Zhou Huai closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into Ouyezi's body.

Before him was a reception room, with a mahogany sofa, and the scent of tea wafted in the air.

Assistant Lin Wei stood at his side, hands respectfully clasped.

Guild Master Gu Yan sat in the main seat, his backside only touching half of the sofa, appearing somewhat constrained.

Across from Ouyezi sat two people.

One was a middle-aged man, dressed in a well-fitting grey Zhongshan suit, with a refined face and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

Beside him was a young woman.

The woman had neat short hair and delicate features, but her eyes were as sharp as a newly honed blade.

She wore a black, form-fitting combat suit that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure, and her legs were crossed in a casual posture, yet exuding an aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.

"How about it, Great Master Ouyezi? Have you made up your mind?"

The woman spoke first, her voice clear but carrying a condescending tone of scrutiny.

"The Divine Smith Grand Ceremony is not something just anyone can attend."

"It's also because our teacher values your talent that he made an exception to give you this opportunity."

Zhou Huai did not speak immediately.

He closed his eyes, rapidly sharing Ouyezi's memories from this period.

The first part of the memories was days of repetitive, monotonous forging.

It wasn't until this morning that Guild Master Gu Yan nervously sought him out.

He said that a special envoy from the Tianhuo City Forging Association had arrived, specifically asking to see him.

This so-called Divine Smith Grand Ceremony was established to commemorate Mo Qinghai, the SS-rank Primordial Spirit Divine Craftsman, who lived a hundred years ago.

In those days, the Great Xia Country had countless legendary-grade equipment emerge precisely because of the existence of this top-tier Divine Craftsman.

Many of these top-tier pieces of equipment are still circulated among the peak powerhouses today.

Mo Qinghai hailed from Skyfire City.

Today, Skyfire City has also become a Holy Land in the hearts of countless Blacksmiths in the Great Xia Country.

Every ten years, Skyfire City hosts a Divine Smith Grand Ceremony.

On one hand, it provides a platform for Blacksmiths from all over the Great Xia Country to exchange ideas and spar.

On the other hand, it is a Blacksmiths' competition organized by the Skyfire City official authorities.

To stand out in this competition and achieve fame in one battle is the lifelong dream of countless Blacksmiths.

Not to mention, the rewards for the competition are extremely generous. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The champion's prize is at least a blueprint for a legendary-grade piece of equipment.

Of course, those who receive an invitation are all Blacksmiths who have gained some renown in their respective Domains.

The current Ouyezi, naturally, was among them.

He was too young, yet he had risen to fame in just a few months, his brilliance fully displayed.

It was hard for him not to be noticed by Skyfire City.

Seeing Ouyezi remain silent, the woman opposite him clearly grew impatient.

She turned her gaze to Gu Yan in the main seat, her tone taking on a sense of pressure.

"Guild Master Gu Yan, as the Guild Master of the Donghai City Blacksmiths' Association, you should be able to make decisions for Great Master Ouyezi, right?"

"Will he participate or not? Give us a clear answer."

Sweat beaded on Gu Yan's forehead; how could he dare to make decisions for this esteemed individual?

He picked up his teacup, then put it down, a forced smile on his face.

"This... our Guild fully respects Great Master Ouyezi's personal opinion."

"Please wait patiently; I believe he will give an answer very soon."

The woman crossed her arms over her chest, her fingertips lightly tapping her arm.

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"We've already waited for over half an hour."

"We finally managed to meet your Great Master Ouyezi."

"But he's been sitting here for ages, can't even say a word."

"If there's no reply soon."

"Our patience will run out."

However, just then.

Zhou Huai, controlling Ouyezi, slowly opened his eyes.

He looked calmly at the woman opposite him, his voice indifferent.

"You don't have to wait."

"I'm not interested in this so-called Divine Smith Grand Ceremony."

What?

The woman's sharp eyes narrowed; she almost thought she had misheard.

"You're not participating?"

Zhou Huai nodded, his tone firm.

"That's right."

"I don't have ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the time, nor the interest."

Ouyezi was indeed very busy.

Recently, in the Secret Realm, Yasuo and Xiang Yu had acquired many rare Materials and equipment blueprints of over level thirty.

Their equipment was long overdue for an upgrade.

After finishing these, he also needed to make time to forge a batch of standard equipment for the brothers of the Eternal Night Guild.

He was as busy as a spinning top.

How could he have spare time to attend some bothersome Divine Smith Grand Ceremony?

The middle-aged man opposite also showed a look of surprise on his face.

He pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and advised in a gentle voice.

"Great Master Ouyezi, you might want to reconsider."

"To be honest, our teacher Mo XuanYe is very interested in you."

"If you are willing to participate, you might even have the chance to become XuanYe's personal Disciple."

When Zhou Huai heard this, he felt like laughing.

Mo XuanYe.

Mo Qinghai's biological grandson.

He was also the most prestigious Forging Grandmaster in the Great Xia Country today.

Unfortunately, a tiger begets a dog.

This Grandmaster Mo has yet to forge even one legendary-grade piece of equipment.

He had long since disgraced his own grandfather.

And he wanted to take him, an SS-rank Myriad Forms Divine Craftsman, as his personal Disciple?

Did he have the qualifications?

Zhou Huai shook his head again, a hint of aloofness in his tone.

"I said, I'm not interested in the Blacksmiths' competition."

"Nor am I interested in becoming your teacher's Disciple."

"Please, leave."

Upon hearing this, the woman's face completely turned cold.

She stood up from the sofa with a "huff" and let out a cold snort.

"Good! What a Great Master Ouyezi! What an air of arrogance!"

"Since he doesn't appreciate it, let's not waste our breath here!"

"Uncle Tian, let's go!"

The middle-aged man, referred to as Uncle Tian, sighed helplessly.

He also stood up and nodded slightly to Gu Yan, as if to bid farewell.

The two turned and walked towards the door.

Just as their hands were about to touch the doorknob.

A cold System prompt suddenly sounded in Zhou Huai's mind.

"Ding!"

"Challenge Mission Triggered!"

"Mission Name: Name of the Divine Craftsman"

"Mission Objective: Win the championship of this Divine Smith Grand Ceremony's Blacksmiths' competition!"

"Mission Reward: Profession Orb Draw Chance X1!"

The calm expression on Zhou Huai's face instantly froze.

The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This damned System actually backstabbed me!

I just said I wouldn't participate, and then it immediately issued a challenge Mission.

Isn't this just slapping me in the face?

"Wait a moment."

A voice came from behind them.

The two who were about to leave paused their steps.

The woman turned around, a look of undisguised sarcasm on her face.

"What?"

"Is Great Master Ouyezi... changing his mind again?"

Zhou Huai, controlling Ouyezi, slowly stood up from the sofa.

There was no emotion visible on his face; he simply said calmly.

"I was inconsiderate just now."

"I'll participate in the Divine Smith Grand Ceremony."

The sarcasm on the woman's face deepened.

"Oh? Didn't you just say you weren't interested?"

"What, have you changed your mind now?"

"Let me tell you, our Skyfire City Guild's invitation is not something you can accept or reject as you please!"

Uncle Tian, who was beside her, quickly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to say less.

He turned his head, a gentle smile returning to his face.

"Hehe, she's just a child, doesn't understand things, Great Master Ouyezi must be amused."

"Since the Great Master is willing to participate, that is naturally for the best."

"This is our Tianhuo City Forging Association's special invitation; please keep it safe, Great Master."

He took out a card made of reddish-gold metal from his Pregnant and handed it over with both hands.

Zhou Huai reached out and took it.

The card felt warm to the touch, with intricate flame patterns engraved on it.

"See you in Skyfire City in three days."

After Uncle Tian finished speaking, he pulled the still somewhat disgruntled woman and quickly left.

Inside the reception room, quietness returned.

Guild Master Gu Yan let out a long sigh of relief, his whole body relaxing.

He walked over to Ouyezi, his face full of fawning smiles.

"Great Master Ouyezi, you really scared me just now."

"I thought you really weren't going."

He rubbed his hands, a look of shared pride on his face.

"This is the Divine Smith Grand Ceremony! A grand event held once every ten years!"

"If you can win the championship there, then the name of our Donghai City Blacksmiths' Association will be completely established!"

Zhou Huai glanced at him without speaking.

He merely tossed the reddish-gold invitation card casually onto the table.

Then he turned and walked towards his exclusive forging room.

He just wanted to quietly forge a couple of pieces of iron now.

To vent his depressed mood after being backstabbed by the System.