C21 Refining Furnace

Qin Feng was ushered into the Celestial Guiding Pavilion by Shee Yun while he was still in a daze, unaware of when exactly she had guided him inside.

The venue of the Celestial Guiding Pavilion was enormous, large enough to encompass the estates of five noble families. The interior boasted a magnificent stage crafted from Profound Iron, with a red crystal set at its center, casting a warm glow over the entire space.

The place was teeming with spectators. Rows upon rows, at least twenty-one deep, were filled with eager onlookers, while others milled about the venue, their voices creating a lively cacophony. Clearly, the Artifact Forging Master Competition had drawn a significant crowd.

"This is the Essence City's Artifact Forging Master Competition," Shee Yun said, her eyes curving into a smile as she flashed a charming set of pearly whites. "Seeing how many people were coming, I thought we'd join in and enjoy the excitement."

"Artifact Forging Master Competition? To enjoy the excitement?" Qin Feng echoed, momentarily taken aback as he peered into the Pavilion.

He himself could now be considered an Artifact Forging Master, thanks to his possession of the Immortal Furnace, which enabled him to craft various Spirit Artifacts and Magic Artifacts of differing qualities. Aside from witnessing Lian Yu's craftsmanship, he had never seen other Artifact Forging Masters at work. Today's visit to the Celestial Guiding Pavilion might offer him the chance to observe the competition and seize the opportunity to refine his own forging skills.

With this in mind, Qin Feng stepped forward, and Shee Yun, seeing his intent to enter the venue, quickly followed with a beaming smile.

Yet, no sooner had they entered than two Profound Armor Soldiers halted them, citing the prohibition of Spirit Beasts within the premises.

Qin Feng had initially planned to place Little Flowing Blade into his Secret Bag, which was spacious enough for the creature. However, he realized that despite its size, the bag lacked air. Enclosing the Blade inside would surely suffocate it.

Left with no alternative, Qin Feng reluctantly entrusted Little Flowing Blade to the care of an attendant nearby. The creature cast a forlorn look back at him, its eyes filled with a plaintive appeal.

Qin Feng, already familiar with the Little Flowing Blade's prototype, gently stroked its head before handing it to the attendant. "Little Blade, stay here for now. I'll come back for you soon," he assured.

"Come on!" Shee Yun excitedly grabbed Qin Feng's hand and led him toward the center of the hall. Qin Feng considered withdrawing his hand, but seeing Shee Yun's joyous demeanor, he allowed her to guide him forward.

They found seats right in the middle and settled down. Qin Feng was about to speak to Shee Yun when the red crystal at the heart of the hall abruptly dimmed, plunging the entire space into darkness. A flurry of anxious chatter filled the air as the attendees speculated about the unexpected blackout.

"What's going on here?"

"Does anyone know why it suddenly got dark? Could it be an intrusion, or is the Celestial Guiding Pavilion up to some new antics?"

"I'm hoping for the latter."

The loud conversations were sharply audible to Qin Feng, but they were interrupted as a hand gently found his. "What's happening? Why did it go dark all of a sudden?" Shee Yun's voice betrayed her alarm as she clung tightly to Qin Feng's arm.

"You..."

In a flash, the hall's walls came alive with light as the embedded crystals ignited one after another, bathing the venue in a resplendent glow.

Then, as if by magic, a glamorous woman appeared on stage. Dressed in a red robe with golden embroidery, her long hair was secured with an ornate golden hairpin, and a distinctive mole on her left cheek drew the eye. She greeted the crowd with a warm smile, "Welcome to the Artifact Forging Master Competition hosted by the Celestial Guiding Pavilion! I am your host, Loo Xue."

Her introduction was met with thunderous applause from the excited audience.

Loo Xue, riding the wave of enthusiasm, announced, "For those Artifact Forging Masters who haven't signed up yet, please head to the back of the stage to register. There's no deadline for registration, but it will close at the end of the competition..."

Qin Feng's gaze swept over the Artifact Forging Masters gathered to one side of the stage, all eager to join the competition. Among them, there were few young faces like his; most were either middle-aged or elderly.

The Artifact Forging Master Competition is split into three phases. The top three finalists will be awarded extraordinary prizes. Moreover, the Celestial Guiding Pavilion will present our champion with the ultimate prize: a super grade Holy Immortal first-tier spirit medicine known as Broken Water.

Loo Xue finished speaking and clapped her hands. A servant promptly arrived, carrying a box made of black divine wood. She opened the box to reveal a blue pill, radiating a mystical blue light, nestled at its heart. The blue light transformed into a water pattern that floated mid-air before morphing into starlight and fading away. The Pure Qi released permeated the air, a testament to the pill's exceptional quality.

"Broken Water is a super grade Holy Immortal first-tier spirit medicine, the pinnacle of spirit medicines. This single pill can bestow water attribute Profound Power upon a Profound Master who possesses no attributes. It can even grant an additional attribute to those who already have one!"

The crowd was electrified by the announcement, astonished to witness such a revered spirit medicine. Even the Artifact Forging Masters in attendance murmured among themselves, their eyes alight with desire.

Qin Feng was particularly intrigued. This pill had the power to grant attribute Profound Power to those without it, like himself, a Profound Master devoid of any attributes. Even with the previous Profound Pill, he had remained unaltered. Possessing this pill might very well amplify his strength significantly.

"The Artifact Forging Master Competition seems quite impressive. Qin Feng, are you an Artifact Forging Master?" Shee Yun inquired abruptly.

"Yes," Qin Feng responded absently, his attention still fixed on the unfolding scene.

"Then you should definitely participate!" Shee Yun encouraged him with a smile.

Qin Feng turned to her, his expression one of surprise.

Shee Yun gave a slight nod and playfully tilted her head, "What are you waiting for? If you don't hurry, you'll miss out on the competition—and the hot meal that follows!"

Qin Feng chuckled dismissively, "Fine, you stay right here and wait for me. Don't wander off; I'll come find you after the competition."

"Okay."

Qin Feng made his way to the rear of the stage and indeed found the registration area for the Artifact Forging Master Competition, which was deserted except for a burly man seated atop the platform. It was apparent that he was in charge of registration.

"Hello, I'd like to sign up for the Artifact Forging Master Competition."

The burly man lifted his head to glance in the direction of the voice and arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Kid, you seem to be the youngest of all the registrants. Are you certain you want to sign up?"

The tone of the big man suggested a hint of disdain for Qin Feng, as if he thought Qin Feng was just there to fool around.

"Yes, I'm sure I want to register."