Forging Masters Association

The moment his words fell.

A flash of light flickered in Bai Lin's hand.

Under the shocked gazes of Zhou Changxi, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao, two thick stacks of crisp ten-thousand-credit bills suddenly appeared in Bai Lin's hand.

He counted out another ten hundred-credit bills, his movements as smooth and natural as if he were buying a bottle of water off the street, then steadily handed them to the logistics teacher.

"Here's twenty-one thousand."

"Please count it."

The logistics teacher was clearly stunned. He took the stack of bills, weighed it in his hand, then quickly counted through it again.

The mockery on his face was instantly replaced by a more amused smile. He looked Bai Lin up and down as though he had discovered something interesting.

"Whoa! Decisive!"

"Kid, you're quite straightforward!"

He patted the bills in his hand, his smile carrying a trace of mischievousness.

"If you want to 'stretch your muscles' again next time, give your teacher a heads-up in advance!"

"I'll apply for an internal price for you—ten percent off!"

"Guaranteed quality and value. You'll have a smashing good time!"

With that, he stopped looking at the stiff-faced Zhou Changxi and Xie Xie. Humming a tune, he pocketed the money and left the "battlefield" in high spirits.

Bai Lin ignored the complicated looks from the three of them.

He walked over to his bed, put away his simple luggage, and made the bed.

The entire process was quiet and focused, as though the compensation dispute just now had nothing to do with him.

Only after finishing did he straighten up and calmly sweep his gaze across the three boys, who were silent as cicadas in winter.

When Zhou Changxi met his gaze, he instinctively shrank his neck. This tugged at his injuries, making him grimace in pain, yet he did not even dare groan loudly.

Xie Xie lowered his head at once, his eyes darting away as though he were afraid of drawing Bai Lin's attention.

Yun Xiao curled himself up behind the desk, doing his best to make himself less noticeable.

An invisible pressure filled the air.

Bai Lin withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at them. He turned and walked straight out of Dormitory 205.

Behind him, he left a deathly silence and three boys with different thoughts, all of them deeply wary.

Eastsea Academy's cafeteria was enormous, packed with people and filled with the aromas of all kinds of food.

Bai Lin made his way familiarly toward the innermost dining counter, the well-stocked Class A counter.

The dishes displayed there—whether Soul Beast steaks, deep-sea fish, or fresh vegetables containing faint Soul Power—all gave off enticing gleams and rich energy.

The woman serving at the Class A window was a solidly built middle-aged lady with a kind smile.

She had received notice long ago that a "special" new student would be coming to eat today—

The academy had specifically instructed them that his appetite was astonishing, all meals were free of charge, and they were to satisfy him no matter what!

When Bai Lin stood before the counter and listed one dish after another, even though she had been mentally prepared, the smile on the lady's face still froze.

"Auntie, please give me ten deep-sea bluefin tuna steaks, medium-rare; eight iron-maned boar rib steaks; two steamed silver cod; and five portions of crystal shrimp dumplings."

"And then..."

"Mm, three Soul Power vegetable salads, five bowls of purple crystal rice, and... three servings of sea Soul Beast bone soup."

That amount...

It was enough to stuff more than a dozen burly men!

The hand holding the trays trembled. She could not help confirming it again.

"Little student..."

"You..."

"Are you sure you want this much?"

"For one person?"

"Mm, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Bai Lin wore a gentle smile, and his tone was certain.

The lady took a deep breath, suppressing the waves of shock in her heart, and began swiftly loading food onto several oversized trays.

As she worked, she could not help muttering inwardly.

Good heavens...

This wasn't just a big eater. He was practically the reincarnation of Taotie!

What kind of monster had the academy recruited?

When Bai Lin carried those several "mountains of food" that nearly drowned him—

Under the astonished, curious, and even slightly frightened gazes of countless people in the cafeteria, he found an empty table and set them down. The entire cafeteria seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Countless pairs of eyes focused on him.

"Oh my god... is that even human?"

"Ten fish steaks! Eight pork chops! Can he actually finish that?"

"Look, look!"

"That's the legendary nine-year-old Soul Grandmaster, right?"

"The one whose Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass!"

"Blue Silver Grass?"

"And he eats that much?"

"Did his Martial Soul mutate into a man-eating flower or something?!"

"The academy really covers his meal costs? They're going to go bankrupt..."

The murmurs surged in like a tide.

Yet Bai Lin seemed not to hear them.

He picked up his utensils. His movements were not fast, but they were exceptionally steady.

He chewed every bite with utmost care, as though performing some sacred ritual.

The food vanished into his seemingly not-so-large body at a visible pace.

Before countless blank stares, those several "mountains of food," enough to intimidate any ordinary person, were ultimately swept clean by him. Not even a drop of soup remained.

He set down his utensils and let out a satisfied breath. There was no trace of discomfort on his face; instead, he looked more spirited than ever.

The cafeteria fell into complete silence.

Only the occasional clink of utensils remained, along with the sound of countless people swallowing.

Bai Lin rose to his feet, ignored the jaws that were nearly dropping to the floor, and calmly left the cafeteria.

Behind him, he left shattered perceptions and legends of the "big eater" and the "bottomless pit."

After leaving the academy, Bai Lin followed his master Mang Tian's instructions and headed straight for the Forging Masters Association in Eastsea City's bustling district.

It was an imposing building constructed entirely of dark gray metal and enormous floor-to-ceiling glass. The massive forging hammer emblem over its entrance gleamed in the sunlight, radiating an aura of strength and craftsmanship.

As he entered the spacious, brightly lit lobby, the faint scent of metal and machine oil filled the air.

At the reception desk, two pretty young women in the association's standard silver-gray uniforms were speaking quietly with each other.

When they saw Bai Lin enter, they immediately stopped talking and put on professional, sweet smiles.

"Hello, little brother."

"How can we help you?"

One of the girls, who had shoulder-length short hair, spoke first. Her voice was clear and pleasant.

Bai Lin walked to the reception desk and politely said,

"Hello, big sisters."

"I'm here for a Forging Master rank assessment."

"A rank assessment?" Surprise flashed through the short-haired girl's eyes. A child this young was here to assess his Forging Master rank?

She maintained her smile.

"Alright."

"Please show us your letter of recommendation or your mentor's information."

"We need to register it for our records."

"My teacher is Mang Tian."

"He isn't in Eastsea City at the moment."

"He told me to come find Master Cen Yue."

Bai Lin's voice was gentle and clear.

"Master Cen Yue!"

The two receptionists cried out in surprise almost at the same time.

Oh heavens!

Master Cen Yue!

They had never expected this little boy, who looked only around ten years old, to ask for Master Cen Yue by name!