"Blockhead"

She could see it clearly. It wasn't just the family behind her that had taken an interest.

Leng Yaozhu, the Spirit Pagoda's vice tower master, and the Leng Family behind her had long since placed a heavy bet on Wang Chuan as well.

It was said that as long as Wang Chuan asked, even if he wanted a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, the Leng Family would dare join forces with allied factions and venture deep into dangerous lands to hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for him.

Why?

Because what Wang Chuan had displayed was terrifying potential enough to contend for the title of "the continent's number one person" in the future, along with the status of a future "Divine Craftsman"!

The returns on such an investment were impossible to measure.

Every faction invested in geniuses, but a target like Wang Chuan, one that was "guaranteed to bring profit without loss," was practically a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

So if they did not offer help when he needed it most, were they supposed to wait until he ruled the world before adding flowers to brocade?

By then, they probably would not even be able to get through the door.

Naturally, Wang Chuan could guess some of Wu Sidu's thoughts, but he did not dislike them. As long as she did not interfere with his cultivation or forging, having one more observer did not matter.

He shook his head helplessly, glanced toward the material cabinet on the other side of the forging room, and said,

"Go get me a piece of Sinking Silver."

Wu Sidu followed the direction he pointed and looked over. The cabinet was only seven or eight steps away from Wang Chuan.

She rolled her eyes at him in irritation, then laughed in exasperation.

"Hey!"

"It's only a few steps. You can't even be bothered to walk that far?"

"Are you getting addicted to ordering me around?"

Over the past few days, Wang Chuan had occasionally "assigned" her such trivial little tasks.

Wang Chuan turned around with a teasing smile on his face and replied as if it were only natural,

"Yeah. Can't walk."

"Just finished forging. Tired."

That lazy look made him seem like an entirely different person from the usual Wang Chuan, who cultivated quietly and forged with complete focus.

Wu Sidu bit her lower lip and muttered under her breath,

"Such an ungentlemanly guy!"

But complaints aside, she still rose from the soft sofa, walked lightly to the material cabinet, and skillfully took out an ingot of Sinking Silver.

When she returned to the workbench, she set down the Sinking Silver but did not immediately step away. Instead, she moved one step closer, nearly pressing against Wang Chuan's arm.

She tilted her face up slightly, a trace of slyness flashing through her eyes. In a voice softer than before, she whispered into Wang Chuan's ear,

"I brought it for you..."

"How are you going to thank me?"

Her warm breath brushed past his ear.

She could clearly feel the young man beside her stiffen instantly.

Just as expected!

Wu Sidu laughed inwardly, confirming her earlier guess.

This guy had deliberately acted so "unreasonable" lately because he wanted to make her angry and drive her away.

So he could have some peace and quiet for himself.

Unfortunately...

She was not someone who could be dismissed so easily.

However, the scene she had expected—Wang Chuan becoming embarrassed or dodging away—never appeared.

Wang Chuan merely regained his composure at once.

Then...

He swiftly extended a finger, curled it, and lightly flicked her smooth forehead!

"Ow!"

Wu Sidu recoiled half a step in pain, clutching her forehead. Her eyes widened in surprise and annoyance.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"I kindly helped you, and instead of thanking me, you hit me?"

The playful look on Wang Chuan's face had already faded, replaced by his usual calm expression tinged with helplessness. Looking at the girl before him, whose thoughts were clearly much more complicated than those of her peers, he said earnestly,

"Little girl, how old are you?"

"Don't imitate adults and play those fake little games."

"At your age, you should cultivate properly and improve yourself. Got it?"

Wu Sidu pursed her lips and retorted unwillingly,

"Tch!"

"You make it sound like you're so much older than me!"

"Aren't you only—"

She did not finish speaking, because Wang Chuan had already stopped looking at her. He turned, picked up the Sinking Silver and his forging hammer, and his expression became incomparably focused in an instant, as if everything around him had ceased to exist.

He had entered that forging state again, where man and hammer became one and his mind sank completely into the task.

Wu Sidu knew that interrupting him at a time like this was useless and might even backfire.

Watching Wang Chuan's back as he rapidly immersed himself in his work, Wu Sidu gave a soft snort and muttered,

"Blockhead!"

"Cultivation maniac!"

"Forging fool!"

Despite her words, there was not much real anger in her eyes. Instead, there was a trace of something even she had not noticed... admiration?

Or perhaps it was recognition of that pure, unwavering focus.

"Forget it. Why bother arguing with a blockhead?"

Wu Sidu laughed at herself. No longer trying to disturb him, she quietly returned to the sofa, sat cross-legged, and began her own Soul Power meditation.

She had to cultivate hard too!

One day, when her cultivation surpassed this guy's, she would definitely... beat him up badly!

Mm, that settled it pleasantly enough!

With such "grand ambitions" in her heart, the girl closed her eyes, faint Soul Power rippling around her.

That night, when Wang Chuan finished meditating and prepared to rest, he passed Zhen Hua's office and noticed that the soul-guided lamp inside was still lit.

He hesitated for a moment, then lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Zhen Hua's voice came from within, carrying a trace of unconcealed exhaustion.

Wang Chuan pushed open the door and entered. Zhen Hua sat behind his desk with a complicated structural blueprint spread before him, his brows slightly furrowed as his fingers unconsciously tapped the desktop. Clearly, something weighed heavily on his mind.

"Master."

Wang Chuan greeted him respectfully.

Seeing his beloved disciple, the gloom on Zhen Hua's face eased slightly as he forced out a smile.

"It's Xiao Chuan."

"It's so late. You haven't rested yet?"

"I was just about to rest. I saw that your light was still on, so I came to take a look."

Wang Chuan walked closer, studied Zhen Hua's expression, and after some thought, still asked with concern,

"Master, did something happen?"

"You seem to be..."

"Not very happy."

Zhen Hua sighed and waved a hand, signaling for Wang Chuan to sit.

"It's not a major matter. It's just that an old friend came to see me personally today. Through several intermediaries, he asked me to forge a set of Four-Character Battle Armor tailored specifically for him."

He paused, gently running his fingers across his snow-white temples as a complicated look flashed through his eyes.

"He has prepared all the materials, all top-grade rare metals. His sincerity is more than sufficient."

"It's just..."

"You know my current physical condition."

"The success rate of Heavenly Forging, the burden it places on the body, and the old injuries it might trigger afterward..."

"All of these need to be weighed carefully."

"If I agree, then both emotionally and reasonably, it seems I should help him."

"But if I refuse, it would seem somewhat cold-hearted, and I fear it might hurt an old friend's feelings."

"So I'm feeling a little conflicted, that's all."

Wang Chuan nodded in understanding.

He understood his master's difficulties.

Every opportunity for a Divine Craftsman to perform Heavenly Forging was extremely precious, equivalent to a "transaction" that consumed life force.

Zhen Hua's body was now like a treasure vault with limited reserves. Every time he acted, he had to calculate carefully and use it where it mattered most...

Whether to pave the way for a legacy, repay a favor that could not be refused, or prepare for certain more important plans.