The elevator descended slowly. Mu Xi turned to Arthur and said, "You'd better go easy on me later. Don't make me lose too badly."
"No promises." Arthur shook his head. "You'd better forge fast. If you fall behind, all you'll be able to do is watch me steal the spotlight."
"Hmph." Mu Xi turned away.
Tang Wulin, feeling somewhat like a third wheel, scratched his head awkwardly.
The elevator doors opened. In a corner of the first-floor lobby, Grandmaster Cen Yue sat at a round table.
Around him stood several young people, each wearing a Blacksmith Association rank badge on their chest. The lowest among them was a Level 2, and the highest belonged to a young man in his mid-twenties who wore a Level 4 badge.
"Grandmaster Cen!" Arthur stepped forward with a slight nod.
Grandmaster Cen Yue rose quickly, a smile spreading across his face. "You're here! Come, sit."
"Let me make some introductions. This is my disciple, Tang Wenhao, a Level 4 blacksmith competing in the adult division this time." He gestured toward the young man with the Level 4 badge.
It was a rare opportunity, and Cen Yue wanted his disciple to make an impression on Arthur while he had the chance. Once Arthur grew into his full potential, getting face time with him wouldn't be so easy.
After introducing his disciple at length, Cen Yue moved on to the others. "This is Zheng Tianlin, a Level 3 blacksmith. And these are Li Mo and Zhang Lei, both standout performers at Level 2."
"Pleased to meet you." The group stepped forward respectfully and bowed.
Within the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association, Arthur was practically a legend.
"No need to be so formal." Arthur waved a hand. "We're all from the same association. We'll be seeing each other constantly."
Easy to say, but the group remained visibly tense, and not just because of Arthur's monstrous talent in forging.
In truth, when Arthur had first joined the association, he'd been regarded almost like a walking plague.
Because behind him stood Su Wuyan.
Light Dragon Sparrow, a Titled Douluo, had a reputation that preceded him far and wide.
Every blacksmith in the association had been terrified of crossing Arthur, knowing that after each forging session they might find their precious rare metals had mysteriously vanished without a trace.
They couldn't even cry about it.
There was no one to turn to.
The undisputed ruler of Eastsea City, the Titled Douluo himself: "Who dares bring a complaint before me?"
And on top of that, Arthur's forging talent had since revealed itself to be extraordinary. Everyone in the association held him in genuine awe.
"Now that everyone's here, let's get started." Grandmaster Cen Yue spoke up.
"Our Blacksmith Association has always been Eastsea City's flagship at the Alliance Grand Tournament. Last time, the youth division took third and the junior adult division took first. Wenhao, you're competing in the adult division this year. Keep up the momentum and bring honor to the association."
Tang Wenhao, broad-shouldered with a steady gaze, answered firmly: "Yes, Master."
Then Cen Yue turned to Zheng Tianlin. "Tianlin, you've been progressing steadily and quickly. Do well in the junior adult division and aim to advance to Level 4 soon." Zheng Tianlin nodded, though a trace of pride flickered on his face.
Finally, Cen Yue's gaze settled on Arthur, Tang Wulin, and Mu Xi. "You three are our association's secret weapons this time. Perform at your normal level and a top-three sweep is well within reach."
At those words, Tang Wenhao and the others all quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they were in the adult division.
If they had to compete in the youth division... that would be an entirely different nightmare.
Never mind Mu Xi and Tang Wulin. With Arthur alone in the mix, the youth division this year would be straight-up infernal difficulty.
Just thinking about it was enough to make you want to cry.
The opening ceremony of the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament was held at the Skysea Stadium, a venue capable of holding eighty thousand spectators. It was the premier event of the Eastsea economic region and drew attention from across the Federation.
The tournament existed to identify and cultivate talent for the Skysea Alliance.
Early in the morning, delegations from every city had already entered the stadium, and the stands were packed to capacity.
Tang Wulin was a country boy, and this was his first time in a venue of such scale. He spent most of the time walking around in a daze.
"What are they all talking about?" Tang Wulin asked Xie Xie.
Xie Xie explained, "How do you not know about this? It's been all over the place. There's an exhibition match later. The alliance paid a fortune to bring in people from Shrek Academy to go up against the previous tournament's youth division seven-person champions."
"That's Shrek, though."
"No idea where the Skysea Alliance got the nerve. Paying to get humiliated?"
Xu Xiaoyan laughed. "The higher-ups must have their own reasoning."
"Who would actually pay to get wrecked?" Arthur mused. "Unless... what if Shrek insisted on coming?"
"Shrek insisted on coming?" The others blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Let me break this down for you." Arthur laid out his theory. "Shrek Academy puts its students through all sorts of bizarre exams. You name it, they've done it."
"Coming to compete in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament might just be one of their minor tests."
"That would actually make sense, relatively speaking."
"Nothing Shrek students do during exams should surprise anyone. There have been cases of them infiltrating Federation military bases."
It was the explanation Arthur found most plausible. Otherwise, the exhibition match simply didn't add up.
"What?!" The group was floored. Tang Wulin especially.
"Teacher, is that actually true?" Everyone looked toward Wu Zhangkong, since he was the one who had come from Shrek.
After a brief silence, Wu Zhangkong answered with his usual economy of words: "Yes."
What else was he supposed to say? He couldn't exactly weigh in on this one.
Because back when he had been at Shrek Academy himself, he'd done his share of those exact same outrageous things.
"Ahem. I just spotted an old friend. I'll step away for a bit." Wu Zhangkong chose to make his exit and went to find whoever it was he'd recognized.
"Doesn't the Federation do anything about it?" Tang Wulin turned back, still puzzled.
"What would they do?" Arthur picked up where he'd left off. "Can the Federation beat Shrek?"
Xu Xiaoyan nodded.
"Ha, ha." Xie Xie gave a hollow laugh. Having grown up in a wealthy family, he had some worldly awareness. The current Shrek Academy was simply beyond anyone's control.
That, in a nutshell, was why everyone scrambled to get into Shrek.
If you can't beat them, join them.
The group traded theories back and forth.
"Shrek really has that kind of ironclad dominance?" Gu Yue murmured thoughtfully, a considering look crossing her eyes. "I've already joined the Tang Sect. That shouldn't affect joining Shrek too, right?"
"It doesn't matter at all." Unusually, Na'er was the one who spoke up and addressed Gu Yue directly. "Being in the Tang Sect and Shrek don't conflict in the slightest. If anything, joining the Tang Sect might actually make it easier to get into Shrek's inner courtyard."
"Oh." Gu Yue nodded, though what she was thinking behind that nod was anyone's guess.
"How dare you!" A sharp reprimand suddenly cut through the air. "You have the audacity to speak so casually about Shrek Academy?!"
They turned to see a girl about their age walking toward them.
She wore a green tracksuit, golden hair pulled back into a high ponytail, with long lashes framing a pair of striking cobalt-blue eyes. Her complexion was fair and smooth, glowing with a healthy vitality in the sunlight.
The girl was wearing a stern expression, her manner unnervingly composed for someone her age.
"You've insulted Shrek Academy. I want an explanation."
That was rich. They'd just been casually chatting, and someone had actually taken it seriously?
Even Wu Zhangkong, an actual Shrek alumnus, hadn't batted an eye.
Wu Zhangkong, long since departed from Shrek: "Quite right, children. No objections from me."
The group exchanged glances. In the end, Arthur stepped forward. Situations that risked being blown wildly out of proportion were exactly the kind he needed to handle. He could hold his ground.
Arthur said casually, "And you are?"