Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had been silently observing,
finally spoke in a quiet voice, like a sword softly ringing. "This boy is no ordinary talent."
"The hammering technique he used yesterday looked basic, but with every strike, his Soul Power seeped evenly into the material's grain."
"His efficiency at removing the dross and retaining the essence is remarkable. In terms of basic hammering skills alone, he's already no worse than a High-Level Blacksmith with years of experience."
"What?" Gu Rong froze.
Ning Fengzhi also looked astonished. "Uncle Jian, are you sure?"
"A High-Level Blacksmith... There's only one in all of Suotuo City, as far as anyone knows, isn't there? Ji Feng looks no more than twelve..."
Chen Xin's gaze was distant as he nodded. "I saw it clearly. The way his Soul Power circulates is completely different from that of an ordinary blacksmith."
"It seems... he has a special 'rhythm' of his own, one that draws out a material's properties more fully. His talent for forging may far exceed anything we imagine."
Gu Rong opened his mouth, but this time, he didn't argue.
He only looked in the direction Ji Feng had disappeared, his expression turning uncertain.
A twelve-year-old High-Level Blacksmith? If word got out, it would send shock waves through both the Soul Master World and the blacksmithing world!
Ji Feng paid no mind to the stir within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
With the joy of having advanced to High-Level Blacksmith and a clear forging goal in mind, he quickly returned to Suotuo City and headed toward the Rose Hotel.
As soon as he reached the relatively quiet street near the hotel, he saw a young woman in a black leather outfit with a stunning figure.
She was walking out of the hotel entrance, looking utterly lost. Her features were exquisite, but her face was pale, her eyes vacant, and her lower lip was clenched between her teeth. It was Zhu Zhuqing.
In her mind, the scene she had accidentally glimpsed just moments earlier outside the hotel room kept replaying.
Dai Mubai had one woman in each arm, laughing and flirting with two scantily clad women...
Their grating laughter had pierced her heart like needles.
Anger, disappointment, grievance, and a pang she didn't even want to admit to feeling tangled together.
An absurd thought even crossed her mind: Why could he indulge himself like this while she had to abide by that ridiculous engagement and bear the pressure alone?
But as soon as the thought arose, she forcibly suppressed it, leaving only deeper disgust and icy contempt.
"Filthy..." she muttered, wanting nothing more than to leave as quickly as possible. She didn't even realize she had walked into the middle of the street.
Just then, hurried hoofbeats and the driver's shouts rang out!
"Move! Get out of the way!"
A lavishly decorated carriage, apparently spooked, was charging straight toward Zhu Zhuqing!
The driver tugged desperately at the reins, but the carriage was going too fast. It was about to hit Zhu Zhuqing, who still hadn't reacted!
At the very last moment!
A black figure darted in from the side at incredible speed. It was Ji Feng!
He had no time to think. Instinctively, he reached out, wrapped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing's slender yet supple waist, and burst forward with Soul Power beneath his feet, carrying her several steps to the side.
Zhu Zhuqing's body was soft.
Her waist was slender.
And especially her full chest, pressed against him as he held her.
The softness pressing against him made Ji Feng's scalp tingle for a moment.
"Ah!" Zhu Zhuqing cried out, feeling the unfamiliar scent of a man rushing toward her.
In an instant, she found herself in a strong embrace.
The carriage roared past with a gust of wind, barely grazing their clothes. It only managed to stop after charging another ten yards.
They were safe.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart was still pounding, and she hadn't recovered from the shock.
Then she suddenly realized that she was being held tightly in a stranger's arms.
Her cheek was pressed against his solid chest, and she could even hear his steady heartbeat.
She had never been so intimate with a man before. Two blushes instantly rose on her cheeks, and a trace of panic appeared in her usually icy eyes.
"Let go of me!" she said sharply, struggling hard.
Ji Feng immediately released her and stepped back half a pace. He lowered the black hood that had been covering his head a little. "Sorry. It was an emergency, and I overstepped."
His tone was calm.
Zhu Zhuqing straightened her slightly rumpled clothes and took a deep breath.
She tried to recover her usual icy composure, but her faintly trembling fingertips betrayed her agitation.
She glanced at Ji Feng and murmured, "...Thank you." Her voice was barely audible.
But just as the atmosphere had grown awkwardly delicate, a voice, furious to the point of explosion, rang out like a clap of thunder at the Rose Hotel entrance:
"Zhuqing! You... what are you doing?!"
Dai Mubai had appeared at the hotel entrance at some point.
His clothes were slightly disheveled, and the flush of post-indulgence still lingered on his face.
But now his strange eyes were filled with disbelief and towering fury!
He had just sent the two women away and come out for some air, intending to see whether Zhu Zhuqing had really left.
He never expected to witness a sight that nearly made him spit blood.
His betrothed was being held in the arms of a boy in a black robe!
Even if it looked like he'd been saving her, the intimate scene was enough to drive the possessive Star Luo Prince out of his mind!
"Boy! You dared touch my woman. You've signed your own death warrant! Die!"
Dai Mubai completely lost it, no longer caring about his manners. He roared as the Second Soul Ring beneath his feet blazed brightly!
"Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
A destructive white beam shot from his mouth.
With a piercing howl, it streaked straight toward Ji Feng!
Dai Mubai unleashed all his Level 37 Soul Power. This attack was clearly meant to kill Ji Feng on the spot!
Ji Feng's Soul Power was Level 36, seemingly just one level lower.
But one was a Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, while the other was a ranged attacker. Caught off guard at such close range, Ji Feng was at a severe disadvantage.
Yet there wasn't a trace of panic in Ji Feng's eyes.
Facing the incoming White Tiger Intense Light Wave, he didn't try to withstand it head-on, nor did he attempt to dodge it completely—that could have endangered Zhu Zhuqing beside him.
His reaction was as quick as a ghost's!
He shifted his footing, and his body slid sideways by a hair's breadth.
At the same time, his right hand clenched loosely. The Hou Yi Martial Soul did not fully manifest, but an invisible surge of Soul Power instantly locked onto Dai Mubai!
"Fourth Soul Skill: Arrow of the Scorching Sun!"
Hou Yi's ultimate move.
A guaranteed stun!
"Hm?!" Dai Mubai felt his head go "thump."
It was as if an invisible sledgehammer had slammed into him, and his Soul Skill's release stalled for an instant.
His mind went blank for about one second! In that single second, the White Tiger Intense Light Wave he spat out veered ever so slightly, skimming the edge of Ji Feng's black robe before crashing into the ground behind him and blasting out a shallow crater.
Taking advantage of that brief opening, Ji Feng burst forward with Soul Power beneath his feet again. He drifted back like the wind and landed lightly on the stone steps at the Rose Hotel entrance, putting distance between himself and Dai Mubai.
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