Chapter 521
Chapter 521: Riding the Mecha Together
Wu Zhangkong had directly applied for the permit through Shrek Academy. However, it was only granted after taking the fact that Wu Zhangkong was an honorary citizen of Heaven Dou City into account, along with Mo Wu’s help and guarantee. The value this card had far exceeded the mecha.
However, Tang Wulin was oblivious to all these things. With this card, his lowly yellow mecha could traverse unhindered across the continent.
Naturally, the only condition was that he could not commit any
wrongdoings. At the first sign of trouble, his Mecha Identification Card would be confiscated, and he would be blacklisted.
Wu Zhangkong did not emphasize this matter to Tang Wulin, because he believed that his disciple would never commit such a rookie mistake.
“Off we go!” Tang Wulin turned and said to Gu Yue who was only inches away from him.
The cockpit did not have much space. This was especially true for the person in the co-pilot’s seat. Gu Yue had a slender build, so it was not so cramped for her. However, she was not that comfortable either.
Tang Wulin could pick up a faint fragrance from Gu Yue because of the
cramped space. The fragrance was very gentle and was comfortable to the nose.
“Okay.” Gu Yue nodded lightly.
The yellow mecha took a step forward as fair flares shot out from the jet- burners on its back and under its feet. Under Tang Wulin’s control, the mecha immediately leaped into the sky. Civilian-use mechas are generally only allowed to fly below a thousand meters. In other words, they were only allowed to fly at a very low altitude. After Tang Wulin flew his mecha to an altitude of about eight hundred meters, the three pairs of flaps behind it were slowly deployed to maintain its suspension in midair. The thruster continued thrusting and the yellow mecha advanced towards Heaven Dou City.
There was an exclusive navigation system inside the cockpit which aided him in pointing out the directions. At the same time, it could also avoid any collisions with flying objects through the navigation system and radar.
When Tang Wulin’s mecha took off, countless radars began scanning its proximity. His mecha would transmit signals through a series of codes in its Mecha Identification Card to ensure its own safety during flight. If anyone were to fly up to the sky without an identification card, especially in a place like Shrek City, the city’s defensive soul cannons would attack it almost immediately. A mecha escort would also rush to the scene.
“Wow. It does feel better flying in the outside world.” Tang Wulin controlled his mecha with an excited expression.
Gu Yue looked at him and could not stop herself from smiling. She found it amusing when Tang Wulin began introducing his mecha to her. It was as if he wanted to show off. She never knew that this person had such a side to him. This must be the nature of a young man.
It was rare to see Tang Wulin this excited. He truly loved mechas!
The mecha continued flying at high speed, and it gradually entered cruising mode. It was indeed much faster than the soul cars on land. The scenery
continuously shot past them underneath the mecha. His quick-flying yellow mecha in the sky also attracted a lot of attention.
During the flight, there was a slight tremor in the interior — mechas also shook when they encountered turbulent airflows. However, Tang Wulin’s overall control of the mecha was rather stable.
“How’s this? Isn’t this cool?” Tang Wulin asked Gu Yue beside him. Gu Yue smiled. “Why didn’t you tell everyone that you bought a mecha?”
Tang Wulin chuckled. “It’s my secret! If I told everyone, wouldn’t that be the same as flaunting my wealth?” Of course it would! To an ordinary person, owning a private mecha was something extremely luxurious.
Gu Yue smiled. “Why did you tell me then? Aren’t you worried that I’ll feel like you’re flaunting your wealth?”
“You’re different,” Tang Wulin replied subconsciously. As he spoke, he took control of the mecha and flipped in midair before his mecha nimbly continued on its way.
Gu Yue was slightly shocked after hearing his answer, and the smile on her face grew wider.
Soaring in the sky was too exhilarating. Although Tang Wulin was able to flying practice during his training sessions, those were conducted in a
confined space. This time, he was actually controlling the mecha and was flying in the outside world. It felt exhilarating.
No wonder… This was why most men dreamed of becoming a mecha master. The feeling was just too amazing.
A soul train needed two hours to travel from Shrek City to Heaven Dou City. Flying in a mecha, on the other hand, one could do the same in half
the time. It was much faster and was naturally much faster than a soul car.
When the mecha entered Heaven Dou City’s boundaries, it was not afternoon yet.
Tang Wulin brought Gu Yue straight to Heaven Dou Blacksmith’s
Association. He had contacted his uncle master before he came so there was a parking slot reserved for his mecha there.
After the docking system was successfully connected, the mecha descended from the sky. It landed firmly in the special parking space on the rooftop of the Heaven Dou Blacksmith’s Association. After the mecha safely landed, Tang Wulin sighed in relief. This was his first time flying a mecha long distance after all. A safe landing signified success!
The cockpit’s hatch lifted and Tang Wulin disembarked from the mecha
along with Gu Yue. He turned to look at his giant, ten-meter-tall mecha as pride welled up within him. He was now a mecha master
At this moment, an unseen force pulled Tang Wulin, causing him to look toward one direction.
Atop the rooftop of the Blacksmith Association’s building, there was an area exclusively cordoned off for mechas to park. It was also where Tang
Wulin’s mecha was parked. There were also charging equipment available there to recharge the mechas with soul power.
Naturally, Tang Wulin’s mecha was not the only mecha parked here. There were two purple mechas beside Tang Wulin’s yellow mecha, and there was a black mecha on the other side of his mecha. The people who managed to obtain permission to park their mechas here were definitely not ordinary people.
However, it was during this very moment that Tang Wulin’s gaze froze. In a faraway corner, a door of in enclosed parking space was slowly closing.
It was obviously a space used to park mechas but it seemed like it was chartered for a single mecha. When his gaze swept over to that area, the
shutter was already halfway down but he had caught a glimpse of the lower torso of the mecha.
The bright red paint coating seemed to erupt like shocking thunder within Tang Wulin’s mind.
‘A r-re-red, red mecha?’
Red mechas were divine mechas that had to be personally crafted to
completion. To craft it, top-grade materials, first-rate forging skills, along with the essence and martial soul of the person that had to perfectly fuse with the material were required. This would result in a creation that was in a sense, alive. It was an extension of the user’s life and in certain cases, a true divine mecha might even result in a situation where the spirit soul and mecha would merge into one.
White mechas were known as basic mechas, yellow mechas were standard mechas, purple mechas were high-level mechas, and black mechas were
super mechas!
However, all these mechas were available and were not out of the ordinary. However, one could count the number of red mechas that existed with the fingers on one’s limbs.
Rumor had it that these red mechas had no upper limits to them. They could even stand toe-to-toe against three-word battle armor masters and could only be controlled by someone with a cultivation base beyond that of an
eight-ringed Soul Douluo. However, the requirement to craft it was also higher, especially since crafting it was as difficult as crafting a three-word battle armor. However, although it had several advantages that were unavailable to battle armor, certain advantages possessed by battle armor were also unavailable to it.
Simply put, the statement saying that battle armor was superior to mechas did not apply when it came to red mechas.
Tang Wulin would have never thought that he would be able to see a red mecha here. Although he barely caught a glimpse of its passing beauty, that alone was enough to leave him in utter shock.
Since he saw it, Gu Yue naturally saw it as well.
“Is that the legendary red mecha?” Gu Yue asked softly.
Tang Wulin nodded with excitement. “It probably is. Come, let’s go to
where master-uncle is. He probably knows something about it. Later, I’ll be learning from master-uncle for a bit. then I’ll be conducting some business with my spirit alloys before I bring you somewhere. I think I can get this all done by sundown. In the evening, I’ll go with you to do whatever you want.”
“Okay,” Gu Yue replied lightly.
Tang Wulin escorted Gu Yue into the elevator and went to the floor where Zhen Hua’s office was on. Zhen Hua had given them a special elevator
card. This floor could not be reached by the general public.
The elevator’s doors slid open, and Tang Wulin excitedly walked out of it. Then, he stood outside Zhen Hua’s office and knocked on the door lightly.
“I think the kid’s here. Come in.” Zhen Hua’s bright and clear voice came from within.
Tang Wulin pushed the door open and entered the office with Gu Yue.
Zhen Hua was waiting for him, but he was not alone in the office. There was another person aside from Zhen Hua in that office, and Tang Wulin knew this person.
“Uncle, it’s you!” Tang Wulin said in surprise.
Was the middle-aged man currently seated on the sofa inside Zhen Hua’s office not the one who prepared a meal for him when he first came here? He looked like he was in his fifties — hale and hearty.
However, this uncle of a chef was not wearing a chef’s uniform today. Instead, he was wearing a regular retro grey long robe.
Although he looked ordinary, he was able to sit in the office of the only
Divine Blacksmith in the entire generation. Clearly, he was not an ordinary person.
Chapter 522
Chapter 522: What’s in the Divine Level! ( I )
“Oh? We have a guest! Wulin, care to introduce us?” Zhen Hua smiled as he said this.
Tang Wulin replied respectfully, “Uncle-master, this is my classmate Gu Yue. Gu Yue, this is my uncle-master, this uncle here is my uncle-master’s friend.”
Tang Wulin had told Gu Yue his about his uncle-master’s identity long ago. Gu Yue stepped forward and bowed. “Pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”
Zhen Hua looked at Gu Yue, and turned to look at Tang Wulin again with a dubious glint in his eyes. “I was under the impression that you only know how to forge and cultivate. I now see that your emotional quotient is quite high as well. Very good, very good. Have a seat young lady, no need for
such formalities. Make yourself at home.”
When she felt Zhen Hua’s friendliness, Gu Yue could not help but smile. She nodded toward the Divine Craftsman.
Tang Wulin could not help but speak, “Uncle-master, I saw a red mecha on the rooftop when I arrived! It’s so cool! It’s a shame I didn’t get to see the whole thing. Whose mecha is that? Is it yours?” With Zhen Hua being the only Divine Craftsman in the entire generation, it would not be out of the ordinary if he owned a red mecha.
Even a black mecha would cost a fortune, let alone a red mecha. Its price was not something just anyone could afford, not even Sprit Douluos.
What surprised Tang Wulin was that Zhen Hua shook his head with a smile. “No, it’s not mine.” Tang Wulin felt a sudden disappointed. If that red mecha was uncle- master’s, he would still be able to have a chance to take a good look. If it was not uncle-master’s… Well, it would obviously be rather difficult.
“Oh, yeah. You flew here on a mecha? You still have spare time on your hands to practice operating a mecha?” Zhen Hua asked with curiosity.
Tang Wulin replied, “I’ve always liked mechas ever since I was a little boy. Teacher Wu said that battle armor masters could also be mecha masters, that both do not contradict one another. That was why I wanted to give it a go.
So… I got a yellow mecha custom-made at the academy.”
Zhen Hua shook his head with a faint smile. “You’re right about this but you’ve forgotten one vital fact — one’s energy is limited. It won’t be a problem if it’s only a yellow mecha, but it isn’t that easy to continuously upgrade your mecha. I think you can still handle a purple mecha, but it won’t be that easy when it comes to black mechas in the future.
“After a certain level, mechas need to conform to the soul master in order to unleash its true capabilities. This process requires endless grinding, and the soul master has to be truly involved in the crafting process, which also
entails endless rounds of debugging the mecha. The time required would be no less than what you’d need to spend crafting your battle armor. Although top battle armor masters would also choose to own a mecha, they’re doing that because they’ve hit a bottleneck in their journey to improve their battle armor. At your age, I find it best if you were not distracted as much as possible. It’s fine if you have a yellow mecha but don’t get too engrossed.
Mechas have quite a few attractive qualities. If you go in too deep, you might not be able to get out. I suggest you focus your energy on becoming a battle armor master as soon as possible. That’s the path you should take.”
After he heard Zhen Hua’s words, Tang Wulin was instantly shocked. ‘He was right! Uncle-master had a point!’ He had not thought about it from this perspective in the past. The main reason he could do this was that he had an extra twelve hours to train in the Battle Soul Hall. However, if he wanted to reach greater heights with a mecha, he would definitely need more energy. “Uncle-master, I understand now. This mecha of mine is mainly for transportation, I won’t waste too much time on it. Rest assured.”
Zhen Hua smiled. “However, it won’t hurt to know more about mechas. With your current progress, you won’t have too much of a problem becoming a battle armor master as long as you maintain your cultivation efforts. You can still delve into mechas in the future after you’ve reached
the top and hit a bottleneck with your battle armor. You want to take a look at that red mecha?”
Tang Wulin immediately nodded with excitement.
Zhen Hua smiled. “Then I’ll decide on behalf of the owner and let you have a look. There’s nothing wrong in widening your horizons. Let’s go.”
As he said this, he stood up and walked out of the office.
Uncle Chef also got up and smiled. “You sure are generous at the expense of others!”
Zhen Hua guffawed as he pushed the door open and went out.
Tang Wulin and Gu Yue followed behind them. When he thought about being able to see a red mecha, he was filled with excitement. Even Gu Yue exhibited excitement in her eyes.
A red mecha was something that stood at the peak of the food chain on the continent!
After they boarded the elevator, Tang Wulin asked Zhen Hua, “Uncle- master, you have a red mecha, don’t you?”
Zhen Hua shook his head. “I have a black mecha. You’ll understand after you learn more about mechas. Crafting a red mecha is a very taxing affair. My heart and mind are mostly focused on forging. I don’t want to waste too much time on a red mecha. The main reason is because I’m worried that I might get addicted. Once you’ve entered the realm of red mechas, there are no limits to your improvements. All the red mecha masters I know of are obsessed with the continuous development of their mecha.”
“That’s true! It won’t be an exaggeration even if we say that red mechas are like a poison.” Uncle Chef sighed.
Tang Wulin’s curiosity increased after he heard them say those words. Just how special were red mechas that even his uncle-master did not try to recklessly craft one? It seemed like the real thing far exceeded the legends told about it!
They returned to the rooftop with Zhen Hua walking at the very front. He headed in a beeline for the exclusive red mecha parking space.
He did not make any special controlling gestures, but the shutter door opened and exposed the mecha, feet first. This time, they were much closer and had a clearer view.
The mecha’s feet were magnificently streamlined. There were dark golden
striations on the bright red mecha. Mechas were made up of many parts, but this red mecha seemed to be composed of fewer components than ordinary mechas. For example, its ankle and sole seemed to be made with a single, jointless component. As the shutter door continued its ascent, the calf was
exposed, then the thigh.
Tang Wulin was shocked that the red mecha resembled an enlarged human rather than a mecha. It was slender, and its proportions were similar to that of a human. Its body was a bright red, and aside from the dark golden
striations, it had no extravagant equipment or any additional armor.
Tang Wulin also noticed that he could not discern the quality of the alloys used to forge this mecha despite his Blacksmith rank.
This could only have meant one thing — the alloys used to craft this red mecha far exceeded Spirit Forging. That was the reason why he could not even discern the type of alloys used.
Finally, the red mecha was displayed in its full glory before their eyes. The mecha was about six meters tall. It looked more petite and nimble than ordinary mechas. The most peculiar thing was that Tang Wulin saw no
weapons fitted on the mecha at all. This gave it an overall look that was both magnificent and graceful.
An ordinary mecha still looked very much like a machine. However, this red mecha resembled an enlarged human who was wearing simple armor.
Although it did not give off a powerful aura, its streamlined design made it look like a work of art. Even the most fastidious aesthete would not be able to point out a single flaw.
‘So this was a red mecha that’s also known as a divine mecha!’
Zhen Hua walked to Tang Wulin’s side, smiled and said, “I take it that you don’t see anything special about it?”
Tang Wulin nodded subconsciously.
“Little Red.” Uncle Chef’s deep voice sounded beside them. At the very next moment, the red mecha moved.
The dark golden striations on its body shone as its bright red coating of paint gave off a lustrous shine.
“Boss, you’re here. What can I do for you?” A gentle female voice came from Little Red’s body.
‘It can talk?’ Tang Wulin looked at Uncle Chef in shock.
Uncle Chef took a few steps forward. “It’s nothing. There’re two children who were curious about you. I brought them here to have a look. Give us a simple demonstration of how you’re different from ordinary mechas.”
“You got it, boss.”
Chapter 523
Chapter 523: What’s in the Divine Level? (2)
“You got it, boss.” it seemed that the red mecha took on a sweet tone because it had seen Uncle Chef.
‘This…’
Shortly after, a red light flashed, and the six-meter-tall red mecha vanished into thin air. When it reappeared, it was already ten meters away from
where it stood earlier. ‘Is that teleportation?’
Uncle Chef said drily, “This is one of its vital functions – Teleportation. With this, it can use Spatial Retreat within a thousand meter radius.”
Then, the red light once more and the red mecha was suddenly sprawled on the ground. It had transformed into a red soul sports car that was extremely gorgeous. It had a perfectly streamlined body with two seats in it.
With the next flash of the red light, the red mecha began hovering in midair after it transformed into the shape of a plane. It was then that they could feel a sharp pressure from the aura that was coming from the plane.
The flashing red light eventually transformed it back into its original humanoid form. Its arms then began rotating rapidly, causing countless soul cannon barrels to appear as it sat down and transformed into what seemed like a giant battery equipped with a hundred soul cannons. Its central
cannon had a diameter of one meter. ‘This…’ Confounded. That was the only word that could possibly describe Tang Wulin’s feeling right now.
‘Is this still a mecha? Could a mecha do all this? Teleportation? Transformation? Is this even a mecha?’
‘And, this red mecha was Uncle Chef’s? This…’ He was absolutely and utterly confounded.
After the red mecha returned to its original form, it asked, “Boss, is that enough?”
“Yes. You can go back and rest,” Uncle Chef spoke gently to the red mecha.
Little Red flashed once again before it returned to its original standing position. The shining golden striations on its body turned dark once more. The mecha just stood there, silently.
Uncle Chef turned to look at Tang Wulin and said, “When mechas reach a certain level, there won’t be many differences between a mecha and spirit souls. Heck, they can even merge with your own spirit soul. This mecha of mine has merged with one of my spirit souls so it’s kind of like my double.
In terms of actual combat abilities, it’s no less powerful than me even without my directions and controls. Something like this had endless potential for development. How could a mecha master not pour more
energy into it? For that reason alone, you’ll have to forfeit any other paths if you choose the path of a mecha master.”
As he uttered the last sentence, his eyes were full of zeal.
Yes, he liked mechas. In fact, he had an extreme love for mechas. He was even willing to forgo the opportunity to reach the rank of a Hyper Douluo for his mechas. To this day, his soul power was still at rank-94.
It would already be an incomparable feat for a soul master to reach rank-94 in their cultivation. However, rank-94 was not enough for him and his legacy. However, he had no regrets. He had never once regretted pouring more energy into mechas because he loved them!
This was a mecha that stood at the pinnacle of the current mecha world. Tang Wulin could not help himself from swallowing some saliva. For a moment, he was shaken to his core.
“However, you cannot… You must not walk down the path I’ve chosen,” Uncle Chef said suddenly.
Tang Wulin’s heart skipped a beat as he blurted out, “Why?”
Uncle Chef replied with a deep voice, “It’s because you have the advantage of being naturally gifted with talents. The path of a mecha master is unsuitable for you. Here’s what I can tell you. No matter how powerful a red mecha can become, it’ll never achieve the heights a four-word battle
armor can. This is a fact that reigns eternal. Even the strongest of the red mechas have their limit and one beyond the current limits probably won’t appear in our generation. I know how difficult this can be because I’m
working myself hard in this particular direction. Now, for you… the difficulty of becoming a four-word battle armor master in the future is significantly less difficult than this.
“You’ve yet to learn how to craft a mecha and your forging is already at rank-5. It’s too late for you to switch to mecha crafting. A true, top mecha master will also be a mecha craftsman. I’m one, along with all the other red mecha masters as well. Do you actually think you can switch and learn mecha crafting?”
Tang Wulin had no way of answering this question. He was right. Could he switch professions? The answer was clear, he could not change. The Golden Dragon King bloodline had given him powers beyond what an ordinary person would even see in his lifetime. He was only able to achieve what he had achieved today through years of hard work and cultivation. Although he was still young, he already had a solid nine years of forging knowledge under his belt. It was only after these nine years that he managed to become a rank-5 blacksmith. Who knew how much additional time he would need if he switched to mecha crafting instead. In the end, it was how it was.
Tang Wulin turned to look at his uncle-master beside him. He must have brought Tang Wulin here to see the red mecha to extinguish his thoughts about becoming a higher ranking mecha master.
Zhen Hua told him with a stern face, “Wulin, remember this. You cannot have even the slightest deviation after choosing your path. Once you deviate, the consequences will be catastrophic. The continent’s history isn’t short of geniuses. However, there were some among these exceptionally gifted people that lost their way. It was exactly because they were too talented, along with the fact that they had too much to choose from that they got lost. Once you lose your way, it’s highly likely that you’ll lose
everything and remain stagnant. When you want to refocus your mind, you’ll notice that you can no longer do so. That’s the reason why you have the become who you’re meant to be and never venture down on a crooked path. Do you understand?”
A chill was felt in Tang Wulin’s heart. It was as if he was suddenly enlightened.
“Yes, uncle-master. I understand.”
Zhen Hua smiled faintly. “That’s that then. You’re a smart child, you don’t need me to say too much. I’m not the only one who wants to tell you this, I’m speaking on your teacher’s behalf as well. We’ll be looking over you so you won’t go astray.”
“You’re already on the right track in your blacksmithing profession. The only thing you need is time. Do you remember when you chose not to
enhance your abilities with medicine? You had already chosen your path back then — the path of a battle armor master. One day, when you’ve
achieved the stature of a four-word battle armor master and stand on the peak on this continent of soul masters, you can choose anything your heart desires as long as you want to. It’s great that you have a mecha of your own as a means of transport, but it shouldn’t be more than that. Don’t delve too deep into it. “Yes, uncle-master.”
“It’s almost noon, I’ll whip something up for you guys.” Uncle Chef
suddenly smiled. He walked to the back of the red mecha and pressed a
concealed button on its leg, causing a ray of light to shine on them. Then, a big box was slowly released from the red mecha’s abdomen.
It was more than one square meter. In fact, it was huge! There was apparently a storage area within the red mecha.
Tang Wulin went forward hastily to help out, but Uncle Chef declined his help. “No need. I’ll do it.” He lifted the wooden box with the tip of his foot, and it flew up to landed firmly on his hand.
Shortly after, a light flashed and Uncle Chef disappeared. He was not teleporting, he was just fast.
Uncle Chef was truly someone amazing! He actually used a divine mecha to store food, and he liked to cook.
As he looked at his receding figure, Zhen Hua sighed softly. “This guy!
He’s too easily distracted. In terms of talents, he’s definitely not inferior to you but he never did manage to pass the threshold of a Hyper Douluo. It was precisely because he has too many thoughts on his mind! He was
willing to let you see his mecha today because he hoped that you’d take this as a lesson. With the things he’s already achieved, he should be standing at the top of the continent by now.”
“Uncle-master, who is he?” Tang Wulin inquired.
Zhen Hua smiled faintly. “Ask him yourself over lunch later. Because of you, he’s been in a dilemma for quite some time already. When he knew you were coming over today, he went out of his way to rush over here, and he even brought good food! He probably won’t even service me like this.”
“It’s… for me?” Curiosity was written all over Tang Wulin’s face. Zhen Hua nodded. “You’ve experienced quite a bit of shock today so you’re probably not in the right state of mind to learn to forge from me today.
Come, let’s go wait for our meal.”
They returned to Zhen Hua’s office, but Tang Wulin’s heart still burned
with curiosity. Who was Uncle Chef? Even if he was not a Hyper Douluo, but he was still a strong person who had been given the title of Douluo! To top it off, he was also a red mecha master. He should’ve been famous throughout the entire continent. In terms of ability, he knew in his heart that this man was as powerful as his grandteacher.
‘Even so, uncle-master still felt sorry for him. Why is that?’ With a heart full of curiosity, Tang Wulin waited with Gu Yue.
After an entire hour — several plates of delicious food were served on the table.
The dishes looked extremely beautiful and had a special aroma to them that made them very appetizing.
The first course was four bowls of soup. They looked like a clear soup with a faint fragrance.
When he saw this clear soup, Zhen Hua’s eyes lit up. He laughed and said, “Wulin, your uncle-master is lucky because of you today. This is the Fairy Fungus Soup. It’s good stuff!”
‘Fairy fungus?’ A bell rang inside Tang Wulin’s head. He had heard of this plant before!
Chapter 524
Chapter 524: Foul Qi Decreases
Fairy fungus — the king of the fungi. Legend has it that it was a rare fungus that could only grow in places where Yin and Yang intersect. It was one of the few fungi that grew underground, and once it broke through the ground’s surface, it would give off an aura similar to a thousand year soul beast. With every year’s worth of growth, it would increase its cultivation base by a thousand years. Once it achieved the ten thousand year level, it
would then fall off on its own accord due to the overwhelming energy content.
Although the fairy fungus had no intelligence, it’s nutritional content would concentrate at lightning speed as its size diminished. It was only at this
stage that the fairy fungus would be considered to be a complete product.
The rarity of this fungus exceeded that of a ten thousand year soul beast, especially since the requirements of its growth was exceedingly harsh. Its
nutritional content was just as shocking. It was able to balance the Yin and Yang of a person’s body. Put simply, anyone who consumed the fairy fungus would have their Yin and Yang stabilized. The greatest advantage it afforded was that it would prevent a cultivation deviation. At the same time, consuming the fungus would also add a trace of fairy aura to a person. This would make it less difficult for that person to break through every bottleneck in their cultivation.
It was not just an ingredient, it was a treasure!
The fairy fungus had a brownish auburn color and resembled an umbrella
submerged in the soup. Everyone’s bowl had fairy fungus in it but when the soup was served, Tang Wulin’s bowl that Uncle Chef personally served him obviously had a larger one compared to everybody else. Needless to say, Tang Wulin’s bowl of soup had the highest nutritional content.
“Uncle-master, I’ll switch with you,” Tang Wulin said to Zhen Hua.
Zhen Hua laughed. “I appreciate the offer, but this is what your Uncle Chef gave you. I won’t rob you of his good intentions. Drink up while it’s hot.
Not only does the fairy fungus contain high nutrient content, its flavor is also out of this world.”
It truly was out of this world.
Only a mouthful of clear soup entered his belly and Tang Wulin began feeling as graceful as a fairy as the wonderful sensation spread throughout his body. He began feeling as if his entire person had become nimbler.
“Prrrvvvtt!” Tang Wulin’s face flushed scarlet. How could he pass gas during a moment like this…
Zhen Hua smiled. “It’s alright. Your clear qi is increasing while your foul qi decreases. It’s the same for everyone. I’ve drunk this before, so I’m not so
affected by it. Eh, young lady, you’ve eaten fairy fungus before as well?”
He looked at Gu Yue with curious eyes. She had also taken a sip of the soup, but her body did not react the way Tang Wulin’s did.
“Yeah.” Gu Yue nodded lightly.
Zhen Hua was slightly shocked. Fairy fungus was not something that could be obtained by just anyone!
Tang Wulin hastily explained on Gu Yue’s behalf, “Uncle-master, Gu Yue hails from the Spirit Pagoda. She’s the disciple of the Spirit Pagoda’s
Assistant Pagoda Master, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo.”
Zhen Hua finally understood. “Ah, no wonder. So you’re her disciple. Good, very good, haha!” Zhen Hua had nothing against the Spirit Pagoda. As a blacksmith, it was
crucial for him to be on friendly terms with various forces. However, these forces would naturally come and befriend him on their own accord. Almost every four-word battle armor that existing in this era was somehow related to this Divine Craftsman.
Gu Yue nodded lightly, but she did not say anything.
The bowl of clear soup ended up in his stomach. Despite having an
enormous appetite, Tang Wulin was shocked that he felt full. How strong would the nutritional content have to be to produce an effect like this?
Gas did not only go through one specific orifice. He felt as if every single pore on his body was breathing slowly as they opened up. With every breath, his body felt lighter. Foul qi was being expelled while his clean qi increased. It was truly an amazing ingredient that increased his soul power. Even his bloodline essence increased in purity despite not increasing in soul power. After he broke through the fourth seal, he had already absorbed most of the Golden Dragon King’s essence but some of it still remained in his limbs. Under the influence of the fairy fungus, the absorption was
accelerated, and the remnants were assimilated into his body. In a way, he finally completed the absorption for his blood essence after he broke through the fourth seal by consuming this meal.
There was nothing more wonderful than raising one’s cultivation base by eating.
Tang Wulin was bursting with anticipation as delicacies were continuously served to the table. Including the fairy fungus soup, there was a total of
eight dishes. Although the dishes did not have that big of a serving, they were quite exquisite. Still, this was more than sufficient for them because each dish had been made with rare and delectable ingredients! Not only were they tasty, their energy content was also overwhelming. After the
meal, Tang Wulin felt full to the brim, almost to the point of being too full. His blood essence also boiled, causing him to sweat slightly. This was the first time experiencing such a thing ever since he started binge-eating. The simplest word to describe his current state could only be one — overnutrition.
Tang Wulin could clearly feel that he no longer had to eat anymore tonight. He only had to continuously digest the nutrients within his body.
His body was truly peculiar. No matter how much nutrients he consumed, he would feel like his appetite could not be sated, and would digest the food he ate rather quickly. However, the delicacies before him that were made from these rare and delectable ingredients would without a doubt help him build a firm foundation to aid him in his breakthrough of the fifth seal.
“It’s very delicious. Thank you, Uncle Chef,” Tang Wulin looked at the chef with a respectful expression.
Then, a rare smile appeared on the chef’s face. “There’s no need to thank me. I’ve something that I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Yes?”
The chef thought about it and replied, “Let’s talk in private. Follow me.”
As he said this, he stood up and made for the inner room. Although Tang Wulin was at a loss, he hastily got up as well since he enjoyed the man’s hospitality earlier.
At this moment, an urgent knock was heard on the small dining room’s door.
“What’s the matter?” Zhen Hua frowned slightly. It was not common for him to have visitors here.
“President, there’s a problem in the lobby. Someone came to make a scene,” an urgent voice came from behind the door.
Zhen Hua was still frowning. “Come in and talk.”
The door opened, and in walked a middle-aged man. He walked quickly to Zhen Hua’s side and spoke softly, “President, two people of unknown origin have shown up, a man and a teen. The older one should be a Saint Craftsman that announced his wishes of challenging us in forging.
However, he won’t be the one taking part in the challenge. Instead, the teen he brought with him will. The teenager looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old.”
“Oh?” Zhen Hua seemed surprised. Nothing like this had ever happened in the Blacksmith’s Association’s headquarters under his personal care after all these years. For someone to actually show up and challenge them, this was strange indeed.
“Alright, I’ll go have a look,” as he said this, he stood up and turned to look at the chef. “Go have your talk, I’ll be back in a minute.”
The chef frowned. “He must have some sort of plan if he’s bold enough to show up on your doorstep to challenge you. I’ll go with you, we can talk later.”
Zhen Hua was slightly shocked. Then, he nodded. “That’s fine as well. Let’s go.”
Naturally, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue also followed them. The four of them got on the elevator and went down. When they arrived at the Blacksmith’s Association’s lobby, it was already packed.
“President!”
“Mister President, you’re here.”
Waves of greetings sounded. At the same time, the crowd parted to give way to Zhen Hua and the others to reach the center of the lobby. As the president, Zhen Hua had absolute influence here.
An old man and a teenager stood in the center of the lobby. The old man looked to be in his sixties or seventies. His hair was white, and his body was big and tall. His eyes had a depth to them and lacked the cloudiness that came with age. Not only was the other person young, she was also a girl. She looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was extremely beautiful with a gentle and graceful body but her most attractive features were her palms. Her palms were as white as jade, and her fingers were especially slender.
Although her palms were as large as a man’s palms, they were much slenderer.
When Zhen Hua’s group appeared, their opponents shifted their gaze toward them. The old man had a serious expression on his face. “Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, I take it?”
Zhen Hua smiled and nodded. “Pray tell, from whence you’ve come, my companion.”
The old man replied drily, “My origins aren’t important. My name is Chang Gongyan. I’ve come here today with the hopes of challenging the younger generation of the Blacksmith’s Association. I wonder if there are any
exceptionally talented people here willing to have a match with my disciple?”
Chapter 525
Chapter 525: Tang Wulin Accepts the Challenge
Zhen Hua frowned slightly. “The association is a place where blacksmiths exchange their experiences. Of course, we can have a friendly match.
However, you’ve come here with such a great fanfare. Dear sir, it wouldn’t be good if we were to disturb the others here.”
The old man spoke in a deep voice, “I only wish to see if the Blacksmith’s Association is only fishing for fame and praise. Why? As Zhen Hua the
Divine Craftsman, are you afraid?”
When he said this, he caused an uproar all around him with some even cursing at him. Zhen Hua was highly regarded in the Blacksmith’s
Association.
Zhen Hua raised an arm, and the lobby quieted down instantly. “How do you wish to compete, sir?” This was the Blacksmith’s
Association’s headquarters, so Zhen Hua had no choice when he was
challenged. If he refused the challenge, the name of the entire Blacksmith’s Association would be soiled. Regardless of the outcome, he would have to accept the challenge, other matters came second to this.
The old man pointed at the teenage girl beside him and said, “This is my disciple Lin Yuhan. We’ll have a fair competition of forging, one-against- one. As long as there’s a blacksmith under the age of twenty who can beat her, it’ll be our loss. If we lose, we’ll join the Blacksmith’s Association.”
Zhen Hua smiled. “What happens if you win? What happens when you lose?”
The old man replied with his deep tone, “If we win, we have no other
wishes aside from President Zhen Hua admitting defeat. If we lose, we’ll join the Blacksmith’s Association and follow your orders.”
This seemed to be a fair competition. If they lost, they would submit themselves. If they won, they only wanted Zhen Hua’s admission of defeat. However, the old man was a sly one. What did he mean by following orders? That sounded very vague and was difficult to define. Also, he made Zhen Hua’s admission of defeat sound light but as the Divine Craftsman of this generation, as the top blacksmith under the heavens, and as the president of the Blacksmith’s Association, his admission of defeat would
signify an admission by the entire Blacksmith’s Association as well. This would definitely be a great blow to the dignity of the Blacksmith’s
Association!
“It’s unfair! This isn’t fair!” the brighter minds among the crowd understood the old man’s intentions and shouted their discontent.
“Everyone. Quiet, please,” Zhen Hua calmly replied and the great lobby quieted down in an instant.
“Okay, I accept. If you lose, dear sir, I won’t need you to follow any orders of mine. We’ll just keep learning from each other in the future. All blacksmiths are kin since the world of forging is unrelated to anything else.
As long as everyone is working hard to reach the pinnacle of the forging world, everything else is insignificant.”
Zhen Hua had been generous in his speech, but Changgong Yan’s
expression had a subtle change. The deep gaze he had that was locked onto Zhen Hua flickered.
“Prepare two forging tables,” Zhen Hua ordered his workers. “Yes, Mister President!”
Preparing a forging table was one of the easiest things in the Blacksmith’s Association. In no time at all, two forging tables were already set up in the center of the lobby. “Pray tell, who’ll compete from President Zhen Hua’s side?” Changgong Yan asked in a deep voice.
Zhen Hua smiled drily. “Wulin, you’re up.”
“Yes, uncle-master.” Tang Wulin slowly went forward. He stood still behind his forging table and was immediately recognized many blacksmiths once he came forward. Tang Wulin had been in the limelight for quite some time before this incident.
When he saw Tang Wulin, Changgong Yan knitted his brows. This teenager did not look to be any older than Yuhan. She was the peerless genius of the century. Could it be that there was another forging genius?
Lin Yuhan stood opposite Tang Wulin. When she saw this handsome teenager who was about her age, she was also slightly taken aback.
As he grew older, Tang Wulin’s charm slowly began to show up. Big, clear eyes, along with long eyelashes, a tall nose, and a handsome face. Not only was he good-looking, he had a natural charisma about him that exuded positivity and freshness. Toward his female peers, he naturally generated quite a strong attraction.
Zhen Hua asked Changgong Yan, “Brother Changgong, how would you like to have this competition?”
Changgong Yan seemed to have already made up his mind. He paid no mind to courtesy and said directly, “The simplest way of determining a blacksmith’s ability is through the refinement of metal. Let’s have two rounds, we’ll pick a metal for them to refine in the first round, and your side will pick a metal for the second round for them to refine. We’ll see whose refined metal is better after both rounds. Everyone here has discerning eyes, President Zhen Hua is even a Divine Craftsman. I don’t think it’ll be too difficult to judge the outcome.”
“Alright,” Zhen Hua said no more and immediately agreed to his terms. Then, he retreated backward and vacated the center of the lobby. Just as Changgong Yan had confidence in his disciple, he also had complete confidence in Tang Wulin. He did not believe that Tang Wulin’s peers could best him in forging as well.
Tang Wulin looked toward Lin Yuhan in front of him and gestured. “Please select the metal.”
“I pick Blue Coppertite,” the teenage girl said without hesitation.
When he heard the words ‘Blue Coppertite’, Tang Wulin’s gaze slightly flickered. Among the rare metals, Blue Coppertite was regarded as one of the most difficult to forge. It had an internal structure which needed to be continuously cared for throughout the refining process to prevent it from scattering. It was immensely difficult to refine.
“Okay, go ahead.”
Rather quickly, two identical blocks of Blue Coppertite were placed on the forging tables.
Changgong Yan and Zhen Hua were top professionals in forging. They only needed a single glance to determine that these two blocks of rare metal were of similar quality.
Lin Yuhan looked at Tang Wulin, and he returned the gaze with a faint smile. “Let’s begin.”
Lin Yuhan nodded. In the next instant, her gaze became intently focused. Her eyes were blue and once she focused her attention, they began to shine like two sapphires.
She stretched her arms to her side, and two beams of light flickered as two forging hammers instantly appeared in her grasp.
This pair of forging hammers glittered with a bluish luster. Surely they were made of Blue Coppertite? They were decorated with beautiful spiral patterns and were obviously well refined. Also, it had a life of its own and gave off an indistinct buzz. These were Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite
Hammers! Tang Wulin’s heart felt cold. It seemed that this opponent of his would not be so easily defeated! She must have had some special abilities for her to be able to use those Blue Coppertite Hammers.
Then, he raised his arms in a similar pattern, causing two beams of silver light to flicker before two Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammer appeared in his hands.
Changgong Yan had kept his eyes on Tang Wulin. This young man must have been something else for him to be sent forward by the Divine
Craftsman Zhen Hua. When he saw Tang Wulin’s Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammer, he immediately sighed in relief.
Heavy Silver was far lacking in quality when compared to Blue Coppertite. They were not rare metals of the same level, and forging hammers were the most important tools for blacksmiths. When there was a difference in the quality of the forging hammer used, there would naturally be a difference in the product’s quality throughout the forging process.
Once they completed the calcination process. The two blocks of Blue Coppertite rose from within the forging tables.
They struck their hammers down almost simultaneously, to the point where their movements seemed to be in sync. Although their left hammers lightly hit the Blue Coppertite at the same time, both produced different effects.
When Tang Wulin’s left Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammer hit the Blue Coppertite, it made a crisp sound, “Ding! Ding! Ding!” It was the Stacked Hammers effect.
On the other hand, when Lin Yuhan’s forging hammer struck the Blue Coppertite, no sounds were heard. Instead, the metal seemed to ripple.
The Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammer seemed to come alive as its
spiral patterns rotated silently. Flow marks undulated on the block of Blue Coppertite which had been struck by the hammer and the complicated patterns on the metal began showing signs of it being refined. This was also a special effect. The Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammer’s special effect was Propagate!
Yes, it had the ability to propagate and nourish the metal it struck.
This was a special effect exclusive to Blue Coppertite. The effects may not obvious when other metals were forged by these hammers, but the metal that they were forging now was Blue Coppertite and Propagate presented
shocking results even on the first display of its prowess.
Even Zhen Hua frowned when he witnessed this scene. It seemed that the other party came prepared!
Tang Wulin did not spare a glance for Lin Yuhan. When he began forging, he entered a world of his own. The only thing he desired to do was to show his best and forge a metal to the best of his abilities.
By representing his master in this competition, he was representing the entire Blacksmith’s Association! He must not lose!
As both parties began the forging process, Tang Wulin waved his Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammers at lightning speed. Every strike brought with it a strong gale. The immense force created violent booms when the
Heavy Silver Hammers and Blue Coppertite came into contact. The lobby seemed to reverberate from the sound, and with the addition of Stacked
Hammers, the only apt description for his forging style was majestic.
On the other hand, Lin Yuhan’s was a stark contrast to him. Tang Wulin’s was like a stormy shower whereas Lin Yuhan stood like an unmoving mountain.
Chapter 526
Chapter 526: Meeting One’s Match
With every strike, her hammer would pause on the surface of the Blue
Coppertite for a few seconds. Her Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammers did not rebound. When the Blue Coppertite Hammers struck the metal, a
click would be heard and shortly after, electrical sparks would spray forth from the hammers and enter the Blue Coppertite.
As this happened, the internal structure of the Blue Coppertite also changed with lightning speed as its inner veins were quickly put in order.
‘Lightning refinement! Her martial soul’s attribute must be something related to lightning.’ Zhen Hua had made that judgement in a heartbeat. At the same time, he wore a shocked expression, especially since the act of refining metals with lightning was rarely seen. Not only did the act pose a high requirement on the martial soul, it also demanded exceptional control power. This girl’s spiritual power must be very strong or she would not have been able to control the lightning this well.
The two parties continued with their forging with Changgong Yan and Zhen Hua locking their gazes on the other’s disciple.
Even Zhen Hua was astounded, let alone Changgong Yan.
He did not sense any soul power coming from Tang Wulin, which meant that he was relying on his own strength during the forging process instead of his soul power.
Although they were only Heavy Silver Hammers, their weight was not
something to be made light of once they were Spirit Forged. However, they seemed as light as feathers in the hands of this young boy. The sound of the striking hammers revealed that they must have weighed over fifteen tons. At the speed which this young boy waved them, he must have been born with innate divine strength!
Innate divine strength was undoubtedly the most fitting attribute for a blacksmith. This an advantage that one could only be born with.
Shortly after they began, Changgong Yan also noticed that although Tang Wulin was quick in striking his hammers, he was not careless. Every strike of the hammer ingeniously untangled the inner veins of the Blue Coppertite instead of condensing or tangling them. He was obviously very familiar
with the properties of the metal.
He never expected for there to be such a young blacksmith in the
Blacksmith’s Association, he must have been rank 4 at the very least! ‘No wonder Zhen Hua was so confident.’
“Bam!” The two Blue Coppertite blocks shone at the same time. Barely a minute had passed since they began the forging process but they seemed to have finished Hundred Refining the metal simultaneously. The two blocks of Blue Coppertite flickered and their veins were immediately aligned,
clearly indicating that they already possess the basic qualities of a refined metal.
Obviously, the duo would not stop forging right now. Their eyes were intently focused, and they never once spared their opponent a single glance as they put their full focus in their forging.
No matter how fiercely Tang Wulin swung his hammers, Lin Yuhan’s speed did not change. When her hammers struck the metal, the glow of the lightning continued growing brighter. As she increased the soul power she put into her forging, her soul rings began appearing.
One, two, three, and four rings! She had four soul rings and all of them were purple! She was a four-ringed Soul Ancestor!
This young girl was a four-ringed Soul Ancestor with all her soul rings at the thousand year level. In terms of her achievements as a soul master, she was also a rare genius!
Her eyes were focused intently, and the pair of Spirit Forged Blue
Coppertite Hammers were like extensions of her body. Every time her hammers struck the metal, it jolted the Blue Coppertite with lightning. Instead of hurting the metal, the lightning ingeniously aligned its inner structure.
Tang Wulin’s side seemed much wilder. His pair of Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammers gave off a series of booming sounds as the Blue Coppertite continually and visibly shrank.
Although the duo forged in different ways, they had the same objective — to refine the metal to its full potential!
“Boom! Boom!” Two rays of light shone brightly. Thousand Refined with spirit! Top quality!
The two blocks of Blue Coppertite shone brightly and both beams of light shot up five feet high. It was slightly difficult to differentiate by virtue of eyesight alone, especially since the beams of light shot up at the same moment in time.
Tang Wulin and Lin Yuhan finally took a slight pause and subconsciously looked toward their opponent. When they saw their opponent’s Blue
Coppertite glowing with the same light, shock registered on their faces.
It was apparent that their opponent had displayed abilities similar to theirs in the forging process.
However, their showdown had just begun. To be able to challenge the younger generation of the Blacksmith’s Association, Lin Yuhan’s limits were clearly not just in the realm of Thousand Refining. Naturally, Tang Wulin was also far from reaching his limits.
The Thousand Refined glow only subsided after a few seconds had passed. The duo then resumed their forging. Lin Yuhan’s pair of Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammers struck each other and gave off a light buzz. Instantly, the glow from the Blue Coppertite before her flickered, as if it was replying her.
Zhen Hua frowned and cursed silently. As if it was not already an
advantage to forge Blue Coppertite with Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite
Hammers, her pair of Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammers had to have the Propagate effect — an innate ability to summon the source of life within the Blue Coppertite. It was obviously much easier for her to spirit forge
compared to Tang Wulin.
The success rate of Spirit Forging depended on various aspects and the quality of the Spirit Forged metal would vary as well. Tang Wulin was fighting an uphill battle.
On Tang Wulin’s side, his forging was straight and narrow like an arrow.
Compared to the furious storm he brought about earlier, his forging seemed to have slowed down noticeably. Under his feet, three purple soul rings
arose. When it came to Spirit Forging, he would need the support of his soul power.
When he saw his three rings, the faintest smile appeared on Changgong Yan’s face. To a certain extent, the difference in one’s cultivation base would translate into a difference in the abilities between blacksmiths.
Without sufficient support from their soul power, it was impossible for a blacksmith to further progress in their forging.
The forging process of them both managed to satiate the cravings of the
audience around them. This was especially true for Tang Wulin’s forging. It was based on a firm foundation, just like a textbook. His mind was
completely focused. and with every strike of his hammer, he brought out the life of the Blue Coppertite and was slowly imbuing a soul into it.
Both of them forged at a steady speed, but the glow from both blocks of Blue Coppertite began to show different changes.
Uniform spirals appeared on every facet of the Blue Coppertite before Lin Yuhan. Throughout the forging process, the lightning she imbued into it not only refined but merged into the metal as well. This made the spirals look like rain clouds with faint flickering lightning. It was as if a stormy world was contained within that block of Blue Coppertite.
The Blue Coppertite on Tang Wulin’s side had an equally beautiful pattern, but he was clearly not going as fast as Lin Yuhan’. Even if he could
complete Spirit Forging the metal, he would most certainly be slower than Lin Yuhan. This was the difference due to their forging hammers and methods.
Time ticked away and soon, thirty minutes had passed since they started Spirit Forging. Lin Yuhan’s hammers suddenly swung upward before they gently struck downward. In an instant, several lightning bolts that were as thick as arms shot out from her body. The lightning bolts traveled along her arms and entered the pair of Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite Hammers before they were transferred into the Blue Coppertite.
The Blue Coppertite shook violently as lightning sparks flew. The blue light it gave off was dazzling. Soon, the metal came to life and a spiral-shaped glow appeared around it. A deep buzz sounded shortly after.
The metal sobbed. It had been granted life! The Spirit Forging was a success!
Lin Yuhan continued injecting lightning into the metal for a few minutes before she gradually stopped. The block of Blue Coppertite was now only a third of its original size. However, it glittered with bluish lights. Its inner threads were fully activated and were revolving rhythmically. Electrical
sparks could also be seen within the inner parts of the metal.
This was no ordinary Spirit Forging, it was attribute-assigning Spirit Forging. Aside from its innate special characteristics, this chunk of Blue Coppertite had been imbued with the lightning attribute. Its value was at least three times higher than regular Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite.
For a teenage girl about fifteen or sixteen years old to be able to achieve such a feat, it was nothing short of shocking. This was not something that could be achieved by ordinary rank-5 blacksmiths.
‘Tang Wulin has lost the battle.’ This same thought appeared in almost
everyone’s minds. Other matters aside, Tang Wulin had not even completed his Spirit Forging. Besides, a three-ringed soul master could never have hoped to complete Spirit Forging under regular circumstances.
Chapter 527
Chapter 527: Creation Spirit Forging
Tang Wulin was serious in his forging and was not the least bit affected by the life granted to the metal on the other side. Every strike he made with the Heavy Silver Hammers contained his focus and with it brought out the life in the metal.
He was in no hurry. He was communicating with the Blue Coppertite as he slowly brought out the life within it, bit by bit. Instead of pushing it too hard, he allowed it to awaken by its own volition.
Ten minutes passed. Then, thirty minutes passed. He had used up twice the amount of time compared to his opponent. Finally, the Blue Coppertite before him began to glow with a gentle light.
A revolving spiral pattern could be seen on the block of metal but it was not present on every facet. There was only that single pattern on the front. As the spiral pattern slowly surfaced, the clear and translucent blue it gave off seemed to contain no impurities, giving off a refreshing feeling. The metal showed no sign of being artificially condition, it was full of life.
‘This is?’
After Lin Yuhan finished forging, she had been watching Tang Wulin forge intently. From what Tang Wulin had demonstrated earlier, she could tell that he was a formidable opponent. Of course, she did not think that Tang Wulin could win against her, especially in this competition. He had used twice the amount of time compared to her. Even if he managed to complete Spirit Forging in the end, the quality of his metal would certainly not be as good
as hers. Moreover, his marks would be severely deducted since he took this long. With so many people looking at them, it was not possible that he
would act shamelessly. However, when she saw Tang Wulin’s display of ability before her, her heart shook silently. If she was imbuing life through Spirit Forging, then Tang Wulin was currently summoning life.
He did not directly imbue life into the Blue Coppertite by means of infusing his soul power into it through forging. Instead, he used the tiny bit of energy present during the Thousand Refining process to slowly awaken the Blue
Coppertite.
There were many ways to go about Spirit Forging. The method he was using right now was one of the most difficult ones. However, when a metal was Spirit Forged through this method, it would have the most vigorous
amount of energy and with that, it would obtain the highest amount of intelligence. However, this method required the support of formidable soul power. The blacksmith would have to continuously infuse the Spirit Forged metal with life energy.
Their martial soul would have to be something related to life energy or they would not be capable of performing such a feat. Most soul masters would be unable to do this unless they were willing to expend their own life
energy.
Naturally, if Lin Yuhan managed to notice this fact, Changgong Yan would have noticed it as well. His brows were tightly knitted as he observed Tang Wulin forge. The method chosen by Tang Wulin was significantly more difficult, so it would be quite difficult for him to succeed. He only had a
cultivation base of three rings, could he endure it?
However, they quickly noticed that Tang Wulin’s soul power seemed to be extraordinarily vigorous, and was ceaseless as he continued pushing forward. His forging was not even the least bit affected.
After ninety minutes had passed, Tang Wulin’s hammers finally struck downward in a quick motion. When he drew his breath, a clear and excited buzz resounded from within the Blue Coppertite. It was the sound of joy, like the one made by a child who had just woken up. The intense life energy then turned into a bluish glow and entered Tang Wulin’s body. Life Feedback!
Creation Spirit Forging!
These were the unique properties only attainable by those with the highest- level Spirit Forging!
‘Has his Spirit Forging attained such heights already?’
Cheers and whistles filled the entire lobby in an instant. A faint smile also appeared on Tang Wulin’s face.
Although his soul power was still some ways away from rank-40 after
cultivating for such a long time, he had the advantage of being endowed with a formidable amount of soul power and endurance. This was possible
since he was under the influence of the Mysterious Heaven Method and his own bloodline. Combined, these things afforded him an especially profound understanding of life.
He had not spent his contribution points in the special cultivation venue in vain. Every single day he was there, he would feel the life force contained within the flora, giving him a deeper understanding of it. He incorporated
all of it into his own cultivation and his forging as well, leading to the leaps and bounds he made in his forging.
The success rate he had with his Spirit Forging far exceeded most rank-5 blacksmith. He had also achieved the coveted Creation Spirit Forging.
Although he took quite some time, the quality of his product was different compared to his opponent. Creation Spirit Forged metals could still be modified. However, it would not be able to undergo Soul Forging since it was not completed in one go, but it could still be fuse forged. This alone
made the value of his Creation Spirit Forged metal far exceed the value of a regular Spirit Forged metal.
The gentle buzz continued for thirty seconds before it slowly subsided. Although this Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite was not as dazzling as Lin Yuhan’s, it was slightly transparent and had a rhythmic flicker of lights within it. It was moving, like the still-beating heart of a human.
Lin Yuhan’s mouth was agape. Although there was still dissatisfaction within her eyes, she held her tongue.
Zhen Hua smiled, walked to Tang Wulin’s side, and picked up the Spirit Forged Blue Coppertite.
“Not bad, you’ve improved.”
Tang Wulin grinned, then he sat down cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes and rested his spirit. Continuously forging for more than an hour had taken a great toll on his spiritual and soul power.
“Brother Changgong, how should we judge this?” Zhen Hua asked Changgong Yan.
Changgong Yan replied matter-of-factly, “They’re of different levels. You guys win this round.” His gaze was somewhat dismal. He had been so
confident of winning this round, but the opposite happened.
Just as he had said, both of the forged metals were on different levels. Both went through the Spirit Forging process, but imbuing life and nurturing life were vastly different things. Creation Spirit Forging was the highest level one could hope to achieve in Spirit Forging a metal. Heck, even he could not achieve Creation Spirit Forging, let alone Lin Yuhan. This was not because of one’s cultivation base or forging abilities. Instead, it was a matter of the characteristics one’s martial soul possessed. If one’s martial
soul did not possess the ability to create life, it would be impossible for one to achieve the highest level of Spirit Forging.
However, Zhen Hua shook his head and said. “No, it’s we who have lost.
Although Tang Wulin’s Spirit Forging quality is superior, your disciple used significantly less time to finish her Spirit Forging. To top it off, the lightning she infused bestowed a special property into her Spirit Forged metal. It’s certainly superior to a regular fuse forged metal. If we judge
efficiency, it would be difficult for it to surpass the practical functionality of your disciple’s metal unless Tang Wulin can find a Spirit Forged metal of similar quality with this Blue Coppertite to carry out fuse forging. He also
used up three times as much time. To judge fairly, Wulin’s performance was slightly inferior.”
Changgong Yan was astonished. “But Yuhan had the advantage of her hammers in forging Blue Coppertite.”
Zhen Hua smiled. “Each side was given the chance to pick a metal, it’s only natural to pick one that’s favorable to one’s side. I believe Wulin would make such a choice in the second round as well. You’ve won the first round. The second round will commence after ten minutes. Let’s get ready.”
Changgong Yan’s eyes lit up. Now, his gaze towards Zhen Hua was no longer as sharp as it was before. Zhen Hua had already given him much face. The world of forging has its own set of rules when judging the refinement effects in metals. Even if Lin Yuhan’s Spirit Forged metal was superior in its practical functions, the results were still on vastly different levels. Strictly speaking, she would not have won no matter what.
However, since Zhen Hua had put it that way, he did not refute him. He wanted to win the first round too badly.
Also, Zhen Hua said that both parties would only take a ten-minute break. Tang Wulin had undoubtedly expended more energy during the forging process earlier. How much soul and spiritual power could he recover in a mere ten minutes? Even if he picked a metal he was familiar with in the
second round, the results would still be the same. He would not be at much of an advantage, and the difference in soul power might result in some
complications in the refinement of the second metal. Yuhan’s would still have a significant chance of winning.
Although he knew that the other party was unwilling to gain an advantage by unfair means, Changgong Yan was still secretly impressed with Zhen
Hua. As expected of the Blacksmith’s Association’s president, he was truly generous.
Ten minutes later, the second round began. “I choose Heavy Silver.” Tang Wulin made the decision without hesitation. He did not, as Lin Yuhan and Changgong Yan imagined, pick a high-quality rare metal. Instead, he picked the ordinary Heavy Silver.
The unique properties of Heavy Silver were simple, and it was the most commonly used metal each blacksmith would use when they began their blacksmithing journey. Nobody was unfamiliar with Heavy Silver. ‘He picked Heavy Silver… Was it to make it easier for him to Spirit Forge?’
‘It’s impossible for him to achieve another Creation Spirit Forging in this round!’ Lin Yuhan thought to herself. It was extremely difficult to achieve Creation Spirit Forging. The immense toll it took on one’s spiritual soul powers were great. Unless he had achieved the level of a Saint Craftsman, it would otherwise be impossible for him to achieve two consecutive Creation Spirit Forged metals.
The Heavy Silver burned as Lin Yuhan stared silently at the teenage boy before her. Tang Wulin noticed her gaze and flashed a smile at her.
His smile was warm and clean. Lin Yuhan’s heart stirred ever so slightly, and she immediately lowered her head. They were about to start forging soon, she could not allow her emotions to be swayed in any way. For a blacksmith, their focus was of utmost importance.
The calcination ended, and the two blocks of Heavy Silver rose slowly.
Lin Yuhan drew a deep breath. Like before, her left hammer struck the metal silently. ‘Heavy Silver?’ It would not be a problem for her to Spirit Forge this. More than anything, she wanted to see if he could successfully Spirit Forge.
“Boom!”
Her left hammer had barely touched the Heavy Silver when a roar was heard from the opposite side.
Chapter 528
Chapter 528: Evil Spirit Forging
Lin Yuhan subconsciously lifted her head and looked at Tang Wulin’s progress.
‘He actually started forging with the metal without first testing it?’ Shock ran through her mind as she thought to herself.
It was true. Tang Wulin had initiated Spirit Forging without any preparatory techniques.
He immediately struck the Heavy Silver hard with the hammer he picked up in his right hand. Next, he turned his body and another strike came down
with the hammer in his left hand.
Although he was not as fast as when he forged the Blue Coppertite earlier, each strike was increasingly harder.
Using his left hand as an axis, his body did not stop turning. With every turn, both hammers would strike down like a meteor shower before he turned his body again by using the force from the rebound as an aid.
A sense of fear suddenly flashed through Chang Gongyan’s eyes. ‘Could it be…’
‘Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer! It’s probably the Tang Sect’s Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.’
“Bang! Bang!”
A glowing beam shot out of the Heavy Silver after both hammers struck the metal seven times, completing the Hundred Refined metal! Tang Wulin’s did not stop forging at all. The reason why Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer was so impressive was that every strike would become increasingly stronger. This was made possible through the use of the rebounding force from the strikes made earlier. With every strike being
stronger than the previous, this was definitely one of the most powerful and rugged among the forging methods.
The piece of Heavy Metal was jumping whilst Tang Wulin was forging with it. Not only was it not damaged by the forging process, the silver glow on it was growing increasingly more intense.
“Bang! Bang!”
A silver beam shot up into the sky as both hammers struck down sixteen times. The light was six feet high, and a faint dragon’s roar could be heard from the dazzling silver.
‘What was that…’
Meanwhile, Lin Yuhan who was forging across him had just completed forging her Hundred Refined metal.
It was then that two golden rings arose from beneath Tang Wulin’s feet. Soon after, a dragon’s roar rippled from his body and resonated with the faint dragon’s roar that appeared from the Heavy Silver earlier.
A rich wave of blood essence then released from Tang Wulin’s body out of nowhere, and it entered his pair of Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammers.
Suddenly, his hammers turned into a faint golden color.
The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer did not stop right there! Tang Wulin continued forging and struck down with his hammer for the seventeenth
strike!
“Bang! Bang!”
“Bang! Bang!”
“Bang! Bang!” The strikes got increasingly heavier, and within each strike was an almost crazed energy. Meanwhile, a heated roar of a dragon could be heard
alongside each strike. Toward the end, none of the blacksmiths around
could differentiate if the resonating dragon’s roar was from Tang Wulin or the Thousand Refined Heavy Silver.
It was just too overbearing!
Observing closely, a few blacksmiths noticed the forging platform Tang Wulin was using had surprisingly sunk into the wooden floor a little. This had to be from the terrifying show of force he was exhibiting!
“Bang! Bang!”
He continued forging with the 33rd strike.
“Roar!” The heated roar of a dragon then filled the entire lobby, and a tiny dragon appeared from the piece of Heavy Metal before it lunged toward Tang Wulin in a ferocious manner.
‘Spirit Forging Engulf?’
This was an extremely rare situation that would sometimes occur during the forging process. He was performing Creation Spirit Forging and inadvertently caused the birth of an evil spirit. However, the evil spirit was not malevolent. Instead, it would imbue the Spirit Forged alloy with even more offensive prowess. It would be best if Evil Spirit Forging were to happen to an offensive weapon. However, the probability of that happening was even lower than Creation Spirit Forging!
Moreover, there was a likelihood that the appearance of the evil spirit might cause harm to the blacksmith, putting a pause on Spirit Forging and wasting the effort along with the progress made.
Suddenly, the golden scales on Tang Wulin’s body lit up brilliantly in a flashy manner, causing the tiny dragon to let out a sad moan as it dashed onto Tang Wulin’s body before it bounced back into the Heavy Silver. As this happened, Tang Wulin’s body gave off an intense flash similar to a silver alloy, making it look like a mirror.
He was no longer turning his body. Tang Wulin lifted both his hammers so high that he formed an arc as he bent his upper body backward. Then, he
smashed both his hammers as hard as he could onto the Heavy Silver. “ROAR!”
The dragon’s roar this time was both mournful and intense. The silver dragon appeared once again but instead of plunging toward Tang Wulin, it circled the piece of Heavy Silver.
As a final glow flashed on both Tang Wulin’s hands, he put away both Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammers simultaneously. His body trembled, causing him to almost fall.
However, Gu Yue got to his side just in time to help him sit down in the same spot.
‘I’m lucky enough to have had a good meal in the afternoon!’ This was the only thought going through Tang Wulin’s mind at this moment.
The strain put on his body from forging two metals continuously with Spirit Forging was too extreme and was too much for him. He definitely would not have sufficient soul power so he chose a method that would complete the Heavy Silver the fastest. However, the method was also the one that drained him the most.
He had used his blood essence in place of his soul power to continue pushing on with Spirit Forging. Although this sounded simple, the
significant exhaustion of his blood essence made Tang Wulin feel like he was being squeezed dry.
Fortunately, the massive amount of precious spirit items he ingested earlier manifested their effects during that time. That was how he managed to
complete 33 strikes with Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer with full determination. Under normal circumstance, Tang Wulin had the ability to continue with Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer beyond what was shown here. However, the Spirit Forging process earlier did not only require great strength, it also required mastery of said strength. He had to stimulate the Heavy Silver
sufficiently and yet, he could not harm it even the slightest bit. One could only imagine how much effort he put into this.
Ever since the beginning of the competition, Tang Wulin had been determined. He was determined to bring honor to the Blacksmith’s Association no matter what.
All this time, Zhen Hua had been teaching him the various aspects of blacksmithing and supported him in terms of the various resources he required. This had always been in Tang Wulin’s mind so when he finally had the opportunity to repay his uncle-master, he would definitely give it all he had.
Both his Spirit Forgings definitely achieved the peak of what one could ever hope to achieve when Spirit Forging.
Achieving either Creation or Evil Spirit Forging would qualify one to become a rank-6 blacksmith.
That being said, his performance earlier definitely qualified Tang Wulin for rank-6 if Zhen Hua did not request him to fuse forge and complete another Spirit Forging to become a rank-6 blacksmith. If he actually became one, he would be the youngest rank-6 blacksmith in history!
Lin Yuhan had stopped forging. She could not help herself from taking a look when the dragon’s roar filled the entire room. It was that exact look on his face that had stopped her from working her forging hammers.
In the first round, she managed to Spirit Forge extremely fast while Tang Wulin was excruciatingly slow since he managed to achieve Creation Spirit Forging. During the second round, Tang Wulin showed her that he could indeed, be faster than her. Although he only managed to do this because he was extremely familiar with Heavy Silver, Lin Yuhan knew in her heart that this was something she could not achieve. Looking at the cross-legged Tang Wulin, Lin Yuhan knew that she had completely lost the competition.
She was a rank-5 blacksmith and had known for the longest time that she was a genius in forging. Never would she have guessed that someone at a similar age to her could surpass her. However, she could do nothing but
accept the fact since it had already happened.
Chang Gongyan was stunned as well. He became speechless for a moment when he set his eyes on the piece of Evil Spirit Heavy Silver.
The competition results were clear. Even a rank-1 blacksmith who had the most basic of knowledge in blacksmithing could tell the winner from the results, let alone Lin Yuhan who did not even finish her second forging.
“We’ve lost.” Chang Gongyan flashed a bitter smile.
Zhen Hua smiled gently. “Actually, we just won by a narrow margin. If Wulin wasn’t coincidentally in my corner, I wouldn’t have been able to find a young talent capable of taking your disciple head-on. You’re welcome to join the Blacksmith Association, but there’s no obligation.”
Chang Gongyan nodded forcefully.
At that moment, a scarlet glow flew by the side of his neck unpredictably and seemingly out of nowhere. The scarlet glow arrived in front of Zhen
Hua in a mere second. It had appeared too suddenly and there was not even a sign of it coming.
When one was on the cultivation base Zhen Hua was on, they would usually be able to sense danger on a whim. However, this scarlet glow appeared before him before he was able to sense anything.
At that moment, a silver glow was seen and Zhen Hua disappeared from where he was as suddenly as the scarlet glow had appeared. Then, the
scarlet glow flashed and immediately shot into the crowd. The consequences of an attack capable of even threatening four-word battle armor masters and a Divine Blacksmith entering the crowd would be unimaginable
Chapter 529
Chapter 529: A Trace of the Enemy
At that exact moment, a gigantic hand appeared out of nowhere and captured the scarlet glow.
By then, someone had noticed that the scarlet glow was actually a thin scarlet sword. As soon as the gigantic hand touched it, the sword was instantly recalled, disappearing suddenly without even revealing itself.
Surprisingly, Uncle Chef was the one who stopped the scarlet glow.
He scoffed as he flashed and disappeared from where he stood in pursuit of the enemy.
An overbearing imposing manner was instantly felt as a bright, red glow
emanated from Zhen Hua’s body. His strong suppressive aura enveloped the whole area.
Tang Wulin’s eyes had opened from shock earlier, and he happened to
witness Zhen Hua release his four-word battle armor beside Tang Wulin.
It seemed as if his entire being sunk into the armor and before long, his body was already covered in the glorious battle armor. His terrifying imposing manner almost made the building tremble.
“Nobody move!” Zhen Hua shouted loudly as he focused the strong
suppressive aura emanating from his body directly toward Chang Gongyan.
It was definitely a planned assassination. He truly did not have the
confidence to avoid the attack earlier, especially since it all happened so quickly.
If not for Gu Yue working her magic to use If it was not for Gu Yue’s spatial teleportation that worked its magic, he might actually have been killed by this person.
The sword that assassin used had a petrifying force suppressed in it. Its objective was to kill Zhen Hua before he managed to release his four-word battle armor.
For that assassin to have the ability to kill him and even possess the ability to hide from him, the assassin had to be at least a Hyper Douluo at rank-95. The assassin attacked him without battle armor or it would have been impossible for him to hide his presence.
This was clearly planned. Naturally, Zhen Hua was furious after surviving the attack.
All the blacksmiths sat down under such intense pressure. Nobody dared to move.
Chang Gongyan opened his arms wide to shield Lin Yuhan behind him. Two yellow, two purple and four black soul rings appeared and circled his body. He was an eight-ringed Soul Douluo.
However, even a person who possessed the cultivation base of an eight- ringed Soul Douluo would not be able to stand before the suppressive aura of a four-word battle armor master. It would be impossible for him not to have his own battle armor but he held it in and did not release his battle
armor.
“President Zhen Hua,” Chang Gongyan shouted loudly.
Zhen Hua recalled the imposing manner emanating from his body a little and descended from the sky.
“Kill them!” Someone from the crowd of blacksmiths shouted. The
attempted assassination on the president was unforgivable. Everyone knew that Zhen Hua stood atop the pinnacle throughout the federation. This was not only due to his stature as a four-word battle armor, but was also because of him being a Divine Blacksmith. Four-word battle armor would not be possible without divine blacksmiths. To top it off, he was the only Divine Blacksmith so his death would make obtaining a four-word battle armor infinitely more difficult unless another Divine Blacksmith were to appear.
The assassination that had just happened was just too nerve-wracking. Zhen Hua was the heart and soul of the blacksmithing world. Almost every single blacksmith had benefited from him. How could they not be raving mad at the moment?
Chang Gongyan pressed his lips together and looked at Zhen Hua who
emanated a suppressive aura. He knew in his heart that explaining would be useless right now, especially since he was the one who came up with this
challenge that took place right before the assassination.
“I guess you’re a blacksmith from another continent, aren’t you?” Zhen Hua asked in a cold voice.
Chang Gongyan was shaken and before long, his heart sank to the bottom.
Everyone knew that there were three continents in the current world. It was also common knowledge that the Star Luo and Star Dou Continent were rivals to the Douluo Continent. It the ocean did not separate them with such great distance, the war between them would have intensified a long time
ago.
Despite being separated by a vast ocean, conflict still seemed to find its way toward their direction.
If one were to guess the identity of the person who wanted Zhen Hua dead the most, the rulers of the two other continents would be the most likely people.
Chang Gongyan knew that he had run out of luck, especially since Zhen Hua had already seen through his intentions here. How could this have happened?
“We’re not the ones!” A clear and stubborn voice was heard behind Chang Gongyan. Lin Yuhan showed her head and faced Zhen Hua, the four-word battle armor master. She did not want to give in at all.
“Who else would it be if you guys aren’t behind this?” Immediately, a blacksmith retaliated in rage.
“We’re not behind this, period.” Lin Yuhan objected, there were tears rolling in her eyes.
“Follow me.” Zhen Hua did something odd at that moment. He waved at Chang Gongyan, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yue with his right hand at the same time before a red glow enveloped them.
‘Why didn’t he attack me right away?’ Chang Gongyan felt like his actions were ridiculous.
Although Chang Gongyan was also a battle armor master, he was merely a two-word battle armor master. Standing before Zhen Hua, the four-word battle armor master, there was no way he could fight back.
However, Zhen Hua did not attack right away. With pressure and concern, Chang Gongyan followed Zhen Hua and walked toward the elevator, all the while protecting Lin Yuhan behind him.
As they returned to the office, the four-word battle armor Zhen Hua had on turned into a red glow before it disappeared into his body. It disappeared just like that.
“Have a seat.” Zhen Hua pointed at the couch. Chang Gongyan frowned. “You believe us?”
Zhen Hua said calmly, “I don’t believe you, but I believe in blacksmiths. Since you surrendered on your own volition when the first round ended instead of begging for sympathy, this proves your qualifications as a blacksmith.”
“So, tell me. How did you come here? Why did you challenge us?” He asked in a deep voice. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stood behind Zhen Hua. Tang Wulin was filled with shock as well. He woke up in shock just after the scarlet glow
appeared. His heart was still pounding a little from a fear that came from the bottom of his heart. The sword was simply too terrifying, and it was as if there was a disastrous, ferocious beast hidden within it. One could only imagine what would happen if someone were to be attacked by the sword.
However, Uncle Chef managed to grab the incoming attack with just his bare hands. At that moment, Tang Wulin saw that Uncle Chef’s palm
seemed to have turned into a faint golden color. That was the only thing that he saw.
Chang Gongyan forced a smile. He was currently in a life and death
situation so he dared not hide anything. With Zhen Hua’s ability and the fact that they were in his territory, killing them both would be a piece of cake. Moreover, they were from another continent. Absolutely nobody would give their innocence back if they admitted to the claims of them being spies.
“You’re right, we’re not from the Douluo Continent. We’re from the Star Luo Continent, and I’m the vice-president of the Star Luo Continent’s
Blacksmith Association.”
“President Zhen Hua, you have to know that soul technology has advanced considerably in accordance with advancing time and our rivalry isn’t as intense as the past. It was an official from the Douluo Continent who invited us to represent Star Luo in Douluo Continent for research purposes. We’re here following the representative team. I’ve also been admiring you for a long time since I’m also a blacksmith. It’s only natural that I’d like to see what the blacksmithing world in the Douluo Continent was capable of. Initially, we had no plans to come but the representative…”
As he spoke, Zhen Hua began to slowly understand the events that had transpired. It was obvious that somebody provoked Chang Gongyan’s ambition and made him bring Lin Yuhan here.
“We truly have no idea who attempted to assassinate you. That’s all that I’m going to say. Believe it or not, it’s your call.” Chang Gongyan forced a smile. “However, if you insist, the blame’s on me. Yuhan has nothing to do with it. Although Yuhan doesn’t belong to the Douluo Continent, it’s hard to come by a genius like her in the blacksmithing world. Regardless of what you’re going to do to me, can you promise to spare Yuhan’s life?”
Zhen Hua smiled calmly. “It’s impossible to for you to leave after
something like this has transpired. Could you tell me the identity of the person who provoked you to come here? Are they from your representative team?”
Chang Gongyan forced out a smile. “They’re not. Perhaps you won’t believe me but that’s really not the case. We met a blacksmith when we got here. His name’s Ning Fengzhi. Of course, I don’t know if that’s his real name or not. He’s a Saint Craftsman with many unique abilities when it
came to forging. His expertise is forging with only one hammer and I won against him by only a narrow margin. He told me how outstanding you are as a Divine Blacksmith but you have no heir in the forging world…”
Zhen Hua frowned after hearing what Chang Gongyan had said. Everything had just become even more puzzling. Based on what he just told them, this Ning Fengzhi did not come from Star Luo Continent. Instead, he was a blacksmith from the Douluo Continent. However, as the President of the
Blacksmith’s Association, Zhen Hua did not know of such a blacksmith and if the assassin was related to the person who provoked Chang Gongyan.
That being said, how much of what Chang Gongyang said could he believe?
Zhen Hua replied, “Brother Chang Gongyan, you and your disciple are our temporary guests. We’ll investigate the incident properly and inform your team to come for you guys at the same time.”
Chang Gongyan was stunned. “You believe me?” Zhen Hua smiled. “I only believe in my instinct.”
Right at that moment, a door opened and Uncle Chef walked in. Zhen Hua looked at him and asked, “How was it?” Uncle Chef shook his head lightly. “The assassin was exceedingly fast. It seems that the assassin is a rare, agility type Title Douluo that’s a Hyper
Douluo. He might not be able to take me head-on, but he’s exceedingly fast. He managed to escape after I pursued him for quite some time. You seem to be in quite some trouble… What with a Hyper Douluo assassin on your back. Heh.”
Chapter 530
Chapter 530: Mu Ye’s Identity
Zhen Hua smiled calmly. “It seems like someone wants me dead!”
Uncle Chef said while being deep in thought. “The assassin has some unique abilities. His soul power is boosted by the circulation of his blood essence. I can’t even tell what martial soul he has. It’s all a little peculiar.”
“Could it be that he’s an evil soul master?” Tang Wulin said after listening intently for quite some time.
“An evil soul master?” Zhen Hua, Uncle Chef, and Chang Gongyan were stunned by those three words.
“It’s quite likely,” Uncle Chef said without thinking twice, “If he’s an evil soul master, everything would fall into place. In recent years, the evil soul masters have become increasingly more active and have been causing trouble, terrorizing people everywhere. The federation has launched a federation-wide investigation on them. Nobody would’ve thought that they’d actually come here looking for you. Since an evil soul master even dared to come here, it’s quite obvious that they have something or rather, someone powerful to rely on that’s behind all this.
“Y’know it kind of rings the bell a little after hearing you guys discuss the matter. That blacksmith Ning Fengzhi seems different from regular soul masters. The energy he gives off when forging is exceptionally cold,”
Chang Gongyan said.
Zhen Hua laughed. “Great… An evil soul master! I’ve never fought an evil soul master before. Uncle Chef, tell Wulin about that thing. Let me handle the assassination.” “Alright.” Uncle Chef looked deeply into his eyes and turned around to look at Tang Wulin. “Please, follow me to the small canteen. You have to
come alone.” He intentionally emphasized that he wanted Tang Wulin to go alone.
“Sure.” Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue apologetically but she flashed a smile his way.
Tang Wulin’s impression of Uncle Chef had totally changed after his visit to Heaven Dou City this time around. Uncle Chef was definitely someone who stood at the peak of the continent. Not only was he in possession of a divine mecha, he was also an expert at the Title Douluo capable of taking on a
Hyper Douluo. Even if he was at Shrek Academy, he would at least possess an ability similar to the Sea God Pavilion’s Elder.
Space around them became a little distorted as they entered the small
canteen. A gentle soul power was isolating them from the outside world.
The only thing Tang Wulin managed to see was a faint green ring that
seemed to isolate the space they were in. It felt magical, and was as if they were covered by a gigantic air bubble.
‘Is this some kind of high-level soul power manipulation to create an isolated area?’
“Uncle… How should I actually address you?”
Uncle Chef smiled calmly as he replied, “My name’s Mu Ye. Just Uncle Ye will do.”
“Uncle Ye.” Tang Wulin definitely had the gift of gab when it came to sweet-talking.
Mu Ye then said, “You’re probably wondering why I’m speaking to you alone.
“Truthfully, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time and I’ve finally made up my mind. I won’t be beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’m hoping that you’d be willing to inherit my teachings or rather, my sect’s teachings.”
Tang Wulin was stunned. “Uncle Ye, what do you mean?” He already had three teachers for forging alone. Including his uncle master Zhen Hua, he
would already have four teachers. Meanwhile, he also had grandteacher and Teacher Wu to guide him in cultivation. Would this mean he would have
another teacher?
My Ye continued, “Since you’re from Shrek Academy, I initially hesitated because my sect used to be rivals with Shrek. It’s just that… my sect has been going downhill as time passed and we can no longer go against Shrek. I’ve heard from Zhen Hua that you’ve joined the Tang Sect, am I right?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Tang Wulin nodded.
Mu Ye said, “Are you willing to give up your identity in the Tang Sect? You’ll probably still be an outer disciple. Giving up your identity there shouldn’t affect you too much.”
Tang Wulin looked at him in shock and shook his head immediately. “No, I absolutely can’t do that. The Tang Sect has been a great help in elevating my cultivation in the past. All my current cultivation methods are from the Tang Sect. I can’t leave them!”
Mu Ye frowned. “Don’t worry about it. My sect’s techniques are definitely comparable to the Tang Sect. Moreover. I’m the current Sect Master. As long as you’re willing to learn from me, you’ll be getting more than what you’re currently getting from the Tang Sect. Although we’re not
comparable with the Tang Sect, we emphasize different things. To top it all off, we’re definitely no weaker when compared to the Tang Sect when you reach the peak.”
Tang Wulin continued shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Uncle Ye. I can’t promise you that. I like the Tang Sect. I’m passionate about the Tang Sect. No matter what happens, it’s impossible that I betray the Tang Sect.
Moreover, I’m now a member of the Battle Soul Hall.” He had been receiving various benefits from the Tang Sect ever since he joined. In truth, he did not even have to sacrifice a single thing. How could he leave Tang Sect just like that?”
Mu Ye was a little surprised as he replied, “You’ve joined the Battle Soul Hall? That’s indeed a little troublesome. It’s alright, I’ll go to Tang Sect myself as long as you’re willing to. I’ve sufficient pull there to bring you over.”
Tang Wulin lifted his head and looked at him. “Uncle Ye, why did you choose me?” This was the question burning at the back of his head.
Mu Ye replied, “It’s because you have talents that suit our sect’s methods very well. Many outsiders think that the most important thing to our sect is a fitting martial soul. However, one’s bloodline is the most important factor, not one’s martial soul. Only people with a powerful blood essence can
cultivate our sect’s methods to its peak. It’s uncommon knowledge that the Sect Leaders of every generation do not have extraordinarily powerful martial souls. Instead, we’re actually talented when it came to our blood
essence.”
“I realized how extraordinary you were in this aspect when I laid eyes on you. Your powerful blood essence actually surpasses those your age and you’re far beyond ordinary soul masters. I, for one, didn’t have such
amazing blood essence when I was your age. That being said, I was initially hesitant when I found out you were a student at Shrek Academy.”
“I’ve been thoroughly thinking about it after I went back and soon, I finally decided because I probably won’t have anyone to inherit my teachings with blood essence richer than yours in this world. This is the most important thing since there are probably ways to make up for the rest. For instance, Shrek is just an academy. You can leave after you’re done learning and have graduated. Meanwhile, I’m willing to pay a price to get you out of the Tang Sect.”
Tang Wulin was shocked. “Does that mean your sect cultivates mainly with blood essence?”
“That’s right,” Mu Ye said in pride. “In blood essence cultivation, I dare say that there’s nobody who is able to teach you more than our sect.”
Tang Wulin frowned and proceeded to shake his head after some thought. “I’m sorry, Uncle Ye. I really can’t promise you that. The academy part is still acceptable but I can’t betray the Tang Sect. I didn’t only learn a lot from them, but I genuinely like them. I’ve been hearing tales of the Tang Sect ever since I was a young boy, and I’m honored that I was able to join the Tang Sect. Thank you for your kindness.”
Mu Ye said a little angrily, “You’ve heard tales about the Tang Sect when you were younger? Then, have you heard tales of the Body Sect?”
Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment and almost stammered but did not say a thing. Could he actually say that he had not heard of it before? In truth, he truly never heard of this sect in the past.
A gush of disappointment appeared on Mu Ye’s face. The Body Sect was indeed, going downhill. Ever since the calamity that happened tens of thousands of years ago, the Body Sect’s downhill descent began. It was no longer on the pinnacle of this continent.
Once upon a time, all the Sect Masters in the Body Sect either had a
cultivation base beyond that of a Hyper Douluo or were demigod-level experts who had surpassed even a Limit Douluo.
However, as time passed, Shrek continued creating powerful experts to lead while he, as the Sect Master of the Body Sect could not even break through to a Hyper Douluo.
“Uncle Ye, are you alright?” Tang Wulin asked carefully when he noticed something wrong with Mu Ye’s expression.
“Get lost!” Mu Ye waved with a little frustration. A gush of soul power was felt emanating from him as the soul power around them weakened. Then, Mu Ye morphed into a glow and disappeared. The only thing that Tang Wulin could feel was a force that pushed against him, causing him to stagger a couple of steps backward. When he looked forward, Mu Ye was nowhere to be seen in the small canteen.