T/N: Hello! I am back, sorry it's been a while, I didn't have access to my laptop for a while so I couldn't translate anything, chapters will be every other day from now on and bonus chapters at every 100 power stones. Sorry
"Little Fatty, has no one ever taught you what it means to speak out of turn?"
A young man walked over to Chu Chengzhou's table, looking down his nose with an arrogant expression as he directed his words toward Ma Hongjun.
"Oh? You dare talk to your Grandpa Ma like that? If you've got the guts, why don't you teach me a lesson?"
The young man was arrogant, but Ma Hongjun wasn't any less so. His words were provoking enough that even someone uninvolved might feel the urge to punch him.
At that moment, a waiter happened to arrive with the first dish for Chu Chengzhou's table.
Seeing this, the young man from Canghui Academy took a step forward, reaching out to snatch the plate from the waiter's hands, intending to dump it over the head of the cocky little fatso who dared to flirt with his goddess.
However, just as his right hand was about to touch the dish, he suddenly realized that his wrist was firmly restrained.
Turning his head, he met Chu Chengzhou's unfriendly gaze.
The young soul master's pupils shrank—such speed!
And not just speed, the strength was shocking as well. No matter how hard he tried to pull his arm back, he couldn't break free from the grip of this young man's hand.
"No one ever taught you what 'trouble comes from the hands' means?"
Chu Chengzhou narrowed his eyes and spoke lightly.
Ma Hongjun had been the one to provoke first, so he hadn't planned to interfere.
After all, this young man was just a Rank 27 Soul Grandmaster, the same level as Ma Hongjun. Despite Chu Chengzhou always mocking his martial soul as a mutated hen, Ma Hongjun's strength was still impressive among his peers. If a fight broke out, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
But trying to ruin his dish? Now that was something Chu Chengzhou wouldn't tolerate.
"Alright, I won't bully you. Go back. If you really want to stand up for yourself, a mere Rank 27 Soul Grandmaster like you isn't enough. Get your teacher to come."
With that, Chu Chengzhou let go of the young man's wrist, patted his shoulder, and returned to his seat.
At this moment, a middle-aged man leading the Canghui Academy group stood up, his expression serious as he looked at Chu Chengzhou. "Who are you people?"
From Chu Chengzhou's speed and how easily he had identified his student's soul power level, the middle-aged man could tell that this young man was very strong—far beyond what his student could handle alone.
"You don't need to know who we are. Strength is the only truth. Either pretend this never happened, or draw your lines right now."
Chu Chengzhou glanced at the middle-aged man and spoke bluntly.
"Come back!
I am Ye Zhiqiu, Director of Canghui Academy's External Affairs. Which soul master academy are you from?
It just so happens that we both have seven students. Let's have a team battle! If you lose, that little fatso should apologize to my student."
Ye Zhiqiu called back the young man before turning to Zhao Wuji, who remained calm and continued eating as if he didn't care about the minor scuffle.
Both groups consisted of eight people, with an older soul master leading a team of seven. Unless he was mistaken, the opposing side was also a teacher escorting students on a soul beast hunt.
His student had been insulted. He couldn't just leave without doing anything—Canghui Academy still had a reputation to uphold.
However, since the background of the opposing group was unclear, they might be powerful. He couldn't risk starting a direct fight, as he might end up picking a fight with the wrong people.
But a team battle? That was different.
It was normal for students from different academies to spar. Even if the opponents were from an elite background, it wouldn't matter.
"Chu brat, you handle it."
Zhao Wuji casually responded to Ye Zhiqiu's challenge, not taking it seriously.
"A team battle is fine. But, no offense, a Rank 30 Soul Elder and six Soul Grandmasters aren't worth our full strength. Dai Mubai, they're all yours."
Chu Chengzhou nodded slightly, then turned to Ye Zhiqiu and Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai: "..."
You get all the glory, and I do all the dirty work?
If possible, Dai Mubai really wanted to slap the table and say no.
But unfortunately, in this world, strength ruled.
Chu Chengzhou was stronger than him. If he refused, this guy would probably find an excuse to beat him up later.
Between getting beaten and doing the beating, Dai Mubai chose the latter without hesitation.
'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'?
No, no, no. All pleasure is built on someone else's pain.
Don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame that bastard Chu Chengzhou.
"White Tiger, Possession!"
With a low growl, a powerful white light burst from Dai Mubai's body. His bones crackled as his muscles swelled instantly.
His hands became covered in thick white fur, and his fingertips extended into ten sharp claws, each nearly eight inches long, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
At the same time, beneath his feet, three soul rings rose—two yellow and one purple. As his soul power surged, the oppressive aura of the King of Beasts filled the restaurant.
"Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai, Rank 37 Soul Elder. Come at me together!"
Dai Mubai beckoned toward the seven Canghui Academy students with a clawed hand.
Seeing the domineering display of soul rings on Dai Mubai's body, the seven students of Canghui Academy flinched and instinctively looked toward Ye Zhiqiu.
Seven versus one?
Numbers-wise, they had the advantage, but the problem was—this guy was a Rank 37 Soul Elder!
Soul master battles weren't just about numbers. Strength mattered far more.
Among the seven, only one was a fresh Rank 30 Soul Elder, another was at Rank 27, and the rest hadn't even reached Rank 25. Against a Rank 37 Soul Elder, they had no chance of winning.
Moreover, Dai Mubai's martial soul was exceptionally strong. Three of them had beast-type martial souls, and even without releasing them, they could feel the oppressive suppression from his aura alone.
"We apologize for the disturbance. We'll take our leave."
Without hesitation, Ye Zhiqiu cupped his hands in a swift, practiced motion and walked toward the exit.
What a joke—just one of their students was already a Rank 37 Soul Elder, and he wasn't even the strongest one? There was no way they could win.
Losing a fair fight wasn't a big deal, but losing seven against one would be utterly humiliating.
Rather than get beaten and then admit defeat, it was better to just back down immediately.
Reputation? Canghui Academy wasn't the strongest academy on the continent. If they lost face, so be it.
Besides, as long as no one talked, who would know that Ye Zhiqiu had lost face?
Seeing this, the seven students of Canghui Academy exchanged glances and quickly followed Ye Zhiqiu.
Dai Mubai: "..."
I haven't even started, and you're already running away?
"Tch~, Canghui Academy is that cowardly?"
Watching the group flee, Ma Hongjun curled his lips in disdain.
"Knowing when to back down isn't shameful. What's worse is getting beaten up first and then backing down."
Chu Chengzhou continued eating, speaking calmly.
Compared to the original story, Ye Zhiqiu's group had already gotten off lightly.
Then again, running into the troublemakers from Shrek was just their bad luck.
After thinking about it, Chu Chengzhou still decided to say something to Ma Hongjun.
Although his words weren't pleasant to hear, his intention was for Ma Hongjun's own good.
Just like last time, when Ma Hongjun had the audacity to flirt with Qian Renxue. If Chu Chengzhou hadn't stopped him in time, or if he had caught the Angel Miss in a bad mood, by next year, the grass on his grave might have grown taller than a person.
Or more likely, there wouldn't even be a grave to mark.
"That's right, Fatty. If you ever hit a steel plate one day, you're done for."
Ning Rongrong nodded and said with a mischievous smile.
Being arrogant was one thing, and looking for trouble was another. But being arrogant while lacking strength and actively seeking trouble? That was just asking to die.
"You all know about the flaws of my martial spirit…"
Ma Hongjun shrank his neck.
A martial spirit influenced every aspect of a soul master's life, even their personality.
A phoenix was supposed to be noble, but a fire-spewing old hen was a different story.
Perhaps he already had certain tendencies in this regard, and with the evil fire constantly surging within him, it was difficult for him not to be lustful!
"I won't say much more. Just be mindful of yourself."
Chu Chengzhou didn't bother lecturing further. A leopard couldn't change its spots. Ma Hongjun wasn't his real brother, so he wasn't about to waste his efforts.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, the group set off back to the academy.
Just like before, Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai ran, while Chu Chengzhou and the other six rode on two summoned spirits.
The difference this time was that Ning Rongrong refused to be squeezed in the middle by her two female friends.
As a result, Zhu Zhuqing became the "sandwich filling."
If he could, Chu Chengzhou would have loved to swap places with Xiao Wu or Ning Rongrong.
As Bai ran, Zhu Zhuqing occasionally bumped into others due to her "assets," making Xiao Wu, who was sitting in front of her, quite uncomfortable.
As for Ning Rongrong? Seeing her wrapping her arms around "Miss Abundance's" slender waist and even occasionally giving it a squeeze, Chu Chengzhou wished he could take her place.
By afternoon, they finally made it back to Shrek Academy.
Half an hour later, Wang Fugui, the manager of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce in Soto City, received news that his young mistress had returned.
It wasn't because Wang Fugui was clairvoyant; rather, he had already stationed people at the academy entrance to wait.
The young mistress had assigned him a task—how could he wait for her to ask for results? As a competent worker, he should proactively report to her!
So, Wang Fugui immediately set off for Shrek Academy, bringing along a hundred pounds of Sunfire Iron that had just been transferred from the Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Heaven Dou City.
At Shrek Academy.
Under the eaves of a wooden building, Chu Chengzhou lay on a lounge chair, cultivating his spiritual refining technique with his eyes closed.
Noticing a set of footsteps approaching from afar, he opened his eyes.
"You're… Manager Wang from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce?"
After giving the visitor a quick glance, Chu Chengzhou recognized him and quickly got up.
"Yes, that's me. Young Master Chu, may I ask where my lady is? Also, I've brought the Sunfire Iron you requested."
Wang Fugui got straight to the point.
"Ning Rongrong!"
Chu Chengzhou called toward the upper floor.
As soon as they returned to the academy, the three girls had gone upstairs. It was unclear whether they were resting or cultivating.
"What?"
Before long, a window on the second floor opened, and Ning Rongrong poked her head out.
"Manager Wang from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Chamber of Commerce is looking for you!"
"Coming!"
She responded quickly and rushed downstairs.
She had just been thinking about discussing the special Heavy Silver Bow with Chu Chengzhou when Wang Fugui arrived—perfect timing.
Moreover, since Wang Fugui was here, it meant he had already looked into Chu Chengzhou's background.
Having this intelligence in hand would give her an even stronger position in negotiations.
"Manager Wang, thank you for making the trip!"
Chu Chengzhou cupped his hands and expressed his gratitude.
"You're too polite, Young Master Chu. The materials are stored in my soul tool. Where should I put them?"
Wang Fugui waved his hand dismissively.
"Follow me."
Chu Chengzhou led Wang Fugui to the forge on the first floor.
Seeing the furnace and the forging table in the room, Wang Fugui was momentarily stunned.
Could it be that the young mistress's classmate was a blacksmith?
One of life's three hardest jobs: ferrying, blacksmithing, and grinding tofu. Why would a soul master choose to be a blacksmith? Did he get kicked in the head by a hundred-thousand-year-old donkey?
With a strange expression, Wang Fugui glanced at Chu Chengzhou.
"Ahem, Manager Wang, just leave the materials here."
Chu Chengzhou naturally noticed Wang Fugui's odd look but didn't mind.
Once the age of soul tool technology flourished, and battle armor became mainstream, even Title Douluo would have to humble themselves before top-tier blacksmiths.
Leaving the forge, they found Ning Rongrong waiting in the hall.
"Manager Wang, where are the things?"
Ning Rongrong shot a quick glance at Chu Chengzhou before addressing Wang Fugui.
"Miss, everything is here."
Wang Fugui took out a black envelope from his storage soul tool and handed it to Ning Rongrong.
Inside was intelligence he had gathered on Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu.
Since the envelope wasn't transparent, Wang Fugui wasn't worried about Chu Chengzhou seeing its contents.
"Good, you're dismissed."
Waving her hand, Ning Rongrong headed upstairs without hesitation, eager to review the information.
—
Inside her room, she quickly opened the black envelope.
[Intelligence Report]
Chu Chengzhou: Born in Year 2630 of the Continental Calendar, currently 13 years old. Martial spirit: Summoning Flag. Recorded innate soul power: Level 1 (academy registration, likely falsified). Actual soul power level unknown. Soul ring configuration and abilities undisclosed. Orphaned young, raised by his god-grandfather Su Nan, the principal of Nuoding Academy.
Xiao Wu: Born in Year 2631, currently 12 years old. Martial spirit: Soft Bone Rabbit. Entered Nuoding Academy as a one-ring soul master, likely with innate full soul power. Actual soul power level unknown. Later adopted as a god-granddaughter by Principal Su Nan and his wife.
Note: Before enrolling in Nuoding Academy, Xiao Wu suddenly appeared in the vicinity of Emperor Soul Village, where she used her one-ring cultivation to secure the village's only annual work-study student slot. No prior background information could be found. Possible extraordinary origins.
Reading the report, Ning Rongrong was stunned.
Though the intelligence didn't include their actual soul power levels, she knew them.
Chu Chengzhou, 13 years old, Level 34 Soul Elder—a true genius. With such a cultivation speed, he was likely born with full soul power.
Xiao Wu, 12 years old, Level 42 Soul Ancestor.
Good heavens—what kind of monsters were they? Could someone actually be born with innate soul power exceeding Level 10?
'I am Ning Rongrong, innate Level 9 soul power, 12 years old, Level 26 Grand Soul Master.
I have a friend, Xiao Wu, the same age, but she's already a Level 42 Soul Ancestor. I feel so inadequate…'
After the initial shock, excitement took over.
A 12-year-old Level 42 Soul Ancestor—how far could she go in the future?
Title Douluo? That was just the starting point! She might even reach the peak of the continent as a Level 99 Peerless Douluo!
If she could recruit Xiao Wu into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sect would soar to new heights!
And if Xiao Wu came, Chu Chengzhou might follow. Even if his talent wasn't as monstrous, a 13-year-old Level 34 Soul Elder was still a future Title Douluo candidate.
With the right arrangements, he could summon a 100,000-year spirit beast, making him as strong as her Sword Grandpa!
No wonder the two of them would lie about their ages. With such talent, if they didn't have a strong background, they'd have to keep a low profile. Otherwise, who knows when they might meet an untimely end?
"Ning Rongrong, you got this!"
After a long while, Ning Rongrong finally calmed her excitement and encouraged herself.
Back then, as the sect master, her father, Ning Fengzhi, was able to recruit her Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa into the sect. Now, the two grandfathers had become the pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, standing like jade columns holding up the sky and golden beams bridging the seas.
Then as the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong had to recruit Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu for the sect as well, nurturing them into the future guardians of the sect!
That evening, in the Shrek Academy cafeteria...
While eating dinner, Chu Chengzhou noticed Ning Rongrong glancing at him repeatedly, leaving him a bit puzzled.
One of life's three great illusions—does she like me?
No, no, no! He wasn't narcissistic enough to think that way. It was probably about the Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver!
But he wasn't going to bring it up first. He would just wait for Ning Rongrong to approach him.
Of course, he had no intention of passing down his metal forging techniques.
It wasn't that he was stingy, but metal forging required incredible perception. Becoming a top-tier blacksmith was even harder than becoming a peak powerhouse. He didn't have the time to teach a bunch of rough men.
Teaching a girl one-on-one was a different story, but in this era, all blacksmiths were rough men—there were no girls willing to learn forging.
After dinner, the four of them returned to the wooden dormitory together.
Knock, knock, knock—
Inside his first-floor bedroom, just as Chu Chengzhou was preparing to start his evening meditation and cultivation, a sudden knock came from the door.
Sensing a familiar presence outside, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
Creak—
With a faint sound, he opened the door.
"Something wrong?"
He asked Ning Rongrong, who was standing outside.
"Senior Chu, I have something to discuss with you! Can we talk inside?"
Glancing into his room, Ning Rongrong smiled.
"This late at night... isn't that a bit inappropriate~?"
After a brief silence, Chu Chengzhou pretended to hesitate.
Of course, while he said that, he still stepped aside.
Ning Rongrong chuckled and walked in.
Bang—
The door closed.
"Alright, what do you want to talk about?"
Chu Chengzhou pulled out a chair for her, then sat on the edge of his bed.
"Senior Chu, I want to ask you something.
My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Spirit has a treasure-seeking ability. According to my Martial Spirit's perception, Heavy Silver is indeed a precious material, but it's not considered rare. Yet, your Heavy Silver bow is ranked as a priceless treasure.
Senior Chu, can you explain why?"
Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"You want to know?"
"Yes, yes!"
Ning Rongrong nodded seriously.
"That's easy to explain. You've given me plenty of rare metals before, so I don't mind telling you."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong was immediately delighted.
"Are you familiar with the three so-called Divine Blacksmiths on the continent?" Chu Chengzhou asked.
"The three Divine Blacksmiths of today are Haotian Douluo Tang Hao, Titan, the patriarch of the Strength Clan, and the last one... I'm not sure, but I think he's from the Star Luo Empire."
Tang Hao was well-known throughout the continent, and the Strength Clan was currently based in Heaven Dou City. Since both men were either Title Douluo or Spirit Douluo, Ning Rongrong had some knowledge of them.
"The last one is Lou Gao, the president of the Blacksmith Association in Gengjin City, Star Luo Empire. What do you think of their skills?"
"They should be quite skilled, right? After all, they're called Divine Blacksmiths."
After a brief hesitation, Ning Rongrong replied.
Although she didn't think much of blacksmiths, being titled "Divine Blacksmith" must mean they were quite capable.
"That's a reasonable assumption, but in my eyes, their skills are actually lacking.
Of course, I mean their metal forging skills, not their ability to craft weapons and armor."
In terms of pure metal forging, Chu Chengzhou was confident that he was second to none on the continent.
But when it came to crafting weapons, armor, or even farming tools like sickles and hoes, he was a complete amateur. He wasn't even at the level of a second-rate craftsman. Any ordinary blacksmith with years of experience could outdo him in that regard.
"Forging? Senior Chu, is that the reason my Martial Spirit perceives your Heavy Silver bow as a priceless treasure?"
Ning Rongrong blinked and asked.
"That's right. You can think of it as my forging process having elevated and transformed the metal's properties.
Aside from me, even the most skilled blacksmiths on the continent can only refine metal up to a certain stage. I call that stage the 'Hundred Refinements.'
After the Hundred Refinements comes the Thousand Refinements, which grants the metal spiritual qualities.
My Heavy Silver bow was forged using Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver."
Chu Chengzhou gave Ning Rongrong a brief lesson on metal forging.