A deafening metallic clang exploded outward, the point of impact erupting in a cascade of incandescent white sparks.
Song Yang and the others gulped. ’Are those really human hands?’ they wondered. ’He truly is a Star Seed.’
They were specialists in their own right, having spent years dedicated to forging techniques, so their Main Professional Tiers weren’t particularly high. A display of strength like this was far beyond what they had expected.
"Tsk..." Su Chen felt the recoil and scorching heat. It was uncomfortable, but he could take it.
With Song Yang and the others by his side, Su Chen continuously adjusted his angles, force, and speed, quickly finding his rhythm.
The constant clanging of metal on metal didn’t stop until just before the Dark Sun’s arrival. By then, the metal block had taken the rough shape of a dagger.
Song Yang’s group of three wasn’t high in Tier, so they couldn’t keep up with him for too long. Besides, they had families to return to and had to leave on time.
"Thanks for the help." Su Chen saw Song Yang’s group off. He clenched and unclenched his fists, noticing his palms were already red and stinging slightly.
Several hours of high-intensity striking was no easy task. After a short rest, Su Chen returned to the training room to continue advancing his professional progress.
...
In a space forged from Netherworld Stone, Fan Zhao’s expression was cold and hard as he watched a blurry figure gradually materialize before him. It was cloaked in a black robe, with the faint symbol of a black, vertical pupil above its head.
"Lord Fan Zhao, I have long heard of your great name." The figure bowed slightly.
Fan Zhao’s expression was grim. He asked bluntly, "Are you certain you have a way to find the one who stole my Spiritual Fire?"
"The Black Tuo God is omnipotent," the figure replied, its voice calm.
"Then what price must I pay?" Fan Zhao asked, his voice low.
"You misunderstand..." the Believer said. "This time, consider our help to be free of charge."
"Free?" Fan Zhao was taken aback. He felt no joy, only a growing wariness.
The Black Tuo Follower continued, "However, investigating this matter will not be easy. We will dispatch a Divine Son to assist you. We only ask that you, My Lord, meet with him in person."
"A Divine Son?" Fan Zhao asked, shocked and suspicious. "He’s coming to the Sect?"
"That is correct."
Fan Zhao started to speak, then stopped. The thought of meeting a Divine Son made him hesitate.
But a glint appeared in his eyes, and he asked, "Since you can find the one who stole my Spiritual Fire, can you also find my master, Qin Yun?"
"Ah, Venerable Qin Yun..." The Black Tuo Follower nodded. "As I’ve said, the Black Tuo God is omnipotent. Provided you can pay a sufficient price."
’They can really find her?’
Fan Zhao’s heart wavered. Dealing with the Deceitful God’s Followers was tantamount to asking a tiger for its hide.
Many before him had thought they could control the situation, that their relationship with the Deceitful God’s Followers was merely one of mutual exploitation. But none of them ever came to a good end.
But right now, he had no other choice. The Spiritual Fire had been within his grasp, only to vanish inexplicably. He couldn’t accept it.
’Besides, if they can really find the Spiritual Fire, perhaps I can use it to find out what happened to Master.’
’If anything goes wrong, I can just turn on them. This is my Sect’s territory; a mere Divine Son can’t cause too much trouble here...’
He kept looking for reasons to justify his decision. After a long while, he gave a heavy nod. "Fine."
...
In the training room, roaring waves of molten-gold flame churned, completely swallowing Su Chen. At times they constricted into a giant cocoon, at others they exploded into a thousand madly dancing fiery serpents.
Stranger still, the very space beyond the waves of flame was "rippling." It wasn’t the flow of air, but the fluctuation of an invisible, viscous "force."
After a long while, the Flame Fire receded and the dissipated Spiritual Power drew back in, revealing Su Chen’s form.
Only after everything had settled completely did Su Chen let out a long sigh and open his eyes.
His Flame Thunder Bone Refining Body Technique and Flame Thunder Bright Heart Meditation Method had both reached Master Level, each granting an Enhanced Ability.
[Flame Thunder Body: Minor increase in physical fortitude.]
[Flame Thunder Heart: Minor increase in Spiritual Resilience.]
His professional development progress had simultaneously reached 32%—a terrifying speed.
He had already prepared new Body Refining and meditation techniques, but he wasn’t in a hurry to try them.
His gaze fell upon the panel. A portion of Sly Fox Essence had just finished being forged.
He applied it directly to one of the requirements for the Hundred Refinement Forger. The base requirement was four Physical Side Top-tier Professions. If it had branched into the Spiritual Side, he could have saved a portion of Crimson Essence.
Unfortunately, the requirement instead shot up to six Physical Side Top-tier Professions.
’Looks like I’m not getting out of using this Crimson Essence after all,’ Su Chen mused. He had anticipated this, so it wasn’t a surprise.
He used the Crimson Essence to reduce the difficulty again, then directly accepted the profession.
In an instant, his body felt as if it had been ignited by an invisible furnace. A scorching heat surged beneath his skin, making every inch of his flesh and blood boil violently.
GURGLE. A sound of churning liquid emanated from deep within his abdomen, followed by a dense, rapid PINGING, like a rainstorm hammering a copper sheet.
It was as if countless invisible forge hammers were pounding away inside him, making his entire body feel increasingly solid and compact.
But Su Chen only let out a muffled grunt. With his enhanced physical strength, the strain from accepting the new profession wasn’t too intense.
[Successfully became a Hundred Refinement Forger. Gained Professional Ability—Hundred Refinements Body: All Physical Strength consumption reduced by 30%.]
[Received Bonus Reward: Physical Strength consumption reduced by 20%.]
Su Chen glanced at the notification. He already knew what the Professional Ability was when he acquired the profession; it was essentially a passive skill.
’But with the bonus reward, my consumption is cut in half.’ Su Chen was taken aback. The profession’s original ability was in line with its difficulty, but with the bonus reward, it became downright terrifying.
"I wonder if my theory is correct," Su Chen murmured. He activated Holy Hand, drained his Spiritual Power, and then attempted a conversion.