The end of Gaowu: Becoming stronger from not practicing

The night was as dark as ink, and the stars were dim.

Deep within the Divine Craftsman's Pavilion, a candle flickers in a dark room, illuminating the ashen faces of the twelve elders.

They are the core decision-making body of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion, each possessing at least the strength of a high-ranking god, and they control nearly half of the forging business in White Emperor City.

Now, this dark room is shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere of oppression and gloom.

The Grand Elder's voice was like a knife scraping iron, harsh and cold, "Since the founding of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion, no outsider has ever taken the championship from us."

But it was Zhang Lingfeng who truly shattered the last shred of dignity of the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion.

Previously, everyone believed that Shenjiang Pavilion could take back the signboard from Shenjiang Shop and make Shenjiang Shop a part of Shenjiang Pavilion. Now, the signboard has not been taken back, and the champion position has also been lost.

He was like an iron nail that suddenly sprang from a stone, forcefully wedged into the ironclad formation meticulously designed by the Divine Craftsman Pavilion.

They've ruined the blueprint for the Divine Craftsman Pavilion project.

Barkol comes from the Baruch family and has the terrifying presence of Linley behind him.

The Divine Craftsman's Pavilion can't do anything to Barkol.

But Zhang Lingfeng is different.

He had no power or influence; he was merely a level-five blacksmith, backed by the Divine Craftsman Shop.

Dealing with Zhang Lingfeng would be relatively easy for the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

At the same time, we must immediately arrange for someone to deal with Zhang Lingfeng.

Because Zhang Lingfeng displayed terrifying talent.

The investigation by the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion revealed that Zhang Lingfeng had only spent a few short years progressing from True God to Level God, and from Level 1 Blacksmith to Level 5 Blacksmith.

This rate of growth has exceeded common sense.

This made Shen Qiming, Shen Pengyun, and the others feel a chill run down their spines.

"Have you checked it out?"

Shen Qiming sat in the main seat, his face ashen.

"We've found out. Zhang Lingfeng lives in the backyard of the Divine Craftsman's Shop. He either doesn't come out at all, or if he does, he goes to the Ou family's tenement to play cards and mahjong with Old He and Old Wang."

"very good."

Shen Qiming's gaze swept over the other elders: "We can't lose face for the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion. We can't touch Barkol, but this Zhang Lingfeng... must die."

Barkol will stay in Baidi City for a while.

He is now well-connected and frequently visits the Divine Inscription Masters Guild and the City Lord's compound.

Yan Fei followed him, but also frequently visited Zhang Lingfeng at the Divine Craftsman's Shop.

Since the forging competition ended, Zhang Lingfeng has not returned to the Ou family compound. Today is a good day to go back and take a look.

Zhang Lingfeng walked out of the Divine Craftsman's Shop as usual.

He was dressed in a simple blue shirt, with three black throwing knives hanging at his waist.

It was the batch he forged in the competition.

The commotion at Zuichunlou a while ago still seemed to echo in his ears, and Ma Dashuai's address of "Deputy Manager" gave him a headache.

"I need to figure out a way to slip away again."

Zhang Lingfeng muttered to himself.

He didn't want his plan to lie low and relax to be affected by Manager Fu's identity, which would slow down his progress in strength.

The streets of Majie were already bustling with activity in the early morning.

The sounds of craftsmen hammering away at the divine weapons rose and fell, and the air was filled with the smell of steam from the quenching process.

Many caravans were carrying goods toward the dock.

Zhang Lingfeng strolled slowly along the familiar street, his steps leisurely, his gaze casually sweeping over the street vendors.

But just as he turned the third street corner, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end.

This is not a sixth sense, but the intuition of a divine inscription master.

An instinctive alertness to potential danger.

His soul gave him a warning.

This is a unique ability possessed by a Divine Inscription Master.

This was the first time Zhang Lingfeng had encountered such a situation since becoming a Divine Inscription Master.

Someone was using the aura of a high god to pinpoint his location, and that aura was filled with malice.

Zhang Lingfeng did not turn around, maintaining his slow pace, but his senses had spread outwards like a spider web.

He appeared to be admiring the street scene, but in reality, he had already spotted a faint shadow about thirty feet behind him.

The shadow maintained a precise distance throughout.

Thirty zhang, no more, no less.

This is an experienced stalker who is able to use pedestrians and buildings on the street as cover.

"The power of a high-ranking god..."

Zhang Lingfeng's heart sank.

He wanted to turn around and go back to the Divine Craftsman's Shop.

The Divine Craftsman's Shop houses Commander Ma and Master Yang. Although they are only at the level of mid-level gods, they forge many divine weapons that possess extremely strong destructive power and can threaten even high-level gods.

Furthermore, the Divine Craftsman's Shop is protected by the Divine Inscription Master Guild.

Even the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion cannot directly shut down the Divine Craftsmen's Shop; various methods must be employed.

"We can't go back."

"He'll find out if we go back."

“I am a blacksmith at the Divine Craftsman’s Shop. This is the street, he wouldn’t dare to do anything reckless.”

"If we try to escape now, he will definitely take action immediately."

Zhang Lingfeng pondered to himself.

"They must be from the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion. Damn it, I was already prepared to stay away from you, and you still let me go."

Zhang Lingfeng knew exactly what was going on.

The opponent is a high-level god, while he is only a first-level god. There is no chance of winning in a direct confrontation; the only option is to outsmart him.

He quickened his pace and turned into a relatively quiet alley.

This alley leads to the back gate of the Ou family's tenement courtyard, and few people usually pass through it.

Khun Sa followed closely behind, his figure like a ghost, stopping in the shadows at the alley entrance.

The alley was very narrow, with high walls on both sides.

Zhang Lingfeng walked to the middle of the alley and suddenly stopped, pretending to be looking for a way.

He looked around, as if trying to determine the direction.

"Master Ma, Master Ma, are you there?"

He raised his voice and shouted twice into the empty alley.

Khun Sa, standing at the alley entrance, felt a pang of anxiety.

Is General Ma here too?
He hesitated. The plan was to eliminate Zhang Lingfeng silently. If Commander Ma was present and Zhang escaped, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But the opportunity is fleeting.

Khun Sa decided to take a look first.

As a high-ranking god facing off against a low-ranking god, even if Commander Ma were present, he would have had time to escape.

He emerged from the shadows, and the oppressive aura of a supreme god surged towards Zhang Lingfeng like a tidal wave.

Zhang Lingfeng had been waiting for this moment.

Just as Khun Sa hesitated, Zhang Lingfeng made his move!
The black throwing knife in his hand transformed into a bolt of lightning, piercing straight for Khun Sa's throat.

Even more terrifying was that the moment the throwing knife struck Kunsha, it unleashed a powerful divine light—that was the "Imprisonment Divine Rune"!
A look of horror flashed in Kunsha's eyes. He never expected that Zhang Lingfeng would not only discover him, but also release the power of divine runes!

Although it was only a momentary confinement, it was enough to be fatal to a high-ranking god!

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

All the throwing knives on Zhang Lingfeng's body shot out, piercing towards Kunsha like a torrential rain! Kunsha looked at Zhang Lingfeng in horror. He never expected that this seemingly lazy young man was not only a level 5 blacksmith... but also a divine inscription master!

But Khun Sa was, after all, a high-ranking god, and even though he was fatally wounded, he still unleashed terrifying power.

He roared, golden divine flames erupting from his body, and slammed a palm toward Zhang Lingfeng's head!

The palm strikes were so powerful that it seemed to tear space itself apart!
Zhang Lingfeng dared not fight back and retreated hastily!

At the same time, he retreated while throwing the throwing knife.

He had imagined that the Shen family might take revenge on him in desperation when he stopped the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion from taking away the Divine Craftsmen's Shop's signboard, so he was prepared in advance.

Several weapons were specially forged, possessing astonishing destructive power.

A flying knife that can break through the physical and divine defenses of a high-ranking god, and is also poisoned.

The poison was obtained from Yan Fei.

After being processed by the poison masters of the Baruch family, it can disrupt the power balance of the higher gods, leaving them bewildered and their internal power feeling like it's thrashing about wildly.

So when Kunsha struck out with his palm, intending to smash Zhang Lingfeng's head, before his palm even touched Zhang Lingfeng, he felt a tightness in his heart, all kinds of strength convulsed, and his limbs became uncoordinated.

It became increasingly difficult to avoid Zhang Lingfeng's flying knives.

As if his defenses were being rapidly breached layer by layer, throwing knives struck his vital points, weakening his defenses and slowing his attacks.

Everything he has is constantly weakening.

Even my senses are becoming increasingly blurred.

Although the throwing knife struck his vital point, it was not fatal for a high-ranking god; the key was the potent poison on the knife.

It can render him completely incapable of resisting.

"Buzz!"

At this moment, Zhang Lingfeng released a divine rune power.

Divine Inscription Masters can baptize others, attack others, or even crush their souls.

Killing a high-level god is extremely difficult for any low-level or high-level god, but Zhang Lingfeng is a level 5 blacksmith, and every throwing knife he throws can threaten a high-level god.

In addition, it contains highly toxic substances.

At this moment, the power of the divine runes is connected.

Killing a wounded, powerless high god is very easy for Zhang Lingfeng.

"Misunderstand!"

Khun Sa's divine soul was released from its sheath.

The laws and suppression of the god-level continent are exceptionally high.

Even for high-ranking gods, their divine souls are extremely weak in reality after being separated from their physical bodies. Only the divine souls of god-kings possess powerful offensive capabilities.

Of course, this is also related to the poisoning on the throwing knives.

The poisons developed by the Baruch family's poison masters can damage the soul, rendering it incapable of fighting.

Khun Sa wanted to retaliate.

But when the soul left the body, it felt an unprecedented sense of weakness.

He then realized something was wrong.

"Buzz!"

Zhang Lingfeng did not give Kunsha a chance.

The divine runes quickly crushed Kunsha's soul into dust, causing his soul to dissipate and his physical defenses to lose balance. Zhang Lingfeng then used his forging skills to quickly forge a lifelike white bone knife within the alley.

"This is a divine weapon forged from the physical body of a high god. It can truly cut through iron like mud and directly crush the physical body and divine power of a high god. It can even have a fatal impact on the divine soul of a high god."

Zhang Lingfeng was overjoyed.

With this bone sword, his combat power will increase dramatically, giving him a greater sense of security.

"The Divine Craftsman's Pavilion".

But when he thought of the Divine Craftsman Pavilion, Zhang Lingfeng still felt somewhat powerless.

The Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion is a behemoth, an all-powerful entity in White Emperor City, even overwhelming Commander Ma.

If it weren't for myself.

The signboard of the Divine Craftsman's Shop has long been lost.

"I need to immediately gain 'lying down' points to increase my strength and quickly become a high-level god, or even surpass a high-level god."

Otherwise, having already formed a ties with the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion, they will find it extremely difficult to move forward in the future.

Zhang Lingfeng said solemnly.

"Khun Sa!"

"A registered member of the Assassin's Guild."

Zhang Lingfeng found Khun Sa's relevant identity information.

He refined Khun Sa into a white bone knife, but he still kept his storage bag and spatial ring. These items were sealed with restrictions, and if they were forcibly opened, they would enter a self-destruct sequence.

But as a level 5 blacksmith and a divine rune master, he personally killed Khun Sa, ensuring that Khun Sa's soul had been completely destroyed.

If Zhang Lingfeng wanted to break the seal, the contents of that storage bag would be easily accessible.

He quickly learned Khun Sa's identity information.

"It seems that either the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion has put a bounty on me in the Assassin's Guild, or they have secretly found Khun Sa. In any case, Khun Sa is dead, but I am still alive. If Khun Sa did not go to the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, the people from the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion will probably keep looking until Khun Sa is dead."

Zhang Lingfeng felt things were getting tricky.

"For safety reasons, we'll have to stay at Shenjiangpu for now."

Zhang Lingfeng went straight back to the Divine Craftsman's Shop.

Nowadays, only the Divine Craftsman's Shop is truly safe.

Even if the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion had absolute power, it wouldn't dare to directly break into the Divine Craftsmen's Shop and kill him, a level 5 blacksmith. You have to know that there is order in White Emperor City.

Both the Divine Inscription Master Guild and the White Emperor City Lord's Mansion are more powerful than the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

"I originally wanted to leave Baidi City and go to the Baruch region with Yan Fei, but it seems that won't work now. If the people from the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion really want to kill me, they will definitely continue to do so."

Even if I leave Baidi City, I won't let this go.

Zhang Lingfeng pondered.

"If they knew I was a Divine Inscription Master, and that I was protected by the Divine Inscription Master Guild, then..."

Zhang Lingfeng knew he needed to find a way to deal with the changes.

He originally didn't want to participate in the competition organized by the Divine Inscription Master Guild.

Wanting to leave silently, it turns out to be Baidi City.

Now it seems that even if he tries to hide from the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion, they might not let him go.

Since that's the case, we have no choice but to take the initiative.

"If I go to Barkol, given Teacher Yan's relationship... forget it, it's better to rely on myself than to ask others. Teacher Yan has just established himself in the Baruch family, I can't drag him down."

Zhang Lingfeng abandoned the idea of ​​seeking help from Barkol.

Even if the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion could let him go because of Barkol, it wouldn't be a long-term solution. Once he and Barkol parted ways, the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion might make a comeback.

The only way to truly ensure safety is to strengthen ourselves.

"Back in the Blackwater Starfield, even a family with the same surname, Shen, couldn't stop me from breaking the laws of nature. Now, the Shen family on the God-level Continent can't stop my rise either. If all else fails, then let's settle this with our skills."

Zhang Lingfeng muttered to himself.

Once I had an idea, everything became clear.

Zhang Lingfeng also had the courage to fight the Divine Craftsmen's Pavilion to the end. As long as he had enough time to develop, he could grow stronger and one day become a high-level god, or even a being surpassing a high-level god.

Or perhaps, in terms of skill, they completely surpass the blacksmiths of the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

If I were to win the next forging competition held by the Divine Craftsman Pavilion, then...

The further he read, the more Zhang Lingfeng couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Since you want to play, I'll play along with you. (End of Chapter)