"Muchen... Saint Craftsman, it's been a long time!"
This time it was Leng Yaozhu's turn to change her expression. She hadn't expected Muchen to arrive so quickly; it seemed Yuan Bao'er was no pushover either!
On second thought, though, this made complete sense. After all, she was the wife of a Saint Craftsman—if she were that easy to deal with, someone would have trapped Muchen long ago.
"Haha, it certainly has been a while. But compared to the last time we met, Tower Master Leng is just as stunning as ever. Truly living up to her name as the First Beauty of the Spirit Pagoda!"
As soon as the words "First Beauty" left his mouth, Muchen felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He glanced over and saw Yuan Bao'er's gaze sharpening, breaking him out in a cold sweat.
Still, Yuan Bao'er knew the proper order of priorities, so she gave him a subtle look that clearly meant: *I'll deal with you when we get back!*
"Not at all, people outside just exaggerate," Leng Yaozhu said with a light chuckle behind her hand, before continuing, "Isn't the wife of Saint Craftsman Muchen just as gorgeous? And you have two adorable little ones—when they grow up, they might just become the next 'First Beauties'!"
The First Beauty?
Whose First Beauty?
The Spirit Pagoda's? Catching the subtext in Leng Yaozhu's words, Muchen immediately replied, "Thank you for the undeserved praise, Tower Master Leng. Today I originally planned to come to the Spirit Pagoda with my wife and daughters to select a suitable Spirit for my daughter, but work delayed us, which is why we're so late."
With that, Muchen looked at Yuan Bao'er, and only after receiving a nod from her did he continue, "Since we've already found a suitable Spirit, the Muchen family won't take up any more of Tower Master Leng's time. Farewell!"
"Wait!" Seeing that they intended to leave, Leng Yaozhu immediately stopped them.
"What is the meaning of this, Tower Master Leng? If you have something to say, please speak your mind."
Neither Muchen nor Yuan Bao'er wanted Heita to get caught up in the rivalries of major factions at such a young age, which was why they had kept her hidden. But no one could have anticipated such an unexpected turn of events today. Ultimately, they had Heita's overwhelming talent to thank for this! Muchen should have realized sooner: how could anyone with a divine Martial Soul have anything less than extraordinary spiritual power? Sometimes, you really can't afford to overlook even the tiniest detail!
Since Leng Yaozhu was dead set on stopping them, they had no choice but to bring everything out into the open.
"Here's the thing: I happened to be inspecting East China City recently, and I just received word that a little genius with exceptionally high spiritual power has appeared at the local Spirit Pagoda, so I came over to take a look." Leng Yaozhu knew her actions would be unwelcome, but her position as Vice Pagoda Master left her no choice.
All of this was for the sake of this little genius named Heita! At just nine years old, her spiritual power had already reached 378 points. As long as her growth wasn't cut short, she was destined to become a Limit Douluo in the future! Moreover, Heita was the daughter of the Saint Craftsman Muchen; at the very least, she would command a set of three-word Battle Armor in the future. How could such a talent fail to draw people in?
Even if she had to throw away her pride, Leng Yaozhu couldn't just let her walk away.
"Sigh!" Leng Yaozhu sighed, putting on a regretful expression. "Saint Craftsman Muchen might not realize this, but while our Spirit Pagoda holds the resources for Spirits and occupies a pivotal position in the Spirit Master world—seemingly thriving at the zenith of our power—the truth is that we are beginning to show signs of a lack of successors."
"How can that be? With so many members in the Spirit Pagoda, surely you aren't short of successors?"
"Indeed, if we're talking about ordinary successors, we can have as many as we want. But a truly top-tier powerhouse can single-handedly upend the balance between factions! Let me give you a simple example: the Sky Douluo... Do you understand now?"
The Sky Douluo Yun Ming was universally recognized as the strongest person on the entire continent! He was an existence that ordinary successors from countless factions could never hope to touch in a lifetime, and even top geniuses still faced an uncrossable chasm between themselves and Yun Ming.
Yet, as she spoke of Yun Ming, a barely perceptible gleam flashed in Leng Yaozhu's eyes, suggesting that her relationship with him was perhaps more complicated than it seemed.
"So when I heard that a genius had appeared here, I immediately locked down the information and rushed over... The future of the Spirit Pagoda needs a powerhouse capable of shifting the tides!"
At these words, everyone present fell silent. "Tower Master Leng, do you really think that highly of Heita?"
"Of course! Do you know what my spiritual power was when I was her age? Only 97 points—not even a third of this child's! If even she can't become a Limit Douluo, then what does that make me?"
"Still, for Heita, this is all a bit too soon..."
"Sigh! I understand your worries, Master Muchen, and Sister Bao'er. If little Heita were to enter the sight of those bigwigs at such a tender age, it would inevitably attract malicious actors."
Leng Yaozhu's expression then turned serious. "I also know that with the influence of the Blacksmiths' Association, you could certainly protect this child, but that would only be a short-term solution. In terms of combat capability, pure blacksmiths are simply no match for top-tier Spirit Masters—that's an accepted fact."
Muchen frowned, but he didn't refute her, because Leng Yaozhu was right. He and Leng Yaozhu shared a similar dynamic.
As a Saint Craftsman, Muchen's social status was by no means inferior to Leng Yaozhu's, but the moment a fight broke out between them, Leng Yaozhu could crush him with a single hand. That was the terrifying might of a level 99 Assault System Titled Douluo and four-word Battle Armor Master!
"However, if the Blacksmiths' Association might not be enough to protect this child, what if we add the Spirit Pagoda to the mix?"
Hearing this, Muchen understood what Leng Yaozhu was driving at. "You... intend to cooperate further with the Blacksmiths' Association?"
"A deep cooperation!" Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly. "I plan to take this child as my personal disciple, treat her as my direct successor, and eventually pass the position of Spirit Pagoda Master to her. I'm sure that fellow Qiangu Dongfeng won't object."
"Besides, she is also the daughter of a Saint Craftsman, isn't she? That connection alone is enough to forge an even closer partnership between the Spirit Pagoda and the Blacksmiths' Association."
"This..." To be honest, after listening to Leng Yaozhu lay out her case, Muchen was deeply tempted, because he simply couldn't find a reason to refuse.
At that moment, however, Yuan Bao'er stepped into the conversation. "Ultimately, though, all of this depends on little Heita's own choice, doesn't it?"
With those words, everyone present turned their gazes toward the brown-haired girl. Yet upon looking at her, they discovered that her expression remained completely normal, showing no trace of panic—forming a sharp contrast with Muxxi beside her.
"Calm in the face of crisis—such composure makes her truly promising material!" Leng Yaozhu couldn't help praising her. "It almost makes me want to take her as my goddaughter!"
Hearing this, Yuan Bao'er rolled her eyes, but she still walked over to Heita and said earnestly, "Little Heita, both your father and I believe that the future is something you must choose for yourself."
"Originally, we hadn't planned on letting you encounter these things so early, but some things can't be avoided forever. When they crash into you head-on, all you can do is face them."
"The Spirit Pagoda is renowned across the continent, and Auntie Leng is a four-word Battle Armor Master—one of the absolute pinnacle powerhouses in the world. If you can receive her personal guidance, it will undoubtedly be of immense help to your future."
"Little Heita, the choice you make right now will have a profound impact on your life, but don't be nervous. No matter what you choose, Dad, Mom, and your sister will always support you!"
"Don't be afraid. Tell us your decision."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Heita pressed her lips together. "I don't want to make things difficult for Dad and Mom, and I want to help you too!"
"So, my choice is..."