"Did you really forge this battle armor yourself? How did you forge it?" Mu Chen stared intently at the battle armor on Mu Xi, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The crimson armor looked as though it was forged from solidified liquid flame. The fire seemed embedded within it, like a piece of peerless amber containing flames—gorgeous and awe-inspiring. Just looking at it, one could feel its terrifying power, yet it lacked the heaviness typical of magma or flame.
And that nearly 30-meter-long aura ring around the armor—it was something that made most three-word battle armors pale in comparison.
No wonder Mu Chen was so shocked. His own three-word battle armor had only a 15-meter aura ring. Compared to Mu Xi's, it was simply not on the same level.
One could say that in terms of material selection, forging, design, production, and even the final fusion with the soul master, Mu Xi's battle armor far outclassed Mu Chen's.
Being surpassed in other aspects was one thing—Mu Chen, though displeased, could accept it.
But to be surpassed in forging? That was something Mu Chen truly struggled to accept.
As the junior brother of Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, the disciple of the previous Divine Craftsman, and one of the top Saint Craftsmen in the Douluo Plane, Mu Chen had always considered himself unparalleled among blacksmiths at the Spirit Douluo (eight-ring) level.
Zhen Hua had long since reached the Title Douluo realm. Even the few Saint Craftsmen on his level were Title Douluos like the former president of the Shrek Academy Blacksmith Association, Feng Wuyu.
Simply put, every top-level blacksmith either had a higher cultivation than him or lacked his forging skill.
Even Xia Yi—Mu Chen didn't believe Xia Yi surpassed him in forging.
Though Xia Yi was also a Saint Craftsman and the first in history to trigger a tribulation before reaching Divine Forging level…
And yes, the soul-forged metal Xia Yi produced was undeniably far more valuable than anything Mu Chen could forge.
But if Xia Yi didn't use his Creation Hammer or his spiritual forging techniques as soul skills—if both only used ordinary forging hammers—Mu Chen was confident he could completely outclass Xia Yi.
And yet now, Mu Xi had surpassed him in forging with her three-word battle armor.
Seeing the proud look on Mu Xi's face, Mu Chen's own expression burned with embarrassment.
He hadn't expected that while Mu Xi had maintained her cultivation progress, she had also surpassed him so quickly in forging.
Was this really still his precious daughter, Mu Xi?
"How did I forge it? I don't know either—I just tapped around randomly. How is it? Not bad, right?" Mu Xi looked smugly at Mu Chen.
"Hmph, serves you right for only preparing gifts for Xia Yi and not for me. How can I not mess with you a little?" Mu Xi was gleeful at how dark Mu Chen's face became.
In truth, Mu Xi had only just become a Saint Craftsman. In terms of pure forging skill, she still lagged behind Mu Chen by quite a bit.
What had elevated her three-word battle armor to a level beyond Mu Chen's… was her Samadhi True Flame.
Only after trying it did Mu Xi realize how much Samadhi True Flame could help when tempering metal—it directly compensated for the difference between her and Mu Chen in forging ability.
"In such a short time, you've advanced to the Spirit Douluo level and even have a three-word battle armor. My Xi'er is truly incredible. Alright, put it away for now. Let's eat first. After the meal, we'll go back to Heaven Dou City and visit your grandmaster," Yuan Bao'er said, a heartfelt smile spreading across her lips as she looked at her rapidly maturing daughter.
The more she looked at Xia Yi and Mu Xi, the more she felt they were a perfect match—an ideal couple.
From the time Mu Xi was guided by Leng Yaozhu in Shrek City, then nurtured by Shrek Academy, and all the way until now...
Xia Yi's influence had been ever-present.
If not for Xia Yi, Mu Xi's future achievements might have only matched Mu Chen's at best.
But now, Mu Xi was qualified to stand among the top of the Douluo Plane.
"Okay, I'll listen to Mom. Here, Mom, have some food." Mu Xi obediently put away her battle armor and martial soul, deliberately ignoring the fact that Mu Chen had picked up a chicken leg to give to Yuan Bao'er.
"Xi'er, what about me?" Mu Chen said sourly, reaching out with his chopsticks to snatch the chicken leg from Yuan Bao'er's bowl.
If Mu Xi wouldn't give him food, couldn't he just steal the piece she gave Yuan Bao'er?
"This is from Xi'er to me. Look at yourself—do you even deserve to have her serve you?" Yuan Bao'er shot Mu Chen a glare. "If you had just told us from the start that the storage soul tool was a gift from you and Zhen Hua to apologize to Xia Yi, instead of using Xi'er as a cover…"
"Then you wouldn't have upset her, wouldn't have gotten teased, and definitely wouldn't be treated differently."
"Tch, like I can't serve myself!" Mu Chen still refused to "back down."
If Xia Yi weren't here, lowering his head wouldn't be a problem.
But in front of Xia Yi? There was no way he'd apologize.
"Daddy, here's yours." Mu Xi giggled, very much aware of when to stop. She picked up a dish and placed it in Mu Chen's bowl.
Neither she nor Mu Chen was ever truly angry—they were just bickering, teasing each other.
Mu Xi could never actually stay mad at Mu Chen, and Mu Chen could never truly be angry at Mu Xi.
Even if Mu Chen looked genuinely upset seeing Mu Xi surpass his forging level...
Sure, he was hit hard.
But more than that, his reaction was mostly for show—to satisfy Mu Xi's little need for validation.
No matter the area, Mu Chen would only ever feel proud seeing Mu Xi surpass him.
"This one's for my husband." Mu Xi didn't forget Xia Yi either, giving him a rabbit leg from a dish of mountain yam and stewed rabbit.
"Thank you, Xi'er," Xia Yi replied with a smile.
Just like that, in a warm and cheerful atmosphere, Xia Yi shared a joyful homecoming meal with Mu Xi and her parents.
After the meal, the group set off again, heading to Heaven Dou City to visit Zhen Hua.
Xia Yi, Mu Xi, and Mu Chen all wore three-word battle armor, and Yuan Bao'er wore two-word battle armor. With their armor's flight capabilities, it didn't take long for them to reach the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association in Heaven Dou City.
To give Zhen Hua a surprise, Yuan Bao'er and Mu Chen hadn't told him in advance that Mu Xi had completed her closed-door cultivation.
They had also asked Mu Xi not to tell him.
When Zhen Hua suddenly saw Mu Xi, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Xi'er, it's so good you're back. I thought you still resented your grandmaster and wouldn't come see me anymore." Zhen Hua's hands trembled slightly. His snow-white hair had thinned even more since the last time. His eyes were murky, his back hunched, and even his steps were unsteady.
"Grandmaster, what happened to you?" Mu Xi's eyes immediately reddened.
"Your grandmaster used up too much of her life force and mental energy when she was with the Holy Spirit Cult. Her foundation was damaged. Even Spirit Healing Douluos couldn't fully heal her. Even though she's no longer with the cult, her aging has actually sped up—faster even than an ordinary person," Yuan Bao'er said with a soft sigh. "Even though she's a Title Douluo, her frequent heavenly forging has taken a toll. She was already weakened by the tribulations of heavenly forging. After what the Holy Spirit Cult put her through… it was just adding insult to injury."
"There's no way to help her?" Mu Xi asked, eyes red with sorrow.
(End of Chapter)