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster."
Su Ming pulled out a Spirit Ray Gun from who-knows-where and instantly fired a laser directly at Gu Rong.
Gu Rong, a dignified Titled Douluo, naturally reacted before Su Ming even fully drew the Spirit Ray Gun. But he only had time to release his Spirit Power externally before the laser shot reached him.
The next moment, his expression changed slightly.
The laser actually penetrated his Spirit Power and struck his abdomen directly.
He touched his charred clothes, his face grim.
"This is a Spirit Tool my teacher and I obtained from a ruin. Elder, could a Spirit King block that shot just now?"
"No."
"Could Uncle Ning block it?"
"No."
"With your posture just now, could you have intercepted it in time?"
At this, Gu Rong's expression turned even uglier.
Beyond seven steps, and with Su Ming having declared his intent to demonstrate, he had only managed to react by releasing Spirit Power externally, blocking most of the laser's damage, yet it still reached his body.
Although he had been looking down on, before Su Ming indicated he would demonstrate, his disdain would have been even greater, not even considering that Su Ming would dare to resist.
Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster. Within seven steps?
Fast and accurate!
Ning Fengzhi stared intently at the Spirit Ray Gun in Su Ming's hand.
"Elder, the times have changed," Su Ming said.
This was his confidence.
Technology from Douluo 2 and Douluo 3 used in the Douluo 1 era was a dimensional strike.
Battle Armor technology and ordinary Spirit Tool technology were completely different leagues; their manufacturing difficulties were not on the same level. Making Little Gold's claw covers exhausted him, but crafting a Level 4 Spirit Tool was effortless for him.
He had shown the Spirit Ray Gun, but secretly, he had also set up a Level 5 Fixed-Mount Spirit Cannon!
Not only that, he was also equipped with an Invincible Barrier!
The Invincible Barrier's defensive power was unquestionable, and it wasn't difficult to make. The key was a kind of Gold Crystal. In the Douluo 2 era, this Gold Crystal was a specialty of the Sun Moon Empire, but that was because the Douluo Continent's search and mining technology was inadequate.
Actually, even in the Douluo 2 era, a few Gold Crystals occasionally surfaced on the Douluo Continent side. The Gold Crystal used in Su Ming's Invincible Barrier was one he unexpectedly obtained while wandering around Gengxin City.
Su Ming didn't explain further about the Spirit Ray Gun and turned back to continue discussing cooperation with Ning Fengzhi.
"Uncle Ning, which form of cooperation do you intend to adopt?"
Ning Fengzhi looked at Su Ming's empty hand, a trace of regret in his eyes. If Su Ming had offered to sell that Spirit Tool just now, he could have afforded five million.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled his thoughts back to the discussion on cooperation.
"If your technique can be shared externally, how high is the learning threshold?"
"Of course. My Thousand Refinements with Spirit essentially solves the material problem; it doesn't reduce the technical skill required for forging. Thousand Refinements with Spirit would have been considered the masterpiece of a Divine Blacksmith before. So, to learn my Thousand Refinements with Spirit, one must first become a Grandmaster-level blacksmith before coming to me to learn. I won't take disciples from scratch."
Hearing Su Ming's words, the corner of Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched slightly.
He looked Su Ming up and down.
At such a young age, and you're already considering taking disciples.
"Can both models be implemented simultaneously?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll proceed with both models of cooperation concurrently. Following the previous cooperation model, I'll first reserve ten sets of armor and weapons of this style, all made from your first-grade thousand-refined metal. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan can offer five hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins per set."
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi took out a design blueprint showing the required armor and weapon styles. The armor was similar to the designs from previous collaborations, and the weapon was a spear.
"Fully first-grade thousand refinements are impossible."
Su Ming shook his head and took out an ordinary Thousand Refinements piece, handing it to Ning Fengzhi.
"Uncle Ning, take a look. This is an ordinary Thousand Refinements piece, also Spirit Metal."
Ning Fengzhi carefully examined the ordinary Thousand Refinements metal, noticing the gap between it and the first-grade Thousand Refinements.
However, it was within an acceptable range.
"Acceptable."
After finalizing the normal cooperation model, it was time for the other collaboration.
"My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will fully train several blacksmiths. Once their skills are sufficient, I will arrange for them to come here to learn. But you wouldn't hand over the technique for nothing, would you?"
Ning Fengzhi's gaze was intense as he looked at Su Ming, already prepared for a transaction.
...
Read 50 advance at patreon.com/CNBLUE
(End of Chapter)