A Friendship Forged in Combat
"No, no need. I'm fine," Xie Xie waved his hands repeatedly, refusing the offer of medical help.
"It's good that you're not hurt! I was worried I used too much force." Yao Xuan's tone was light, almost teasing. "It would have been terrible if you were injured. After all, we'll be roommates for six years."
"Should I thank you for your concern?" Xie Xie said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Yao Xuan, you're full of surprises. This time, I lost the fight and the money. What terrible luck."
"Now that you mention it, I do feel a little bad taking so much from you." Yao Xuan rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. "How about this? You don't need to transfer the full 50,000 Federal Credits. Just half will do for my appearance fee."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Xie Xie shook his head firmly, a stubborn pride in his eyes. "I said I'd transfer 50,000, and I will. I, Xie Xie, am not someone who goes back on my word!" Despite his words, hearing Yao Xuan's offer lessened the resentment in his heart slightly. He found himself looking at Yao Xuan in a new light.
"Suit yourself." Yao Xuan didn't press further. Then, a genuine smile touched his lips. "You know, Xie Xie, they say 'no fight, no friendship.' After sparring with you, I find you quite agreeable. How about we become friends?"
"Huh?" The sudden shift caught Xie Xie off guard, and he stared blankly for a moment.
"I said," Yao Xuan repeated, his gaze steady and sincere, "I find you quite pleasing to the eye. Let's be friends. We're going to be roommates for six years; we can't be at each other's throats every day, can we?"
"Okay... okay!" Setting aside his initial hostility, Xie Xie took a proper look at Yao Xuan. He did seem increasingly approachable. Moreover, the Light and Shadow Dragon Daggers within him pulsed with a strange sense of affinity towards Yao Xuan's aura. Xie Xie quickly extended his right hand. "It's a pleasure to be your friend, Yao Xuan. Please guide me in the future."
"Likewise, Xie Xie. Please guide me as well." Yao Xuan grasped his hand firmly. "Let's head back."
The two walked back to the dormitory together, their conversation flowing more easily now, the earlier tension completely dissolved.
At noon, Yao Xuan took Tang Wulin and Xie Xie to the academy cafeteria for a meal.
In the Donghai Academy cafeteria, the seemingly unassuming Tang Wulin revealed his astonishing potential, devouring eighty large steamed buns in one sitting. He nearly doubled the academy's previous record, drawing a crowd of stunned onlookers.
As for Yao Xuan, though he also possessed a formidable appetite, his body's energy circulation had become more efficient, so his food consumption wasn't as visually staggering as Tang Wulin's. He stopped after a mere thirty large steamed buns.
Watching Yao Xuan and Tang Wulin eat, Xie Xie's eyes widened in surprise. After the meal, Yao Xuan formally introduced Tang Wulin to Xie Xie.
Upon learning about Tang Wulin's Bluesilver Grass martial soul and his soul power level, Xie Xie couldn't help but feel a flicker of condescension inwardly. However, out of respect for Yao Xuan, he still shook hands with Tang Wulin politely.
Yao Xuan didn't comment on this. He knew respect had to be earned through demonstrated strength. But he was also confident that with Tang Wulin's innate power and character, it wouldn't be long before he earned Xie Xie's genuine recognition.
In the afternoon, the three roommates worked together to tidy up their dormitory. Afterwards, Yao Xuan left Donghai Academy with Tang Wulin, heading for the Blacksmith Association in Donghai City. It was time for Yao Xuan to take his official Blacksmith Level Assessment.
He had broken through to the Thousand Refining level a year ago, but Aolai City lacked a Blacksmith Association branch, so he hadn't been able to get certified. Now in Donghai City, this was a necessary step. Only with an official rank could he accept commissions from the Association and receive the corresponding monthly stipends and benefits.
Of course, before they left, Mang Tian had repeatedly instructed Yao Xuan not to reveal his Level 3 Blacksmith prowess just yet. He was to wait until he was ten years old before taking the professional assessment for that rank.
Navigating the streets of Donghai City was far more complex than Aolai City. The metropolis was vast and sprawling. But this posed no problem for Yao Xuan. He had already studied the city map, and with his Enhanced Comprehension, he had committed it perfectly to memory. He led Tang Wulin unerringly towards their destination.
Like Donghai Academy, the Blacksmith Association was located in the city center. After a half-hour walk, they arrived.
The Blacksmith Association building was highly distinctive. Even from hundreds of meters away, it was unmistakable: a square, gray structure shaped like a giant ingot of forged metal, making it stand out sharply against the city skyline.
The building was adorned with large hammer motifs, making it instantly recognizable even without a signboard.
Entering the main hall, their eyes were immediately drawn to a ten-meter-high glass wall. At its center was an embossed relief of a giant hammer, gleaming with a faint golden light, impossible to miss.
With the rise of mechas and battle armor, the status of blacksmiths on the Douluo Continent had skyrocketed. Both top-tier mechas and battle armor required top-tier materials, and those materials needed to be processed by master blacksmiths. As a result, the Blacksmith Association had become an immensely powerful and wealthy organization, its influence growing daily.
Yao Xuan led Tang Wulin to the reception desk, where two attendants in smart gray business suits were seated.
"Hello, you two. Are you here to see someone?" one of the attendants, a young woman, asked with a polite smile, standing up. "This is the Blacksmith Association; it's not a place for casual visitors."
"No," Yao Xuan replied seriously. "We are here for the blacksmith level assessment. Our teacher instructed us to find a master named Cen Yue for the evaluation."
"Master Cen Yue?" The attendant's expression shifted from casual politeness to genuine attentiveness. "Have you contacted Master Cen Yue in advance?"
Hearing the name 'Cen Yue' removed most of her doubts. An ordinary child wouldn't know that name. These two were likely telling the truth.