My Little Brother's Turning Into One of Those "Geniuses" From the Original Story? No Way!

[Mom gave me this Stellaron, meow~]

"What? You're saying this Stellaron needs to stay dormant for at least another three years?"

After Chen Xing got home,

he had AI Pom-Pom examine the Stellaron.

The result: it would remain dormant for three years.

[That's right, Pom! The Stellaron was dormant and should have been ready for use within a year. But you awakened it early through sheer force of will. Once activated, it powered your Starblazer, causing an enormous drain.]

"I see."

With AI Pom-Pom's explanation, Chen Xing understood.

The Stellaron was running low on power and had gone off to recharge.

So be it.

Rush the core, and there'd be no power at all.

If that was how the Stellaron worked, he would wait patiently.

For the next few years, though, he probably couldn't use it to summon the Starblazer and its overwhelming firepower into battle.

But Chen Xing didn't regret it.

He had done it to protect someone he wanted to protect.

Even without the Starblazer, he could still use the budget version.

That was the one he had created earlier with Imagenesis, the one Di Tian had beaten into the ground.

It wasn't particularly strong. Its grade was only that of a Black-rank Mecha.

Only a Black-rank Mecha?

It wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but it would do.

And if he was unlucky enough to run into a truly troublesome enemy...

No matter. He had two—no, three demon kings watching his back.

Two of them were Mu Ye and Zhen Hua, of course.

And the third?

His little sister, Na'er!

She had already regained some of the Silver Dragon King's power.

And with her identity, all she had to do was call, and the Ferocious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest would come rushing to protect her.

At the thought, Chen Xing's lips curved upward, and a private thrill ran through him.

Maybe letting someone else protect me once in a while isn't so bad.

Three years later.

At the entrance to the Blacksmiths Association in Heaven Dou City,

Chen Xing leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, gazing up at the sky.

According to Tang Wulin's letter, the kid was supposed to arrive that morning.

But it was nearly noon, and there was still no sign of him.

"Don't tell me he stopped to eat again."

Chen Xing muttered to himself.

He knew his little brother too well.

Tang Wulin's appetite had never been normal, not even as a child.

Just as he was thinking that, hurried footsteps sounded around the corner.

Chen Xing looked up and saw a boy running toward him.

The wind had tousled his short blue-black hair. He carried a bulging parcel, and a few grease stains marked his school uniform.

It was Tang Wulin.

"Bro!"

Tang Wulin called out from a distance.

"What took you so long?" Chen Xing looked him up and down. "Didn't your letter say you'd be here this morning?"

Tang Wulin scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. "Well... I saw a new steamed-bun shop on the way and couldn't help myself..."

Chen Xing's mouth twitched.

He knew it.

"How many did you eat?"

"Only... a hundred?"

Chen Xing's mouth twitched again.

A hundred? Only?

When Tang Wulin saw that he wasn't saying anything, he hurried to add:

"I didn't eat them all at once! I split them into three meals!"

Did that make a difference?

Chen Xing patted his shoulder. "Fine. Let's go in. The two teachers have been waiting for you."

Tang Wulin froze. "Two teachers?"

In the hall, Zhen Hua and Mu Ye sat in the seats of honor, drinking tea.

Zhen Hua held his teacup, his face expressionless.

Mu Ye sat with one leg crossed over the other, watching the doorway with open curiosity.

The moment Chen Xing came in with a boy, Mu Ye's eyes lit up.

"Here they are!"

He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, sweeping his gaze over Tang Wulin several times.

Zhen Hua set down his teacup and looked over with a steady gaze.

Under the scrutiny of these two formidable figures, Tang Wulin felt his scalp prickle.

He instinctively edged behind Chen Xing.

"Bro..."

Chen Xing glanced back and lowered his voice:

"Don't lose your nerve. Show them the confidence you had during your graduation assessment at Eastsea Academy."

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and straightened his back.

Chen Xing turned to Zhen Hua and Mu Ye. "Teachers, I've brought him."

He stepped aside, letting Tang Wulin move forward.

"This is my little brother, Tang Wulin. He just graduated from Eastsea Academy, and his Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."

Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Blue Silver Grass?"

Tang Wulin nodded and raised a hand to summon his Martial Soul.

A sprig of Blue Silver Grass emerged from his palm.

But on closer inspection, faint golden lines could be seen on its leaves.

Mu Ye's gaze locked onto them.

He studied the golden lines for a long while, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Kid, what's with the golden lines on your Martial Soul?"

Mu Ye spoke suddenly, curiosity in his voice.

Tang Wulin tensed and instinctively glanced at Chen Xing.

Chen Xing's expression didn't change. He gave the slightest shake of his head.

Tang Wulin understood at once. Scratching his head, he put on a puzzled look:

"I'm not too sure either. They seemed to appear after my Martial Soul mutated, but I still haven't figured out why."

Mu Ye narrowed his eyes and studied it for a few more seconds. He clicked his tongue but didn't press the matter.

Martial Soul mutations were rare, after all, but they weren't unheard of.

Zhen Hua paid little attention to the golden lines. Something else had caught his interest.

"Kid," Zhen Hua said, "Little Chen told me you've studied forging?"

Tang Wulin blinked. "For a few years. Master Mang Tian taught me."

Zhen Hua nodded, took a metal ingot from his wristband, and tossed it over.

"Catch."

Tang Wulin reached out and caught it without thinking.

The ingot was the size of a fist and weighed at least several dozen pounds.

But when Tang Wulin caught it, his hand didn't so much as tremble.

Zhen Hua's eyes lit up.

Mu Ye noticed too. His gaze shifted from the golden lines to Tang Wulin's arm.

"Born with exceptional strength?" Mu Ye asked.

Tang Wulin scratched his head, embarrassed:

"I guess... a little."

Mu Ye and Zhen Hua exchanged a glance.

Each saw the same thing in the other's eyes.

Another diamond in the rough!

Standing to the side, Chen Xing took in both teachers' reactions.

He wasn't surprised Tang Wulin had won them over.

After all, both men had taught Tang Wulin in the original story.

This had simply happened a little earlier.

Over the past few years, Chen Xing had put a great deal of effort into arranging this moment.

He had severed the master-disciple relationship between Tang Wulin and Wu Zhangkong and kept Tang Wulin from joining the Tang Sect—all for this.

If both teachers took an interest in Tang Wulin, he wouldn't need to enter that academy full of "geniuses," Shrek Academy.

Shrek Academy was like a vat of dye: hardly anyone came out without becoming one of those "geniuses."

As for the Golden Dragon King's Power...

Chen Xing had never seen a problem with it.

That power rightfully belonged to Tang Wulin. Whether it was a bloodline inheritance or some so-called "conspiracy," it had fallen to his little brother, so it was his.

As Tang Wulin's older brother, all Chen Xing had to do was protect him and let him choose his own path, rather than live the life some God King had arranged for him.

"You said you've studied forging for a few years?"

Zhen Hua rose, walked up to Tang Wulin, and circled him.

"Yes, over six years."

"How far have you gotten?"

Tang Wulin thought for a moment:

"Master Mang Tian said I'm close to becoming a Level 4 Blacksmith."

Zhen Hua stopped in his tracks.

Level 4?