Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

Seeing Mu Xi's clearly defiant gaze, Tang Wulin was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head decisively.

"I won't compete."

These three words came out so quickly that even Mu Xi was taken aback.

She had already prepared what she was going to say, and had even thought through how to suppress this nine-year-old level-two blacksmith. But Tang Wulin's "No comparison" shut down all her words.

Tang Wulin, however, had already turned to Mu Chen and asked seriously:

"Uncle Guild Master, can I go accept a forging quest now?"

Mu Chen was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

This kid really doesn't mince words.

When others meet the president for the first time or receive their badge for the first time, they are usually nervous, reserved, and exchange a few polite words. But what he cared about most from beginning to end was the task, the reward, and whether he could start working as soon as possible.

Mu Xi was so angry that she almost bit her lip.

She, a dignified Level 2 Blacksmith, challenged him to a duel in person, and he refused without even a second thought. What's even more infuriating is that after rejecting her, he immediately went to ask where to pick up the quest, as if she weren't as important as a blacksmithing quest.

Mu Chen glanced at his daughter, a light glance, but enough to make Mu Xi swallow back the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.

"Brother Cen will take you there," Mu Chen said to Tang Wulin with a smile. "From now on, you are an officially registered member of the association. If you encounter any problems with forging in the future, or need any help, you can come to the association to find us."

As he said this, his tone became more serious.

"Our Blacksmiths Association may not be the strongest association, but it is certainly the most united."

When he said the last sentence, he glanced at Mu Xi again.

Mu Xi was already holding back her anger, and when her father looked at her like that, she felt even more embarrassed. She could only pout, turn her head to the side, and stop talking.

"Let's go," Cen Yue said with a smile, beckoning to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin hurriedly followed.

Mu Xi finally couldn't hold back until the two entered the elevator.

"Dad, why won't you let me compete with him?"

Mu Chen's smile faded slightly.

"Where is this place?"

Mu Xi was taken aback.

"This is the Blacksmiths' Association," Mu Chen said calmly. "You're a member of the Blacksmiths' Association, and you're also my daughter. Your words represent not only your own opinion but also the association's stance. This is his first official day to receive his badge, and you immediately try to compete with him? What kind of behavior is that?"

Mu Xi pursed her lips and said defiantly, "But he's only nine years old."

"So what if he's nine?" Mu Chen asked back.

Mu Xi was speechless for a moment.

Mu Chen looked at her, his tone not really harsh, just very steady.

"Precisely because he's only nine years old, you shouldn't be in such a hurry to put him down. If you really want to compete, you can spar privately when you're more familiar with each other. I won't stop you. But not today, and not here."

Mu Xi lowered her head and remained silent.

She was still unconvinced.

But she also knew that once her father spoke in that tone, he would most likely never change.

Looking at his daughter, Mu Chen knew perfectly well what she was doing.

A few days ago, Mu Xi had just passed the Level 2 assessment, which should have been a very happy thing. But before she could even celebrate, she heard that a nine-year-old child had also passed the Level 2 assessment. For someone as strong-willed as her, that feeling was definitely not pleasant.

But the more this was the case, the less he could allow her to confront Tang Wulin head-on.

Because he understood better than anyone else that Tang Wulin's level was far more than just "passing the level two assessment by sheer luck".

He had seen the piece of sunken silver that Cen Yue brought back with his own eyes.

The purification was even, the rhythm was perfect, and the technique was incredibly steady, unlike that of a nine-year-old. If Mu Xi were to compete against Tang Wulin right now, the little guy would most likely lose.

He didn't want to hurt Tang Wulin, nor did he want to hurt his own daughter.

Therefore, we have no choice but to suppress it today.

"You'll both be at Donghai Academy from now on, so you'll run into each other sometime," Mu Chen said calmly. "If you really want to know how capable he is, just observe him first. Once you've seen it clearly, then we'll talk."

Mu Xi didn't respond, but silently clenched her fist.

She will indeed be watching.

And you'll definitely see it very clearly.

……

The quest acceptance hall is on the second floor.

The entire floor was almost entirely made up of rows of counters and soul-guided screens. Different levels of mission areas were distinguished by markings similar to those on a blacksmith's badge. One-star, two-star, and three-star missions were clearly separated.

Cen Yue led Tang Wulin inside, explaining the rules to him as they walked.

"You can only accept forging tasks that are the same level as yourself or lower. You can't skip levels," he said. "The association is responsible for the finished product. The client provides the materials, and we are responsible for forging it. If you accept tasks randomly and something goes wrong, not only will you have to pay for it, but the association will also have to pay for it."

Tang Wulin listened attentively, not daring to be distracted for even a moment.

Cen Yue glanced at him and suddenly smiled.

"You little rascal, you've really given me a pleasant surprise. That guy Mang Tian is really smug this time."

Thinking of Mang Tian's smug yet indifferent demeanor, Cen Yue felt a bit of a itch.

I was angry, but I was also genuinely envious.

Tang Wulin didn't detect the complex emotions in his words, and simply asked honestly:

"Master Cen, what kind of mission would be suitable for me?"

"Of course you can do it," Cen Yue said. "Don't try to be reckless on your first try. In the forging business, stability is more important than speed."

He paused, then asked:

"The association has forging rooms available for rent. Are you planning to work at the association, or somewhere else?"

Tang Wulin shook his head.

"My teacher left me a forging workshop in Donghai City. I can just go there to work."

A hint of regret flashed across Cen Yue's eyes.

If this child could work regularly at the association, he could get a closer look. But then he thought, after all, he was Mang Tian's disciple, and he couldn't very well try to snatch him away.

"Okay." Cen Yue nodded. "But let me remind you first, forging tasks can only succeed, failure is not an option. If you ruin the finished product, the association will not cover it for you, and you will still have to pay for the materials you owe."

Tang Wulin's heart tightened immediately.

Originally, I thought forging tasks looked like they were all about making money, but after hearing this, I immediately became more cautious.

"Yes, I will definitely be extra careful."

Cen Yue was actually pleased with his reaction.

That's right.

The biggest fear in forging isn't a lack of skill, but a restless mind. Only by knowing this fear can you truly put every strike into your heart.

He pointed to a row of counters in front of him.

"The front is for accepting quests, the left is for submitting quests, and the right is for purchasing metals. The guild has almost all the rare metals commonly found on the market, but the amount that blacksmiths of different levels can buy each month varies. As for the fourth and fifth floors, they are the finished product trading areas. If you have time in the future, you can go up and take a look to broaden your horizons."

Tang Wulin nodded as he wrote all of this down.

However, he also knew in his heart that, at least for now, buying metal or finished products was not something he could think about.

What he needs most right now is to make money.

Lots and lots of money.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall the price of the hundred-year-old soul spirit and the unforgettable taste of the Class A meal.

Then he sighed silently in his heart.

Let's get to work first.

Cen Yue led him to stop in the two-star mission area.

Although staff members sit behind the counter, the actual task acceptance is mainly handled by operating the soul guidance screen in front of you. Staff members are only responsible for handling special situations.

"Come on, try it yourself," Cen Yue gestured.

Tang Wulin walked to a screen and tapped on it.

The next moment, rows of task information popped up.

The task name, requirements, quantity, time limit, and reward are all clearly written.

Tang Wulin glanced at it twice, and his eyes became somewhat fixed.

Task 1: Refining Tianlong Iron. Requirements: 100-fold refining. Quantity: 10. Time Limit: 30 days. Unit Price: 2,000 Federal Credits.

In other words, if all tasks are completed, this one task alone will bring in 20,000 federal dollars.

Tang Wulin's breathing quickened slightly.

Twenty thousand.

This is no small sum for him.

Back in Aolai City, he painstakingly hammered away at metal, saving up money for so long before finally acquiring his first Soul Spirit. Now, however, a single purification quest has already brought him close to the amount he could only dream of after so much hard work.

Blacksmiths really can make money.

"The association will take 10%," Cen Yue reminded him from the side. "The rest is yours."

Even so, Tang Wulin's heart warmed up.

He barely hesitated before pointing his finger at the Heavenly Dragon Iron refining quest.

It wasn't an impulse.

Rather, he was confident in his abilities.

Since that successful thousand-fold refining of silver, his perception of metals has changed significantly. Now, when he looks at these hundred-fold refining processes, he doesn't feel unfamiliar with them; instead, he feels a sense of security.

A dialog box pops up, asking you to fill in the delivery address.

Tang Wulin dutifully filled in the address of the East China Sea Forging Room that Mang Tian had left him.

The screen then prompts: Please insert the Blacksmith Badge to confirm.

Tang Wulin removed the blue double-star badge he had just pinned to his chest and placed it into the slot below.

"drop--"

After a soft click, a prompt immediately appeared on the screen:

"Level 2 blacksmith Tang Wulin has successfully accepted a Level 2 blacksmithing quest: Heavenly Dragon Iron Refinement. The materials will be delivered to the designated address within three days."

The badge then popped out.

Tang Wulin quickly took it back, fastened it again, and then looked up at Cen Yue.

"Is this all?"

Cen Yue nodded.

"It's that simple," he said. "But the simpler it is, the less careless you can be. You're on a mission for the association, not practicing on your own. If you deliver a defective product, and the client holds you accountable, you'll be the one who has to pay the damages first."

He looked at Tang Wulin, his tone becoming slightly more serious.

"Many blacksmiths see that the wages are quite high, but in the end they don't save much money because of the high failure rate. They earn the money, but they still have to pay for the broken materials. In the end, they keep losing money and become more and more reluctant to work."

Tang Wulin felt a chill run down his spine and quickly nodded.

"I understand. I'll be extra careful on my first mission."

"Hmm." Cen Yue looked at him, his gaze softening. "Just take it easy. At your age, your forging skills are already quite remarkable. There's no need to rush ahead."

At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember something.

"By the way, do you have a soul communication number?"

Tang Wulin was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head somewhat embarrassed.

No.

He couldn't afford something like that.

The family only has a fixed soul-guided communicator, so everyone has to use it sparingly to contact each other. A student like him wouldn't have his own phone number.

Seeing the embarrassment on his face, Cen Yue didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand.

A flash of light appeared on his left hand, revealing a ring. His right hand produced a soul-guided communicator resembling a bracelet.

The ring is light blue, with a simple and unassuming design, yet it possesses a delicate and serene quality. The patterns on it are very deep, almost dizzying upon close inspection.

The communication bracelet is the most common and practical style available today. It's about two fingers wide and can be easily fastened to the wrist.

"Take these two for now."

Tang Wulin was startled and quickly waved his hand.

"Master Cen, this...this won't do, it's too precious."

Even if he had never bought that soul-guided communicator, he knew it wouldn't be cheap. Not to mention that ring, which looked anything but ordinary.

Cen Yue didn't take the things back, but just looked at him and smiled.

"Don't rush to refuse," he said. "The communicator is for you to use to contact people. You can't always come here yourself to accept missions, turn in missions, or get notifications from the association. As for this ring—"

He paused deliberately as he said this.

"It's not a gift, it's a loan."