Came Prepared (Four Thousand)

After Lin Yuhan accepted her defeat, Ning Fengzhi also decisively conceded, passing on his skills to Zhen Hua. "As expected of His Majesty's esteemed disciple, we accept our defeat wholeheartedly. We were arrogant before; we never imagined that there truly are people in this world destined to become Divine Craftsman. The Douluo Federation is truly teeming with geniuses; it's truly enviable."

Looking at Ning Fengzhi's smile, the Blacksmith from the Blacksmith Association had an urge to punch him in the face.

You've already lost, what are you laughing at?

Zhen Hua raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly:

"You flatter me. Star Luo Empire's forging techniques are equally impressive."

This wasn't him being modest; Lin Yuhan's performance was indeed remarkable. If Gu Yuena hadn't been there when she came to challenge him today, this girl from the Star Luo Empire would have truly won. Among the younger generation of the Forging Association, Gu Yuena was probably the only one who could surpass her.

"Now that the competition is over, do you gentlemen still wish to stay here and witness what happens next?"

Zhen Hua said in a calm tone, clearly intending to see the guest out.

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi did not move. Instead, he said, "Your Zhen Hua, there is another matter we have come to discuss. We would like to invite you and your disciple to participate in an exchange program to the Star Luo Continent in six months."

That's incredibly shameless.

Everyone present, including Chang Gongyan and Lin Yuhan, thought the same thing.

Given that attitude just now, how could Zhen Hua possibly agree to invite others to participate in the exchange activity?

Zhen Hua shared the same thought and was about to refuse without hesitation, as he had nothing to talk about with these "unfriendly guests." However, Ning Fengzhi's subsequent telepathic message made him swallow back the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Besides the exchange activities, there's something else I'd like to discuss with Your Majesty regarding the attack you suffered a year and a half ago," Ning Fengzhi solemnly. "Star Luo Empire has intelligence about the attacker; I urge Zhen Hua Majesty to consider it carefully."

Zhen Hua frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Ning Fengzhi's face for a moment, as if trying to guess the other party's true intentions.

Because of his identity Divine Craftsman, the attack he suffered became a trending topic on the Soul Tool Network for a period of time. Therefore, although he was somewhat surprised that Ning Fengzhi knew this information, he did not suspect that the other party had any connection with the Holy Spirit Cult.

If the Star Luo Empire delegation members were all members of the Holy Spirit Cult, the Star Luo Federation would probably have been completely infiltrated by Evil Spirit Master long ago. The Star Luo Federation is still a country; surely it shouldn't have fallen to such a level?

The fact that the Star Luo Federation delegation had no contact with him before today, and suddenly proposed to discuss matters concerning Evil Spirit Master, inevitably puzzled Zhen Hua.

What exactly is Star Luo Empire's purpose? Wasn't their visit to the Federation to probe our strength?

Zhen Hua hesitated for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the group behind Ning Fengzhi, finally settling on the other's composed expression.

"Alright. Everyone, please follow me." Zhen Hua finally spoke, waving to Huo Yuhao and the other two, as well as the members of the Star Luo Empire Envoy, before turning and walking towards the elevator.

A smile flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes as he quickly followed Zhen Hua's pace. Lin Yuhan and the others exchanged glances, clearly surprised by the turn of events, but could only follow closely behind.

The group followed Zhen Hua to his office, Ning Fengzhi the other Blacksmith outside without bringing any of them.

Zhen Hua gestured for the sofa, and after everyone took their seats, he turned his gaze to Ning Fengzhi, "What do you have to say? You can speak freely here, or perhaps someone needs to step aside? Do you wish to speak with me privately?"

The other party left all their people outside; the matters discussed would likely exceed his expectations.

Ning Fengzhi glanced at Huo Yuhao and the other two, then gently shook his head. "No need. His Majesty and the Speaker sent me to the Douluo Federation this time to seek cooperation against the Holy Spirit Cult."

"When we arrive in Mingdu, we will have further discussions with the Federal Speaker, the Spirit Pagoda Master, and others. All three of you are important figures in the Spirit Pagoda and are trustworthy. Just keep what you heard today to yourselves and don't spread it around."

Xiong Jun frowned, but Gu Yuena nod calmly without saying anything, simply agreeing.

"Very well, you just said you know who attacked me, what's going on?" Zhen Hua stared intently at Ning Fengzhi, his voice low and menacing. "Don't tell me the attackers are connected to your Star Luo Empire!"

Ning Fengzhi gave a wry smile. "You guessed right, the attackers do indeed have connections with our Star Luo Empire."

At this point, he took out a file folder and placed it on the table, but instead of opening it immediately, he stood up and gave a solemn bow.

"Before I explain, please allow me to apologize for my previous rudeness. There is a high possibility that there is a traitor from the Holy Spirit Cult within our Star Luo Empire clan. If they discover that we intend to cooperate with the Douluo Federation, it will inevitably arouse their suspicion."

"Therefore, throughout this journey, I have maintained an arrogant attitude towards everything in the Douluo Federation, in order to demonstrate our Star Luo Empire's stance towards the Federation. Only in this way will those lurking eyes in the shadows believe that we have no intention of cooperating with the Douluo Federation. This last resort was entirely due to the circumstances, please understand."

Zhen Hua's gaze swept across Ning Fengzhi's apologetic face like a blade. The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.

"Sit down." After a long silence, Zhen Hua finally spoke, pointing to the sofa opposite him and glancing towards the door. "The others don't know?"

He didn't believe Ning Fengzhi's one-sided story. The cooperation might be real, but the previous challenges and provocations might not be fake either.

The two countries have a long history of animosity, and neither side would let go of an opportunity to thoroughly humiliate the other in a certain area.

If they had lost, Ning Fengzhi might not have said that.

"Yes, they were unaware of it; I was the only one in the entire delegation who knew about it. However, quite a few people in the delegation do know about the assailant who attacked you."

Ning Fengzhi opened the file folder and took out a file. "Was this the person who attacked His Excellency Zhen Hua back then?"

Huo Yuhao, Zhen Hua, and the others all looked over.

Attached to the paper was a photograph of a man whose appearance was truly intimidating. He was nearly two meters tall, with an exceptionally robust physique, especially his thick arms, which were several times thicker than the thighs of an average adult. His exposed skin, whether on his arms or face, was covered with a layer of fine scales.

Next to the file was the other person's name: Tong Yu!

"He is the Qilin Douluo, originally Titled Douluo of our Star Luo Federation."

Ning Fengzhi sighed, "But right now, he is the Darkness Kirin of the Holy Spirit Cult!"

Darkness Kirin?

Thinking of the attack he suffered a year and a half ago, Zhen Hua narrowed his eyes.

A level 98 Super Douluo.

If it weren't for Dark Phoenix Douluo's presence, he probably wouldn't have survived. After all, although he was Four-Word Battle Armor master, he could be considered a pure Blacksmith, lacking combat power and far inferior to those soul masters who specialized in combat.

Without his Battle Armor, he might not be a match for some Soul Douluo.

"So, this person was trained by your Star Luo Empire?" Xiong Jun pointed at the Qilin Douluo in the file, a smirk playing on his lips. "Your Star Luo Empire isn't some kind of headquarters for Evil Spirit Master, is it?"

"Your Excellency Xiong Jun is joking," Ning Fengzhi said. "His situation is somewhat special. He fell into evil ways because of his own experiences. There are Evil Spirit Master everywhere; Shrek Academy has had one too, hasn't it? We don't want that to happen either."

At this point, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Xiong Jun with a slight glint in his eyes, selectively recounting Tong Yu's story.

When Tong Yu Martial Soul Awakening, he awakened a canine Martial Soul. His initial Soul Power level was only around level two.

Although he cultivated diligently, he was limited by his talent and failed the graduation exam when he graduated from the junior academy. He didn't even reach the second level of cultivation.

The girl he liked also dumped him and chose another classmate who was "excellent in both character and academics".

At this point, Tong Yu went to extremes.

He chose to commit suicide by poisoning himself, swallowing a huge amount of insecticide from his home. But instead of dying, his Martial Soul evolved, transforming into Qilin, and his cultivation speed increased by leaps and bounds.

However, his appearance also changed. The scales covering his body looked extremely ferocious. To outsiders, he was a real monster, and even his family saw him that way.

Tong Yu's personality became even more withdrawn and eccentric as a result, until the Monster Academy found him, provided him with resources, and nurtured him with all its might.

At the age of twenty-four, he reached the level of Titled Douluo, and at the age of thirty-two, he became Super Douluo.

"Oh? This talent is quite impressive."

Xiong Jun seemed a little strange.

He graduated from junior academy but didn't even reach the second ring (a high-ranking position in the game), yet he became Titled Douluo at the age of twenty-four. In other words, it took Tong Yu over a decade.

He transformed from One-Ring Soul Master into a nine-ring Titled Douluo Soul Master.

"Yes, everyone thinks highly of him, including several adults."

A strange light flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes, but it didn't affect his words. "However, hatred had long been deeply rooted in his heart, and he could never forget the things that forced him to his death."

"When he finally became Super Douluo, he found the female classmate who had abandoned him. She was now married with children, living a peaceful life. However, the Qilin Douluo cruelly murdered her in front of her child. Afterwards, he fell into the clutches of Evil Spirit Master and vanished without a trace."

This is how the Star Luo Empire people perceive the Qilin Douluo's experiences, but as a member of the Holy Spirit Cult, Ning Fengzhi knows more inside information.

For example, Qilin Douluo killed that female classmate because she broke Tong Yu's mother's legs and abandoned her in the mountains. Or, the female classmate made amends by finding someone to rescue his mother, Qilin Douluo didn't intend to kill her.

The other person was severely injured, but there was no way to remedy the situation. The female student died before anyone could come to her aid; her young child witnessed the entire incident.

The incident stemmed from the fact that Qilin Douluo was taken away by the Monster Academy without informing his mother. Tong Yu's mother, searching for her missing Tong Yu, contacted the female classmate, believing she might know Tong Yu's whereabouts, ultimately leading to the tragedy.

Well, how should I put it? Even from Ning Fengzhi's perspective as a member of the Holy Spirit Cult, this series of events is quite difficult to assess.

That female classmate treated Tong Yu like her "lapdog," ordering him around at will. After graduating from junior college, she abandoned him without considering the consequences.

Monster Academy took Tong Yu away without notifying his family, which led to his mother confronting the female classmate.

During his cultivation, Tong Yu never thought about his family; he hadn't been home to visit them for over a decade.

Before Tong Yu sided with the Holy Spirit Cult, the Holy Spirit Cult didn't interfere at all, nor did they need to. They simply investigated everything thoroughly at the end and presented it to Qilin Douluo, which drove him into a frenzy.

If they hadn't given each other hope to live, Qilin Douluo would definitely have committed suicide at that time. After listening to Ning Fengzhi's story, Zhen Hua frowned.

Because Ning Fengzhi's account was somewhat ambiguous, to him, the so-called Qilin Douluo was Evil Spirit Master went to extremes due to an unsuccessful romance in his childhood. Moreover, he was a dangerous character with exceptional talent, possibly reaching the Limit of the ordinary level!

In contrast to Zhen Hua's solemn expression, Huo Yuhao secretly marveled at the power of the Goddess of Love in the Douluo Continent while glancing at Ning Fengzhi was about to utter his final words.

This story introduces a special person who, if used properly, could completely entangle the Spirit Pagoda in the murky waters of the Star Luo Empire world.

The person before us came prepared.

Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly.

As he expected, Ning Fengzhi continued:

"The Qilin Douluo himself fell into the trap of becoming Evil Spirit Master and soon joined the Holy Spirit Cult. For various reasons, someone from the Star Luo Empire smuggled that poor child who had lost her mother— Tang Ziran— to the Douluo Federation— "

"What did you say that child's name was?!"

Xiong Jun suddenly sprang up from his seat, his thick arms bracing against the table, his eyes locking onto Ning Fengzhi like lightning.

Ning Fengzhi seemed startled, but quickly regained his composure. "Tang Ziran."

"Tang Ziran, Tang Ziran —isn't that Wulin's father's name?"

Xiong Jun pondered the name repeatedly, his expression slightly changing as he looked at Huo Yuhao, seemingly trying to confirm something with him.

Upon seeing this, Huo Yuhao nodded slightly and transmitted his voice, "Captain Guang Biao once investigated and found that Wulin's father came from the Star Luo Continent. Captain Guang Biao relayed this information to the East Sea Spirit Pagoda, and I met him with Teacher Xiao Yao."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Jun's expression became uncertain for a moment.

Wulin's background is really complicated. It's one thing that his biological father is a god, but his adoptive father's origins are also so bizarre.

As if sensing something from Xiong Jun's expression, Ning Fengzhi asked curiously, "Does Your Xiong Jun know Tang Ziran's whereabouts?"

Xiong Jun snorted coldly, "What does that have to do with what you're about to say? Keep talking."

"Okay."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "This is the whole story of the Qilin Douluo. From it, we can see his cruel and ruthless character, and Zhen Hua must have witnessed his strength. Our Star Luo Federation is not as prosperous as the Douluo Federation, and one Qilin Douluo is enough to give us a headache."

"However, according to our understanding in the Star Luo Empire, he is not the strongest member of the Holy Spirit Cult. Therefore, we plan to cooperate with the Douluo Federation through this exchange activity to encircle and annihilate the Holy Spirit Cult. We have intelligence on the Holy Spirit Cult's base!"