Yun Ming and Zhen Hua Converse (Seeking Reads)

Tiandou City, headquarters of the Blacksmith Association.

Zhen Hua sat in a rocking chair, enjoying the warm sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, while a nondescript young man stood nearby, reporting intelligence.

This was the heart of Tiandou City, where one could overlook the beautiful scenery of the city without ever stepping outside.

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared inexplicably in the corner of the office.

Zhen Hua raised an eyebrow, chuckled after sensing the newcomer's aura, and spoke, "What wind blew you here today?"

A man stepped out from the shadows; he was handsome and slender, appearing to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

Yu Hua could not sense any soul power fluctuations from this man; he seemed just like an ordinary person one might see on the street.

Yet, he was certain that the man before him was absolutely extraordinary.

To be able to sneak into the Blacksmith Association headquarters without a sound—had it not been for Chairman Zhen Hua speaking, he would have been completely unaware of the man's presence. One had to remember that he was already a level 79 Soul Saint, only a step away from becoming a Contra.

"Not staying in the Sea God Pavilion with Ya Li, but coming to see an old man like me?"

"Hahaha, I was just passing by, so I thought I'd drop in to see you."

Yu Hua was shocked, his facial expression shifting constantly from confusion to astonishment, and then to wild excitement.

"Is Your Excellency the renowned Sky-Prop Douluo, Sea God Pavilion Master Yun Ming?"

Yun Ming smiled and nodded, acknowledging his identity.

Yu Hua hurriedly straightened his attire, terrified of offending this supreme figure who stood at the pinnacle of the Douluo soul master world.

"Your Excellency, greetings! I am your fan! Could you give me an autograph?" Yu Hua pulled a notebook from his chest pocket and bowed ninety degrees solemnly, presenting it to Yun Ming.

Yun Ming smiled, took the notebook, produced a permanent marker, and wrote the two vigorous characters for 'Yun Ming' on the page.

"Keep it safe. My visit today is merely to catch up with Chairman Zhen. If I am hindering your official business, I can wait to the side."

"No hindrance at all, none! These are just some trivial matters in the association. Please, chat with the Chairman at your leisure; I can handle things on my own." Yu Hua tucked the notebook into his chest, grabbed the files on the table, and left immediately.

"Oh yeah!"

Even through the door, one could hear Yu Hua's excited voice, leaving Zhen Hua speechless.

"Look at you. Even after living in seclusion for so many years, the world still remembers you. It's just an autograph; look at how excited that kid was."

"Hahaha, in terms of fame, I might be greater than you, but in terms of popularity and connections, you are far better than me. You are the only Divine Craftsman on the entire continent right now; don't those youngsters without four-word Battle Armor have to coddle you every single day?"

Zhen Hua gave Yun Ming a disgruntled look, picked up the teacup at his side, blew on it, and said slowly:

"Do you think Heavenly Forging is such a simple matter? Does the material for your own four-word Battle Armor include anything you forged yourself?"

Heavenly Forging consumes the most essence, energy, and spirit; those lacking sufficient strength are simply incapable of performing it.

This is because Heavenly Forging actually transcends the realm of humanity. To perform it, beyond an understanding of the metal itself, one must have a certain grasp of the laws of heaven and earth.

At the level of Heavenly Forging, it is not just the blacksmith forging the metal; more importantly, one must draw upon the power of heaven and earth to fundamentally reshape and transform the metal.

Otherwise, why wouldn't the Saint Craftsmen in the association choose to perform Heavenly Forging?

It is simply because they cannot do it.

Zhen Hua suddenly recalled the talented youth Mu Chen had mentioned to him a few days ago, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he smiled:

"Perhaps it won't be long before the days of being chased by you soul masters, begging for god-level metals, come to an end."

"Oh? It seems Chairman Zhen Hua has found a successor for the future. Is it that child from just now?"

Zhen Hua waved his hand and said, "Although Yu Hua is already a level 7 Saint Craftsman and quite talented in forging, his martial soul is still lacking. Unless a miracle occurs, he will never become a Divine Craftsman."

"It is Mu Chen. Some time ago, he recommended a child to me. It is said that at six years old, he could already perform Hundred-Refinement in One Hammer, and a year later, he had perfectly mastered Thousand-Refinement techniques, even achieving first-grade Thousand-Refinement in one hammer."

Hearing this, Yun Ming became interested.

He knew how difficult the path of forging was. Although he was a layman, because of his Battle Armor, he had collaborated with many blacksmiths and could naturally understand the value of first-grade Thousand-Refinement, especially when achieved in a single hammer.

"This child's martial soul isn't bad, is it?"

Zhen Hua nodded, his words filled with unreserved praise for Tang Heng: "The Ancestor of Power, the true dragon martial soul, the Golden Dragon!"

"How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"

"Indeed, it is quite good. Then I shall congratulate Chairman Zhen Hua in advance for taking in such an unpolished gem."

Zhen Hua rocked in his recliner and laughed: "I'll take your word for it. However, geniuses are usually unruly. I should prepare myself if I want him to accept me as his master."

"Enough about my affairs. You have stayed in the Sea God Pavilion for over a decade without stepping out. You would never leave your nest unless there was a reason."

Yun Ming had no intention of hiding anything from Zhen Hua; this man was an old friend, and disclosing the purpose of his visit would not change the outcome.

However, instead of answering directly, he took a novel from his soul tool, the cover printed with the words Great Love Immortal Venerable.

"Is this the book that is currently the best-selling novel? I think it's called Great Love Immortal Venerable."

Yun Ming nodded slightly and said, "This book is truly magnificent. The clash between the demonic path and the righteous path is gripping at every turn."

The protagonist of the book, Fang Yuan, endured five hundred years of hardships and obstacles without forgetting his original intent. After being besieged by various demons, he crushed the Spring Autumn Cicada to return five hundred years into the past, embarking on a legendary life.

It is not just the protagonist; the supporting characters are also fleshed out and vivid.

Yun Ming had not thought much of this kind of book at first, as it did not focus on romance or the love between men and women; such novels had never existed in the current Federation.

Yet Heng Venerable (the pen name of Tang Heng) was just that formidable, much like how no one believed that Fang Yuan, with his Grade C aptitude, could save the world and shatter the control of the Fate Gu held by the God Court.

He stood out from a sea of stories focused on petty romances, trampling those novels beneath his feet.

"I am quite fond of one of the poems within it."

"The eagle strikes the vast sky, the whale dominates the sea; how would one know the difference between a dragon and an earthworm without a trial?"

"How could mere mortals recognize me? I shall not rest until I reach the end of the road!"

Yun Ming's eyes revealed a sense of longing as he sighed softly, "I felt an instant kinship with Heng Venerable. The scene where Fang Yuan perseveres, standing firm against ten thousand immortals in the Reverse Flow River, actually made this hundred-year-old man's blood boil."

"Perhaps I can continue to persevere; even if the God Realm vanishes, I can create a God Seat of my own! I will break through the shackles of the plane and ascend to the realm of gods."

As he spoke, a sliver of aura leaked from Yun Ming's body. The soaring battle intent was so intense that even Zhen Hua, a Titled Douluo, found it difficult to withstand and had to urge him to retract his power.

"So, were you planning to go find Heng Venerable this time?"

Yun Ming shook his head, a flash of ferocity crossing his eyes: "It has been too long since I stretched my limbs. This novel has set my blood on fire; rather than sitting in stagnant meditation, I would prefer to engage in a life-or-death struggle with a powerhouse."

"According to the intelligence I have gathered, the Ghost King Douluo, one of the two emperors of the Holy Spirit Cult, is rumored to have some connection with the Spirit Pagoda. I intend to investigate and follow the trail to see if I can find this defeated foe."

"I failed to root out this scourge back then, allowing him to live on and continue harming the world."

"If I strike this time, I must ensure he is completely annihilated!"

Zhen Hua nodded. Evil Soul Masters posed a massive threat to society; if children who accidentally awakened evil martial souls were guided properly, the possibility of them walking the path of evil might be significantly reduced.

But peerless powerhouses who had long been famous, like the Ghost Emperor, were already great demons of the world.

"So, where are you headed afterward?"

"Eastsea City. That is where the Ghost Emperor was last spotted."

"As it happens, I am also going to Eastsea City. Why don't we travel together?"