"La la la."
Na Nali was delighted because that bratty little brother had replied to her message, telling her to bring Dark Hummingbird to a certain alley.
Around the street corner, a narrow, winding alley abruptly came into view, its walls mottled on either side. Diagonally opposite its entrance, a café stood quietly beside the street, a faint, warm glow spilling through its windows.
The girl led the way, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail. With every step, the jet-black bells hanging from her lightly knocked together, their clear, cool chimes lingering through the alleys.
Her pace was unhurried as she threaded her way through the winding forks with practiced ease, drawing steadily closer to that alley.
The path beneath their feet twisted and turned. After several successive junctions, the pedestrians around them gradually thinned out. High walls shut out the surrounding clamor, leaving only the faint tinkling of bells drifting through the air.
Following behind the girl, the handsome middle-aged man moved with light, floating steps, his footfalls almost soundless.
His gaze swept his surroundings, constantly vigilant. It passed over the café's display window before returning to the deep, secluded alley ahead.
"Dark Bell, where are we going? This is away from the Blacksmith Association..."
"Haven't you noticed someone following us?"
Dark Bell gave a lilting laugh, a trace of dark red flashing through her large, beautiful eyes.
"What?"
Dark Hummingbird was about to speak when he suddenly felt an intensely icy presence lock onto him. Instinctively, he turned to look.
A hazy expanse of spectral blue radiance unfurled out of thin air. Layers of light surged and solidified, and a slender figure slowly emerged from the luminous mist. A cool voice sounded unhurriedly. "Hello there, Dark Hummingbird."
Dark Hummingbird sniffed, as though some crystal-clear liquid were about to drip from his nose. Pointing one hand at Leng Yaozhu, his face twisted. "Y-you... you... you're..."
No answer came from around him. He hurriedly turned his head and cried urgently, "Dark..."
There's no one behind me!
Who could understand the sense of salvation at this moment!
Na Nali: Go understand it yourself. I'm off to find my little brother.
The blue light around Second Baby's gourd body suddenly blazed, and Half-Step Divine Origin Realm Spiritual Power spread outward like a tide.
A pale blue membrane of spiritual light instantly enveloped the entire alley, sealing every fluctuation of Soul Power firmly inside the barrier without allowing the slightest trace to leak out.
Within the membrane, spiritual ripples spread in layer upon layer, striking directly at Dark Hummingbird's sea of consciousness and disrupting the circulation of Soul Power within him. The incredible speed on which he relied was hindered at every turn, and every time he channeled his Soul Power, he suffered an intense sense of sluggishness.
Damn it!
Sensing mortal danger, Dark Hummingbird willed specks of black metallic light to emerge from the various acupoints throughout his body. Amid the flowing radiance, layers of Three-Word Battle Armor swiftly covered him. Pauldrons, breastplate, and arm guards formed in succession, faint dark-gold patterns flowing across the jet-black armor.
Beneath his feet, pitch-black Soul Rings rose one after another. Nine Soul Rings circled around him: black, black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red. All nine blazed with light.
Leng Yaozhu emerged from the shadows at the end of the alley. Soul Rings surged up beneath her feet, nine dazzling rings spiraling into bloom. The radiance of Four-Word Battle Armor flowed over her body, and the scorching pressure of her Heavenly Phoenix Martial Soul filled the sealed alley.
With a slight flick of her wrist, a blade of phoenix fire condensed to the utmost tore through the air, its crimson light flashing past in an instant.
An ear-piercing ripping sound erupted. The fire blade first sliced through the Battle Armor on Dark Hummingbird's right arm, then severed the entire arm. Scalding blood gushed from the stump, splashing across the alley floor.
"Aah!"
As excruciating pain struck, Dark Hummingbird forcibly suppressed the relentless Mental Interference assaulting his sea of consciousness and tried to channel his Soul Power to pull away and retreat.
Leng Yaozhu's second attack, a long spear of phoenix fire, followed close behind. Wrapped in Heavenly Phoenix True Fire, the crimson spear streaked through the air and brutally pierced his torso, emerging through a gap in the Battle Armor on his back.
Crack, crack!
A flurry of shattering sounds rang out. Large sections of his Three-Word Battle Armor broke apart, fragments flying in all directions and falling to the ground.
Despite suffering two grievous, fatal wounds, the powerful agility-type fighter's survival instinct had yet to fade.
Dark Hummingbird wrung out every last scrap of Soul Power remaining in his body. Turning into a jet-black afterimage, he mustered all his strength and fled desperately toward the depths of the alley.
Second Baby's spiritual perception remained locked firmly onto him. Spiritual Power began condensing and spinning wildly, finally taking the form of a translucent lantern. Its frame was woven from spiritual threads, and a faint blue flame flickered at its wick. Though somewhat insubstantial, it exuded an eerie presence capable of disturbing the mind.
Spectral blue, almost transparent Soul Flame gushed violently from the lantern. It did not burn flesh, yet when it fell upon Dark Hummingbird, his aura melted away and unraveled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile.
Leng Yaozhu kept flicking scattered sparks of phoenix fire from her fingertips. Streak after streak of fiery light grazed his fleeing body, adding burn after burn to his shattered Battle Armor and flesh.
After several futile attempts to escape, Dark Hummingbird's Soul Power ran completely dry. He stumbled and crashed heavily onto the cold alley floor.
Blood continued to flow from his severed arm, while warm blood bubbled from the wound the phoenix spear had pierced through his torso. His entire body twitched incessantly; he was barely clinging to life.
He raised his head with difficulty, his gaze passing through the alley entrance to the café diagonally opposite, where warm light glowed behind the windows.
The Second Path Café... haha...
Leng Yaozhu waved her delicate hand, and Dark Hummingbird's body and the traces within the alley soon vanished.
Behind the glass window veiled in misty condensation, the girl sat upright at a table, a book open before her and a cup of coffee resting beside it.
Once all movement within the alley had fallen utterly silent, she slowly turned to look over her shoulder toward its deep, empty entrance.
The Blacksmith Association.
The hall teemed with people, a dense mass of blacksmiths filling the entire space. Many had come specially from elsewhere just to attend a public lesson by the Divine Craftsman. Voices hummed throughout the hall, but no one made an unrestrained racket.
Someone in the crowd gave a low cry, and everyone's eyes turned toward the hall's side entrance.
Surrounded by several association staff members, Zhen Hua walked slowly into the hall.
"President!"
Calls erupted one after another, resounding throughout the hall.
Zhen Hua raised both hands and gently pressed them down in the air.
The hall, still bustling and noisy a moment earlier, instantly fell so silent that a falling pin could have been heard.
Zhen Hua walked slowly behind the forging table and lightly rested his broad palm against its cold metal body.
His voice spread on his Soul Power, every word reaching every corner of the hall with perfect clarity.
Dust: Huh, do I have to listen too?
"It has been a long time since I last exchanged insights with you all. Today, I'll share a few things I've learned through practical work. Only sixth-rank blacksmiths can begin attempting Fusion Forging. The more types of metal you incorporate, the more the difficulty of fusion multiplies. Finding a medium compatible with each is the key to reducing losses during Fusion Forging and improving the success rate."
Countless blacksmiths below the platform held their breath in concentration, many gripping pens and taking notes at speed.
The white-haired veteran blacksmiths wore solemn expressions, while fervent yearning surged in the eyes of the young rising stars. No one wanted to miss this rare opportunity to receive instruction.
Meanwhile, off to one side, Mu Ye's little squad was in action: member number one, Mu Ye; member number two, A Ruheng.
A Ruheng: As expected of the Sect Master. Finding a job with meals and lodging included was that easy.
Mu Ye: Shut up and report.
A Ruheng: Reporting to the captain, everything is normal.
Zhen Hua's gaze swept over the mass of figures below the platform, his expression calm and composed.
"If you follow this approach when you return to your practical work, your forging success rate should improve."
"That concludes today's lesson. I'll finish with a famous quotation: you young people are full of vigor, in the flourishing prime of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. The future of the Blacksmith Association rests with you.
"I also hope none of you will keep your knowledge to yourselves. Exchange insights with one another and improve together."
Before you continue