Chapter 201

After Lin Yuhan accepted her defeat, Ning Fengzhi also conceded decisively, handing over the techniques he possessed to Zhenhua. "Worthy of being His Excellency's senior disciple; we accept our loss wholeheartedly. Before, we were frogs at the bottom of a well; we never expected there truly existed someone destined to become a Divine Craftsman. The Douluo Federation's geniuses really emerge in endless succession — enviable."

Looking at the smile on Ning Fengzhi's face, the Blacksmith Association's blacksmiths had an urge to punch this guy in the face.

You've already lost, so what are you smiling about?

Zhenhua's brows lifted slightly, and he said blandly:

"You are too modest, sir; Star Luo's forging techniques are likewise not bad."

This wasn't him being modest — Lin Yuhan's performance truly was not bad. If Gu Yue Na hadn't been present when the challenge came today, this Star Luo girl really could have won. Among the Blacksmith Association's younger generation right now, probably only Gu Yue Na could beat her.

"Since the competition is already over, do the few of you still intend to stay here and witness what comes next?"

Zhenhua spoke in a flat tone, clearly intending to see the guests out.

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi did not move to leave; instead he said, "Your Excellency Zhenhua, in fact, our visit this time has another matter to discuss. We would like to invite you and your disciples to participate in an exchange event traveling to the Star Luo Continent half a year from now."

This face is truly thick.

Everyone present, including Zhang Gongyan and Lin Yuhan, thought exactly this.

With that kind of attitude just now, now still inviting others to participate in an exchange event — how could Zhenhua possibly agree?

Zhenhua thought the same; originally he was about to refuse without a second thought — he had nothing to discuss with these "unwelcome guests." But the very next sentence Ning Fengzhi transmitted by sound made him swallow the refusal that had reached his lips.

"Besides the exchange event, I also wish to speak with Your Excellency about one matter — it concerns the attack you suffered a year and a half ago." Ning Fengzhi's expression was solemn. "Regarding that attacker, Star Luo has intelligence on him; please, Your Excellency Zhenhua, consider it carefully."

Zhenhua frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Ning Fengzhi's face for a moment, as if probing the other's true intent.

Because of his status as a Divine Craftsman, the matter of his being attacked had become a hot search on the Soul Guidance Network for a period of time, so while he was somewhat surprised Ning Fengzhi knew this information, he did not suspect the other party of having ties to the Holy Spirit Cult.

If every member of Star Luo's delegation were a Holy Spirit Cult member, then the Star Luo Federation would probably have been thoroughly infiltrated by Evil Soul Masters long ago... The Star Luo Federation is a country no matter what; it wouldn't have fallen to that extent, right?

It was just that Star Luo's delegation had had no dealings with him before today, and suddenly they proposed to talk about matters concerning Evil Soul Masters — this inevitably made Zhenhua feel puzzled.

'What exactly is Star Luo's purpose? Isn't their visit to the Federation this time to probe our strength?'

Zhenhua pondered briefly, his gaze sweeping over the group behind Ning Fengzhi, finally settling on the other's calm expression.

"Very well. All of you, come with me." Zhenhua finally spoke, beckoning to Huo Yuhao and the other two and the Star Luo delegation members, then turned and walked toward the elevator.

A trace of amusement flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes; he quickened his pace to catch up with Zhenhua's steps. Lin Yuhan and the others looked at each other in blank dismay, clearly surprised by the turn of events, but could only follow closely behind.

The group followed Zhenhua to his office; Ning Fengzhi left the other blacksmiths outside the door, not bringing a single one.

Zhenhua gestured toward the sofa with his hand, watching the several people take their seats one after another, then turned his gaze to Ning Fengzhi. "Whatever you have to say, sir, feel free to speak freely here — or do you need someone to withdraw? Do you want to talk with me alone?"

The other party had left all his own people outside; what they were about to discuss would likely exceed his expectations.

Ning Fengzhi glanced at Huo Yuhao and the other two, shook his head lightly. "No need. This time His Majesty and the Chairman sent me to the Douluo Federation to seek cooperation against the Holy Spirit Cult."

"When we reach Mingdu, we will also negotiate with the Federal Chairman, the Spirit Pagoda Tower Master, and others. The three of you are important personnel of the Spirit Pagoda, trustworthy. The three of you just need to keep what you hear today rotting in your stomachs — do not spread it outside."

Bear Lord frowned, but seeing Gu Yue Na nod expressionlessly, he said nothing and nodded in agreement.

"Then good. Sir, you just said you know who attacked me — how did that happen?" Zhenhua stared fixedly at Ning Fengzhi, his voice low. "Don't tell me the attacker has connections with your Star Luo!"

A bitter smile appeared on Ning Fengzhi's face. "You guessed correctly; the attacker indeed has connections with our Star Luo."

Speaking to this point, he took out a file folder and placed it on the table, but he did not immediately open it; instead he stood and bowed solemnly.

"Before explaining, please allow me to apologize for the previous discourtesy. There are likely Holy Spirit Cult moles inside Star Luo; if they detected that we intend to cooperate with the Douluo Federation, it would inevitably alert them."

"So all along the way, I have faced the Douluo Federation with an arrogant attitude, to display Star Luo's attitude toward the Federation. Only then would those eyes lurking in the dark believe our trip holds no intention of cooperating with the Douluo Federation. This expedient was forced by circumstances; please understand."

Zhenhua's gaze scraped across Ning Fengzhi's apologetic face like a knife blade. The air in the office seemed to freeze; even breathing sounds became clearly audible.

"Sit down." After a long while, Zhenhua finally spoke, pointing at the opposite sofa, his gaze looking toward the door. "The others don't know?"

He did not believe Ning Fengzhi's one-sided words on faith; the cooperation might be real, but the previous provocation and challenge might not be fake either.

The two nations have accumulated grievances for a long time; if they can ruthlessly slap the other's face in some field, neither side would let such an opportunity pass.

If they had lost, Ning Fengzhi's rhetoric would not necessarily be like this.

"Yes, they do not know. The only one in the entire delegation who knows this matter is me. However, regarding the culprit who attacked you, there are quite a few people in the delegation who know his situation."

Ning Fengzhi opened the file folder and took out a person's file. "The one who attacked you back then was this person, right?"

Huo Yuhao, Zhenhua, and the others all looked over.

A photo was attached to the paper — it was a man —

His appearance was truly frightening to behold. His height approached two meters, his build exceptionally stout; especially those thick arms, several degrees thicker than an ordinary adult's thighs. The exposed skin, whether arms or face, was covered in a layer of fine scales.

Beside the file was recorded the other's name: Tong Yu!

"He is the Qilin Douluo, originally a Titled Douluo of our Star Luo Federation."

Ning Fengzhi sighed. "But the him of now is the Holy Spirit Cult's Dark Qilin!"

Dark Qilin?

Recalling the attack encountered a year and a half ago, Zhenhua narrowed his eyes.

A Rank 98 Super Douluo.

If not for the Dark Phoenix Douluo being present, he would probably have struggled to preserve his life. After all, although he is a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, he can be said to be a pure blacksmith; his combat ability is lacking, falling far short of those Soul Masters who specialize in combat.

Without wearing battle armor, he might not even be a match for some Soul Douluo.

"In other words, this person was cultivated by your Star Luo?" Bear Lord pointed at the Qilin Douluo in the file, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Your Star Luo isn't an Evil Soul Master den, is it?" "Your Majesty Bear Lord jests." Ning Fengzhi said. "His situation is somewhat special. He fell onto the evil path because of his own experiences; Evil Soul Masters exist everywhere — hasn't Shrek Academy produced some too? We don't wish for this either."

Speaking here, Ning Fengzhi's gaze flickered as he glanced at Bear Lord, and selectively recounted Tong Yu's story.

During his innate martial soul awakening, Tong Yu awakened a canine-type martial soul. His initial soul power level was only around Rank 2.

Although he cultivated very hard, limited by talent, when he graduated from the elementary academy, he couldn't pass the graduation exam. He couldn't even reach the cultivation of two rings.

And the girl he liked also abandoned him, choosing another "exemplary in both character and academics" classmate.

From then on, Tong Yu went to extremes.

He chose to commit suicide by poison, directly swallowing the insecticide poison kept at home, and the dosage was extremely large. But he not only didn't die, his martial soul instead evolved, turning into a Qilin, and his cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds.

Only his appearance also changed along with it; the scales covering his body appeared extremely ferocious; in outsiders' eyes, he was a true monster — even his family viewed him so.

Tong Yu's personality therefore became even more reclusive and strange, until Monster Academy found him, gave him resources, and cultivated him with all their might.

At twenty-four, he reached the realm of Titled Douluo, and at thirty-two he became Super Douluo.

"Oh? That talent, not bad."

Bear Lord was somewhat surprised.

Graduating from the elementary academy without reaching two rings, becoming Titled Douluo at twenty-four—in other words, Tong Yu spent over a decade transforming from a one-ring Soul Master into a nine-ring Titled Douluo.

"Yes, everyone is optimistic about him, including several adults."

Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed with a trace of different color, but it did not affect his words, "But hatred had long taken deep root in his heart, and he could never forget those things that forced him onto a dead end."

"When he finally became Super Douluo, he found the female student who once abandoned him. By then she was married with children, living a peaceful life. However, the Qilin Douluo, in front of her child, cruelly killed her. Afterward he fell into becoming an Evil Soul Master, leaving no traces."

This is how the Star Luo people view the Qilin Douluo's experience, but as a member of the Holy Spirit Cult, Ning Fengzhi knows more of the inside story.

For example, the Qilin Douluo killed that female student because she broke his mother's legs and abandoned his mother in the mountains and forests.

Another example: that female student tried to make amends, found someone to save his mother, and the Qilin Douluo did not intend to kill that female student, only seriously injuring her, but without making amends either; before anyone came to rescue her, that female student died, and her young child witnessed the entire process...

As for the cause of this matter, it was actually because the Qilin Douluo was taken away by Monster Academy without informing his mother, leading to this. Tong Yu's mother, in order to find the missing Tong Yu, sought out that female student, thinking she might know Tong Yu's whereabouts, ultimately causing the tragedy.

Hmm, how to put it, even to Ning Fengzhi, a member of the Holy Spirit Cult, this series of events is quite hard to judge.

That female student regarded Tong Yu as her "lickdog," ordering him around arbitrarily, and after graduating from the elementary academy abandoned him without considering the consequences.

When Monster Academy took Tong Yu away, they did not notify his family, causing his mother to seek out that female student.

During Tong Yu's cultivation, he unexpectedly did not think of his family, not returning home for over a decade...

Regarding Tong Yu's experiences before turning to the Holy Spirit Cult, their Holy Spirit Cult did not intervene at all, nor did they need to intervene much. They simply investigated everything clearly in the end and laid it before the Qilin Douluo, causing the other party to fall into madness.

If not for them giving the other party hope to live on, the Qilin Douluo at that time would absolutely have committed suicide...

After listening to Ning Fengzhi's account, Zhenhua frowned.

Because Ning Fengzhi held back in his account, to him the so-called Qilin Douluo was simply an Evil Soul Master who went to extremes because of an unsuccessful childhood romance. Moreover, he had outstanding talent and might be a dangerous character capable of advancing to the extreme limit!

Compared to Zhenhua with his solemn expression, Huo Yuhao then secretly marveled at the great power of the Douluo Continent's love god, while looking toward Ning Fengzhi, who intended to speak the final paragraph.

This story derived a special person; if used properly, it could completely allow the Spirit Pagoda to step into this muddy water of Star Luo.

The person before him came prepared.

Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed slightly.

As he thought, Ning Fengzhi continued to say:

"The Qilin Douluo himself fell into becoming an Evil Soul Master, and soon joined the Holy Spirit Cult. And based on various reasons, someone from Star Luo, through smuggling, sent that pitiful child who lost his mother—Tang Ziran—to the Douluo Federation..."

"You said that child's name is what?!"

Bear Lord suddenly leapt up from his seat, his thick arms propped on the table, his eyes locking onto Ning Fengzhi like lightning.

Ning Fengzhi seemed startled but quickly calmed down, "Tang Ziran."

"Tang Ziran, Tang Ziran... isn't that Wu Lin's father's name?"

Bear Lord chewed on this name repeatedly, looking at Huo Yuhao with a slightly changed complexion, as if confirming something with him.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, transmitting by voice: "Light Biao Captain once investigated; Wu Lin's father comes from Star Luo Continent. Light Biao Captain passed this intelligence to the Donghai Spirit Pagoda, and I saw it at Teacher Adaptability's place."

Hearing this, Bear Lord's expression became uncertain for a time.

That brat Wu Lin's background is truly complex; his biological father being a god is one thing, but his adoptive father's origin is actually so strange.

As if seeing something from Bear Lord's expression, Ning Fengzhi asked curiously: "Your Majesty Bear Lord, do you know Tang Ziran's whereabouts?"

Bear Lord snorted coldly, "Does this have anything to do with what you want to say now? Continue."

"Uh, okay."

Ning Fengzhi smiled awkwardly: "This is the origin and course of the Qilin Douluo's story. From it can be seen his cruel and unkind character, and his strength, I suppose Zhenhua has witnessed it. Our Star Luo Federation is not as prosperous as the Douluo Federation; one Qilin Douluo is enough to cause a headache."

"But according to our Star Luo understanding, the Holy Spirit Cult's strongest is not him. So we intend to cooperate with the Douluo Federation through this exchange activity to encircle and suppress the Holy Spirit Cult... we have intelligence on the Holy Spirit Cult's base!"

End of Chapter