Deep within the Blacksmith Association lay a dedicated weapons testing ground, incomparably solid and secure.
Lou Gao brought Lin Xia to a specialized area for testing weapon power. Ahead stood several humanoid targets, each fitted with refined iron plates of varying thickness.
Lou Gao handed the dark, heavy, art-like pistol to Lin Xia.
"Come, Xiao Xia. Let me see just how powerful this weapon truly is!"
Lin Xia took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and nervousness of handling a real firearm for the first time.
Recalling the knowledge from his previous life, he gripped the gun with both hands, adopted a standard stance, and aimed at a target roughly thirty paces away, one clad in a refined iron plate a full inch thick.
His index finger pulled the trigger!
Bang—!
A crisp, ear-splitting gunshot echoed throughout the testing ground!
Almost simultaneously with the gunshot, a sharp ding rang out from the distant target, sparks flying in all directions!
A clear, small hole appeared at the center of the target!
The bullet had pierced through an inch of refined iron!
"Good!"
Seeing the result, Lou Gao let out a shout of praise. He clearly hadn't expected this small weapon to unleash such formidable power.
"Excellent penetration! With this force, even an ordinary Soul Ancestor or Soul King would be in serious trouble if they took a hit without activating a defensive Soul skill!"
"Xiao Xia, switch to my 'Thunderfire Round'! Aim for the three-inch plate in the middle!"
Excitement and anticipation gleamed in Lou Gao's eyes.
Lin Xia swapped in the purple-red–tinted "modified" bullet.
The moment it entered his hand, he could feel that it was heavier, and faint traces of lightning energy seemed to ripple within it.
He raised the gun again and took aim. This time, he clearly sensed an unusual pressure.
Boom—!!!
The instant the trigger was pulled, the sound was no longer a crisp gunshot, but a deep, thunderous detonation!
A blinding burst of red light erupted from the muzzle, interwoven with fine arcs of purple lightning!
A massive recoil far greater than before slammed into Lin Xia, numbing his arms. If not for his powerful physique, the gun would have nearly flown from his hands!
At the same time—thirty paces away—
BOOM!!!
An even louder explosion resounded!
The three-inch-thick refined iron target did not merely gain a small perforation like before. Instead, centered on the point of impact, it was blasted open into an irregular hole the size of a bowl!
The edges of the breach were molten, radiating intense heat, while strands of purple lightning continued to crackle and dance around the opening!
A pungent stench of sulfur mixed with ozone spread through the air!
The entire training ground fell into dead silence.
Lin Xia held the slightly overheated pistol, staring at the smoking, crackling hole in the distance, completely dumbfounded.
Lou Gao, meanwhile, grinned broadly. His thick beard trembled with excitement as he stared at the breach and the gun muzzle, blazing fanatic light erupting in his eyes.
"It worked! Hahahahaha! It worked! Thunder and fire as one—armor-piercing and fortress-shattering! Good! With this power, even a Soul Emperor caught unprepared would be severely injured!"
Lou Gao snatched the gun from Lin Xia's hands and examined the barrel and components with the tenderness of a lover, muttering to himself as he did.
"Mm… the barrel temperature is too high… need to add some cold iron… the fire crystal powder ratio can still be adjusted…"
Clearly, the divine craftsman's mind had already plunged into optimizing his magically modified creation.
Lin Xia didn't mind Lou Gao taking the pistol at all. Instead, he was lost in profound shock.
After all, this was only a handgun!
If rifles, sniper rifles, or even artillery were developed later…
Lin Xia didn't even dare imagine what the balance of power on this continent would become.
However, just as Lou Gao repeatedly inspected the firearm and calculated improvements, the fanatical smile on his face faltered slightly, his brow unconsciously furrowing.
A question that had briefly flashed through his mind during forging and assembly now resurfaced with striking clarity after witnessing this terrifying power.
Lou Gao stopped stroking the barrel and looked up at Lin Xia, who was still calming his emotions. The excitement in his eyes was replaced by a trace of concern as he spoke in a deep voice.
"Xiao Xia, this 'pistol'… its power is truly astonishing! I dare say that as long as the materials are sufficient, anyone below the Soul Saint Level, if caught off guard and hit by one shot, would be severely wounded if not killed outright! But…"
Lou Gao weighed the heavy firearm in his hand, his tone turning solemn.
"The power is great, but the difficulty of crafting it… is far too high! Look at these components—interlocking perfectly, with extremely strict dimensional precision. And the internal rifling requires me to use the Sacred Molding Pen with special techniques, carving it bit by bit."
"Forget the apprentices and ordinary blacksmiths in the Association—even Si Long, Si Di, and the others wouldn't be able to independently produce a qualified set without my personal guidance."
"This thing… simply cannot be mass-produced! Do you have any good ideas that would allow more people to learn how to make it? Or perhaps simplify the process?"
"Mass production?"
The moment Lin Xia heard those two words, it was almost instinctive—a single term rushed straight to the tip of his tongue: "machine tools!" Assembly lines, standardization, interchangeable components… concepts of industrialization from his previous life instantly surged through his mind.
However, just as that thought was about to leave his mouth, a bone-chilling cold seized his heart like a venomous snake!
Lin Xia's pupils shrank abruptly!
Mass production?
Weapons that ordinary people could use… weapons capable of threatening or even killing Soul Masters?
Countless images flashed through Lin Xia's mind in an instant.
How could this possibly be a solution?
This was clearly the key to opening Pandora's box!
It would push the entire Blacksmith Association and even all ordinary people who might gain control of such weapons—into an irredeemable abyss of destruction!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through Lin Xia's back.
Lin Xia forcibly stopped the words that were about to leave his mouth. His expression turned extremely grave, even carrying a trace of lingering fear.
After taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down, he fixed his burning gaze on Lou Gao. His voice was low yet clear, carrying an unprecedented seriousness.
"Teacher! I may have a method… but it absolutely cannot be mass-produced!"
Lou Gao was stunned by Lin Xia's sudden, resolute attitude. The confusion on his face only deepened.
"Why? Such an excellent creation—"
"Teacher!"
Lin Xia raised his voice slightly, cutting him off with a warning edge.
"Have you forgotten that this world is ultimately ruled by Soul Masters? Power is their privilege, their foundation, and the very basis upon which they maintain their authority!"
Lin Xia pointed at the handgun, each word striking Lou Gao's heart like a heavy hammer.
"If we truly produce this weapon in large quantities, allowing ordinary people to easily, covertly, and remotely threaten or even kill Soul Masters, have you considered the consequences?"
The excitement and confusion on Lou Gao's face froze instantly.
Lin Xia's words were like a bucket of icy water, violently jolting him awake from his technical obsession and dragging him back into cold reality.
After all, Lou Gao was a Divine Craftsman who had lived for decades. He had witnessed the shifting tides of the continent and had personally endured oppression from local Martial Soul Hall forces.
Lin Xia's unspoken meaning was immediately clear to him.
Once such a weapon spread…
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