Three Major Events This Year

The next day.

The Blacksmith Association's headquarters stood in the city center. The entire building was clad in black, making it especially conspicuous.

Sunlight struck its curtain walls, most of it swallowed up, leaving behind a cold gleam.

The most conspicuous symbol was on the building's facade: a massive hammer sculpture tilted upward, its head raised as though it had just completed a strike.

Yin Hongye parked beneath the building, turned off the engine, and pushed open the door. Qian Renxue followed him out, glanced up at the hammer, then swept her gaze over the simple metal lettering above the main entrance.

"This is the Blacksmith Association."

"Yes. Wherever a Divine Craftsman is, that is where the Blacksmith Association's headquarters is."

Yin Hongye had already climbed the steps, and the automatic doors silently slid apart.

The instant the doors opened, a wave of noise crashed over them like a wall.

The hall was packed with people. A sea of heads stretched from the entrance all the way to the distant podium. There had to be at least two or three hundred people, packed shoulder to shoulder as if they had come on a pilgrimage.

"You're lucky. Today is one of the Divine Craftsman's lecture days, though what he teaches is usually material for second- to sixth-level blacksmiths."

Yin Hongye explained it to Qian Renxue beside him. He was not surprised in the least. If he could beat the others, his armory would have gained another pile of things.

Just one set of Four-Word Battle Armor, a spear, a ring, a brick, a bow, two wheels, and two swords—such a small number of items had used up Heavenforged Metal.

This equipment was upgrading far too slowly. He should have taken advantage of Zhen Hua's youthful vigor and had him forge more Heavenforged Metal.

Later on, the output would not be able to keep up.

As for the two weapons that came with his Martial Soul, they clearly did not feel sufficient.

All of his weapons were now being nurtured within his body. He hoped they could undergo a further transformation.

Qian Renxue stood at the entrance, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Are all these people blacksmiths?"

"Yes, they're all blacksmiths. Zhen Hua became a Divine Craftsman this year." Yin Hongye did the math. It seemed that three major events would happen this year.

One was Tang Wulin's Martial Soul awakening, though the Federation's Martial Soul Awakening Day was still several months away.

Another was the Silver Dragonfish taking human form and losing her memories.

The last was the Demon Plane's first invasion of the Douluo Continent.

But the final matter was what concerned him most. If he killed demons, he could slaughter to his heart's content.

Perhaps he could become a Limit Douluo in one fell swoop!

Before long, the crowd on one side of the hall parted. A man entered the inner area under the escort of a group of staff.

Yin Hongye quickly spotted Mu Ye, who was acting as a guard. He stood in the distance, watching every movement around him.

The instant Zhen Hua appeared, the blacksmiths from twenty thousand years ago beyond the Heavenly Screen held their breath, all staring at that man.

Within the image, cries of "President!" rang out loud and frenzied.

At the center of the crowd stood only a middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes. He was exceptionally handsome.

He looked to be only in his thirties, yet his eyes were filled with vicissitude and depth, things someone of that age could not possibly possess.

"That aura... What cultivation does a Divine Craftsman have?" Qian Renxue sensed that the Divine Craftsman was extraordinary and could not help asking.

"A Titled Douluo. That is the basic requirement for becoming a Divine Craftsman," Yin Hongye explained. "Listen carefully. You have plenty to learn."

Zhen Hua soon began his lecture. Today, he was discussing Thousand Forging techniques. Yin Hongye did not listen; as an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman, he did not care about such things at all.

Instead, his attention was on something else. He spotted the female Evil Soul Master from the mall.

"Is this woman actually here to assassinate the Divine Craftsman?"

He sent a secret voice transmission to Mu Ye. "There's an Evil Soul Master, someone at the Titled Douluo level. Protect the Divine Craftsman."

"A Titled Douluo-level Evil Soul Master? Where?"

Mu Ye's gaze swept through the surroundings, but he did not detect the slightest trace of an aura.

"You won't find her. Her concealment method is powerful. Just guard the Divine Craftsman directly." Yin Hongye's voice was calm, and he felt nothing about it.

Beyond the Heavenly Screen, Lou Gao listened in rapt attention. He felt as though he was learning blacksmithing for the first time, discovering that forging could actually be done this way.

According to the description, this was merely the foundation of forging. After that came Spirit Forging, allowing metal to possess true life.

This was simply a revolution for the forging world.

Metal could actually be forged in such a way.

He recorded every word and movement of Zhen Hua, and only a pilgrim-like reverence remained in his eyes.

Qian Daoliu reacted swiftly. He too realized that the status of blacksmiths was about to change, and immediately ordered, "Lingyuan Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo, the two of you go to Metal City and bring me all the remaining craftsmen."

Meanwhile, Lou Gao suddenly realized that this metal could enhance the compatibility between Soul Power and metal, meant to suit Soul Masters. This seemed somewhat contrary to the Tang Sect's ideas about mechanisms...

There seemed to be a difference in philosophy between him and Tang San, but before long, he would discover that the Tang Sect's four great clans, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—everything would fall apart with Tang San.

The entire Heavenly Screen would destroy the Tang Sect that Tang San had worked so hard to establish.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar in particular truly became a pair of star-crossed lovers.

Zhen Hua's hammer fell onto the finished Thousand Forged Metal. The final strike was long and low, as though it had struck everyone directly in the heart.

He set down the hammer and stepped back half a pace.

"That concludes today's lesson."

The venue fell silent for a second.

Then applause and cheers erupted from the crowd like a burst dam.

Just then, without the slightest warning.

A point of crimson silently lit up amid the crowd, as if someone had struck a match beside his neck.

The cheers filling the hall were still caught in everyone's throats. No one had time to cut off their trailing notes.

Zhen Hua's heart suddenly clenched—not from a warning, but from instinct. It was the blankness that came when the body sensed death approaching before the mind could react.

At his level of cultivation, approaching killing intent should have stirred a premonition in his heart. Yet this time, nothing was triggered. It was as if someone had blindfolded him and pushed him to the edge of a cliff.

The crimson sword tip rapidly enlarged in his vision, reflected deep in his pupils—cold, silent, like a congealed drop of blood.

Not good.

Those two words did not even have time to travel from his mind to his lips.

A hand suddenly reached out and clamped down hard, biting into the blade like iron pincers.

Mu Ye had made his move.

That sword had appeared suddenly, and it retreated just as quickly. From the thrust to the withdrawal, only the span of a breath had passed.

The figure was already fleeing. A pair of bloody bat wings abruptly spread open, their membranes gleaming with a wet, dark crimson sheen beneath the lights.

Wrapped in those bloody wings, the figure shot into the sky. The wingtips tore through the air with a sharp whistle.

"Trying to leave?" Yin Hongye's voice came from the back rows. "Did you ask me?"

Yin Hongye raised his hand, and Soul Tool light condensed in his palm. A longbow dropped into his grasp, its body blood-red and its string gleaming with cold light.

At the same time, a long spear was drawn from the void, its tip pointing outward. Flame patterns crawled along the spear blade as a layer of dark-red fire silently ignited.

Then he used the spear as an arrow, laying its shaft across the bowstring. His left hand gripped the tail of the spear, the muscles of his right arm bulged, and he drew the bowstring to a full moon.

The flames at the spear tip crackled in the tremor of the fully drawn bow.

"Take this!"