The Butt Grabber Returns to the Jianghu

Na'er still left, and she did so under the watchful eyes of Lan Kai and Juggler.

Given Na'er's strength, it was impossible for her to disappear without a trace right under the noses of Juggler and Lan Kai.

Had Na'er dared to attempt such a thing, Juggler and Lan Kai would have appeared behind her the very next moment, giving her a massive fright.

Rather than putting her heart through such a terrifying burden, it was better to leave on amicable terms; that way, if they were to meet again in the future, it wouldn't be too awkward.

"Lan Kai, it seems that your appearance and mine haven't caused any massive shifts in history."

"Mr. Juggler, how have you been contaminated by the 'Will of Heaven' as well? That stuff is bad news; what if you end up becoming someone even more clueless than Asuka Shin?"

Upon hearing the reference to the Three Kingdoms, Lan Kai was so terrified he nearly committed suicide to return to the heavens—or rather, he nearly deafened himself to gain the mark of an emperor—and hurriedly spoke to dissuade him.

"I'm just lamenting that she still wants to walk that path... though I wonder if she will once again try to be clever and split off her emotions."

"I have never seen such behavior, even after living for so many years."

Seeming to lament the world-shaking wisdom of the original Gu Yuena, Juggler remained preoccupied with those actions, to the point where it was almost comparable to Asuka Shin's original theory on the "fighting methods of a Warrior of Light."

"I'm not looking forward to it; I just want to know which Alien Babarue took the Dark Ring."

Lan Kai sighed; Juggler still didn't understand the underlying laws of this world.

One of the fundamental codes of Douluo Continent is "love-brain." In the third installment, those incredibly confusing instances of characters committing suicide to return to the heavens were, at their core, all crimes of passion.

For example, one of Shrek's Two Dogs and Donkeys, the Light and Dark Douluo Long Yeyue, committed suicide for the sake of the Vast Sea Douluo Chen Xinjie.

Or take the finale with Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena; they also committed suicide for love, though the purity wasn't quite there—a cold heart can't compare to a true suicide.

If Juggler could understand this, he wouldn't be lamenting so many things.

"How do you know it was an Alien Babarue and not some other alien or cosmic monster?"

"Uh... you could ask Mr. Ohtori Gen. I believe his assessment of the Alien Babarue should explain your doubts."

"He once gave a sharp critique of the Alien Babarue, claiming that all of them are bastards."

Seeing Juggler looking somewhat serious, Lan Kai paused for a moment before hurriedly explaining.

"Fine, if it really is an Alien Babarue, then things might be troublesome. But you're still not strong enough; go back and continue your special training."

"You can't even last three minutes in your human-sized state! You need to keep increasing your training!"

"Oss!"

Lan Kai responded with great spirit, only for his backside to be viciously pinched by Juggler, causing his facial expression to twist instantly.

Even Natsukawa Haruki couldn't withstand the Butt Grabber attack; how could Lan Kai, who was still just a child, possibly endure it?

Eastsea City, Blacksmith's Association.

Mu Chen had specifically brought his daughter, Mu Xi, along to watch Lan Kai's blacksmith grading assessment.

Although Lan Kai's soul power was currently only at rank twenty-eight, twelve levels short of the minimum requirement for Spirit Refinement, Mu Chen had a strong feeling today that even without transforming into that peculiar form, Lan Kai could complete a Spirit Refinement.

Such pure power of light—perhaps even the legendary Ultimate Light couldn't compare to it, right?

Mu Xi had been dismissive at first, thinking Lan Kai was just a spoiled brat using connections from the Spirit Pagoda to have her father help him train.

Although that Spirit Envoy was truly handsome—even more so than the teacher Wu Zhangkong at Eastsea Academy—and that dark, slightly evil smile was even more capable of capturing a young girl's heart like Mu Xi's.

But Lan Kai didn't look like a blacksmith; while his build was sturdy, he didn't look particularly strong.

However, when she saw Lan Kai swinging two two-hundred-pound forging hammers, casually forging that piece of Deep Silver, Mu Xi looked as if she had been struck by a paralysis spell. She stood there with her mouth agape, staring as if she were watching a monster.

That's Hundred Refinement already?

That's Thousand Refinement?

He's already pushing for Spirit Refinement?

That's not right! His soul power was only a little higher than hers, and he was still a long way from attempting Spirit Refinement, so how was he already starting?

This doesn't make sense!

"Dad, hurry and stop him! His soul power isn't enough to support him in completing a Spirit Refinement; this could cost him his life!"

Mu Xi couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly grabbed Mu Chen's arm to plead.

But Mu Chen remained unmoved, standing firm like a sturdy pillar.

"Don't worry, he possesses a special kind of energy that allows him to safely attempt Spirit Refinement."

"Besides, if Lan Kai truly can't hold on, Lord Juggler will intervene."

Mu Chen replied very calmly, raising his hand to pull Mu Xi behind him.

He used to share Mu Xi's view, but after watching Lan Kai forge many times, he had grown accustomed to it.

For a non-human with such innate talent, Mu Chen only needed to teach him the techniques; the rest, he would handle himself.

Moreover, there was one time Lan Kai really pushed himself too hard while attempting a Thousand Refinement Grade One, and the moment his body became unstable, Juggler had dragged him aside and forcibly interrupted the forging process.

That speed was so fast that Mu Chen hadn't even been able to react.

Therefore, Mu Chen wasn't worried about Lan Kai's safety in the slightest; instead, he watched with great confidence as Lan Kai pushed toward Spirit Refinement.

However, this time Lan Kai showed Mu Chen a brand-new trick.

From the moment he began this forging, he had already incorporated the Light of Orb into the process, using it from the very first hammer strike to imbue the Deep Silver with spirituality.

For the top-tier Blacksmith, this had already become an instinct, which is why they could complete Thousand Refinement or even Spirit Refinement in just a few strikes.

Lan Kai, on the other hand, had stumbled into this state by accident, mastering it without a teacher and entering this realm many years ahead of schedule.

Therefore, when he pushed for Spirit Refinement, he did not encounter the problem that all other Blacksmiths faced: the need to inject a massive amount of soul power to imbue the metal with spirituality.

The light emitted by that piece of Deep Silver had grown increasingly dim as it reached Thousand Refinement Grade One, but the radiance lingering on its surface had grown ever stronger.

Finally, as Lan Kai adjusted his stance and brought both hammers down simultaneously, a silver-white light soared into the sky. Within this radiance, it was as if a giant of light were taking flight, emitting an extremely powerful pressure.

Although it lasted only for an instant, Mu Chen had already broken into a cold sweat from the shock, and Mu Xi was so frightened that her legs had gone weak.