---
Tu Hongwu completely ignored Gongsun Mu. With a wave of his hand, dozens of pieces of gear vanished.
Gongsun Mu, watching from the side, hopped in frustration and started stuffing items into his own system space.
Normally, retrieving gear he'd summoned would be a thought away, but just as he tried,
he realized this patch of space had been locked down by that old bastard Tu Hongwu.
And he couldn't do a thing about it. Tu Hongwu's title—Blood Slaughter God—wasn't just for show; it was carved out through countless dungeons and worlds, kill by bloody kill!
Forget that Tu's level outstripped his—even back when Tu wasn't a God-rank, he could still cut down gods against the odds.
Gongsun, a lifestyle profession God-rank, was leagues behind in combat power.
"Stop it, stop! That's a women's armor—what're you taking it for?! That demi-god weapon—your disciple can't even use it! What's the point?! You can't take that one—I made it for Old Chu's nephew!
You can't grab that either—the Hua family paid me to craft it…
Not that one either…"
Tu Hongwu smirked and tossed a few pieces aside:
"If they're off-limits, why'd you bring 'em out? You're just screwing around!"
"I told your disciple to pick one—I didn't expect you to rob me blind! If he'd just taken one, I could've whipped up another in no time. Look at the mess you've made!"
"Stingy as hell—not a shred of manliness. If I had this stuff, I'd dump it all on my disciple without a second thought!"
Tu kept yapping while shoving more gear into his system space.
"Bullshit! He's your disciple, not mine! Everyone knows you're dirt-poor—you've got nothing but hot air!"
Gongsun Mu was fuming. In a blink, the hundred-plus items were split between them, leaving Su Mo staring, head full of black lines.
"You never cared about this junk before—why're you snatching it now? Your disciple can't use half of it! Give me back the extras—
that no-level Fang Tian Halberd in there, I promised to make it for someone a while back. Hand it over."
Tu Hongwu shook his head flat-out:
"Nope. The rest I could let slide, but my disciple's got his eye on that halberd. He can use it too. Just spend a few days forging another."
With that, Tu pulled three items from his system space and handed them to Su Mo.
Exactly the ones Su Mo had scoped out: the Yue-Breaking Fang Tian Halberd, the Void-Tiger Blade, and the Forced Awakening Stone.
Tu had nabbed those for him from the start. As for the rest—
sure, his disciple couldn't use them now, but who knows about later?
Even if he didn't, they'd make great gifts.
Su Mo eyed the Fang Tian Halberd in his hands, recalling Old Man Wang mentioning a no-level halberd for him. Same type—could it be this one?
He turned to Gongsun Mu:
"Senior Craftsman God, can I ask—was this halberd forged for a principal named Wang?"
Gongsun Mu paused, puzzled. Though he'd nearly brawled with Tu Hongwu, he stayed calm with Su Mo.
Clearly, this kind of squabble was old hat for them.
After a moment's thought, he answered:
"Yeah, that little guy's a principal now, huh? What—you know him?"
That cinched it for Su Mo—80% sure. But he doubled down:
"From Tianfu City?"
"Yep, that's the one. Why're you asking? No big deal—if you like that halberd, it's yours. I'm not snatching it back. It's just a weapon—
worst case, I'll spend a few days crafting another. I, Gongsun Mu, might not have much, but I've got gear to spare."
He thumped his chest with a bang, nothing like the guy who'd just been scrapping with Tu over loot.
"Uh, Senior Craftsman God, you might not need to reforge it. This gear was commissioned by Principal Wang for me—
supposed to be mine after I become this year's top scorer. Didn't expect it to line up like this."
"Hahaha, good, good, good! Ambitious kid—Great Xia's talent pool never runs dry!"
"Of course! Look whose disciple he is! Alright, stash that gear and get back to the exam. Once you're top scorer, I'll come pick you up!"
Su Mo held the halberd in his left hand, the tiger blade in his right. His old Zhanmadao? Tu Hongwu had kicked it aside like trash.
In Tu's words: "A Level 60 blank weapon? What's that for? My disciple can't be seen with that junk—you're not embarrassed, but I am!"
Before, Su Mo had fretted over finding better gear. Now, he felt like he had too much to handle.
Glancing at the two—who'd been red-faced and ready to throttle each other a second ago, now chatting amiably—he couldn't wrap his head around it.
Shaking it off, he couldn't help asking: "Master, won't handing me gear during the exam get flagged as cheating?"
Tu Hongwu's blood-red brows shot up as he roared: "I'd like to see who dares!"
"Little Mo, no need to worry," Gongsun Mu cut in. "Those noble heirs awaken 10-plus years early thanks to their ancestors' merits.
You've taken Tu Hongwu as your master now—say what you will, that comes with some perks. This isn't cheating. Go take your exam in peace.
The Blood Slaughter God taking a disciple? That's no small deal—we've got prep to do. Gonna surprise you later."
With that, Gongsun Mu and Tu Hongwu stepped out, vanishing in an instant.
Su Mo fondled his two new toys, growing fonder by the second.
Especially knowing he could give his sister a second awakening when he got back.
He'd been stressing about leveling up before finishing this dungeon.
But now, with his experience bar sealed by his master, he could slaughter to his heart's content!
This time, he'd set a goal: break all his attributes past 1,000 before the exam ended.
…
Soon after, deep in the forest, a tiger's roar echoed. A flood of Three-Eye Clan swarmed toward Su Mo.
Gripping the Void-Tiger Blade, feeling the monsters charging from all directions,
Su Mo's grin stretched skyward.
As a proper damage dealer, he'd finally fused strength, defense, and taunts into one!
No more chasing monsters—just stand still, pop a Tiger Roar, and they'd come running. Absolute bliss!!!
Bring it on! Perfect chance to test my new gear!
---