After that, he rented an inn where he brewed some healing pills and a few other pills of decent quality, keeping them for any future emergencies.
"Hmm?"
Just as Su Xie was about to step out of the inn, his gaze narrowed. He raised his eyes to look at the sky above Lingshui City, which instantly triggered a faint resonance: "This familiar aura... could it be... the Frenzied Dragon Bone?"
"That direction is the Imperial Capital?"
Su Xie's eyes flickered, and he could not help but feel wild with joy.
He never expected to detect a trace of the Frenzied Dragon Bone here! Although weak, its resonance with him was so intense!
He just had no way of knowing which of the five bones that particular piece of Frenzied Dragon Bone was!
Regardless of which one it was, however, once he acquired it, he would be able to completely cast off this humble strength and fear no enemy in the Desolate Country!
Especially given the supreme divine abilities concealed within each bone!
"Hiss, it seems I must make preparations to head to the Imperial Capital sooner rather than later!"
Su Xie took a deep breath, calmed his excitement, casually ate a piece of osmanthus cake from the Su Family Shop, and walked toward an artifact-refining market in Lingshui City.
Truth be told, artifact refining was the most popular trade in Lingshui City.
Artifact refiners could be found almost everywhere in the city.
Most of them possessed rather modest skills, having barely stepped across the threshold of the craft.
As Su Xie entered the market, he saw numerous artifact refiners crafting weapons on the spot!
"Now that I have returned through rebirth, it is time for me to forge a weapon suited to my hands," Su Xie muttered to himself, beginning to select some refining materials in the market.
"Young friend, this piece of black iron stone costs only one hundred taels of silver. And this star crystal is a rare gemstone for artifact refining, priced at five hundred taels of silver. Don't miss out as you pass by!"
Inside the market, various vendors shouted to hawk their wares. An elderly middle-aged man waved at Su Xie.
"Not bad."
Su Xie glanced over and said, "I'll take all of these materials. Also, give me a refining cauldron."
"Young friend, these come to several thousand taels of silver in total. Are you sure you want the whole lot?" asked the middle-aged man in surprise, looking Su Xie up and down with skepticism.
At that moment, Su Xie was clad in a black robe of very plain style. At a glance, he did not look like the scion of a wealthy family at all.
"I don't have silver on hand, but I think this single pill should be more than enough, and you will even need to give me some silver in change."
Ignoring the man's astonished expression, Su Xie raised his hand, revealing a purple pill.
"What? This is actually a Tier 3 Qi Cultivation Pill?"
The middle-aged man's expression shifted, and he immediately greeted him with a fawning smile: "You are truly generous, young master! This subordinate really cannot break change for such a pill. How about this..."
Before he could finish his sentence, an old man walked over from afar, tossed a money pouch, and interrupted, "How about this? I will cover the silver for these materials, and I'll break the change for this pill."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man felt rather displeased to see an easy bargain slip away, but when he recognized the old man's face, his expression changed instantly.
"So it is Master Lin. Then we shall do as Master Lin says."
Facing the old man, the middle-aged man did not dare to throw his weight around at all, offering a flattering smile instead.
"Young friend, this is a silver note for thirty thousand taels. It can be exchanged for hard cash at any money house in the world, and it can also be used as currency. How does this sound in exchange for your Qi Cultivation Pill?" the old man asked, looking at Su Xie with a kind expression.
"Acceptable."
Su Xie accepted the silver note and the materials, then nodded.
The old man smiled and asked, "Young friend, since you are collecting so many artifact-refining materials, do you intend to participate in today's Artifact Refining Competition?"
"Artifact Refining Competition?"
Su Xie paused slightly.
"Ah, so you are not a local, young friend. This Artifact Refining Competition is an annual event held in Lingshui City. Elders from the Imperial Capital's Artifact Refiners Association come every session to evaluate the participants. Those who secure a top-three ranking not only receive the competition prize—a piece of Exquisite Jade—but also gain direct admission into the Artifact Refiners Association to become true artifact refiners."
The old man explained.
"Exquisite Jade?"
Hearing this, a gleam gradually appeared in Su Xie's eyes.
Exquisite Jade was a supreme treasure among artifact-refining materials, capable of producing quite a few high-grade artifacts!
And right now, the weapon Su Xie wished to forge happened to require that very Exquisite Jade.
"Old sir, may I participate in this Artifact Refining Competition?" Su Xie asked with a smile, intending to go and try his hand at it.
After all, as the Swallowing Heaven Dragon in his past life, although his attainment in artifact refining was not the absolute pinnacle of the Greater Thousand World, it could still be considered peerless.
"Young friend, my name is Lin Yuan, and I am an executive supervisor for this Artifact Refining Competition. If you wish to participate, I will take you there."
Lin Yuan glanced at Su Xie and quickly led him to the central area of Lingshui City.
On a massive stone plaza, the crowd was already bustling with voices!
Chapter 34: Beast Flame
Outside the plaza was a registration desk.
Lin Yuan settled Su Xie's competition eligibility and then led him to an artifact-refining platform inside the plaza.
"Young friend, there is still the burning of one stick of incense before the competition begins. Please make your preparations here," Lin Yuan reminded Su Xie before leaving the competition area.
Su Xie straightened his expression and arranged the purchased refining materials one by one on the platform.
By this time, both inside and outside the giant stone plaza, it was packed to capacity, with people as far as the eye could see.
Inside the arena, several young artifact refiners gradually found refining platforms and laid out their materials for the competition.
Right at that moment, a luxurious carriage drove in from afar amidst the gaze of the crowd, looking immensely ostentatious.
"Hiss! Those are actually two Tier 2 fierce beasts—Fire Spirit Birds!"
Seeing the two flaming birds pulling the carriage in front, some spectators among the onlookers could not help exclaiming in shock.
One had to know that although Fire Spirit Birds were Tier 2 fierce beasts, they were notoriously agile and difficult for ordinary people to capture. Furthermore, raising them required extremely expensive feed, making them far beyond the means of ordinary people.
When a lavishly dressed young man in brocade stepped out, someone finally recognized him: "It's Ling Yu, the eldest young master of the Ling Family!"
"Tsk tsk, this artifact refining competition is going to be quite a sight. Not only is this Young Master Ling the young master of the number-one family in Lingshui City, but he is also said to have been an artifact-refining prodigy since childhood, favored by Elder Wang of the Imperial Capital's Artifact Refiners Association."
"It seems that first place in this competition will undoubtedly belong to him."
Some sycophantic locals in Lingshui City chimed in with flattery.
"What are you looking at, a bunch of lower-class scum? Get out of my way!"
Stepping down from the carriage, Ling Yu wore an arrogant expression, treating everyone around him with utter disdain.
In his eyes, his Ling Family was like an overlord power in Lingshui City, and he considered himself of noble status!
"Xiao Yu, you're finally here. The competition starts in half a quarter of an hour. Hurry and enter to set up your materials."
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a yellow robe walked onto the plaza.
This person was none other than Elder Wang of the Imperial Capital's Artifact Refiners Association. Evidently, he thought very highly of Ling Yu's talent in artifact refining and wanted to come here in advance to take him under his wing.
"Understood, Elder Wang."
Seeing that it was Elder Wang, Ling Yu finally reined in his arrogance slightly.
After entering the arena and glancing at the participating artifact refiners preparing their materials on the platforms, the corners of his mouth curled up: "Listen up, all of you bastards! First place in today's artifact refining competition will definitely be mine, Ling Yu!"
"Anyone who dares to compete with me for first place today is making an enemy of the Ling Family!"
Ling Yu's expression was haughty, radiating an air of intense superiority.
"This guy!"
Hearing this, several participating refiners gnashed their teeth, but intimidated by the power of the Ling Family, they could only swallow their anger in silence.
As for a profligate young master like Ling Yu, Su Xie couldn't even be bothered to look at him, waiting quietly for the competition to begin.
However, the next moment, Ling Yu walked straight up to Su Xie, pointed at him, and said, "This refining platform is mine now. Get lost!"
"Hmm?"
Su Xie raised his eyes slightly, casting a cold, piercing glance at the troublemaker Ling Yu.
"Brat, are you deaf? I told you to get lost!"
Ling Yu was extremely displeased by Su Xie's cold gaze and immediately raised his hand to lash out with a slap at Su Xie.
However, Su Xie raised his hand and struck back with a palm strike of his own.
Boom!
Amidst a resounding crash, Ling Yu's expression changed. His palm went numb, and he was forced to stagger back several steps.
"You brat, how dare you fight back? You're asking for death!"
Finding himself bested, Ling Yu surged with anger. Instantly mobilizing his spiritual energy, he moved to kill Su Xie.
At that moment, a powerful wave of spiritual energy rapidly swept over, violently knocking the two of them apart.
"Cease this at once! This competition is hosted by the Artifact Refiners Association, and no troublemaking is allowed. Anyone who makes trouble and refuses to obey will be disqualified from the competition!"
A red-haired old man walked over and spoke in a cold voice.
"Heh, so it's Elder Chen. This was just a small misunderstanding; why make such a big fuss? I'll just go find another spot."
Ling Yu was just about to flare up, but seeing that it was the old man, his temper vanished instantly as he laughed ingratiatingly.
One had to know that this red-haired old man, Chen Lin, was not only the Second Elder of the Imperial Capital's Artifact Refiners Association, but also the chief referee of this competition.
Seeing the dispute dissipate, Chen Lin glanced at Su Xie and then left the scene.
"Brat, remember this. After the competition ends, I will make sure you don't see tomorrow's sun!"
Ling Yu found another platform right next to Su Xie, whispering a sneer and flashing a provocative gesture at him.
"What are you barking endlessly for? If you have the guts, come and kill me right now?" Su Xie sneered.
"Damn brat, you're dead meat soon!"
Seeing Su Xie throw his words right back at him, Ling Yu was driven to distraction with rage. He stamped his feet fiercely, wishing he could go and kill Su Xie right then and there.
However, the competition had already begun.
Three figures appeared in the center of the massive stone plaza: Chen Lin, Elder Wang, and the executive supervisor Lin Yuan.
"Everyone, you must all be aware of the competition prizes by now, so I will dispense with the lengthy speeches."
"I will now announce the rules of this competition. The time limit is three hours. Participants must prepare their own refining materials, and as for the items to be forged, you are free to display your own creativity!"
"Exceeding the time limit without completing the forge will result in disqualification!"
"Within the time limit, the ranking will be judged based on the grade of the completed artifact!"
After explaining the rules, Chen Lin flicked his sleeve and announced the start of the competition.
Soon, several guards brought out hourglasses to serve as timers.
On the plaza, the numerous young contestants eagerly began forging their artifacts in a rush!
On Su Xie's side, he gave a large wave of his hand, summoning a refining cauldron. Using spiritual energy as a medium, he cast an ordinary flame that gradually began to burn underneath.
Seeing that contestants on the surrounding platforms were all using this traditional method to heat their cauldrons, Ling Yu wore an arrogant expression and grinned, "A bunch of country bumpkins. How dare they compete with me?"
With that, he casually snapped his fingers, and a cluster of blue flames instantly rose from his fingertips, causing a commotion among the countless spectators around.
"What?"
"That's actually a beast flame!"
"Good heavens! He truly lives up to being the eldest young master of the Ling Family. He brings out a beast flame right off the bat!"
Many spectators were thoroughly shocked by Ling Yu's flamboyant display.
Meanwhile, some of the contestants on the surrounding platforms could not help casting envious glances toward him.
One had to know that whether in alchemy or artifact refining, being able to possess a beast flame for forging was like adding wings to a tiger!
"Ah, excellent. This Ling Yu boy truly deserves to be Lingshui City's youngest artifact-refining prodigy. At such a young age, he can already wield a beast flame."
At the judges' station, Elder Wang glanced at Ling Yu down below, his eyes filled with praise.
Possessing a beast flame naturally wasn't anything miraculous on its own, but being able to control it required genuine fire-control skills and innate talent for fire manipulation.
Chapter 35: Coming to the Fore!
"Elder Chen, what do you think of this Ling Family boy?"
Elder Wang looked at Chen Lin, a trace of gloating in his tone.
After all, his status within the Imperial Capital's Artifact Refiners Association fell far short of Chen Lin's. But now, having secured an artifact-refining genius like Ling Yu under his wing, his future status would inevitably surpass Chen Lin's.
Chen Lin smiled. "We artifact refiners certainly find that possessing a beast flame makes things twice as easy with half the effort. However, on the path of artifact refining, temperament is of the utmost importance. If one's temperament is unstable, no matter how formidable the external tools one possesses, it will ultimately be difficult to achieve greatness as a master craftsman."
"Oh? It seems Elder Chen is not optimistic about that Ling Family boy in this competition? Or do you have someone else in mind that you favor?"
Elder Wang smiled faintly, though his words carried a hint of competitive edge.
Clearly, he intended to use this competition to step over Chen Lin, the Second Elder.
"Indeed. Ling Yu's temperament is far too arrogant, and I do not believe he can secure first place in this competition."
Chen Lin got straight to the point, his gaze drifting toward a refining platform in the distance.
Hearing this, Elder Wang followed his gaze as well.
At a refining platform not far from Su Xie and Ling Yu, a blue-haired young girl was forging an artifact with extremely swift and fluid movements.
"Hmm? This is the youngest daughter of the Imperial Capital's Liu Family, Liu Qingqing?"
Elder Wang recognized the girl's identity at a glance and immediately felt a trace of surprise: "Heh, this is getting interesting. I never expected you to have your eye on her."
"Elder Chen, how about we make a wager?"
Elder Wang asked with a playful, smiling smirk.
"Let's hear it."
Chen Lin smiled faintly, clearly holding Liu Qingqing in high regard.
"I'd like to see whether your judgment is better or mine is superior. If anyone loses, the loser will hand over one hundred thousand taels of silver. How about that?" Elder Wang smiled with absolute confidence.
"Then let us wait and see."
Chen Lin smiled as well, and then his gaze drifted toward Su Xie, not far away.
"Hmm? This kid has remarkably fast techniques."
Chen Lin was somewhat surprised, then amended his statement: "What about adding this kid to the wager?"
Elder Wang followed his gaze, which had landed on Su Xie: "Heh, adding one more won't hurt. But his movements are just a bit fast. Could it be that you actually take him for a dark horse?"
"Heh."
Facing Elder Wang's sneer, Chen Lin didn't retort, merely offering a light chuckle.
On the refining platform, Liu Qingqing glanced at Ling Yu and said with a calm expression, "A beast flame, you say? With such a sluggish forging technique, in my view, it's nothing special."
"However, this boy's speed is surprisingly fast!"
With that, Liu Qingqing shifted her gaze to Su Xie. Evidently, Su Xie's exceptionally rapid forging speed had caught her attention.
On Su Xie's side, he swept his hand in a broad motion and struck out. The multitude of refining materials on the platform suddenly flew directly into the cauldron all at once!
"What?"
"What is this kid playing at? He actually threw all the materials straight into the cauldron!"
Several contestants were completely stunned by Su Xie's actions.
Liu Qingqing's eyes held a look of astonishment as well: "What on earth is this kid trying to do? Shouldn't refining materials be added one by one in a specific order? To be so reckless before even truly refining a single material, throwing them all in in a lump sum—isn't he afraid the cauldron will blow up during the process?"
"Hmph, nothing more than someone seeking attention through sheer posturing."
Ling Yu glanced at Su Xie with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, then accelerated his own forging speed.
"It seems this is no dark horse; his cauldron is about to blow up."
In the distance, Elder Wang looked down condescendingly at Su Xie, smiling faintly toward Chen Lin.
Chen Lin said nothing, keeping his gaze fixed entirely on Su Xie, as if anticipating a pleasant surprise.
"Condense for me!"
Seeing that all the materials had been tossed into the cauldron, Su Xie maintained a calm expression. His hands rapidly formed seals, unleashing a dazzling flame that continuously roasted and refined the contents.
Instantly, wisps of thin azure smoke gradually rose from the lid of the cauldron before Su Xie!
With a muffled boom!
Su Xie flicked his finger, sending a flash of spiritual light shooting away that instantly blew open the lid of the cauldron, erupting into a beam of golden light!
"This is impossible! He actually didn't blow up his cauldron!"
"How can this be? He actually managed to condense the artifact embryo!"
"Hiss! Who is this person? Such a unique forging technique!"
Seeing the artifact embryo condensed by Su Xie, both inside and outside the arena erupted into a commotion.
"Good lad! Such a masterful and consummate fire-control technique is simply extraordinary!"
At the judges' station, Elder Wang could no longer remain calm. He abruptly stood up, staring fixedly at Su Xie.
"Haha, Elder Wang, you mustn't try to snatch this youngster from me."
Chen Lin laughed excitedly, having already made up his mind that regardless of the outcome of this competition, he would take Su Xie under his wing.
"Hmph, don't celebrate too early just yet. The boy has only condensed the artifact embryo—this has just begun!"
"I'd like to see whether this kid turns out to be a dragon or a worm!"
With a fluctuating expression, Elder Wang sat back down and slammed his hand fiercely against the armrest.
Over at the refining platforms, Liu Qingqing took a deep breath, cast a solemn glance at Su Xie, and then refocused entirely on her own artifact crafting.
Ling Yu, however, was not nearly as composed.
"Damn it! How dare he steal my thunder!"
Seeing that the gazes of the entire audience had shifted to Su Xie, Ling Yu felt thoroughly displeased and sped up his forging process.
In an instant, blessed with the heaven-sent advantage of a beast flame, he quickly opened his cauldron lid, becoming the second contestant to successfully forge an artifact embryo.
Following closely behind, Liu Qingqing succeeded mere seconds later.
"Hiss! I never expected this artifact refining competition to be such a gathering of true talents!"
The spectators grew more and more expectant.
Clearly, among those present, virtually only the three of them possessed the strength to contend for first place.
"The artifact embryo has condensed; it's time to carve the artifact runes!"
A gleam flashed in Su Xie's eyes. With a single wave of his hand, he reeled the floating artifact embryo back toward him, his fingers immediately forming incantations that erupted into waves of spiritual light.
A set of techniques as fluid as flowing clouds and moving water was executed!
It left countless people utterly dazzled, unable to even catch a glimpse of how Su Xie made his moves before an artifact rune was already engraved!
"Damn it!"