Luoyang Lu nodded in satisfaction. "Before the exam begins, you have a three-day holiday. Today's practical class will end, and you can go on vacation. Go to class now. Yuhao and Gu Yuena, stay here."
As he spoke, Luoyang Lu glanced at Wu Zhangkong beside him and gave him a nod.
Wu Zhangkong understood that this was likely an internal matter of the Spirit Pagoda and tactfully led the other five students away.
Once the sound of the door closing echoed, Luoyang Lu turned to Huo Yuhao and the others. "Your final assessment has been canceled by me, so don't worry about it. Now, there's another matter that requires your attention. Someone wants to meet you, but due to some delays, they're in Heaven Dou City. Take a soul-guided aircraft there."
He didn't elaborate further, simply giving Huo Yuhao an encouraging look, which made the latter raise an eyebrow and ponder.
It seemed he might be meeting an old acquaintance.
...At the East Sea Spirit Pagoda Airport, Leng Yaozhu stepped off the soul-guided aircraft and saw Hua Yichen approaching, greeting her politely.
"Greetings Heavenly Phoenix Douluo."
Leng Yaozhu nodded. "Joyful Douluo, it's been a while. Where's Na'er? She should be on vacation now, right?"
Hua Yichen replied, "Unfortunately, she left East Sea City on a soul-guided aircraft earlier."
What a delicate timing.
The sudden arrival of the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo had startled him.
Fortunately, he had prepared beforehand by having Luoyang Lu arrange for Huo Yuhao to pass the Red-Level Assessment. Now that someone from the higher-ups was willing to meet Huo Yuhao, if luck was on their side, Yuhao would have a backer in the future, or else things could get troublesome.
According to Luoyang Lu, Gu Yuena had been in high spirits today and had been chatting happily with Yuhao. If the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo were to witness this, who knew how she might react?
Having her disciple come here just to study, only to be whisked away by someone else, wouldn't sit well with her, right?
He definitely couldn't take on the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo...
Leng Yaozhu was stunned. "She left?"
Hua Yichen nodded. "Yes."
Leng Yaozhu stared at Hua Yichen for a moment, seeing that his expression remained unchanged, and her mood became complicated.
She had clearly told Na'er that she would be coming today. Why did she leave?
Her little snuggle blanket wasn't warm anymore... Had her heart been taken by someone else?
...On the soul-guided aircraft, Gu Yuena sat beside Huo Yuhao, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
"I feel like I've forgotten something..."
As she thought this, she glanced at Huo Yuhao, who was reading a soul-guided book beside her, then looked at the Star's Favor on her wrist, her lips curling into a slight smile. She took out a piece of rare metal and began fiddling with it.
Oh well, if I can't remember, it probably wasn't that important...
Huo Yuhao noticed Gu Yuena taking out the rare metal and, after a moment's thought, activated his Spiritual Interference Domain, enveloping the two of them and preventing others from observing their actions.
Gu Yuena paused, glanced at Huo Yuhao, and gave him a gentle smile before continuing her task. Various elemental forces appeared in her palms as she began purifying the metal.
"She's really taken to this as a hobby," Bing Bing remarked.
"She made the decision after careful consideration, so it's not surprising," Huo Yuhao replied.
After watching for a while, Huo Yuhao saw that Gu Yuena had already skillfully completed the Hundred Refinements and was moving on to Thousand Refinements. He shifted his gaze away. "Her talent in this area is exceptional. In less than half a year, she's achieved Thousand Refinements. Other blacksmiths would probably cry if they saw her."
Achieving Thousand Refinements made one a Level 3 Blacksmith. In just a few months, Gu Yuena had accomplished what took others years.
She was truly blessed by the heavens.
Gu Yuena looked at the Thousand Refined Demon Silver in her hands and suddenly spoke up. "Yuhao, I'm confident I can achieve Spirit Refinement within a year. Once I reach that level, let's start crafting our Battle Armor components... just the two of us."
Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I'll handle the design, crafting, and maintenance. The forging will be up to you."
The two of them could complete the Battle Armor on their own, and in a way, they knew each other inside and out. Starting early was a good idea.
After all, in this era, a Battle Armor Master's strength surpassed that of a soul master of the same level by more than twenty ranks. The difference between having Battle Armor and not having it was immense.
For example, a One-Word Battle Armor Master who was originally a five-ring soul master would, when wearing their armor, possess strength equivalent to a seven-ring Soul Sage who hadn't yet unlocked their True Spirit. A Two-Word Battle Armor Master would be equivalent to an eight-ring, a Three-Word Battle Armor Master to a nine-ring, and a Four-Word Battle Armor Master to a Limit Douluo.
Among these, the requirement for One-Word Battle Armor was that every component be crafted from Thousand Refined metal, and the wearer must be at least a five-ring soul master.
For Two-Word Battle Armor, every component had to be Spirit Refined, and the wearer must be at least a six-ring soul master.
For Three-Word Battle Armor, every component had to be Soul Refined, and the wearer must be at least a seven-ring soul master.
Four-Word Battle Armor could be achieved by nurturing one's Three-Word Battle Armor or by incorporating Heavenly Refined metal into the Three-Word Battle Armor. The wearer must be at least a nine-ring soul master.
However, these wearing requirements weren't strict. As long as the soul master could withstand it, even those with lower cultivation levels could wear it. Ye Xinglan, for instance, had completed a full set of One-Word Battle Armor at the four-ring level. If only partial armor was worn, the requirements were even lower.
Based on Huo Yuhao's understanding of his own abilities, he could currently equip a full set of One-Word Battle Armor. After reaching the four-ring level, it would only become easier.
If Gu Yuena didn't hold back, she could do the same.
Seeing Huo Yuhao agree, Gu Yuena smiled. "Yuhao, what metal do you plan to use for your Battle Armor? I'm thinking of using Demon Silver."
Demon Silver, a rare metal, had the advantage of elemental affinity, making it the most suitable for her. Moreover, the metals she forged would have even greater elemental affinity, enhancing the effects further.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment before asking, "Can we try a spiritual alloy? I'm planning to use Jade Silver as the material."
Spiritual alloys were the result of "fusion forging" multiple rare metals, something usually achievable only by blacksmiths who had mastered Spirit Refinement.
Jade Silver was an alloy formed by fusing Deep Silver and Demon Silver, combining the effects of both metals. It enhanced elemental affinity while also boosting physical attack power. At this stage, it was the most suitable for Huo Yuhao.
As for rare metals that enhanced spiritual power? Did Life Gold count?
But who would be extravagant enough to use Life Gold to craft Battle Armor...
"Jade Silver Alloy?"
Gu Yuena was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Huo Yuhao's intention. She nodded. "I can give it a try, but it will take longer."
Huo Yuhao: "Take your time."
Two-Word Battle Armor was crafted from Spirit Refined metal. The biggest difference from One-Word Battle Armor was that the metal in Two-Word Battle Armor had a spirit, allowing it to merge with the soul master and be worn at any time without interrupting the "armor assembly" process.
Even at the Thousand Refinement level, spiritual alloys could achieve this.
This had many advantages. After all, no one wanted to be interrupted while "assembling their armor," right?
The two discussed and finalized their Battle Armor plans, with Gu Yuena maintaining a gentle expression throughout.
Yuhao, you didn't say thank you this time.
When someone stops being so polite with another, it means their relationship has already grown close…