Dwarves? Gan Jin exchanged curious glances with everyone in the room. What was going on? He had already defeated the dwarves in forging last time; did they have a new Forging Grandmaster this time? Were they here to issue another challenge?

"Show them in," Duan Fengbuer said vaguely, wiping crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. "Tell them to hurry up. I need to finish watching the excitement and still rush off to claim the Rookie King title."

"On what grounds?" Chekfulit glanced at Duan Fengbuer. "Gan Jin isn't dead yet."

"Damn it! Just because Gan Jin isn't dead doesn't mean I don't have a chance either!" Duan Fengbuer shouted back. "If I awaken my bloodline power twice in a short period, I might achieve the ultimate awakening! By then, even beating a comrade wouldn't be out of the question!"

Thunder Dragon Li coughed lightly, making no verbal protest against being ignored.

"If Brother Gan Jin doesn't win the Rookie King title, then it's clearly mine!" Yisai'er immediately perked up. "What has it got to do with any of you guys?"

Fentu Kuangge coughed heavily twice. "One Body, Two Saints—that’s not just for show. Ordinary warriors will certainly rise powerfully in this Rookie King competition."

"Please, you guys have already risen; no one dares to look down on you now," Duan Fengbuer grabbed another piece of bread. "But for a title like Rookie King, I think, Kuangge, you're still young, you have a chance..."

"Get lost!" Fentu Kuangge immediately tossed a piece of bread over. "Each person can only participate once!"

"I have to say, I am a Prince of the Zhence Dynasty..."

"Scram!"

Duan Fengbuer, Fentu Kuangge, Thunder Dragon Li, and Yisai'er all shouted at the dull-witted Zhence who had interjected: "This isn't an election for the Emperor; this is about the Rookie King!"

"But this Prince has strength too, okay?" Mu'ne Zhence felt genuinely wronged. "When you fight me, I'll let you taste my unique Soul Domain and mental magic! Even if I can't kill you, I'll invent a special mental magic! Anyone hit by my mental magic will be crippled for three years!"

Ptooey!

Thunder Dragon Li immediately spat out the milk he had just taken into his mouth.

Duan Fengbuer, sitting opposite him, quickly whipped up the tablecloth to block the incoming milk. The few warriors nearby simultaneously grabbed all the food on the table, preventing the mouthful of spittle from ruining their breakfast.

"They're here, they're here!" Duan Fengbuer, holding the tablecloth, looked towards the distance outside the door. "The Dwarves are coming."

Dwarves: The clan once most skilled in forging among the Human, Demon, and Barbarian races.

Dwarves: Claimed to have forging techniques flowing in their blood from the moment of birth.

Dwarves: Publicly asserted that when the Star God created their race, the Dwarves were imbued with forging abilities that no one else could surpass.

For countless years, while gradually strengthening their overall combat power, the Dwarves always maintained their status as the strongest in forging.

Because this supreme position in forging persisted, the strength of the Dwarven clan grew ever greater, achieving new developments almost every few hundred years.

Especially concerning battle skills that were not derived from bloodline power, the Dwarven clan's hidden collections were in no way inferior to those held by the War Hall or the royal families of the two major nations.

Throughout history, countless powerful figures, desiring a powerful weapon best suited for themselves, requested the Dwarves to forge one for them. The price paid was never just gold or materials; it often included their most closely guarded secret battle skills.

As time progressed, this continuous pattern fostered a deep-seated pride within the Dwarves, leading them to rarely leave their clan territory, preferring instead to wait for other powerhouses to seek them out.

Dwarves who left the Dwarven territory usually did so only after failing to secure the highest seat of power within their own clan.

A group of Dwarves? Dwarves rarely traveled in groups!

Gan Jin watched the approaching group of Dwarves. Each of them carried a massive forging hammer, and their attire indicated that these were not low-ranking members of the clan.

"The Elder Council of the Dwarven Clan?" Mu'ne Zhence, being a knowledgeable Prince, recognized the incoming group immediately. "The Elder Council hasn't mobilized in many years, yet they appear in the Divine Capital today?"

Serpent Emperor and Li Ba exchanged glances, seeing the suspicion in each other's eyes. They had met these Elders before. The old man with a half-white beard leading them was Ratu, the Head of the Dwarven Elder Council. Beside Ratu stood a Dwarf whose beard was still fiery red despite his completely white hair—that was Lafi, the Deputy Head of the Council.

As the head of a major family, one must deal with many matters, and interacting with the Dwarven Elder Council had happened more than once. Those Dwarves were so arrogant their noses seemed pointed at the stars.

Following the Elder Council were about a dozen exceptionally robust Dwarves. Judging by their bearing, they were certainly skilled warriors from the Barbarian tribes—though none had reached the Saint realm, there were definitely experts at the Battle Soul level.

"You are Gan Jin?" Ratu, shaking his mostly white beard, held his forging hammer. An indescribable arrogance still permeated his brow—a habit deeply ingrained in the Dwarven race.

Gan Jin slowly raised a finger and pointed towards the main gate through which the Dwarves had arrived. "If you are here to provoke, then go back the way you came. I don't have the time or the interest to deal with you."

The entire Dwarven Elder Council froze. This young man named Gan Jin had an utterly unexpected way of speaking and acting.

Ratu stared blankly at Gan Jin. Young people were usually fiercely hot-headed, and faced with such words, they would typically respond with extreme anger or some form of counter-aggression to eliminate or defeat the challenger.

But... Ratu never expected Gan Jin's reply to be... 'no time, no interest in bothering'... This... this...

Negotiation, as the Dwarves had learned through countless experiences, always began by suppressing the opponent's spirit to secure the best possible outcome! This was a valuable lesson gleaned over centuries.

The moment Gan Jin became the first Forging Master in the current era, the Dwarves quickly received the news. They also learned from the previous First Forging Master that Gan Jin's forging techniques seemed to stem from the very origin of Dwarven forging heritage.

Compared to the Dwarves' techniques, Gan Jin’s were even more formidable! The only path back to being the strongest forging clan was to learn from Gan Jin and acquire those techniques.

No Forging Master would easily pass on their skills, let alone the controller of the ultimate forging technique like Gan Jin.

Ratu desperately hoped that Gan Jin had not completely realized how terrifying his set of forging techniques truly was, otherwise, the price he would have to pay would be astronomical.

First, provoke; then, compete; then, concede; followed by flattery; and finally, propose the idea of learning—even if it required exchanging vast resources.

Ratu knew clearly that when a young person received a challenge, defeated their opponent, they were at their most proud, complacent, and least vigilant. That satisfaction would make them look down on the defeated opponent, making them much more likely to accept a student.

Ratu never imagined that Gan Jin would be completely different from expectation.

Gan Jin watched Ratu quietly. Though young, he had experienced countless things. A person who frequently dances on the edge of life and death can see through life and death itself; what else could they not see through?

"Just say what you need to say," Gan Jin pointed at the gate. "Otherwise, go back where you came from."

Ratu stood frozen for a moment, utterly bewildered, unsure of what to say next.

"I'm here to spar with you!"

Lafi, the Dwarf beside Ratu, suddenly roared, "I heard you're a great fighter! Coincidentally, I am too! Let’s make a bet: if I can beat you, hand over those forging techniques of yours!"

Gan Jin chuckled. These Dwarves were indeed here for his forging techniques! Mu'ne Zhence had mentioned days ago that the Dwarves might come to challenge his forging skills, perhaps even offering extremely generous terms, and strongly warned Gan Jin never to agree.

"Didn't I tell you?" Mu'ne Zhence smiled wryly at Gan Jin, looking exceedingly smug about his foresight.

Gan Jin had to admit that people born into royalty did possess superior foresight in these matters compared to himself.

"On what grounds do you dare bet against me?" Gan Jin looked coldly at Lafi. "What qualifications do you have to make a wager with me? Do you possess a stake equal in value to mine?"

Lafi's mouth gaped open, speechless for a moment. This was indeed a massive problem. Gan Jin's forging techniques, if utilized correctly, could be exchanged for an entire nation; that was the extent of their value.

Although the Dwarven clan was immensely wealthy, they truly couldn't produce a stake of equivalent value. In the Dwarves' eyes, nothing held a value comparable to this set of forging methods.

"Actually, we might have something," Mu'ne Zhence said, stepping out while fanning himself with a folding fan. "The Dwarven treasury, while not equal to Gan Jin's forging techniques, the Dwarves still possess a clan! If the Dwarves are willing to bet against Gan Jin, and they lose, the Elder Council dissolves, and the entire clan submits to Gan Jin..."

Betting the entire clan? The expressions of the entire Dwarven Elder Council shifted simultaneously. That stake was too steep!

However, a smile bloomed on Ratu's face. If they won the bet, it was a huge gain; if they lost? Dwarves! They were notoriously untrustworthy! At that point, they simply wouldn't dissolve the Elder Council or obey Gan Jin’s command, and what could he do about it?

Gan Jin looked doubtfully at Mu'ne Zhence. These Dwarves were infamous for breaking their word. Betting against them meant that, in a sense, even if they won, there was no tangible benefit, yet if they lost, they would forfeit immense resources—this was the nature of the faithless Dwarven race!

The entire Dwarven Elder Council burst into laughter. It seemed these young men hadn't seen much of the world or weathered many storms; they proposed such a naive wager.

Ratu looked at Gan Jin with feigned difficulty. "We need to discuss this; this is a major matter concerning our clan."

:!!!

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