Sabonis Feibier closed his eyes in frustration, sighing to the heavens. He hadn't expected it! He truly hadn't imagined that this Boxhurt would be so audacious, allowing a half-breed devil to remain in Duzun City without fear of Sabonis Feibier striking him down upon discovery. Too late… everything was too late!

Sabonis Feibier opened his eyes, clouded with despair, and sighed again: "You win, Guang." Boxhurt smiled and nodded his head: "I think so too."

The two devils arrived before the city gates. Sabonis Guang’s eyes, sharp as blades, were fixed on Sabonis Feibier. "The entire welcoming ceremony was saturated with silence, oppression, and ill-concealed schadenfreude."

Sabonis Feibier nearly bowed his head so low it struck his chest. The events of this time had been handled terribly!

"Guang," let’s hurry up," Boxueli said happily, taking the lead at the front of the procession, constantly calling out greetings. "Keeping Her Highness waiting for so long is hardly proper." "Understood," Sabonis Guang replied with clear dissatisfaction, quickening his pace.

The devils of Duzun City were stunned. What on earth had happened in Duzun City these past few days? First, the entire family of the city defense general was wiped out by one half-breed devil, and now, the entire Elder Council of the Mamen race had appeared.

Had they come to kill that half-breed devil? The devils of Duzun City were utterly confused—even if they meant to kill the half-breed, was dispatching the entire Mamen Elder Council necessary?

Under the suspicious gaze of the assembled devils, the Mamen Elder Council marched mightily into the City Lord’s Mansion. Spies from various factions embedded in Duzun City immediately transmitted news to their respective powers outside the city.

Mamen Devil Race, Elder Council collectively appears in Duzun City. Mamen Devil Race Sabonis Feibier dead. Mamen Devil Race Elder Council collectively appears in Duzun City. The one who killed Mamen Devil Race Sabonis Feibier was a half-breed devil. The half-breed devil is the attendant of Princess Lucifer Liushui!

Messages, both seemingly valuable and utterly useless, poured out of Duzun City, being relayed at maximum speed to every faction.

Boxhurt observed the various methods used for message transmission and let out a cold laugh. As expected of a Clan Leader; he instantly discerned the locations of all faction spies. "From now on, I can use various means to feed them false intelligence."

The Mamen Elder Council took their seats in the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion, awaiting the appearance of Lucifer Liushui.

Soon, Lucifer Liushui appeared before the devils, adorned in grand attire. The Mamen elders immediately noticed the empty socket where one of Lucifer Liushui’s eyes was missing. Though they had been forewarned by Boxhurt, they couldn't help but steal a glance before quickly fixing their gaze upon a devil standing behind Lucifer Liushui.

More precisely, upon a young, rather arrogant-looking half-breed devil. Lucifer and the half-breed devil of the Mamen race.

"Esteemed Princess, long time no see. You have become even stronger and more beautiful," Boxueli said cheerfully, rising to bow deeply. "I almost didn't recognize you." "Esteemed Princess, your beauty even makes the God of Stars envious, and your strength is sure to make you the greatest Devil Warlord of the race," Sabonis Guang, completely unaffected by the Feibier incident, maintained a full and buoyant demeanor, bowing with a smile.

Lucifer Liushui let out a sound of happy satisfaction before speaking, "Two Clan Leaders, long time no see. Your might is like the stars. The Lucifer Dynasty will rely heavily on the efforts of you two Clan Leaders to defeat the wicked Zhence Dynasty."

"We will certainly serve His Great Devil King and serve the Princess."

The two Clan Leaders maximized their pleasantries, and in a flurry of mutual deference, they each took their seats.

"Since you two Clan Leaders are here, you must be interested in my attendant, yes?" Lucifer Liushui gestured, summoning Qian Jin, who stood behind her, forward. "Greet the two great Clan Leaders."

Qian Jin, wearing the inherent arrogance of the Lucifer lineage, nodded toward the two leaders. "Greetings to both Clan Leaders."

Boxueli smiled, raising a hand to rest his chin. "What exactly transpired this time? We simply wished to see for ourselves whether this young Flowing Stream Mirror Devil Warlord is truly as rumored."

"Iron forging?" Qian Jin's brow showed even more hauteur. "Do you know anything about forging?" "The elders don't, but I do!" From behind Boxueli stepped a dwarf carrying a blacksmith's hammer.

Slightly under a meter and a half tall, his arms were thicker than an ordinary man's thigh, and his muscles looked as if they were wrought from iron. An indescribable confidence radiated from his face.

Forging! That had always been the dwarf's forte!

The strongest blacksmiths of the current age were not from the Devil Race, nor the Zhence Dynasty; they hailed from the Dwarf Tribes of the Barbarians.

Historically, aside from a rare few instances where the strongest blacksmiths belonged to the Devil Race or the Zhence Dynasty, dwarves had held the title of strongest blacksmith for the majority of time.

"You can forge?" Qian Jin’s arrogant eye-flicker and tone irritated the dwarf who had emerged behind Boxueli.

"I am the strongest blacksmith hired by the Mamen Devil Race," the dwarf stated gruffly. "You can call me Bubulongsuo."

Lucifer Liushui’s eyes immediately lit up. "You are Bubulongsuo? The one the General Union invited to be President, whom you refused, Bubulongsuo?" "Exactly! That's me!" Discovering that even the Devil Princess knew of his reputation, Bubulongsuo swelled with even greater pride. "Since the Princess knows my name, you must also know that I am a Four-Element Forging Master, correct?"

"Four-element?" Duanfeng Bu'er looked at Bubulongsuo with utter confusion. "Is a Four-Element Forging Master very impressive?"

Bubulongsuo’s dark skin flushed crimson-purple. "A Four-Element Forging Master—you couldn't gather enough of those across the entire Zhence Dynasty, the Lucifer Dynasty, and all the blacksmiths of the Barbarian Tribes combined to count on one hand. Do you think that's impressive or not?" "Is that so? Then how many All-Element masters are there, like the Flowing Stream Mirror?" Duanfeng Bu'er asked with a sly smile, looking at Bubulongsuo. "And tell me, can you forge Soul Weapons?"

Bubulongsuo’s face, which had turned purple, stiffened again. Soul Weapons? He had tried twice, and both attempts had failed! As for All-Element...

Bubulongsuo let out a scornful cold laugh. An All-Element Forging Master? How was that possible? Forget someone his age; even a blacksmith on the verge of death tomorrow couldn't achieve All-Element mastery!

"Whether one is All-Element isn't decided by mouth," Bubulongsuo sneered again. "I came here precisely because the two Clan Leaders invited me to test him."

"You? What right do you have to test me?" Qian Jin pushed the arrogance of the Lucifer lineage to its limit. "What are you?"

"You..." Bubulongsuo had not expected this half-breed devil to be so utterly impudent.

Arrogant!

Boxueli had heard tales of the Flowing Stream Mirror’s arrogance, but he hadn't expected this half-breed devil, flowing with half Lucifer blood, to be so utterly presumptuous.

"Flowing Stream Mirror," Lucifer Liushui slammed the table. "Watch your attitude! What was that tone just now? Master Bubulongsuo is a very famous Forging Master! Are you provoking him? Aren't you afraid that Master Bubulongsuo will make a wager with you? If you lose the bet..."

"I lose? I could lose?" Qian Jin’s laugh carried even more arrogance. "Your Highness, I only fear he won't dare to bet with me! If I lose the bet, I, Qian Jin of the Flowing Stream Mirror, will become his apprentice! I will give him all my forging materials! But I fear he dares not make the wager..."

"How could Master Bubulongsuo possibly be afraid to wager with you?" Lucifer Liushui’s voice held a distinct edge of anger. "Master Bubulongsuo is an established Forging Master; he disdains to bet with someone like you. How could he possibly be afraid of you?"

The eyebrows of Boxueli and Sabonis Guang knitted simultaneously. They looked cautiously at Qian Jin and Lucifer Liushui, silently wondering what this meant. It sounded like rehearsed dialogue, designed specifically to provoke Bubulongsuo into a wager. Was he that confident he would win?

"He disdains? At most, he’s just scared," Qian Jin clamored dismissively, secretly admiring the scheme devised by Munezhen Ce. If he truly did end up losing, it would be the Flowing Stream Mirror lineage that lost, having nothing to do with Qian Jin. But if he won! Qian Jin’s pupils flashed with challenge. Munezhen Ce truly knew how to calculate; he knew the Mamen race would certainly send a blacksmith to test him.

"I'm scared?" Bubulongsuo’s eyes immediately widened threefold. Since becoming a Four-Element Forging Master, hadn't he been respected everywhere he went? Even the Devil Race's Blacksmith Guild had invited him to be president. If he hadn't owed the Mamen race a favor, he would be the Guild President right now.

Not good! Boxueli and Sabonis Guang’s pupils contracted rapidly as they exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other: Bubulongsuo had fallen for the trap!

"Master Bubulongsuo," Boxueli quickly interjected, "why must you stoop to argue with such a young devil?"

Sabonis Guang nodded repeatedly. If Bubulongsuo won, his side gained nothing, but if he lost, the Mamen race would forfeit a full thirty percent of their high-grade forging materials—materials currently controlled by Bubulongsuo! Thinking of this loss made Sabonis Guang so heartbroken and worried he nearly fainted.

"Argue?" Bubulongsuo paused in surprise.

Munezhen Ce’s folding fan snapped open with a crisp sound, unnervingly loud in the quiet hall. "Afraid is afraid, and that's fine. You can say you disdain arguing with the Flowing Stream Mirror and choose not to bet. Actually, let me tell you, this was a trap we set to provoke your anger and make you choose to bet. Of course..."

Munezhen Ce smiled slyly and took a sip of tea from a cup on the table. "You can choose not to bet, claiming you discovered our trap."

It was over! Boxueli closed his eyes in despair, secretly wondering where this devil had sprung from. Where had Lucifer Liushui found these devils? This devil must be Lucifer Liushui's strategist!