Chapter 29: The Eight Deception Gods of Nine Heavens: Divine Smith Zhen Hua and the Body Sect Master Mu Ye

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the crowd gradually thinned.

The three of them, full and satisfied, left Yu Hao’s Grilled Fish and found an inn to rest for the night.

The inn’s front desk attendant, seeing the classic trio of one man and two women, immediately assumed another soul master’s lust was flaring out of control, inwardly cursing Zhao Xuanzhen as a beast—until the three requested three separate rooms, at which point he roared again: Zhao Xuanzhen is worse than a beast!

“Rest well; tomorrow morning we go to the Forge Association.”

“Good night / Good night, Zhao Xuanzhen!”

Each of the three entered their respective rooms.

“Xun character, listen to the wind.”

Zhao Xuanzhen exhaled softly, forgoing meditation to nourish his spirit; instead, he released two wisps of clear wind to eavesdrop on the voices of Na’er and Gu Yue next door. After half an hour, they washed away the dust and sank into deep meditation; the rooms fell utterly silent.

He pushed open the window and leapt from the thirteenth floor of the inn; the gale caught his body, making him drift like a speck of dust, landing lightly before instantly accelerating, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

The gray-iron building resembled a massive hammer driven obliquely into the earth; its thirty-story facade bore golden engravings shaped like hammers, with metallic auras swirling at the hammerhead, bathing the entire street in a cold, metallic sheen.

The Heaven Dou City Forge Association.

Zhao Xuanzhen silently commanded Teng She to conceal everything with illusory deception, then looked up at the giant hammer; his dark pupils had already transformed into brilliant gold. The Eight Deception Divine Disc rotated, absorbing invisible currents—the association’s celestial timing, terrestrial advantage, and human harmony.

“Qian’s metal form, take your place.”

“Hum—”

The divine disc split open a deep, bottomless dark fissure; compared to Teng She’s grand arrival, the awakening of the second Eight Deception God was remarkably subdued.

A boy of about ten, with a sharply angular pentagonal face, a jawline carved like a blade, broad shoulders straining the fabric over coiled muscles, gray eyes like black iron, moved with an innate dignity and uprightness.

The boy bowed, his voice resonant: “Eight Deception God Jiutian, meets the Master of Qimen.”

“Hehe, Jiutian, you’re so weak! Unlike me—I descended in peak form…”

Teng She poked out a mischievous head, grinning at his old comrade.

Jiutian ignored Teng She, his expression cold and hard; by Douluo Continent standards, he was equivalent to a twenty-one-level Great Soul Master, while Teng She stood at the realm’s absolute limit: quasi-god.

Their combat power differed vastly now, but Jiutian understood Zhao Xuanzhen had awakened him in his juvenile stage for a reason.

“Jiutian, I need you to join the Forge Association and ascend as the next Divine Smith.” Zhao Xuanzhen spoke bluntly.

“The Divine Smith under this world’s rules is too vital—I cannot afford failure. You are the Qian Metal Form, and having absorbed the association’s celestial timing, terrestrial advantage, and human harmony, you are a natural-born seed of the Divine Smith.”

“As you command, my lord.”

Jiutian accepted the order without complaint.

Zhao Xuanzhen nodded slightly, leveraging his transmigrant advantage by planning ahead and laying early groundwork.

Controlling the Forge Association means gripping the throat of Doukai; only a Divine Smith can forge the Tian Duan metal required for four-character Doukai. He needed someone he could trust absolutely.

Whether Tang Wulin, Mu Xi, or later Yang Nianxia—all these forgers fell short in Zhao Xuanzhen’s eyes. He decided to deploy the Eight Deception God with full loyalty.

Jiutian, as the Qian Metal Form and the God of Might, best fits the Douluo Continent’s Divine Smith rules. He will inherit Zhen Hua’s position, assume the duties of Divine Smith and Forge Association leader, supply Zhao Xuanzhen with Tian Duan metal, and lead the association to greater heights.

The Forge Association’s celestial, terrestrial, and human energies are inferior to those of the Spirit Transmission Tower; thus Jiutian’s early growth will lag far behind Teng She’s. But once he breaks through to Divine Smith, the human harmony energy will surge instantly, and Jiutian’s cultivation will rocket upward until reaching the continent’s limit: quasi-god.

…

At dawn, sunlight streamed through the window; Zhao Xuanzhen slowly opened his eyes.

After a night of meditation, his spirit and energy were full; his soul power had slightly increased, nearing level thirty-three. The dark gold claw bear’s left and right palm bones were of high quality, yet merely a thousand-year soul bone, offering little soul power boost.

After washing and changing clothes, Zhao Xuanzhen opened his door; the two adjacent rooms opened simultaneously, revealing two graceful figures—one white, one black.

Na’er wore a light blue knee-length dress, fresh and elegant, adorned with delicate butterfly ornaments that fluttered with life; her silver-white hair cascaded down to her slender waist, revealing the refined lines of her neck and collarbone.

Gu Yue was no less beautiful; her skirt’s hues seemed crushed from forest light, weaving emerald and pure white, their fine luster carrying the spirit of nature. Her tall figure exuded ethereal grace, radiating quiet beauty perfectly.

At this point, someone might ask: Na’er and Gu Yue are so beautiful—what about Zhao Xuanzhen, who walks beside them?

Zhao Xuanzhen is a renowned handsome youth throughout the surrounding villages!

People favor beauty, and Zhao Xuanzhen is no exception; with two exquisite maidens beside him, the air around him seemed fresher.

“Welcome, all three.”

The three entered the Forge Association’s gates; a sweet-faced girl greeted them warmly.

“We’re from the Spirit Transmission Tower. We seek Divine Smith Zhen Hua.”

Mu Ye was unknown to outsiders; Zhao Xuanzhen presented his credentials directly to request an audience with Divine Smith Zhen Hua. As the direct disciple of the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaoju had long been grooming Zhao Xuanzhen for the position of next vice-tower master; his authority within the Spirit Transmission Tower was extremely high—higher than the heads of the Eighteen Pillar branch towers.

The girl’s expression turned solemn, bowing respectfully: “Respected Spirit Transmission Tower official, the Divine Smith holds one public lesson per month, currently teaching the Thousand-Forging course to forge apprentices under twenty in the first-floor hall. Could you wait a moment?”

“Mm, we’ll wait in the hall.”

“Of course, please follow me.”

The girl led ahead; seeing this, Gu Yue’s eyes darkened with hidden currents—Zhao Xuanzhen’s power and status were evident. Associating with him was indeed the right choice!

The first-floor hall of the Forge Association was spacious, everything made of metal. The Divine Smith’s public lesson drew countless forgers; the hall was packed, a sea of heads.

“Thousand-forging metal requires the forger’s strength, soul power assistance, and spiritual control—all three are indispensable…”

At the front podium stood a man in his thirties, his hands broad and long, skin translucent like jade. On his chest hung a golden hammer badge with nine stars, indicating his level-nine second-tier profession.

Level-nine Divine Smith forger—only one such person existed across all three continents: the Forge Association’s chairman, Zhen Hua!

“By following this method, the success rate of Thousand-Forging improves dramatically. That concludes today’s lesson. Feel free to ask any questions.”

Looking at the young faces below, Zhen Hua smiled warmly, never showing impatience despite explaining Thousand-Forging techniques; youth represented the Forge Association’s future, and the Divine Smith, as the leader of forgers, had the duty to lay their foundation.

“Divine Smith, I have a question—I’d like to forge metal live for your guidance.”

Jiutian, already inside the hall, spoke with a thunderous voice, instantly drawing every forger’s attention.

Na’er tugged Zhao Xuanzhen’s sleeve quietly: “That pentagonal young master clearly isn’t ordinary!”

“Don’t give him random nicknames…”

Zhao Xuanzhen defended the Eight Deception God. Still, Jiutian did have a sharply angular face—Na’er was simply speaking truthfully…

“I like your courage—come up!”

Zhen Hua laughed heartily; few forgers dared forge metal live before a Divine Smith and peers. He admired Jiutian’s boldness and was willing to grant the youth a chance to shine.

With a slap of his hand, the podium transformed into a forge platform, displaying over a dozen rare metals for selection.

Under hundreds of spotlight-like gazes, Jiutian strode forward, head high, crossed the crowd, stepped onto the platform, and picked up two black metal ingots—cold as icy jade, their fine star-like patterns glowing faintly under soul-lamp light.

Rare metal: Tian Xing Iron.

“This child—who is his master? No badge, so his forging level is unknown. Now he’s preparing to forge two pieces of Tian Xing Iron at once…” Zhen Hua thought silently.

Jiutian took a deep breath, tossed the two Tian Xing Iron ingots into the forge to heat. The air filled with the scent of burning flame and metallic rust. He closed his eyes, then opened them—his iron-gray irises now crystal-clear.

His palms flipped; two gilded forging hammers materialized, their hammerheads adorned with swirling cloud patterns as if alive, the grips perfectly molded to his palm’s ridges, as if fused with flesh and blood. Jiutian’s feet parted slightly, his spine taut; with each breath, his chest rose and fell in sync with the forge’s flickering flames.

Qian Hammer—Jiutian revealed his martial soul publicly, perfectly matching his identity as a forger!

The preparatory phase ended. Jiutian retrieved the Tian Xing Iron, his twin hammers crossing midair, leaving twin golden afterimages. Before the hammerheads struck, the wind pressure tore through the air and slammed into the metal’s edge.

“Clang!”

The sharp clash of metal on metal shook the air; the two Tian Xing Iron ingots dented violently, sparks flying like meteor showers, the metal glowing crimson-gold, ripples spreading from the impact point, air roaring in turbulent waves!

“Good lad!”

Zhen Hua roared, eyes blazing. As a Divine Smith, he needed only one strike to recognize Jiutian’s exceptional talent.

As the Qian Hammer struck, Jiutian and the Tian Xing Iron resonated, entering a wondrous fusion state—the forger and the rare metal became one.

With a twist of his hips, Jiutian unleashed twin hammers, their shadows merging into a dark cloud.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The strikes began dull, then gradually became clear and bell-like. With each hammer blow, the Tian Xing Iron shrank, impurities vaporizing, the core growing denser, revealing a deep-sea blue hue—the prototype of Thousand-Forging emerged.

Below, all were under twenty; those who could forge Thousand-Forging metal were already elite. Seeing Jiutian’s youthful maturity, they cheered loudly.

Jiutian paid no heed to anything else; the world narrowed to the two ingots before him. The Qian Hammer lifted again—sometimes light as a feather, ripples spreading across the metal’s surface; sometimes heavy as mountains, shaking the forge platform with groans.

Soul power flowed like a gentle stream, seeping into the iron’s core with every strike. The ingot visibly shrank, silver threads glimmering within, faint starlight flickering deep inside.

Twin Thousand-Forged Tian Xing Iron—completed!

Divine Smith Zhen Hua stepped forward quickly, ignoring the searing heat, turning the metal over in his hands, praising: “Perfect Thousand-Forging. Forging skill at peak level three. Even veteran forgers in the association may not surpass you.”

“Young man, what’s your name? How old are you? Who is your master?”

Zhen Hua assumed Jiutian was a prodigy trained by some Saint Forger—otherwise, how could a boy this young possess such mastery?

“Jiutian. Ten years old. I have no teacher. I learned entirely through self-discovery. I passed through Heaven Dou City, heard the Divine Smith was teaching, and came specifically to learn.”

“Ten years old? No teacher?!”

Jiutian’s answer struck Zhen Hua’s heart. His mouth stretched wide, unable to close; the more he looked at that square, angular face, the more he liked it!

This is exactly how a forger should look!

Zhen Hua cleared his throat, regaining his Divine Smith dignity: “Jiutian, your talent is unparalleled. I wish to take you as my disciple and impart the true essence of forging. Will you accept?”

“It is my great honor.”

Jiutian smiled. He had always intended to draw Zhen Hua’s attention through his own ability, enter the core of the Forge Association, receive the best training, and rapidly become a Divine Smith.

“Good!”

Zhen Hua clapped Jiutian’s shoulder hard. This Divine Smith had lived alone his entire life, never finding a worthy successor. Jiutian’s arrival was perfectly timed!

An unpolished jade and a trained forger are worlds apart. Twenty-one-level Jiutian was far more appealing to Zhen Hua than an eighty- or ninety-level Jiutian.

The boy’s twin-hammer Thousand-Forging, the Divine Smith’s immediate adoption—this would surely become a legendary tale!

“Mu Chen, Mu Chen, you boasted about your genius disciple? Now I have one too!”

Zhen Hua gloated for two and a half seconds, then swept his hand across the storage soul tool at his waist, retrieving two white forging hammers and smiling: “Jiutian, these are your initiation gifts—Spirit-Forged Yunjin Hammers.”

“Before I achieved Soul-Forging, I used these to forge metal. They’re yours now!”

“Thank you, Master.”

Jiutian stowed the Spirit-Forged Yunjin Hammers. The next moment, the girl and Zhao Xuanzhen’s trio approached Zhen Hua.

Zhao Xuanzhen smiled: “Divine Smith, we’re from the Spirit Transmission Tower. We seek Master Mu Ye, the Master of the Body Sect. The Illusion Brain Douluo wrote a secret letter.”

“Phantom Brain Douluo...”

Zhen Hua suddenly remembered: in recent times, the celestial-forged metals for four-character armor had all come from his own hands, so he naturally recalled Phantom Brain Douluo Han Tianyi.

Although Han Tianyi had left the Body Sect to join the Spirit Transmission Tower in pursuit of the ultimate illusion domain, his relationship with the Body Sect was never strained; when he originally came to Zhen Hua to request celestial-forged metals, he had shared wine and merriment with Mu Ye and the others.

“You all come with me. Jiu Tian, you too—I’m taking a direct disciple, and Mu Ye here must pay up.”

Zhen Hua led the four children into the divine artisan’s private mess hall and shouted: “Mu Ye, get out here!”

A somewhat gaunt middle-aged man appeared, wearing a white chef’s hat, and grumbled: “What are you doing? It’s not mealtime yet!”

“Phantom Brain Douluo sent someone with a letter,” Zhen Hua said, gesturing to Zhao Xuanzhen beside him.

“A letter?”

Mu Ye scratched his head in confusion. In this age of technology, people simply used soul-tool communications—how had Han Tianyi become so old-fashioned?

“Senior of the Body Sect, here is Master Han’s secret letter.”

Zhao Xuanzhen handed over the letter. Mu Ye took it and immediately recognized Han Tianyi’s unique spiritual imprint, while also sensing a blazing, surging bloodline energy like the sun. He turned his gaze to Zhao Xuanzhen and asked with keen curiosity:

“Young man, your bloodline energy is thick. You’re a body cultivator?”

“Something like that.”

“We’ll chat later, you and me. Let me read the letter first.”

The spiritual imprint served only to verify identity; Mu Ye easily broke through it and saw two bold, swirling characters written plainly on the white paper.

True Self.

“Ah, True Self... Huh? True Self?!”

(End of Chapter)