Eternal Heavenly Emperor

"He's the one, Cousin," Guo Zhen suddenly shouted.

No wonder no one was outside; this kid had actually hidden here.

Ha, this kid is definitely in trouble. Do you know what this place is? Outsiders aren't allowed here. Just for this, Cousin could kill him.

"Oh?" Shao Rui's eyes immediately turned vicious upon hearing this.

This guy hit Guo Zhen and even said he wanted to meet me, yet he actually ran here to wait for me? How arrogant and conceited is this kid? Does he even know what this place is?

It's Master Feng's residence.

"You've got some nerve," Shao Rui coldly said.

Chu Hao turned his head and saw three people, one familiar and two strangers. He couldn't help but wonder silently to himself. How did Guo Zhen move so quickly and call for reinforcements in just ten minutes?

"Nothing special." He assumed the other party was talking about the incident with Guo Zhen. Furrowing his eyebrows, he said, "Outsiders are prohibited from entering here."

Shao Rui pointed his finger and said, "Get out."

Chu Hao grew suspicious, noting that the other party seemed to assume the role of the master here. He said, "My name is Chu Hao, and I came with Master Guo Zhen." He wasn't afraid of the other party but saw no need to start an unnecessary fight.

Master Guo?

Shao Rui was momentarily stunned but quickly grew even angrier. "No wonder you dare to disrespect me. It's because you have Master Guo's backing, isn't it? You haven't even entered the door of Master Guo, yet you think you can challenge me?"

Even if the other party was taken in by Guo Zhen, so what? Could he compare to me? Wang Hong is Master Feng's true disciple, whereas Guo Zhen is just a registered disciple.

Chu Hao looked at Guo Zhen, sure that this guy was stirring up trouble to create conflicts between them. He said, "I don't understand why you are acting this way. Why not explain the situation to me?"

"Chu Hao, you hit me first and insulted my cousin after. You said my cousin would have to kneel and call you senior brother if he saw you. And now, you're afraid? Is it because you finally saw my cousin?" Guo Zhen immediately jumped in, trying to drag Shao Rui into the mess.

"Chu Hao, you really are arrogant," Shao Rui said word by word, his face extremely angry.

Chu Hao shook his head. Guo Zhen was already foolish, but for Shao Rui to fall into his trap was just foolish squared. He'd given way quite a bit; did they think he had no temper?

"So what?" he replied indifferently.

"Let's have a competition," Shao Rui challenged.

Guo Zhen was ecstatic. A fight was about to break out.

"How do you want to compete?" Chu Hao asked.

"Since you are a registered disciple of Master Guo, you must have some proficiency in the Mad Demon Hammer Technique. Let's compete in forging Thousand-layer Iron," Shao Rui said proudly.

The reason he was accepted by Wang Hong as a disciple was his exceptional talent in blacksmithing. He had cultivated the Mad Demon Hammer Technique for two years and managed to forge 16 layers of iron, just slightly below Guo Zhen.

Competing with me in forging Thousand-layer Iron?

Chu Hao couldn't help but find it amusing. This guy was really brave.

"What, scared?" Shao Rui sneered. "Master Guo is best known for his Thousand-layer Iron. As his disciple, don't you dare to compete with me in this?"

"I've already let you have the advantage," his look seemed to say.

Chu Hao touched his chin and said, "Do you really want to compete in forging Thousand-layer Iron?"

"Of course," Shao Rui said proudly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"Absolutely?"

"Are you done yet?" Shao Rui was furious. This guy was playing him.

Chu Hao sighed and said, "Since you are insistent on asking for trouble, I'll oblige. But shouldn't we bet on something?" This guy was practically asking to be humiliated; might as well let him lose some money too.

"Do you even have money to bet with me?" Shao Rui sneered.

Chu Hao smiled and, with a wave of his hand, a pile of Star Stones appeared on the ground. There were Fifth Grade and Fourth Grade ones, equivalent to about five thousand pounds of Fifth Grade Star Stones.

A lot of them.

Shao Rui's face changed. Although he had talent in forging Thousand-layer Iron, he hadn't yet mastered the art of Tool-Forging. He could only make weapons, not enchant them, just like Guo Zhen.

As a result, ordinary weapons, no matter how sharp or sturdy, couldn't fetch high prices.

Only Treasure Artifacts could.

So, over the past two years, although he had some savings, aside from a Mustard Seed Ring gifted by his master, his wealth only amounted to about three thousand pounds of Fifth Grade Star Stones, far from enough.

Without enough money, how could he bet?

Guo Zhen, noticing his cousin's troubled look, whispered, "Cousin, are you short on money?"

"A bit," Shao Rui nodded.

"How much?"

"About two thousand pounds."

Guo Zhen grimaced. So much. He received an allowance of 100 pounds of Star Stones per month, including some for cultivation. It would take him two years to save up two thousand pounds.

But he spent lavishly and had at most 500 pounds of Star Stones; the gap was still large.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Cousin, just agree for now. I'll go borrow some." The Guo Family was a Seventh Rank Noble Family, with many family members, each receiving a handsome monthly allowance.

Besides, this was a sure-win situation. Winning would not only teach Chu Hao a lesson but also please his cousin, a double win.

Shao Rui cast him an appreciative glance and said, "The money you borrow for me, I'll repay you double after I win."

Guo Zhen's heart raced. That was two thousand pounds of Star Stones.

He would make a huge profit.

He quickly said, "I'll go borrow right away."

"Yes," Shao Rui nodded.

Without the other party presenting a suitable stake, Chu Hao certainly wouldn't start the match. Otherwise, if Shao Rui played dirty, he wouldn't have any recourse.

So, he'd wait.

An Feifei watched Chu Hao with interest, wondering if this young man knew Shao Rui's specialty was forging Thousand-layer Iron. Or perhaps he was also adept at it since Guo Zhen had brought him here.

Who was stronger?

Guo Zhen quickly returned, bringing back three thousand pounds of Fifth Grade Star Stones.

—Guo Zhen's finger wasn't adorned with a Mustard Seed Ring when he left, but now he had one. It was clearly borrowed. Three thousand pounds of Star Stones weren't heavy, but such a large pile needed a big chest, which would have been too conspicuous.

Three thousand pounds of Star Stones wasn't a small amount, and Guo Zhen had managed to borrow it quickly. It must have been "high-interest" borrowing.

Chu Hao couldn't help but laugh, guessing Guo Zhen might cry later.

Good, let him lose miserably.

"Chu Hao, we have stakes equivalent to six thousand pounds of Fifth Grade Star Stones," Shao Rui said, now feeling confident with the additional funds.

Chu Hao smiled and waved his right hand, producing ten Fourth Grade Star Stones. Since the exchange rate between Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade Star Stones was one to ten, these hundred pounds of Fourth Grade Star Stones were equivalent to a thousand pounds of Fifth Grade Star Stones.

However, this was only in terms of purchasing power. Usually, no one exchanged Fourth Grade Star Stones for Fifth Grade ones since Fourth Grade Star Stones were much rarer.

Thus, although both sides had bet equivalent stakes, Chu Hao was at a slight disadvantage.

Shao Rui and Guo Zhen both chuckled inwardly, thinking they were about to make a massive profit.

"Let's begin," Shao Rui eagerly said.

Chu Hao looked at An Feifei and asked, "What's your name?"

"An Feifei of Sky Heart Sect."

"Miss An, would you be a witness?" Chu Hao smiled.

"Yes, let's have Fairy An as our witness," Shao Rui also said, worried Chu Hao might back out after losing. Even though they were "fellow disciples," he couldn't push too hard.

An Feifei nodded gently, agreeing easily. She was impartial and had no vested interest.

"Then let's begin."

Chu Hao and Shao Rui each took a small piece of Fine Iron. To decide the winner in a short time, using small pieces was practical, avoiding unnecessary effort.

"Three hours to determine the winner," Shao Rui said.

"Alright."

To ensure fairness, they found a room with two anvils. They placed the iron blocks into the forge to heat up, then removed them, and began timing.

Ting ting, clang clang.

Rhythmic hammering sounds rang out as both employed the Mad Demon Hammer Technique.

An Feifei glanced and was immediately astonished.

She didn't understand blacksmithing, but as a core disciple of Sky Heart Sect, she had keen eyes. Comparisons made things clear.

Chu Hao's speed was faster, each strike strong and powerful, with a rhythm that made one's blood boil, as if their whole body was set aflame.

Shao Rui was going to lose.

She became intrigued by Chu Hao, though it had nothing to do with romance.

Her status wasn't just as a core disciple of Sky Heart Sect; she also represented the An Family, leading the An Sect within the Sky Heart Sect. She had many followers.

—She needed Divine Weapons and Treasure Artifacts, lots of them.

Recruiting Chu Hao would mean no more worries about weapons in the future.

With her methods and unmatched beauty, she was confident she could easily manipulate Chu Hao, an inexperienced young man.

Guo Zhen lacked such sharp discernment, feeling both Chu Hao and Shao Rui were equally busy and unable to judge a winner.

Time passed, and soon, three hours were up.

"Hahahaha," Shao Rui laughed loudly. This time, he performed exceptionally well, managing to forge 16 layers of iron in just three hours.

Sure victory.