Chapter 214
Huh? What do you mean, kid?
Lin Xia stood aside with a smile, watching her teacher being surrounded by a group of excited old subordinates, feeling the atmosphere of excitement that had engulfed the entire association headquarters because of the legendary figure's return.
I feel extremely satisfied!
Lou Gao felt the excitement and warmth emanating from the rough hands of his old buddies, listened to the deafening cheers, and then looked up at the magnificent association headquarters hall, which resembled a divine palace and displayed countless unimaginable creations. Finally, his gaze fell on his disciple Lin Xia, who stood beside him with a smile.
A profound sense of absurdity, a strong sense of pride, and the shock of the era's dramatic changes... all these emotions surged and churned within him like molten steel in a furnace.
His golden pupils swept over the suspended soul tool, the shimmering armor, and the towering soul tool dome... finally transforming into a heartfelt laugh that seemed to resonate even with the soul tool crystals in the hall, filled with boundless emotion.
"In the five years I was gone... have you guys turned the Blacksmiths' Association into a blacksmith's holy land?! Well done, damn it!!!"
Lin Xia stood to the side, a gentle smile on her lips, patiently waiting for the excitement of the reunion to subside.
Only when Lou Gao's golden eyes once again gazed with inquisitive intent at the floating staircases deep within the hall that led to higher floors and shimmered with a ghostly blue light did Lin Xia step forward at the opportune moment.
"teacher."
His voice was clear and bright, with a hint of mischief that was barely perceptible, and it clearly reached Lou Gao's ears.
"This is nothing!"
Lou Gao suddenly turned his head, raising a thick eyebrow.
"Huh? What do you mean by that, kid?"
Lin Xia's smile deepened as she pointed to the incredibly deep, seemingly otherworldly height above her head.
"This is only the first floor. The first floor is just the facade, the 'present' shown to all visitors. The real 'core,' the 'foundation,' and the home... are up there."
He paused deliberately, watching as the slight shock that had just subsided in Lou Gao's eyes from receding into recognition of his old buddy returned, before slowly adding:
"How about... you come with me, walk around and see all the floors above, and then express your shock?"
These words were brimming with confidence, and even carried a hint of provocation.
Lou Gao was momentarily speechless. He looked at his disciple's young yet already masterful face, and then at the mind-blowing first-floor hall before him. For the first time, his arrogance of "I've seen it all" wavered and... intensely curious in the face of the absolutely unknown "future."
He paused for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally waved his hand heavily. His voice was still loud and clear, but it lacked certainty and had more of a searching quality.
"You brat, trying to provoke me, huh? Fine! I'll see what other amazing abodes you can pull out! Lead the way!"
Lin Xia smiled and made a "please" gesture.
The master and apprentice, one calm and the other bold, stepped onto the streamlined, floating staircase that emitted a soft energy halo under the watchful eyes of countless people filled with awe and curiosity, and ascended towards a higher, unknown area.
Passing through an invisible energy membrane, the scene before them once again made Lou Gao hold his breath.
If the first floor is a magnificent museum and department store open to the public, then the second floor is completely different—spacious, quiet, with soft and focused light, filled with an indescribable "palace-like" atmosphere.
The space is much smaller than the first floor, but the height has not been reduced; on the contrary, it appears more spacious and grand.
There were no bustling crowds here, only a handful of masters dressed in distinctive dark silver work clothes, each wearing a badge at least at the Grandmaster level on their chest. Before a massive workbench crafted from some kind of pure crystal, they were either intently working on complex optical path diagrams or carefully assembling tiny components, barely visible to the naked eye, using soul-guided tweezers. The air was filled with a sophisticated scent, a blend of the cool fragrance of rare metals and the pure aura of energy crystals.
The items displayed here are few, but each one is like a sacred object being worshipped, shrouded in an independent soul-guided shield that emits a different kind of radiance.
"This is the Pavilion of Essence."
Lin Xia introduced herself softly, her voice sounding exceptionally clear even in the empty space.
"Only the most advanced, cutting-edge, or unique soul tools and alloys are stored, researched, and manufactured. Only core Grandmaster-level members and specially approved VIPs are allowed to enter."
Lou Gao did not respond; his gaze was already firmly fixed on the beings within those protective barriers.
Shield One (Ice Blue): A piece of soft armor, as thin as a cicada's wing and almost transparent, floats within. Upon closer inspection, countless fine liquid energy patterns flow across the armor plates, sometimes condensing into tiny scales, sometimes spreading like a nebula. A light screen beside it labels it: Starshine Soft Scale Armor.
Shield Two (Blazing Gold): Not a finished product, but a mass of golden-red liquid metal constantly churning and fusing within a special force field! It seems to possess a life of its own, sometimes transforming into sharp blades, sometimes coalescing into a shield, the intense heat emanating from it causing the air outside the shield to distort slightly.
Shield Three (Emerald Green): A fist-sized emerald green crystal radiating intense life force; within the crystal, a miniature forest seemed to be sealed.
The fourth protective shield (dark purple): is an extremely complex three-dimensional design with light and shadow, the core of which is a constantly rotating, dark purple pyramid the size of a walnut.
Each item represents the pinnacle of exploration in a certain direction of soul guidance technology and forging skills!
They are no longer commodities, but rather the crystallization of craftsmanship and the seeds of the future.
Lou Gao's golden pupils contracted sharply, his instincts as a master blacksmith were fully ignited.
He instinctively moved closer to the churning red liquid metal, tracing its path through the protective shield with his fingers, muttering to himself.
"Active...self-healing...divine fire properties...how...how is the balance between plasticity and toughness achieved in this material? Energy conduction circuit..."
He was so engrossed in his work that he seemed to lose track of time, until Lin Xia gently patted his shoulder.
"Teacher, the Materials Research Institute has a separate area on the top floor, and Senior Brother Silong is currently in charge. I'll have him give you a detailed report later. Shall we... continue?"
Lou Gao seemed to awaken from a dream. He took a deep breath and forcibly shifted his gaze from the creations that had captivated him to the stairs leading to the third floor. His eyes were no longer just filled with shock, but with a solemn, almost reverent, expression.
He nodded, his voice a little hoarse.
"go!"
The doors on the third floor are even more imposing, and are engraved with intricate reliefs of interwoven stars and gears.
The moment you push open the door, a completely different kind of bustling heatwave hits you, but unlike the hustle and bustle of the first floor, the "heat" here carries a sophisticated, suppressed sense of boiling.
What comes into view from the top floor is an enormous circular, tiered hall!
Its scale far exceeds that of the first-floor exhibition hall, with a circular display platform suspended in mid-air and made of high-strength transparent soul-guided crystal at its center.
Below the platform, hundreds of comfortable individual seats were neatly arranged, now filled with elegantly dressed and distinguished guests who conversed in hushed tones, their eyes fixed intently on the platform above. (End of Chapter)