Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends.

As Tang San walked, his pace gradually slowed down. His gaze passed over the stalls ahead and settled on the facade of a shop that looked quite large.

The shop's storefront was much more spacious than the surrounding shops, made of heavy solid wood, with a black plaque with gold lettering hanging above the door, bearing the three large characters "Bai Lian Fang" in a flowing, elegant style.

On either side of the entrance were several finished weapon samples—swords, spears, and halberds—that gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.

Even from a distance, one could faintly hear the rhythmic, steady, and powerful sounds of forging coming from inside.

This is quite different from the small, unassuming blacksmith shops in Nottingham.

Tang San's heart raced slightly. He could sense that this shop might have something he needed.

"Let's go take a look?" Cinderella noticed that Tang San was interested in this.

"Mm." Tang San nodded.

The two crossed the street and headed towards the Hundred Refinements Shop. The closer they got, the more they could sense the shop's extraordinary nature. The people coming and going were clearly mostly Soul Masters, and their clothing and demeanor were different from ordinary civilians.

A neatly dressed man stood at the entrance, wearing a professional smile, but his eyes were sharp as he sized up the customers coming and going.

Tang San and Cinderella reached the doorway. The man's gaze swept over them, and when he saw their simple clothes and youthful faces, his brow twitched slightly, but his smile didn't diminish. He simply stepped forward and politely asked, "Gentlemen, what would you like? Our Hundred Refinements Workshop undertakes the customization of all kinds of weapons and the sale of metal materials, with absolutely guaranteed quality."

His tone was neither enthusiastic nor indifferent; it was a businesslike politeness.

Tang San didn't care about the other person's attitude; his gaze had already passed over the shop assistant and landed inside the shop.

The interior space was very large, with tall shelves standing against the walls, displaying various metal ingots and mineral raw materials, some of which even emitted faint energy fluctuations.

On the other side was a huge display stand, on which were displayed many completed weapons and armor, gleaming coldly.

"Let's take a look at the materials first," Tang San replied calmly, his voice revealing no emotion.

Chapter 158 Black Iron

Seeing this, the waiter stopped being overly enthusiastic and stepped aside to make way, gesturing "please": "Please make yourself at home, and call me anytime if you need anything."

Tang San nodded slightly and walked into the Hundred Refinements Workshop with Cinderella.

The store was more spacious inside than outside, and a peculiar smell of metal, charcoal, and grease filled the air.

Rows of tall shelves stood against the wall, neatly stacked with metal ingots of various purities and unpolished raw minerals.

From the most common pig iron and refined iron to the expensive sunken silver and black iron, and even some special metals that shimmer with a strange luster and that Tang San couldn't name, everything can be found here.

On the other side of the display stand, weapons and armor that have been completed are on display. The swords are sharp and gleaming, and the armor is thick and sturdy, gleaming coldly under the lights. They are clearly the work of skilled craftsmen.

Tang San's gaze skipped over the finished products and went straight to the area where the metal materials were piled up.

He extended his finger and gently tapped the metal he had his eye on, listening to the sound it made.

Then pick up a small piece and weigh it to feel its density and texture.

Cinderella quietly followed beside Tang San without saying a word to disturb him, after all, Tang San was the expert when it came to choosing metals.

"This piece of heavy silver has too many impurities, making it less pliable and prone to breakage."

"The black iron is not bad, with a high density, but unfortunately it has tiny pores inside, which affects its strength."

"Hmm? This piece of cloud-patterned steel was quenched at a slightly higher temperature, resulting in coarse internal grains. What a pity."

Tang San quickly assessed the situation in his mind, his brows furrowing slightly.

Compared to this, the blacksmith shops in Nottingham are like the difference between a garbage dump and a treasure trove.

The materials here are diverse and of much higher quality, but they still fall short of his standards for crafting high-level concealed weapons.

What he needs is a special metal that is purer, more uniform, and can effectively conduct soul power and internal energy.

Just as Tang San was feeling slightly disappointed and was about to check the next shelf, his gaze inadvertently swept over an inconspicuous wooden box in the corner.

The wooden box was half-open, and inside were several dark, unremarkable metal ingots with rough surfaces, like unrefined ore.

However, Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes keenly detected that beneath that dark surface, there was a faint, restrained silver-gray sheen flowing within.

He paused, walked over, and picked up a piece.

It feels slightly heavy in the hand, even heavier than refined iron of the same volume.

It felt cool to the touch and had an extremely fine and uniform texture. He tried to infuse a wisp of soul power into it.

The moment the soul power surged in, a glint flashed in Tang San's eyes.

Smooth and unobstructed!

This seemingly unremarkable piece of black metal had an exceptionally good conductivity for the soul power he had cultivated through the Xuan Tian Gong, with almost no loss or obstruction.

Moreover, after the soul power flowed through it, a strange resonance seemed to occur inside the metal, making it even more resilient.

"What kind of metal is this?" Tang San looked up at the guy who had followed him.

The shop assistant glanced at it, a hint of surprise on his face, then smiled and said, "Sir, you have a good eye. This is Black Xuan Iron, a very rare metal, produced in the far north, and in very small quantities. It is extremely hard and tough, especially good at conducting soul power. However, because it is extremely difficult to refine and has a rough and unsightly surface, it is not easy to forge, so there are not many people who know its value, and the price is not cheap."

"How much does it cost?" Tang San asked directly.

The waiter quoted a price, which was indeed nearly 50% more expensive than the same weight of black iron.

Tang San didn't haggle. He simply picked up the other pieces of black iron and examined them carefully. After confirming that the quality was about the same, he pointed to the half-box of black iron and said, "I'll take all of these."

The man was taken aback, not expecting this seemingly young and plainly dressed boy to be so generous. This half-box of black iron was quite valuable.

"Guest, are you sure? These black iron pieces are quite heavy, and..."

“Confirmed.” Tang San interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt. He took out a money pouch from the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlight, containing the gold soul coins that Tang Hao had left behind when he departed. “Count them, is it enough?”

This moonlit night over the Twenty-Four Bridges was naturally a gift from Yu Xiaogang.

Not only Tang San wore this one at his waist, but Cinderella also wore a more exquisite ring on her finger, which was also more convenient for storing things.

Before setting off for Tiandou City, Yu Xiaogang handed over these two soul tools to them.

The stated reason was that the trip would be delayed for several days, giving them time to pack their belongings. But the deeper reason, which both knew perfectly well, was that this theoretical master was constantly thinking about how to get closer to them.

From daily guidance to occasional expressions of concern, and now this seemingly casual yet deliberate gift, all he hopes is that they will be grateful and willingly formally become his disciples in the future, becoming living examples for him to prove his theories.

Tang San and Cinderella tacitly accepted the offer and maintained a facade of harmony as master and disciple by addressing each other as "Master."

After all, it would be foolish not to take advantage of a good deal. As for whether I will actually become an apprentice in the future, that's a matter for later.

The waiter took the money bag, which felt heavy in his hand. When he opened it, he found it contained golden soul coins, the exact amount.

His face immediately broke into an even more sincere expression. "I'll wrap it up for you," he said.

The assistant quickly and efficiently packed the half-box of black iron into a sturdy wooden crate. The crate was quite large and surprisingly heavy.

"Guest, would you like me to deliver this to your home?" the waiter asked politely.

"No need." Tang San replied calmly, walked to the wooden box, pressed down with his hand, and with a slight movement of his soul power, he easily put the heavy wooden box into the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Bright Moon.

The guy was stunned by what he saw. A soul tool that could store items of such size and weight was not something an ordinary person could possess.

His opinion of Tang San and Cinderella changed instantly, and his attitude became increasingly respectful.

"Mistress, would you like to look at any others?" Cinderella asked softly.

"Hmm, no need." Tang San shook his head.

With this batch of black iron, he could forge a batch of hidden weapons of far superior quality than before, especially the core components of the sleeve arrow and the Sand-Spitting Arrow, which were perfectly suited to be made of black iron.

Having achieved their goal, the two left Bailianfang without lingering, under the respectful gaze of the waiter.

The two strolled around the nearby streets for a while, bought some daily necessities and food, and then walked back the way they came.

When I returned to the courtyard, the sun was already setting.

The courtyard was quiet. Yu Xiaogang's door remained closed, and his excited whispers and the sound of turning over papers could be faintly heard from inside. He was clearly still immersed in his great work on the Soul Ring.

Chapter 159 Adventure

Tang San and Cinderella exchanged a glance, neither of them choosing to disturb him.

Tang San went straight back to his room, closed the door, and eagerly took out the batch of black iron.

He stared at the pile of dark, shiny metal ingots on the ground, his eyes gleaming with the light of a craftsman seeing a peerless jade.

He picked up a piece of black iron, ran his fingertips across its rough surface, and felt its superior properties. His mind was already racing, devising various modification and upgrade plans for hidden weapons.

The quiver and firing mechanism of the hidden dart can be recast with black iron, making it more robust, with smoother soul power transmission, and improving both range and power.

The poison needles and mechanisms, crafted from black iron, are more concealed and have greater penetrating power.

He could even try to create more complex and powerful hidden weapons.

……

Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Ning Fengzhi sat in the study, holding a list in his hand, and was looking at it carefully.

The list didn't contain gold or silver treasures, but rather the truly valuable items from the sect's treasury.

There are rare medicinal herbs that can strengthen the body's foundation and nourish the origin of martial spirit, as well as some rare and wonderful things from heaven and earth.

Each of these items, if taken out, would be priceless and unavailable.

Ever since Ning Fengzhi confirmed that Yu Xiaogang, who had been stuck at level 29 for decades, had actually broken through to level 30 with the help of Ge Duo's medicine, that little thought in his mind started to stir.

The eighty-step ceiling of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda felt like a huge boulder pressing on his heart, and also on the heads of every direct disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Now, a tiny crack seemed to appear before him, letting in a sliver of light. He had to try it.

A visit to the mysterious Her Majesty Godot is imperative. And naturally, one cannot arrive empty-handed.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School has been passed down for over a thousand years, and it certainly has a lot of good stuff; its storerooms are filled with a dazzling array of treasures.

But Ning Fengzhi knew perfectly well that someone at Ge Duo's level, capable of refining miraculous pills, would probably not even bother to glance at ordinary gold soul coins, jewelry, or jade artifacts.

You need to offer something that truly moves people.

His gaze swept over the names on the list one by one, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth mahogany table, making a soft, resonant sound.

There's a lot to consider when choosing something.

If you give a gift that's too extravagant, it makes you seem like you're begging for favors, making you vulnerable to being manipulated and losing your leverage in subsequent negotiations.

If the gift is too light, it will seem like a waste of time, as the recipient won't even be able to get through the door.

He observes slowly and thinks deeply.

Finally, the fingers that were tapping on the table stopped.

He picked up the vermilion pen that was prepared next to him and lightly marked a few names.

"One Dragon Blood Ganoderma lucidum."

“Earth Core Essence, one bottle.”

"One Grade Nine Purple Ganoderma."

He selected only the finest medicinal herbs that were aged for a long time, had mild and mellow medicinal properties, and were mainly used to strengthen the body's foundation and nourish its vital essence.

These kinds of items are invaluable currency for any Soul Master, especially support-type Soul Masters like themselves, or alchemy masters like Ge Duo. You can never have too many, and they best embody the value of finding a Soul Master.

Once she made her choice, Ning Fengzhi no longer hesitated.

"Someone come here." Ning Fengzhi's voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to the door.

The study door was gently pushed open, and a trusted subordinate who had been waiting outside quickly walked in, bowing and greeting, "Sect Master."

Ning Fengzhi handed over the checked list, her expression calm and revealing little emotion.

"Take it out of the warehouse according to the checkmarks above and seal it carefully."

The trusted subordinate took the list with both hands, his eyes quickly scanning the names circled in vermilion, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily.

These are some of the most prized items in our collection.

The sect leader has really gone all out this time.

He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but whisper to confirm, "Sect Master, should we reconsider this Grade Nine Purple Ganoderma? There aren't many left in the treasury..."

Ning Fengzhi raised her eyes and glanced at him, her eyes still gentle, but with an unmistakable meaning: "Since we want to show off the truth, let's go."

"Yes!" The trusted subordinate said no more, knowing full well that once Ning Fengzhi made a decision, he would not change it.

Therefore, he respectfully responded, carefully carrying the heavy list, and left the study.