The Blacksmith

In the blink of an eye, three or four days passed.

Just as she had said, Mu Xi had not come looking for Xu Yue again these past few days.

However, it was not because she was angry. Eastsea Academy had been holding assessments these past few days, leaving her with no spare time.

The two still kept in touch through their communicators whenever they were free.

It was worth mentioning that, due to Xu Xiaoyan's martial soul evolution, Xu Xiaoyan's father, Xu Wei, had brought gifts to the Blacksmith Association to thank Xu Yue. Coupled with the martial soul fusion skill, the look in his eyes practically said he wanted to pack Xu Yue up and take him home.

This sudden visit, however, left Mu Chen and Yuan Bao'er thoroughly bewildered.

Blacksmith Association.

"Xu Yue, have you really made up your mind to learn forging from me?" Mu Chen looked at Xu Yue with expectation in his eyes.

"Yes, Uncle Mu!" Xu Yue nodded heavily. "I've thought it through!"

Among the major secondary professions available to soul masters on Douluo Continent, blacksmithing could be called the most essential.

After all, it was the secondary profession chosen by Tang Wulin, the original protagonist, and the one given the most attention.

Whether battle armor, mechas, or all kinds of soul devices, none could do without the alloys and components made by blacksmiths.

Otherwise, even if a mecha designer created flawless blueprints unrivaled in the world, no one would be able to bring them to life.

But blacksmithing was far from the only thing he intended to learn.

Mecha design, mecha manufacturing, and so on—he intended to study every secondary profession at once.

Only then could he maximize the effects of the Authority of Reason.

As the current Herrscher of Reason, how could he possibly not like giant robots?

Or rather, who wouldn't want a motorhome like the Star Traveler?

With one, he could wander wherever he wanted.

Right, Xiao Wei?

"Haha, good!" Hearing Xu Yue's confirmation, Mu Chen laughed aloud.

"Since you've made up your mind, Xu Yue, I'll impart everything I've learned in my life to you without holding anything back."

He immediately rose from the sofa and swept out an arm. "Come on, we'll test you right now."

Following behind Mu Chen, Xu Yue walked side by side with Mu Xi.

"Sister Mu Xi, the exams haven't been too exhausting these past few days, have they?"

Looking at Xu Yue's cheeky grin, Mu Xi snorted and replied with a trace of sarcasm.

"Not tired. Thanks for your concern, Brother Xu Yue."

"Sister Mu Xi!" Xu Yue's face darkened.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Mu Xi's expression calmed, returning to her usual self.

She was still somewhat uncomfortable with Xu Xiaoyan's appearance, but after Ouyang Zixin's guidance over the past few days, she had accepted reality as well.

"Xu Yue, as the foundation of all other secondary professions, blacksmithing isn't easy."

Thinking of her own experiences, Mu Xi tried to reassure him.

"If you don't get the hang of it, don't lose heart."

"Look at me. I've been learning forging from Dad since I was six, and I'm only a Level 1 blacksmith now."

"Got it. Thanks for the reminder, Sister Mu Xi. I'll keep it in mind."

Xu Yue gladly accepted Mu Xi's concern, then gently took the jade-like hand swinging at his side as she walked.

It felt warm and smooth in his palm, silky as mutton-fat jade.

Mu Xi struggled lightly. When she failed to pull free, she simply let him hold it. She even unconsciously tightened her own grip slightly.

Before long, following Mu Chen's lead, the two arrived at a forging room reserved exclusively for the president.

The moment they entered, a dense wave of fiery heat, high temperature, and the scent of smelted metal rushed toward them.

On the workbench nearby, countless rare metals were piled into small mountains.

There was relatively common heavy silver and black iron, as well as all sorts of spirit-forged and fusion-forged metals, all prominently displayed nearby.

At this point, Mu Chen walked to a corner and took out a most basic forging hammer, handing it to Xu Yue. He then pointed toward the forging platform beside them.

"Come, Xu Yue. Give it a few swings and let me see."

Xu Yue nodded lightly. But after weighing the forging hammer in his hand, he looked toward Mu Chen and spoke.

"Uncle Mu, this hammer's a little light."

"Light?" Mu Chen did not doubt him and held out his hand toward Xu Yue. "Come, let me see how strong you are."

As an eighth-rank Saint Craftsman, his sense for strength was certainly no worse than that of a basic soul-tool testing device.

As their hands clasped, Xu Yue hesitated no longer and directly unleashed the full strength of his arm.

Mu Chen's expression changed in an instant.

"Three hundred and twenty-four kilograms? How is that possible?!"

It was not that this level of strength was particularly impressive—at least, not to Mu Chen, a Titled Douluo.

But Xu Yue had only awakened his martial soul a few days ago.

Soon, the strength of his other hand was tested as well.

Though it was somewhat weaker than his right hand, it still exceeded three hundred kilograms.

These figures already rivaled those of a two-ringed Great Soul Master with a pure strength-type martial soul. Even Mu Xi's strength was less than half of Xu Yue's current power.

"How could this be? Ah Yue, isn't your martial soul a star martial soul?"

Mu Xi's beautiful eyes widened as she cried out in shock.

"I forgot to tell you. Eden's Star also gave me two attributes: ultimate strength and ultimate earth."

Gravity was also force, and stars were also earth!

Nothing wrong with that!

"Two ultimate attributes?" Mu Chen froze, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Just how did a sun martial soul mutate into such a terrifying martial soul? It completely defies reason!"

But martial souls on Douluo Continent had always been this unreasonable.

Even after thirty thousand years of development, no one dared claim to have thoroughly understood martial soul mutations or defined their limits.

However, a soul master with the ultimate strength attribute was absolutely a prime candidate to become a Divine Blacksmith!

At that thought, Mu Chen's gaze instantly grew fervent.

"Xiao Yue, are you willing to take me as your master?"

Xu Yue did not hesitate. He immediately bowed in salute.

"Teacher!"

"Good! Good! I will definitely train you into a Divine Blacksmith."

Mu Chen looked at Xu Yue, overjoyed, and the satisfaction in his eyes deepened further.

Not only was he his nephew, but also his student—and perhaps his future son-in-law. Family upon family upon family; what was there not to be happy about?!

Yet at the thought of the words "son-in-law," Xu Xiaoyan briefly crossed his mind, only for the joy to swiftly wash the thought away.

He had lived for decades and seen far too many things like this.

The outstanding figures of every generation would always draw countless eyes. It was simply unavoidable.

Take Sky-Soaring Douluo Yun Ming, for instance. When he was young, who knew how many women had fallen for him?

Though the matter had now involved his own daughter, which did make him somewhat displeased.

Still, he had watched Xu Yue grow up, and he had seen the feelings between the siblings with his own eyes.

After his joy subsided, Mu Chen returned to the corner where the forging hammers were kept and selected a thousand-forged blackgold hammer weighing about one-sixth of Xu Yue's strength.

Xu Yue took the hammer by its handle and slowly walked to the forging table.

In the furnace, the metal awaiting forging had already been placed inside.

Once everything was ready according to procedure, he tightly gripped the thousand-forged blackgold hammer in his hand. Without hesitation, he raised it high and brought it crashing down.

Clang!