Forging Competition Interlude

"Very good. Zhou Mingyu's side has also achieved the expected results. Important figures from the Spirit Pagoda headquarters have already come into contact with Lei Peng Douluo."

"Who is it?"

"Apparently, Sky Phoenix herself came."

"Oh? That means the Spirit Pagoda's higher-ups have begun to take him seriously. It will resolve many troubles on his future path."

"Then next, it will depend on your performance."

"Don't worry. My next performance will add even more fuel to this age of overflowing talent."

The next day.

Today was the day of the Forging Masters division competition. Early in the morning, Tang Wulin was the first to run out of his room and head to the Forging Masters Association to meet up with the others.

By convention, the forging competition should have been held and concluded first. The first round had indeed proceeded on schedule according to the organizers' plans.

However, there were too many participants in the individual competition this year, and the popularity was too high. The staff had been allocated there first, so the second round was delayed until today.

After finishing his competition here, he still had to participate in the individual competition, followed by the three-person team competition in the afternoon. It was like rushing from one performance to another.

Thus, after cultivating his Purple Demon Eye in the morning and eating breakfast, he hurried to find Master Cen Yue.

Cen Yue, wearing a Level Six Forging Master badge on his chest, walked at the front. The other forging masters followed behind, while Tang Wulin and Mu Xi walked at the very back because of their young age.

Mu Xi wore a Level Four Forging Master badge on her chest, its four orange stars especially eye-catching. Thanks to the example set by her senior brother Li Ziming and Mu Chen's strict guidance, her forging attainments were also higher than in the original work. She had already reached the level of a Level Four Forging Master.

Tang Wulin's Forging Master badge also had an orange background and yellow stars—four stars in total.

"Senior Sister Mu Xi, will Brother Ziming come today?" Tang Wulin asked Mu Xi softly, his voice full of anticipation.

"Senior Brother said that, in order to encourage young forging masters in the Skysea Alliance region, the organizers will invite him here to give a demonstration of advanced forging techniques." Mu Xi turned back and smiled faintly at him, her voice carrying a pride as though she shared in the honor.

"Really? That's wonderful!"

As the two spoke, Zheng Tianlin, who was also representing the East Sea Blacksmith Association, came over to Tang Wulin.

"Junior Brother, Master asked me to tell you that you don't need to hide your abilities this time. Just display all the strength of a Level Four Forging Master and give it your all.

"A lot of important people have come this time. With your age and talent, you will definitely earn their favor and investment. It will be of tremendous benefit to your future cultivation and acquisition of Rare Metal resources," Zheng Tianlin said to Tang Wulin in a lowered voice.

Unlike the development in the original work, after Mu Chen took Li Ziming as his disciple, nearly all of his teaching energy was focused on Li Ziming. Along with having to oversee Mu Xi's training, he no longer had any intention of accepting another disciple.

Therefore, after discovering Tang Wulin's talent, Mu Chen recommended him to Zheng Tianlin's teacher—Huang Xing, another Saint Craftsman-level forging master of the East Sea Blacksmith Association. Huang Xing was a Level Seven forging master, only slightly weaker than President Mu Chen, and served as the vice president of the East Sea Blacksmith Association.

Thus, Tang Wulin and Zheng Tianlin became fellow disciples.

After suffering successive blows from the talents of Li Ziming and Tang Wulin, two forging prodigies, Zheng Tianlin had also recognized the gap between himself and true geniuses like them. He gradually reined in his arrogant attitude and began studying forging techniques with his feet firmly on the ground. Instead, he had grown considerably.

"I understand, Senior Brother. I'll give it my all," Tang Wulin replied confidently.

Soon, the group arrived at the competition venue.

The forging competition was also held in a gymnasium near Skysea Stadium. The moment Tang Wulin entered, he felt his spirits rise.

Looking around, he saw that more than a hundred forging stations had already been set up inside the gymnasium. They all appeared to be the most advanced kind, visibly better than the one he used in his workshop. He had only seen forging stations of this grade at the association.

Although the Skysea Alliance did not have many powerful experts, its financial resources were extremely formidable.

There were not especially many spectators in the stands. In the eyes of ordinary people, forging was not something they valued highly. After all, Soul Master battles were the most attractive, followed at least by things like Mecha manufacturing.

Forging was a tedious affair. That was many people's instinctive impression.

Besides many professionals from the forging world who had come to observe, the main platform also held many middle- and upper-level members of major factions drawn in by the popularity of the individual competition. They also wanted to see whether they could discover exceptional forging geniuses. They did not dare hope for someone on Li Ziming's level, but if there were slightly lesser talents, they could still try to invest in and recruit them.

Tang Wulin did not recognize a single one of them, but he assumed that only forging masters above Level Five or high-level Soul Masters above the rank of Soul Emperor could sit on the main platform.

"The second round of the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament's Forging Masters competition is about to begin. All participants, please prepare yourselves. After the first round of selection, only thirty percent of you contestants remain. I hope you will cherish this opportunity and perform to the best of your abilities.

"At the same time, choose your Rare Metals carefully. Once forging is complete, there will still be a third-round shaping competition. The second round will begin in one minute."

The examiner presiding over the competition had begun announcing the rules.

As long as they passed the first round, they could proceed to the second and third rounds of assessment. Their final rankings would then be determined by their combined scores.

The participating forging masters all stared at their respective forging stations, calming their minds and focusing their spirits.

For every forging master, dedication and focus were the most fundamental qualities. Those who could pass the first round and complete high-level Hundred Refinement purification might be young, but they all did very well in this regard.

Tang Wulin was the same. He calmed his mind and focused his spirit, and his entire body seemed to enter a strange rhythm.

When Mu Xi unconsciously glanced at him, she felt that Tang Wulin's breathing and mental state had entered some special rhythm. It was as though he had already fused with the forging station, with no distinction between them.

As expected of an outstanding talent who could earn Father and Senior Brother's praise! Mu Xi secretly marveled to herself.

She could now increasingly understand her senior brother's assessment of Tang Wulin. His astonishing talent in forging was definitely not as simple as possessing natural brute strength.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

The countdown began.

"Three, two, one, begin!"

"The competition begins!"

Under the forging masters' control, chunks of Rare Metal that had been heated to sufficient temperatures rose from the forging stations once more. The second round of the forging competition was about to begin.

On the main platform, the examiners' gazes fell upon the individual competition stations almost simultaneously. The white-haired old man seated at the center immediately found Tang Wulin with his eyes.

"That's the little fellow from the first round, right? I remember he seems to be Old Huang's disciple." The white-haired elder pointed in Tang Wulin's direction.

"Yes, we have already investigated him. He is from the East Sea Blacksmith Association and Vice President Huang's disciple. His senior brother is also participating in this forging competition, though in the youth division, and his results have been quite good.

"Beside him is the daughter of President Mu Chen of the East Sea Blacksmith Association. Her talent is also extremely outstanding.

"If we include Saint Craftsman Li as well, the younger generation of the East Sea Blacksmith Association has truly produced heroes in abundance these past years!" a middle-aged man beside the elder said admiringly.

The white-haired elder nodded. "I want to see whether this little fellow can bring us any more surprises today. Investigate him further. It would be best if you could find out about his family circumstances and background."

"Elder Duan, you mean?" The middle-aged man looked at the elder in surprise.

The white-haired elder smiled faintly. "Although our Skysea Blacksmith Association has also produced quite a few talents, we are inferior to East Sea when it comes to top-tier talent. They have really stolen the limelight these past years.

"We must find a way to improve things. If they get to eat meat, surely we can at least have a sip of the soup. This is also an opportunity for us."

"I understand. I'll make the arrangements immediately." The middle-aged man understood at once and went aside to make a soul communicator call.

Tang Wulin knew nothing about any of this. At this moment, the competition had already begun.

Two flashes of light appeared, and a pair of forging hammers materialized in his palms. They were precisely the pair of Thousand Refinement Sinking Silver hammers.

His left hammer lightly tapped the Sinking Silver, producing a crisp "ding."

The Thousand Refinement tungsten steel hammer swung up, fell, boomed, then the other hammer swung.

Gradually, Tang Wulin's hammering speed at the forging station increased, yet it was not chaotic. There was a faint rhythm and cadence to it.

Feeling, rhythm!

Sinking Silver was the Rare Metal Tang Wulin knew best and had forged the most often, yet this time, his feeling was completely different.

Normally, he could also sense the aura of Sinking Silver, but he discovered that this sensation was gradually becoming clearer. Under strikes carrying this rhythm and cadence, the Sinking Silver continuously produced wonderful feedback.

As he continued communicating with the metal, he gradually emptied his mind and forgot. He forgot that he was in a competition, forgot that he was forging, forgot the death warrant hanging over him...

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! The rapid series of strikes was pleasing to the ear, yet he had already become completely absorbed. Soul Power within his body flowed into his arms on its own, sustaining his high-frequency forging as his entire being merged into it.

At this moment, he only felt as though he had cast off every shackle and attained true freedom!

He no longer needed to worry about the great calamity of life and death, nor the expectations of his teachers and elders, nor the pressure of survival. At this moment, his world contained only forging! He only needed to forge with all his strength!

He did not notice that while his side had already begun a tempestuous round of forging, the other young forging masters beside him had not even started.

The competition had already ended. The judges stood before the forging station, and they could clearly see the Thousand Refinement Sinking Silver on it.

There was no doubt that it was a finished Thousand Refinement product, and its quality had even reached first grade!

The first-grade Thousand Refinement Sinking Silver Tang Wulin had forged was nothing special in their eyes, but his age was simply too frightening! Ten years old. A ten-year-old capable of Thousand Refinement. Even Zhenhua and Li Ziming had been no more than this at the same age.

Elder Duan's breathing became somewhat hurried. Looking at Cen Yue, he said, "Why have I never heard that Mu Chen accepted a disciple? Have any of you heard of it?"

The forging masters of the Skysea Blacksmith Association all shook their heads and agreed. "Never heard of it."

Cen Yue's expression changed drastically. "Elder Duan, what do you mean by this?"

"Nothing. I simply think this child should not be delayed."

Duan Xuan's gaze upon Tang Wulin gradually grew heated, even somewhat scorching.

There was no helping it. The Skysea Blacksmith Association had faced too much pressure in recent years. Skysea City was the leading city of the Skysea Alliance,

yet in the forging world, it had been continuously suppressed in recent years by Eastsea City, which had once always been inferior to them. This was only because the East Sea Blacksmith Association had produced Li Ziming, someone who crushed an entire generation. His rise had been too fast! Too unexpected! It had left them completely unable to fight back!

Originally, this would not have meant much. After all, it was Mu Chen's disciple who had achieved success. Their own lives could continue however they had always continued.

But the most fatal part was that, after Li Ziming's rise, everyone's investigation revealed...

Li Ziming was from Skysea City. He had once been part of the Skysea Blacksmith Association, but only after going to the East Sea Blacksmith Association and becoming Mu Chen's disciple had he soared into the heavens in a single leap, like an eagle striking the skies and a great roc spreading its wings!

Thus, the Skysea Blacksmith Association's position became extremely awkward. That investigation report was like a blatant mockery of their inability to recognize talent, their failure to recognize a true dragon, allowing Li Ziming to remain a pearl covered in dust in Skysea City.

This caught the Skysea Blacksmith Association completely off guard. Even if they tried to explain themselves, few people would listen. Whenever Duan Xuan went to headquarters meetings, a few old fossils would always use this matter to mock him. Skysea City had endured no small amount of ridicule because of it.

Furthermore, in recent years, they truly had a shortage of successors. They still had some young geniuses, but there were truly very few top talents with the potential to become Saint Craftsmen. Meanwhile, the East Sea Blacksmith Association was producing outstanding talents one after another. Not to mention Li Ziming, the figure holding up the banner, even promising core talents emerged endlessly.

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

"I..." Tang Wulin had just wanted to refuse outright when he discovered that he could not make a sound. It was as though some force had forcibly restrained him, and his body was continuously forced downward to kneel.

For a moment, Tang Wulin panicked. He wanted to seek help from Cen Yue beside him, yet he could not break free from the restraints or make any response at all.

Duan Xuan looked at Tang Wulin, whose talent might rival Li Ziming's, and made up his mind. While the East Sea Blacksmith Association's higher-ups were absent, he had to establish the master-disciple relationship in front of so many factions. Even if Huang Xing came looking for trouble later, he could claim that he had not known of their master-disciple relationship beforehand and muddle through it.

By then, the matter would be settled. Even if he merely held the title of Tang Wulin's master, when Tang Wulin eventually achieved fame and success, the Skysea Blacksmith Association could benefit from his glory and wash away its reputation for failing to recognize talent.

Just as Tang Wulin was about to kneel before Duan Xuan, when success was within reach,

a warm breeze swept over Tang Wulin's body, dispelling the force restraining him and lifting him up. A voice followed close behind.

"Elder Duan, you must be joking. Tang Wulin has already become the final disciple of Saint Craftsman Huang Xing, vice president of our East Sea Blacksmith Association. How could he take someone else as his master?"

Upon hearing this familiar voice, Tang Wulin turned and saw that Li Ziming had arrived just in time. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said to Duan Xuan, "I'm sorry, Elder Duan. I already have a master, so I cannot become your disciple."

When Elder Duan saw Li Ziming's arrival, his expression stiffened. He knew that having Tang Wulin accept him as master was no longer possible.

"In that case, there is no need to mention this matter again. All right, return now. Don't affect the children's competition." With that, he was the first to walk toward the main platform.

Seeing Duan Xuan leave, Li Ziming looked at Cen Yue beside him and said, "Master Cen, take Wulin away first. You do not need to worry about what follows. He will not continue pestering you."

"Luckily, you arrived in time, Ziming. Otherwise, I truly wouldn't have known what to do," Cen Yue replied.

"Then what about you, Brother Ziming?" Tang Wulin asked from the side.

"Wulin, go wait for me in the VIP room. Vice President Huang has also arrived. I still have some matters to handle."

After saying this to him, Li Ziming gave a mysterious smile.