A week later, Long Xin and Jin Hong returned, accompanied by a youth clad in a magic robe and holding an Ocean Soul item.

His long blue hair was simply tied back, cascading over his left shoulder. His eyes were also blue, clear and bright, complemented by a delicate, upturned nose and two rosy lips, making him instantly memorable—truly resembling a handsome, cute shota from a cartoon.

Without introduction, we guessed this lad must be Jin Hong's friend, somehow roped into the You Long Gang by Boss Long Xin. Frankly, we had expected this outcome, so nothing was particularly surprising.

"Alright, these are the three Vice Leaders of the You Long Gang!" Long Xin led the young mage before us to introduce him: "This is Long Qi."

"Hello." Long Qi offered a slight, noble bow and greeted us with a gentlemanly air: "Welcome to the You Long Gang."

"......" The young mage looked rather nervous, his face flushed crimson: "H-hello." After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth: "My name is Dong Guan—it's a pleasure!—to meet you all."

A shy, well-behaved child, it seemed. The three of us instinctively glanced at each other; the days ahead wouldn't be boring. Still, it was best to make a good first impression.

"I am Xing Chen!" I smiled slightly: "Welcome to the gang, great Space Mage."

"Ah!—You are Xing Chen!" The young mage had actually been focusing his attention on me since the beginning. Though he wasn't looking with his eyes, I could keenly sense his attention fixed upon me: "Jin Hong said you're already a High Warrior." The young mage looked genuinely astonished, scrutinizing me from head to toe as if I were some rare artifact: "So small, truly so small." The young man muttered to himself while unconsciously comparing his height to mine. However, I sadly noted that this fellow seemed a tad taller than me: "Are you really only fourteen? But you look so cute!"

"............." I was taken aback, though I was certain my expression must have been hideous. This wasn't some shy, well-behaved kid; he was clearly an imbecile and a complete blockhead. Who compliments someone on being small and cute upon first meeting? Didn't he see I was a powerful High Warrior, a great man in my own right? While my stature might be slightly diminutive, still!

Long Xin and the others clearly sensed my displeasure but wore expressions of eager anticipation. Jin Hong, however, grew slightly anxious and quickly pulled the young mage Dong Guan, who was still studying me with a probing look, towards Long Zhan: "Then, this big fellow must be Long Zhan."

"Ah! Big fellow, Long Zhan." The young mage also observed Long Zhan with great curiosity: "So tall, so sturdy." He looked up at Long Zhan with an expression of profound awe.

"Heh heh!" Long Zhan scratched his shiny, bare head a bit sheepishly, simultaneously winking proudly at me.

Roar! Long Zhan, unable to surpass me in strength, actually wanted to strike at me this way? But who do you think I, Xing Chen, am? Did you think I would care? I turned my head slightly with an air of disdain.

"But, how could someone your size be sent flying by a single hand from Xing Chen!" The young mage seemed immensely curious, looking between me and Long Zhan, murmuring: "The difference in physique seems too great. Perhaps you two should compare again."

"............" Long Zhan's face became a spectacle. The smug look from moments before had vanished without a trace. I could even see tiny, twisted crosses forming on his otherwise mirror-smooth bald head, accompanied by countless black lines rapidly emerging.

"Hehehehe! Little brother, you are truly! You are truly too adorable, I like you!" I decided to forgive his previous idiotic behavior. Honestly, this little guy was baffling, but I genuinely liked him.

"What little brother!" The young mage instantly turned, pointing at me with an air of practiced seniority: "I just turned fifteen last week, so I'm older than you, understand?" The young mage slowly advanced towards me: "Therefore, you must call me Elder Brother Dong Guan from now on."

"................." I was stunned. Heavens, how did Long Xin manage to lure this lively character into the You Long Gang? Moreover, this fellow seemed extremely well-informed about our situation, even knowing my age. What was going on? This kid was completely out of line; I decided then and there that we would be irreconcilable enemies. Asking me to call him 'Elder Brother'? Not a chance.

"Um—um!" I uttered 'um' twice but didn't know what to say. Did I really have to call this snot-nosed kid Elder Brother Dong Guan from now on? The thought alone sent shivers down my spine.

This kid is not to be trifled with! My expression grew serious, and I noticed Long Zhan wore a similar look of lingering fear.

"Heh heh! Alright, since everyone is acquainted, you are all family now!" Jin Hong, fearing the little guy might produce another astonishing act, quickly pulled Dong Guan along: "It’s time to give everyone your gifts."

"That's right." Dong Guan seemed to recall something and swiftly unhooked a spatial satchel from his back, pulling out three small parcels from within: "Trinkets, nothing substantial!" As Dong Guan spoke, he handed one parcel to me: "Open it and see. There's something you wanted inside."

"It's a spatial satchel!" I exclaimed in pleasant surprise, yet I looked towards Long Xin, confused. Wasn't she the one who went to buy spatial satchels? Why were these now gifts from Dong Guan?

"Don't look at me." Long Xin spread her hands: "Dong Guan said that since he's joined the You Long Gang, it would be rude to accept payment from us. Naturally, he gifted them to you. Furthermore, he heard you are younger than him and very outstanding, so he specifically took care of you, selecting an extra-large spatial satchel he had made by chance. It's astonishing—that satchel holds fifteen cubic meters, three times the size of a standard one."

"Th-th-three times!" I gasped: "Fifteen cubic meters." By the heavens, who exactly is this guy to be able to craft a fifteen-cubic-meter spatial satchel?

"How is it?" Dong Guan looked matter-of-fact: "You are the youngest one, after all, so of course I had to look after you. Don't you like it?"

".........." This fellow still cared so much about this matter? Honestly, I began to suspect this kid had always been the youngest at home, and finally encountering someone younger than him (me), he was intent on playing the elder brother role to satisfy some deep-seated need. In modern society, there was a technical term for this—something like 'Youngest Child Syndrome.' Guys like that reportedly obsess over their position as the youngest and try by all means to switch roles and become the leader whenever possible, usually accompanied by a strong desire for control.

This little sprout is dangerous! And it seems his target is me. I secretly added him to my list of persons of interest. Of course, at this moment, I was both shocked and thrilled. Fifteen cubic meters—think of how much I could store! How could I not like it? However, saying it out loud was almost impossible. If I showed obvious delight, Dong Guan would instantly see me as a gullible child easily bought off. So, no matter how happy I was, I couldn't show it. If I admitted I liked it, I’d never be able to hold my head up again. I decided to remain silent, to see what this kid would do. I saw his bright eyes staring at me expectantly: "Open it and look. There are more gifts inside."

"More gifts!" Curiosity overcoming my reserve, I opened the spatial satchel and pulled out a long saber and a sword. The saber was the Hundred Battles Saber, and the sword was an upgraded, elongated Rapier.

These were the custom-made Hundred Battles Saber and Rapier for me! I was overjoyed and immediately grasped the Rapier.

Hmm! The weight and length were perfect, meeting all my standards. The blade's resilience and flexibility were also excellent, suggesting it was forged from top-tier ore.

The Hundred Battles Saber also perfectly met my criteria: a palm-wide girth, a beautifully flowing arc, a dusky black blade contrasted by a snow-white edge, giving an impression of solidity combined with agility. It was undoubtedly a rare, fine blade. As I swung it a few times, cold light flashed and vital energy surged—an undeniably superb saber. Yet, I vaguely felt as if both the saber and sword possessed a spirit. The moment I gripped them, I felt a strange, subtle fluctuation, as if I were holding not mere weapons, but two living beings with consciousness. What was happening? Was it an illusion? I looked closer, intrigued.

"This saber and sword were forged using the finest Black Iron Essence, mixed with Adamantite and Mithril! The crafting cost alone must be ten million gold coins!" Long Xin explained. "But the most precious part is that they were forged by Lu Tong, the most outstanding blacksmith in Earth City. And for this saber, Lu Tong and his apprentices hammered continuously for four days and four nights! Truly forged through a thousand trials!"

"............" Long Qi, Long Zhan, and I were stunned: "Black Iron Essence, Adamantite, Mithril, plus Earth City's most outstanding blacksmith, hammered non-stop for four days and nights." Long Zhan mumbled: "How much is that sword worth then?"

"I'll scare you with the price." Long Xin said excitedly: "Just the fact that it required Earth City's best blacksmith, and Lu Tong closed his shop for four days without taking any other business just for this saber—imagine how terrifyingly valuable this saber is."

"So, what is the actual price?" Long Qi also asked with a trembling voice, looking as if he might faint.

"Heh heh, if we absolutely had to estimate, it's worth at least fifty million gold coins," Long Xin declared, clearly choosing to shock us with an astronomical figure.

"............" Long Zhan and I were completely dumbfounded.

Thud! Long Qi promptly sat down on the ground: "This, how is this possible? Did I mishear you!" After a long moment, Long Qi mumbled: "All our combined wealth right now isn't even half a million gold coins. How could it be this much?"

"Even if we had it, Boss wouldn't be this generous!" Long Zhan gasped, barely managing to calm his racing heart.

"This! What is happening?" I weighed the saber and sword in my hands, equally disbelieving: "Don't tell me you actually spent that much money,." I wouldn't believe Long Xin was this generous if you killed me.

"Heh heh." Long Xin wore a look of defeat: "Honestly, in your eyes, am I that stingy?" Long Xin's tone held a hint of genuine grievance.

"It’s the truth," Long Qi hit back ruthlessly: "Stop dragging it out. What’s the real story?"

"Let me tell you all," Jin Hong interjected: "This saber and sword didn't cost a single penny."

"What!"

"Impossible!"

"..........."

"I speak the truth!" Jin Hong was clearly satisfied with our reactions, yet he looked at me with immense reverence: "To be honest, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe such good fortune could exist."

"Then what exactly happened?" I was getting impatient after all this build-up without getting to the main point.

"Alright, let's get to the main topic," Jin Hong complained: "You guys have no patience."

Then Jin Hong vividly recounted the events that transpired after they returned to Earth City.

It turned out that upon returning, Jin Hong and Long Xin first went to the Meng Chong Academy to find Dong Guan and ask him to craft spatial satchels. However, Long Xin fully utilized her innate talent for manipulation, and with a bit of trickery, managed to cajole the simple and muddled Dong Guan into joining the You Long Gang. Naturally, Dong Guan felt too awkward to charge for the satchels then. After securing Dong Guan, the next priority was crafting weapons for me. Unexpectedly, Dong Guan happened to know Lu Tong, the so-called Divine Craftsman of Earth City. Thus, Jin Hong, Long Xin, and Dong Guan found Lu Tong. Long Xin's initial scheme was brilliantly conceived: since they were acquaintances, Lu Tong would surely offer them a favorable deal. However, what followed exceeded everyone's expectations. When they approached Lu Tong, he found it hard to refuse out of respect for Dong Guan and instructed his disciples to forge the items, agreeing to only charge the basic material cost—so Long Xin’s plan seemed to be working. But then, the disciples became fascinated by the bizarre design of the Hundred Battles Saber. Lu Tong's chief disciple, in particular, sensed that the weapon blueprint was far from ordinary. It must be said, the boy had some discerning eyes. He took the schematic to Lu Tong for his inspection.

The moment Lu Tong saw the blueprint for the Hundred Battles Saber, his expression changed drastically. With his years of extensive forging experience, Lu Tong immediately recognized the terrifying potential power of the saber and was awestruck, deeming it a divine weapon. He decided to forge it himself, pouring his heart into using the extremely rare materials: Adamantite, Black Iron Essence, and Mithril. This terrified Long Xin, as the price of just those three ores was already staggering. Long Xin’s purse contained, at most, five hundred thousand gold coins, so she quickly tried to refuse. Unexpectedly, Lu Tong stated that such a divine weapon must be forged with the finest materials, or it would be a desecration and insult—something the Divine Craftsman of Earth City could never allow. Moreover, even these three peerless treasures—Adamantite, Mithril, and Black Iron Essence—could not guarantee a one-hundred-percent realization of the weapon's full power. Helpless, Long Xin considered abandoning the plan for the Hundred Battles Saber. But Lu Tong was unwilling, even threatening to tear down his shop if anyone else dared to forge such a divine weapon with inferior materials. And frankly, Lu Tong always kept his word. In Earth City, perhaps even across the entire Fama Continent, no one was unaware of the reputation of the Divine Craftsman Lu Tong. If he made such a proclamation, people would indeed fear to forge the Hundred Battles Saber elsewhere.

The situation unfolded in a way none of the three—Long Xin, Jin Hong, or Dong Guan—had anticipated. They were both thrilled and shocked. Thrilled that their schematic was for a divine weapon that stunned Lu Tong, but shocked that they had the blueprint for a divine weapon yet couldn't afford to forge it—Lu Tong was truly overbearing.

Finally, Dong Guan had to beg and plead, explaining that the three of them simply didn't possess that much money.

Lu Tong snapped back to reality. Indeed, how could three young brats afford such a massive price for custom forging? However, he told Long Xin he would forge the Hundred Battles Saber for free, but in exchange, the blueprint for the Hundred Battles Saber would belong to Lu Tong. This meant Lu Tong could forge the Hundred Battles Saber for others in the future. On the continent, if a weapon was forged based on a customer-provided blueprint, the design style was forbidden from being circulated. In other words, without the designer's consent, a blacksmith could not forge weapons of the same style for others, not even copies. This was why Lu Tong made his demand.

Long Xin agreed without a second thought. But Lu Tong then made another request: he absolutely had to meet the designer of the saber. Long Xin naturally told Lu Tong that I was the designer, as she had watched me draw the blueprint and promised to bring me to Earth City to meet Lu Tong. Lu Tong was delighted by this.

The cunning Long Xin, noticing Lu Tong's deep interest in the blueprint, seized the opportunity to extort him further. She made Lu Tong not only forge the Hundred Battles Saber and the Rapier for me for free but also forge a Cai Jue for Long Zhan, a Dragon Pattern Sword for Long Qi and Jin Hong, and, not forgetting herself, a Jade Scepter for Dong Guan and one for herself. To everyone's surprise, Lu Tong agreed without hesitation. Following this, Lu Tong and his disciples spent four days forging the Hundred Battles Saber.

While Lu Tong immediately discerned the characteristics and critical aspects of the Hundred Battles Saber, he studied the Rapier for a long time but couldn't grasp its essence. However, Long Xin insisted that both blueprints came from the same designer, repeatedly emphasizing that the strange Rapier was even more terrifyingly potent than the Hundred Battles Saber. Long Xin was speaking the absolute truth, as she had personally witnessed me slay a Half-Beast Warrior in an instant using the Rapier; its power certainly deserved the description 'terrifying.' Therefore, Lu Tong dared not be careless and spent another two days forging the Rapier. This took six days. However, Lu Tong’s dozens of disciples managed to forge the weapons Long Xin requested for Long Qi, Long Zhan, Jin Hong, Dong Guan, and herself in just one afternoon. Naturally, they didn't use rare ores like Adamantite, but the materials used were still exceptionally fine and hard to come by.

It must be said, Long Xin certainly pulled off a massive gain this time. No wonder the girl had been smiling so broadly her mouth almost split.

Of course, upon learning they too had new weapons, Long Qi and Long Zhan eagerly opened their spatial satchels to retrieve theirs.

"Hahaha! This Cai Jue is truly heavy!" Long Zhan happily hefted the massive club in his hand: "Although I can't swing it yet, once my level improves, I definitely will!"

"Heh heh!" Long Qi was equally overjoyed: "Such a powerful fluctuation of mental energy." Long Qi lovingly stroked the Dragon Pattern Sword in his hand: "My current mental strength isn't enough to command this sword, but once I reach the level of a Crimson Moon Taoist, this Dragon Pattern Sword will be my most trusted weapon."