Amid the shocked gazes of the crowd, Huaiyan's palm gripping the iron ingot suddenly exerted force, and the solid iron ingot deformed in an instant, kneaded into a ball like rubber clay.
Yingxing: ?
"The pinnacle of a craftsman is far from just forging exquisite works with tools. If one day you have no suitable tools at hand, the only thing you can rely on is your own flesh and blood!"
"Drink up!"
Huaiyan punched the iron ingot, and the terrifying kinetic energy converted into thermal energy, instantly heating the iron ingot red-hot!
The crowd: "Oh oh oh! There it is! It's General Huaiyan's bare-handed smelting divine technique!"
Yingxing: ??
"After heating it red-hot, what needs to be done next is reshaping and forging!"
Huaiyan gripped the red-hot iron ingot with his bare hands, stretching and flinging it like pulling noodles. His movements were natural and graceful, as if he were dancing some kind of dance... A few minutes later, a one-to-one replica hand puppet of Yingxing was fully formed.
Huaiyan took a deep breath and blew fiercely at the red-hot hand puppet!
Whoosh—
The red-hot hand puppet was instantly cooled and solidified by this breath, clanging as it dropped in front of Yingxing.
"Gulp."
Yingxing laboriously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Only he himself knew how badly his legs were shaking. He glanced at Huaiyan with fearful eyes, then "thud" knelt on the ground. "Mas... Master, please accept this disciple."
"..."
The recollection ended here.
Huaiyan said with some emotion: "That kid back then was the same; it was this master who used patient guidance to reform him. Thinking back now, it's truly nostalgic."
He extended his thick and sturdy arm and said: "Therefore, young friend Clara, this old man also wants to show you this old man's strength, to prove that this old man will absolutely not mislead the youth."
...
Switching back to Stelle's perspective...
"So, that's how they ended up arm-wrestling?"
Stelle widened her eyes and asked.
Cocolia shrugged: "Mhm, it's already been a stalemate for five minutes. I estimate that if they keep going like this, the table will crack before the two of them decide a winner."
Stelle asked again: "Then what about that Little Guizi you mentioned earlier? Where is she?"
"You mean that video blogger? Seems like she was worried they'd start fighting and went to find the Cloud Knights."
"This..."
Stelle opened her mouth, but in the end, not a single word came out. She looked depressedly at Clara and Huaiyan, then asked: "So, how did you two come to the Xianzhou? No... why are the two of you the ones who came to the Xianzhou?"
"According to the original plot, shouldn't it have been Luka and Mr. Svarog who came?"
"We hitched a ride with the company's transport." Cocolia said: "As for why it's the two of us, that's a long story."
One month ago, in Belobog.
Gepard: "Iron Guard Cocolia, this Great Guardian now has an important task to assign to you. Listen carefully..."
Cocolia glanced at her watch, then let out a cold laugh: "To hell with your Great Guardian. During work hours, I don't mind you calling yourself by your title, but now that it's after hours, what should you call me? Hm?"
"Cocolia, do you want to have a go at it?!" Gepard's forehead veins bulged: "I've had my eye on you for a long time!"
"The feeling's mutual." Cocolia crossed her arms and said: "But if you want to make a move, come at me. I definitely won't fight back. Heh."
Gepard "tsk"ed, "You really think I wouldn't dare lay a hand on you, don't you..."
Bang!
Serval, who happened to be passing by, fiercely gave Gepard a punch to the back of his head and said: "Gepard, don't talk to your Landau sis like that! (Note: Cocolia's full name is Cocolia Rand)"
Gepard: "Cocolia, you!"
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, I still need to go shopping and eating with Serval." Cocolia sneered: "The company recently opened some spa that sounds pretty nice..."
Gepard took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the jealousy in his heart, and said: "Belobog's interstellar communication system has been restored recently, and we received an invitation to the Martial Exhibition from the Xianzhou [Luofu]."
"I asked the company people, and they said the Xianzhou is one of the top major powers in the galaxy. Many galactic powers will participate at that time. As the Great Guardian, I order you to go and win the championship for me, to bring fame to Belobog."
Cocolia: "This shouldn't be within the Iron Guard's scope of duties, right? Why is it that every time there's some big event, it's all dumped on me?"
Gepard: "There's a saying: the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. There are two spots, but between you and me, one must stay in Serv... stay in Belobog to oversee things. If you don't go, then it has to be me."
Cocolia didn't hesitate in the slightest: "Then you go."
Gepard let out a cold laugh: "Unfortunately, I'm the Great Guardian, so you have to go."
Cocolia let out a cold snort, but in front of Serval, she wasn't too keen on openly refusing, so she temporarily shifted the topic: "Then what about the other spot? Who else can go?"
"Me!" Serval interrupted their conversation and said: "I'm the Garrison Commander of the Silvermane Guards, and in the Administrative District, there aren't many in terms of strength—"
"Not approved." Gepard said flatly.
It was well-known that the Belobog trio's team compositions were quite peculiar: Gepard + Cocolia (√), Gepard + Cocolia + Serval (√), Gepard + Serval (×), Cocolia + Serval (×).
"Ha? Gepard, are you deliberately picking a fight?" Cocolia was furious: "What's the reason?"
"The position of Silvermane Guards Garrison Commander is an important one; it cannot be vacant for even a day. Is this reason acceptable?" Gepard said righteously.
Cocolia: "You just said this competition is very important, right? A Garrison Commander's position being vacant can just be filled by any adjutant for a couple days. But this competition represents Belobog's image in the galaxy—absolutely no room for fooling around."
"Of course I know that." Gepard nodded: "So, I found a helper with even more authority. In that 'violent assault case' a few months ago, I personally experienced her strength."
Cocolia was slightly taken aback: "Who are you talking about? That Seele? It's not impossible; it would be perfect to separate her from Bronya..."
Gepard chuckled: "You're overthinking it. I'd love to watch the drama between you and your little one at home—why would I help you resolve it? You're too naive."
"The one I'm talking about is the veritable underground boss of the Underworld, the controller of all the drones in the Underworld—even that guy Svarog can only bow his head to her: Miss Clara."
Cocolia crossed her arms and said: "Tch... indeed, that child does seem quite strong, but what makes you so sure she'll help you? Are you close to her or something?"
Gepard once again gave Cocolia a mocking smile and said: "She'll agree, because..."
He pulled open his collar, and there, was a mark that seemed to have been left by being strangled barehanded.
"She owes me a favor."