The entire first floor of the demon-hunting hall could hold a great many people, and this turn of events sent dozens heading straight for the second floor.
They all rushed toward the stairs, only to be stopped by several people.
"Although this isn't confidential, aside from Fire Element mages, only thirty people can go in. After all, the private rooms on the second floor have limited space." The Hunter Union staff member looked apologetic.
Lu Wu's face fell at those words.
He had yet to cast magic successfully, so he had not received a mage badge from the Magic Association.
He had no credentials at all to prove his identity or element.
"What's a greenhorn like you going to watch for? Can you even cast magic yet?" Seeing that over twenty people had already gone in, someone pushed Lu Wu from behind.
Lu Wu felt the shove against his back. Although somewhat angry, he dashed straight ahead.
The Hunter Union's management was quite good. They had set a limit of thirty people, but did not look at hunter rank.
He glanced back at the person who had pushed him. The man was a little older than him, in his twenties. Seeing Lu Wu look over, he seemed rather smug. "If you're up front, move faster. Don't block the way."
"Lunatic," Lu Wu cursed, then hurried forward.
He went straight onto the second floor. There were many rooms inside, each larger than Fresh Food City. Following the people ahead, Lu Wu entered one without trouble.
"For this recruitment of Fire Element mages, it doesn't matter whether it's your primary, secondary, or auxiliary element. The lower your cultivation, the better, but you must be able to melt part of this piece of Mystic Ice."
Lu Wu had barely entered when he heard a familiar voice.
Though called a private room, it was actually an enclosed, partitioned area, with nowhere to sit.
Fifty or sixty people packed it full. The speaker was an old man with black hair and a white beard. Beside him stood a specially made counter holding a piece of Mystic Ice.
Shen Shitian looked at the people before him, feeling quite helpless.
If he had any other option, he would never have come here to recruit.
"I'll give it a try." An Intermediate Level Fire Element mage walked straight over.
Shen Shitian nodded. "You don't need to refine much of it. Just melting it will do."
"Is this Master Shen Shitian a Hunter Master? Why are his recruitment requirements so strange?" someone in the crowd of onlookers asked.
Everyone who came here was a mage. Some wore mage badges, while others did not.
Without a doubt, Lu Wu was probably the weakest person here.
"Never heard of him, but he should be someone important."
"That's true. The Hunter Union has given him quite the grand reception. If there weren't no restrictions on cultivation, this might have been held above the thirtieth floor."
"Indeed..."
As the people around him discussed it, Lu Wu was already watching that Intermediate Level Fire Element mage.
He released crimson flames, continuously scorching the fist-sized piece of Mystic Ice, yet not a single drop of water fell.
"I've failed." After several minutes, Ma Yin had still failed to melt even a little of the Mystic Ice, and his face had turned bright red from the strain of casting magic.
"Don't be discouraged, young man. This is hundred-year Mystic Ice used to forge magic equipment and magic artifacts. Only flames from people with special constitutions can melt it," Shen Shitian consoled him.
Everyone was astonished by these words.
Mystic Ice used to forge magic equipment and magic artifacts-could Master Shen Shitian be a master at crafting magical implements?
"I'll give it a try." A middle-aged Fire Element mage grew somewhat excited upon hearing this.
If they could attach themselves to a mage who could forge magical implements such as magic artifacts or magic equipment, they would soar into the sky in a single bound, no matter what grade those implements were.
He was not the only one. Everyone behind him who had awakened the Fire Element was eager to try.
Yet everyone who went up returned empty-handed.
"Master, I awakened the Fire Element as my second element, but I've only just reached the point where I can barely cast magic. Let me give it a try." After everyone else had failed, a young man spoke very politely.
His words were full of respect.
Shen Shitian did not hold out much hope, but there was no harm in trying. "Come on up."
The young man stepped up and even bowed to Shen Shitian, extremely respectful. "Please forgive my poor performance."
With that, he began preparing his magic.
A moment later, a slightly purple flame appeared in his hand. The instant it emerged, the temperature around it rose considerably.
"This guy actually refined a Fire Element seed?"
"Although it doesn't feel very powerful, it's already stronger than ordinary magic. I'm jealous."
"Who knows where he stumbled into that dogshit luck."
"Give it a try." Shen Shitian did not find this much of a pleasant surprise. If a Fire Element seed could solve the problem, why would he have come here?
"Yes, Senior." Nangong Pei nodded. He paid no attention to anyone else's surprise, wanting only to see this old senior's reaction.
Unfortunately, the old senior seemed unruffled and showed no surprise.
Although his Fire Element seed was only an incomplete seed, it had not come easily.
Flames interwoven with purple and crimson enveloped the Mystic Ice. Nangong Pei felt quite nervous.
If he could befriend, or even become the disciple of, a master who could forge magical implements, their Nangong Clan would regain its former glory!!
Several minutes passed without any change in the Mystic Ice, and Nangong Pei began to grow uneasy.
The respect and confidence originally on his face had now given way to unease, and beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on his forehead.
A little while later, just as Shen Shitian was about to stop him, a drop of water fell from the Mystic Ice.
"It worked!!" Nangong Pei was overjoyed.
Shen Shitian was also somewhat surprised by the sight. He had been about to tell him to stop, never expecting that he would actually melt it.
"Good, very good. You can stop now."
"Yes, Senior." Seeing Shen Shitian's expression, Nangong Pei felt immensely excited.
"If no one else wants to try, you may leave if you have nothing else to do," Shen Shitian announced.
He only needed one person.
Seeing this, the others began leaving. No one dared offend a mage who could forge magical implements!!
Those who had tried and failed looked at Nangong Pei with envy and reluctance. After all, they had failed to seize this chance to soar into the sky in a single bound.
Watching them leave, Nangong Pei was thinking all the more about whether to take the opportunity to ask to become his disciple.
If he truly succeeded in becoming his disciple, never mind an incomplete Fire Element Spirit Seed-the Nangong Clan would directly groom him as the successor to the clan head!
With no one else coming forward to try, the space that had originally held dozens of people was finally left with only seven or eight.
There were a few Hunter Union members, as well as a middle-aged man with a piercing gaze.
"Little brother, what are you staying here for?" After the crowd left, Nangong Pei noticed a boy remaining there watching and reminded him with a smile, "Would you like to give it a try?"
"I'm not trying, but I think you're a nobleman with a short memory. That character of yours... You may have talent, but your character is lacking," Lu Wu said with a smile.
"Little brother, perhaps it was crowded earlier and I accidentally bumped into you. How about this? Once I'm finished here, I'll treat you to a meal to apologize," Nangong Pei hurriedly said when he noticed Master Shen Shitian looking at him.
He could not let anything go wrong with his image in front of Master Shen Shitian.
He would fob this brat off first, then make him pay afterward.
"When it's crowded, a bit of jostling is understandable." Shen Shitian looked at Nangong Pei and said softly, "Your talent really is quite good. Very rare."
Nangong Pei was delighted, but did not show it. Instead, he said modestly, "It's my good fortune to have caught Teacher Shen's eye."
Nangong Pei no longer even called him Master, addressing him as Teacher instead, hoping to subtly close the distance between them.
"Your talent really is quite good," Shen Shitian repeated.
This time, however, his voice carried a hint of regret.
"A pity about that talent. Go back where you came from."