Chapter 339

At the entrance of Qian Duan Street.

At an open-air barbecue stall.

The scent of cumin and chili mixed with the smoky aroma of charcoal hung in the air.

Though it was deep night, the place was packed with people.

Everyone sat bare-chested, laughing and shouting loudly.

At a small square table in the corner.

Zhao Meng and Li Qiang sat facing each other.

The table was piled high with lamb kidneys, skewers, and scattered empty beer bottles.

“Gulugulugulu!”

Zhao Meng grabbed a bottle of beer, tilted his head back, and downed half of it in one gulp.

“Bang!”

He slammed the bottle onto the table and wiped the foam from his lips.

His face was filled with frustration.

“Damn it!”

Zhao Meng grabbed a skewer, bit off a large chunk of roasted meat, and mumbled:

“Li, what the hell is this?”

“I’ve saved up materials for so long, saved money for so long, skimped and scraped.”

“And what did I get?”

“I can’t even meet the apprentice of Mo Lao!”

As he spoke, Zhao Meng let out an involuntary sigh.

Li Qiang sat across from him, slowly eating a skewer of grilled leeks.

Seeing Zhao Meng’s state, he smiled:

“Come on, Lao Zhao.”

“Stop complaining here.”

“After all, he’s Lin Mo.”

Li Qiang took a sip of beer and said with a bitter laugh:

“What kind of status does Lin Mo have?”

“He’s the future anchor of Longguo!”

“The man who single-handedly crushed the Seven-Nation Alliance!”

“Not even the Five Elders of Tianshu Bureau dare treat him as anything less than a treasure.”

“And he’s the one holding Divine Casting Stone—he’s forging a Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon!”

“Your crappy weapon means nothing next to his.”

“Just accept it.”

Hearing this,

Zhao Meng knew it was true, but still refused to concede.

“Accept it?”

“I’m just jealous!”

“Why the hell does he, at eighteen, get this kind of top-tier treatment?”

“When I was eighteen, I was being chased and bitten by a pack of wild dogs in the wilds!”

“How the hell did Lin Mo get such good luck? Such insane talent!”

Zhao Meng downed another gulp of beer, his face twisted with envy.

Just then,

Boom—!!!

From the direction of Qian Jun Pavilion,

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted.

Immediately after,

A brilliant, immensely thick crimson light pillar shattered the night’s darkness and shot straight into the heavens!

Within the light pillar pulsed terrifyingly potent earth-pulse fire energy.

A wave of scorching heat

Instantly swept across the entire street.

Everyone at the barbecue stall froze in place.

They all stood up, staring in stunned awe toward Qian Jun Pavilion.

“Holy shit!”

“What the hell was that?!”

“That’s the Starfire Furnace at Qian Jun Pavilion being pushed to full power—Mo Lao is forging equipment.”

“Damn, Mo Lao forging equipment? Who could make Mo Lao lift a finger… probably a Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon?”

“Forbidden-Class… could it be Lin Mo?”

“Probably.”

Zhao Meng sat in his seat, staring at the sky-piercing crimson light pillar.

After a long while, he snapped back to reality.

“This fucking…”

“The commotion’s too big…”

“Is this what forging a Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon looks like?”

Li Qiang’s eyes were also filled with awe.

He had never seen a Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon being forged before.

He murmured to himself:

“Yeah…”

“A Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon—Longguo might not forge one in years.”

“Lao Zhao.”

Li Qiang turned his head and slapped Zhao Meng on the shoulder.

“Think of it another way.”

“Today, we’ve witnessed history.”

“Next time you go out drinking and brag, you can say: ‘When Lin Mo was forging his Forbidden-Class exclusive weapon, we were there watching!’”

“That’s a brag you can carry for life.”

Hearing this, Zhao Meng sneered.

“How sour.”

“Witnessing history doesn’t mean the weapon’s mine.”

“Lin Mo’s got such good luck. Such a lucky life.”

“He’s got insane talent—turned profession just a month ago, and already became a Five-Element Magic King!”

His luck is insane too—he entered a beginner battlefield and somehow got his hands on the Divine Casting Stone, a legendary item!

“Now? Even his resources are insane!”

“The Five Elders personally escort him!”

“Longguo’s top blacksmith, Mo Lao, along with five SS-ranked top disciples, lowered their status and teamed up to forge for him!”

“Damn, isn’t Lin Mo just the protagonist of some wish-fulfillment novel?”

Hearing Zhao Meng’s bitter words,

Li Qiang’s expression turned serious.

He stared straight at Zhao Meng.

“Lao Zhao.”

“I don’t like what you’re saying.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

Li Qiang took a deep breath, his tone laced with respect:

“You only see how lucky Lin Mo is, how good his fate is.”

“You only see him crushing the Seven-Nation Alliance on the Ten-Thousand Nations Battlefield, only see him enjoying top-tier treatment.”

“But have you ever considered…”

“How much unimaginable sweat he poured behind the scenes?”

Zhao Meng froze.

“Sweat?”

“Yes.”

Li Qiang sighed and turned his gaze toward Qian Jun Pavilion.

His eyes were filled with admiration.

"No matter how good your talent is, don't you still have to level up bit by bit, kill one monster at a time?"

"Do you think Lin Mo’s current level just blew in from the wind?"

Li Qiang turned his head, his gaze falling again on Zhao Meng, who was still staring blankly.

"I’ve heard it."

"When Lin Mo was at Jingda, he spent nearly every night hunting monsters in the wild, grinding nonstop through the entire night."

"He’s practically a superhuman!"

"Zhao, ask yourself honestly."

Li Qiang pressed.

"When you first switched classes, what level were you?"

"Think about it—how many monsters would you have to kill, how many dangerous dungeons would you have to clear, to reach level 46 in just one month?"

"How many all-nighters would you have to pull, without closing your eyes once?"

Li Qiang pointed toward Qianjun Pavilion.

"Do you think the Ten Nations Battlefield is a tourist spot?"

"It’s a fight for your life!"

Li Qiang stared at Zhao Meng.

"Just think—how much sweat, how much blood, how many near-death experiences he’s endured behind the scenes..."

"Yes, his talent is strong, but that doesn’t mean you can dismiss his effort!"

Hearing Li Qiang’s words,

Zhao Meng felt as if a sudden enlightenment had struck him.

That’s right.

Eighteen years old, barely half a month into his freshman year, already level 46.

How could that be achieved by talent alone?

It’s clearly the result of nonstop, sleepless grinding!

Lin Mo is racing every second to grow stronger—even skipping sleep.

And what about me?

Zhao Meng looked down at the table: the grilled kidneys and empty beer bottles.

Instantly, a wave of intense shame washed over him.

"Old Li!"

"You’re right!"

Zhao Meng sprang to his feet.

Flames of burning determination ignited within him.

"The guy who’s a thousand times stronger than me is grinding through the night!"

"What right do I have to be drinking and eating skewers here?"

"What right do I have to complain about fate being unfair?"

Zhao Meng grabbed Li Qiang’s arm.

"Stop eating!"

"If we can’t get gear yet, wait a few days—but we can’t just sit around!"

"Come on, let’s head outside the city and start hunting monsters!"

"If Lin Mo can grind monsters without sleeping, I, Zhao Meng, can too!"

Li Qiang still held half a skewer of grilled leeks; Zhao Meng yanked him off-balance, nearly knocking him over.

"Hey hey hey!"

"Old Zhao! Don’t pull me!"

"I was just venting my feelings—I haven’t even finished eating!"

"Eat shit!"

"Grind!"

Zhao Meng roared, dragging Li Qiang along without looking back, heading straight out of Zhuxing Town.