A man emerged from the shadows. He was shrouded in a pitch-black cloak and held a scepter in his right hand. The instant Mo Wu laid eyes on this man, his back went cold with sweat. A sinister air gathered in the room.

  “I was looking for the kid who foiled our plans, but I never expected to run into an administrator and one of you loathsome Shrek people. I might as well kill you while I’m here and take the administrator with me.”


  Soul rings rose from beneath the man. However, unlike the usual away soul rings would appear, his materialized in an eerie green mist. He had six soul rings, two yellow, two purple, and two black. The mist spread to surround him.

  A chill went down Wu Zhangkong’s spine, and he pushed Mo Wu behind him. “An evil soul master!”


  Mo Wu didn’t try to flee. As a government official, his willpower had to be strong. He also understood that the safest place he could be right now was beside this teacher from Shrek Academy. Running would be useless, and if Wu Zhangkong couldn’t defeat this evil soul master, then his fate was sealed.

  “You may call me the Emissary of Pestilence.” The man raised his scepter, his soul rings lighting up. Green mist poured out of it and began to fill the entire room.

  Wu Zhangkong snorted. A freezing aura exploded from him as soul rings appeared from beneath his feet. A total of seven appeared, two yellow, two purple, and three black. The Skyfrost Sword manifested in his hand and he slashed at the air, sending a sword beam straight for his opponent’s stomach.

  The emissary trembled in shock at the sight of Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings, but he didn’t leave himself unprotected. He pointed his scepter forward. The green gem at the tip of the scepter shined as it met the sword beam.

  A crisp note could be heard as sword beam met scepter. The beam split into countless threads of ice. It was Frost Scar!

  After gaining his seventh soul ring and becoming a Soul Sage, Wu Zhangkong had grown far stronger than before. In the past half a year, apart from teaching, all he had done was cultivate. He had progressed by leaps and bounds.

  Wu Zhangkong’s frigid aura slowed the Emissary of Pestilence’s movements, and a storm of Frost Scars quickly enveloped him.

  “Excellent!” the Emissary of Pestilence howled. He dropped to one knee, and a green light exploded from his body. The light expanded like a gas, pushing back Wu Zhangkong’s frigid aura.

  If Wu Zhangkong had been alone, he would have been able to just use his soul power to protect himself and charged in. However, Mo Wu was there! Mo Wu would die in an instant if he were exposed to the poison mist of a six-ringed soul master. Wu Zhangkong had to protect him.

  Icy determination flashed in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes. He burst into action, and kicked at a wall, breaking it down in one strike. He grabbed hold of Mo Wu, hoisted him in his left arm, and leaped into the air. With his free hand, he brandished the Skyfrost Sword and used Frost Song, willing it to transform into an enormous sword!

  Mo Wu watched in awe as an enormous crescent of ice slashed through the room they were just in, cleaving it in two and sucking in all of the green mist. When the dust settled, the Emissary of Pestilence was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that remained was a tunnel leading to the unknown.

  “Don’t move!” An electronic voice cut through the air. Guards had been alerted by the commotion, and over a dozen mechas came flying over. Spotlights lit up and illuminated Wu Zhangkong as the mechas completed their encirclement. All of them locked on to him with their soul cannons.

  Wu Zhangkong released Frost Song and frowned. His encounter with the evil soul master weighed on his mind. Evil soul masters had begun to stir in recent years. It was clear that they were behind this recent act of terrorism as well. He had to report this matter to Shrek Academy as soon as possible.

  Since its very conception, Shrek Academy opposed evil soul masters. Ten thousand years ago, the Spirit Ice Douluo led his generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, along with many other powerhouses, to destroy the Holy Spirit Cult. The cult was wiped out and no more trouble arose from them.

  Until the past few years at least.

  “Don’t shoot!” Mo Wu shouted. “This man is a Soul Sage from Shrek Academy! He saved me!”


  Wu Zhangkong awoke from his thoughts. He looked down at Mo Wu, who was dangling by his coat. With the flick of his wrist, Wu Zhangkong pulled him upright. Mo Wu quickly regained his stately appearance and ordered the mechas to stand down. Standard-issue military mechas wouldn’t be able to touch a hair on a Soul Sage from Shrek Academy anyway. Mo Wu had no doubt that Wu Zhangkong was a battle armor master. Even if there were ten times as many mechas present, he would still be able to obliterate them all.

  ☀

  “I can’t accept any missions without my badge?” Tang Wulin asked.

  “Knock it off kid. You’re holding up the line,” the Blacksmith’s Association clerk responded tersely. When a young boy came asking to take on some fourth-rank blacksmithing missions, the clerk had thought it was a joke. The boy didn’t even have a badge. There was no way he could allow this boy to accept any missions.

  “Could I trouble you to look me up in the database then? I’m certain you’ll find me in there. I’m a fifth-rank blacksmith. Please, I’m absolutely certain I’m in there.”


  “Huh? Fifth-rank?” The clerk laughed. The people behind Tang Wulin laughed as well.

  Heaven Dou Blacksmith’s Association was the headquarters of the Blacksmith’s Association, as well as the largest one on the continent. Countless blacksmiths were based in Heaven Dou City and came to accept missions every day. All the clerks were busy from dusk until dawn.

  “Just how old are you, kid?” a gruff blacksmith asked as he moved to pat Tang Wulin’s head.

  Tang Wulin evaded the man’s hand. He was at a loss. He didn’t realize how inconvenient things would be without his badge. He had already been pestering the clerk for ten minutes now, and had been subject to the jeering of the surrounding blacksmiths.

  The man’s insulting question incited Tang Wulin’s childish nature. “I’m fourteen! What about it?”


  “A fourteen-year-old, fifth-rank blacksmith, huh? You must be the number one genius in the entire association!” The man burst into laughter, and his fellow blacksmiths quickly joined in.

  Tang Wulin took a deep breath, then turned back to the clerk. “What do I need to do to accept some missions?”


  The clerk looked at him helplessly. “Kid, I admire your passion, but you’re causing a disturbance. Where are your parents? You’re at the right age to start learning how to blacksmith, so come back when you’ve got your badge. Then you can accept some missions.”


  “Where can I take the blacksmith’s exam?” Tang Wulin was growing impatient.

  “You want to take the exam? Alright. Go to the second floor to register for a slot. There are a lot of people today though.”


  At that moment, a ringing sound filled the hall, alerting everyone that an announcement was being made.

  “Attention all blacksmiths! Attention all blacksmiths! The President will be holding a half-hour lecture in the hall of the first floor in five minutes. Please wait in orderly lines.”


  “Ah!” the gruff blacksmith cried. “The President!”


  The man rushed off, and everyone else also began to realize what was happening. Regardless of whether they were accepting a mission or waiting in line, they all turned around and ran off. They were currently on the third floor, but all were undoubtedly headed for the first. Even the clerk was gone!

  Tang Wulin hastened to catch up, and once he reached the clerk, he asked, “Uncle, what’s going on? Does the President lecture often?”


  The clerk spoke as he ran. “The President lectures at random times, and he only does so here in our Heaven Dou branch. A lot of blacksmiths come here everyday and hang around hoping he’ll hold a lecture. Attending a single one of the President’s lectures is worth a year of blacksmithing by yourself.”


  “Is the Association President here really that amazing?” Tang Wulin could hardly believe it. He was certain that the President of any city’s branch could only measure up to his teacher at best.

  The clerk stared at him. “You foolish kid. Don’t you love blacksmithing? This is an amazing opportunity for you. The President isn’t just the president of this branch, but the Blacksmith’s Association as a whole! He’s also the continent’s only Divine Blacksmith! He’s a very busy person. If he takes the time out of his schedule to give a lecture, just think about how valuable the must be! You’re really lucky. Just follow me to the hall, listen closely, and don’t be noisy.”