185: Mu Xi

After more than half a month, Shen Guyan saw Ouyang Zixin again in Tianhai City.

Beside her was a blonde girl who also looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. She was tall and very beautiful, with a pair of bright, spirited big eyes and long hair tied in a ponytail. Her tight-fitting clothes made her look very capable and brisk, and she walked with a vigorous, hurried pace.

“Did you know that kid broke the record? The shortest time for a High Grade Hundred Refinements purification in the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition. He. Broke. The. Record!” When the blonde girl reached the last few words, she was clearly gnashing her teeth.

“Ah?” Ouyang Zixin was dazed for a moment. “That Little fellow is actually that amazing...”

The blonde girl grumbled as if no one else was around, “Do you know, after that kid Tang Wulin left, a group of people came down from the rostrum specifically to find him, but they couldn't find a trace of him. I didn't dare say a word, but I heard them say he broke the record for High Grade Hundred Refinements, and it was even with Blue Pregnant Copper! It only took one minute and six seconds!”

Tang Wulin? Shen Guyan was about to step forward when he heard Tang Wulin's name from the two girls' mouths.

Do these two girls actually know Tang Wulin? Shen Guyan waved his hand to signal The Five Little Ones to return to the hotel first, while he quietly followed them.

Shen Guyan's tracking technique was very sophisticated; even if the other party had a noble status and guards following in the shadows, they would certainly not be able to tell he was trailing the two girls.

From their conversation, Shen Guyan also heard some meaningful content. For example, Tang Wulin seemed to... have feelings for Ouyang Zixin?

This is indeed a point worth utilizing... Shen Guyan rubbed his chin with one hand, and a few ideas immediately formed in his mind.

The students of East Sea Soul Master Academy seemed to be staying in the same hotel, and Tang Wulin appeared to have entered this hotel just now as well.

Shen Guyan watched the two girls part ways on the first floor, after which the blonde girl seemed impatient as she strode off in a certain direction.

Shen Guyan followed out of curiosity. Before he could even get close, he saw her pounding forcefully on a door, with the sound of "thump thump" echoing out.

“Senior Sister. Take it easy.” To Shen Guyan's surprise, the voice coming from that room was actually Tang Wulin's.

Who is this girl? It looks like her relationship with Tang Wulin isn't shallow. Shen Guyan didn't follow any further; he didn't have invisibility, and it wouldn't be good if he were seen.

“Hey, help me investigate someone.” Shen Guyan thought for a moment, picked up his soul tool communicator, and dialed a number—

After the first day of the Grand Competition, it could be said that some were happy while others were worried. Those who were eliminated were naturally in pain, and those who passed were still nervous.

The schedule for the Grand Competition was very tight, especially for the early matches, which took place every day.

Early the next morning, Shen Guyan saw the Blacksmiths, including Tang Wulin and that blonde girl, gather early and head straight for the competition venue to participate in the second round of the youth blacksmithing division. The final winner of the blacksmithing competition is determined by the comprehensive scores of all judges; therefore, the results of each round must be added together.

In the first round, Tang Wulin undoubtedly took the lead. With High Grade Hundred Refinements and the shortest time, his score was bound to be the highest without even thinking about it.

In the second round, they chose rare metals for free expression. What they could forge depended on the Blacksmiths' skill level. Among youth Blacksmiths, being able to complete Hundred Refinements before the age of fifteen is considered excellent talent, and being able to complete Thousand Refinements makes one a Genius.

After investigation, the blonde girl beside Tang Wulin was named Mu Xi, the daughter of the East Sea City Blacksmith Association President Mu Chen, and the niece of the Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua.

According to the data, from shortly after her birth, Mu Xi's favorite thing was watching her father forge. Starting from the age of five, she swung a specially made small iron hammer to imitate her father's movements, persisting for a full two years.

It was through this that she finally moved her father and began to study blacksmithing under Mu Chen.

Mu Xi's Spirit, Radiant Sun, was inherited from her father and was inherently suitable for blacksmithing. Combined with her willingness to work hard, her progress was rapid.

When she was eleven years old, she officially became a Rank 1 Blacksmith, and shortly after her thirteenth birthday, she passed the Rank 2 Blacksmith exam, showing her extremely high talent in forging.

Although the East Sea City Blacksmith Association's confidentiality work was well-done, it ultimately couldn't prevent internal intelligence leaks. Shen Guyan had already learned that Tang Wulin was precisely Saint Craftsman Mu Chen's Disciple, which meant he was Mu Xi's Junior Brother.

The above was the information Shen Guyan had collected last night by using the Shen Family's authority within the Federation.

At this time, all the contestants had arrived in front of their forging tables and placed their chosen rare metals into the slots on the tables. The rare metals sank into the forging tables to begin the calcination process before forging; this was all preparatory work before the competition, the same for everyone.

Not everyone would choose the best rare metal. The higher the quality of the rare metal, the greater the difficulty of forging it; therefore, everyone chose what was most suitable for themselves.

“The second round of the Blacksmith Grand Competition of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition is about to begin. All contestants, please get ready. After yesterday's first round of screening, only thirty percent of you remain. I hope you cherish this opportunity and perform at your best level. At the same time, choose your rare metals wisely, as there will be a third round of shaping competition after the forging is complete. In one minute, the second round begins.” The examiner presiding over the competition had begun to announce the situation.

As long as they passed the first round, they could proceed to the second and subsequent third round assessments, and then the rankings would be determined by comprehensive scores.

The competing Blacksmiths all stared at their forging tables, concentrating their minds and calming their breath.

For every Blacksmith, devotion and focus were the most basic requirements. Although they were young, being able to pass the first round and complete a high-level Hundred Refinements purification was enough to show that they could all do very well in this regard.

This was also the first time Shen Guyan seriously watched Tang Wulin's competition. He saw him concentrating, his whole person seemingly entering a strange rhythm.

At this moment, whether it was Tang Wulin's breathing or his entire mental state, he seemed to have entered a special rhythm, as if he had merged with the forging table, becoming one.

As expected of Saint Craftsman Mu Chen's personal Disciple, he is indeed extraordinary! Shen Guyan also secretly marveled in his heart. He could now feel Tang Wulin's amazing talent in blacksmithing more and more; it was definitely not as simple as pure innate Divine Power.

“Ten, nine, eight...”

The countdown began.

“Three, two, one, start!”

Within the forging tables, the pieces of rare metal that had been heated to a sufficient temperature rose back up under the Blacksmiths' control. The second round of the blacksmithing grand competition was about to begin!

Tang Wulin and Mu Xi were seen taking out their forging hammers at the same time. The left-hand hammer tapped lightly on the metal, letting out a crisp “ding” sound.

What are they doing? Shen Guyan frowned. Although he hadn't studied blacksmithing, he still had some insight; it couldn't be said he was just a layman watching for fun.

“Clang!” The two swung their right-hand hammers, one after another, landing on the rare metal in front of them.

This is... Shen Guyan seemed to think of something instantly. This kid is actually letting Mu Xi copy his work in broad daylight!