Unromantic

"Tut, tut, tut..."

Mu Ye appeared at the edge of the pit. He crouched down to inspect Wu Sidu's injuries, then looked up at Wang Chuan, who had put away his Martial Soul and Soul Rings and looked as calm as ever. Shaking his head, Mu Ye teased him.

"Kid, you could really bring yourself to do that?"

"You're downright ruthless to a beauty!"

"Do you even know what it means to cherish a delicate flower?"

"That young lady came all this way..."

"And this is how you welcome her?!"

Wang Chuan spread his hands, looking utterly innocent.

"Uncle Mu, this was a match."

"Besides, I already held back a lot."

He truly had held back. Otherwise, that palm strike would have done far more than merely injure Wu Sidu.

Mu Ye rolled his eyes. Saying no more, he carefully lifted Wu Sidu out of the pit and carried her in his arms.

"Her injuries aren't light. They need to be treated immediately."

"You brat, just wait until old Zhen gives you an earful!"

With that, his figure flashed, and he vanished with Wu Sidu. Clearly, he had gone to find one of the association's healing-type Soul Masters.

Wang Chuan watched them leave, shrugged indifferently, stretched, then turned and headed toward his personal forging room.

It was only a minor interruption. To him, it was far less important than the forging practice about to begin.

His goal was clear.

He needed to stabilize his Level 5 Forging Grandmaster realm as soon as possible, then challenge Level 6 and forge a set of Two-Word Battle Armor perfectly suited to himself.

His master Zhen Hua and the Spirit Pagoda had long since prepared all the rare and precious metals he needed, worth hundreds of millions of Federation Coins, and were merely waiting for his skill to reach the required level.

Such cultivation conditions, backed by the full support of two top-tier powers, were something Tang Wulin's model of desperately earning his own resources could never compare to.

Or rather, if Tang Wulin had not joined Shrek Academy, he could have become a Divine Craftsman many years sooner.

He might even have become a Quasi-God earlier.

That night, after a full day of intense forging practice and Soul Power meditation, Wang Chuan left the forging area, his body somewhat weary but his spirits high, and headed toward his private lounge on the association's top floor.

But when he pushed open the door and habitually reached for the lights, he sharply sensed an unfamiliar presence inside.

"Who's there?!"

Wang Chuan immediately went on alert, his Soul Power stirring slightly.

"It's me."

A cool female voice sounded from the darkness. It carried a trace of weakness, yet remained clear.

The lights came on, and Wang Chuan stared in astonishment at the figure seated in the chair beside his bed.

It was Wu Sidu, whom he had seriously injured that day. Her face was still somewhat pale.

She had changed into a clean light-purple dress, her long hair flowing loose. She had lost some of her daytime sharpness and gained a touch of a young girl's softness, though her black eyes remained as cool as ever.

"Why are you in my room?"

Wang Chuan asked in confusion.

He had never expected this.

The association's residential area was tightly managed, especially the section reserved for core disciples like him. Outsiders simply could not enter.

Wu Sidu seemed quite pleased by Wang Chuan's astonished and flustered expression. An exceedingly faint yet genuine smile unexpectedly formed on her cool face.

She slowly rose and walked up to Wang Chuan.

Since they were nearly the same height, she could almost look directly into his eyes.

Under Wang Chuan's slightly puzzled gaze, she rose onto her tiptoes, leaned close to his ear, and softly said in a voice only the two of them could hear. Her breath brushed against his ear.

"I plan to stay here for a while."

"Please take care of me."

After saying that, she stepped back half a pace, glanced at Wang Chuan, then turned and walked toward the door. Her steps were slightly slow, but her posture remained elegant, leaving behind a slender yet straight back.

Wang Chuan stood there blankly. Only when Wu Sidu had already placed her hand on the doorknob did he suddenly snap back to his senses and shout at her retreating figure.

"Wait!"

"Why are you in my room?"

"And what do you mean, stay for a while?"

"This is my room!"

Wu Sidu had already pulled the door halfway open. Upon hearing such thoroughly unromantic words, so blunt they were practically wooden, she stumbled and nearly tripped over the threshold.

She steadied herself, abruptly turned around, and shot Wang Chuan a fierce glare. Her eyes were filled with embarrassment, indignation, frustration, and a trace of helplessness.

But in the end, she said nothing. With a bang, she slammed the door shut and quickly walked away.

Wang Chuan remained in the room, still utterly baffled. Scratching his head, he stared at the tightly closed door and muttered to himself.

"So..."

"Why exactly was she in my room?!"

"Did Uncle Mu arrange it? Or Master?"

"No, that can't be right."

"Even if they arranged it, they should have told me beforehand..."

The days passed one by one, and Wu Sidu seemed to have truly settled down at the Blacksmith Association in Heaven Dou City.

Yet she did not disturb Wang Chuan. Most of the time, she simply stayed quietly nearby, watching him swing his forging hammer and immerse himself in the world of metal.

"Hey, aren't you bored, watching me forge here every day?"

One day, after Wang Chuan completed a round of Thousand Refinement practice, he wiped away his sweat and looked at Wu Sidu, who was once again curled up on the sofa in the corner like a lazy cat. He could not help asking.

The scene had practically become routine.

Wu Sidu shifted into a more comfortable position, resting her chin on the sofa armrest. Her eyes were half-lidded as she answered lazily.

"It's all right."

"How could watching a future Divine Craftsman, and a current genius blacksmith, perform Thousand Refinement be boring?"

No emotion could be heard in her tone, but her gaze had never left Wang Chuan's movements.

After observing him up close for some time, the shock and curiosity in Wu Sidu's heart had not diminished. Instead, they grew by the day.

She had personally witnessed Wang Chuan's almost terrifying rate of improvement in forging.

This guy was not only a monster who defied common sense in Soul Master cultivation; even in the field of forging, which required vast amounts of time, accumulation, and insight, he displayed talent despairing enough to leave others hopeless.

The unwillingness and curiosity born from her defeat gradually transformed into a deeper recognition, and even... a desire to befriend him.

Born into a great clan in Star Luo City, Wu Sidu was more mature than her peers and understood the rules and value of the world better than most.

What did a future Divine Craftsman represent?

It represented top-tier Four-Character Battle Armor, immeasurable connections, and potential power capable of influencing the continent's entire landscape!

Therefore, building a good personal relationship with Wang Chuan now was no different from reserving a ticket onto the path to the peak for the future, especially a place in line for the Four-Character Battle Armor that every top Soul Master dreamed of.

Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua was already advanced in years. Years of Heavenly Forging had left his body burdened by accumulated strain, and the number of times he could perform Heavenly Forging each year could be counted on one hand.

As a result, many Level 98 and Level 99 Super Douluo and Limit Douluo powerhouses possessed top-tier materials, yet could only desperately seek Four-Character Battle Armor without obtaining it.

This favor and opportunity...

Were worth more than a fortune!