Chapter 24: Lou Gao Is Crippled — The Peerless Hidden Weapons of Tang Sect Will Never Appear Again
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo hovered high in the air, gazing down at the towering headquarters of the Blacksmiths' Association.
"Let's call Lou Gao out directly," Ghost Douluo said coolly.
As soon as the words fell, a surge of dark power burst from him. His Ghost Demon Martial Soul unfolded, and an ocean of deathly aura rolled outward like ink, drowning the entire building below in a suffocating gloom.
The oppressive chill spread instantly.
Inside, every blacksmith and soul master froze mid-swing. The sound of hammers stopped; molten iron hissed and cooled as fear crept into their bones. One by one, they gathered at the entrance, staring up in shock and confusion at the two figures suspended in the sky.
Ghost Douluo's voice descended like thunder from the abyss.
"Do not panic. Tell your Guildmaster, Lou Gao to come out and meet me."
That voice was colder than the grave—each syllable slicing into their hearts like a blade of ice.
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At that moment, deep within a sealed forging chamber, Lou Gao was still engrossed in his work. Sweat poured down his plump cheeks as he hammered a glowing red ingot again and again, sparks bursting with every strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, a frantic knocking shattered the rhythm.
Lou Gao frowned, lowering his hammer in irritation.
"What's the rush? Can't you see I'm busy?"
When he opened the door, a strange, bone-chilling pressure rushed in, making his heart tighten.
"Guildmaster… outside, someone is asking for you—by name. They… they don't seem friendly."
Lou Gao blinked in confusion. He racked his memory; he hadn't offended anyone recently. Why would someone come storming in like this?
"Did you see what they looked like?"
"One of them looked… oddly feminine—hard to tell if he was a man or a woman. The other's figure was shrouded in shadow; I couldn't make out his face, only a black silhouette."
With those words, Lou Gao's expression changed drastically. A thought flashed through his mind:
'Could it be… the two elders of Spirit Hall—Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo? But what business could they possibly have with me? I've never crossed Spirit Hall. Are they here to commission a divine weapon?'
After a moment of hesitation, he decided to face them. Hiding would do no good.
When Lou Gao stepped out and looked up, he saw two figures floating above.
He forced a smile onto his round face.
"Lou Gao greets you both. If I'm not mistaken, you must be the esteemed Ghost Elder and Chrysanthemum Elder of Spirit Hall?"
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo exchanged a glance. The description fits perfectly—short and rotund, wind-catching ears, beady eyes. This was indeed Lou Gao.
Ghost Douluo's tone was icy.
"Your eyes are sharp, Lou Gao. But you're mistaken about one thing. We're no longer members of Spirit Hall. We are free soul masters now. What we do today has nothing to do with them."
Lou Gao's brow furrowed slightly, skepticism flickering in his gaze.
He couldn't fathom why two high-ranking Elders of Spirit Hall—men who once stood at the peak of power and luxury—would simply walk away from everything.
"I've long admired your reputation. Meeting the two of you today is truly an honor," he said carefully. "May I ask what brings you to my humble association?"
Yue Guan's lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
"Lou Gao, tell me—when you forge, do you use your left hand or your right?"
Lou Gao frowned.
"My right hand, of course. Elder Chrysanthemum, are you perhaps commissioning me to forge something?"
Yue Guan didn't answer. A strange, almost cruel smile crept across his face.
Ghost Douluo's eyes gleamed with ghostly light as he spoke slowly:
"Lou Gao, you are known as the finest blacksmith on the entire continent. We bear you no grudge, but your unmatched skill… may one day threaten us. Therefore—"
His tone dropped to a chilling whisper.
"—I must destroy that ability."
Lou Gao's pupils constricted.
Forge-craft was his life's pride, the foundation of everything he was.
He was one of the Three Divine Craftsmen of the Douluo Continent—the Grandmaster of the Blacksmiths' Guild, a man revered by kings and Titled Douluo alike.
And now, these two wanted to destroy that.
A lifetime of honor and creation—all about to be reduced to ash.
"I, Lou Gao, have spent my entire life as a blacksmith—diligent, honest, and devoted to my craft! I don't understand, where have I ever offended you two, that you'd want to destroy my forging ability?!"
Lou Gao's voice trembled with fury and unwillingness.
He knew full well the strength of the two before him—both were titled Douluo. If they truly wished, they could annihilate the entire Blacksmiths' Association and slaughter every soul master within it without effort.
"I've made myself clear," Ghost said coldly.
"This is nothing personal—merely a precaution. Because we bear no grudge against you, I'll spare your life. You have two choices: destroy your own eyes or sever your right arm. From this day forward, you're forbidden from cooperating with the other two Divine Craftsmen. Choose—will you do it yourself, or shall I?"
That voice carried a crushing dominance that made the surrounding smiths tremble.
"Too much! You're going too far! Isn't this the same as killing me?!"
Lou Gao's anger erupted.
His entire life had been devoted to the forge—his craft was his pride, his soul, his reason for living. And now these two were about to rip it away from him. How could he possibly endure that?
With fury burning in his heart, soul power surged within his palm as his martial soul—Sacred Molding Pen—flared to life.
Two yellow, two purple, and three black soul rings rose around him in sequence—seven in total!
"Hmph. Overestimating yourself!"
Ghost Douluo let out a cold snort.
An overwhelming pressure descended from above—like a tangible mountain crushing down on Lou Gao.
He could not move. His body was locked in place, his limbs stiff and heavy as if bound by invisible chains.
Ghost Douluo's cultivation had long since reached Rank 97, while Lou Gao was merely a seven-ring Soul Saint. Under that suffocating suppression, he stood utterly powerless.
Then—
A black, ghostly blade flashed forth without warning. Like a streak of black lightning, it tore through the air, carrying an aura of pure killing intent!
Lou Gao couldn't even dodge—he could only watch as that obsidian slash fell upon his right arm.
"AHHHHH!!!"
Blood sprayed into the air.
A scream of agony echoed through the Iron Association.
Lou Gao's right arm vanished into the shadows—gone without a trace, leaving behind only a mangled, bleeding stump.
Ghost Douluo's voice was cold and emotionless:
"Lou Gao, today I've only severed your right arm. I'll leave you your left—you can still live as an ordinary blacksmith. But remember my words. If you ever dare to cooperate with the other two Divine Craftsmen, I'll kill your entire family and reduce this association to ashes."
Lou Gao's face turned pale as paper.
He clutched his wound with his remaining hand, trembling as he glared up at the two figures in the sky—his eyes filled with fury and despair.
But against two Titled Douluo, what could he possibly do?
The blacksmith soul masters below stood frozen. They wanted to rage, to fight—but none dared to move. They could only gather silently around their fallen president, eyes brimming with grief and helpless anger.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo exchanged a glance, then turned into two afterimages and disappeared into the distant sky.
To become a true master blacksmith was a path paved with decades of dedication. Losing his right arm meant losing the perfect coordination of both hands—a fatal blow to a craftsman. Even if he could still wield a hammer with his left, he would never again reach his former heights.
Lou Gao had fallen. From this day forward, he would never forge another miracle.
And with his fall, the Tang Sect's peerless hidden weapons would never again appear in this world.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo soon arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. The moment they descended, a familiar green figure streaked down from the sky.
"Old Chrysanthemum, you two finally decided to return! I thought you'd abandoned me already!"
Yue Guan smiled faintly.
"Old poison, how have you been? Has the toxin in your body been acting up again?"
Dugu Bo grumbled, "Recently, it's been flaring more often. Probably because my soul power's increasing."
"Don't worry," Yue Guan said softly.
"That's exactly why we came back—to help you with that problem."
Dugu Bo gave a curt nod.
"The Spirit Hall's been searching everywhere for you two. Even the Sunset Forest has seen a flood of soul masters—some of them Soul Saints. But none of them managed to break through my poison formations."
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(End of Chapter)