"Of course, no problem. If you run into anything you can't solve, you're always welcome to come find me. As long as it's within my power, I'll help you." Chen Shilin smiled and gave a firm nod.
Gu You felt a wave of relief settle into his chest. This connection, this promise — it would save him from countless unnecessary detours in the future. When it came time to build his own forces or create his own faction, he now had someone powerful to turn to for help.
After the two exchanged contact information, Gu You boarded a transport, setting off on his next journey. His destination: Eastsea City.
…
Early the next morning, Gu You boarded a soul train marked with the Eastsea emblem and left Heaven Dou City behind.
Eastsea City was the second-largest port city on the eastern coast of the Sun and Moon Federation — a vital hub for maritime transport, ocean resource extraction, and seaborne commerce.
With a permanent population of over five million, Eastsea City had become one of the most prosperous regions in the entire Federation, thanks largely to its mastery over marine industries. Even within the national rankings, it easily stood among the nation's first-tier cities.
What fascinated Gu You even more was the city's long, rich history. Despite its modern prosperity, Eastsea had fiercely preserved its ancient charm. For hundreds of years now, the Sun and Moon Federation had placed particular emphasis on the protection of historical architecture. As a result, walking through the city today, one could still see structures that had stood for over a millennium — stone walls, ornate facades, wooden beams blackened by the passage of time.
At the Eastsea soul train station, a deep blue train slowly rumbled to a stop, gradually decelerating.
Here, Gu You noticed, nearly all the trains were painted in cool shades of blue, matching the city's coastal identity.
With a soft mechanical hiss, the train doors slid open. Passengers spilled out in an unbroken stream, many burdened with heavy luggage, their footsteps adding to the sudden buzz of activity on the station platform.
Gu You tapped the soul ring on his finger and stepped into the flow of the crowd, moving toward the exit. His eyes darted left and right, soaking in every detail — this was his first time in Eastsea, and curiosity tugged at him with every step.
The station's overhead canopy was a web of metallic pipes and beams, all precisely interlocked. With just one glance, Gu You could tell: these were all forged metals, standard alloy castings, nothing too advanced.
He turned to glance back, eyes rising to the massive characters carved over the station entrance: Eastsea Soul Train Station.
Standing there, he couldn't help but let out a low whistle of admiration. Even just this one station was far more grand, far more massive, than many of the public buildings he'd seen in his previous life.
Turning back, he set his gaze on the city proper.
A wide boulevard stretched out before him, lined with towering skyscrapers. Soul-guided vehicles roared past in endless streams, weaving in and out of lanes, while the crowds on the sidewalks formed a seemingly unbreakable tide of motion. The sheer density of people, machines, and motion created an atmosphere so intense it almost pressed down on the senses.
Eastsea City was massive.
Gu You didn't know exactly where the Blacksmiths' Association was, but thankfully, with his soul communicator's navigation system, he didn't have to guess. One quick search, and the target location popped up, guiding him forward.
He chose to walk.
Luckily, the association wasn't far from the station — after just over thirty minutes on foot, he spotted his destination.
The Blacksmiths' Association was hard to miss.
It was a towering gray building, roughly thirty stories tall, with a massive hammer emblem etched across the front. With that kind of signage, you didn't even need to read the plaque; anyone could tell at a glance what the building housed.
Stepping through the tall glass doors, Gu You entered the spacious lobby.
Directly ahead was a ten-meter-high glass wall, and embedded within it was an enormous golden hammer sculpture, at least eight meters tall.
Even though the Blacksmiths' Association wasn't as rich or well-funded as the Mecha Manufacturing Guild, it was still an indispensable organization — and top-tier Blacksmiths held social status equal to, if not higher than, many mecha design masters. After all, creating a top-class mecha required top-class materials, and crafting those materials demanded the hands of master Blacksmiths.
The first-floor lobby was wide and open, with only two young women standing at the front desk, both dressed in neat gray uniforms.
"Hey there, handsome! Who are you here to see?" one of the girls, the sweeter-faced of the two, called out with a bright smile, rising to greet him.
Gu You grinned playfully. "Well, I'm definitely not here to see you — I'm here to get a forging rank evaluation."
The fuller-figured girl beside her let out a soft laugh. "Ooooh, hear that? Handsome here's already brushing you off!"
The sweet-faced girl pouted slightly, shooting her coworker a mock glare. "Yuanyuan, stop teasing!" Then she turned back to Gu You. "You want to take a forging rank test?"
Gu You nodded cheerfully. "That's right!"
The receptionist gave him a polite smile. "Did you bring a teacher or guardian with you?"
Gu You shook his head, smirking. "My teacher? Yeah, good luck getting him to come here personally. Just let Master Cen Yue know I'm here — tell him my name is Gu You."
He knew the story well. Cen Yue was the key. Once he met Cen Yue, it would only be a matter of time before he was introduced to Mu Chen himself. And there was no point trying to go straight to Mu Chen through these two receptionists — no way they'd have direct access.
At the mention of Cen Yue's name, both girls immediately straightened, their playful demeanor vanishing.
"Alright, please wait just a moment," the sweet-faced girl said quickly. "I'll check if Master Cen has time right now. Have you tried calling him yourself?"
Gu You shook his head again. "Don't have his number."
The girl nodded and swiftly dialed from the front desk, murmuring into the line. "Master Cen? There's a young man here asking for you… Mm, yes, he says his name is Gu You."
After ending the call, she turned back to Gu You with a polite smile. "You're in luck — Master Cen is free right now. Please follow me."
She led him toward a side corridor, leaving Yuanyuan behind at the front desk.
As they walked away, Yuanyuan stuck out her tongue and murmured under her breath, "Huh… didn't expect that. He knows Master Cen? And wait a minute… why does he look so familiar? Isn't he that kid from the recent news stories…?"
The metallic doors of the soul-guided elevator opened with a soft chime.
"Here, come on in," the sweet-faced girl said warmly. "My name's Yun Xiaoling, by the way. Master Cen's office is on the fifteenth floor — I'll take you up and introduce you. After that, he'll handle your rank evaluation personally."
"Thank you," Gu You replied politely, stepping inside.
Yun Xiaoling gave him an appraising glance as they ascended. He was handsome, with sharp, well-defined features and the cool, unhurried manner of someone raised in a noble house. But more than that, his deep, dark eyes carried a quiet gravity — and his manners were impeccable. It was impossible not to like him at first sight.
"Ding!"
The elevator stopped, the doors sliding open smoothly onto the fifteenth floor.
The hallway outside gleamed in clean silver and white. The walls were sleek metal, the floor pristine white, the ceiling bright with well-placed lights. Everything was immaculate, orderly.
Together, they walked down the corridor, passing door after door, until they reached one marked clearly with Cen Yue's nameplate.
Yun Xiaoling pressed the button by the door. "Master Cen, it's Yun Xiaoling. I've brought the young man to see you."
A low voice rumbled from within. "Mm, come in."
The door slid open to reveal a spacious office, about thirty square meters wide. A massive wooden desk dominated the room, taking up nearly a quarter of the available space. Behind it stood a broad-shouldered, muscular man in his forties, his powerful build straining the fabric of his black shirt.
At that moment, he was studying a detailed schematic spread across the desk, frowning slightly in concentration.
"Master Cen," Yun Xiaoling called softly, stepping inside.
Cen Yue looked up, his sharp eyes fixing on Gu You.
The meeting that would change everything had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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