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**
In the quiet room, the moment Mo Yu's hands stopped moving, a sharp aura suddenly surged forth. The intense energy spread out gradually as Mo Yu took a deep breath. With a sudden movement of his hands, an exceptionally wide and heavy sword shot out from the furnace.
Catching the heavy sword with one hand, a cold gleam cascaded down the blade instantly. It felt like an unsheathed blade that struck deep into one's soul, evoking a chilling sense of desolation.
Sensing the terrifying killing intent emanating from the sword, Mo Yu couldn't help but feel dazed. The Black Lotus Soul Thunder erupted from within him, shielding his spiritual consciousness and suppressing the overwhelming aura.
"That was close. As expected of a sword meticulously nurtured for decades by a Dou Zun expert. The killing intent contained within could easily overwhelm a Dou Zong." Mo Yu marveled at the restored, extraordinary heavy sword in his hands before quickly storing it in his Beast Ring.
Unlike ordinary divine weapons, this seemingly unremarkable heavy sword bore a powerful killing intent thanks to the Tie Jian Zun Zhe's decades of cultivation.
Mo Yu speculated that for such an intense sword intent to form, this sword must have claimed the lives of hundreds of Dou Zong and Dou Huang experts, and perhaps even a few Dou Zun.
In the original tale, the Tie Jian Zun Zhe was only a two-star Dou Zun. Yet his self-detonation could instill fear in the six-star Dou Zun Black Tianzun and White Tianzun, likely due to the potent killing intent harbored within this sword.
However, these thoughts were irrelevant to Mo Yu. With the sword restored, his promise to the Tie Jian Zun Zhe was fulfilled. Given the latter's straightforward nature, as long as Mo Yu refrained from making unreasonable demands, the Tie Jian Zun Zhe would likely agree to any request.
Smiling at the thought, Mo Yu tidied his clothes and stepped out of the room. His gaze immediately fell on Feng Mu and Lan Yingying, who were anxiously waiting outside.
"You're finally out. These past few days, you never left your room, and Senior Brother Feng and I were worried something might have happened," Lan Yingying said with a sigh of relief, followed by a light-hearted complaint.
Feng Mu, standing beside her, also nodded in relief. However, when his gaze landed on Mo Yu, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
In just a few days, this junior brother's aura seemed to have grown considerably stronger.
"Hehe, thank you, Senior Brother Feng and Senior Sister Lan, for your concern. By the way, when does the Refining Convention begin?" Mo Yu asked.
"It seems you've been in seclusion so long you've lost track of time. The competition starts today! If you'd delayed any longer, we would've barged in to drag you out," Lan Yingying said with a wry smile.
"So soon?" Mo Yu was startled, not expecting time to fly by so quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the day of the Refining Convention.
Deciding to postpone handing over the heavy sword to the Tie Jian Zun Zhe, Mo Yu figured the latter wouldn't leave Wan Bing City during the competition. He could handle the exchange afterward.
"Let's go. We can still make it in time," Lan Yingying said with a smile.
"This year's Refining Convention might be the most grand in history. The venue is already packed with countless participants, including some renowned veterans. It seems they're shamelessly competing for the Heavenly Profound Treasure Hall," Feng Mu remarked.
Mo Yu nodded slightly, already anticipating that this competition would be anything but easy.
But no matter what, he was determined to claim the championship. No one could stop him!
Seeing the confident smile on Mo Yu's face, Lan Yingying and Feng Mu exchanged glances and smiled. This year's Refining Convention promised to be quite the spectacle.
They couldn't help but wonder if Mo Yu, the rising tiger, would finally encounter a rival strong enough to challenge him.
This year's Refining Convention would undoubtedly be a true clash of titans!
As Mo Yu and his companions left the small courtyard, the entire Wan Bing City erupted into chaos.
Today, Wan Bing City was the focus of all attention. The eyes of the entire Western Region of Central Plains were fixed on this place, awaiting the emergence of the one who would stand tall at the end.
To rise above the refining geniuses gathered from across the Dou Qi Continent and claim victory would be to earn the title of a true prodigy.
Since the inception of the Refining Convention, every champion had been scouted and courted by major superpowers. If there was any event capable of propelling someone to greatness, becoming the champion of the Refining Convention was undoubtedly one of them!
This glory was enough to drive anyone mad. After all, in the grand scheme of life, who wouldn't want to transcend mediocrity?
The Refining Convention, the most revered event in the hearts of countless refiners, finally unveiled its stage today, a stage that would inspire both admiration and frenzy.
The venue for the competition was located in the northern district of Wan Bing City. That area had already been flooded by a sea of people days in advance.
When Mo Yu and his group arrived, they were greeted by an endless ocean of heads. The deafening roar of the crowd formed waves of sound that spread far and wide, audible even from a hundred miles away.
Standing atop a building and surveying the scene, Mo Yu realized that this vast area was a square nearly a thousand feet wide. Suspended in midair were numerous floating stone platforms, each glowing faintly, exuding a mysterious aura.
"Those platforms are the participants' seats," Feng Mu said, pointing at the stone platforms that commanded the crowd's attention.
"As expected of the Refining Convention. It seems the Weapon Alliance has spared no expense in hosting this event," Mo Yu remarked, impressed by the lavish venue.
"Indeed. As a grand gathering for weapon refiners, the Refining Convention is renowned even across the entire continent. Let's just hope this year's competition proceeds without any issues," Feng Mu said with a sigh, though his expression grew somewhat grim.
"Oh? Is Senior Brother Feng worried about something? With the Weapon Alliance presiding over the event, what force would dare disrupt the Refining Convention?" Mo Yu asked, frowning slightly.
"Senior Brother Feng is referring to… the Pill Tower, isn't he?" Lan Yingying suddenly interjected.
"The Pill Tower?" Mo Yu murmured, then asked in confusion, "Isn't that an organization of alchemists? Why would they…"
Hearing Mo Yu's doubts, Feng Mu let out a wry smile and said, "It's just as they say—being a faction composed of weapon refiners, they naturally harbor extreme hostility toward us, the Weapon Alliance, and weapon refiners as a whole."
"Alchemists, as the most revered profession on the continent, have existed since ancient times, with a profound and enduring heritage. Each alchemist considers themselves a child of heaven, leading to their extraordinarily proud and arrogant nature.
Meanwhile, the heritage of us weapon refiners is not as long-standing. In terms of foundation and prestige, we can't compare to alchemists. However, with the gradual rise of our Weapon Alliance in recent years, it has drawn the attention—and even suppression—of the Pill Tower."
"For instance, during past Refining Convention, the Pill Tower would send powerful individuals to spectate under the guise of friendly exchanges, though their true intentions were far from innocent. Among the champions of previous tournaments, some have mysteriously perished. According to my teacher, it's highly likely that these incidents were orchestrated by the Pill Tower in secret."
"Oh, the Pill Tower behaves in such a manner..." Mo Yu was momentarily stunned, his heart filled with slight astonishment.
After all, in the original story, Mo Yu's impression of the Pill Tower had been quite positive. Compared to the Hun Clan and the Hall of Souls, the Pill Tower undoubtedly stood on the righteous side.
But Mo Yu quickly shook his head, silently mocking his own naïveté in distinguishing between righteousness and evil.
One must understand that the Dou Qi Continent is a place where the strong prey on the weak, and strength reigns supreme. Concepts like righteousness and evil are nothing more than perspectives dictated by one's position.
For the Pill Tower to stand tall on the continent for millennia, it could hardly be considered benevolent.
Weapon refiners and alchemists both belong to the professional factions. If weapon refiners rise to prominence, they will inevitably encroach upon the survival space of alchemists. The actions of the Pill Tower are therefore not entirely unjustifiable.
Nonetheless, this served as a subtle warning to Mo Yu. If he were to win the tournament, he must remain wary of the Pill Tower.
In the original story, the Pill Tower was friendly toward Xiao Yan because he was an alchemist, and they shared aligned interests. Mo Yu, however, as a weapon refiner, was bound to incur the Pill Tower's dislike.
"Dong!"
While Mo Yu was pondering, a crisp bell chime suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth. The chime resonated far and wide, suppressing even the deafening noise of the crowd.
As the bell rang, the entire area fell significantly quieter. Countless gazes simultaneously turned toward the towering stone platform in the east of the square—this was where the senior members of the Weapon Alliance would appear.
Shortly after the bell sounded, the sound of rushing wind erupted, followed by a slight distortion in the air above the stone platform. Over a dozen figures gradually materialized.
Mo Yu's gaze swept across these figures and soon fixed on the five individuals in the center. Among them, four were familiar faces—Elder Bing, Master Zhu Jian, Cai Ya, and Master Hui Shan.
As for the elder on the far left, his skin was rather dark, and his square face radiated an air of stern authority. His sharp, piercing eyes seemed to stab into one's soul, causing great discomfort. This must be Yun Kong, the fifth elder of the Weapon Alliance.
The arrival of these five caused the area to grow even quieter. Among the vast crowd stretching endlessly into the distance, countless eyes filled with various emotions were locked onto these five figures.
The five grand elders of the Weapon Alliance—this title alone carried significant weight, not only in the Western Region but also in the Central Region of the continent. Their sudden appearance left many in disbelief.
"Hehe, I am Bing Li. On behalf of the Weapon Alliance, I welcome all weapon refiners who have come here. In the coming days, this will be the stage for you to showcase your talents."
Bing Li stepped forward, his warm voice ringing clearly in everyone's ears.
Although the five elders of the Weapon Alliance were equal in status, Bing Li, being the most senior, typically hosted such occasions. Even Master Zhu Jian, who had advanced to an eighth-grade weapon refiner, had no objections to this arrangement.
The crowd remained silent. No matter how unruly or aggressive some individuals might normally be, even Dou Zun experts had to restrain themselves in such a setting. After all, the five figures on the stone platform were all Dou Zun powerhouses.
Though weapon refiners were not adept at combat, their reputation and influence could easily summon Dou Zun allies to their aid.
"All of you have traveled great distances to participate in the Artifact Tournament, so I won't waste time here," Bing Li continued with a smile. "Let me first announce the rewards for this tournament. The champion will not only earn the title of honorary elder of the Weapon Alliance but also gain access to cultivate in the Soul Spirit Cavern and an opportunity to enter the Heavenly Profound Treasure Hall!"
"The Heavenly Profound Treasure Hall is a mysterious existence that even the high-ranking members of our Weapon Alliance have yet to fully comprehend. However, we are certain that within the hall, finding ninth-grade divine weapons is not uncommon. With that, I wish you all the best of luck!"
As Bing Li's words fell, a deafening uproar erupted among the sea of people. Countless weapon refiners' eyes turned bloodshot with excitement.
Ninth-grade divine weapons? Such legendary items were like a chasm separating heaven and earth from them. But if one could obtain a ninth-grade divine weapon, it might hold the secrets to becoming the first ninth-grade weapon refiner in the continent's history!
To weapon refiners, this held an irresistible allure. Even non-refiners couldn't help but feel envious, silently lamenting why they were not weapon refiners themselves.
A ninth-grade divine weapon, if wielded, could enable a Dou Zun expert to surpass three or even four stars effortlessly.
Witnessing this scene, Mo Yu's gaze also burned with enthusiasm. The Heavenly Profound Treasure Hall was undoubtedly not of the Dou Qi Continent, further piquing his curiosity.
High above the platform, Bing Li looked at the bloodshot eyes in the crowd with a faint smile. He glanced at the sky before waving his sleeve. A wave of invisible energy spread out, striking the void and producing another long, resonant bell chime.
"The time has come. All participants of fourth grade and above, please step onto the competition stage!"
Bing Li's finger pointed toward the massive square, where Mo Yu had previously observed the thousand-meter-wide platform. Numerous floating stone stages hovered above it.
"Boom!"
As Bing Li's words fell, figures shot out like arrows from the dense crowd, swarming toward the competition stage like locusts filling the sky.
Watching the downpour of participants flooding into the competition grounds, Mo Yu and his two companions exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
The Refining Convention had officially begun!
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For exclusive access to 500+ advanced chapters and more, visit my Ko-fi page and support the journey:
ko-fi.com/laoyao95
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or Support me at patreon for 500+ advanced chapters :
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