An Unusual Mu Xi

"Pfft~"

After Xie Xie finished speaking, Wang Ling and the others, who had been watching from the sidelines, could no longer hold back their laughter. Even Wu Zhangkong's expression became extremely strange.

Although Xie Xie and the others' achievement of defeating a hundred-year Man Faced Demon Spider as Soul Masters was impressive, compared with Su Mo's flawless defeat of the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear, it was nothing worth mentioning.

The Man Faced Demon Spider that Xie Xie and the others had struggled so hard to defeat would have been killed by the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear with a single swipe of its claw. They would not even have had a chance to flee.

Xie Xie was no fool. When he noticed the faint hint of schadenfreude in Wang Ling and the others' eyes as they looked at him, an ominous feeling immediately rose in his heart.

I'm not about to become a clown, am I?

Realizing something was wrong, Xie Xie hurriedly looked toward Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong revealed a trace of helplessness and was just about to explain when a gentle knock suddenly came from outside, drawing everyone's attention.

A middle-aged man dressed in an impeccable suit, yet radiating warmth and approachability, appeared at the door. Behind him stood a large group of Spirit Pagoda staff.

The moment he recognized the visitor, Wang Ling immediately hurried forward and said ingratiatingly, "President Mu, what brings you here?"

In Donghai City, one could fail to recognize the mayor or council members, but one absolutely could not fail to recognize the man before them—the Tianhai Region's sole eight-star Saint Craftsman.

If Mu Chen had not personally volunteered to serve as president of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association, a figure of his stature would almost never have appeared in a small place like Eastsea City.

Even someone as proud and aloof as Wu Zhangkong showed a trace of respect in his eyes upon seeing Mu Chen.

As one of the Sun Moon Federation's most renowned Saint Craftsmen, Mu Chen had actually been willing to humble himself and come to a small place like Eastsea City to guide the development of local blacksmiths. That was truly rare and admirable.

"Teacher, why are you here?"

Seeing Mu Chen suddenly appear, Tang Wulin assumed that he had come for him and quickly stepped forward.

"Teacher?!"

Hearing Tang Wulin's form of address for Mu Chen, everyone else was stunned. They turned to look at Tang Wulin with disbelief written across their faces.

Xie Xie moved closer to Tang Wulin and lowered his voice. "Wulin, when did you become Master Mu's disciple? How come I never knew?"

As a local of Eastsea, Xie Xie had naturally heard of Mu Chen's great reputation.

But Xie Xie could not understand how Tang Wulin, someone from a small place, had gotten involved with such an important figure as Mu Chen.

It was not that Xie Xie looked down on Tang Wulin. He was simply curious.

He still clearly remembered how shabby Tang Wulin had looked when he first arrived at Eastsea Academy.

"It's a long story..."

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly.

Becoming Mu Chen's disciple was indeed something to be proud of.

However, Tang Wulin felt that he had become Mu Chen's disciple to learn blacksmithing from him. If he went around advertising that he was Mu Chen's disciple, it would seem somewhat self-serving.

So, after becoming Mu Chen's disciple, Tang Wulin had never mentioned the matter to anyone.

"Wulin, why are you here too?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Mu Chen's face when he saw Tang Wulin.

"My classmates and I came to train in the Spirit Ascension Platform!"

"To train in the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

Mu Chen found it hard to believe. He understood Tang Wulin's circumstances all too well.

With Tang Wulin's current situation, there was no way he could afford the cost of entering the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Moreover, given Tang Wulin's personality, he would never casually accept someone else's financial aid.

Though Tang Wulin came from a poor background, he possessed a resolute heart that refused to yield. He had rejected Mu Chen's offers of help several times.

Otherwise, with just one word from Mu Chen, would Tang Wulin not have been able to enter and leave Eastsea City's Spirit Ascension Platform whenever he pleased?

Seemingly noticing Mu Chen's confusion, Tang Wulin quickly explained the entire situation.

Once he learned that Eastsea Academy had paid for Tang Wulin and the others to train in the Spirit Ascension Platform, Mu Chen finally understood.

"Train well. Do not disappoint your academy's expectations."

Mu Chen patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder in encouragement.

What Mu Chen worried about most regarding Tang Wulin, his disciple, was his cultivation.

Even though Tang Wulin had been born with immense strength and was an excellent prospect for blacksmithing,

because his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, if Tang Wulin could not raise his cultivation, the accomplishments he could achieve on the path of blacksmithing would be extremely limited.

Now that Eastsea Academy was willing to spend such a large sum to let Tang Wulin train in the Spirit Ascension Platform, it showed that Tang Wulin did have talent.

"Teacher, what exactly happened? Why are Mistress and Senior Sister here too?"

After greeting Mu Chen, Tang Wulin's sharp eyes spotted Yuan Baoer and Mu Xi, mother and daughter, standing behind Mu Chen.

Amid the crowd, Yuan Baoer tightly held Mu Xi's hand. Her eyes were red, and two trails of tears still stained her delicate makeup.

"Ah..."

Mu Chen sighed and said with lingering fear, "Your senior sister was injured by a Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear while training in the Spirit Ascension Platform just now."

"As soon as I received the news, I rushed over with your mistress without stopping."

"Hiss—"

Tang Wulin's scalp immediately went numb upon hearing that.

Tang Wulin had long learned from Wu Zhangkong just how terrifying bear-type Soul Beasts were.

The first time they entered the Spirit Ascension Platform, Wu Zhangkong repeatedly warned them that if they were seriously injured by a bear-type Soul Beast while alone, they had to leave the Spirit Ascension Platform or kill themselves without hesitation.

Otherwise, they would have the privilege of personally watching themselves be bitten apart bone by bone and eaten while still fully conscious.

Mu Chen obviously understood this as well.

Thus, when he learned that Mu Xi had been grievously wounded by the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear, he immediately set aside his work and hurried over with Donghai City's finest medical team.

After Mu Xi's mother, Yuan Baoer, received the news, she had nearly cried herself unconscious.

Fortunately, as soon as they reached the Spirit Pagoda, they heard that Mu Xi was safe and unharmed. Only then did Mu Chen breathe a sigh of relief; otherwise, he truly would not have known how to comfort Yuan Baoer.

Tang Wulin was just about to ask after Mu Xi's condition when he saw her break free from Yuan Baoer's hand and jog over to Su Mo beneath everyone's watchful eyes.

"Um... Junior Brother, you saved me just now, but I still don't know your name?"

Standing before Su Mo, Mu Xi seemed exceptionally reserved. After fidgeting for a long while, she finally gathered the courage to ask his name.

"???"

"Wulin, am I dreaming? Is this really the same female tyrannosaurus we know?"

Seeing Mu Xi speak softly and act coyly in front of Su Mo, Xie Xie's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

If he had not seen Mu Xi's domineering and unreasonable side before, Xie Xie might really have been fooled by her.

"I don't know!"

Tang Wulin gave a bitter smile and shook his head. This was the first time he had seen Mu Xi like this as well.

For some reason, seeing Mu Xi in this state made Tang Wulin feel an inexplicable hint of disappointment.

When Mu Chen, standing nearby, saw Mu Xi continuously twirling her hair around her fingers in an attempt to ease her nervousness, the smile on his face instantly froze.

As someone who had been through it before, how could Mu Chen not understand that the cabbage he had painstakingly raised was about to be rooted up by a pig?

Yuan Baoer, Mu Xi's mother, was watching with great interest instead.

As the saying went, fathers knew their sons best, while mothers knew their daughters best. When Yuan Baoer saw her daughter anxiously urging Mu Chen to find Su Mo, she had already keenly sensed that something was amiss.