The Heart of the Ice God

When Mu Han returned to Shrek Academy, the students' world came crashing down.

Some were still working hard to become Battle Armor Masters.

Some were still basking in the pride of having become Battle Armor Masters.

And now, after just one holiday, Battle Armor Masters weren't worth a thing?

The graduation requirement for the outer academy was to become a One-Word Battle Armor Master.

The graduation requirement for the inner academy was to become a Two-Word Battle Armor Master.

But now, neither of those professions was any different from being a Mecha Master.

Unless they could become Three-Word Battle Armor Masters.

But even at Shrek Academy, how many Three-Word Battle Armor Masters were there?

Even the teachers were only Two-Word Battle Armor Masters.

Apart from a very few exceptions, all the other Three-Word Battle Armor Masters were sitting in the Sea God Pavilion.

Even a complex look flashed through Wu Zhangkong's cold eyes. After all, he was only a Two-Word Battle Armor Master himself.

When Mu Han applied to graduate, Wu Zhangkong stared at him for a long time.

When Mu Han began to feel a little unnerved under his gaze, Wu Zhangkong spoke, looking rather embarrassed. "Your grandmaster asked me to sound you out."

Zhuo Shi wasn't interested in Standardized One-Word Battle Armor.

But he wanted a super-grade Three-Word Battle Armor.

For now, Mu Han was the only one who could make one.

Though, technically, he wasn't the only one.

More precisely, any Saint Craftsman could do it, provided they had enough Gold-Water Mutual Containment.

But that stuff was far too precious to Three-Word Battle Armor Masters.

Getting even one piece was a heaven-sent opportunity, let alone getting "enough."

Mu Han was the only one who could manage it because his Martial Soul was Gold-Water Mutual Containment.

But as his grandmaster, Zhuo Shi felt awkward asking his grand-disciple for it, so he'd specially sent Wu Zhangkong to test the waters.

"Sure. I've got nothing else to do anyway." Mu Han nodded.

He really did have nothing else to do.

The production line for Standardized One-Word Battle Armor was fully automated. Leng Yaozhu had even been assigned to keep watch over it.

Besides, after becoming a One-Word Battle Armor Master, Mu Han's urgent priority was to increase his Soul Power.

Even now, Mu Han could make Three-Word Battle Armor.

But his cultivation wasn't high enough!

Forget Three-Word Battle Armor—even making Two-Word Battle Armor would be a stretch.

Even if Spirit Alloy One-Word Battle Armor would ease the burden somewhat, he'd still need to reach the Five-Ring Soul King level, at the very least.

But increasing Soul Power couldn't be rushed by forcing seedlings to grow.

Otherwise, all Mu Han had to do was say the word, and his senior uncle, Zhen Hua, could arrange everything for him.

But Mu Han had already advanced rapidly in the early stages thanks to his Soul Bones. He'd practically been forcing seedlings to grow.

Soul Bones didn't bring side effects, but they could still leave one's foundation unstable.

They also provided Soul Masters with a boost, so the issue wasn't too noticeable.

But Mu Han was aiming for godhood. He couldn't be so shallow.

Back then, he'd relied on the hundred-thousand-year External Soul Bone, the Emerald Swan Wings, to break through to level thirty.

Later, he'd fused the hundred-thousand-year Bloodthirsty Demon Bear Right Arm Bone with the External Soul Bone, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Right Palm Bone, and reached level forty.

Now that he was breaking through to level fifty, Mu Han still planned to rely on himself.

So forging was a perfectly fine way to pass the time.

But Zhuo Shi wasn't the only one who came to ask for his help.

Qiangu Qingfeng from the Spirit Pagoda had come to see him again, mainly hoping Mu Han would help his wife, Hanyun Douluo Xia Zhengleng.

On top of that, the Tang Sect, the War God Temple, and other senior figures at Shrek had all submitted requests.

Mu Han's standing among Saint Craftsmen was now unmatched.

Though the Blacksmith Association still rated him at only level seven and a half—

above level seven but below level eight.

In terms of influence, however, he was probably at level eight and a half—

above level eight but below level nine.

In the blacksmithing world, he could be said to rank just below Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua.

After all, the only people who needed a Saint Craftsman were Two-Word Battle Armor Masters hoping to become Three-Word Battle Armor Masters.

Only Four-Word Battle Armor Masters hoping to reach the next level would seek out Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua.

But Mu Han could improve Three-Word Battle Armor.

He couldn't make Four-Word Battle Armor, but he could raise Three-Word Battle Armor to a level comparable to Four-Word Battle Armor.

Wasn't that enough to make Three-Word Battle Armor Masters beg him for help?

Still, Mu Han judged people differently and chose who to help accordingly.

Zhuo Shi was, after all, half his grandmaster, and had taught Mu Han a few tricks back then.

Even if it was only for show, Mu Han had to help him.

Besides, when Mu Han made Two-Word Battle Armor in the future, he'd need Zang Xin's help.

So he had to lend a hand to the Tang Sect, too.

Then there was Hanyun Douluo Xia Zhengleng, whose Martial Soul, the Cold Rhyme Zither, was a rare sound-wave-type Martial Soul.

It was a small branch, since relatively few Soul Masters had that kind of Martial Soul.

This Hanyun Douluo was even hailed as the foremost sound-wave Soul Master of the age, capable of unleashing Sound Chaos of the Firmament.

At the very least, in terms of personal strength, Demon Harp Douluo Mo Zihong of the War God Temple was no match for her.

Mu Han's spiritual power had both fire and corrosive attributes.

But in truth, it had mutated under the influence of the Haori Sky Harp in the first place.

He hadn't gained another attribute, but his spiritual power had still taken on some traits of sound-wave Martial Souls.

Now that Mu Han's spiritual power had reached the Spirit Abyss Realm, he might be able to gain more attributes through this opportunity.

And one power in particular would be indispensable: the Heart of the Ice God, mentioned in the original story.

Wasn't it still in the military's hands?

So he'd have to help the military as well.

Otherwise, how long would he have to wait to get his hands on the Heart of the Ice God?

In the original story, the Heart of the Ice God didn't appear at auction until several years later.

So, in short, Mu Han had helped the Spirit Pagoda, the Tang Sect, the War God Temple, and Shrek Academy.

Each had its own reasons and aims, but Mu Han could only prioritize the Federation's four great powers.

That left the second-tier major powers rather displeased, though there was little they could do about it.

Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua did the same. He naturally prioritized serving the top powers.

Even if those major powers had complaints, they had to get past the four top powers first.

Besides, Mu Han's Fatui weren't pushovers.

Those major powers could only bring out their family treasures in hopes of finding something that would sway Mu Han.

Of the Federation's four top powers, the War God Temple was a nouveau riche, founded only after the Federation was established.

The Spirit Pagoda had a history of barely ten thousand years.

The Tang Sect claimed a history of twenty thousand years, but its legacy had been broken once a thousand years ago, so in practice, it only had ten thousand years behind it.

Only Shrek Academy truly had a twenty-thousand-year history.

And in the Soul Master World, there were some powers whose histories stretched back even further than Shrek Academy's.

After all, twenty thousand years ago, Shrek had been no more than an unlicensed private school.

Many other powers had already been famous then.

Though they'd risen and fallen over the past twenty thousand years, they'd never suffered the kind of devastating near-extinction the Tang Sect had.

So these major powers, with histories spanning more than twenty thousand years, had countless treasures passed down by their ancestors.

Any one of them could be enough to get Mu Han to help.

Provided it was a treasure Mu Han wanted—

or one that the Fatui's inner circle could use.