Chapter 23: A Confused Xue Ling

Feeling shy, her thoughts started to wander.

Where would he take her? Some secluded forest? The Star Dou Forest? Or… a human's… hotel?

Tian Dou City

With Di Tian traveling at full speed, it didn't take long for the group to reach their destination.

A grand and luxurious building came into view.

Several large golden characters were emblazoned on the most prominent part of the structure:

"Blacksmith Association Headquarters."

Even though Xue Ling didn't know what the Blacksmith Association Headquarters was, she was certain—it wasn't the place she had imagined.

Standing on the street, the wind brushed past her hair.

For the first time, she understood what it meant to feel "confused."

"What are we doing here?" she asked. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice—something even she hadn't noticed.

"You want to help the soul beast race, right? But your current strength isn't enough, and simply cultivating takes too long. So, we're here to help you grow stronger," Di Tian said, his voice brimming with unconcealed joy.

Beside them, the usually silent Demon Emperor had a look of realization in her eyes, her initial doubts fading away.

So this was what Di Tian was planning.

But… would it really work?

Inside the Blacksmith Association Headquarters

Near the top floors of the grand structure, a luxurious forging room overlooked the entire Tian Dou City.

From the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the most bustling streets of this ancient city, a metropolis with over ten thousand years of history.

This was the exclusive forging room of Zhen Hua, the only Divine Craftsman on the continent and the President of the Blacksmith Association.

At this moment, inside the forging room, a middle-aged man stood before the forging table.

Black-haired and black-eyed, his gaze was filled with deep contemplation.

He appeared only in his thirties, but his dark eyes carried a depth of wisdom and experience beyond his years.

His temples were streaked with white, creating a stark contrast with his jet-black hair.

Most striking were his hands—they were at least 50% larger than an average person's.

But they weren't rough or calloused. Instead, his long, slender fingers were smooth and delicate, like sculpted white jade.

They looked less like a man's hands and more like an enlarged version of a woman's elegant fingers.

This man was Zhen Hua, the Divine Craftsman.

The strongest member of the Blacksmith Association.

A Title Douluo with nine spirit rings—some even rumored that he was close to reaching Super Douluo.

But what made him truly legendary was not his cultivation but his unparalleled forging skills.

He was a genius who had risen to prominence at a young age, yet he carried no arrogance.

Starting as the president of a small, remote branch of the Blacksmith Association, he had steadily climbed the ranks through sheer effort and determination—until he reached the very pinnacle of the continent.

Today, he stood as the only Divine Craftsman in existence.

Before his rise, forging a suit of Four-Word Battle Armor required several eighth-ranked blacksmiths working together.

Even with the full support of Title Douluo-level soul masters, crafting such armor was an excruciatingly difficult process.

And even then, the resulting "Four-Word Battle Armor" wasn't truly complete—it was only a half-step version.

That all changed when Zhen Hua became the Divine Craftsman.

The moment he successfully performed the Divine Refinement, the first true Four-Word Battle Armor was born.

From that day forward, his creations revolutionized the art of battle armor.

As a Title Douluo at the peak of his forging abilities, Zhen Hua wielded immense influence across the continent.

Yet at this moment, his expression was grim, as if facing an insurmountable crisis.

And it was all because of the three figures who had suddenly appeared before him.

More precisely, because of the black-haired, golden-eyed man standing between the two women.

The mere soul power pressure radiating from him left Zhen Hua completely paralyzed.

It wasn't just him.

His good friend, Mu Ye, who had been standing beside him, was equally immobilized.

This fact shocked Zhen Hua to his core.

After all, he was a blacksmith first and a combatant second—being unable to resist such pressure was understandable.

But Mu Ye was different.

On the surface, Mu Ye was just a head chef.

But in reality, he was the current Sect Master of the Body Sect.

A ninety-fourth-ranked Title Douluo, whose martial soul was his own body.

The only soul master on the continent who was both a Four-Word Battle Armor Master and a Divine Mecha Master.

With his Title Douluo cultivation and his Four-Word Battle Armor, he was more than capable of fighting against a quasi-Demigod-level Limit Douluo.

And if he donned his Divine Mecha, he could even challenge most Limit Douluo head-on.

Yet now, Mu Ye was unable to move a single muscle—completely suppressed by sheer soul power alone.

Even the number one soul master of the continent, Yun Ming, wouldn't have been able to accomplish such a feat!

Only when Zhen Hua finally calmed his turbulent emotions did Di Tian release his pressure.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?" Zhen Hua asked warily.

He knew that escape was impossible.

Di Tian didn't respond immediately.

Instead, before he could speak—

Mu Ye flashed in front of Zhen Hua, positioning himself protectively.

His expression was filled with dread as he spoke:

"He is Di Tian, the Beast God of the soul beast race!"

His voice carried deep apprehension.

For ten thousand years, Di Tian had been known as the strongest soul beast on the continent.

Even during the age of Huo Yuhao, he had already reached 800,000 years of cultivation—just shy of the legendary one-million-year threshold.

The only person who had ever truly defeated him was Huo Yuhao himself.

Now, ten thousand years had passed.

No one knew how much Di Tian had grown.

900,000 years? A full 1,000,000 years?

No one knew.

For countless years, Di Tian had remained hidden from the human world.

Yet now, he had suddenly reappeared.

Mu Ye was certain—Di Tian's strength had long since surpassed human comprehension.

Turning to Zhen Hua, he explained:

"Di Tian may have already surpassed the one-million-year threshold.

Even if Huo Yuhao were still alive, he might not be able to stop him now."

By this point, Zhen Hua fully grasped the gravity of the situation.

The name Di Tian was written in every textbook in the Federation.

A sworn enemy of humanity.

The leader of the soul beasts.

The mastermind behind countless beast tides.

The soul beast responsible for countless human deaths.

And now, this very being had come to him.

His gaze darkened as he spoke in a deep voice:

"Beast God… have you come to kill me?"

Hearing this, Di Tian chuckled lightly.

"It's rare to see the Body Sect's Sect Master recognize me. Too bad I didn't have time to visit you in person."

Then, as if greeting an old acquaintance, he casually turned his attention to Zhen Hua.

"I have a business proposal for you, Divine Craftsman."

(End of Chapter)