Chapter 417: Firecloud Aquaflame, Qiu Yuanqiao
Swish, swish, swish!
As the figures surged forward like locusts, swarming toward the stone platforms, Old Bing, standing on the high platform, nodded slightly and placed his hands inside his sleeves, speaking calmly.
"This year's Weapon Forging Tournament is indeed interesting. I didn't expect even some of the well-known old-timers to show up."
"The Heavenly Xuan Treasure Hall is far beyond any ordinary treasure. Even we have yet to fully understand its mysteries. Naturally, it's enough to attract these old folks," said the dark-skinned elder beside him, his sharp gaze sweeping across the figures landing on the platforms.
"The younger generation nowadays is not inferior to the old-timers. Even if they participate, they might leave with nothing but shame," the mature and beautiful woman standing nearby chuckled softly.
"I've heard that Old Bing's new disciple is quite extraordinary, not even putting the Young Master of the Di Ming Sect in his eyes. I wonder how well he'll do in this Weapon Forging Tournament?" Master Swordsmith narrowed his old, clouded eyes and looked in Mo Yu's direction, speaking with a hint of intrigue.
Upon hearing this, Old Bing's expression remained calm as he stroked his beard and said, "The younger generation indeed has some impressive talents. As for how far Xiao Huohuo will go, Master Swordsmith, that's no concern of yours."
"Oh, really? I'm very curious whether Xiao Huohuo has anything to do with Mo Yu," Master Swordsmith's gaze sharpened, and his face gradually darkened as he spoke in a deep voice.
"Mo Yu?"
At the mention of this unfamiliar name, the other elders and high-ranking members of the Equipment Alliance were momentarily stunned. Then, as if recalling something, they looked toward Mo Yu's position with surprise.
Could this young man named Xiao Huohuo really be the one who killed Master Swordsmith's disciple, Sun Wuji?
Sun Wuji's death had caused quite a stir in the Equipment Alliance at the time. First, because his master, Master Swordsmith, was an eighth-grade weapon forger, and second, because Sun Wuji himself had exceptional talent in weapon forging. Despite his youth, he had already reached the fifth grade and had a promising future.
Who would have thought that this promising young man, Sun Wuji, would die at the hands of a youth named Mo Yu while away from the alliance?
What surprised people even more was that Master Swordsmith now suspected that Xiao Huohuo was Mo Yu. Did he have evidence for this, or was he simply trying to stir up trouble with Old Bing?
"Master Swordsmith, stop making baseless accusations! While our Equipment Alliance allows a lot of freedom for its members, and you, as an eighth-grade weapon forger, are respected by many major powers, that doesn't mean you can act as you please here!" Old Bing snorted coldly.
As the two argued, the other elders and senior members of the Equipment Alliance exchanged glances, wisely choosing to remain silent.
The conflict between Old Bing and Master Swordsmith had existed for a long time. In the past, Old Bing's greater seniority and influence had allowed him to suppress Master Swordsmith, keeping the tension under control.
However, ever since Master Swordsmith had advanced to the eighth grade, his influence had grown rapidly. His dissatisfaction with Old Bing had increased, and he was now challenging his authority. It seemed that the issue of Xiao Huohuo's identity was merely the spark for this confrontation.
The atmosphere within the Equipment Alliance was shifting...
This thought cast a shadow over the hearts of the elders and higher-ups. If Old Bing and Master Swordsmith clashed in earnest, it would be disastrous for the alliance.
Though not as structured or disciplined as the Pill Tower, the Equipment Alliance was still a force to be reckoned with in Central Province, boasting a large number of weapon forgers.
If the Equipment Alliance were to collapse, it wouldn't cause irreversible harm to them personally, but going solo in Central Province would be far more difficult.
"Hmph! After this Weapon Forging Tournament, I will capture that boy, and even you, Bing Li, won't be able to stop me!" Master Swordsmith snorted coldly, his face darkening as he glanced at Mo Yu, who was still in the competition area.
At this moment, in the middle of the competition grounds, Mo Yu was among the masses.
He didn't rush to claim a platform but waited as the others fought to take their places. Some platforms even saw contestants fighting over spots.
Mo Yu hovered in midair, waiting until most people had settled before gently landing on a platform near the edge.
When forging weapons, one needed to focus completely. The platforms in the middle were crowded, and any disturbances during the forging process could lead to disaster.
The platform Mo Yu chose was only two or three meters wide, but it was enough space for him. After settling in, he sat cross-legged and scanned the area with his eyes.
His gaze passed over Feng Mu, Bei Hao, Lü Qing'er, and others, noting that they, too, had chosen quieter platforms near the edges, rather than the grander, more central ones.
Not far from Mo Yu, Lan Yingying also sat cross-legged, her graceful figure appearing calm and serene.
As Mo Yu's gaze swept across the crowd, it finally stopped on a nearby floating platform where a black-clad figure sat, meditating with his eyes closed.
"This guy is hiding his true aura... Does he have some secret purpose?"
Mo Yu frowned as he observed the figure. On the surface, the person's aura seemed normal, just like any other contestant.
However, with the power of his Black Lotus Soul Lightning, Mo Yu could sense that this man's soul strength was on par with Old Bing and even Master Swordsmith. He was clearly a formidable opponent!
As Mo Yu's thoughts raced, the chaos in the sky gradually subsided. All the contestants had found their platforms and were now preparing their tools for the forging process.
Dong!
Old Bing's gaze swept over the stone platforms in the air. After a moment, he glanced up at the sky and lightly waved his sleeve. A long, resonant bell rang out, clear and crisp across the heavens.
"The time has come. Let the forging begin!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As soon as Old Bing finished speaking, the atmosphere grew tense. One by one, countless forges appeared, dropping heavily onto the stone platforms with deep metallic clangs that echoed through the sky.
Seeing so many high-quality forges appear at once, the crowd couldn't help but murmur in astonishment. This was likely the first time many of them had seen so many forges of such caliber in one place.
As most of the weapon forgers summoned their forges, the sky filled with the sound of fire being lit. A rainbow of flames shot into the air, creating a brilliant and colorful display, like fireworks lighting up the sky.
Mo Yu remained seated on his platform, not rushing to begin. Instead, he closed his eyes and organized his thoughts.
The weapon he intended to forge this time was the Divine Might Black Thunder Spear, for which he had long prepared the necessary materials.
The spear had been damaged, and Mo Yu planned to upgrade it to a peak-grade seventh-tier weapon. If everything went smoothly, there was even a chance it could reach the eighth-tier level.
In the Dou Qi Continent, an eighth-tier weapon was considered extremely high-level. If Mo Yu could successfully forge one, it would almost certainly secure him the championship.
While Mo Yu was deep in thought, Bei Hao and the others also took their time, only summoning their forges after a long period of meditation.
As Bei Hao summoned his forge, a bright red flame appeared in his palm, so intense that it stung the eyes of those watching.
The flame was a deep crimson, even darker than fresh blood. As it burned, the aura of countless beasts seemed to swirl within it.
The moment this flame appeared, the fires within the nearby forges began to flicker and tremble. Startled, the other forgers quickly focused on controlling their flames, casting shocked glances at Bei Hao.
"Is that... the Beast Blood Flame?"
The sudden disturbance caught Mo Yu's attention. He looked over at the red flame in Bei Hao's palm and was momentarily stunned, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
Mo Yu knew a bit about this strange fire. The so-called Beast Blood Flame wasn't a natural fire; it was more like an artificial one.
To create the Beast Blood Flame, you needed the blood of nearly a thousand fire-attributed magical beasts. By merging the fiery essence of all this blood, you could condense a flame.
The result was the Beast Blood Flame. Its strength depended on the power of the magical beasts used to create it.
Judging by the intensity of the flame in Bei Hao's hand, this was an extremely powerful version of the Beast Blood Flame, on par with the lower-ranked flames on the Heavenly Flames list.
The Beast Blood Flame was formidable, but creating it was a difficult process. Without significant financial backing, it would be impossible to gather the necessary ingredients.
"Master Swordsmith really does have deep pockets. He even managed to get the Beast Blood Flame for Bei Hao," Mo Yu muttered to himself. With this flame, Bei Hao's chances of success in the tournament had significantly increased.
After Bei Hao, Feng Mu and Lü Qing'er also summoned their flames. Though not as impressive as Bei Hao's Beast Blood Flame, their beast flames were still among the best and would serve them well in forging weapons.
Puff!
Just as Mo Yu withdrew his gaze, he sensed an unusually intense, familiar heat in the air.
He raised his eyebrows and turned his head to see the black-clad figure from earlier. The figure had summoned a sky-blue flame that now circled around him like a cloud of fire.
Boom!
The moment this flame appeared, the flames in the forges of the nearby contestants went wild. In an instant, several forges exploded, sending unprepared contestants flying off their platforms.
"A Heavenly Flame?!"
Countless eyes turned toward the black-clad figure as cries of shock echoed through the plaza. This was the first time they had seen a Heavenly Flame at the Weapon Forging Tournament.
As the unlucky contestants were sent tumbling, a cold smile appeared on the black-clad figure's lips. The powerful firecloud flame danced around him, like a king of flames receiving the homage of all other fires.
The firecloud flame continued to circle the black-clad figure, as if showing off its dominance.
"No wonder it felt familiar. That's the Firecloud Aquaflame, ranked sixteenth on the Heavenly Flames list!"
Mo Yu's eyes grew solemn as he looked at the black-clad figure's cold smile.
He hadn't expected a weapon forger in the tournament to possess a Heavenly Flame. On the Dou Qi Continent, Heavenly Flames were incredibly rare and highly sought after, especially by weapon forgers and alchemists alike.
Weapon forgers were generally not as prestigious as alchemists. For someone with both a Heavenly Flame and significant soul power to participate in the tournament—someone on par with Old Bing and Master Swordsmith—was truly formidable!
As Mo Yu pondered this new challenge, the elders of the Equipment Alliance on the viewing platform also grew grim when they saw the sudden appearance of the Heavenly Flame.
The dark-skinned elder stood up in fury and shouted, "Damn it! What's going on with your registration process?
That Firecloud Aquaflame belongs to Qiu Yuanqiao, that traitor! I've heard he's from the Qiu family, one of the five major families of the Pill Tower. Not only is he a weapon forger, but he's also an eighth-grade alchemist and very likely an eighth-grade weapon forger too.
Now I understand why the Pill Tower didn't send anyone to disrupt the tournament. They've set up a trap here instead!
If Qiu Yuanqiao wins the championship, the entire continent will mock us, saying that a mere alchemist is better than any of our weapon forgers!"
(End of Chapter)
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