Chapter 49: Mu Xi

(AN: Sorry for the delay, I was just busy.)

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Wanting to use a decade or so cultivated killing intent at someone who inherited a more than thousand year old monster that's been killing almost all his life? Yeah, that's a bad idea.

Xiu Ye innocently grinned at the now more serious and wary looking Wu Zhangkong, his hand still playing around with Blaze Cutter. He made sure to concentrate his killing intent at the latter than letting it get out of control and spread across the other students, less he traumatize more of them this time.

As embarrassing as it sounds, he didn't know about this little trick of his, projecting out the literal killing intent cultivated by Genryūsai Yamamoto when he killed numerous criminals and hollows mercilessly, up until now.

When Wu Zhangkong let out that little amount of killing intent, Xiu Ye thought about why didn't he do something like that? He tried doing what the former did, which was why he stood still like an idiot, and like a switch had flipped, huge amount of killing intent began to appear.

Like, wow, a whole lot. If Xiu Ye didn't know what was a true domain was, he would have thought he had unleashed one. Wait, hold on on that thought. Couldn't he cultivate this killing intent of his into a domain? Though comes the problem, he needs a lot of... resources to create a Killing Domain or Blood Domain.

Bah, let's just go with Death God's Domain; cause trying to create a domain out of blood and killing intent sounds entirely similar to what Tang San did to create his domain.

Time slowly passes by and Wu Zhangkong continues silently glaring at Xiu Ye, his blue white soul power fluctuated around chaotically. At first, when he retreated, he released his full Soul Emperor soul power and caused most of the students nearby to feel suffocated and powerless by its pressure. Before he calm down and lowered his aura down to Soul Master, and it then rose up to Soul Ancestor and back down again to Soul Master.

It was clear that he was unsettled. Who wouldn't when they're facing against a small child using a more powerful killing intent than himself, a Soul Emperor, and possibly even a Title Douluo?

But it was also quite clear to him, for someone to achieve this level of killing intent; they had killed a lot of people before. A whole lot.

He has a lot of questions to ask the boy but...

'Not here.' Wu Zhangkong slowly takes back his soul power into his body now that he was calming down, his eyes started losing some of its coldness and fear. What remained was total icy wariness and respect.

He then announced, with his usual tone of voice, "Xiu Ye is the winner, I lost."

Xiu Ye froze. The flames surrounding his body, extinguished immediately.

"...What?"

Wu Zhangkong walked forward and stopped in front of Xiu Ye, his arms behind his back, expression aloof as he added. "My weapon was destroyed, so I no longer have a weapon to use against you, hence it is my defeat. You won and you may step down so the next students would begin their match."

Xiu Ye was speechless, 'You no longer have a weapon? I won? The fuck kind of excuse is that?' The entire turn of the situation completely made him unable to have a proper reaction on what to do. Should he be angry that the entire match between them was so short? That his victory against Wu Zhangkong was by cutting his belt? Or should he be satisfied that he won a fight against a Soul Emperor?

...Nah, he was pretty unsatisfied of it all. He was so pumped up in fighting him, and all he got was a short exchange? Whatever, he's going out of here.

"Sure, um, it was a good fight I guess? I got something to do so I'm going to head out now. Wulin, I'll see you later okay?"

Xiu Ye simply nodded at Wu Zhangkong and turned to walk away from the field, ignoring the awed and respectful looks the class five students were shooting at him, he hurried his way back to his dorm room to stabilize his foundation that he'd been putting off.

Wu Zhangkong's eyes followed behind the small figure of Xiu Ye, he knew that there was something more to the boy than meets the eye, and he was going to try to find out what.

.....

Mu Xi was in a bad mood recently. It should've been her most glorious day two days ago. However, it was ruined by a sudden change in circumstances.

Just as she completed her forging and refining and had passed all the assessments, thus gaining herself the title of second-rank blacksmith, she was informed that during her assessment, a pair of nine-year-old kids succeeded in the third and fourth rank blacksmith tests.

Nine years old? Was that even possible?

This was simply unbelievable!

Since the time not long after she was born, her favourite pastime had been to observe her father as he forged. Her father had mentioned that this rough and weight-laden process of forging was not suitable for girls, but was for men. However, the stubborness in her kicked in and she stood by her choice to become a blacksmith. She started training at the mere age of five, and started crafting small hammers. Her father thought that it was a joke at first. However, after seeing her persistence for two years, and mimicking his every action, it finally moved the heart of the Eastsea City's Blacksmith's Association President, Mu Chen.

Mu Xi inherited her father's martial soul. That alone made it suitable for her to become a blacksmith. In addition, she was willing to put in the extra effort. Mu Chen couldn't help but search for some rare herbs in order to try maintaining his daughter's figure. While she was training to gain the adequate strength to become a blacksmith, her figure had taken the toll and turned stockier in the process.

Mu Xi's passion for forging came from the bottom of her heart. She was officially a first-rank blacksmith at the age of eleven. Her progression grew at an exhilarating speed under Mu Chen's tutelage. Not long after her thirteenth birthday, she took the rank promotion test and passed immediately.

She had remembered clearly that her father mentioned that she had progressed faster than others her age. That she was worthy of being called a child prodigy in the world of blacksmithing.

However, how could she be called as such when a pair of kids had not only passed the same test as she did but they did it better! Compared to them, she was more like any other average blacksmiths in the world.

It was infuriating, frustrating, and...curious.

Mu Xi heard that these boys would be at the Blacksmith's Association sometime today in order to collect his badge. She was keen to see who these boys were.

.....

"Achoo!" Xiu Ye and Tang Wulin both sneezed at the same time.

"Are you two alright?" Yun Xiaoling asked in concern, pulling out tissues out of her pocket to give to the boys.

The two received the tissues with appreciation, "Thank you."

They were all currently in a soul elevator of the blacksmith association, ascending to the highest floor of the building.

Wiping his nose, Xiu Ye wondered if that cold ass teacher of Wulin had caused him a cold then shook that thought out. Firstly, his entire body had fire soul power running through his veins at all time, warming his body at a comfortable level, it was impossible for something like a cold to affect him.

Right now it was night time, school was over today, and both of them were in the association to get their blacksmith badges to officially set them up as official blacksmiths so they can finally accept tasks.

Honestly, Xiu Ye never have thought that he would go this far with blacksmithing. He would have just wanted to start it as a hobby than make it like a second profession to make a battle armor.

Oh he knows what battle armor is, among all of the things in the story that stuck with him: battle armor was one of them. After all, having one can help elevate one's combat prowess by two whole major ranks is something worth remembering by.

Xiu Ye could try making one, a one-word battle armor only needs thousand refined metals, a design, and some soul circuits which he could all do. He had created some soul tools after all, add to the fact that he has knowledge about battle armors, an inner world of weapons and some armors in it that are much more powerful and useful than battle armor, making a battle armor is easy.

The difficulty is wearing it. No matter how powerful he currently is in both soul power and spiritual power, his body couldn't possibly handle the strain. A one-word battle armor is only possible to wear for people with a Soul King body, so their body could handle the pressure of their strength and abilities being amplified several folds.

Xiu Ye is only certain that his body strength and durability is at most a Soul Ancestor, not including reinforcement. So until he has the body of a Soul King, which is kinda weird saying that with the whole shinigami knowledge he has, he won't be wearing a battle armor anytime soon.

But he could still make one, or better yet, why not build a mecha, or even better, an iron man suit?

*Ding!*

Xiu Ye snapped back to reality at the sound of the elevator doors opening, and he was greeted by a wide view of the horizon the moment he stepped out of the elevator.

The walls were all made of glass, and at this height, he was able to see nearly half of Eastsea City. A great number of skyscrapers littered the city, just like a steel forest. On the other side, was a great number of plant cover, bringing vitality to the city.

Yun Xiaoling found a staff member. "I'll have to trouble you to inform the president that Xiu Ye and Tang Wulin are here."

"Ye, Wulin, wait here for a moment." Yun Xiaoling brought them to a sofa and sat them down.

Not too long after, a crowd of footsteps approached.

Mu Chen was at the forefront. Mu Chen had arrived very early that day but hadn't even stepped foot into his workshop yet, all for the sake of waiting for the boys who was able to bring him such a great surprise.

Cen Yue was also in his office and was following right behind him. If the others in the Blacksmith's Association knew that these two figures had waited a whole day for a pair of children, they wouldn't even know what to think.

Right behind these two figures, was precisely Mu Xi.

"President!" Yun Xiaoling stood up and greeted Mu Chen respectfully.

Mu Chen smiled and nodded. The next moment, his gaze fell on Xiu Ye and Tang Wulin.

When they both heard Yun Xiaoling call him the President, they had stood up and looked at Cen Yue.

Cen Yue walked over to their side and said with a smile, "Ye, Wulin, this is the President of the Blacksmith's Association, Mu Chen. He is also the most famous Saint Craftsman ranked blacksmith in the continent."

While Tang Wulin's eyes sparkled at the announcement, Xiu Ye observed the man before him and noticed that he felt familiar of the man before him, like he had met him before but how could that be possible?

'It's probably nothing.'

"Hello, President." Xiu Ye stepped forward, bowed, and cupped his hands

"Hello, President." Tang Wulin hastily followed after him in action.

"It's you?" An astonished voice came from Mu Xi, who was at Mu Chen's side.

'Oya?' Xiu Ye blinked his eyes as he glanced at Mu Xi, who was glaring at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin was slightly stunned when he saw Mu Xi. 'What is this rich girl doing here?'

Mu Chen looked at his daughter in surprise. "Xi Xi, are you acquainted with each other?"

Mu Xi looked at Tang Wulin and said, "We're not acquainted. But it seems we attend the same academy." Then she turned towards Xiu Ye, "It seems we all do."

Mu Chen smiled. "Xiu Ye, Tang Wulin, what grades are you both in at Eastsea Academy?"

Xiu Ye said, "I'm a freshman, first grade class one."

Tang Wulin said, "Same as him, but I'm at class five."

When she heard the two words 'class five', Mu Xi's expression immediately revealed a trace of disdain. Naturally, she knew what class five represented. It was a class full of good-for-nothings who could never become a Soul Grandmaster.

However, Mu Chen's attitude didn't change when he heard what class Tang Wulin was in. "To think though, you two had broken the records of the youngest third and fourth rank blacksmiths individually. Since Tang Wulin here is a few weeks younger than Xiu Ye, that means the record of the youngest third rank blacksmith goes to him."

While Tang Wulin is slightly flustered at the praise, Xiu Ye shrugged his shoulders, not really caring about it.

Xiu Ye then straightforwardly asked, "President, can we get our badges now and take tasks?"

Mu Chen laughed. "Of course you both can."

Cen Yue smiled. "The President waited for you two the whole day in order to personally give your badges, that was why you two couldn't go back here yesterday."

Yun Xiaoling had already walked over from the side, carrying a silver tray with a red cloth on top. And on top of the cloth, was a pair of badges.

Both badges was in the shape of a hexagon, with a orange background, a protruding hammer and three yellow stars embedded into one while the other had four.

Regardless of whether it was a mecha craftsmen, a blacksmith, or even a soul guidance master, their rank badges all looked about the same. First and second rank badges all had blue backgrounds and white stars. While third and fourth rank badges all had orange backgrounds and yellow stars.

Mu Chen personally placed the badge on Xiu Ye's right breast and moved to placed Tang Wulin's badge as well. His smile vanished and he turned solemn. "From henceforth, you two are members of the Blacksmith's Association. As a blacksmith, I hope that you two will earnestly complete all your forging work. Use your soul to perceive, and your life to gain enlightenment. A true blacksmith doesn't just forge metal, rather, they will birth life to it then give it intelligence so it will become a true living being."

Intelligence. It seem as if it was a simple word but it was far from it, it giving a inorganic material sentience after all!

Xiu Ye gently touched his badge and the simple coldness causing an unprecedented sense of accomplishment to ignite within him. His lips moved into a smirk, at last, he had officially become a blacksmith.

"Please, can you help me in forging!" Mu Xi suddenly interrupted from Mu Chen's side. Her face plastered with determination as she stared straight at Xiu Ye's eyes. It was only now that Xiu Ye noticed that, on her right breast, there was a two star badge.

Xiu Ye stared back at her, and for a moment, silence took over the room.

"I refuse."

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