Artifact Chapter 69:  The Outcome

Chapter 69:  The Outcome

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Sang Wusheng had stayed until only five minutes remained before the barrier disappeared, leaving reluctantly. Lu Ming watched as Sang Wusheng left, letting out a long sigh. He took out the interspatial ring that had been with him for many years, lost in thought, remembering the other ring’s host, and for a moment, his mind wandered.

Before he could snap out of it, the time had arrived. Dozens of barriers suddenly deactivated, and the empty arena became lively.

Lu Ming keenly smelled the strong scent of blood in the air. Looking up, his heart tightened. The situation was more dire than he had anticipated. Most of Yechuan’s team had been killed, and many of the contestants were seriously injured. A few were pale with enlarged pupils, clearly dead for some time. The poison from Yechuan was indeed deadly. Even a small scratch had proven fatal in the end.

Lu Ming couldn’t bear to look any longer, but Daoist Zi Yang remained unfazed, instructing his subordinates to quickly clean up the scene. The survivors were then ordered to gather in the hall.

Lu Ming counted, and only eighteen participants had made it through. This meant twelve had been killed by Yechuan’s poison or his attacks. Lu Ming had ultimately spared Yechuan, only storing him in his space for future confinement.

Daoist Ziyang sealed the magic artifacts made by the participants in boxes, and the group, looking exhausted, went to their respective resting areas to anxiously await the results.

Another long three days passed before everyone gathered in the small hall in front of the He family Sect shrine to await the announcement.

Daoist Zi Yang scanned the room, building suspense before finally stroking his white beard and speaking gravely, “In the second round of the competition, only five contestants made it to the finals.”

Everyone was shocked. Although twelve had fallen in the second round, the remaining eighteen were elites who had defeated Yechuans, obtained the poison, endured the pressure, and crafted magic artifacts. How could only five of them make it through?

Seeing the confusion on everyone’s faces, Daoist Zi Yang snorted and said, “While eighteen of you crafted the Red Refining magic artifacts, most of them are unusable. The judges and I could only select five functional ones.”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. How could they have crafted the artifacts but still be unable to use them? Daoist Zi Yang stroked his beard and then turned to Lu Ming, saying, “Young Master He, you explain.”

Lu Ming nodded and explained, “Yechuan’s saliva is the most poisonous in the world, but it is too strong and impure. Directly using it would affect the efficacy of other materials. Therefore, the poison needs to be processed and purified before it can be used.”

Lu Ming’s voice was gentle, his expression calm. The crowd couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for him. However, as they remembered that this man had swindled them out of a large sum of money, their expressions turned sour again.

Daoist Zi Yang nodded in approval, but internally, he paid more attention to Lu Ming. Although five had made it to the finals, and their magic artifacts were top-tier, Lu Ming’s artifacts were the pinnacle. He had encountered many Red Refining magic artifacts, and few could harness the poison’s effects to their maximum potential—Lu Ming was one of them.

Furthermore, Sang Wusheng and Sang Huai had also created rare artifacts. Sang Huai had fallen short in terms of timing, while Sang Wusheng had seemed overly eager, though no one knew why. If not for his impatience, he too could have been one of the best. Daoist Zi Yang shook his head, thinking it was a pity. What he didn’t know was that Sang Wusheng had been rushing to find his brother, which was why he had hurriedly completed his artifact and gone straight to the barrier where Lu Ming was.

The other two finalists were Zhao Chengcheng, the young heir of the Zhao family, and Wang Yu, the head of the Wang family. Zhao Chengcheng was only eighteen, but he was exceptionally talented. The Zhao family had placed great emphasis on him, nurturing him from a young age, and his future prospects were limitless. The final contestant was Wang Yu. When Daoist Zi Yang  thought about Wang Yu’s disgusting demeanor, his expression darkened. Wang Yu had no shame, having used underhanded methods to ensure his place in the finals, including subtle threats before the competition had even begun. As the head judge for many years, Daoist Zi Yang had seen all sorts of manipulative tactics and wasn’t intimidated by the Wang family head.

Moreover, Daoist Zi Yang knew that Wang Yu didn’t care about the title of artifact refining master. His goal was to become the leader of the major families and use his power for his own dark purposes. Such a hypocritical and scheming person was not fit to hold such a prestigious position. Daoist Zi Yang glared coldly at Wang Yu, silently swearing that he would not allow him to succeed. Daoist Zi Yang had his own principles, and no matter what, the artifact refining competition, which had been passed down for generations, could not be tainted.

After announcing the names of the five finalists, everyone showed expressions of anticipation. These were well-known figures in the cultivation world, though the inclusion of Sang Wusheng, with his awkward position, surprised many. People’s fear of him only deepened.

In the shadows, Sang Huai observed Sang Wusheng with cold, snake-like eyes. He hid his emotions well, pretending to be considerate of Sang Wusheng for the sake of appearances. However, Sang Wusheng was indifferent, always showing a cold face and ignoring him. Although Sang Huai wanted nothing more than to kill him, he realized that the more hostile Sang Wusheng was toward him, the more others would dislike Sang Wusheng for his lack of gratitude. Thus, Sang Huai played the part of a caring brother, despite his growing animosity.

Unfortunately for Sang Huai, Sang Wusheng didn’t care about what others thought of him. The only opinion that mattered to him was Lu Ming’s. However, the man who was supposed to be his uncle had pushed his mother and him to this point, and he would make them pay.

The finals were scheduled for seven days later, giving everyone ample time to recover and prepare. Wang Yu and the others gathered to conspire about the He family’s treasure vault. The spy they had planted in the He family had already relayed the information, confirming that the treasure was hidden beneath the He family estate. The entrance was located in the dilapidated courtyard.

Meanwhile, during these days, Lu Ming couldn’t escape from Sang Wusheng’s persistent harassment. His persistence had reached an unimaginable level. Whether Lu Ming gave him a cold shoulder or used harsh words, Sang Wusheng remained unaffected, continuing to act as he pleased, leaving Lu Ming with no way to respond. In the end, Lu Ming had no choice but to reluctantly go along with him.

Sang Wusheng and Lu Ming both knew that Wang Yu and the others were secretly searching for the family treasure, but they both tacitly chose not to expose it. The He family’s treasure vault could only be opened with the family elder’s seal, which could only be inherited after the clan leader inherited the family’s secret method. However, the clan elders had all mysteriously disappeared after the He family fell into decline. Without the elder’s seal, the secret method could not be passed down, which meant the only way to open the He family’s treasure vault was the quickest, though most ineffective, method—combining the strength of many people, along with ancient secret methods passed down over generations, and using the surge of spiritual energy to force open the Secret Realm.

This method had been passed down for a long time, but the success rate was low. If the spiritual energy was not gathered properly, the treasure could not be opened. Lu Ming had searched for a long time but found no trace of the elders. However, saving Fu Shu was urgent, so he had no choice but to reveal the truth, bringing the masters of various families together to dig out the He family’s treasure vault. Although this was a last resort, it was the only option available at the moment.

As for the He family’s Secret Realm being destroyed, what did it matter to him? He didn’t care at all, and he believed He Qingci’s original self didn’t care either. After all, the original He Qingci had hated the He family so much that he had been willing to destroy the entire clan.

Time passed quickly, and before anyone realized, seven days had quietly slipped by. Everyone gathered in the hall, waiting for Daoist Zi Yang  to announce the final competition items. The five finalists sat in the frontmost seats: He Qingci, the eldest son of the He family; Wang Yu, the head of the Wang family; Zhao Chengcheng, the legitimate son of the Zhao family; Sang Huai, the legitimate son of the Sang family; and the awkwardly positioned Sang Wusheng. The Liu family, one of the four great families, failed to make it into the finals. The rising Zhao family had quickly ascended into the ranks of the four great families, while the once-silent He family had now revived and was leading the charge.

All the major families and powerful factions had gathered to compete for the Master title, making this a spectacle no one could miss. Many cultivators, who had heard about it, quickly dropped their ongoing tasks and arrived at the He family during the seven days, eager to witness this historic moment.

Daoist Zi Yang, not known for his good temper, saw the large crowd gathering at the He family and worried about potential trouble. He quickly set up a barrier to isolate everyone except the participants from the hall. However, to avoid causing discontent, he kindly arranged for a few small mirrors to allow the spectators to watch the live broadcast, which satisfied the onlookers.

The third round of the competition was about creativity. No matter the era or the level of progress in history, creativity was undoubtedly the most important thing. The reason why artifact refining Masters were so highly regarded in the Cultivation World and had such a transcendent status was because they possessed vast knowledge, immense power, and skilled techniques. These three attributes together enabled them to create things no one else could. They created superior magic artifacts and talismans that allowed the Cultivation World to progress. In simpler terms, artifact refining Masters were akin to the inventors in modern society.

Once Daoist Zi Yang saw that everything was ready, he instructed his disciples to place the items needed for the finals on long wooden tables in front of each participant.

Lu Ming looked down at the table and saw only three items: Golden Li Water, Purple Flower, and the Horn of a Fire Beast. He thought carefully about the purpose of these materials and couldn’t help but admire Daoist Zi Yang even more. When placed together, the three items seemed unrelated, but they all shared certain commonly overlooked characteristics. Only someone with a deep understanding of various materials, including their attributes, origins, uses, and effects, could grasp the common ground between them and develop something new. It was a fusion of wisdom and an expansion of thought.

Lu Ming couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. How could he have ever thought that the cultivation world was less advanced than modern society? They were all progressing in their own way, just in different directions.

 

 

 

 

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