"Young man—thank you," Mu Ye said gravely, carefully tucking the pill into his robes.
Gratitude and unmistakable regret flickered in his eyes.
"Elder—you're too kind. I enjoyed your culinary artistry; payment is only proper," Fang Yang replied calmly, demeanor unshaken.
Mu Ye sighed deeply, clapping Fang Yang's shoulder firmly:
"If only you weren't already Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's disciple—I'd have claimed you as my direct heir at any cost!"
Zhen Hua watched, thoughtful.
Then he chuckled: "Why cling to 'direct disciple'?"
"Let him join your Body Sect! Sect inheritance need not require direct discipleship."
Mu Ye's eyes lit up—inspiration dawning.
"Precisely! If not direct, a regular disciple suffices!"
Fang Yang paused—then nodded: "Alright."
For him, joining the Body Sect was an opportunity.
"HAHA! The Body Sect's revival is assured!" Mu Ye laughed heartily, regret vanishing like mist.
Zhen Hua teased: "Look at you—overjoyed over one disciple."
"Oh?" Mu Ye shot back, arching a brow:
"You mock me? Then you try stealing someone's prized disciple first!"
He threw Zhen Hua a meaningful glance.
Zhen Hua snorted, turning away—but silent.
Mu Ye turned serious: "Old friend—truly, thank you for the counsel."
He added: "Once I replenish my foundation, I'll prepare a feast in your honor."
"That's more like it," Zhen Hua smiled, facing him again.
---
"Fang Yang—may I see your martial soul?" Mu Ye asked suddenly.
"Certainly," Fang Yang nodded.
His aura surged—six soul rings blazed beneath his feet:
Black, Black, Black, Black-White-Gold, Azure-Gold, Black!
Each ring pulsed with suffocating pressure, the Black-White-Gold and Azure-Gold rings radiating apocalyptic might.
The Black Flame bloomed in his palm—runes swirling, chaos halos flickering—
a silent devourer of souls.
"This…"
Zhen Hua and Mu Ye exchanged stunned glances.
From this youth—they felt genuine peril.
"I've… found a treasure," Mu Ye murmured, joy flooding his face.
Fang Yang's martial soul wasn't a Body martial soul—but who cared?
Such peerless quality… such boundless blood essence…
Zhen Hua's heart stirred.
Action over hesitation!
"Fang Yang—would you learn forging? I'll take you as my disciple!"
"Zhen Hua—you old fox!" Mu Ye bristled instantly.
He just claimed a disciple—and Zhen Hua was already scheming!
"President—my apologies," Fang Yang declined politely.
Thus, he casually rejected the continent's sole Divine Craftsman.
"No matter," Zhen Hua sighed—but accepted gracefully.
"President—I hold no interest in forging. But Tang Wulin possesses extraordinary talent—a worthy candidate," Fang Yang suggested.
"True," Zhen Hua nodded.
Tang Wulin was born for the forge.
---
"By the way, Fang Yang—though your martial soul isn't a Body martial soul, your blood essence is abundant enough to cultivate the Body Sect Secret technique," Mu Ye said, withdrawing an ancient manual from his storage device.
"This is our sect's secret inheritance—study it well."
The Body Sect Secret technique comprised two parts:
- Acquired Method: Laying the foundation before Martial Soul Awakening.
- Innate Method: Profound beyond measure—cultivated to perfection, it forged the Golden Arhat Body, also known as the Flawless Golden Body—a physique rivaling gods.
Cultivating the Innate Method demanded multiple stages:
- Medicinal baths with celestial herbs to temper the body
- Pushing to absolute limits to ignite the body's latent potential…
The Body Sect possessed another unique method:
Plunge disciples into abyssal ocean depths—forcing secondary martial soul awakening through life-or-death trials.
This Deep Sea Trial was every Body Sect disciple's rite of passage.
"Thank you, Sect Master," Fang Yang accepted the manual with both hands, bowing deeply.
"Mm," Mu Ye nodded, satisfied. "Follow me."
He led Fang Yang to a spacious courtyard within the Blacksmith Association.
Zhen Hua followed with Tang Wulin, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Mu Ye's gaze sharpened—right hand sweeping the air.
A crimson light tore the sky—descending beside him.
A divine-grade mecha—six meters tall, vibrant crimson.
Sleek, lethal lines—radiating technological might and raw power.
A faint luminescence flowed across its surface, bound to Mu Ye by an invisible thread—as if an extension of his very soul.
"A divine-grade mecha?!" Fang Yang's eyes widened slightly.
He'd heard legends of them—but never witnessed one with his own eyes.
"Correct," Mu Ye nodded, pride warming his voice.
"I am both a Four-Word Battle Armor Master and a Red-Grade Mecha Master."
"The sole soul master on the Douluo Continent to stand atop both professions—my power matches a Limit Douluos."
"Whoa—so cool!" Tang Wulin gasped, eyes blazing with yearning.
Any youth would burn with passion at such a sight.
Fang Yang asked: "Sect Master—why bring me here?"
"Little Red," Mu Ye called softly.
"As you command," the crimson mecha responded—voice a resonant metallic hum.
"What?! The mecha has consciousness?!" Tang Wulin exclaimed.
Mu Ye smiled: "No—the mecha holds no independent life. But through advanced spiritual resonance, it mirrors my every thought."
"It has become part of my being—my second body."
Fang Yang and Tang Wulin nodded thoughtfully, their understanding of mechas deepening.
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