Godly Craftsman Competition Had Always Been This Way, Shrek in Disintegration, Gu Yue's Hesitation

Godly Craftsman Competition Had Always Been This Way, Shrek in Disintegration, Gu Yue's Hesitation (4k)

Three days later, the Tianhai Alliance Competition Forging Finals began.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Jiu Tian gripped the Dry Gold Hammer and smashed it down onto the rare metal Yan Gold. His twin hammers crisscrossed and flew, their heads tracing crescent arcs through the air before falling like sudden thunder.

Yan Gold's surface resembled molten lava churning beneath the deep sea. Light flowed through Jiu Tian's iron-gray eyes, penetrating every minute shift in its texture.

Veins bulged across his muscular arms. Layer upon layer of hammer shadows overlapped without the slightest disorder, pouring down in an airtight barrage!

On the other side, Tang Wulin clenched his Thousand Refined Silver Hammer. His hammer strikes matched the rhythm of his breathing, trailing afterimages as heavy blows rang out without pause. As the forging progressed, the Sinking Silver gradually brightened, revealing dazzling cloud patterns.

The two were completely immersed, maintaining an extremely rapid forging pace. Invisible ripples spread outward from their forging tables, and quite a few Forging Masters gave bitter smiles, stopped swinging their hammers, and chose to withdraw from the competition.

The Forging Competition had three rounds in total. During the first two preliminary rounds, Jiu Tian and Tang Wulin had displayed forging skills far beyond everyone else's. In the finals, they went all out, fully unleashing their forging talents.

Every Forging Master had their own rhythm. Once that rhythm was disrupted, their success rate would plummet. Those Forging Masters had their rhythms thrown into chaos and could no longer produce qualified works, so they simply withdrew and yielded the stage to the two great geniuses.

"President, Saint Craftsman Mu, it really has come down to your two outstanding disciples competing against each other," a Sixth Grade Forging Master remarked from the viewing platform.

Zhen Hua and Mu Chen exchanged glances, each seeing the eagerness to compete in the other's eyes.

The two senior and junior brothers were as close as blood brothers, and each had gained something in life. Zhen Hua had broken through to Heavenly Forging and become a Godly Craftsman admired by countless millions. Mu Chen had married the woman he loved and brought forth the crystallization of their love, Mu Xi, living a fulfilled life.

The previous generation's story had largely reached its conclusion, and their emotional investments had continued through the younger generation. Both forging big shots were deeply satisfied with their Personal Disciples and encouraged them to spar and compete.

"Boom—"

Jiu Tian let out a roar. The Dry Gold Hammer shot forward like a golden dragon plunging into an abyss, striking the center of the Yan Gold with precision. Crimson sparks burst freely in every direction. In an instant, the forging table shook and metal rang out, as though dozens of heavy hammers had struck down at once!

The hammer force penetrated the metal, and a crimson-gold radiance rose up, revealing magnificent and intricate patterns. They moved across the metal's surface like blood vessels and meridians before finally converging into refined Gilded Secret Patterns.

Spiritual light burst forth—Thousand Refinements First Grade!

"Boom—"

Another burst of spiritual light erupted. Tang Wulin completed his forging immediately afterward. The Thousand Refinements First Grade Sinking Silver emitted a blue glow, its patterns even and spread across every corner.

"Come, examine the two children's works and decide who should be the champion of this competition," Zhen Hua said with a smile. "To avoid suspicion, Junior Brother Mu Chen and I will not offer our opinions."

Thousand Refinements First Grade Yan Gold, Thousand Refinements First Grade Sinking Silver. The judges presented the two steaming pieces of forged metal for the Forging Masters on the viewing platform to evaluate.

"Thousand Refinements First Grade at ten years old—they are genuine Fourth-Rank Forging Masters..." The old Forging Master with graying hair could not help nodding in praise.

"Two forging geniuses unseen in a thousand years have appeared at once..."

"The metal patterns are so exquisite and complete. Even if it were me, I fear I could not have done any better."

The astonished praise of their peers rang constantly in their ears. Zhen Hua and Mu Chen's upturned lips were harder to suppress than an AK. The metal was their disciples' work, while the disciples were their teachers' work. Praising the disciples was the same as praising the teachers, and it made the two of them even happier.

After deliberating, the judges had the eldest old master announce the result. "President, Saint Craftsman Mu, after comprehensive discussion, we have reached an answer.

"Though both metals are Thousand Refinements First Grade, Yan Gold is more difficult to forge than Sinking Silver, and its surface already possesses a life resonance similar to Spiritual Forging.

"We unanimously believe that Jiu Tian has won and should be awarded the Forging Competition Champion of this Tianhai Alliance Competition."

"Jiu Tian is still young. He needs to keep training!"

Zhen Hua could not help laughing loudly. Mu Chen also smiled, with no dissatisfaction toward the result.

As top-tier Forging Masters, the instant the two pieces of Thousand Refinements First Grade metal were successfully forged, the two big shots had already discerned the difference in quality. The outcome had long been clear to them.

After Godly Craftsman Zhen Hua personally announced the competition champion, Jiu Tian slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. This was not merely directed at Tang Wulin alone. To ascend to the Godly Craftsman Position, he would go all out to crush every competitor!

The Eight Deceitful Gods symbolized rules, and Jiu Tian was the Dry Gold Image. He had sensed that the Heaven and Earth Law surrounding Godly Craftsmen was unusual, faintly maintaining a balance. In other words, Douluo Continent did not permit multiple Godly Craftsmen to emerge within the same era.

For example, if Zhen Hua's difficulty in breaking through to become a Godly Craftsman was one, then the difficulty for the second Forging Master of this era to become one would leap to ten, while the third Godly Craftsman would face a difficulty of one hundred... and so on. The difficulty coefficient might even rise further!

If things could be simplified, Jiu Tian naturally would not deliberately give way. His goal was to become a Godly Craftsman as quickly as possible. When their cultivation levels were roughly equal, defeating competitors head-on was how he could gradually earn the recognition of Heaven and Earth Law!

Godly Craftsman Competition had always been this way!

Tianhai Hotel, sixty-sixth floor.

The Shrek Team sat lifelessly on the sofas. Newspapers lay scattered chaotically across the floor, their deliberately enlarged headlines glaring in vivid red.

Myth Shattered, Shrek Defeated!

The Great Sun Sets, the Era of Stars Begins!

Those Who Dare Not Cause Trouble Are Mediocrities; Those Who Cannot Handle Trouble Are Fools!

Shocking! The Continent's First Academy Actually...

The Shrek Team, once high-spirited and arrogantly confident in their talent, now all looked ashen.

In the eyes of the public, the Continent's First Academy had lost to the obscure Eastsea Academy. Moreover, Eastsea Academy's seven members were on average three years younger than them, and their Soul Power was far inferior as well...

The Tianhai Alliance Competition was the grandest event of the Skysea Alliance. Television stations from dozens of cities, including Skysea City and Eastsea City, broadcast the competition. Shrek Academy's appearance in the Exhibition Match had been a gimmick intended to attract countless viewers, and all of them had witnessed Shrek's crushing defeat.

Those reporters were like sharks that had caught the scent of enticing blood, scrambling to write news stories. Some had even reconstructed the cause of the conflict using surveillance footage from Tianhai Stadium.

Yu Yuanheng's arrogance became the target of public criticism. The finest report came from a Sun Moon Evening News reporter, who placed Yu Yuanheng's initially lofty demeanor and his miserable unconscious state after the battle side by side on the front page.

That stark and deeply cutting contrast caused Yu Yuanheng to faint from rage again after taking only one look.

After Shrek Academy's disastrous loss to Eastsea Academy, lead teacher Shen Yi had no choice but to report the matter urgently. Shrek gave a cold four-word reply: remain where you are and await orders.

Shrek, undefeated for twenty thousand years, came crashing down. The incident rapidly fermented and shocked the entirety of Douluo Continent. Rumors rose everywhere, and under the Sun Moon Federation's covert encouragement, the situation seemed to be growing increasingly severe.

"Yuanheng, were we wrong..."

Ning Xian's pretty face was filled with exhaustion. Three days of fear and anxiety had left her unable to eat or sleep. The Soul Net was filled with unbearable rumors, and she began to regret it.

"Who said that... I wasn't wrong... I wasn't wrong..."

Yu Yuanheng's eyes were bloodshot, the red veins spreading like dense spiderwebs. He had been seriously injured, with bandages wrapped all over his body. As he shook his head from side to side, he muttered crazily:

"I risked my life to defend the academy's glory and protect the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's reputation... I wasn't wrong... I should be the hero...

"Heroes never lose... Something was wrong with that battle. There must have been a problem!

"They cheated! They cheated!"

Yu Yuanheng screamed madly, his shrill voice echoing through the room for a long time.

Ye Xinglan raised her pale, bloodless face. Today, she was not wearing Shrek's green uniform but a goose-yellow dress. White bandages wrapped her arms, calves, and knees. Hearing Yu Yuanheng's hysterical accusations, she frowned and said:

"Why are you slandering Eastsea Academy out of nowhere?

"We were inferior in skill. We should wait for the academy's punishment. No matter how harsh it is, we must bear the consequences of our own failure."

"Ye. Xing. Lan!"

Yu Yuanheng slowly turned his head and roared Ye Xinglan's name one word at a time. Ferocity flared in his eyes. "You still dare to speak? This is all because of you!

"If it weren't for you, how would Shrek have provoked that pack of monsters? And now look—Shrek has been defeated, and all of Douluo Continent is flooded with curses and insults aimed at me!

"Do you know... what I stand to lose?!"

Yu Yuanheng was on the verge of emotional collapse. His performance at the Opening Ceremony had enraged the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the position of clan leader was no longer within easy reach!

"Ye Xinglan, you ruined my reputation and harmed my future... If Shrek Academy expels me too, I guarantee that you will spend the rest of your life wishing you were dead!"

"Yu Yuanheng, just try it!"

The two sides instantly drew swords against each other. Yu Yuanheng's fury soared to the heavens, as though he regarded Ye Xinglan as an irreconcilable enemy.

Amid Ye Xinglan's cold expression, a trace of disappointment flashed through her azure pupils. Yu Yuanheng was one of the strongest geniuses in Shrek Outer Court. She had regarded him as someone she needed to catch up to at this stage, never expecting a single defeat to expose his true nature.

"Sister Xinglan, Brother Yuanheng, calm down. Have some baozi."

Xu Lizhi condensed restorative Big Meat Buns and carefully offered them to the two people confronting each other.

"Get lost!"

Yu Yuanheng glared viciously at Xu Lizhi. Little Fatty was also the source of the conflict. Ning Xian, Chu Yan, Yao Yue, and Chen Feng chose to stand beside Yu Yuanheng, and the Shrek Team split into two factions on the spot.

What are you all doing? Sit down properly, all of you!

Shen Yi pushed open the door and shouted at the two sides with an irritated expression. Only then did the seven reluctantly return to their places.

After letting out a deep sigh, Shen Yi said, "Originally, this defeat was only a minor matter. Poseidon Pavilion did not take it too seriously. After all, Shrek Academy's foundation was not something that an Exhibition Match, or a few children under fifteen years old, could shake. It would pass after a while.

"But..."

After a brief pause, Shen Yi changed the subject. "People with ulterior motives have taken Shrek Academy's first defeat as an opening to spread all kinds of baseless, utterly absurd rumors.

"For example, that Shrek ruthlessly exploits its students, that only Inner Court disciples receive the academy's attention, that the academy's undefeated reputation relies entirely on cheating, and so on...

"The origins of these rumors are varied. After investigation, the academy found that the overwhelming majority came from Mingdu, led by Sun Moon Royal Academy.

"The long-suppressed dissatisfaction of forces such as Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Master Academy has erupted, and they are taking this opportunity to smear and fabricate rumors about Shrek Academy. However, the academy is surprised that Spirit Pagoda, which has always stood on equal footing with the academy, has not participated..."

Shrek was celebrating too soon. Qiangu Dongfeng believed that experts such as Qingtian Douluo, Light and Dark Douluo, and Holy Spirit Douluo were still around. Mere rumors were nothing more than children's play. Once the Shrek-affiliated Title Douluo fell under his schemes, that would be the good opportunity to crush Shrek Academy on every front.

"Now, this is no longer merely about the few of you losing. It is about how to swiftly restore the academy's reputation. Poseidon Pavilion is currently discussing it urgently."

After speaking, Shen Yi turned her gaze toward Yu Yuanheng and Ye Xinglan and said gravely, "Because you caused the academy to lose both reason and strength, Poseidon Pavilion... is extremely disappointed.

"If this matter cannot be properly resolved, the academy does not rule out the possibility of expelling you."

Yu Yuanheng's gaze trembled, and he fell straight off the sofa. Ning Xian and the other four hurriedly helped him up in a flurry. Ye Xinglan's delicate body shuddered. Crystal light seemed to glimmer in her lowered eyes as she returned to her room in a daze.

Late at night.

Ye Xinglan tossed and turned. Intense unease and guilt prevented her from entering meditation, much less sleeping like an ordinary person.

Losing to Na'er, Shrek's humiliation, being expelled from the academy... Her experiences these past few days were like sharp swords piercing her heart one after another, leaving her in so much pain that she could barely breathe. She murmured to herself:

"The conflict began because of me. I have the responsibility to help them overcome this crisis, even if I must give everything..."

With that thought, she got out of bed and quietly pushed open the door.

Tianhai Hotel, eighty-eighth floor.

The Forging Association had arranged the most luxurious accommodations for Godly Craftsman Zhen Hua and his group. Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er splurged for once, staying in an enormous suite on the eighty-eighth floor. Its decor was refined and dazzling, with every facility available.

After learning the news, Gu Yue swiftly moved out of Eastsea Academy's hotel room to stay with them, calling it a Spirit Pagoda family reunion.

"Xuanzhen, Na'er, I have completed my withdrawal procedures from Eastsea Academy. I need to return home for urgent closed-door cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanzhen, who was studying the Secrets of Ben Ti, and Na'er, who was eating snacks, both froze. The former was confused, while the latter was overjoyed. In a flash, she appeared before Gu Yue, grasped her hand, and shook it a few times.

"Promise me you'll cultivate in seclusion for eighty or a hundred years, okay?"

Gu Yue sneered. Her abacus beads had smacked me right in the face!

"Why are you suddenly going into seclusion? About how long will it take?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked seriously.

"After Na'er and I joined forces to charge the Darkgold Fearclaw that day, something unusual happened to my body. I need to enter seclusion to stabilize it. It could be as short as a year or as long as three. I have a feeling that once I emerge, I may undergo a transformation."

Gu Yue and Na'er had always secretly competed against each other. This was their first time working together, and that feeling of controlling all things, that supreme power... As the main half of the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yue was all too familiar with it.

When they worked together wholeheartedly toward the same goal, Na'er's aura seemed to be helping her recover the Silver Dragon King's power.

After bidding Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er farewell, Gu Yue left Tianhai Hotel. A mature and seductive purple-haired woman had been waiting downstairs for quite some time.

Gu Yue turned back to look at the bustling high-rise building, hesitation flickering in her gaze. Her voice was nearly inaudible. "Could it be... that I do not need to devour her?

"No. I am the Silver Dragon King. My resolve must not waver...

"You two will both be mine sooner or later..."