A Provocation from Mang Tian? The Elegant Big Eater

"No!"

Mu Xi shouted almost reflexively, rushing in front of Yao Chuan in an instant.

"Are you crazy? You just finished forging one piece! Hundred-Refinement! It's incredibly draining! Look at you, you're drenched in sweat!"

She pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping his sweat without a word, her movements somewhat clumsy, but the heartache and worry in her eyes were genuine.

"What's the rush? There will be plenty of time to practice later! What you need most right now is rest!"

Just then, Mu Chen, who had been silent until now, returned after taking a phone call.

He happened to hear Yao Chuan's intention to continue and immediately put on a stern face.

"Xi'er is right!"

Mu Chen nodded solemnly. "Yao Chuan, haste makes waste."

"This is your first time touching a forge, and you've already completed a high-quality Hundred-Refinement purification. That achievement is already extremely, extremely astonishing!"

He looked at Yao Chuan, his eyes filled with gratification and a trace of imperceptible shock.

"Your mental energy must be quite depleted, too. Listen to us and stop here for today. Go relax!"

Mu Chen's expression suddenly shifted from cloudy to sunny, even carrying a hint of mysterious excitement as he waved his hand.

"Let's go! Pack up! Uncle Mu is taking you two to a great place! We're going to have a feast!"

Upon hearing there would be good food, Mu Xi's eyes lit up instantly.

"A great place? Dad, where are we going?"

Mu Chen smiled smugly. "To the coast! Proud Arrival City! The seafood there was just caught; it's the freshest! Dad is treating you to a seafood banquet! All you can eat!"

Proud Arrival City?

Yao Chuan was slightly surprised when he heard the name. Wasn't that a small coastal town next to Eastsea City? Compared to a major metropolis like Eastsea City, it was just a tiny village.

Mu Xi also asked curiously, "Dad, why the sudden urge to go to Proud Arrival City for seafood?"

"Heh!"

A look appeared on Mu Chen's face, like a child wanting to show off a treasure to someone.

"You two wouldn't know, but an old friend of mine named Mang Tian just called. You know the guy, the one who runs a studio in Proud Arrival City. He called me first thing this morning just to gloat! Saying..."

Mu Chen mimicked Mang Tian's tone, speaking in a gruff voice.

"'Old Mu! Haha, guess what? I finally found a good seedling! A peerless genius! His forging talent is simply astonishing! His future achievements will definitely surpass you, an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman! Haha! Jealous, aren't you?'"

After finishing, Mu Chen snorted to himself.

"You hear that? Isn't that infuriating?"

His expression looked as if his own prized possession had been outdone by someone else's.

"Just because he took in a good apprentice, he thinks he's so great! So..."

Mu Chen looked at Yao Chuan, his eyes glowing.

"I figured I'd better take our Yao Chuan over there right away!"

"Let that Mang Tian open his eyes! Let him see what a real genius is! What a real, top-tier seedling looks like!"

"Let's see if his apprentice is better, or if our Yao Chuan is a cut above!"

"Heh heh..."

The more Mu Chen thought about it, the more pleased he became, unable to stop himself from chuckling, as if he could already see Mang Tian's jaw dropping in shock.

Yao Chuan: "..."

He looked at Mu Chen's childish behavior and felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Who knew this usually dignified Eight-Star Saint Craftsman had such a childish side?

But... Mang Tian? Proud Arrival City? A peerless genius?

This sense of déjà vu... could it be Tang Wulin?

Yao Chuan was lost in thought. Regarding the upcoming meeting with Tang Wulin, he felt a mix of anticipation and caution.

It wasn't that he had any issues with Tang Wulin as the protagonist; it was mainly because he remembered clearly that a remnant of God King Tang's divine consciousness was still residing within Tang Wulin's body.

He was slightly worried that his Black Dragon Martial Soul and that Blood Spear might be discovered by Tang San.

If that old stick-in-the-mud decided he had a "path to self-destruction," he hadn't grown strong enough yet to withstand it.

However, after calming down, he felt he might be overthinking it.

That golden light inside Tang Wulin was, at the end of the day, just a remnant of divine consciousness left by Tang San, primarily designed to guide Tang Wulin on how to safely absorb the power of the Golden Dragon King and unlock his seals step by step.

Its ability to probe the surrounding environment was actually quite limited.

Moreover, because the God Realm was lost, the opportunities for a mere wisp of remnant consciousness to interfere with reality were quite restricted.

Its main energy had to be reserved for guarding against the Silver Dragon King and Di Tian.

At this stage, there should be no time to worry about himself.

Thinking of this, Yao Chuan felt a little more at ease.

He finally nodded, effectively agreeing to Mu Chen's proposal to go to Proud Arrival City.

Mu Xi was overjoyed upon hearing this, excitedly hopping into the private car with her father and Yao Chuan, heading straight for Proud Arrival City.

Upon arrival, the first order of business was, of course, to enjoy the seafood feast Mu Chen had promised.

Mu Chen chose a seaside restaurant with a good reputation.

But when they actually started eating, Mu Chen was shocked once again.

He realized then that after his Martial Soul awakening, not only had Yao Chuan's strength soared, but his appetite had also grown to a terrifying degree.

One person had actually eaten nearly ten people's worth of food!

The plates were piled up like a small mountain.

In the end, he finally set down his chopsticks, still feeling like he could eat more.

The waiter responsible for serving the dishes and the chef tossing the wok in the kitchen were both exhausted by his sheer capacity to eat.

Looking at the mountain of empty plates, Mu Chen couldn't help but shake his head and sigh with a smile.

"Good grief, it's a good thing your Uncle Mu is an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman with a thick wallet. Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to afford to feed a big eater like you!"

Yao Chuan only smiled slightly upon hearing this, knowing full well that Mu Chen was just joking. This bit of meal money was merely a drop in the bucket for an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman.

Moreover, based on the talent he had displayed in the forging room today, it wouldn't be long before he could rely on his own forging to make money and support himself, without needing anyone else to worry about him.

After the meal, Yao Chuan felt a bit stuffed, so he suggested taking a walk by the beach to enjoy the sea breeze and digest, while also taking in the coastal scenery of Proud Arrival City.

Mu Chen naturally had no reason to disagree and nodded happily.

Once Yao Chuan's figure disappeared from the restaurant entrance, Mu Chen turned his head and realized his daughter, Mu Xi, was still sitting there.

She wasn't looking at her father at all, but was gazing blankly in the direction Yao Chuan had left, lost in thought, muttering to herself.

"To be able to be a big eater so elegantly and calmly... this is the first time I've ever seen it..."

That look in her eyes, that expression—it was the textbook definition of a hardcore crush.

Mu Chen found it both annoying and amusing.

He tapped on the table, cleared his throat, and began to spur his daughter on.

"Girl, don't just focus on how handsome he looks while eating. Did you see that? This kid Yao Chuan has terrifying talent. If you don't work hard at your cultivation and improve your strength, it's hard to say if you'll be able to keep up with his pace in the future."

His tone was teasing, yet it also carried a sense of seriousness.

"You don't want to be left far behind by this guy Yao Chuan in the future, to the point where you can't even see his shadow, do you?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly waking Mu Xi from her infatuated state.

Her expression tightened; she immediately lowered her head, wolfed down the remaining food in her bowl in a few quick bites, and then "clapped" her bowl and chopsticks down.

"Dad, I'm going to cultivate!"

With that, she rushed out of the restaurant without looking back, her urgency suggesting she didn't want to waste even a single second.

Seeing that she finally knew to put in the effort, a gratified smile appeared on Mu Chen's face.