The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated from the martial arts arena, and the Blue Stone Slab was already packed with people. Ye Fan stood in the front row, his blue robe fluttering slightly at the hem. His gaze swept over the newly hung gold-lacquered plaque above the main stage, which read "Myriad Treasures Competing in Splendor"—Sun Ji had people change it overnight, and the red silk was still damp with dew.
"Clang!" The sound of the gong made the copper bells on the eaves chime chaotically. Liu Er stepped onto a square stool and jumped onto the stage, the copper badge at his waist clinking sharply. "Everyone, please quiet down!" He strained his neck, veins bulging. "This year's Artifact Refining Grand Gathering features alchemists and artifact refiners competing in the same arena. It's a three-round elimination!"
An uproar broke out among the crowd below. Ye Fan lowered his gaze, the draft rules he had glimpsed in Liu Er's sleeve the previous night churning in his mind—sure enough, the five words "Inner World Restrictions" had been circled over and over in red ink. His fingertips tapped gently against his lower dantian, where the Jiuxiao Huanpei hummed within his Inner World, sending a crisp, clear chime coursing through his meridians and filling his entire body. In his past life, he had suffered heavily from "rule traps." In this lifetime, he wanted to see just what kind of restrictions they had cooked up.
Chapter 122