Chapter 204: Chapter 185: [Rune Blacksmith]; The True Sprout of Magical Civilization; Inviting Lin Aoxue

The closer a world’s power level was to the Main World, the slower its time flowed. The only exceptions were certain worlds that had been forcefully pulled closer to the Main World by Divine Beings from within the Blue Star Federation; these worlds did not operate under this rule. All other worlds followed this system.

The place Zhang Shumo guarded was none other than the Gourmet World. The Gourmet World’s level couldn’t compare to that of the Blue Star Federation’s capital world, but it was unique in its own right. Therefore, the time ratio between the two worlds was approximately one to ninety. In terms of the time perceived by Zhang Yi’s grandfather, Zhang Shumo, this meant he had already been guarding the Crystal Wall System containing the Gourmet World for nearly a thousand years.

After looking over the Divine Domain Card from his grandfather, Zhang Yi remembered what he needed to do the next day. He took a moment to send Lin Aoxue a message.

[Zhang Yi]: I’ve spoken with an elder in my family about the Subordinate God matter. If you agree, come to the conference room at the Golden City First Grand Hotel tomorrow. Bring the contract you’ve prepared. My grandfather and I will be waiting for you there.

After sending this message and following his grandfather’s instructions to send no more, Zhang Yi returned to his own Divine Realm to check the card his grandmother had given him.

What Zhang Yi didn’t know, however, was that Lin Aoxue had recently set his contact to receive special notifications. So, the moment Zhang Yi’s message arrived, Lin Aoxue knew instantly. Even though Lin Aoxue was in her Divine Realm at that moment, she was logged in through the Ten Thousand Realms Divine Net. When she heard a "DING!" from the network, her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

The next moment, she exited her Divine Realm and checked the message. As Lin Aoxue’s gaze swept over its content, her breath hitched slightly. Although Zhang Yi’s message was brief, consistent with their previous interactions, the words within—"an elder in my family," "my grandfather," "in person," "contract"—each one filled Lin Aoxue with an unprecedented sense of pressure.

Yesterday, the Lin Family’s Old Ancestor, Lin Haifeng, had returned home unexpectedly. Both Lin Aoxue’s father and her uncle were astonished by the Old Ancestor’s sudden return. Her father felt that a turning point had arrived. But to the surprise of Lin Aoxue and her parents, when the Lin Family’s Old Ancestor, Lin Haifeng, heard the full account of what had happened, he didn’t cause a major stir. After listening to Lin Aoxue’s father’s side of the story and personally reviewing the accomplishments of the two juniors, Lin Yao and Lin Aoxue, he simply split his future monthly support for the family into two portions.

And just like that, the matter was settled.

The Old Ancestor’s action had a huge impact on Lin Aoxue. What seemed like a monumental issue to her was, in reality, resolved with a single sentence from him. Her uncle, who had been gradually seizing the Lin Family’s assets in Golden City through various schemes, was forced to relinquish all of those resources because of that one sentence from the Old Ancestor. This scene made it crystal clear to Lin Aoxue: in this world, strength was the only thing that truly mattered.

With the Old Ancestor having handled the matter, the monthly support Lin Aoxue received from the family also returned to normal. She would no longer be stuck with just a single Three-star Divine Domain Card each month.

The Lin Family’s Old Ancestor is only a Weak Divine Being, yet in my eyes, he already possesses such status. With a single sentence, he could solve a problem that has plagued my parents and me for so long. So what about a Powerful Divine Being, a level the Old Ancestor could never hope to reach, something he could only dream of becoming in his entire lifetime? What kind of status would they possess?!

Therefore, when Lin Aoxue saw the message from Zhang Yi, a mix of nervousness, apprehension, shyness, and a sliver of joy she hadn’t even noticed herself flooded her heart. Subconsciously, she clenched her fists.

Lin Aoxue took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.

This is a tremendous opportunity! An opportunity far greater than just staying in the Lin Family and receiving resources from the Old Ancestor! Becoming a Subordinate God admittedly means being subject to another’s will, but compared to struggling on my own for a lifetime only to end up as a Weak Divine Being, following a Demigod with limitless potential, with the process witnessed by a Powerful Divine Being... this is undoubtedly the greatest opportunity of my life!

Lin Aoxue had no doubt.

If it weren’t for my actions during the recent final exam that won Zhang Yi’s attention, a Powerful Divine Being would never have cast his gaze upon a mere Demigod who hasn’t even become a True God. Even if a Powerful Divine Being wanted to invest in someone, their sights would never be set on Demigods. Compared to Demigods who have yet to mature, True Gods who have already realized a portion of their potential are undoubtedly more worthy of an investment from a Powerful Divine Being who stands above hundreds of millions of living beings!

So, upon seeing Zhang Yi’s message, Lin Aoxue replied immediately.

[Lin Aoxue]: Understood. Send the time and place tomorrow. I’ll be there without a moment’s delay!

After replying, Lin Aoxue was no longer in the mood to re-enter her Divine Realm. Logging out of the Ten Thousand Realms Divine Net, she found the contract she had drafted.

A Powerful Divine Being will be there tomorrow. This contract isn’t perfect yet! I have to use my time tonight to revise it again. It must be absolutely perfect!

With this mindset, Lin Aoxue contacted her family’s legal advisor to perfect the contract once more.

For Lin Aoxue, tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi, who had already returned to his Divine Realm, began to examine the card his grandmother had given him. Unlike the Divine Domain Card from his grandfather, Zhang Shumo, which was powerful enough to elevate the civilization in his Divine Realm to the next level, the one from his grandmother was a Five-star Professional Card: [Rune Blacksmith]. This was a rare Profession that both the Elves and Dwarves in Zhang Yi’s Divine Realm could inherit.

Zhang Yi first read the introduction for this Five-star Professional Card:

When the first metal was smelted in fire and shaped into a weapon, the Blacksmith profession was born.

Over the long course of development, not all Blacksmiths were content to merely forge mundane iron. The discovery of Magic Materials brought a new evolution to the Blacksmith profession.

While forging Magic Metal, a group of Blacksmiths gradually mastered the use of Magic Runes. They seemed to have an innate ability to fuse these runes into the metal during the forging process, creating weapons imbued with special Divine Power.

Compared to Zhang Yi’s previous method of enchanting by carving Magic Runes onto Magic Equipment, [Rune Blacksmiths] were undoubtedly the true authorities in the field of carving Magic Runes into weapons.

Then, Zhang Yi looked at the effects of this Five-star Professional Card.

[Effect One]: Metal Resonance. Feel with your heart; resonate with the metal. In the process of forging Magic Metal, a Rune Blacksmith’s heart gradually becomes one with the Magic Metal, allowing you to subtly perceive any changes that occur during the forging process.

[Effect Two]: Magic Rune. With daily practice, you will gradually develop your own understanding of forging Magic Metal. When you can perceive the grain within the Magic Metal, you can use the tools in your hand to carve Magic Runes into the metal you are forging! (Including but not limited to: Sharpness Rune, Lightness Rune, Acceleration Rune...)

[Effect Three]: Weapon Maintenance. To forge a weapon, understand a weapon, and maintain a weapon is a Blacksmith’s life. If you can forge a weapon, you must also know how to maintain it. A weapon is your companion, an extension of your body. Using weapon maintenance techniques can increase a weapon’s lifespan by 50%, increase the chance of successfully reforging it by 40%, and increase metal reclamation by 30%!

[Effect Four]: Master Blacksmith. Through long years of forging weapons, you have gradually become a Master Blacksmith. No matter the weapon, you can master the techniques to forge it at the fastest speed. When over one thousand individuals have mastered the [Rune Blacksmith] profession, two choices will become available: [Logistics] and [War]!

Note: It has been detected that the number of individuals with the [Rune Blacksmith] profession in the Divine Realm has not exceeded one thousand. A choice cannot be made at this time