Master Zhang cursed loudly, but this time no one replied to him.
Turning their heads, they found everyone quietly looking in the same direction—at the metal Arthur had just finished forging.
The gazes of the entire audience instantly focused on that piece of embryo; the big shots on the rostrum stared wide-eyed.
It was indeed Hundred Forging, no mistake.
But this purity, this density... every aspect had reached the ultimate limit of Hundred Forging.
Even if it were just a tiny bit better, it would be Thousand Forging.
Someone immediately shouted for the referee to bring Arthur's piece of metal over.
"This... is this really Hundred Forging?" After observing it closely, a big shot murmured in shock, "Purity, density, Soul Power conductivity—everything is just right."
"The control of strength is precise to the millimeter! Every strike stopped exactly at the threshold of Hundred Forging; any more would have been Thousand Forging!"
In other words, if Arthur had made even the slightest mistake, this piece of metal wouldn't be Hundred Forging, but Thousand Forging.
Such terrifying control.
One must know that lanyun copper was already famous for being difficult to forge. Although a second-rank Blacksmith could achieve Hundred Forging, few of the Grandmasters present could pull off Arthur's move.
Master Zhang froze on the spot, the anger on his face long gone.
He had just called Arthur a rogue, but this ultimate'stopping at the right moment' operation showed more skill than Thousand Forging.
Thousand Forging relied on accumulation, while this precise control at the threshold relied on absolute mastery over strength, Materials, and Soul Power. This was a dual crushing of talent and strength!
"Cen Yue, your Eastsea Association is hiding things deeper than anyone else!"
...Quickly finishing his forging, Tang Wulin also tossed it aside and chased after him: "Brother Su Qiu, wait for me! I want to eat too!"
Mu Xi watched enviously; her skill wasn't enough yet, she still needed some time.
They found a noodle shop.
Arthur and Tang Wulin were both slurping noodles frantically.
"Slurp—" Tang Wulin stuffed a large mouthful of noodles into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and said indistinctly, "Brother Su Qiu, your forging is really amazing."
This was his first time seeing Arthur forge with his own eyes.
The feeling Arthur's forging gave off was that he could do whatever he wanted. In the end, he would succeed, which was incredibly ridiculous.
"Eat up quickly; you can't fight in the Individual Competition on an empty stomach." Arthur took a sip of the noodle soup. The spiciness slid down his throat, warming his whole body.
Just then, a little Fatty walked over.
"You guys like eating here too."
Xu Lizhi sat down nearby with a large bowl of noodles, slurping away: "I've visited all the restaurants nearby, and this one is the most delicious."
Arthur looked up and glanced at the newcomer, recognizing him as Xu Lizhi from Shrek Academy. He nodded with a smile: "It is indeed quite good. The broth is flavorful, and the noodles are chewy."
Tang Wulin remained silent. He also recognized the other party as the Shrek teammate who had been on stage yesterday, wondering what his plan was.
After chatting for a while, Xu Lizhi finally revealed his true intentions: "Big Brother Su Qiu."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, after losing yesterday, many people in our team were dissatisfied, so they signed up for the competition temporarily. It's the seven-person team competition, just like your East Sea Academy."
"You guys haven't lost badly enough yet?" Tang Wulin was shocked. Was someone actually rushing to get beaten up?
Hearing this, Xu Lizhi waved his hand and said vaguely, "I don't understand these things. I don't know why, but they somehow decided to have another match."
After finishing the last bite of noodles and wiping his mouth, he said seriously, "Big Brother Su Qiu, could you please go a bit easier on Sister Xinglan when the time comes?"
Arthur had just finished a mouthful of noodles. Hearing this, he paused, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Xu Lizhi: "Ye Xinglan?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Xu Lizhi nodded repeatedly, his honest face full of pleading. "Sister Xinglan cried for a long time yesterday..."
Holy crap, a simp!
"Sigh." Arthur didn't say anything. After finishing his meal, he and Tang Wulin stood up to leave.
Before leaving, he patted Xu Lizhi's shoulder: "Don't worry, business is business. Last time was because there was a conflict.
"Now that the conflict has been resolved, I will treat it normally this time."
"You should go back and give them a heads-up so they don't lose even more miserably and can't handle it."
Shrek is truly crazy. They're actually thinking about fighting again?
Yesterday was fine.
But this time, Gu Yue and Naer are joining the battlefield. I wonder if their Dao Hearts will be shattered... Inside the competition arena, it was bustling with excitement. The Junior Division contestants had at most three spirit rings.
Therefore, the one-on-one arena was a circular platform thirty meters in diameter. Martial Soul Abilities were interwoven between adjacent fields, creating a dazzling sight.
After parting ways with Tang Wulin, Arthur arrived at the competition platform he had drawn.
There was a soul-guided defensive shield around the competition platform.
After seeing Arthur's appearance, the referee's eyelids flickered as he forced himself to explain the rules calmly: "The rules of the competition are simple. Fight to your heart's content, no need for restraint. I will intervene at the appropriate time to ensure your safety. If one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight, they will be judged the loser. If there is a huge disparity, I will also make a judgment. You have thirty seconds of preparation time. I will count down the last five seconds. Start preparing."
A slightly chubby youth came onto the stage opposite him. After seeing that his opponent was Arthur, his expression went blank.
Arthur was a celebrity now.
With the official promotion, he had quickly become popular across the entire Federation.
But he was most popular locally in Tianhai. Overnight, he had become the idol of all the young Soul Masters in the cities of the Tianhai Alliance.
The next moment, the youth pointed at Arthur excitedly: "You, you, you... You are!"
By then, the countdown had ended.
"Match start!"
Arthur quickly stepped forward and easily captured his opponent.
Strangely, the other party didn't resist at all.
The youth's face turned red, but he was visibly happy: "Heavens, I was defeated by Arthur!"
"Big Brother Su Qiu, I'm your idol—no, no, you're my fan..."
He forced out two fingers, happily making a peace sign toward the spectator stands. It seemed someone was taking a photo in that direction.
Arthur couldn't hold it in and let go.
Was he being treated like a celebrity?
The youth had no Battle Intent at all and hadn't even activated his Martial Soul. He turned to look at Arthur, his eyes shining like stars: "Big Brother Su Qiu, can you cooperate with me and strike another pose? Just for a second!"
Helpless, Arthur symbolically raised his hand and pressed it on his shoulder. The youth immediately straightened his body, his face wrinkling with a smile, radiating happiness toward the camera.
"Alright, alright." The referee couldn't bear to watch any longer. He coughed lightly and announced loudly, "Arthur wins! Next group, prepare!"
...The morning matches ended quickly. The team competition wouldn't start until the afternoon. The Class Zero members gathered at the hotel.
"You all passed smoothly, right?" Tang Wulin asked with a smile.
"Of course! With my strength, the first round was a guaranteed pass!" Xie Xie had a smug look on his face.
Gu Yue shook her head: "This competition is quite easy. I just hope to run into Arthur later, preferably in the finals."
Since they had already agreed that he would lose to her on purpose, it would be best for it to be the most-watched match—the finals.
"Hmph, you're so sure you'll definitely beat me?" Na'er snorted, unconvinced.
Gu Yue just smiled and said nothing.
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