Something was off.

After Wu Wang walked out of the alley, he proceeded for a while before suddenly stopping in his tracks and turning to look back at the alley. The woman he had just seen was now nowhere in sight.

An old woman serving as a guard in the Transcendent Realm asked, "Hall Master, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Wu Wang smiled and said. "Maybe I am just too tired recently. I was somewhat rude to that woman just now."

"You're overthinking it," the old woman said with a smile.

Wu Wang withdrew his probing gaze and glanced again at the four Elders following him. In terms of serving as guards, they were actually not quite qualified. The majority of the high-ranking officials in the Human Domain were above the Transcendent Realm. Hall Masters from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion like Wu Wang, who needed protection, were not entirely unique, but they were still a rare occurrence in the past ten thousand years. These Elders were ancestral figures in their respective Sects. Their willingness to serve as his guards for a few years already showed great respect to the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. Thus, it was unreasonable to expect them to be attentive to protective formations.

Wu Wang looked once more at the woman in the middle of the street who had previously collapsed. She stood up holding her chest, continuously thanking the two people beside her, saying that she just felt a bit short of breath suddenly due to her Cultivation not being sufficient.

A hint of silver light flashed through Wu Wang's eyes, then he shifted his gaze away from the woman. Her Divine Soul showed no anomalies, yet her inner breath did fluctuate.

Wu Wang cautioned, "My Dao heart feels somewhat unstable. I trouble you to thoroughly explore everywhere and see if there is anything abnormal within the city."

"Certainly."

"Rest assured, Hall Master."

The four masters did not dare to be negligent and began to search with great care.

The five of them blended into the crowd heading toward the competition venue. As they approached the edge of the site, due to the sheer number of Cultivators—the air and ground packed full—the four masters could only exert their own imposing pressure to fly into the center of the arena with Wu Wang protected.

The venue was square-shaped, divided into three major areas: the preliminary competition stage, the judges' stage, and the spectator stand.

The preliminary competition stage had a total of sixteen platforms, each equipped with an Eight Treasures True Essence Heavenly Craft Furnace.

The judges' stage seated sixty-six long-renowned artifact refining experts of the Human Domain. Every one of them had white hair and was mostly an old man.

The spectator stands spread out on all four sides, totaling over three thousand six hundred seats. Only those who received an official invitation from the competition could sit there. These were mostly people from Sects adept in artifact refining.

The Cultivators who were about to compete could only, along with the many others there for the spectacle, float in the air or stand on the outside, lining up in accordance with the number on their plaques.

For this, Lin Qi, the chief secretary of the treasure refining competition—Every day, Lin Qi has to do things—also couldn't help feeling regretful. If there were to be a second edition of the competition, Lin Qi would definitely choose a mountainous area for the venue.

Upon noticing Wu Wang's arrival, the Vice Pavilion Masters of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion and Heavenly Craft Pavilion led a group to welcome him, trying to 'scheme' to pull Wu Wang to a central seat.

Wu Wang's feet slid, and with a slight smile to the two Vice Pavilion Masters, his figure swiftly darted to the back part of the judges' stage, sitting next to Ji Mo. The four Transcendents took their seats in a row behind him.

Almost as soon as Wu Wang took his seat, the surroundings of the venue lit up with a faint brightness, prompting the many waiting Cultivators to make a clamor. Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from all sides, forcing Wu Wang to seal his ears with immortal power and disperse his Immortal Consciousness throughout the area.

Ji Mo transmitted his voice, "Brother Wuwang, being too low-profile isn't always a good thing. When it's time to show off, you should show off."

"This has nothing to do with showing off." Wu Wang crossed his legs and said leisurely, "If there's work that can be avoided, it should be avoided; that has always been my principle."

"That's what you say," Ji Mo laughed and said, "but when there's something important, Brother Wuwang is always the first to step up."

"I am not that noble... By the way, where's Le Yao?"

Ji Mo spread his hands. "She finds the matter of artifact refining too dull and went to drink with Elder Miao."

"They've gotten quite close."

After a few words of casual conversation, Wu Wang found himself unexpectedly thinking back to the scene in the alley earlier, sitting there a bit absentminded. Though there was no evidence, his intuition told Wu Wang that what he just experienced was more than a mere coincidence.

"Elder Ge?" Without turning his head, Wu Wang transmitted his voice, "Could you please make a trip and find the woman we saw earlier, who was unsteady on her feet in the street, and take her into custody. I will question her after the opening ceremony."

"Yes," Elder Ge responded via transmission, his figure turning into a wisp of blue smoke, silently slipping away through gaps in the crowd.

Ji Mo transmitted his voice to ask, "Could it be the lingering spirits of the Ten Evils Hall again?"

Wu Wang smiled and replied softly, "Brother Ji, what do you think the Heaven Palace would be after if they were to cause trouble here?"

Ji Mo laughed. "Since they are our sworn enemies, they naturally wouldn't want us to have a good time. Whatever we want to do, they'll try to prevent us from succeeding."

Wu Wang nodded. "Makes sense."

No sooner had Wu Wang spoken than the noise around them suddenly subsided, signaling several figures slowly descending from the sky. The treasure refining competition was about to officially commence.

Leading the group was Lin Qi, who had dressed up nicely, along with the four Maidens One Two Three Four. Looking at the four young women who resembled each other, with Plum, Chrysanthemum, Peony, and Orchid outshining one another, their rosy lips and moist skin, each clad in a different style, seemed to vie for splendor, leaving the beholder dazzled and singing praises that this was a divine gift from the Holy Mother.

With the company of the four Maidens, Lin Qi, a young master of the Lin Family known far and wide… looked rather decent.

Lin Qi clasped his hands in a salute, bowing three times to all directions before standing upright and poised.

In a corner behind, Ji Mo and Wu Wang exchanged a glance, both revealing a gentle smile. The prevailing sentiment was a subtle state of mind, reflecting on how "this child has finally become somebody to be proud of."

Lin Qi's voice rang out, "In ancient times, the art of refining artifacts arose in the Human Domain. Using materials from Heaven and Earth, unparalleled treasures were forged, which protected against Strong gods from the outside and brought peace to mortals from within.

"To this day, the practice of refining in the Human Domain has flourished for countless years, yet there still are enlightened individuals who tread this Great Dao, creating one legend after another.

"Do any of you know what my teacher once asked me—what is the end goal of the Path of Artifact Refining?"

Wu Wang was taken aback. Lin Qi definitely didn't have this part in the manuscript he was reading in the private room at the top of Guantao Tower just before!

Lin Qi paused for a moment, and his voice continued to spread throughout Floating Jade City.

In a secluded courtyard, several figures stood quietly under a tree, halting their previous conversation, and couldn't help but listen intently. They were none other than the incarnations of Young Master and several Evil Gods.

Lin Qi's voice floated over: "At the time, I answered my teacher that the endpoint of the Path of Artifact Refining should be to refine the strongest Magic treasure. My teacher, however, shook his head and instructed me that there is no such thing as the strongest treasure in this world. There is only the Cultivator who is most compatible with this treasure. The person and the treasure become one; the treasure is an extension of the person, and the person is the treasure's confidant. Spirit accompanies spirit, and material complements spirit."

Under the tree, the incarnation of Young Master praised, "This person's teacher does give quite a profound explanation."

The incarnations of the five Evil Gods beside him all looked somewhat embarrassed.

"This..."

"Eh..."

The old woman possessed by the Whistling Serpent reminded telepathically, "My lord, this is the disciple of Wu Wangzi, and the one speaking now is that Lin Qi."

Young Master recalled briefly, nodded slightly, and said, "I have indeed seen him meet with Wu Wangzi along with another man before, but I did not pay them much attention then."

Lin Qi's voice was still continuing, clearly much more relaxed now, and he began to talk about the purpose of holding this grand meeting.

The figures continued to confer telepathically. After a while, Young Master nodded and said, "Let's proceed with the plan as it is; the simpler the plan, the less likely it is to go awry."

The youth possessed by Qiong Qi laughed, "It's just a little strategy of making a noise in the east and striking in the west."

"Then let there be no mistakes." Young Master declared, "Since I have resolved to take action, I must not come away empty-handed. But remember, unless it is necessary, do not recklessly take lives. Just deal with their experts. Those who aspire to godhood must have character."

The figures bowed their heads and accepted the order, "Yes."

The Whistling Serpent incarnation raised her hand and made a slight gesture; several figures quietly vanished.

The incarnation of Young Master walked back into the main building of the small courtyard, paused for a moment, and had already changed into an innocent and charming appearance, her figure appearing even more slender and graceful. She headed towards the venue of the artifact refining competition, humming a cheerful melody, moving with light footsteps, like an ordinary girl without a care in the world, rushing to join in the excitement.

「Meanwhile, at the venue.」

Lin Qi's opening speech had ended smoothly, earning the appreciation of many old-timers. With a strike of the gong, the Vice Pavilion Master of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion rose to announce the official start of the artifact refining competition. The first batch of sixteen renowned refiners stepped into the arena, taking their places on the preliminary platform.

The competition was divided into four rounds.

The condition for passing the first round was rather simple: to refine a specified Magic treasure of excellent quality within the set time.

The second round was the display segment; those who passed the first round would present the treasure they were most proud of in their life and face questioning from the panel of judges.

The third round contained more complex conditions, mainly testing their ability to use limited materials to complete complex artifact refinings.

The fourth round was the decisive moment. Those who reached this round could propose what materials they needed, and the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion would provide for them appropriately, allowing them to break through their limits during the competition.

While the rules were not complex, the competition was expected to last at least a month due to the large number of participants.

After the opening by Lin Qi, he no longer needed to tend to the proceedings and went directly to find Wu Wang and Ji Mo. But when he ran over eagerly, he was disappointed to find Wu Wang's seat empty.

"Brother Ji, where's the teacher?"

"He's been called away for matters," Ji Mo patted Wu Wang's seat. "Come over and rest for a while. Brother Wuwang asked me to tell you, you did a good job with the opening."

Lin Qi forced a smile, raised an eyebrow at Ji Mo, but took a seat on the other side of Wu Wang's chair.

Ji Mo's mouth twitched slightly. This damn desire to win, it seems to be contagious.

「Not far from the venue, in a private room of a tavern.」

Several Transcendent Realm experts were either sitting or standing. Wu Wang sat behind the flamboyant round table, staring at the nervous woman of the Human Domain before him. It was the same one who had fallen in the street before.

Wu Wang asked, "At that time, did you only feel chest tightness and dizziness, and your Nascent Soul was hazy and confused?"

"Sir, it was indeed so," she quickly said. "It's because my Cultivation is not refined and my path is too shallow that I have made you laugh."

Wu Wang took out a Crystal Ball and placed it in front of him, then said in a calm voice, "Please press one hand on it."

"Hmm," the female Cultivator complied, and the Crystal Ball lit up with a slight glow, which then gradually receded. Indeed, there was no problem.

The Elder Ge referred to by Wu Wang was named Ge Linzhang, the top-ranked master of the Immortal Dao from over twenty thousand years ago, who secluded himself within his own Sect after stepping into the Transcendent Realm. This was a kindly-looking old man who enjoyed wearing green and blue robes; he cultivated the Path of Lightning Control and was said to be able to confront Liu Baiyi, the Pavilion Master, head-on. He was open-minded and always full of spirit every day, and he also liked to joke with the younger generation. Among the few Transcendents serving as temporary guards, he had the closest relationship with Wu Wang. When the Grand Elder was not by Wu Wang's side, Wu Wang's first thought for help was to seek him out... and now was such a time.

Wu Wang said, "Elder Ge, have you still not found the woman who almost collided with me earlier?"

Elder Ge sighed, "Hall Master, there are too many women here; it's truly difficult to distinguish. It's also a bit odd, upon thinking carefully just now, why can't I remember the woman's Dao charm?"

"Now that you mention it, I also feel something is off." The old crone by the window calculated with her fingers and soon said, "That woman, she doesn't have any Dao charm around her, but her aura doesn't resemble that of mortals either."

Wu Wang gestured for the few lords to be quiet for the moment and nodded with a smile at the female Cultivator in front of him. He took out a small bag of Spirit Stones and Elixirs and pushed them over using immortal power, saying warmly, "I've disturbed you."

"My lord, I cannot accept these," she replied.

"Take them, consider it an apology for our rude intrusion," he insisted.

Unable to refuse, the woman eagerly wanted to leave. She took the Storage Bag and bowed to Wu Wang.

Elder Ge intervened, wrapping the woman in Immortal Light and teleporting her back to the crowd outside the venue.

"There's something fishy." Wu Wang stood up, continuously revisiting the details of his encounter with that woman in his mind. That back that collided with him...

Assassination? Murder attempt?

Wu Wang stood up and walked to the window, staring slightly entranced towards the sea of people in the direction of the venue. He increasingly felt like he was being targeted by Heaven Palace. It was not a time for wishful thinking; he must not neglect the necessary precautions.

His eyes caught a glimpse of a charming young girl hopping and skipping down the street, seemingly in a hurry to watch the excitement at the artifact refining competition. Wu Wang subconsciously glanced at her eyes. Ah, they were not almond-shaped.

Suddenly...

THUMP!

Wu Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately looked northward. There, a mass of black clouds surged skyward, revealing the figure of Qiong Qi within. This Evil God, who had been heavily injured on the northeastern border of the Human Domain, now had its body fully recovered. It spread its wings to roar angrily at the city, with the sound waves visibly rippling from within the city's protective formation! Wherever the sound waves swept through, mortals and Cultivators alike screamed miserably. Their Divine Souls were shaken!

"Qiong Qi!"

"Is it courting death? Daring to cause trouble here!"

The few Transcendents behind Wu Wang reacted very quickly; they didn't rush forward but almost instinctively pulled Wu Wang behind them. Elder Ge let out successive howls, barely managing to shatter the sound waves Qiong Qi had roared out. But the next moment, three huge creatures appeared around Qiong Qi, smashing towards the grand formation!

Dozens of figures with profound auras dashed out from the venue, with two Vice Pavilion Masters leading the charge outside the city, as Cultivators immediately moved away from the direction of the Evil God, leading to inevitable chaos due to the vast number of Cultivators gathered.

Wu Wang's thoughts raced, and he immediately said, "Elder Ge!"

Ge Linzhang turned his head, looked at Wu Wang, exchanged a glance with him, and upon a simple gesture from Wu Wang, he immediately understood. "Leave one behind, let's go and help!"

The lowest-ranking crone among the four Transcendents stayed beside Wu Wang, while Elder Ge brought the other two Transcendents through the window, chasing after the figures of the two Vice Pavilion Masters.

Wu Wang said, "Let's go to the venue and regroup with others."

The crone assented, enshrouding Wu Wang with immortal power and was about to fly towards the venue. Without any warning, their movements suddenly grew much slower; the frequency of the flickering Immortal Light greatly decreased, and the Heaven and Earth around them stretched in a bizarre way...

A notion to bow his head came over Wu Wang's heart, but moving his neck and head required a hundred times more effort.

"Bad——news——" The crone's voice was drawn out, but she was decisive. She dragged Wu Wang towards the nearest window, crashing out with all her might.

But as soon as they broke the window, a dark shadow came crashing down on them. It was a serpent's head, three zhang in diameter, with a small segment of its body appearing out of nowhere, as if the Heaven and Earth contained an invisible pocket.

The Evil God – Whistling Serpent!

However, on closer inspection, Wu Wang immediately concluded that this was not the Whistling Serpent's true body, but more like the Whistling Serpent avatar he had encountered before!

The serpent's head opened wide, and the old crone subconsciously flung Wu Wang towards the direction of the meeting place, while the cane in her hand 'slowly' transformed into a red python, lunging with an open mouth at the hissing snake.

The entire incident happened all too quickly. The opponent's scheme was quite simple, yet every step's timing was so ingenious and meticulous, it was as if all of Wu Wang's actions were being anticipated by the other party.

Flung a hundred zhang away, the red python collided head-on with the hissing snake, and the Heaven and Earth around Wu Wang returned to normal. He immediately let out a long howl, a golden light burst forth from his chest, and the Golden Armor nurtured in the Immortal Platform within God's Mansion covered his body.

No ambush?

Wu Wang was bemused when he suddenly heard a soft sigh. The girl who had just walked past the edge of his vision abruptly turned out from the street corner ahead! Her left hand pinched a small puppet, her eyes filled with a pale Divine Light, and she was now no more than eight zhang away from Wu Wang!

In the blink of an eye, Wu Wang recognized who this girl was. No other, he had suffered greatly at the hands of this puppet before! That inconceivable substitution Divine Skill made the three words "Young Master" particularly memorable to Wu Wang.

The opponent wasn't looking for a direct assassination! Instead, they wanted to take him out of the heartland of the Human Domain. Right now, with Young Master initiating Divine Skills, he would definitely be sent to a designated area.

His thought process was wrong; Wu Wang had prepared himself to face a great battle, but the opponent's final move turned out to be a 'support'.

The sigh of Young Master had yet to fade, and the Divine Skill was already complete. The puppet in her hand disappeared in a flash, and Divine Light enveloped Wu Wang. The next instant... the next instant...

A familiar Spiritual Storage Magical Item bag appeared in the hands of Young Master's incarnation and was directly passed to her true self, replaced by a second puppet. The two substitutions using the incarnation as a bridge were truly astonishing.

But... Spiritual Storage Magical Items?

Shock filled the eyes of Young Master's incarnation as she looked up at the figure flying overhead. Wu Wang's expression underwent 'drastic changes' within a very short time, and at this moment, he felt a sense of having narrowly escaped from calamity. Fortunately, he adhered to the principle of not stumbling in the same spot twice. Following the example of the Grand Elder, who had inadvertently evaded Young Master's Divine Skill that day, Wu Wang carried many useful living creatures on himself.

At that moment!

A crack appeared in the Heaven and Earth to one side, and Elder Ge's imposing figure burst forth in one step, raising his hand to smash towards Young Master's incarnation, his hair and beard fluttering, his expression furious! "DIE!"

This Elder didn't rush out of the city at all; instead, understanding Wu Wang's gestures, he had turned back for a surprise attack!

In the next instant, Young Master's incarnation didn't bother with Elder Ge's offensive. Using the last moment, when Wu Wang had not flown far enough! She was surrounded by Divine Light, forcibly shifting sixty zhang forward! This incarnation could not withstand such Divine Skills and almost disintegrated on the spot. But Young Master's incarnation still caught up to Wu Wang, lifting the puppet in her hand, her eyes filled with a touch of unwillingness.

The Divine Skill surged once again!

Wu Wang's figure suddenly came to a halt. He turned his head to glare furiously at Young Master's incarnation, but an involuntary sneer crossed his lips. He didn't believe it!

He was carrying three hundred and ninety-six Spiritual Storage Magical Items on him. In each Spiritual Storage Magical Item, there were delicious living Spirit Beasts stored. He had even selected hundred-pound Spirit Beasts to seal and bag them, convenient for when he wanted some fresh meat and vegetables...

Wu Wang's thoughts raced madly, and Spiritual Storage Treasure Bags appeared in his arms, sleeves, shoe soles, and groin! Every part of his body that could be filled was already completely full! The joke the Grand Elder had shared with him when analyzing the bizarre Divine Skills of Young Master, Wu Wang... had actually done it.

Young Master's incarnation's eyes erupted with Divine Light, and Elder Ge's palm strike had already thundered down. They occurred almost simultaneously, and it was hard to tell who was even the slightest bit faster!

BANG!

The Young Master's incarnation exploded into a mist of blood. Wu Wang felt the sweep of Divine Power, and the force of Elder Ge's palm turned into a gust that hit his face.

No, no harm?

Because he was stuffed full of Storage Spirit Bags inside his clothes, looking like he had swelled, Wu Wang breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, the chance of nearly one in four hundred wasn't so easy to encounter.

DING, DANG, DANG—

A light sound came from behind him. Wu Wang turned his head to look and just in time to see the puppet rolling down the street. This was the medium for Young Master's Divine Skill activation; he also had one just like it in his own embrace.

But... but...

Wu Wang looked at the few recognizable family guards of the Lin Family, whose eyes were bulging and their complexions were gradually turning deathly pale.

"Where... where is Young General?"

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