Chapter 284: Chapter 282: Obscure Ruins
The five-day rest period passed in the blink of an eye.
The second round of the Refining Dao Convention arrived as scheduled.
The rules were the same as the first round, but the time limit for the assessment was extended from two days to half a month.
In truth, half a month was still a tight schedule.
Take a Pill Master, for example. Expecting one to refine three types of Tier Three Pills and one type of Tier Four Pill in only half a month—wasn’t that just a joke?
Aside from those supremely talented prodigies of the Alchemy Dao, no one could guarantee they could meet such a strict requirement.
But these peerless prodigies, with their absolutely stunning talent, were exactly who the Refining Dao Convention aimed to find!
HUMMM...
Above Bluestone Plaza, the familiar humming sound rang out once more.
Master Lanwen tapped lightly on the void, and a massive spatial gate instantly materialized.
Fang Yang narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance.
He immediately realized this spatial gate connected to a different mysterious realm, not the one from the first round.
Master Lanwen announced, "The second round of the Refining Dao Convention now officially begins. Good luck to you all."
The moment his voice fell, only a small number of participants transformed into streaks of light and hastily passed through the spatial gate.
It was an absurdly small number compared to last time!
Instead, most participants silently turned their gazes to where Fang Yang stood.
They were all waiting for Fang Yang to make a move; none of them wanted to end up in the same area as him.
Caiwei suppressed the envy in her heart, tilted her head to one side, and snorted coldly. "I-I’m not envious that everyone looks up to Sen Hui."
Yu Qingyun took a deep breath, his gaze firm. ’Patience. I must remain patient. I haven’t refined enough array flags yet. It would be unwise for me to have a final showdown with Fang Yang in this round.’
The breeze stilled, and the clouds seemed to hang motionless.
With everyone’s eyes on him, Fang Yang moved.
Leading Sen Hui, he strode calmly through the spatial gate.
Only then did numerous streaks of light rise into the air once more.
It was safe to say that after the first round, Fang Yang had thoroughly cemented his fearsome reputation—one that awed his rivals and was said to be enough to make a crying child fall silent.
Such a spectacle left Fu Sheng Fairy, Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint, and the other Saints marveling in amazement.
Fu Sheng Fairy remarked, "Such a powerful, oppressive aura is truly rare. It far surpasses that of an ordinary young Great Saint."
Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint agreed. "Indeed. I feel Fang Yang’s performance is such that even Sen Yue, back in his day, would have fallen short."
Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint’s words left Master Lanwen and Layman Shuqing speechless.
Who was Sen Yue?
A Young Venerable, a talent rarely seen in the world!
Ever since embarking on the path of cultivation, Sen Yue had focused solely on secluded training, rarely making any public appearances.
That was why Sen Yue had never participated in past Refining Dao Conventions.
It was only natural, then, that Sen Yue’s performance in the convention couldn’t compare to Fang Yang’s.
The only explanation was that Bai Zhi the Medicine Saint’s fondness for her disciple, Sen Hui, was making her increasingly pleased with Fang Yang the more she saw of him.
So much so that she had resorted to such a ridiculous comparison, leaving everyone at a loss for words.
...
Towering mountains soared, giant trees stood tall, and ancient trunks seemed to hold up the sky. This was a land of lush, steep mountain ridges.
The very moment they arrived, Fang Yang decisively activated a Fire Robe Talisman and a Thunder Armor Talisman.
The dual Talismans formed a robe and a suit of armor, ensuring he and Sen Hui wouldn’t be flustered by a sudden ambush.
"Xiaohui, let’s head deeper into the mountains."
"Okay."
The environment here was just like the Ten Thousand Mountains—incredibly complex.
Furthermore, the time limit for this assessment was tight, making Fang Yang feel as if a ticking clock was counting down in his mind.
If he didn’t defuse it before time ran out, he felt like he would simply explode!
Given Sen Hui’s current skill in Alchemy, Fang Yang couldn’t be one hundred percent certain she could refine three types of Tier Three Pills and one type of Tier Four Pill within half a month.
He himself was an accomplished Talisman Master, but that was thanks to experiencing the bloodline dream-journey and possessing the Mystical State.
Compared to him, Sen Hui didn’t have such an advantage.
And so, with that ticking clock in his mind, Fang Yang immediately began leading Sen Hui to explore deeper into the mountain range.
He appeared wherever vicious Fierce Beasts could be found, and wherever precious medicinal herbs grew.
Hundred Beasts Kings, Thousand Beasts Kings, and special mutated breeds—all these Fierce Beasts, the stuff of contestants’ nightmares, were hunted down and killed by Fang Yang one by one.
All one could say was that Fang Yang, in full-on speedrunner mode, was truly terrifying.
That day, Sen Hui truly witnessed Fang Yang’s ruthless and battle-hardened side.
But in any case, in just a single day, Fang Yang had gathered numerous medicinal herbs and beast bones—more than enough for Sen Hui to begin her Alchemy.
’So, this is what Ah Yang became after being forged in the fires of the Xuan Yu War,’ Sen Hui thought to herself.
For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for Fang Yang.
At this moment, she quietly leaned against Fang Yang as they watched the bonfire together.
Under Fang Yang’s surprised gaze, she took the initiative to grasp his large hand, sharing her warmth.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, a tremendous roar that seemed to shake the very heavens and earth shattered the tranquility.
Fang Yang looked up to see a pillar of blue light stretching from the earth to the sky.
As he mulled it over, text appeared from the ball of light in his mind—his [Seek Fortune, Avoid Misfortune] ability:
[Refining Dao Convention, ruins concealed. Talisman Treasure extends, true artifact revealed.]
[Moderately Good Fortune: Enter the ruins. Let the Talisman Treasure be your guide, and follow the wind. You can obtain a Tier Five opportunity, with potential for more. No hidden dangers, no risks. Auspicious.]
[Neutral Fortune: Do not enter the ruins. Quietly observe the unfolding turmoil. Nothing gained, nothing lost. Neutral.]
’Ruins?’
His eyes lit up.
This was an unexpected development.
After all, who could have expected that ruins would actually appear in the middle of the assessment?
The promise of a Tier Five opportunity with future potential, guided by his Talisman Treasure, was what truly caught his attention.
He instantly began calculating how much time he could spare to travel to the ruins and hunt for treasure.
In the next moment, a rough plan had already formed in his mind.
Of course, given the time limit, he and Sen Hui would have to be quick.
"Xiaohui, let’s go explore that blue pillar of light."
"Mm."
In the blink of an eye, he activated a Fire Feather Talisman and a Thunder Wing Talisman.
With Sen Hui in tow, he flew toward the ruins at top speed.
...
Next to the pillar of blue light, an ancient, simple-looking cave-dwelling had appeared.
At this moment, some were using their strength to bully others and show off.
"Hei Liwei, what gives you the right to let Yu Qingyun in but not us?"
"Yeah! You’re a disgrace to the Golden Clan, bullying us instead of those stuck-up masters!"
"Pah! To a piece of trash like you? I’ll never submit."
"That’s right! I’d rather feed my Tier Three Spirit Medicine to the dogs than give it to you!!"
The crowd before the cave entrance was seething with anger, fiercely denouncing the group led by Hei Liwei.
Hei Liwei was fat, his face a mask of cruelty.
He sneered as he listened to their curses. "Which one of you spineless worms said that? Got the guts to step forward? What kind of hero hides in the shadows?"
As his gaze swept over them, the crowd, though filled with resentment, had no choice but to lower their heads.
No one had expected that Hei Liwei’s little gang could actually deploy a Tier Four Peak Array in such a short amount of time, blocking everyone’s path.
It just went to show that pretty much everyone who made it to the Refining Dao Convention had a few tricks up their sleeve.
Seeing their expressions, Hei Liwei couldn’t help but let out a smug laugh, looking utterly pleased with himself.
But in the next instant, his expression changed completely. He even bowed slightly, a clear sign of submission.
The Array, moreover, was partially suspended, allowing the arrivals to pass through freely.
The crowd was baffled. Then, they saw two streaks of light shoot past them, flying effortlessly into the cave-dwelling.
Those two streaks of light were none other than Fang Yang and Sen Hui.
"You son of a bitch, Hei Liwei! You dare to kiss up and kick down?!"
"Who?! Show yourself! Hmph. You curs. Are you even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Lord Fang Yang? It looks to me like you’re all itching for a beating."
Hei Liwei’s eyes flashed with fire, his aura menacing.
At the Thunder Saint Academy, good people didn’t die, and bad people didn’t die—only fools did.
His actions served as the final spark, completely igniting the crowd’s simmering rage.
In an instant, the area above and below erupted with a thunderous roar. Flashes of light from various techniques blinked in succession as a massive battle broke out.
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