Watching her father remain silent without denying it, Mu Xi pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Chen Ye stepped forward, holding the Sinking Silver hammer Mu Chen had given him earlier.
He lightly tapped the two hammers together, producing a crisp, delicate ring.
He looked at the Profound Iron before him, closed his eyes, and brought a hammer down.
The moment he closed his eyes, Mu Xi thought Chen Ye had already failed.
After all, metal had to be examined through its surface.
But the next instant, Mu Xi realized she had been wrong. With just one strike, the entire piece of metal began to vibrate in a regular rhythm.
That rhythm was the very foundation of Hundred Refinements. Strike after strike fell, alternating from left to right.
Each blow, one after another, maintained nearly perfect force.
Watching this, Mu Xi understood that she could never manage something like it.
As a dragon's roar rang out, golden scales covered the boy's left hand, transforming it into a Dragon Claw.
The boy's right hand began to slow down, letting his left hand take the lead.
The forging proceeded slowly, but every blow that followed the last was filled with rhythm.
After about ten minutes, Chen Ye gently raised his hammer. A piece of dark metal rested quietly there.
A faint glimmer shone across its surface. Hundred Refinements was complete.
Looking at the finished Hundred Refinements metal, Mu Chen did not look at the metal itself. Instead, he turned slightly to look at his daughter.
He could sense the disappointment in her eyes, but he said nothing.
Taking a year or two to complete Hundred Refinements still made his daughter a forging genius.
After all, under normal circumstances, an ordinary forging master might need ten years, or even more than a decade, just to learn Hundred Refinements.
But although his daughter was a genius, she still couldn't compare to a true genius.
The boy before them had completed Hundred Refinements in a single attempt. This was both a chance for his daughter to see what a true genius looked like and a source of motivation for her.
"Mu Xi, don't blame Dad. Only by seeing a true genius on the path of forging can you build up your strength and have a chance—an opportunity—to reach my position one day."
Mu Chen thought this to himself, a trace of emotion in his eyes.
Back in his day, there had been so many so-called top geniuses. The main reason he had overcome every obstacle and reached his current position was his senior fellow apprentice.
The talent he had once been so proud of had been effortlessly defeated by his senior fellow apprentice.
But that was precisely what had made him recognize his shortcomings and let go of his arrogant pride in his talent. He had taken one step at a time to reach the position he held today.
"Master, I've finished the Hundred Refinements. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. I'm planning to enroll in school in the next couple of days."
"All right, I'll see you out. From now on, come by every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'll teach you forging techniques." As he spoke, Mu Chen handed Chen Ye a bracelet.
"This is an Identity Bracelet. It can automatically recognize you and let you access the top floor."
The two exchanged contact details, then headed out.
Mu Xi followed behind them, her expression somewhat dazed, but more than anything, resolute.
After saying goodbye to Mu Chen on the rooftop, Chen Ye went over to Chen Gang. The scroll unfurled, and the two entered it and quickly departed.
Left behind, Mu Chen looked at his daughter, a rare smile appearing on his face.
"So, Xi'er, are you still going to compare yourself to your senior fellow apprentices?"
"The cleverest one among them took nearly five years just to barely complete Hundred Refinements. Naturally, they can't compare to you."
"I understand, Father. I may be a genius, but I still can't compare to a true top-tier genius."
"I'll work hard, Father! I'll become a renowned forging master!"
"Mm, don't dwell on it. You have your father here! Xiao Chen is about to enroll, and he'll probably be going to your school."
"If you can, look out for him. After all, he's your junior apprentice."
"Dad, you forgot that he's already a One-Ring Soul Master. Even an ordinary Second Year student couldn't possibly be his match." Mu Xi gave her father a wry look.
He had Innate Full Soul Power, and she had never even seen a Golden Soul Ring like his. How could someone like him possibly need her to look after him?
The Chen Family.
The scroll opened, and Chen Lei walked over to his son.
"Son, I've already registered you. You'll be starting school in a couple of days."
"Are you sure you want to go to an ordinary school? Private schools offer a much better education, and we can afford it."
Chen Lei scratched his head, not quite understanding his son's choice, but he didn't stop him.
After all, his son had always been very independent.
Chen Ye nodded. That would normally be the obvious choice, but this year was anything but normal.
"Whether it's Xie Xie from the Xie Family, Tang Wulin, or Gu Yue, who came along with him, they're all extraordinary geniuses."
"Instead of going to a private school, I'd be better off joining them. And I doubt there's another teacher like Wu Changkong anywhere in Eastsea City."
Chen Ye thought this over, then smiled at his father.
"I'll head back first, Dad. Let me know when it's time to go to school."
"Sure, go get some rest!"
"Bye, Dad. Bye, Grandpa." After saying goodbye to the two of them, Chen Ye returned to his room.
He opened the Chronospace Diary, a solemn expression appearing on his face.
Since he had decided to enroll at the school, he would follow the usual course of events.
So instead of writing down the original Time Trajectory in his diary, he might as well write a new, complete Time Trajectory—one with himself as the Son of Heaven.
Chen Ye gently raised his hand and touched the Time Diary. Lines of text appeared.
[Dueluo Continent's Eastsea City had a Son of Heaven named Chen Ye. He possessed the art of controlling fortune from birth, and also had the Golden Dragon King Martial Soul.]
[His talent and brilliance had been rarely seen throughout history in the past thirty thousand years. He was a peerless hero of his generation.]
[...]
Although praising himself made Chen Ye feel a little embarrassed, everything he wrote was true.
After briefly outlining how he had joined the Forging Master Association and become Mu Chen's apprentice, he slowly stopped writing.
By revealing right away that he had the Golden Dragon King Martial Soul, he didn't believe Gu Yue would resist taking the bait.
Chen Ye gently stroked his Chronospace Diary. Feeling its smooth, warm surface, he smiled.
He would use himself as bait to weave a net, a net that ensnared all the female characters.
As long as they still wanted to change their fates and futures, they would fall into his trap, one step at a time.
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