Reactions from All Sides, Balance Broken

After finishing the meal, he left the Blacksmith Association.

Leng Yaozhu's Communication Soul Device rang.

Leng Hanyuan connected the call.

"Little Yaozhu, what is it?"

Leng Yaozhu had long since moved from initial discomfort to complete habituation regarding how Leng Hanyuan addressed her.

She asked:

"Ancestor, have you met with Zhen Hua yet?"

"I have. We just finished dining together, and your call came in right after I left."

"Oh, and prepare yourself; from now on, Zhen Hua is one of our Phoenix Family."

Clang.

A sudden crashing sound came from the other end of the Communication Soul Device.

After a moment of silence, Leng Yaozhu's voice sounded once more.

Her tone was laced with disbelief and astonishment:

"Ancestor, what did you just say?"

Leng Hanyuan yawned: "The Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua—he has joined our Phoenix Family."

"He should be on his way to the Blacksmith Association headquarters right now to resign from his position as president."

"He'll be coming over in a while, so make sure he isn't turned away at the door."

Listening to Leng Hanyuan's nonchalant explanation, Leng Yaozhu felt her throat go dry.

"Ancestor?"

"Are you certain?"

Leng Yaozhu's grip tightened around the Communication Soul Device.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Alright, I'm hanging up if there's nothing else."

Before Leng Yaozhu could even open her mouth to respond, Leng Hanyuan ended the call.

Only the beep-beep-beep sound echoed from the device beside her ear.

Leng Yaozhu lowered the Communication Soul Device, stunned.

She had only intended to ask how the discussions between the Ancestor and Zhen Hua regarding the metals needed for the four-word battle armor had gone.

She never expected to receive such earth-shattering news.

If it hadn't been Leng Hanyuan who said it, Leng Yaozhu would never have believed it.

Who was Zhen Hua?

He was the only Divine Craftsman on the entire continent today.

He was the master blacksmith whose services were practically mandatory for crafting four-word battle armor.

Countless factions had tried to win him over.

The Spirit Transmission Pagoda, the Tang Sect, the Federation government, and the War God Temple...

All of these top-tier, renowned factions on the continent had once made grand gestures in attempts to recruit this Divine Craftsman.

Yet, they had all hit a wall.

The Phoenix Family had tried in the past as well.

The result had been much the same as the others.

Now, Leng Hanyuan was telling her that this Divine Craftsman, whom so many top factions had failed to recruit, was actually joining the Phoenix Family.

How could Leng Yaozhu's heart remain calm?

As the head of the Phoenix Family, she understood the strategic significance of Zhen Hua all too well.

Once this Divine Craftsman joined the Phoenix Family, the family's influence across the entire continent would rise even further!

The high-end combat power of the entire family would also be able to reach a new level.

After all, the difficulty of inviting a Divine Craftsman to forge metals for four-word battle armor versus having the Divine Craftsman as one of your own was a world of difference!

It was only because she knew her ancestor wasn't the type to boast that she believed him at all.

A twitch tugged at the corner of her exquisite, beautiful face.

It seemed their ancestor must have offered conditions that Zhen Hua simply could not refuse.

Recalling the immortal herb she had consumed some time ago, Leng Yaozhu had a few guesses of her own.

She could only say that he was truly worthy of being their ancestor.

Ever since the ancestor was awakened from the secret chamber, the Phoenix Family had been progressing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Step by step, they were gradually trending toward becoming the top soul master family on the continent.

"Family Head?"

Seeing Leng Yaozhu lost in a daze, the young maid beside her called out softly with a hint of concern.

"It is nothing."

Coming back to her senses, Leng Yaozhu shook her head and instructed her.

"Go and notify the other elders in the family that the Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua will be joining the Phoenix Family shortly."

"Tell them to prepare a welcoming banquet; they must not be negligent in the slightest!"

Although the ancestor, Leng Hanyuan, had spoken of this matter in an extremely indifferent tone, that did not mean Leng Yaozhu could truly treat it lightly.

After all, he was a Divine Craftsman.

Since he was joining their Phoenix Family, the proper respect had to be shown.

"A Divine Craftsman is joining our family?!"

The young maid's eyes widened in shock.

After calming her inner excitement with a flushed face, she hurried out of the room with quick, small steps to relay the news to the family elders.

Zhen Hua was not a man of indecisive character.

That very day, he took Mu Ye's god-level mecha back to the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association.

He publicly announced his resignation and declared that he would be joining the Phoenix Family.

This caused a massive stir.

This Divine Craftsman, whose strategic significance was unique, had always been held in extreme regard by all major factions.

Now that this announcement had been made, it left many factions unable to sit still.

Zhen Hua's strategic importance was simply too great.

With the exception of extremely unique existences like Pluto Douluo Halosa, the creation of four-word battle armor for all Four-Word Battle Armor Masters could not be separated from this Divine Craftsman.

He had never accepted recruitment from any faction before.

He only accepted payment.

Therefore, the major factions had no complaints.

After all, people do not worry about scarcity, but about inequality.

As long as Zhen Hua did not join any faction, everyone remained on equal footing.

Yet now, Zhen Hua had suddenly made a public declaration, choosing to join the Phoenix Family directly.

Regardless of the reason, the original balance had been completely shattered.

Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant that he would no longer be able to forge the heaven-forged metals required for four-word battle armor for anyone who offered enough payment, as he had done in the past.

He would certainly prioritize the members of the Phoenix Family.

The requirements for wearing four-word battle armor were not particularly harsh.

Anyone at the Title Douluo level or above could handle it.

As for why the vast majority of Four-Word Battle Armor Masters were Limit Douluos, that was simply because heaven-forged metal was extremely limited.

Ordinary Title Douluos would never even get a turn in line.

Naturally, Limit Douluos were prioritized!

However, Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant that the current three-word battle armor masters of the Phoenix Family would likely be able to upgrade to four-word battle armor.

The high-end combat power of the entire Phoenix Family would receive a massive boost.

And that was not even the most critical point.

The most critical point was that Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant the Phoenix Family could completely throttle other factions by restricting the supply of heaven-forged metal, preventing their three-word battle armor masters from advancing to four-word battle armor.

How could these factions possibly accept that?

Upon receiving this news, Qiangu Dongfeng's face had already turned ashen.

The various items on his desk, which had just been replaced, were smashed to pieces once again.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

The words were squeezed out from between his teeth:

"Investigate this for me!"

"Why would Zhen Hua join the Phoenix Family!"

His fist hammered against the tabletop with a rhythmic thud.

With the emergence of Leng Hanyuan, the Phoenix Family's influence within the Spirit Transmission Pagoda had already begun to trend toward catching up with his Qiangu Family.

Now, with the addition of Zhen Hua, how much longer could his Qiangu Family hold onto their position as the number one family in the Spirit Transmission Pagoda?