After completing Dual Cultivation with Ye Xinglan, Jing Shaoyu's days became much more fulfilling. He would often cultivate with Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, or Ye Xinglan every now and then.
There was still one month left before the challenge match.
On this day, which was a rest day, a dark golden sports car sped out of Shrek City, heading west along the highway.
"Class Monitor, I'm sorry for taking up your rest day," Mo Hentian said apologetically to Jing Shaoyu in the car.
"It's fine," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile. "We're classmates, roommates, and companions. There's no need to worry about such a small matter."
"Mm," Mo Hentian nodded gratefully.
They were on their way to Heaven Dou City. Mo Hentian had been invited by the Divine Craftsman Zhenhua to visit him in Heaven Dou City. When Jing Shaoyu heard about it, he insisted on accompanying her. Initially, Mo Hentian didn't want to trouble Jing Shaoyu, but he was so persistent that they ended up in this situation.
Why was Jing Shaoyu so determined to go to Heaven Dou City with Mo Hentian?
Actually, there was no special reason. It was mainly to avoid Gu Yue, Na'er, Xu Xiaoyan, and Ye Xinglan. On this rare rest day, all four girls wanted to spend time with Jing Shaoyu but didn't want to include the others. This put Jing Shaoyu in a difficult position. No matter who he chose to spend the day with, the other three would be upset.
So when he heard that Mo Hentian was planning to go to Heaven Dou City, he volunteered to accompany her. After all, this was a very legitimate reason that the four girls couldn't find fault with, as Mo Hentian's visit to the Divine Craftsman was related to the Battle Armor of their team members.
They soon arrived in Heaven Dou City and went directly to the Heaven Dou City Blacksmith Association.
Mo Hentian was very familiar with the Heaven Dou City Blacksmith Association and led Jing Shaoyu to the elevator, taking them to a certain floor.
After stepping out of the elevator, Mo Hentian eagerly ran to an office, knocked on the door, and called out, "Master Zhenhua, I'm here!"
"Is that Xiao Mo? Come in!" A hearty voice came from inside the room, undoubtedly Zhenhua himself.
Mo Hentian pushed the door open and entered the office with Jing Shaoyu.
Inside the office, besides the Divine Craftsman Zhenhua, there were two other people: a spirited middle-aged man and an old acquaintance of theirs.
"Class Monitor, Mo Hentian, is that you?!" Tang Wulin exclaimed in surprise.
"Wu Lin, you're here too," Jing Shaoyu wasn't surprised by Tang Wulin's presence and greeted him with a smile, while Mo Hentian didn't seem to pay much attention to Tang Wulin.
"Master Zhenhua," Mo Hentian respectfully bowed to Zhenhua.
"Greetings, Your Excellency, the Divine Craftsman," Jing Shaoyu also bowed courteously to Zhenhua.
"Hahaha, no need for formalities," Zhenhua laughed heartily. "Xiao Mo, you've finally arrived. Is this handsome young man your friend?"
"Yes," Mo Hentian nodded and introduced, "He is my class monitor, Jing Shaoyu."
"Oh! So you're Jing Shaoyu. Not bad, young man, you have a promising future!" Zhenhua suddenly understood, his eyes filled with goodwill as he looked at Jing Shaoyu. He nodded and then turned to Mo Hentian, "Xiao Mo, have you decided to become my disciple?"
Zhen Hua's shocking statement left the middle-aged man and Tang Wulin quite surprised, but Jing Shaoyu remained unfazed. Mo Hentian had already informed him that Zhen Hua wanted to take Mo Hentian as his disciple, which wasn't strange at all. After all, the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul was one of the top forging sacred artifacts, and the Sky-Hate Hammer was no exception.
Jing Shaoyu expressionlessly observed the middle-aged man in the room. The man was burly, exuding a steady and domineering aura, with sharp eyes that revealed his formidable physical prowess. Without a doubt, he was the successor of the Body Sect, Mu Ye.
"Kid, do you know me?" Mu Ye noticed the young man who had come with Mo Hentian was staring at him and couldn't help but feel curious, so he asked.
"No, I just think you're very strong," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"Hmm, not bad, you've got a good eye!" Mu Ye felt a bit proud upon hearing this and said, "It seems Shrek Academy indeed has many talented individuals!"
Jing Shaoyu shifted his attention from Mu Ye to Mo Hentian and Zhen Hua. Mo Hentian had accepted Zhen Hua's offer to become his disciple, making him Zhen Hua's closed-door disciple. For Mo Hentian, becoming Zhen Hua's disciple had its pros and cons. The advantage was having the only Divine Craftsman in the world as his teacher, which would undoubtedly make his forging journey smoother. However, the downside was that his seniority had significantly dropped.
Mo Hentian was originally a disciple of Feng Wuyu, making Zhen Hua his martial uncle. Therefore, Mo Hentian should have been Zhen Hua's martial sister. But now, by becoming Zhen Hua's disciple, he had effectively placed himself in the same generation as Tang Wulin.
Of course, seniority was just a joke. Since Feng Wuyu had agreed to let Mo Hentian become Zhen Hua's disciple, he clearly didn't care about such trivial matters.
At noon, Jing Shaoyu, thanks to Mo Hentian, got to taste Mu Ye's culinary skills. It had to be said, his cooking was indeed excellent, comparable to Yun Ming's, and the ingredients he used were top-notch. Mo Hentian and Tang Wulin both turned red and started sweating from the meal, while Jing Shaoyu appeared completely unaffected.
Mu Ye couldn't help but view Jing Shaoyu in a higher regard.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
At that moment, a series of urgent knocks suddenly interrupted their meal.
"What is it?" Zhen Hua frowned slightly, displeased at being disturbed during a meal. However, as the leader of the association, he patiently asked.
"President, there's news from the first-floor lobby. Someone has come to challenge us," the person at the door spoke with urgency and panic.
Hearing this, Zhen Hua's frown deepened. He called out, "Come in and explain."
The door opened, and a middle-aged man with a grim expression entered, quickly walking over to Zhen Hua and whispering, "President, two people have arrived out of nowhere, one old and one young. The old man is a Saint Craftsman, and it was he who proposed a forging challenge to us. However, the one who will actually compete is not him, but the child he brought, who looks to be around fifteen or sixteen years old."
"Oh?" Zhen Hua's face showed surprise. "This is indeed unusual. Let's go and take a look."
The latest novel is first published on 69shu!
As he spoke, he stood up, genuinely curious. Having overseen the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association for so many years, this was the first time someone had come to challenge them. This person either had absolute confidence or was simply eccentric.
"You all sit here for a while; I'll be back shortly," he said, turning to Jing Shaoyu and the others.
Mu Ye also stood up and said, "Since the other party dares to come and challenge us, they must have some backing. I'll go with you. In case of any unexpected situations, we can support each other."
Zhen Hua thought for a moment and then nodded, "Alright, let's go."
Jing Shaoyu, Mo Hentian, and Tang Wulin naturally followed as well. The group took the elevator down to the first-floor hall.
At this moment, the hall of the Blacksmith Association was bustling with activity, so crowded that it could be described as packed.
"President!"
"The president is here!"
As Zhen Hua appeared, greetings rang out one after another. Simultaneously, the crowd automatically parted, forming a pathway that allowed Zhen Hua and his group to walk to the center of the hall.
In the center of the hall, just as the messenger had reported, stood an old man and a young girl. The old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with graying hair, a tall and burly figure, deep-set eyes that were sharp and lively, showing no signs of old age.
The young girl, on the other hand, looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, with exceptional looks and a well-proportioned figure. Her hands were particularly striking—her palms were as white as jade, and her fingers were long and slender, giving off an extraordinary aura.
As Zhen Hua and his group arrived, the old man's gaze turned toward them. With a serious expression, he said, "Are you the Divine Craftsman, Zhen Hua?"
"I am indeed Zhen Hua. May I ask where you hail from, fellow practitioner?" Zhen Hua replied with a polite smile.
The old man's expression turned grave, and then he calmly said, "My origins are of no importance. I am Chang Gongyan. I have come here today simply to witness the talents of the younger generation within the Blacksmith Association. I wonder if your association has any promising young talents willing to compete with my disciple?"
Upon hearing the old man's words, regardless of Zhen Hua's reaction, Jing Shaoyu felt a sense of déjà vu. He suddenly realized that he had once again been drawn into a significant plot point from the original story. How interesting. He remembered that Tang Wulin was later kidnapped by an Evil Soul Master and was ultimately rescued by Xiong Jun.
Now, he was curious to see if Tang Wulin would still be kidnapped, and if so, who would come to his rescue this time.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!