Although Battle Armor Masters held an exalted status, they too had to abide by certain rules. If they committed grave mistakes, they would still face punishment.
The stronger one became, the greater the restrictions that bound them.
That was precisely why Qian Gu Bubai asked Nan Fusheng whether he should act. With Wu Zhangkong causing chaos in the Sea God Alliance Tournament, he had a legitimate excuse to intervene. If he did so, he might even earn the Alliance's gratitude afterward.
"No need," Nan Fusheng replied calmly. "Mu Chen is here. Even if you step in, it won't stir chaos. And besides, in this matter, the blame lies with Hailu Academy. We need only watch from the sidelines."
"Mu Chen? The Eight-Star Saint Forger, Mu Chen?"
Qian Gu Bubai quickly recalled who he was. After all, Saint-level Forgers were exceedingly rare across the continent. As one of the few Eight-Star Saint Forgers—closest to the realm of Divine Forging—Mu Chen was a towering figure in the world of smithing.
"With him present, it will indeed be hard to stir up trouble," Qian Gu Bubai admitted. "A Saint Forger capable of Soul Forging is no less esteemed than a Titled Douluo, and on top of that, he's the President of the Eastsea City Blacksmiths' Association."
"But how did you know Mu Chen was here, my true body? Did you parasitize him?" Qian Gu Bubai asked curiously.
As a clone, his memories weren't automatically shared unless Nan Fusheng permitted it. Thus, he had no idea how many people Nan Fusheng had parasitized—only that, at the very least, some staff of the Spirit Pagoda in Tianhai City were among them.
"No," Nan Fusheng answered without hesitation. "But Mu Chen's teacher, Duan Xuan—the President of the Tianhai City Blacksmiths' Association, a Seventh-Rank Saint Forger—is one of my hosts."
"Duan Xuan? Was he Mu Chen's teacher? I thought Mu Chen only inherited from the Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua. I never expected him to have another mentor!" Qian Gu Bubai sighed in wonder.
On the tournament stage, although Wu Zhangkong had broken through to the Soul Saint level, he didn't pursue Long Huantian or Zhang Zhenpeng further. Instead, he descended, scooping up the unconscious Gu Yue and Tang Wulin as the golden light faded.
Turning to Shen Yi, who had appeared without anyone noticing, Wu Zhangkong said solemnly:
"Please, I leave them to you."
"You…" Shen Yi sighed softly. She didn't say more. Raising her right hand, a faint green glow flowed out. Two streaks of light, delicate as mimosa leaves, drifted down onto Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. The moment they touched, the light sank into their bodies and vanished.
After a brief exchange, Wu Zhangkong's grim expression eased. Hugging the two, he took off into the air, Shen Yi following silently behind.
As for the spectators in Tianhai Stadium, or even Long Huantian and Zhang Zhenpeng, he didn't spare them a single glance.
And no one dared to stop him.
Outside the arena, Mu Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face dark. Duan Xuan was at his side.
As President of the Eastsea Blacksmiths' Association, he normally wouldn't appear at such an occasion. But when Tang Wulin was gravely injured, Mu Chen felt a piercing pain in his heart, as though he had been stabbed.
By the time he rushed out, Wu Zhangkong had already taken the stage. Duan Xuan had physically held him back, preventing him from acting recklessly.
When Wu Zhangkong displayed his might, Mu Chen could only feel exhilaration. This was the first time he'd ever seen the teacher who had guided Tang Wulin in soul master training.
"Teacher, I'm going to see him," Mu Chen said heavily.
Duan Xuan gave him a meaningful look. "No matter what you find, don't lose control. That child shouldn't be in too grave a condition. If he were, that Battle Armor Master wouldn't have left so calmly.
Your disciple is remarkable—he actually has a Battle Armor Master as his teacher."
Mu Chen gave a bitter smile. "This was my first time meeting him as well… I only wish this injury wouldn't leave lasting damage."
"Go then," Duan Xuan sighed. "If you need help, let me know."
Meanwhile…
"Let's go. The show's over," Nan Fusheng said to Qian Gu Bubai. "After this, accompany me to another place."
"As you will, you're the main body."
For the Sea God Alliance Tournament, Wu Zhangkong's revelation as a Battle Armor Master was a shocking interlude. But it was still just that—an interlude. Without follow-up, even the most explosive news would fade in time.
Class Zero from Eastsea Academy vanished as quickly as they had risen. Thanks to their excellent performance in the early rounds, they still ranked among the top sixteen, but because they withdrew from subsequent matches, they ended up in sixteenth place.
Afterward, both Long Huantian of Tianhai Academy and Zhang Zhenpeng of Hailu Academy tried to dig up information on Class Zero. But Eastsea Academy sealed their records tightly. Nothing could be found.
Class Zero disappeared—not only from the tournament but seemingly from the academy itself. Other students never saw them again.
So what was Nan Fusheng doing now?
He had brought Qian Gu Bubai to Mingdu.
After watching the chaos at the tournament, Nan Fusheng used his permissions to requisition a purple mecha from the Spirit Pagoda and spent three days traveling from Tianhai City to his destination.
Mingdu!
The most modern city of the Douluo Continent, Mingdu, stood proudly in the western regions, the heart of the west itself.
As soon as they crossed into Mingdu's borders, Nan Fusheng witnessed a sight rarely seen elsewhere.
"Is that… a flying car? In the skies?" Nan Fusheng exclaimed from the passenger seat of their soul car, staring up at the streamlined figure overhead.
Qian Gu Bubai, who was driving, explained: "Skycars are still experimental. Mingdu is the technological hub of the Federation. Currently, only Mingdu and a handful of other major cities have them."
"By the way, my true body," Qian Gu Bubai continued after a pause, "what exactly are we looking for? We've been circling here, stopping and going, and you still haven't found it?"
Nan Fusheng closed his eyes as though deep in thought. After a moment, he opened them again. "We're close. I can feel it—it's nearby."
He gestured for Qian Gu Bubai to drive forward, while he himself relied on his spiritual intuition and divination abilities to sense the location of the thing he sought.
Finally, he opened his eyes. "We've found it."
He pointed ahead. Qian Gu Bubai parked the soul car before a towering skyscraper.