Chapter 548: Chapter 191: The Storm Begins

“If you had come one step later, you would have lost your spot in this competition.”

Seeing Wu Ji arrive just before the competition began, Fairy Die spoke in a stern voice.

Wu Ji entered his competition array platform and bowed, saying, “Fairy Die has taught me well; I was tardy.”

“That’s all right. Now that you are here, prepare well. Do you have any questions? You can ask them.”

Fairy Die’s tone softened slightly, losing some of its sternness.

“I have no questions. Fairy Die can start the major Artifact Dao competition.”

Wu Ji bowed once more, his demeanor proper—neither arrogant nor humble, nor panicked.

“Good. The major Artifact Dao competition will now officially begin. Yaochi Saint and Saint Yao, please join hands to initiate the isolation ancient array and unlock the control of the Holy Artifact Refiner, granting access to all the geniuses. Also, if any cultivators manage to refine artifacts without using the Artifact Refining Furnace during the competition, they may be granted additional points.”

After Fairy Die finished speaking, Yaochi Saint and Saint Yao stepped forward together.

Their expressions were very serious. As they walked out, a dazzling white radiance burst forth from their bodies, like two piercing suns suddenly appearing.

This light, where it enveloped, truly unleashed the majestic power of the saints. An immense pressure changed the expressions of nearly all the cultivators, because compared to the power of the saints at that moment, even the strength they displayed in battle paled significantly—fighting on the Sword Burial Ancestor Star had likely restricted them to a mere ten or even five percent of their true power.

It seemed that the exhibition of power among the saints was very clearly restrained in several ways.

Zhou Yan was somewhat surprised, but within this radiant light, he also felt the true Tao. This vast and profound aura had similarities to the Tao he had studied before but also many differences.

Just as Zhou Yan was preparing to delve deeper into his understanding, the vast presence suddenly vanished. Afterward, Yaochi Saint and Saint Yao stood behind Fairy Die as if they had never moved, making the previous scene seem like the most unreal illusion.

But all cultivators knew it was not an illusion; the saints were indeed unimaginably powerful.

This realization instilled even more genuine awe in many genius cultivators towards the saints.

“Alright, the array platform is now active, and the competition officially starts.”

As Fairy Die spoke, she waved her hand, sprinkling a shower of light that fell in all directions like a silently nourishing spring rain, instantly revitalizing everyone, their spirits at their peak.

As the changes unfolded, Zhou Yan was among the first to sense them, once again emotionally moved.

Without becoming a saint, one could never know how manifold a saint’s methods could be.

Without becoming a saint, one would also never understand the strength and profound laws of that realm.

A strong resolve in Zhou Yan’s heart became even firmer. Afterwards, he contained his emotions and began to calm his mind, for around him, some genius cultivators had already started refining artifacts.

Inside the Void Array Platform, Zhou Yan was in the front row, representing the sequence of the foremost strength.

However, this was merely a ranking based on previous competitions and did not accurately represent the strength of this sequence.

Beside Zhou Yan was a woman named ‘Shiyin,’ who had asked Fairy Die a question.

This woman, not particularly strong in combat—just having barely broken through the Xuan Restriction and ranked after the top twenty in combat power—had an obviously exceptional potential, hence her placement next to Zhou Yan.

When Zhou Yan glanced at her, she seemed to sense his gaze and nodded slightly in acknowledgment, her eyes calm, devoid of the awe or respect other cultivators might have, as if she was facing an ordinary person, displaying just basic courtesy.

Beside her were Body of Destiny Eternal Xuanzhe, and beside him, Qingyao Xuanzhe. Going further, there were Spring-Autumn Xuanzhe, Shi Qin Xuanzhe, Hongyi Xuanzhe, and others.

To Zhou Yan’s left was Saint Yao’s Direct Disciple, Qian Xi Xuanzhe, and beside her were Ji Wu Xuanzhe, Holy Daughter, and Jiayue Xuanzhe, among others.

Among these people, women were in the majority.

And in this world, female cultivators could also engage in Dual Cultivation with other female cultivators. Although they could not physically merge their bodies ModelRenderer, there were fewer restrictions spiritually, thus not only genius men coveted the Holy Daughter.

Zhou Yan’s sensing power transcended the spatial confines of the array platform and reached out to everything outside, revealing the truly grand scale of the competition.

Such a vast array, not just to arrange but even understanding a fraction of it, was beyond Zhou Yan’s capability.

But if using this as a standard, coupled with Netherworld Rune, Zhou Yan was confident in devising a similar array—though it would require significant time and effort to derive and calculate, something he couldn’t accomplish quickly. This further proved that the more powerful the realm, the greater the knowledge and abilities one could wield.

As Zhou Yan’s sensing power ventured out, he sensed the astonishing array abilities of this sequence of geniuses.

Although many were not particularly powerful in combat, their capabilities in the Artifact Dao were quite noteworthy and praiseworthy.

Among them, what shocked Zhou Yan the most was the artifact refining ability of Shiyin, Zhuge Chunqiu, Qian Xi, Jia Yongheng, and Wu Ji!

Without the Purple Flame, Zhou Yan speculated that if he did not employ the Tai Chu Rune Profound Meaning, refined through a combination of Netherworld Rune and Ancient Rune, he would definitely lose.

He felt somewhat shaken in his heart. Most of the tests of combat power were adventures in themselves, and he wasn’t always part of the consecutive battles, only appearing at the end. Hence, he wasn’t deeply familiar with them. Now, during the comparison of the Artifact Dao, he immediately realized that none of those deemed ‘geniuses’ could truly be worthless; they must all possess some exceptional capability!

Zhou Yan’s sensing power wandered out, circulating around and eventually settling on Wu Ji’s act of refining the Void.

Zhou Yan stood before his array of materials, yet he did not start refining. He looked as if he were meditating, and no one knew that he was, in fact, observing the artifact refining of others.

His observation, through his sensing power and a special form of recognition, finally focused on the techniques of Wu Ji.

At this moment, Wu Ji still bore some injuries, but they had gradually stabilized. After previously bathing in the spiritual ‘Spring Rain,’ his injuries healed very quickly, instantly maximizing his Essence Qi Spirit, restoring at least half of his strength.

Yet, even not at his peak, the very beginning of his artifact refining—the initial stance—already stirred up winds and clouds.

Leisurely Clouds and Wild Cranes.

Clouds Folding and Unfolding.

Carefree.

If there were any way to describe Wu Ji’s initial stance in artifact refining, ‘Leisurely Clouds and Wild Cranes’ and ‘Carefree’ would perfectly encapsulate this method.

With his first move, he displayed the masterful poise of a grandmaster in the Artifact Dao: his temperament, demeanor, and more, all showing a transformative change.

Wu Ji was still Wu Ji, but suddenly, those cultivators who hadn’t participated in the grand competition and those ordinary cultivators watching from a distance were all visibly shocked and dazzled.

Not only the ordinary cultivators, but even Saint Yao, Fairy Die, and Yaochi Saint watching this scene had expressions of shock and admiration on their faces.

From afar, Wuxu Saint, who was originally cold as frost, finally showed a trace of relief on her face, no longer as icy; and Emptiness Saint’s face bore a look of satisfaction and pleasant surprise, clearly unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.

Just an initial stance, and it had such an effect, was truly against the heavens.

Previously met with disapproval, now it silenced critics automatically. Even if Wu Ji had a dubious history, it seemed that such a stunning initial stance had dissolved all past criticisms.

Leisurely Clouds dancing, Wild Cranes auspicious.

The power of the Heavenly Dao Rules, like an ancient, long river or the Milky Way pouring down, blessed the initial stance of Wu Ji’s refining.

It seemed his hand was the hand of Heaven.

It seemed his momentum was the grand momentum of Heaven.

This kind of presence didn’t affect the other cultivators refining artifacts, but many still saw.

After all, even though the Array Platform isolated a space, it was transparent, allowing one to see everything outside.

When Wu Ji’s initial stance alone caused the heavens and earth to shake and anomalies to manifest, successive ‘pop-pop-pop—’ sounds of explosions followed, and then at least ten cultivators, due to immense mental pressure and shock, destabilized their Tao Hearts, vomited blood, failed in refining, and suffered serious injuries.

Among them, some due to severe injuries and loss of mental control could no longer maintain their refining and had to regretfully leave the arena, exiting the grand competition of the Artifact Dao as failures.

Almost all the cultivators were, to some extent, affected; those who weren’t and still showed intent for battle obviously possessed genuine skill, sufficient self-confidence, and very stable mindsets, not easily swayed by external disturbances.

Next to Zhou Yan.

“Hiss-hiss—”

Six connected waves of aura, like the Six Paths Meridians, converged in the Void, manifesting a dazzling array of anomalies.

Among these anomalies, suddenly a Sixth Grade Lotus Platform appeared, blossoming with a beautiful lotus. Within the lotus, sat a pure and holy female phantom.

The phantom of the woman, like a divinely perfected incarnation of Shiyin, resembled a deity, using her incarnation to refine artifacts.

Forsaking the furnace, refining with the Soul, such a technique immediately overshadowed Wu Ji’s initial casual and free stance of Leisurely Clouds and Wild Cranes.

“Hum—”

Heaven and Earth rolled with immortal clouds, a spectacle of colors unfolding, various celestial musics seemed to penetrate through the misty Space-Time.

At this point, even ordinary cultivators seemed able to see with their naked eyes within the clouds, the vision of an ancient Immortal Palace temple emerging, mysterious Laws nearing, as if aiming to break through this world, utterly attracting and guiding this female cultivator named Shiyin, profoundly shocking.