"You said Di Tian has emerged from seclusion, didn't you?" Bi Ji, who had just arrived, looked at Zi Ji with an expression of exasperation.
"My intuition about Di Tian has always been accurate. He's about to emerge."
"Haven't you always wanted to meet him?"
"He's constantly busy. If he vanishes after emerging from seclusion, you won't even be able to find him."
"Since you're going to integrate your four-word battle armor and god-ranked mecha anyway, why not do it at the Blacksmith Association headquarters? That way, I don't have to transport it all the way back to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. And if you're not satisfied, adjustments can be made easily."
By falsely reporting Di Tian's emergence, Zi Ji had finally managed to lure her ally, Bi Ji, over.
"What about the matter I mentioned to you? Have you given it any thought?"
"What matter?"
"Tch, forming an alliance! The one guarding Di Tian right now is the Demon Emperor's daughter, Lan Fozi. I took a peek and felt immense pressure."
"Before dealing with internal matters, we must first handle external threats. We've known each other the longest—let's work together to get rid of them first, then compete fairly afterward."
However, a hint of sorrow lingered in Bi Ji's expression. Gone was the passionate intensity of her past rivalry with Zi Ji.
"Ah—"
"Di Tian and I have spent countless years together, enduring highs and lows, bidding farewell to many old friends. I no longer have the heart for competition like before."
"Now, I only wish that once the soul beast race is revived, we can remain together. That would be enough."
Unlike Bi Ji's worries and lack of confidence, Zi Ji was brimming with self-assurance.
"I thought you were troubled over something serious. Di Tian and the Master are acting separately, and in my opinion, both paths have a high chance of success."
"Do you not trust Di Tian? Or do you not trust the Master?"
Bi Ji gently shook her head, refraining from answering further. Her delicate brows were still clouded with unshakable worries.
Of course, she wanted to believe in Di Tian—especially now that he had surpassed the million-year cultivation mark.
She also wanted to believe that Di Tian could secure enough space for the survival of their soul beast race, achieve godhood, and become the true Beast God. She hoped for it deeply.
But what happens afterward?If the God Realm returns, can Di Tian, who stands in the open, withstand the pressure? Will he be in danger of falling?
If the God Realm does not return, and both Di Tian and the Master successfully ascend to godhood, will they be able to mend their past differences? If they can, then all will be well; but if they cannot—two tigers cannot share one mountain.
In truth, these concerns were still distant and not enough to trouble Bi Ji to this extent.
What troubled her the most was the Master, Gu Yue.
Over the past two years, through frequently healing her, Bi Ji had keenly noticed some subtle changes in the Master.
These subtle changes, in Bi Ji's memory, were exactly the same as the dazed distraction of the Auspicious Beast after first meeting Huo Yuhao.
This slight emotional shift in the Master filled Bi Ji with panic—even fear.
She was genuinely afraid. Afraid that Di Tian's worst fears would come true. That the Master, like the Auspicious Beast and Na'er before her, would be drawn into the emotional whirlpool of human affection.
This was one of the key reasons she was so eager to see Di Tian. In the past, whenever she faced such terrifying dilemmas, Di Tian was the pillar she could rely on—the one who would guide her toward the best decision.
And just as her worries deepened, Di Tian, as accurately predicted by Zi Ji, finally emerged from seclusion.
"Bi Ji, your incessant thoughts—I could hear them even in my meditation chamber."
Bi Ji's expression lit up with joy. She was about to pour out her concerns when her last shred of rationality stopped her.
After all, she had only detected the faintest signs, and since it involved the Master, it was best not to expose too much in front of others.
Suppressing her eagerness for the moment, she chose to discuss another issue instead.
"Mm."
"There is indeed something on my mind, and it's one of the reasons I rushed to see you."
"Zhen Hua is the only Divine Blacksmith on the continent. For the past two years, he has been crafting four-word battle armor and god-ranked mechas for our soul beast race's powerful figures, repeatedly rejecting forging requests from external forces."
"For ordinary clans and mid-tier forces, even if their Title Douluo-level experts are dissatisfied, they can't do much. As a Divine Blacksmith and president of the Blacksmith Association, Zhen Hua can afford to reject them for an extended period."
"But the major superpowers of the continent—he cannot refuse them forever."
"Forces like the Spirit Pagoda, Shrek Academy, Tang Sect, the War God Hall of the Sun-Moon Federation, and the military are already displeased."
"Although I trust that you have plans in place for this, I still thought it best to discuss the details with you."
"When I was serving as a guest elder at the Spirit Pagoda, I showcased my Title Douluo-level healing abilities, which gave me a relatively high status there. While I wasn't privy to core secrets, I was still able to gather information on some significant matters."
"The person from the Spirit Pagoda handling affairs with the Blacksmith Association is Xu Shengqun, one of the four great Spirit Envoys. He has two pending high-profile forging requests with Zhen Hua."
"First, the Spirit Pagoda's Pagoda Master, Qiangu Dongfeng's older brother, Purgatory Douluo Qiangu Qingfeng, wants to commission a four-word battle armor set for his wife, Xia Zhengleng."
"Second, Qiangu Dongfeng wants to have Zhen Hua personally forge an ultimate battle armor set for the most outstanding young genius of the Qiangu family—his grandson, Qiangu Zhangting."
"Through the Spirit Pagoda's channels, we can also gauge the reactions of other superpowers."
"In the War God Hall of the Sun-Moon Federation, several Super Douluo are in need of four-word battle armor. The military's eight major legions also have various requests—perhaps for their rising stars or for their exceptional young successors."
"As for Shrek Academy, their top-tier Saint Blacksmith, Feng Wuyu, has been rejected by Zhen Hua multiple times. In response, he even declared: 'Shrek Academy does not necessarily need to rely on outsiders. I will reach the Divine Blacksmith rank myself! When the time comes, we will establish our own Blacksmith Association—one that has a Divine Blacksmith and truly serves the world!'"
"After Feng Wuyu's outburst, Shrek Academy indeed stopped approaching Zhen Hua. However, since Shrek and Tang Sect are inherently one entity, the Tang Sect's forging requests have nearly doubled since then."
"In the past two years, Zhen Hua has not produced a single piece of finished Heavenly Refined metal. The Tang Sect is similarly dissatisfied."
"Tang Sect's Vice Sect Master, Zang Xin, is a meticulous man who prefers to handle major matters personally. He is also an Ultimate Douluo and a four-word battle armor master."
"For example, last year, when the head of Tang Sect's Star Luo Continent branch, Hu Jie, invited the Star Luo Empire's top powerhouse, En Ci, to the Dragon Valley—only for them to die unexpectedly, leaving no trace behind—it was Zang Xin who personally traveled to the new continent to settle the situation."
"The major superpowers communicate with each other. It is highly likely that they will unite this year to confront Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua and demand an explanation."
(End of Chapter)