After the meal, they left the Blacksmith Association.
A soul communication call from Leng Yaozhu came through.
Leng Hanyuan answered it.
"Little Yaozhu, what is it?"
Leng Yaozhu had gone from initial discomfort with Leng Hanyuan's way of addressing her to being completely accustomed to it.
She asked aloud,
"Ancestor, have you met with Zhen Hua?"
"I have. We just finished eating together, and your call came right after I left."
"Oh, right. Make preparations. Zhen Hua will be one of our Phoenix Family from now on."
Clang.
A sudden sound of something colliding came from the other end of the Communication Soul Device.
After a moment of silence, Leng Yaozhu's voice finally sounded again.
It carried a trace more disbelief and astonishment than before.
"Ancestor, what did you just say?"
Leng Hanyuan yawned. "Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua has joined our Phoenix Family."
"He should already be on the way to the Blacksmith Association headquarters, preparing to resign as the Blacksmith Association's president."
"He should come over directly before long. Don't leave him standing outside when he arrives."
Listening to Leng Hanyuan's casual account from the other end of the Communication Soul Device, Leng Yaozhu could not help feeling her throat go dry.
"Ancestor?"
"Are you sure?"
Leng Yaozhu's grip on the Communication Soul Device tightened unconsciously.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
With that, before Leng Yaozhu could say anything further, Leng Hanyuan ended the call.
Only a string of beeps came from the Communication Soul Device by her ear.
Leng Yaozhu blankly lowered the Communication Soul Device.
She had only wanted to ask how the discussion between her ancestor and Zhen Hua regarding the metals needed for the Four-Word Battle Armor had gone.
She had not expected to receive such shocking news instead.
If Leng Hanyuan had not been the one saying it, Leng Yaozhu would never have believed it.
Who was Zhen Hua?
He was the only Divine Blacksmith on the entire continent.
A forging grandmaster practically indispensable for Four-Word Battle Armor.
Countless factions sought to recruit him.
The Spirit Pagoda, the Tang Sect, the Federation government, and the War God Temple...
Every renowned top-tier power on the continent had once tried to recruit this Divine Blacksmith with lavish offers.
Yet they had all met with rejection.
The Phoenix Family had tried as well in the past.
Their result had been much the same.
Yet now Leng Hanyuan was telling her that this Divine Blacksmith, whom so many top-tier powers had failed to recruit, was joining the Phoenix Family.
How could Leng Yaozhu remain calm?
As the head of the Phoenix Family,
she understood all too well Zhen Hua's strategic value.
Once this Divine Blacksmith joined the Phoenix Family, the family's influence across the continent would rise even further!
The entire family's high-end combat strength could also be raised another level.
After all, there was an enormous difference between asking a Divine Blacksmith to forge the metals needed for Four-Word Battle Armor and having that Divine Blacksmith be one of their own.
It was only because she knew this ancestor was not someone who liked making grandiose claims that Leng Yaozhu believed him at all.
The corners of her exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful face twitched.
It seemed her ancestor must have offered Zhen Hua some condition he could not refuse.
Thinking of the immortal herb she had taken some time ago, Leng Yaozhu formed a vague guess.
As expected of her ancestor.
Ever since they had awakened him from the secret chamber, the Phoenix Family had been improving at a visible pace every day.
Step by step, it had begun to show signs of becoming the continent's foremost soul master family.
"Family Head?"
Seeing Leng Yaozhu staring blankly into space, the little maid beside her called out worriedly.
"It's nothing."
Coming back to herself, Leng Yaozhu shook her head and instructed her,
"Notify the other elders in the family that Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua will join the Phoenix Family before long."
"Tell them to prepare a welcoming banquet. He must not be slighted!"
Although Ancestor Leng Hanyuan's tone had been extremely calm when he spoke of the matter,
that did not mean Leng Yaozhu could treat it casually.
He was a Divine Blacksmith, after all.
Since he was joining the Phoenix Family, they had to give him the proper reception.
"The Divine Blacksmith is joining our family?!"
The little maid's eyes widened abruptly as well.
After her flushed face settled and she calmed her excited emotions, she hurried out of the room in quick little steps to inform the family elders.
Zhen Hua was not an indecisive man.
That very day, he returned to the Blacksmith Association headquarters aboard Mu Ye's god-rank mecha.
Before everyone, he announced his resignation and revealed that he would be joining the Phoenix Family.
One stone stirred a thousand waves.
This Divine Blacksmith, whose strategic importance was extraordinarily special, had always been watched closely by every major faction.
The moment this announcement was made, many factions could no longer sit still.
Zhen Hua's strategic importance was simply too great.
Other than exceptionally special beings like Pluto Douluo Ha Luosa, every Four-Word Battle Armor Master relied on this Divine Blacksmith for the forging of their Four-Word Battle Armor.
He had previously refused recruitment from every faction.
He only accepted payment.
Thus, the various factions had not minded too much.
After all, people feared inequality more than scarcity.
As long as Zhen Hua had joined no one's faction, everyone remained equal.
Yet Zhen Hua had now suddenly made a public announcement and chosen to join the Phoenix Family directly.
No matter the reason,
the previous balance had been completely shattered.
Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant that he could no longer forge the Heaven-Forged Metal needed for Four-Word Battle Armor merely because someone offered sufficient payment, as he had before.
He would certainly give priority to members of the Phoenix Family.
The requirements for wearing Four-Word Battle Armor were not particularly demanding.
Any Title Douluo or above could use it.
As for why the vast majority of Four-Word Battle Armor Masters were Limit Douluo,
that was merely because Heaven-Forged Metal was extremely scarce.
Ordinary Title Douluo could not even get a place in line.
Naturally, Limit Douluo had to be given priority!
But Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant that the Phoenix Family's existing Three-Word Battle Armor Masters could likely be promoted into Four-Word Battle Armor Masters.
The Phoenix Family's high-end combat strength would receive an enormous boost.
And that was not even the most crucial point.
The most crucial point was that Zhen Hua joining the Phoenix Family meant the Phoenix Family could completely restrict other factions' Three-Word Battle Armor Masters from advancing to Four-Word Battle Armor Masters by withholding Heaven-Forged Metal.
How could those factions possibly accept that?
Upon receiving this news, Qiangu Dongfeng's expression had already turned livid.
The various newly replaced objects on his desk were smashed to pieces once again.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
His words seemed to squeeze out from between clenched teeth:
"Investigate!"
"Why did Zhen Hua join the Phoenix Family?!"
His fist pounded against the desk with repeated thuds.
Because Leng Hanyuan had appeared, the Phoenix Family's standing within the Spirit Pagoda had already begun catching up to the Qiangu Family.
Now Zhen Hua had joined them as well.
How much longer could the Qiangu Family hold onto its position as the Spirit Pagoda's number one family?
Before you continue