“Patriarch…” Pan Mengyun slowly rose and stood to the side, his expression awkward. “Perhaps you should go see for yourself. On my way here, I saw two more guest Blacksmiths hurrying in that direction.”

Pan Hongji could no longer afford to stroll leisurely. A massive, visible Hydra Battle Soul erupted from within him, and he shot straight into the air, rocketing toward the smithy where Qian Jin was located. The entire Pan family heard the explosive sonic booms accompanying Pan Hongji’s high-speed flight, sounding like continuous rolls of thunder.

“What is the Patriarch doing?”

“Yeah! Is the Great Demon King personally playing the assassin?”

“Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor has passed away? Wasn’t his health supposedly quite good?”

“Could it be that the Human-Demon Battlefield has seen the total collapse of the True Strategy Army? That’s too exaggerated!”

“Exactly! Besides these three possibilities, even if the Patriarch’s wife were giving birth, it wouldn’t make the Patriarch this frantic, right?”

The warriors of the Pan family all looked up, baffled. Various speculations spun ceaselessly in their minds, yet they could not fathom what had transpired in the Pan family today to cause their Patriarch to lose his composure so completely.

Divine Craftsman? Divine Craftsman! Pan Hongji’s mind was consumed by Qian Jin’s demeanor. Whether this youngster could become a Divine Craftsman or not! To become a Master Blacksmith at such a young age! And to make two Level Ten Blacksmiths from entirely different disciplines kneel and request apprenticeship… Could this boy possibly be an all-discipline Blacksmith too?

He wasn't here for an alliance, was he? Nor was he here for trade? He was here to show off! To intentionally intimidate them, perhaps? Pan Hongji landed in the smithy, which was already filled—no, kneeling filled—with people.

Blacksmiths, ironworkers, apprentice supervisors… In the sizable smithy, nearly two hundred people were crammed together, kneeling.

Qian Jin stood awkwardly, gazing at the magnificent scene before him. He had only come to borrow some high-grade metals to forge a few sets of soft armor that might offer minimal defense, and to temporarily craft a Rank One or Two Battle Weapon for Checkfulite and Fen Tu Kuang Ge for emergencies.

Once the matters concerning the Qian family were resolved, if he were still alive, he planned to return to the Pan family and dedicate a full month or two to wholeheartedly forging decent armor and weapons for everyone.

With just this simple intention, and after merely swinging his hammer three times, he had driven the two arrogant Level Ten single-discipline Blacksmiths he first met—whose nostrils pointed skyward—to have their foreheads pressed flat against the ground, kneeling instantly.

Apprenticeship! If they couldn't be accepted as disciples, they’d gladly take the role of grand-disciples!

What was this? Qian Jin scratched his head. What kind of situation was this? Did it really need to be this dramatic? Just three hammer strikes on iron had brought hundreds of people to their knees.

“Patriarch!” Surrounded by people, Qian Jin spotted Pan Hongji standing at the entrance and felt like salvation had arrived! This was it; now that the Pan family Patriarch was here, he should be able to escape. “Kid.” Pan Hongji shuffled forward in small steps, squeezing into the crowd and slowly worming his way toward Qian Jin. The guest retainers and apprentices, who usually showed some deference to the Patriarch, completely ignored his authority at this moment, behaving as if they were on a pilgrimage, none willing to give up a spot for fear Qian Jin might slip away.

Pan Hongji stood before Qian Jin with a wry smile. It had been many years since he’d experienced this feeling of pressing tightly toward a central point due to a dense crowd. He never expected to feel it again today; it was truly unforgettable, a deeply evocative sensation.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? You hid it intentionally at the beginning?” Pan Hongji’s bitter smile continued. This was showing off! Absolutely blatant, naked showing off! A young man not yet twenty, skilled in medicine, mysterious potions, and smithing! Most crucially, this kid possessed a Battle Heart he shouldn't have! An invincible state below a Demon Slaying Warrior!

Pan Hongji even felt a pang of jealousy. Why wasn't this little genius named Pan? Why wasn't this kid my son?

On purpose? Qian Jin’s smile was as bitter as eating a hundred pieces of bitter herbs. He had never intended to hide anything! The problem was, nobody had ever asked him about his forging skills! Besides, if he had known this kind of situation would erupt, he might have genuinely tried to keep it under wraps.

“Listen here, kid,” Pan Hongji clapped Qian Jin on the shoulder. “Let me tell you the truth. After all this flashy boasting, if you think you can just dust off your hands and leave this smithy, that’s likely impossible. At the very least, take one or two of these people as your apprentices.”

“No apprentices, grand-disciples will do!” Hong Cangqiong, kneeling on the ground, bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Pan Hongji doubted his eyes and ears. Was this the same Hong Cangqiong who usually snorted loudly at everyone he met? He was willing to become a grand-disciple?

Qian Jin looked at the people on the ground with difficulty. He could hardly find anyone younger than himself here, especially this blacksmith named Hong Cangqiong, who was likely old enough to be his grandfather. To take such a man as a disciple or grand-disciple?

“How about…” Qian Jin scratched the back of his head. “We just spar a bit instead?”

The two hundred or so people kneeling on the ground simultaneously shook their heads, their movements as synchronized as if they had practiced thousands or tens of thousands of times.

“I am not worthy to spar with you,” Hong Cangqiong grunted gruffly. “It is my luck just to be able to learn from you.”

Pan Hongji crossed his arms, feeling both that he had made an incredible gain this time and that the situation was utterly bizarre. Even in his wildest dreams, he wouldn't have imagined such a strange scenario.

“Take them!” Pan Hongji sighed. “Unless you want them to kneel themselves to death.”

“We are willing to become Grand-Master Qian’s grand-disciples!”

The synchronized, clear voices echoed above the Pan family smithy.

Qian Jin looked at the group of over two hundred people and finally understood one thing: if he didn't take one or two disciples today, he probably wouldn't be able to leave the smithy alive.

“Then… alright then…”

Over two hundred people, four hundred expectant eyes shining brightly. Hong Cangqiong looked as if if Qian Jin refused to take him as a disciple or grand-disciple, he would immediately smash his head against the iron-smelting furnace.

Uncle Black’s Eighteen Peak Hammers were too potent! Qian Jin sighed repeatedly. He had only used the technique of the first hammer to forge, and it had already brought down this massive group! In the future, he should only use it in combat, and forge in places where no one was around, otherwise, he really couldn't handle this.

“Then… you,” Qian Jin pointed at Hong Cangqiong, and then spotted another younger blacksmith, “How about you join him as well?”

“Kid…” Pan Hongji patted Qian Jin’s shoulder. “Just take them all. Accepting one is the same effort as accepting two, and accepting two hundred is still just accepting, isn't it?”

“Accept two hundred?” Qian Jin felt a headache coming on. Was there such a way to take disciples?

“Thank you, Master!”

The two hundred ironworkers, blacksmiths, and apprentices fully demonstrated their ability to climb a pole once one was provided, instantly turning Qian Jin’s interrogative into a declarative statement as they collectively kowtowed three times.

“Then can you all get up now?” Qian Jin really couldn’t stand the feeling of over two hundred people kneeling before him.

“As Master commands.”

The entire group of over two hundred people stood up. Pan Hongji felt a small surge of triumph; the Pan family's relationship with Qian Jin was now even closer. Although he didn't know why these people insisted on bowing to Qian Jin, he clearly possessed extraordinary capabilities.

“Now then,” Qian Jin picked up his hammer, looked around the smithy. “I don't need to prove my forging skills anymore. Can I borrow some metal?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Hong Cangqiong nodded repeatedly. “Master! Whatever you need, just say the word! Everyone hurry back and bring out your treasures!”

The two hundred people were instantly ready to scatter like startled birds, bustling toward the door. Some even complained,

Finding squeezing through the door inconvenient, some simply opted to climb over the wall instead.

“Everyone, everyone…” Qian Jin spread his arms wide. “No need, I’m in a hurry. If you bring out your treasures, I won't have time to use them. Moreover, many high-grade metals—if I use them now with my current skill—would be a waste. Just find me a few specific types of metal…”

Pan Hongji leaned against the courtyard wall, savoring the feeling of being completely ignored—no, completely unnoticed—a sensation he hadn't felt in years. He quietly watched the bustling activity of the two hundred-plus people.

Bellowing! An action that seemed to require no skill to an outsider, yet Qian Jin’s personal demonstration had the likes of Hong Cangqiong nodding continuously, their eyes shining with admiration.

The mixture of wood, various coals, and even the addition of oil, explained casually by Qian Jin as he spoke, created another sensation.

The more Qian Jin explained, the more he realized that the foundation of these ironworkers and blacksmiths was far too poor! To have achieved the title of Blacksmith was sheer luck, the luckiest of lucks. Some blacksmiths, after ten years of attaining their title, had produced nothing more than a single Battle Weapon during that entire decade.

To gather more people to help add oil, burn charcoal, and operate the bellows, Qian Jin had to expend extra effort and saliva, selecting those with sharper comprehension to temporarily assist.

Pan Hongji watched quietly, observing that Qian Jin was the undisputed center of this smithy, the true focal point, giving the impression that he was the moon and everyone else the surrounding stars.

“It seems this won't be over anytime soon,” Pan Hongji stretched languidly and slowly walked toward the exit, gently twirling the bottle of Awakening Potion Qian Jin had given him between his fingertips. “Regardless, I should try this potion. Perhaps… I can achieve another awakening.”

The massive Pan family once again displayed the most vibrant energy seen in recent years. Out of the one thousand bottles of Awakening Potion Qian Jin mentioned, seventeen young Hydra bloodline warriors who had failed their awakening this year successfully activated their bloodline power. Additionally, three Hydra bloodline warriors who possessed Level Three awakened power successfully activated their bloodline strength.

What excited Pan Hongxuan the most was that one Elder! Someone who had successfully awakened their bloodline to the Earth-rank years ago, had actually managed to achieve the Heavenly-rank awakening!

Heavenly-rank and Earth-rank—they were separated by only one level, yet the disparity in achievable strength was as vast as the names themselves suggested: the gap between Heaven and Earth!

Just muttering: Eighth update, eighth update, eighth update, oh, eighth update. Asking for monthly tickets, asking for monthly tickets, asking for monthly tickets, asking for monthly tickets. (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, find more chapters, support the author, read the official version!)