Are You Here to Challenge Us?!
The East Sea Blacksmith Association is not far from the Eastsea Academy.
The next day, after lunch, Tang Wulin led Huo Yuhao over.
The two arrived in front of an imposing gray building, where a huge Forging Hammer emblem was prominently displayed on the exterior wall, signifying the status of this place.
Stepping into the lobby on the first floor, the interior space is extremely spacious, with a high dome, a mirror-like marble floor, and a solemn and simple environment.
The hall was quite empty and quiet at the moment, with only a few staff members walking around in the distance.
"Xiao Wu Lin? What brings you here!"
A strong, excited voice came from the side corridor of the hall.
The two turned around at the sound and saw a middle-aged man, about forty years old and exceptionally tall and strong, striding towards them.
"Grandmaster Cen Yue!" Tang Wulin clearly recognized him and said with a smile, "I've come to see my teacher."
Cen Yue said with a smile, "He's in his office upstairs. You can just go up there."
As one of the few high-ranking members of the association who knew that Tang Wulin was Personal Disciple the association president, Mu Chen, Cen Yue greatly admired this gifted, diligent, and down-to-earth young man.
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Tang Wulin led Huo Yuhao into the Soul Guidance Elevator, which took them directly to the thirty-third floor.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Tang Wulin knocked on the heavy wooden door of the President's Office with practiced ease.
"Please come in."
A gentle yet magnetic male voice came from inside the door.
Tang Wulin pushed open the door and entered, leading Huo Yuhao to turn right, bypassing the entrance partition, and the scene before them suddenly opened up.
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows occupy an entire wall, letting in the bright afternoon sunlight without reservation.
In front of the window is a large, heavy, dark wood desk with simple lines and a calm, solid feel.
At this moment, behind the desk sat a middle-aged man wearing a plain-colored shirt.
He was handsome with a high nose bridge, and although he was middle-aged, one could still see the charm he had in his youth.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, and when his gaze fell on Tang Wulin, a gentle smile immediately spread across his face, and he put down the pen in his hand.
"Wulin, what made you decide to come today?"
Mu Chen's voice carried the kindness and warmth unique to an elder. He genuinely admired Tang Wulin, his disciple, and even regarded him as his own son.
After Tang Wulin's parents passed away, his closest relatives became his teachers.
Wu Changkong is one, Mang Tian is one, and the last one is Mu Chen in front of us.
"Teacher."
Tang Wulin greeted him respectfully, then without beating around the bush, he pulled Huo Yuhao to his side and introduced him, "This is my classmate, Huo Yuhao."
"He is also a Forgemaster and wants to apply to join our East Sea Blacksmith Association to qualify for the Heaven Sea Alliance Tournament next month."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Chen turned his gaze to Huo Yuhao, discreetly observing the young man standing beside his beloved disciple.
The boy was tall and straight, with clear and calm eyes. He did not show the usual restraint or timidity of a typical boy when facing his association president, and his demeanor was quite extraordinary.
However, Mu Chen did not immediately agree based on Tang Wulin's introduction.
His expression turned serious, and his gaze returned to Tang Wulin. He said earnestly, "Wulin, you know the association's rules."
"To formally join the guild, one must pass the corresponding level assessment to prove their Forgemaster qualification; this is a mandatory requirement."
Even those you brought... are no exception.
The rules and requirements that Mu Chen mentioned were actually very simple.
Anyone who is a true Forgemaster, even if they are only at level one, is eligible to apply to join the association.
Tang Wulin had not specifically asked Huo Yuhao about his Forgemaster level before, but he subconsciously believed that with Huo Yuhao's amazing talent in Soul Master and Soul Tool, becoming a true Forgemaster at the age of ten should not be a problem.
Seeing the teacher emphasizing the rules, Tang Wulin nodded seriously and replied, "Don't worry, teacher, I understand the association's rules."
He then turned to look at Huo Yuhao and said, "Yuhao, now it's your turn to show your strength."
Huo Yuhao still wore that gentle smile on his face, and said nothing, but slowly raised his right hand.
A faint light of Soul Power flashed in his palm.
A heavy, round metal badge appeared out of thin air in his palm!
The badge is dark gold in color, with a raised three-dimensional relief of Forging Hammer in the center, symbolizing the identity of Forgemaster.
Surrounding this core hammer mark are five purple stars arranged in a ring.
Inside the office, Mu Chen, whose expression was originally gentle yet scrutinizing, and Tang Wulin, who was standing to the side preparing to cheer Huo Yuhao on, both had their eyes locked on the badge in Huo Yuhao's palm almost instantly!
Immediately, their pupils contracted sharply in unison!
As Forgemaster, one is naturally very familiar with the shape and meaning of the Forgemaster Badge that symbolizes status, rank, and honor.
At this moment, Tang Wulin's clear eyes were wide open, as if they were about to jump out of their sockets, and his pupils were filled with an almost blank disbelief!
The number of stars surrounding the hammer mark on the badge indicates the Forgemaster's rank.
One star represents level one, and so on.
On the badge in Huo Yuhao's palm were... five stars!
This means that Huo Yuhao is a... Level 5 Forgemaster!
Although Tang Wulin's Soul Power cultivation is only at the first level, he has exceptional talent in forging and has made rapid progress. He is now a Level-Four Forgemaster.
His teachers Mu Chen and Mang Tian, often praised him as a forging prodigy, a talent that appears only once in a millennium.
This recognition has become a heavy source of pride and confidence in his heart.
In his heart, he originally felt that he was no match for Huo Yuhao in terms of Soul Power and strength, so surpassing him in forging was a victory in itself.
He even secretly imagined the surprised expression on Huo Yuhao's face when he learned that he was already Level-Four Forgemaster, and that image had secretly pleased him.
However, reality dealt him a heavy blow!
He was the first to be so shocked that he was speechless!
This Huo Yuhao, who is the same age as me, is actually... already a Level 5 Forgemaster?!
Level 5 Forgemaster means that you have mastered the art of Spirit Forging!
Tang Wulin studied under Mu Chen and was well aware of the complexity and difficulty of Spirit Forging.
After a moment, the feeling of disbelief slowly subsided, replaced by a complex and indescribable emotion.
Tang Wulin muttered to himself, "I never thought... I'd lose in forging too."
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Mu Chen suddenly moved!
Huo Yuhao only felt a blur before his eyes, and the next moment, Mu Chen's tall figure had silently appeared in front of him.
Immediately afterwards, he felt his palm go empty; the five-star Forgemaster Badge had changed hands and fallen into Mu Chen's outstretched palm.
Mu Chen didn't speak. He lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the badge in his palm.
My thumb gently brushed over the five purple stars and the central Forging Hammer relief, feeling the subtle patterns and the texture of the metal.
The gentleness on his face vanished quickly, replaced by an increasingly solemn seriousness, even faintly revealing a hint of... ruthlessness?
After a moment of silence, Mu Chen suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, and stared directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes.
His voice was deep as he asked, "You... are here to challenge us?"
"Ah?!"
Huo Yuhao was completely stunned by this sudden question.
He was completely taken aback by Mu Chen's words, and he didn't understand the reason behind them.
I just wanted to join the association to qualify for the competition, so how did I suddenly become a "challenger"?
Tang Wulin, who was standing to the side, also became nervous. He looked at the teacher, whose expression had suddenly become serious, and then at Huo Yuhao, who looked completely bewildered. He didn't understand what had happened either.
At this moment, Mu Chen slowly raised the badge in his hand and said in a deep voice, "This badge... was forged by Zhen Hua himself, wasn't it?"
"His unique technique might not be obvious to others, but I... recognize it."
Huo Yuhao's heart was immediately stirred.
This badge was indeed forged and awarded to him personally by Zhen Hua, representing recognition of his forging skills.
Upon hearing Mu Chen's words, Huo Yuhao's thoughts raced.
Could it be that his teacher, Zhen Hua, has some past grudge or feud with Mu Chen, the president of the Donghai Blacksmiths Association?
Otherwise, why would they react so strongly to seeing a badge forged by the other party, even viewing their presence as a provocation?