Gu You was momentarily speechless. These opponents really lacked persistence. It was honestly boring.
Still, no matter what he thought, a swirl of light wrapped around his body and teleported him out of the arena, returning him to the plaza in an instant.
After two full rounds of testing, Gu You decided to log out of the Star Dou Battle Network.
Climbing out of the Star Dou pod, he moved his limbs a bit. There wasn't much to complain about. The machine wasn't amazing, but it also didn't cause any discomfort. For a prototype system, it was surprisingly smooth.
...
"What? You're not going to participate in the Star Dou Battle Network's Federation Challenge? Why not? This is a golden opportunity. You should know your nomination as a reserve Spirit Transmitter has already been submitted to the highest level. As long as you achieve a good result in the competition, you're basically guaranteed to pass. With your ability, there shouldn't be any problem. Why are you backing out now?"
"Sorry, teacher. I simply don't want to take part anymore. There's no deeper reason. I believe I can still earn the title of reserve Spirit Transmitter based on my strength alone. As for the Tower Master, please help me explain. Just tell him I plan to enter seclusion soon to break through to the Soul Saint level."
"You're preparing for a Soul Saint breakthrough? Really?"
"Yes. I'm almost there. I'll need to focus for a while. Teacher, I'm counting on you."
"...Alright. If you can truly reach the Soul Saint level, then things will be very different. I'd like to see who still dares to criticize you. Do your best."
Leng Yaozhu hung up the call and took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind.
Ever since that day, something about Gu Yue had changed...
Leaving the virtual system behind, Gu You headed directly to his forging studio. The competition would begin in two days—he had time. Moreover, he had just received a call from Long Yuxue. Someone from the military—a Three-Word Battle Armor Master—needed assistance with armor repairs and had specifically requested his help.
When Gu You saw who had arrived, he was taken aback.
He was no longer the clueless newcomer he had been when first joining the Blood God Army. He now recognized many of the key figures.
The person before him was none other than Xu Weitao, commander of the Blood Division—one of the two main forces under the Blood God Army.
Long Yuxue stood beside him and gave Gu You a subtle wink.
Gu You immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"Commander!"
Xu Weitao gave him a warm pat on the shoulder.
"You're a member of the Blood God Battalion now, which means you're no longer bound by regular army protocol. Just call me Old Xu."
Old… Old Xu?
Gu You was stunned. Wasn't the military supposed to be strict and formal? Especially this man—tall, broad-shouldered, with a face like it had been carved from stone. He was the textbook image of a hardened soldier. His Blood Division was known for brutal close combat, and from Jiang Wuyue alone, one could guess how fierce they were. The combat strength of Blood Division One was unmatched.
"Commander, isn't that inappropriate?" Gu You asked cautiously.
Xu Weitao chuckled.
"What's inappropriate about it? Even those guys from the Blood God Battalion call me Old Xu. Ask around next time you see them. Oh, not all of them though—Blood Seven, Blood Eight, and Blood Nine use that name. The rest call me Little Xu."
"Enough already," Long Yuxue said, rolling her eyes. "Gu You, stop getting hung up on titles. Just call him Uncle Xu like I do. And open the door—none of us have the key to the forging lab."
Gu You hurriedly unlocked the door and welcomed them in.
Xu Weitao looked around the small studio.
"Gu You, I heard from Yuxue that you're a Saint Blacksmith. That's a rare asset for our corps. The vice commander made the decision not to let you use forging merits for promotion because it might stir up complaints from the troops. It's about maintaining unity. I hope you understand. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask—we'll try to support you however we can."
Gu You smiled, though inside, he was confused.
'When did I become a full-fledged Saint Blacksmith?'
No wonder the workload lately had exploded. Yuxue must've been talking him up like he was some legendary craftsman. She must've raised both his status and expectations.
He shook his head.
"Uncle Xu, no need to be so polite. I understand the military's priorities. The warriors out there earn their merits by risking their lives—what's a few hours at the forge compared to that? It's only fair they receive the promotions."
Though he made it sound easy, there was still a hint of grievance hidden in his voice.
After all, his forging hadn't come out of nowhere. It had taken years of training and practice.
But compared to those who fought in life-or-death battles, there was nothing to complain about. The rules were there for the greater good, not for individual comfort.
Just imagine—if a soldier who had killed thousands of abyssal creatures saw himself passed over for someone who just hammered metal... how could that possibly sit well?
And it wasn't just one soldier—there were tens of thousands.
'A soldier is heartless by necessity, and reason lies within that ruthlessness.'
To lead an army, you had to think of the whole.
Xu Weitao nodded with a smile.
"I know you've got some frustration. But now that you're part of the Blood God Battalion, do you really think rank promotions will be a problem for you? If you need resources, the corps can allocate some for you. Just tell us what you need."
Gu You laughed.
"Alright then, I'll take you up on that. I need a larger workshop. Ideally, it should be connected to a warehouse big enough to hold a mecha. That would make my work much more efficient. I don't need anything else."
Xu Weitao blinked in surprise.
He had come here today not just for repairs, but to show goodwill. If the military wouldn't let Gu You earn merit through forging, they had to offer him something in return.
There had been debate at the top levels about reversing that decision, but in the end, they stuck to it. Even so, for a Saint Blacksmith, they had to show some sincerity.
From a structural standpoint, the Blood God Battalion didn't report directly to the Blood God Corps. Blood One recruiting Gu You so quickly might have been a message of dissatisfaction. After all, Blood One was a pillar of the entire corps.
So Xu Weitao's visit today was part politics, part diplomacy. He had come ready to offer far more than Gu You requested.
'And he only asked for a slightly larger workspace and a storage bay?'
He was practical—and clever. By not asking for anything extravagant, Gu You was also protecting his freedom. If he took too many resources from the corps now, they'd have every reason to assign him more and more jobs later. He wouldn't be able to say no.
Gu You may have loved money, but he wasn't stupid.
He was, in fact, very aware of the give-and-take behind military favors.
(End of Chapter)
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