"To meet a powerful expert..."
"Understood, President."
A contemplative expression crossed Tang Luochuan's face as he responded softly, clearly forming his own speculations.
Meanwhile, in Heaven Dou City...
"So I'll finally get to meet him this time. But is that kid really as extraordinary as you claim?"
At the headquarters of the Forging Masters Association, beside Zhen Hua, Body Douluo Mu Ye wore a pensive expression, his tone laced with skepticism.
"I've told you about this boy multiple times already."
"Whether he's extraordinary or not—you'll know when you see him."
Zhen Hua snorted lightly, barely able to contain his amused smile. This old Mu Ye was truly lacking—when had his words ever been untrue? As for "extraordinary," that term couldn't even begin to describe Luo Chuan's monstrous talent!
"In that case, I'll look forward to it with great anticipation."
Mu Ye's expression remained calm. He'd heard about this supposedly peerless, heaven-defying genius long ago. Now that the opportunity to meet him had arisen, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
According to Zhen Hua, this individual wasn't just a rank-7 Forging Master but also a Soul King-level powerhouse... But did such geniuses truly exist in this world?
Why not claim he's a rank-7 Mecha Designer too!
"Speaking of geniuses..."
"It's not like I've never seen one before."
Mu Ye spoke slowly, an imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.
"Hmm? Your disciple Aruheng? No offense, but while his talent is impressive, he can't compare to that person."
Zhen Hua paused, then shook his head.
"No, I was referring to the field of Mecha Design."
Mu Ye shook his head, his thoughts drifting as he spoke, recalling a certain youth he'd once met in Eastsea City—a young, all-vocation Mecha Designer...
"By now..."
"He's probably no less than rank-6."
Mu Ye pondered silently. Having not visited Eastsea City in years, he wondered how that young man was faring.
"Gu Yue."
"How about we make a trip to Heaven Dou City?"
At Shrek Academy, after hanging up the call, Tang Luochuan turned to Gu Yue beside him. He had indeed promised Zhen Hua, the Divine Blacksmith, though he'd never found time to visit before.
Now seemed as good a time as any to meet.
And it wasn't just for Zhen Hua himself—it was also for the powerful expert the man had mentioned. If Tang Luochuan's guess was correct, it was likely the leader of the Body Sect, the 95th-ranked Titled Douluo, Mu Ye.
Though not yet at Super Douluo level in terms of strength or combat prowess, in the field of Mecha Design, Mu Ye stood peerless.
As someone who had achieved some success in Mecha Design himself—being rank-7 across all related vocations—meeting Mu Ye would be worthwhile.
"..."
"Alright, let's go."
Gu Yue's expression had long since returned to calm as she gave a faint nod, her face revealing nothing.
But inwardly, she'd already marked that Zhen Hua fellow as thoroughly unpleasant—anyone who interrupted her time with Luo Chuan...
Deserved death!
"Then we'll set off."
Tang Luochuan smiled faintly, sighing inwardly. He'd been worried about Wu Lin encountering Evil Soul Masters or similar troubles, but now that he too would be heading to Heaven Dou City, those concerns could be set aside.
At present, Wu Lin's improvement compared to the original storyline was already considerable, not to mention he now had Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue by his side.
If any Evil Soul Masters dared to come, they would be waiting for death.
Not long after, at the Heaven Dou City Soul Guidance Train Station.
Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue had just entered to wait for the train when a sudden exclamation sounded behind them.
"Huh?"
"Boss, you're here too."
Following the direction of the voice, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi, also in the waiting hall, looked over in surprise.
"Hmm?"
"You two got the money that fast?"
Seeing these two here, Tang Luochuan was momentarily taken aback. He wasn't surprised they were heading to Heaven Dou City—after all, it was indeed the nearest major city to Shrek City.
But for them to have already scraped together the travel funds so quickly!
To think that he hadn't even caught sight of his younger brother Tang Wulin yet, meaning even he might not have the funds, yet these two companions already did.
"Hehe."
"Boss, you don't know the whole story..."
"Yangzi and I are pretty tight with a shop owner in the commercial district. Since the exams are coming up, we figured challenging stronger opponents was more important than earning money right now, so we borrowed some from him."
"We'll pay him back later."
Wang Jinxi grinned and explained bluntly.
"This idea was Yangzi's, by the way."
As he spoke, he pointed at Zhang Yangzi beside him, who immediately flashed a sheepish grin.
Their secondary profession skills weren't actually low, but between their usual exhausting training, who'd want to rush into money-making right after finals?
"This..."
"You two really know how to work things out."
Hearing this, Tang Luochuan gave a light nod. It wasn't a bad approach, but if that was the case...
"Since it's borrowing money."
"Wouldn't asking me have been more appropriate?"
He mused aloud, posing the soul-searching question.
"..."
Wang Jinxi froze, instinctively turning to look at Zhang Yangzi—only to find him equally dumbstruck. Damn, he hadn't even considered that!
Borrowing from the boss would've solved the problem at its root!
"Pfft—"
Seeing the two stunned faces before him, Tang Luochuan couldn't help but laugh ruefully. These two wanted to take a shortcut but hadn't gone all the way.
They'd taken a step, but not the full leap.
"If it's money, I can lend it to you."
"As for challenging stronger opponents, you can also make requests to me or your Gu Yue-jie, or seek them at the Spirit Transfer Pagoda..."
"That's the real speedrun."
Tang Luochuan pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
"..."
"The boss is right!"
Hearing this, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi's eyes instantly lit up. Now this was what you called wisdom—genuine wisdom!
For a moment, the two stared eagerly at the pair before them. To challenge strong opponents at the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, they'd have to rely on these two prodigies from the Pagoda.
"You guys..."
Tang Luochuan stopped paying attention to the two jesters before him, silently focusing on the train arrival updates. Yet the pensive look on his face grew deeper.
Because in the entire waiting hall, he hadn't caught a single glimpse of his younger brother Wu Lin. Where... where was Wu Lin?
"The vanishing Wu Lin, huh."
Until the train departed, Tang Luochuan still hadn't caught sight of his younger brother, leaving him somewhat bewildered. Shouldn't Wu Lin have been the first to arrive at the station?
"Or perhaps..."
"Could it be that he's not taking this same train as in the original storyline?"
Tang Luochuan pondered silently. Truth be told, he only knew the general direction of the original plot. There were still many details he couldn't fully comprehend.
"Luo Chuan."
"After we arrive at Heaven Dou City to meet Zhen Hua, do we have any other plans?"
Seated beside Tang Luochuan, Gu Yue wore a thoughtful expression. If there weren't many other matters in Heaven Dou City, wouldn't that mean...
They could do some sightseeing?
That wouldn't make much difference anyway!
"Heaven Dou City..."
"Seems like a great place to explore."
Gu Yue mused quietly to herself.
"I haven't really thought about that yet..."
Tang Luochuan shook his head with a smile, but in the next moment, a peculiar expression visibly crossed his face as his gaze fixed on a spot not far away.
The reason was simple—under his perception, the figure clad entirely in black robes had caught his attention. That outfit was simply too eye-catching.
And the Soul Guidance Device hanging at the waist—was this some kind of Evil Soul Master thug?
No, not just one!
"Don't tell me..."
Dark lines appeared on Tang Luochuan's forehead. Just then, one of the black-clad figures suddenly raised a Soul Guidance Device, aiming it at Wang Jinxi who was sitting nearby...
"Don't move!"
"From this moment onward, none of you passengers are allowed to move! Otherwise, none of you will escape!"
The black-clad figure snarled with a vicious tone.
"..."
Tang Luochuan's lips twitched involuntarily, then he sank into deep contemplation.
So it turns out...
This really is that train!
...
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