Chapter 519: Competition in Refining Techniques

Compared to Lu Yang, Li Haoran had always been grateful for his relatively reliable master. Although he had been thrown into lava, it was to help him better understand the profound mysteries of the Fire Spiritual Root.

He never expected that his good master would have enemies even within the Five Elements Sect. And it wasn't just any enemy, but an entire fire lineage.

Bai Ming patted Li Haoran's shoulder. "Relax, this is just an exception. I've heard that Elder Zhou Xin is well-regarded in the artifact crafting world and has many connections."

That was true. Elder Zhou Xin's artifact crafting skills were exceptional in the cultivation world, and he had an excellent reputation.

Artifact crafting masters often judged each other based on the number of patents registered, and Elder Zhou Xin had the most approved patents.

These patents also brought him immense wealth; even the Seventh Elder, a master alchemist, did not possess as many spirit stones as the Fifth Elder.

Of course, Elder Zhou Xin's wealth was still not as vast as that of Daoist Buyu. It wasn't that Daoist Buyu was currently rich, but rather that the bounty on him in the black market was quite valuable.

"What are those people doing?"

Lu Yang saw several nearly naked senior disciples lying on the scorching ground, eyes closed in contemplation, as if covered in a reflective liquid under the sun. A branch was stuck into the ground beside each of them. The last time he saw such a pose was during a sunbath in his previous life.

"Oh, them? Is it hard to understand? They are comprehending the essence of the sun. Through the research of the Fire Elemental elders, they found that the greater the contact area with sunlight, the higher the chance of gaining insight."

"That branch was brought back by Master from Barren State. It's said to be a trophy obtained from defeating an ancient cultivator, a branch of the Fusang Tree, which greatly aids in comprehending the essence of the sun."

"They are coated with a special medicinal cream."

"Is it a cream that enhances comprehension of the sun's essence?"

"It's sunscreen."

Lu Yang quietly withdrew his gaze. The cultivation methods of the Five Elements Sect were certainly unique.

"Come on, I'll take you to see the Water Elemental cultivation grounds."

Before they could move, several cultivators with flame marks between their brows approached, looking imposing, striding quickly towards the six individuals.

"Which one is Li Haoran?"

"What do you want?" Meng Jingzhou slightly frowned, stepping forward to block their path.

"Are you Li Haoran?" The cultivators with flame marks looked at Meng Jingzhou.

Bai Ming stepped between the two groups, his tone displeased. "Senior Brother Yuan Gang, and the other senior brothers, what are you doing?" These individuals were senior disciples from the Fire Elemental lineage.

"Nothing much, just heard that Elder Zhou Xin's good disciple was here, so we came to see what he looks like."

"They are guests."

Yuan Gang said lazily, "I know, I don't intend to fight."

"I am Li Haoran." With matters having escalated, Li Haoran no longer let others take the lead and stepped forward himself.

"So you are Li Haoran, the Fire Spiritual Root. You can't judge a book by its cover. I hear you've received Elder Zhou Xin's true teachings and are an extraordinary artifact crafter. Is that true?"

"What if it's true, what if it's false?"

A glint flashed in Yuan Gang's eyes. "It doesn't matter. My cultivation is one minor realm higher than yours, so defeating you would be meaningless. How about this: you and I compete in artifact crafting skills instead? What do you say?"

"Senior Brother Yuan Gang, Li Haoran is a guest," Bai Ming reminded Yuan Gang again.

Yuan Gang chuckled. "Exchanging artifact crafting techniques, letting him learn about the Five Elements Sect's crafting methods, why not?"

"A crafting competition? Fine." When it came to artifact crafting, Li Haoran had never feared anyone.

"See? Li Haoran himself said it's fine."

"When should we compete?"

"There's no time like the present. How about now? It'll be a good chance for everyone to witness it."

As the two groups clashed, more and more Five Elements Sect disciples were drawn over, even those who had been sunbathing came.

"What's happening? What's going on?"

"Probably Yuan Gang stepping up to reclaim some face for the Fire Elemental elders, competing in artifact crafting."

"Did the other party agree?"

"Yes, they agreed."

"Oh, this will be good to watch. Senior Brother Yuan Gang's crafting skills are highly praised even by the elders; they say he's a future crafting master!"

"Indeed."

Yuan Gang smiled as he looked around, his gaze falling on Li Haoran. "So, how about it? Want to compete now, or do you need some time to prepare?"

"No need for preparation. Let's compete now. What will we be competing in?"

Yuan Gang pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "Artifact crafting is ultimately for cultivators, and power is what cultivators value most. So, how about we compete to see who can craft the most powerful magical artifact?"

"What's the standard for 'most powerful'?"

Yuan Gang pointed to several colossal red rocks standing in the distance. "Those are Lava Essence Stones, formed when magma from a volcanic eruption was condensed by a great expert using immense spiritual power. Their texture is extremely hard. We'll judge victory based on who causes more damage to the Lava Essence Stones, with a maximum channeling time of one hundred breaths." The longer a magical artifact is channeled, the greater its power. If channeling time weren't restricted, it would simply become a competition of who had the longest channeling time.

"It's a deal."

"Um, can the two of us participate too?"

A light chuckle sounded. Yuan Gang saw Lu Yang raise his hand with a smile, with Meng Jingzhou standing beside him.

"You two also know artifact crafting?" Yuan Gang looked at them skeptically. Of course, he knew Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, but he had never heard that either of them specialized in artifact crafting.

"We're decent; winning against you shouldn't be a problem," Meng Jingzhou said with a chuckle.

Yuan Gang was so exasperated he laughed. "What nerve! It's the first time I've heard anyone claim they can beat me in artifact crafting! If you're competing, then let me see what you're capable of!"

Bai Ming felt somewhat confused and secretly transmitted a message to Man Gu and Tao Yaoye: "Do those two really know how to craft artifacts?" Man Gu shook his head blankly, while Tao Yaoye remained silent, recalling the sect entry test from two years prior.

Yuan Gang winked at his attendant. The attendant pulled out a large quantity of crafting materials from his identity jade token: refined steel, ironwood, agate, pure yin water...

"These are the raw materials for artifact crafting. You can use them freely during the competition. Common crafting materials are unlimited, but there isn't enough of the rare materials, so during the competition, it'll be a race to see who grabs them first."

Lu Yang quipped, "I've never seen such a 'fair' competition. You proposed the competition, you set the rules, and now you're saying there aren't enough crafting materials and we have to scramble for them. So, you wouldn't mind if I used a small spell, would you?"

Yuan Gang, as if he hadn't heard Lu Yang's sarcasm, calmly asked, "Whatever. Are you still competing or not?"

Lu Yang's smile didn't waver. "Of course, we'll compete. How else can we show you how impressive our crafting skills are? Since it's a competition, what's the prize? It can't just be face, can it?"

"If I lose, you can freely choose any true flame from this Fire Elemental cultivation ground."

"If you lose, you are not allowed to cultivate in my Fire Elemental territory during your time in the Five Elements Sect!"