Skysea City was situated in an area surrounded by much more mountains than Eastsea City and many buildings were built into the slopes, adding to their high-low appearance. Some skyscrapers even seemed to pierce right through the clouds.
The official delegation from Eastsea City had already been in contact with the representatives from Skysea City.
The four students of class zero were the youngest amongst the competitors from Eastsea City and naturally werenât too attentive to their surroundings, simply following the group.
They were led to a luxurious hotel that was rather special; half of it was within the ocean and each room had a breathtaking view that truly emphasized to all the guests that they were by the ocean.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie shared a room while Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan were placed in another room.
Tomorrow was the opening ceremony of the tournament and lots to decide the matches would be drawn. Wu Zhangkong had given the bare minimum explanation which had lacked any sort of warnings or advice.
The doorbell rang.
Tang Wulin quickly opened the door, revealing the charming Mu Xi.
âCome with me!â Mu Xi grabbed his hand and dragged him out.
Tang Wulin just barely managed to look back and shout, âXie Xie, Iâm going out with my senior disciple sister first. Iâll be back later.â
âGo, just go already.â Xie Xie was already laying on his bed resting with his eyes closed. He hadnât had a moment of reprieve from Wu Zhangkongâs glacial aura and the glares of the surrounding women during the entire trip whilst sitting next to his teacher. Now that he was free from that tormenting environment, fatigue drained his energy while sleep overwhelmed his consciousness.
âSenior disciple sister, slow down. Just what are we doing?â Tang Wulin pleaded. \nâWe have a meeting.â Mu Xiâs short reply left no room for debate. She turned a corner and, seeing that there werenât many people around, Mu Xi quickly pinched Tang Wulinâs delicate cheeks.
âSenior disciple sister!â Tang Wulin waved his arms in protest.
âPinching you means that I respect you. Your cheeks are nice to pinch. Okay, weâre here.â Mu Xi pushed Tang Wulin into a room as she spoke.
Over a dozen people were present in the room, each wearing the familiar badge of a blacksmith.
The leader of the delegation from the Blacksmithâs Association was someone Tang Wulin knewâCen Yue. Aside from Cen Yue, the others were unfamiliar faces that ranged from their late teens to their early twenties. Â
Cen Yueâs stern expression transformed into a beaming smile the moment Tang Wulin and Mu Xi walked in.
âYouâre here, Wulin? Come, Iâll introduce you to the other outstanding blacksmiths of your generation.â
There were a couple people that stood out to Tang Wulinâa youth around eighteen years old named Zheng Tianlin and a young man a little over twenty named Tang Wenhao. Â
They both had their own peculiarities. Zheng Tianlin had a pair of extraordinarily long arms that reached just past his knees and wore a third rank blacksmith badge while Tang Wenhao wore a fourth rank badge. They were the most skilled individuals in the room after Cen Yue.
Although Mu Xi was extremely talented, she was still only a second rank blacksmith. Mu Chenâs strict attitude toward her had meant that he refused to pass her as a third rank blacksmith until her Thousand Refinements stabilized.
âNow that everyone is present, Iâll begin. I believe youâre all aware that although Eastsea City hasnât achieved any exemplary results in the Skysea Alliance Tournaments of late, our Eastsea Blacksmithâs Association is an exception to that. We managed to attain third place in the junior division, and first in the youth division last year. Wenhao, do your best this time to bring us glory in the adult division.â \nTang Wenhao had an average appearance and a sturdy body. A calm light twinkled in his eyes as he said, âYes, teacher.â
It was only then that Tang Wulin realized Tang Wenhao was Cen Yueâs direct disciple.
A satisfied smile formed on Cen Yueâs lips. âYou will definitely receive excellent results as long as you perform your usual bestâ
Cen Yue then turned to Zheng Tianlin. âTianlin, youâve made a lot of progress in these last two years and have stabilized your foundation. If youâre able to forge at your personal best, then you should do well too. I hope youâll breakthrough soon and reach fourth rank.â
âYes, Master Cen.â Zheng Tianlin nodded but not only was his attitude disrespectful, it was filled with disdain and arrogance.
Finally, Cen Yue turned to Tang Wulin and Mu Xi. âLast of all are the two of you. If you were to ask me who I was most confident in with regards to the adult, youth, and juvenile division, I would definitely have said it would be you two brats. I donât think I need to give either of you any advice. Just perform as you always do and youâll surely bring back the title of champion. Iâll be waiting to celebrate.â
Everyone in the room eyed the two at these words. They could accept it if it had only been directed to Mu Xi, but Tang Wulin was an unknown face.
The matter of Tang Wulin becoming President Mu Chenâs disciple had been kept confidential and the only ones who knew this were Mu Chen himself, Cen Yue, and Mu Xi. It was for this reason that none of the other blacksmiths recognized him.
Tang Wenhao was shocked that his teacher had praised this newcomer. He glanced at Tang Wulin and gave him a nod of acknowledgment. Tang Wulin hastily reciprocated. \nZheng Tianlin smiled. âJunior sister Mu Xi is quickly approaching third rank so the junior division should be no problem for her. The championâs prize is almost already hers.â
Mu Xi would have accepted such praise before having met Tang Wulin since she truly was one of the greatest of her generation. Now, however, a little monster stood beside her. How could she accept such praise knowing full well the gap between her and Tang Wulin? He was already a fourth rank blacksmith despite being four years younger than her.
âDonât say such nonsense. Thereâs no way I can become the champion,â Mu Xi quickly said.
Zheng Tianlin thought she was being modest and laughed. âHow could you not? Being able to reach the second rank is already amazing for your age, not to mention approaching third rank.â He hadnât even thought of acknowledging Tang Wulin since the beginning.
Although Tang Wulin was taller than his peers, at most, he could only be considered a thirteen-year-old child. Apart from Tang Wenhao who noted Cen Yueâs expectant gaze towards Tang Wulin, everyone else held the same assumptions as Zheng Tianlin. They thought Tang Wulin was merely present to create a contrast for Mu Xiâs brilliance.
Tang Wulin didnât mind this assessment at all; in fact, he wasnât concerned at all. Mang Tian had repeatedly warned him to stay low-key within the Blacksmithâs Association as it was only then would he be able to progress further.
He trusted Mang Tianâs advice, and Mu Chenâs lectures had only served to further reinforce this idea. It was for this reason that he truly intended to give Mu Xi the championship in this competition. He would be rewarded with both the second and first place prizes anyway. What reason did he have to decline?
Cen Yue didnât try to allay their assumptions since his primary goal was Tang Wulinâs safety. B Mu Chen had explained to Tang Wulin before their departure that if it wasnât for his insane improvement speed and connection with the world of blacksmiths, Mu Chen would not have let him compete. \nWhat Tang Wulin wasnât aware of was that there was a limited number of spots for participating in high-level competitions and having reached fourth rank, Tang Wulin qualified for them.
Cen Yue said, âNow Iâll explain how the competition will be run this time. Letâs start with the junior division. You can leave after hearing the information relevant to you.â He still prioritized Tang Wulin in the end. Of course, in the eyes of the other blacksmiths, it was simply Cen Yue showing consideration for Mu Xi.
âThe three divisions arenât that different; itâs just that the junior division focuses on blacksmithing fundamentals. The first round disqualifies contestants who cannot hundred refine. No one knows what metal you will be asked to forge. The top sixty-four participants from the first round will then compete in the second round where you freely display your ability with the same metal from before. You will be awarded points based on the grade of the final product. As for the third round, you will be shaping the metal you forged in the second round. Thatâs it. There are only three rounds. To secure a good position, however, you will need to surprise everyone. When that time comes, just do you best and you should be fine. The association will grant you an additional award if you place within the top eight, and an amazing award if itâs the top three. Youâll even have the opportunity to participate in other blacksmithing competitions. I hope youâll keep this in mind and do you best because the spots for other competitions isnât up to me. If you place in the top three, the medal awarded will be your ticket into the upper levels of the world of blacksmithing, understand?â \n