Time ticked by.
In mid-air, Ji Li, who had been floating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. The silver longsword glided obediently across his palm, its blade trembling faintly as it let out a clear, sonorous dragon’s cry.
Refinement complete!
As the first person on the field to finish refining, Ji Li didn’t choose to rest. He didn’t even spare a glance for the ordinary students still fighting tooth and nail over the Low-Grade Dharma Artifacts.
His greedy gaze swept across the field, finally locking onto a target not far away.
At present, all the Upper-Grade Dharma Artifacts were spoken for—either being refined by the powerful or at the center of a fierce struggle. The scene was chaotic, with Magic Techniques flying everywhere.
"One isn’t enough."
The corners of Ji Li’s mouth lifted slightly. He raised his hand again and made a grasping motion at the empty air.
"Come!"
BUZZ!
Not far away, a young woman in a jade-green silk dress sat cross-legged on the ground, her hands clenched around an antique bronze mirror. Her forehead was beaded with sweat; she was clearly at a critical point in her refinement.
This woman was Jiang Yingqiao, a third-year Wood Element prodigy, who had just single-handedly fought off a competitor trying to snatch the bronze mirror.
Just then, an invisible Power of Primordial Magnetism descended upon her.
The bronze mirror in her hands began to shake violently, as if it had a mind of its own. It even unleashed a powerful recoil, nearly tearing itself from her grasp!
’Trying to take what’s mine?’
Though startled, Jiang Yingqiao remained composed and cried out sharply.
Instantly, countless green vines shot from her sleeves. They wrapped her in layers and, more importantly, coiled tightly around the bronze mirror in her arms, holding it fast as if it had taken root.
She frantically poured her Wood Element Spiritual Power into them, forcefully resisting the Magnetic Attraction.
’Oh? A little interesting.’
Seeing his attack fail, a flicker of surprise crossed Ji Li’s eyes. Jiang Yingqiao’s Resilience was quite impressive.
But that was all it was—a little interesting.
He didn’t press the attack. Time was precious, and there was no need to waste too much energy on a tough nut to crack.
His gaze shifted, and he locked onto another target: a male student refining a large golden Bell.
SWISH!
Ji Li’s figure flashed, appearing directly above the student as he ruthlessly brought down his Primordial Magnetic Reprint.
A mere dozen moves later.
The student spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked down at the large Bell in his hands, its Spirituality now greatly diminished, then glanced up at the Demon God-like Ji Li. A flicker of despair and resolve crossed his eyes.
"Take it! I don’t want it anymore!"
Knowing he was no match, he hastily severed his connection to its Spiritual Power, tossed the large Bell aside, and turned to sprint toward the distant area where some Middle-Grade Dharma Artifacts were still up for grabs.
Better to live to fight another day.
If he had stayed and gotten seriously injured by Ji Li, then he would have truly been finished.
Ji Li reached out and caught the Bell. With a satisfied smile, he turned to find his next prey.
「Meanwhile.」
"Phew..."
Chu Bai let out a long sigh of relief. The crimson ring at his feet had finally stabilized completely, establishing a faint but tangible connection with his consciousness.
The Fire Element Ring was fully refined!
He glanced behind him. Wu Jianfei, who should have been in hot pursuit, was nowhere to be seen.
"Brother Wu, no need to give chase! This item is mine now!"
Chu Bai called out, his voice carrying a great distance, empowered by his Spiritual Power.
But there was no reply.
It turned out that when Wu Jianfei saw Chu Bai’s sudden burst of speed and rapid refinement progress, he knew further pursuit would be futile. Stubbornly clashing with Chu Bai would only make him miss out on other opportunities.
So, the burly man had decisively turned back halfway through the chase to snatch another unclaimed Upper-Grade Fire Hammer.
’He’s a practical one.’
Chu Bai averted his gaze. He wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he stood on a patch of high ground, his eyes scanning the entire field like lightning.
The rule for the first round was simple: finders, keepers. There was no limit on how many artifacts one person could take.
As long as you were capable enough, no one would stop you even if you snatched up every single Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact on the field.
’Many people are still fighting over the Upper-Grade Dharma Artifacts, but as time passes, plenty of them are realizing they aren’t strong enough. They’re settling for second best and have started refining the ignored Middle-Grade Dharma Artifacts.’
’In some of the other skirmishes, the victor is already clear; the strong have been separated from the weak.’
Chu Bai glanced into the distance.
The Earth Element Treasure Armor he had coveted earlier was currently being fought over by three people. The fierce one taking on the other two like a man possessed was none other than Lü Qing.
’I’m not getting involved with Senior Brother Lü. That Treasure Armor is as good as his.’
Chu Bai’s gaze roamed until it settled on a low-lying area to the left of the wasteland.
There, a palm-sized bronze Small Tripod radiated a simple, weighty aura. It was clearly an exceptional Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact.
But right now, the two people fighting over this Small Tripod were locked in an incredibly awkward stalemate.
The two were evenly matched in strength; one was a Water Element user, the other an Earth Element user.
They had been fighting back and forth for a long time, neither able to gain the upper hand. Ownership of the Small Tripod kept changing hands, swept away by a torrent of water one moment, only to be intercepted by an earthen wall the next.
This meant neither of them could settle down to refine it, so the Restriction on the Small Tripod was still completely intact.
’The sandpiper and the clam are fighting?’
A smile touched the corners of Chu Bai’s lips.
’Then I’ll be the fisherman.’
BOOM!
Flames erupted from the Fire Element Ring at his feet. Chu Bai became a streak of red light, using the terrifying boost in speed to dive toward the battle like a hawk swooping down on a rabbit.
In the low-lying area, the battle was at its peak.
The two Cultivators fighting over the bronze Small Tripod were locked in a heated struggle when they suddenly felt a scorching heat wave wash over them.
They turned to see a crimson streak of light hurtling toward them like a falling meteor. The raw, undisguised intent to seize victory radiating from it made both of their hearts skip a beat.

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