boyutpedia Chapter 62 Yuan Bao'er and Mu Xi
Chapter 62 Yuan Bao'er and Mu Xi
Chapter 62 Yuan Bao'er and Mu Xi
Tianhai Hotel.
This is one of the most famous landmark buildings in Tianhai City. The hotel's decoration is not only extremely luxurious, but its architectural style is also ingenious.
Half of the hotel is built on land, while the other half extends into the azure sea.
Using giant reinforced glass made with special techniques as a partition, the interior space is perfectly integrated with the boundless sea view. Stepping into it is like being embraced by the sea, with the sea breeze carrying a faint salty and humid atmosphere, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.
"How luxurious!"
Lu Xingchen stood in the hotel's magnificent lobby, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside the window.
In the clear seawater, countless small fish emitting a soft fluorescent glow swim freely. It is said that these fluorescent fish were specially introduced from the deep sea by the Tianhai Hotel and released into the waters around the hotel, just to bring guests the ultimate visual enjoyment.
Beneath this sea area, several high-level sonar soul guides are hidden, operating day and night, effectively driving away low-level sea soul beasts under a thousand years old, ensuring the safety of the hotel without disrupting the balance of the marine ecosystem.
Such meticulous design is enough to demonstrate the hotel's heritage and strength.
Turning his gaze away from the sea view, Lu Xingchen turned his attention to the interior of the hall.
Amidst the elegant attire and the clinking of glasses, a group of upper-class individuals dressed in luxurious formal wear gathered in small groups, some talking in hushed tones, others laughing and chatting loudly, sharing their experiences and insights from the business, soul master, and forging worlds.
Today, all the matches of the Tianhai Alliance Youth Group have come to a successful conclusion, and tomorrow will see an even more intense competition in the adult group.
To provide an opportunity for the younger generation of Soul Masters to exchange ideas, hone their skills, and forge friendships, the high-ranking officials of the Tianhai Alliance specially prepared this grand exchange banquet.
In fact, a similar banquet had already been held once after the junior group competition ended, but Lu Xingchen did not attend it at that time in order to stabilize his own condition.
Tonight's banquet was specially arranged for him to come by his master, Duan Xuan.
Before he left, Duan Xuan specifically instructed him: "Young man, you should go out and see the world, broaden your horizons, don't always stay cooped up in the forge. Talk to your peers more, you might gain some different insights."
"Master, that's not what you said before."
Lu Xingchen tugged at his slightly tight-fitting suit. He wasn't averse to wearing a suit, but he was a little dissatisfied that Duan Xuan had brought him to the hotel and then left him there alone.
Before he was discharged from the hospital, his master was on high alert with the big families in Tianhai City, fearing that he was too young and would be deceived and taken advantage of, and turned away all visitors.
But now, as soon as he was discharged from the hospital, his mentor took the initiative to bring him to such a social banquet, allowing him to face these upper-class people with complicated identities.
Sure enough, it's not just women who are fickle! Lu Xingchen thought to himself.
"This is troublesome, I don't know anyone here."
Lu Xingchen scratched his head, a troubled look on his face. To be honest, attending such a high-level banquet was actually in line with his expectations.
After all, he also wanted to use his virtual personality to control some of the high-ranking members of the Tianhai Alliance and make them his puppets.
Virtual Personality: One of the core abilities of the "Manipulator".
This is a virtual consciousness that splits off from the user, capable of silently infiltrating another person's spiritual sea and slowly merging with their spiritual essence.
During the integration process, the virtual personality can subtly influence the other person's thinking patterns and decision-making, making the other person act according to his/her wishes without them realizing it.
If the victim doesn't have special mental defenses, or if their mental strength is far inferior, then this virtual personality can gradually erode and replace the original personality during the fusion process, ultimately "usurping" the other person's identity.
This ability is insidious and cunning. It can act independently like a clone, but it also has the characteristics of infiltration and control, making it a powerful tool for manipulating others in the shadows.
All I can say is that the idea of an "omniscient and omnipotent God" is really going too far.
The problem at hand is that Lu Xingchen only remembers the appearances and identities of a handful of the high-ranking members of the Tianhai Alliance.
Although in theory one could look up relevant information online in advance, he had been focused on acting, cultivation, and forging, and hadn't done any preparatory work in this area.
Now, standing in the banquet hall, looking at all the unfamiliar faces in front of him, he couldn't tell who was a worthy target and was at a loss for what to do.
It is worth mentioning that since being promoted to the fourth rank "Manipulator", perhaps due to his previous life experience, or perhaps due to the blessing of the "Chaotic Sea", he has achieved great success.
In short, Lu Xingchen can currently create an astonishing 77 virtual personalities. In contrast, a normal operator can only create thirteen virtual personalities initially.
Just as Lu Xingchen stood there pondering, a gentle, melodious female voice, like a nightingale's song, rang out beside him, carrying a hint of curiosity and amusement: "Ah~ are you perhaps Little Xingchen?"
The sudden sound startled Lu Xingchen slightly, and he immediately turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.
Not far away, a blonde woman dressed in a fiery red off-shoulder gown was smiling at him.
The young woman had a graceful figure, and her curvaceous body was even more alluring under the dress. Her dazzling golden hair looked as if it were woven from sunlight. She casually tied her hair up in a bun, revealing her slender, fair neck and delicate collarbone.
She had a perfectly timed smile, gentle eyes, and an elegant and noble demeanor, yet she was also approachable, making her instantly likable.
Beside this blonde woman followed a little girl who bore a striking resemblance to her.
The little girl was about eleven or twelve years old. She had a neat high ponytail and a head of bright blonde hair. She was cute and charming, like a porcelain doll. At this moment, she was looking at Lu Xingchen with her big, curious eyes.
Looking at the mother and daughter with outstanding temperament in front of him, Lu Xingchen felt a little puzzled and asked, "May I ask who you are?"
""
"Oh dear, look at my memory, I almost forgot to introduce myself."
The blonde woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her smile gentle and charming, her tone still tender: "My name is Yuan Bao'er, and I am the wife of Mu Chen, the president of the East China Sea Forging Masters Association."
After introducing herself, she gently nudged the little girl beside her and added with a smile, "This is my daughter, Mu Xi."
"President Mu Chen's wife?"
Lu Xingchen suddenly understood, and put on a polite smile, saying, "Hello, Aunt Bao'er, hello, Sister Mu Xi."
Yuan Bao'er smiled gently, her eyes crinkling: "I watched the entire Little Star Alliance competition from the stands with Xiao Xi. Truly, young talents abound. These past few days, my husband has mentioned you quite a few times at home."
More than just talking about it, after learning from Duan Xuan that Lu Xingchen was only seven years old, Mu Chen immediately mobilized the association's resources to collect and organize all of the boy's past.
The orphans of Tianhai Orphanage—this is Lu Xingchen's starting point.
He was abandoned next to a trash can at birth, but was fortunately found by Dean Cocolia and taken back to the orphanage, thus escaping his fate of dying young.
At the age of five and a half, he awakened his martial soul ahead of schedule and officially entered the ranks of soul masters;
At the age of six, the orphanage was attacked by the Evil Soul King. To protect the other children in the orphanage, he lured away the powerful enemy alone, carrying the soul-guided bomb he obtained from Cocolia, determined to perish together with the Evil Soul King, but miraculously survived.
However, before his death, the evil soul king unleashed a vicious soul skill, spreading a cursed mist throughout the orphanage, causing heavy casualties among the survivors.
To save the surviving children, the orphanage incurred huge debts, and it was precisely to repay these debts that Lu Xingchen resolutely embarked on the path of a blacksmith.
The above is the information Mu Chen has gathered about Lu Xingchen.
The information about the Evil Soul King was given by the orphanage director, Cocolia, and members of the guard team also went to the scene to collect evidence, confirming the intelligence without a doubt.
As for what happened next, it was left unresolved, guided by some unknown force.
Without a doubt, he is a talented young man who values loyalty and righteousness, and is both brave and resourceful.
As Mu Chen's wife, Yuan Bao'er had already read the detailed intelligence, and her gaze towards Lu Xingchen unconsciously held a touch of tenderness.
"Aunt Bao'er, you flatter me."
Lu Xingchen appropriately displayed a bit of embarrassment, his youthful face carrying just the right amount of shyness, exactly like a child should look.
"What a resilient child."
Yuan Bao'er felt even more pity for him.
The world marvels at Lu Xingchen's talent, but forgets that he is still just a seven-year-old child. While his talent is undoubtedly the foundation for his success, who knows about his tragic past and the heavy burden he carries now?
Thinking of this, Yuan Bao'er turned to her daughter beside her: "Xiao Xi, didn't you always want to meet Xiao Xingchen? Now that you've met him in person, why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you usually so carefree? Are you shy now?"
"Mom, what are you saying? Who's usually so carefree?"
Mu Xi gave a coquettish laugh, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. Then she took a deep breath, took a hesitant step forward, and said softly to Lu Xingchen, "Master Xingchen, hello, I am Mu Xi."
Normally, given Mu Xi's personality, she would never be so reserved.
As the only daughter of the master craftsman Mu Chen, she grew up in the atmosphere of the Forging Association, attended countless high-end banquets, and met countless Soul Masters and Forging Masters. Her vision and courage far exceeded those of girls her age.
But Lu Xingchen in front of him was different. Although he was four years younger than him, he was a genuine master forging expert.
Mu Xi has followed her father, Mu Chen, since childhood and has an extraordinary love for forging.
At the age of five, he began to imitate his father's forging techniques by wielding a specially made small iron hammer. He persisted day after day for two years before finally impressing Mu Chen and formally learning the art of forging.
She inherited her father's martial spirit, "Radiant Sun," and was naturally suited to the art of forging. Coupled with her own diligence and hard work, she made rapid progress.
This year, Mu Xi, who just turned eleven, successfully passed the Level One Forging Master assessment and was hailed as the "rising star of the East China Sea forging industry".
Even Mu Chen is often proud of his daughter’s talent and hard work. She herself has always been proud of it and is determined to become the first goddess craftswoman in the forging world.
But all that pride and confidence was shattered by Lu Xingchen's spirit forging skills in the forging arena of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.
She had read Lu Xingchen's file; a seven-year-old child who could complete spirit forging that countless senior blacksmiths could only dream of. In comparison, her own title of Level One Blacksmith seemed like a joke.
envy?
What a joke! If Lu Xingchen were only a year or two younger than her, she might feel resentful; but facing a seven-year-old master blacksmith, she was filled with shock and admiration.
The shock and disbelief she felt when she witnessed Lu Xingchen placing his palm on the blue copper, which was over a thousand degrees hot, without hesitation in order to complete the spirit forging still lingers in her mind.
That was an extremely hot iron block that could burn bones and muscles, yet he could touch it with his bare hands without changing his expression. Wasn't he afraid of suffering a lifelong disability?
Mu Xi once asked herself, if she and Lu Xingchen had switched places, could she have done this?
The answer is no, she can't do it. Even though her martial soul "Radiant Sun" grants her extremely strong fire resistance, she simply can't bring herself to do it; she can't overcome that psychological hurdle.
That's why, in her heart, Lu Xingchen is no longer simply a "genius".
It was a complex emotion mixed with admiration, curiosity, and a hint of unspeakable reverence.
Lu Xingchen touched the tip of his nose, looking a little embarrassed. "Sister Mu Xi, just call me by my name. The title 'Grandmaster' sounds too heavy, and it's kind of awkward to hear."
Seeing his slightly embarrassed appearance, Mu Xi's tension dissipated considerably.
Yes, she almost forgot that no matter how amazing Lu Xingchen's achievements in forging were, he was still just a seven-year-old child.
As the older sister who is four years her senior, it's really a bit unreasonable for me to be so reserved because of the other person's status.
Having figured this out, Mu Xi felt enlightened, a bright smile spreading across her face as she generously extended her hand: "In that case, please guide me, Brother Xingchen."
Seeing this, Lu Xingchen readily extended her small hand and gently shook hands with her, saying, "Sister Mu Xi, you're too kind. We should learn from each other."
Yuan Bao'er stood aside, watching the atmosphere between the two children gradually become harmonious, and a gratified smile appeared on her face.
She could tell that Lu Xingchen was not only exceptionally talented, but also possessed a rare calm and insightful temperament. Xiao Xi's friendship with such a child would undoubtedly be of great benefit to her future growth.
"Come on, little brother Xingchen, let me introduce you to the other people in the Tianhai Federation."
At this moment, Mu Xi learned through conversation that Lu Xingchen did not know anyone else, which was why he chose to stay here alone. She then warmly took his hand and took the initiative to act as his guide.
(Image of Mu Xi.)