"And over these past five years..."
Lin Xia's voice carried the confidence of someone who had everything under control.
"...through my relentless efforts, the Blacksmith Association has long since become something entirely different from what it once was. Our branches have spread like wildfire, covering every major city, every transportation hub, and even reaching deep into the continent's largest mining regions!"
"More than ninety percent of all blacksmiths on the continent, whether they are renowned masters with their own lineages or ordinary, unknown craftsmen working quietly on their own, have now been incorporated into the Association."
"They receive standardized technical training, including foundational soul tool knowledge, enjoy the Association's welfare and protection, abide by its regulations, and in turn contribute their own skills, creativity, and labor."
Lin Xia's gaze grew profound.
"Teacher, the 'covetousness' you worry about largely stems from the weakness and isolation of the past."
"But today's Blacksmith Association is no longer a secluded organization guarding its technological secrets in a forgotten corner of the world."
"It has become a vast network whose roots have already sunk deep into every corner of the continent."
"What it provides is no longer limited to soul tools. From the most basic farming implements and construction materials, to the soul tool energy cores and transportation systems that keep cities running, to civilian soul tool products found in countless households, and even the advanced defensive systems and weapons capable of changing the course of wars... the Blacksmith Association, along with the soul tool civilization it represents, has become completely integrated into everyone's daily lives."
Lin Xia's voice rang out with unwavering conviction.
"Its influence has quietly spread into every aspect of society, becoming one of the very foundations supporting the operation of civilization itself."
"Anyone who seeks to attack Gengxin City or seize soul tool technology will no longer be facing the resistance of a single city. They will be shaking the entire operational framework of the continent, disrupting the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people, and threatening the fundamental interests of every established power."
"Spirit Hall needs our technology to maintain its superiority. The Star Luo Empire needs our support to strengthen its national power. The Heaven Dou Empire needs to cooperate with us if it doesn't want to fall behind. Pull one thread, and the entire web moves. That is our moat."
Lou Gao was left utterly speechless.
Wave after wave of shock surged through his molten-gold eyes, relentlessly shattering the beliefs he had held for decades.
He understood every word Lin Xia spoke, but when they came together to paint such a vast, intricate blueprint, his mind went completely blank, as though he had stepped into an entirely different era.
Five years?
Just five short years?
To transform a closed-off Blacksmith Association into a colossal organization whose roots spread across the continent, whose technology had become woven into the very fabric of civilization, whose interests were deeply tied to those of the continent's greatest powers, and whose influence reached into every corner of society?
Was that truly something a human being could accomplish?
This was no longer simple growth.
It was the complete reconstruction of an entire civilization.
He felt as though he were listening to an unbelievable myth.
Yet he knew with absolute certainty that the magnificent, vibrant city of the future beyond the carriage window was the strongest proof that the myth was real.
After a long silence, Lou Gao finally managed to find his voice again. It trembled with disbelief.
"Xia Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire. how could they possibly agree to this? Isn't this the same as handing part of their lifeline over to you?"
He still found it impossible to believe that such colossal powers could be so "generous."
Hearing the question, Lin Xia revealed a knowing smile, one that reflected a deep understanding of how the world worked.
Rather than answering directly, he made a move that surprised Lou Gao even more.
A flash of light came from the storage soul tool on Lin Xia's wrist.
A palm-sized token appeared in his hand.
It was exquisitely forged from deep black gold and mithril, giving it an ancient yet imposing appearance.
On its front was the iconic emblem of Gengxin City: an anvil encircled by gears.
On the back was a single ancient character:
"Command."
The token itself emitted powerful energy fluctuations. At its center was a small crystal that radiated a gentle starlight.
Lin Xia raised the token, allowing it to bask in the colorful glow of the neon lights streaming in through the carriage window.
The brilliant soul tool lights reflected across its surface, making the anvil and gears seem to come alive as they radiated a solemn and majestic aura.
"Teacher."
Lin Xia's calm yet powerful voice rang through the carriage, as though he were simply stating an undeniable fact.
"You asked why they agreed?"
He turned the token over, revealing the ancient character "Command" clearly before Lou Gao's widened molten-gold eyes.
"Because Gengxin City..."
Lin Xia's eyes shone like the stars, and the corners of his lips curled into a smile that spoke of absolute control.
"...now belongs to me."
After a brief pause, he continued with complete confidence and unquestionable authority.
"I am the holder of the Gengxin City Lord's Command Token. And the Lord of Gengxin City."
Boom!
Lou Gao felt as though the Phoenix Vajra Hammer had smashed directly into his head.
He sucked in a sharp breath, his entire body freezing as he stared fixedly at the token symbolizing the highest authority in Gengxin City.
The City Lord's Command Token?!
Xia, had become the Lord of Gengxin City?!
The position that represented the highest honor and greatest responsibility among blacksmiths?!
Seeing his teacher standing there in utter shock, nearly as if he had lost his soul, Lin Xia put the token away, the profound smile never leaving his face.
"As for why Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire, and eventually even the Heaven Dou Empire are 'willing'..."
His voice was soft, yet every word carried the power of someone who understood the hearts of men.
"Teacher, do you remember what you taught me? The spirit of a craftsman lies not only in forging artifacts, but also in understanding the nature of one's materials and following the laws of heaven and earth."
His gaze seemed to pass through the carriage and toward the brilliant sea of soul tool lights outside.
"People bustle about for profit, and the world moves for gain. That has been an eternal truth since ancient times."
"Spirit Hall needs soul tools to reinforce its unrivaled position and prepare for potential threats. The Star Luo Empire needs our technology to strengthen its national power and secure an advantage in the future balance of the continent. The Heaven Dou Empire needs to cooperate with us to avoid falling behind or even being swallowed by its rivals. And I need their resources, markets, and deterrent power to protect and develop Gengxin City and realize the dream of using soul tool civilization to benefit the entire continent."
Lin Xia spoke with unwavering conviction.
"As long as the benefits shared by both sides are great enough and their interests are aligned, there is nothing that cannot be negotiated and nothing that cannot be achieved. The key is whether you can offer something they simply cannot refuse and whether you can firmly maintain control over the initiative that value brings."
Silence filled the carriage once more.
Outside, Gengxin City's dazzling neon lights flowed like a river of stars, casting their gentle radiance across Lin Xia's youthful face, which already possessed wisdom as profound as the heavens, and across Lou Gao's face, where overwhelming shock gradually settled into an emotion beyond words.
He looked at his twelve-year-old disciple.
He looked into those calm, star-like eyes, at the composed smile that seemed to hold everything firmly within its grasp, at the Sandstorm King beside him whose terrifying power was matched only by its absolute trust in him.
Then, through the carriage window, he looked at the brilliantly illuminated city of the future, overflowing with the aura of soul tool civilization.
Within Lou Gao's molten-gold eyes, the last traces of doubt and concern melted away like snow beneath the spring sun.
In their place remained an unprecedented sense of awe that burned like the core of a blazing forge, along with immense pride, deep gratification, and for the first time, genuine reverence for the disciple standing before him.
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