Blacksmith's Rating, Trouble Comes Knocking

Inside the room, as the door clicked shut, Li Moxun sat on his bed, just about to close his eyes and begin his cultivation.

His Soul Guidance Phone chimed once. He glanced at it to find a filled-out form waiting for him.

A blacksmith capable of completing Thousand Refinement is already a fourth-rank blacksmith.

As for someone like him, who could achieve the first grade of Thousand Refinement, he was already at the peak of the fourth rank, or perhaps a quasi-fifth-rank blacksmith.

However, because he was in a rush, Li Moxun had not taken the fourth-rank blacksmith examination back in Heaven Dou City.

Therefore, the Blacksmith Association headquarters had notified him to head to the local Donghai City Blacksmith Association to undergo the fourth-rank verification assessment.

Looking at the notification, Li Moxun furrowed his brows.

He was a person who feared trouble, or rather, someone who found trouble highly disagreeable.

But this concerned another source of income and his rank certification for when he arrived at Shrek Academy.

So, after a moment of thought, Li Moxun stood up, turned, and left Eastsea Academy, taking a Soul Guidance Car toward the Donghai City Blacksmith Association.

It was noon at the entrance of the Blacksmith Association, the sun hanging high and at its most blinding intensity.

Li Moxun wore a somewhat rounded hat he had bought after stepping out of the car, barely shading himself from the sun, before walking into the Blacksmith Association with a sense of resignation.

As he entered, a blast of cool air washed over him, easing the heat surrounding him.

This was the exact reason he hated going out at noon.

Although the academy lacked air conditioning, it was quite simple for him to create a stable ice-attribute zone using his Titan Snow Demon King Martial Soul.

As for whether it was a waste of Soul Power to use such an ultimate Martial Soul just to cool down, Li Moxun would only tell you that his own comfort was what mattered most.

Once the door opened, he approached the front desk to register, and the receptionist attended to him quickly.

Seeing his age, the receptionist couldn't help but feel surprised; the boy before her appeared to be only about ten years old.

A ten-year-old boy coming to take the fourth-rank blacksmith examination was something she had never seen in her life.

Yet, according to the information sent from above, the identification number and security code provided were all correct, and he had already completed a first-grade Thousand Refinement, qualifying him for the fourth rank.

Following the receptionist's lead, the two took an elevator directly to the upper floors.

As the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, the female receptionist looked with respect toward a purple-haired youth dressed in rather flashy attire.

She hurried forward to bow before handing over Li Moxun's documents.

Seeing that he was there for a first-grade Thousand Refinement assessment, a flicker of surprise crossed the flashy youth's face.

His gaze fell upon Li Moxun, this little runt before him; by his estimation, the boy was only around ten years old.

A fourth-rank, or even a peak fourth-rank blacksmith in his early teens—this talent was terrifying, or perhaps, simply stunning.

He had to remember that the reason he was waiting at the entrance today wasn't for Li Moxun, but for Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin was currently capable of Thousand Refinement; in other words, he already possessed the strength of a fourth-rank blacksmith.

His current level was roughly at the second grade of Thousand Refinement, only a step away from the first grade.

However, Tang Wulin had been practicing since he was a child, while Li Moxun had only been training for a few months; the gap between the two could not be mentioned in the same breath.

Of course, Li Moxun paid no mind to these things; he merely cast a calm glance at the flashy purple-haired youth.

Actually, "youth" was a misnomer, as the man was not young at all, likely between thirty and forty years old. This was Cen Yue.

Li Moxun felt neither deep respect nor much concern for this six-rank grandmaster blacksmith.

After all, according to his projections, once he completed this first-grade Thousand Refinement, he would become a true Spirit Forging blacksmith within six months to a year at most.

Once he mastered Spirit Forging, he would be a true fifth-rank blacksmith. This current quasi-fifth-rank assessment was merely to secure better commissions and obtain resources.

Seeing the undisguised impatience in Li Moxun's eyes, Cen Yue paused in surprise.

In the past, no matter who met him, a six-rank blacksmith, they would always be extremely courteous. This was the first time he had encountered such a rude boy.

However, seeing the nature of the assessment, Cen Yue became genuinely interested.

"Hm, wait here for a moment. The Association President happens to be in; I'll call him over to oversee this assessment together."

Cen Yue said this while glancing at Li Moxun, then signaled to the staff before hurrying toward the top floor.

As the door to the top floor opened, Mu Chen and Mu Xi looked up with excitement at the sight of Cen Yue walking in.

"Is that kid Wulin here? Bring him up quickly, just bring him straight to my office."

Mu Chen smiled as he spoke, and nearby, Mu Xi also looked at Cen Yue with anticipation.

But meeting their gazes, Cen Yue wore a look of embarrassment.

"It's not Tang Wulin, President. It's another boy, looks about the same age as Wulin. He's here to test for first-grade Thousand Refinement. His talent is quite startling."

"And I checked his household registration; he's also from our Donghai City, so I was wondering if you'd like to take a look at his grading assessment."

Cen Yue looked at Mu Chen as he spoke. Hearing this, Mu Chen was stunned for a moment.

A grading assessment was not a standard exam. Usually, a third-rank blacksmith promoting to the fourth rank would undergo a direct promotion exam.

A grading assessment was only required for those not officially registered with the Blacksmith Association, or those whose previously registered rank was too low.

Li Moxun had been graded once before, but at the time, he was only a second-rank blacksmith, so he hadn't bothered with it after reaching the second rank.

To become a fourth-rank blacksmith, or even a peak fourth-rank blacksmith, one needed to undergo a re-evaluation of their rank.

Listening to Cen Yue's words, Mu Chen pondered for a second before hurriedly nodding in agreement.

"Wulin hasn't replied to me yet either. Let's just head down and see what the situation is."

"If possible, the two of us will go take a look and have Xi'er stay behind to wait for Wulin."

As Mu Chen spoke, he hurried downstairs.

After the two had been chatting upstairs for a while, Li Moxun's face was already filled with an expression of impatience.

In truth, he really wasn't used to having others watch him forge; he just wanted someone to verify him as a fourth-rank blacksmith so he could be done with it.

He felt absolutely nothing regarding the so-called appreciation of the Association President; he only found it troublesome.

At this moment, he watched the staircase and began to descend slowly. Just as the door to the stairwell opened and three people walked out, Tang Wulin also stepped out from another elevator on the opposite side.

Seeing Tang Wulin, Li Moxun's expression turned truly helpless. He knew Tang Wulin's identity—the boy was Mu Chen's disciple.

He had just beaten the man's disciple to the point of suffering significant injuries, and now he had to undergo a fourth-rank assessment.

Although Mu Chen wouldn't make things difficult for him, this meant that even more trouble was on the way.

Trouble meant a waste of time—a waste of his precious cultivation time and opportunities for progress.