Cen Yue walked at the front with a Level 6 Forging Master badge pinned to his chest, with the other Blacksmiths following closely behind.
Arthur and Mu Xi were at the tail end of the group.
Mu Xi wore a Level 3 badge on her chest, while Arthur didn't wear anything.
Just kidding, if he wore his Level 5 badge, the others would be mentally prepared, and then how could he show off?
"Arthur, I watched yesterday's match. You're too amazing. Even Shrek was no match for you."
"You already know what my strength is like."
The two chatted. On the side, Tang Wulin heard someone praising Arthur and immediately joined the conversation.
He was now a loyal Arthur fan.
This wasn't just because of the other's powerful strength, but also because of Arthur's companionship back when he was at his loneliest.
"Brother Arthur! You were so cool yesterday taking on seven people by yourself!" Tang Wulin excitedly squeezed between the two, his eyes shining as if they were glowing. "If only I could be with you."
"There will be a chance." Arthur thought for a moment and began to give Tang Wulin a vision. "Cultivate well. When the time comes to go to Shrek, I'll take you there and we'll beat them all up."
The best way to conquer geniuses was to fight them—to beat them into submission.
"Really? Can I do that too?" Tang Wulin was a bit excited, not asking if he could join Shrek, but if he could be carried by Arthur.
He originally had some reverence for Shrek, but after watching yesterday's match, he felt Shrek was just so-so, easy to get into. Those people's performance wasn't even as good as those who lasted longer against Arthur.
Mu Xi watched the two of them playing along and couldn't help but chuckle.
Walking in front, Zheng Tianlin felt sour listening to the commotion behind him. He actually had some feelings for Mu Xi, but ever since Arthur arrived, Mu Xi had been revolving around him all day.
Unfortunately, he really couldn't compare to Arthur in any aspect.
Zheng Tianlin's footsteps grew heavy, and he couldn't help but glance back. He happened to see Mu Xi smiling at Arthur, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration, while Arthur only responded casually.
Witnessing this scene, he felt even worse.
The competition venue was in a gymnasium near the Tianhai Stadium. Inside, over a hundred advanced forging tables were set up, much better than the studios outside.
There weren't many spectators in the stands. On the rostrum sat many big shots from the forging world, all at Level 5 or above.
Yes, one was considered a big shot starting from Level 5. Arthur was also one of them.
The Junior Division started first. The rule was Hundred Forging purification within a time limit; those who failed to finish would be eliminated immediately.
The Materials delivered to the forging table were lanyun copper.
This was an extremely difficult rare metal to forge. He hadn't expected it to be used for the Junior Division.
"The competition begins!"
Forging lanyun copper required careful observation first, so no one moved.
However, to save time for the Individual Competition, Tang Wulin shook his head and directly swung his Thousand Forging Heavy Silver Hammer to get to work.
Loud "bang bang bang" sounds echoed throughout the gymnasium. He became the first person to start.
On the rostrum, several big shots frowned. "This child is too reckless. Forging lanyun copper requires careful observation first. I wonder who taught him."
Seeing this, Arthur had an idea. His eyes darted around as he took out his forging hammer and struck down hard.
"Boom!!"
The terrifying roar shook the entire venue. The force of this strike was even more powerful than the roar of Tang Wulin's Heavy Silver Hammer, making the surrounding forging tables vibrate slightly. The sparse audience in the stands instantly erupted into an uproar.
"There's another expert?"
"What is this kid doing? Is he just trying to seek attention?"
But in the next second, Tang Wulin entered a state of total concentration, swinging his twin hammers fast and heavy, the "bang bang" sounds never-ending. It was clear he had already found his own rhythm.
Arthur was completely different. The sound of every strike was startling, and the intervals were completely irregular.
It was painful for those watching in the stands, and even more painful for those competing.
Every Blacksmith had their own forging rhythm. Once the rhythm was affected, they would be disrupted.
So, a hundred people forging simultaneously was originally a test for them.
But with Arthur pulling stunts like this, how could they maintain their rhythm?!
It seemed like every strike from Arthur carried a sense of suffocation. The rhythm was awkward, as if he were just casually hammering iron.
In fact, that was exactly the case. Every one of his strikes was truly based on his mood.
"This way, the top spots should all belong to our Eastsea Blacksmith Association," Arthur thought silently. This was his goal.
For those who were affected, he only wanted to say: "If you're bad, practice more."
Mu Xi and the others from the Eastsea Blacksmith Association remained unfazed, focusing on their own forging.
Actually, they were used to it.
Usually at the association, Arthur would pull some stunts whenever he felt like it; this was considered gentle.
As for Tang Wulin not being affected, that was because his talent was truly good and he was extremely focused.
"Nonsense!"
The big shots on the rostrum had dark expressions. One said with dissatisfaction, "This youth is simply a troublemaker! Such disorganized hammering is purely to interfere with others' competition!"
"Thump!"
A solid wood chair was slammed hard. The roaring big shot's face was flushed red.
Pointing in Arthur's direction, his beard trembled with rage. "How can there be a competition like this! This is clearly intentional interference. The Eastsea Association is playing dirty!"
His Disciple was standing in the middle of the arena, forging hammer held mid-air, his face pale.
Arthur's irregular booming shook him so much that he became irritable. The textures of the lanyun copper he had originally mastered and was familiar with were all messed up, and he didn't even have the courage to strike.
Hearing this, Cen Yue took a step forward and said in a deep voice, "Grandmaster Zhang, you are mistaken."
"Forging emphasizes being free from distractions. Anti-interference ability is also a part of one's strength. My association's Disciple hasn't broken any rules or cheated. He's forging with his own skill. How is that playing dirty?"
This retort left Grandmaster Zhang speechless, but seeing his Disciple's helpless state, he was still indignant. "That's not forging at all! It's just blind banging! I want to appeal! I'm going to report this to the Blacksmith Association Headquarters!"
"I'm going to report this to the headquarters!"
Cen Yue shrugged helplessly and took a step back.
Then go ahead and report it.
Who doesn't know that Zhen Hua is the Senior Brother of our Eastsea Association's President, Mu Chen?
What's the use of reporting it to him?
Zhen Hua: Arthur, what do you think?
Arthur: Who in the court dares to accuse this official?!
...Even with his random hammering, Arthur was the first to finish forging.
"Sorry, everyone. If you're bad, practice more."
Arthur left those words behind, casually tossed the forged blank to the referee, and said, "Done. I'm leaving first. Time to eat, time to eat. Otherwise, the Soul Master competition will start soon."
Time to eat?!
Tang Wulin, who was originally focused on hammering, immediately perked up his ears and became anxious.
He wanted to eat too!
Although his appetite had decreased after losing the Golden Dragon King, his enthusiasm for eating hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Eating was one of life's greatest pleasures.
If you're not proactive about eating, there's something wrong with your mindset.
"Bang bang bang bang bang..." Tang Wulin frantically accelerated his hammering. Eat, eat!
Before the others could even breathe a sigh of relief after Arthur finished and adjust their state, Tang Wulin, who followed up by speeding up his rhythm, threw them into disarray again.
"Another one from the Eastsea Association! Is there no end to this?!"
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