Saint Craftsman Mu Chen (First Donation Bonus Chapter)

"Alright! We're here. That'll be twenty-five. Thanks!"

The taxi driver smiled at Lin Xuan and Tang Wulin as they got out.

"Mm!"

After paying the fare, Lin Xuan led Tang Wulin toward a small alley by the roadside.

"Brother Xuan! Teacher's forging room is really here?"

Tang Wulin looked over the surroundings of the alley. The walls were covered in moss, while the flagstones on the ground were as patchy and uneven as the Old Lady's front teeth by the school gate.

In one word: shabby!

This place was even more rundown than the forging room back in Aolai City.

"It's here. I came by once before."

Lin Xuan said with certainty. Last year, he had come to Eastsea City with Mang Tian to collect a Thousand Forging mission.

The reason Mang Tian was living so shabbily in Eastsea City was entirely because he had racked up a massive debt when he broke through to Spirit Forging back then.

Even now, Mang Tian was still frantically taking on missions to repay it. Eastsea City was one of the most prosperous cities on the East Continent, and land prices were anything but cheap.

Naturally, Mang Tian saved wherever he could, setting up his forging room in this remote urban village.

The location might have been rather out of the way, but the forging room itself was quite decent. Lin Xuan took out his key and opened the door. Inside was a hall roughly two to three hundred square meters in size.

There were three Forging Tables in the hall, enough for three people to forge at the same time. Mang Tian had only expanded it earlier this year.

Bang! Bang!

At the Forging Table in the very back, Mang Tian was bare-chested, swinging the metal hammers in his hands as he continuously struck a chunk of pitch-black metal on the table.

With every hammer blow Mang Tian delivered, the pitch-black metal shrank a little. Strands of cyan spiritual patterns continuously emerged from the metal block. Myriad Forging Life—this was Spirit Forging!

Lin Xuan and Tang Wulin stood to the side, carefully observing Mang Tian's movements. Mang Tian had suffered some Hidden Injuries when he had previously attempted Spirit Forging, so he normally would not perform it lightly.

For the two of them, this was also a rare opportunity to learn.

Seemingly noticing their arrival, Mang Tian slowed his rhythm and gradually displayed the details of the forging process for them.

Boom!

A blaze of Cyan Flame rose from the Forging Table, reaching a full six feet. After soaring into the air, the cyan flame transformed into a Cyan Luan Bird that circled above the cyan metal, looking exceptionally mystical!

Phoenix Luan Azure Gold!

This was the rare metal Mang Tian had used to advance into Spirit Forging, and it was also the metal he was most skilled at Spirit Forging.

"Whew! Xiao Xuan, you're here!"

With a wave of his hand, Mang Tian put away the Phoenix Luan Azure Gold on the table and turned to look at them.

"Sit for a while first! I'm going to take a shower, then we'll head out!"

Mang Tian wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke to them. As he talked, he walked over to a nearby table, picked up the teapot, and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"Let's sit for a bit, then!"

After saying that to Tang Wulin, Lin Xuan went straight to a nearby stool and sat down. Looking at the distant Forging Table, Lin Xuan's thoughts stirred, and he brought up his System Panel to look at the forging section.

Forging: Thousand Forging Second Grade (782/800)

He only needed a little more before advancing to Thousand Forging First Grade. Come to think of it, he had been somewhat slack with forging lately. This progress had not moved in over a month.

"Common Metal will probably take around eight more attempts. With Rare Metal, two attempts should be enough."

Lin Xuan estimated how many forging practice sessions this bit of Proficiency would require. He decided that when he came back later, he would grind it to full and advance to Thousand Forging First Grade.

After closing the System Panel, Lin Xuan immediately noticed Tang Wulin meditating on the stool beside him, and could not help but complain inwardly.

What an Eastsea Roll King!

"Alright! Let's go!"

When Mang Tian emerged again, he had changed into Formal Wear, completely shedding his usual slovenly appearance.

The group got into the car, and Tang Wulin could not help asking Mang Tian in the front seat.

"Teacher, where are we going?"

Seeing Mang Tian like this, Tang Wulin could tell that he took it very seriously! In the past, Mang Tian had been the sort of ruthless man who dared go out in nothing but shorts in broad daylight.

"I'm taking you to the Blacksmith Association for an assessment. Once you get your Blacksmith Badges, you'll be able to claim missions yourselves. I'll also introduce you to someone while we're there."

"As for who it is, you'll find out when we arrive. He's quite an extraordinary person."

Mang Tian smiled at the two of them.

"Mm!"

Tang Wulin nodded, anticipation rising in his heart as well. Anyone Mang Tian admired so highly had to be an important figure.

Lin Xuan, sitting beside him, had already made a guess.

It was most likely Mu Chen, the President of the East Sea Blacksmith Association. As for Mang Tian's friend Cen Yue, he was on the same level as Mang Tian, so Mang Tian would not be acting like this.

The group arrived before the Blacksmith Association. A Gray Building stood before them, more than thirty stories tall. Hanging above the front of the building was an enormous Hammer Badge.

Actually, among the four sub-profession associations, the wealthiest was not the Blacksmith Association, but the Mecha Manufacturer Association.

When Lin Xuan first learned this, he had found it hard to believe. But after learning about the costs of Spirit Forging, he suddenly understood. Blacksmiths earned a lot, but they spent a lot too. Mang Tian beside him was a walking textbook example.

Mang Tian led the two of them inside. The moment they entered, a Young Girl in a gray professional skirt approached them respectfully from the hall.

"Master Mang Tian, the President is already waiting for you. He said you should go directly to No. 1 Forging Room to find him."

"Mm, got it."

Mang Tian nodded, then turned to Lin Xuan and Tang Wulin.

"Xiao Xuan, Wulin, this way."

He led them into an elevator and up to the thirty-sixth floor. Outside the elevator was a long corridor. Metal doors lined both sides, and every door had a number plate indicating its respective forging room number.

"These are the Blacksmith Association's internal forging rooms. They are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The higher the grade of the forging room, the better the facilities inside."

"As long as they are blacksmiths within the association, they can apply for the corresponding forging room according to their own blacksmith rank."

Mang Tian introduced the place to them as he led them farther inside.

At the end of the corridor stood a luxurious forging room. The decorations and size of its door far surpassed those of the other forging rooms. The number plate on its door clearly read: No. 1 Forging Room.

No. 1 Forging Room was actually President Mu Chen's personal forging room.

Mang Tian took out his Blacksmith Badge and placed it against the scanner on the door. The doors automatically slid open to both sides.

"Xixi, not bad! At your current level, you can already take the assessment for Second-Class Blacksmith."

A warm, gentle voice came from inside. When Mang Tian and the other two entered, the first person Lin Xuan saw was a Middle-aged Man dressed in silver-gray robes.

The Middle-aged Man looked to be around forty. What drew the most attention was the Golden Badge pinned to his chest, bearing a total of eight black stars.

This meant that he was a Rank 8 Saint Craftsman.

The Middle-aged Man was currently carefully instructing a Young Girl who looked to be in her early teens.

Upon hearing the group enter, Mu Chen raised his head and walked toward them with a smile.

"Old Mang, you finally came! I thought you were going to stand me up again today!"

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