C18 Supreme Weapon

Lau Suifeng's comment about a "fire rod" drew laughter from the other three, mocking Huah Yunfei. It was a fitting description, given the state of Huah Yunfei's Spirit Weapon, which was now unrecognizable.

He had intended to refine a sword, but the constant collision of Spiritual Energy had altered its form so much that the supposed sword bore no resemblance to one at all.

"Haha! A fire rod, finally someone worse than me!" chuckled the individual who had managed to craft a second-grade, low-quality Spirit Weapon.

It was evident that even the main examiner's demeanor had shifted upon seeing Huah Yunfei's creation.

Huah Yunfei's weapon was undeniably hideous. It was supposed to be a rod, yet it hardly looked like one.

"What were you thinking with this weapon shape? Do you think its oddity would earn you extra points?" the main examiner asked Huah Yunfei, his face etched with confusion.

Huah Yunfei, slightly embarrassed, offered a wry smile and responded, "My lord examiner, this is my first attempt at weapon refining. I'm not yet proficient, and just managing to produce something was quite a feat."

"Alright, let's have a look!" The main examiner said with a gentle smile, understanding that Huah Yunfei had recently caused an explosion in the furnace. It was indeed impressive that he could still complete the refining process.

At this point, the others began to see the situation in a new light. They gazed at the unsightly object and their mockery resumed.

"I wouldn't even dare to show that thing. I'd have hidden it and slipped away."

"It was you who distracted me earlier! Otherwise, I would have surely produced a high-grade Rank Two Spirit Weapon!"

"Come on, he's already in this state, why bother him about it?"

Huah Yunfei felt a swirl of emotions but didn't bother to retort. He turned to look at the silent young man, his curiosity piqued.

"Did you really refine this yourself?" the chief examiner asked, looking up sharply, his eyes brimming with incredulity.

Before Huah Yunfei could reply, Lau Suifeng interjected with a cold laugh, "Master examiner, besides him, I doubt anyone else could produce such an inferior item."

Upon hearing this, the chief examiner whipped his head around and fixed Lau Suifeng with a piercing glare. Lau Suifeng immediately felt the icy scorn in the examiner's eyes and clamped his mouth shut, no longer daring to spout nonsense.

"I crafted it myself," Huah Yunfei admitted, puzzled by the chief examiner's question and furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Good, very good," the chief examiner beamed with a smile. "There's one more contestant to test. After that, I'll announce the results. But before that, I would like to take you on as my apprentice."

The room buzzed with shock at his words. The chief examiner wanted to take Huah Yunfei as an apprentice? Was this some kind of joke? Why would he choose him, especially when he had the audacity to present such an unsightly Spiritual Energy?

"Examiner, please consider me!" Lau Suifeng pleaded, unable to grasp the examiner's declaration. "Look at my Spirit Weapon. It clearly demonstrates my skill in crafting. I am the true talent here, the one worthy of cultivation!"

The chief examiner ignored Lau Suifeng's plea and turned to address the last contestant. "Bring your Spirit Weapon forward."

The quiet young man glanced at the examiner and shook his head. "There's no point. I can't surpass him," he said, and with that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

His abrupt departure left everyone feeling rather uncomfortable. What was this young man trying to prove with such an enigmatic display?

The chief examiner, however, seemed quite pleased and nodded approvingly. "Very well! I hereby announce that the winner of this examination is Huah Yunfei! He will be the successor to the Wu County Golden Stone Token."

The announcement came as a shock, and those who had been anxiously awaiting the outcome were unable to accept it.

"Why him? This is completely illogical!"

Their eyes bulged with indignation as they glared at Huah Yunfei and challenged the examiner, "Sir, did you know Huah Yunfei beforehand? Were you intentionally giving him an advantage?"

The sudden accusation caused the chief examiner's brow to crease. It was audacious indeed for a junior to question his fairness right to his face.

"Is there any dispute that he is the foremost in appraising raw stones?" the chief examiner asked the group with a stern voice.

"There are no objections to that; we're certain of it. However, the Golden Stone Token assessment measures overall ability. No matter how skilled he is at appraising raw stones, if he lacks talent in refining, how can he be deemed fit for the Golden Stone Token?" Lau Suifeng was particularly dissatisfied, having secured first place in the refining challenge and second in the raw stone appraisal. In his view, these achievements assuredly made him the rightful recipient of the Golden Stone Token.

The rest of the group, though resigned to their own irrelevance in the matter, were not eager to see Huah Yunfei walk away with the Golden Stone Token without a fight.

"Exactly! What good is it to excel at appraising raw stones if he's clueless about refining? If refining isn't a criterion for the Golden Stone Token, then why bother with the assessment at all?"

The crowd began to grumble, not out of disrespect for the chief examiner, but because they found the outcome to be utterly illogical.

Listening to their complaints, the chief examiner picked up Huah Yunfei's unfinished Spirit Weapon and challenged them, "Who among you dares to try this out?"

"Why bother trying? It's nothing but junk," Lau Suifeng retorted with disdain.

Meanwhile, Huah Yunfei himself was puzzled. He couldn't see anything particularly impressive about his Spirit Weapon; its form was mediocre at best. Although it might just scrape by as a second-grade item, he doubted it could truly rival Lau Suifeng's work.

"With one use, you'll understand why I've chosen him for the Golden Stone Token," the chief examiner declared, sliding Huah Yunfei's Spirit Weapon toward Lau Suifeng.

Taken aback by the statement, Lau Suifeng eyed the incomplete Spirit Weapon skeptically before picking it up. Suddenly, a brilliant burst of blue and red spiritual energy erupted from it. Lau Suifeng shuddered in shock, staring at the Spirit Weapon in his hands, unable to believe its power.

He had merely infused a small amount of Spiritual Energy into the Spirit Weapon, never anticipating such a tremendous reaction.

"Double Attribute! This..."

"How can this be?"

Having ridiculed Huah Yunfei earlier, they were now utterly dumbfounded by the spectacle before them.

The object they had dismissed as nothing more than a fire poker astonishingly possessed two attributes. Moreover, these attributes were water and fire, elements that naturally counteracted each other.

"Now you understand, don't you?" The chief examiner said coolly, "Incorporating two opposing attributes into a single Spirit Weapon already surpasses the capabilities of a standard Spirit Weapon. What you've crafted may be called Spirit Weapons, but his has transcended that category. If his refinement skills were even slightly more advanced, what you've termed a mere fire poker would qualify as a Supreme Weapon."

Despite their disbelief, the reality was undeniable and beyond their control.

The other four, particularly Lau Suifeng, couldn't fathom that all this was Huah Yunfei's handiwork.

In his mind, Huah Yunfei was nothing but a fool, a wasteful scion oblivious to the traps laid before him.

Yet, in this short time, Huah Yunfei had dazzled everyone with his stone gambling and had demonstrated his exceptional talent with the Golden Stone Token. Lau Suifeng could rationalize these feats, attributing them to Huah Yunfei's extraordinary luck.

But refining? Refining was not a matter of luck; it hinged on true skill. Without the requisite ability, how could one succeed in refining?

"You must have cheated!" Lau Suifeng, unable to accept the truth, finally burst out in rage.

His accusation unleashed a wave of skepticism from the others.

"Exactly! That young man didn't even present his refined Spirit Weapon before leaving. He obviously realized that no matter how well he refined, it would be pointless. He must have detected the trickery and chosen to leave without exposing it!"

Their accusations grew increasingly harsh, casting a shadow over the chief examiner's expression.

Initially, they couldn't believe that Huah Yunfei could secure first place, and I had to explain the reasons to them. But even after they learned why Huah Yunfei came out on top, their doubts persisted. This was no mere skepticism; it was a direct challenge to my authority as the chief examiner.

"You question my impartiality! Very well, I shall show you whether I am biased!" The chief examiner's eyebrows shot up, and his beard bristled as a commanding presence instantly overwhelmed the four of them.

Lau Suifeng watched the enraged examiner with terror. It felt as if a mountain weighed down on him, leaving him gasping for air.

The added pressure was too much, and the young people were slowly buckling under it.

"We were wrong, we admit our mistake. We should not have doubted you, honorable examiner."

Someone quickly began to apologize to the chief examiner. Once one person led the way, the others were quick to echo the sentiment. After all, no one wanted to be at a disadvantage. They were especially powerless against the chief examiner and had no choice but to accept their defeat gracefully.

As the chief examiner's imposing aura faded, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to the ground in their exhaustion.

Lau Suifeng's eyes were fierce as he glared at Huah Yunfei, unable to believe that Huah Yunfei was behind all this. He was unable to let go of the Golden Stone Token that had slipped through his fingers.

"Huah Yunfei, remember this, our issues are far from settled!"

Standing before Huah Yunfei, Lau Suifeng spat out these harsh words and stormed off.