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Chang Gongyan didn't dare to move at this moment. He had released his martial soul just to be able to speak under the oppressive force of Zhen Hua, a four-character battle armor master.
"Uncle Zhen, it's unlikely that he was involved in the attack. If he had cooperated earlier, that thin sword would have been even more dangerous."
After hearing Xu Yuan's reasoning, Zhen Hua slightly eased the pressure of his soul power but still kept Chang Gongyan firmly locked in his sights.
As the Divine Craftsman of the continent, Zhen Hua held an extremely high status. This wasn't just because he could perform Heavenly Forging, crafting the metal required for Limit Douluo-level four-character battle armor, but also because countless blacksmiths across the continent owed him their gratitude.
Since taking office as the president of the Blacksmith Association, Zhen Hua regularly held public forging technique exchange events. These events were held in the first-floor hall of the Blacksmith Association headquarters, and hundreds of blacksmiths attended to observe and receive guidance.
And that was only a small fraction.
It could be said that nearly all sixth-rank and above blacksmiths had exchanged forging techniques with Zhen Hua, and nearly half of the fifth-rank blacksmiths had benefited from his teachings!
Just this alone proved how competent Zhen Hua was as the president of the Blacksmith Association.
He not only controlled the lifeline of all battle armor masters aspiring to become four-character battle armor masters but also enjoyed the unwavering support of countless blacksmiths.
The idea of someone attacking Zhen Hua enraged the blacksmiths present, many of whom wanted to tear Chang Gongyan apart.
However, Xu Yuan's intervention carried some weight.
First, Xu Yuan was the Divine Craftsman's nephew. Second, the forging skills he had just demonstrated were highly convincing.
Most importantly, Xu Yuan's reasoning was sound.
In times of chaos, there must be rational individuals to analyze the situation.
Xu Yuan turned to Chang Gongyan.
"Elder, do you know who you might have interacted with recently?"
Who would want the Divine Craftsman dead?
Such an act couldn't have been orchestrated by any faction within the Federation, as they still needed the Divine Craftsman to forge Heavenly Forged metals for them.
Thus, it was highly likely that the perpetrator came from an opposing faction, such as one of the other two continents.
Chang Gongyan was a blacksmith from the Star Luo Continent, which was why Zhen Hua had been so furious earlier—he truly believed Chang Gongyan was one of the planners. Even after Xu Yuan interceded, Zhen Hua still kept Chang Gongyan firmly locked down with his soul power.
Chang Gongyan was momentarily at a loss for words.
The suddenness of the attack left him with no time to react, and his mind was still in disarray. The stability he displayed now was only surface-level.
"Come with me," Zhen Hua finally spoke after a tense silence.
He led Chang Gongyan, his disciple, and Xu Yuan into his office.
"Speak. Tell me everything about your purpose and origins."
Chang Gongyan let out a bitter smile and slowly explained why he had come to the Douluo Continent.
"President Zhen Hua, I am the vice president of the Star Luo Continent Blacksmith Association. Our visit to the continent was at the invitation of the Federation. You should be aware that, with the development of soul-guided technology, the animosities from ten thousand years ago have long since faded. The Federation invited not only our Star Luo Blacksmith Association but also many talented individuals from various fields to participate in exchanges."
Zhen Hua nodded.
He had indeed heard about this news and knew that an envoy delegation from the Star Luo Continent had arrived on the continent.
Not only him—many others should also know, as this information was being broadcast repeatedly on the soul-guided television to showcase the improved relations between the Douluo and Star Luo Continents.
What remained undisclosed, however, was the exact list of individuals in the delegation.
Now that Chang Gongyan claimed he and Lin Yuhan were part of the delegation, Zhen Hua chose to believe him.
"Our provocation at the Blacksmiths Association wasn't initiated by anyone within the delegation," Chang Gongyan recalled their time on the continent.
"Not initiated by anyone within your group?" Zhen Hua's gaze sharpened.
Clearly, the issue lay here.
"After arriving on the continent, I encountered a Saint-level blacksmith skilled in heavy hammers. His forging techniques were exceptional, yet he still lost to me. He introduced himself as Ning Fengzhi. After witnessing my defeat and observing Yuhan's forging abilities, he remarked that while the continent boasts the excellence of a Divine Craftsman, there seems to be a lack of successors."
Saint-level blacksmith?
At this moment, Zhen Hua was certain that this assassination attempt was connected to this Ning Fengzhi.
Saint-level blacksmiths were exceedingly rare on the continent, and none could remain anonymous to the point where even the president of the Blacksmith Association had never heard of them.
As for using an alias, that alone raised suspicions.
"President Zhen Hua, I understand that it's difficult for me to clear my name now, but I hope you can show leniency toward Yuhan. She is an exceptionally rare genius in the forging world." Chang Gongyan glanced at Xu Yuan. "Although she may not match this young man, Yuhan is undoubtedly one of the top talents in forging and has the potential to reach even greater heights. I implore you to be merciful."
Lin Yuhan stood by, tears shimmering in her eyes.
She didn't understand why things had suddenly turned out this way.
From her teacher's tone, it seemed like he wouldn't be leaving alive?
At this moment, Mu Ye finally returned to the Blacksmith Association.
"How did it go?" Zhen Hua asked.
Chang Gongyan and Lin Yuhan looked over, their eyes filled with hope.
Mu Ye shook his head.
"He was incredibly fast—a Agility-type Title Douluo, likely already at the Super Douluo level. By the time he struck, he was already some distance away from the association. After making his move, he immediately retreated without even checking the outcome. By the time I started pursuing him, he was already far ahead."
He chuckled coldly. "Having an Agility-type Super Douluo target you means you'll have plenty of trouble ahead."
Zhen Hua frowned.
"It seems someone doesn't want me alive."
He carefully pondered, unsure which faction was behind this attack.
At this moment, Xu Yuan spoke up.
"Could it be the evil soul masters?"
Xu Yuan had carefully sensed the thin sword during the attack. It had emitted a strong blood aura. Though it lacked the overtly sinister feel typical of evil soul masters, the possibility couldn't be ruled out.
An assassin would naturally conceal their presence. If an evil soul master couldn't hide their distinctive traits, how could they function as an assassin?
Zhen Hua, Mu Ye, and Chang Gongyan all flinched.
"Evil soul masters!"
"It's entirely possible," Mu Ye said gravely. "Lately, evil soul masters have been appearing more frequently. If it's them, the motive makes sense—they've been orchestrating terror attacks everywhere. The Federation is currently cracking down on them hard, but it seems their reach has extended to you."
"Regardless, whoever is backing them must have significant strength," Xu Yuan added. "Your existence, Uncle Zhen, strengthens the Federation by adding a four-character battle armor master to their ranks. That's why the evil soul masters want you dead."
At this point, Chang Gongyan chimed in. "Now that you mention it, I do recall something. That blacksmith who called himself Ning Fengzhi had an unusually cold and eerie presence while forging, unlike normal soul masters."
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