"Mu Ye, the current sect master of the Body Sect."
Hearing that name, Lu Guan's taut nerves instantly relaxed.
So it was this old geezer.
The Body Sect had once been one of the Douluo Continent's greatest sects, with body martial souls at the heart of its legacy.
It had simply fallen into decline.
Of course, even in decline, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.
Most importantly, as the Body Sect's sect master, Mu Ye carried a heavy burden.
Under these circumstances, he was desperate to find people who had awakened body martial souls, especially prodigies like Lu Guan.
Seen that way, Lu Guan actually held the upper hand between them.
Oi, the hunter had become the hunted!
Of course, he could only entertain that thought in his head.
At least he was safe now.
Lu Guan patted Na'er behind him, reassuring her that she had nothing to fear.
Na'er nodded obediently and took another bite of the candied hawthorn skewer in her hand, her cheeks bulging.
Lu Guan turned around and looked Mu Ye straight in the eye.
"Sect Master Mu, you want to see my martial soul?"
Mu Ye folded his arms, studying the composed six-year-old before him with interest.
Ordinary children would burst into tears from the aura he inadvertently emitted when he announced his name, even if they had never heard of the Body Sect.
Yet this boy wasn't afraid at all. He was even sizing Mu Ye up.
"That's right. Let me see just what sort of mutated body martial soul the Spirit Pagoda was talking about."
"Sure!" With that, Lu Guan unzipped the concealed zippers beneath the armpits of his jacket.
He activated his soul power.
Dark red light abruptly flared in the alley, and a yellow hundred-year soul ring rose from beneath his feet.
Rip!
Four thick, powerfully muscled arms burst out below his elbows.
Bony wings unfolded from his back, their sharp edges slicing through the air.
Two shadowy eyes snapped open in the center of his forehead.
War Lord Demon Body, activate.
The air in the alley instantly grew turbulent.
Mu Ye's casual posture vanished.
He abruptly stepped forward, staring fixedly at Lu Guan's four additional arms and the two eyes on his forehead.
His breathing quickened.
His chest heaved violently.
"Six arms... four eyes... and a bone-wing soul skill..." Mu Ye murmured, his voice trembling. "Interesting, very interesting..."
An ordinary body martial soul awakened a part of the body, but Lu Guan's could actually grow new "body parts" from his existing body!
This was an unprecedented body martial soul!
He reached out to touch Lu Guan's bulging muscles, only to forcibly stop his hand in midair.
"Excellent! Truly excellent!"
Mu Ye threw back his head and laughed, the sound shaking dust loose from the walls on both sides of the alley.
He grabbed Lu Guan by the shoulder.
"Boy, become my disciple! From this day forward, you're the next sect master of the Body Sect!"
Lu Guan withdrew his martial soul and zipped up his jacket.
"Sect Master Mu, if you want to take me as your disciple, shouldn't you show a little sincerity?"
Mu Ye froze, then burst out laughing again.
"You little rascal! You won't release the hawk until you see the hare, eh? Fine, let me show you what your master has to offer!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Ye's aura changed abruptly.
No soul rings appeared.
Yet Lu Guan felt the gravity throughout the alley instantly increase tenfold.
The air became a tangible mire.
Then an enormous red silhouette flashed behind Mu Ye and vanished.
It was a mecha.
Its entire frame was scarlet, radiating terrifying, suffocating pressure.
A red mecha! A god-level mecha!
His aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Mu Ye looked at Lu Guan and spoke proudly.
"I am a level 94 Titled Douluo and a God-Level Mecha Master."
"Become my disciple, and every resource and secret manual in the Body Sect will be open to you. I guarantee I'll make you one of the finest among your peers on the Douluo Continent!"
The offer was tempting.
Lu Guan had no reason to refuse, but he still said, "But I already have a teacher."
Mu Ye frowned. "Who? Who in a backwater like Eastsea City is qualified to teach you?"
"Mu Chen, the president of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association."
After hearing this, Mu Ye curled his lip disdainfully.
"I wondered who it was. So it's Mu Chen, that blacksmith. What's the conflict? He teaches you forging, and I teach you cultivation. Neither gets in the other's way."
Mu Ye waved a hand. "Besides, if you really want to learn forging, I can have you study under Zhen Hua. He's the continent's only Divine Blacksmith! Mu Chen can't compare to him."
Lu Guan shook his head.
"Sect Master Mu, once Teacher Mu Chen became my teacher, he became my teacher for life.
Teacher Mu Chen has treated me very well. He hasn't just taught me forging; he's poured all his resources into nurturing me. Even if Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua is willing to teach me, Mu Chen will still be my teacher. That won't change."
Mu Ye was taken aback.
He looked at Lu Guan's young but earnest face, and the admiration in his eyes deepened.
Monstrous talent, extraordinary courage, and a heart that cherished loyalty and gratitude.
You couldn't find a disciple this perfect even with a lantern!
"Good! Loyal and grateful, just the way I like it!" Mu Ye slapped his thigh. "Mu Chen it is. I'm not so petty that I'd fight an eighth-rank blacksmith over the title of teacher. Come on, take me to him. I'll explain it to him in person!"
Since Mu Ye had gone that far, Lu Guan could only-
"Teacher, I want to improve!"
With that, Mu Ye grabbed Lu Guan and Na'er and tossed them into the red mecha.
Let's go~!
To a red mecha, Eastsea City was no bigger than a village. They arrived in moments.
The top-floor office of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association.
Lu Guan pushed open the door and was about to call out, but the words caught in his throat.
Besides Mu Chen, a woman was seated in the office.
She wore a fiery red dress, her red hair cascading like a waterfall, and her features were exquisitely beautiful.
She merely sat there, yet the temperature of the entire office seemed to have risen several degrees.
Mu Chen was pouring tea for her with an obliging smile.
A name immediately sprang into Lu Guan's mind.
Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu!
The Spirit Pagoda's deputy pagoda master, a level 98 Super Douluo!
Seeing Lu Guan enter, Mu Chen quickly beckoned him over.
"Guan, you're just in time. Come greet Deputy Pagoda Master Leng."
Holding Na'er's hand, Lu Guan walked forward and bowed slightly.
"Greetings, Deputy Pagoda Master Leng."
Leng Yaozhu set down her teacup. Her gaze swept over Lu Guan before finally settling on Mu Ye behind him.
"Sect Master Mu, you move quickly," Leng Yaozhu said with a faint, knowing smile.
Mu Ye strode into the office, pulled up a chair, and sat down. Without standing on ceremony, he picked up the tea Mu Chen had just poured and drained it in one gulp.
"How could I not? With a promising youngster like this, if I'd come a step later, there wouldn't even have been any scraps left for me."
Listening from the side, Lu Guan immediately understood.
No wonder Mu Ye had found me so quickly.
The Spirit Pagoda handled martial soul awakening, so his awakening records must have caught its senior leadership's attention. As deputy pagoda master, Leng Yaozhu naturally had access to them.
Leng Yaozhu had sold the information to Mu Ye.
Mu Chen could only smile wryly beside them.
"Sect Master Mu, I called Senior Brother Zhen Hua two days ago, hoping to introduce Lu Guan to you. He said you'd just left. I was wondering where you'd gone, but I never expected Deputy Pagoda Master Leng to beat me to it."
"Heh..." Mu Ye smiled at his words. "Mu Chen, I'm taking this boy as my disciple. You teach him forging, and I'll teach him cultivation. From now on, he'll remain registered here in name, but he'll normally come with me to Heaven Dou City."
Mu Chen nodded.
That had been his plan all along. Lu Guan's body martial soul needed the most expert guidance, and Mu Ye was undoubtedly the best candidate.
As for forging, Lu Guan had yet to reach the stage where he needed insights into the craft.
Leng Yaozhu looked at Mu Ye, her red lips parting slightly.
"Sect Master Mu, does that mean you acknowledge the favor?"
Mu Ye nodded. "I do."
Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction.
She stood up, preparing to leave.
Her trip to Eastsea City had been intended to do Mu Ye a favor while also conducting a routine inspection of the Spirit Pagoda's Eastsea City branch.
Since Mu Ye had acknowledged the favor, her business was finished.
Just as she turned around, her gaze happened to sweep over Na'er, who was hiding behind Lu Guan.
"Oh-"
Before you continue