"Art is a lie that makes us realize truth." — Pablo Picasso
As the murmurs slowly faded, a figure stepped forward from the elders' seats.
It was External Elder Mu Rong, his broad robes swaying lightly as he came to the center of the platform. His gaze swept calmly across the gathered disciples.
"The next trial shall be Artifact Refinement."
"In this trial, each participant will be required to melt refined iron using controlled flame, then temper a magical beast core into it, forming a stable artifact base."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is not a simple test of skill. It will test precision, endurance, and control."
Elder Mu Rong paused before continuing, his tone sharpening.
"Be warned—during the cooling and fusion stage, instability may occur. If your control falters, the artifact may fracture… or explode."
A few disciples stiffened at the word.
"Those who lack confidence may withdraw now," he added calmly. "No shame lies in caution."
The air grew heavy.
Even the confident among them straightened unconsciously, fully aware that this trial would not forgive recklessness.
From the stands, Fang Zhengyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, while the two mothers exchanged worried glances.
The Artifact Refinement Trial began under a tense silence.
Refining platforms were arranged in a wide arc, each etched with stabilizing runes. A low hum filled the air as flames were ignited one by one. The materials—refined iron ingots and sealed magical beast cores—were distributed carefully under the watchful eyes of the elders.
The moment the trial began, Fang Qingsheng moved.
His movements were smooth and deliberate, almost effortless. With a gentle motion of his palm, the flame beneath his cauldron stabilized into a steady, pale-blue glow. The iron softened evenly, without distortion, and when he introduced the beast core, the energies harmonized instantly.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"So clean… no excess heat.""That level of control… impressive."
Within moments, the artifact core took shape—stable, refined, and perfectly balanced.
Even Elder Mu Rong nodded faintly.
"Excellent foundation," he murmured.
Next came Fang Yulin.
Unlike Qingsheng's elegance, Yulin's approach was firm and disciplined. His control was sharp, his rhythm unwavering. The iron glowed steadily as he tempered the core with careful precision. There was no wasted movement, no hesitation.
A solid result—reliable and strong.
Then, Fang Zhenyu stepped forward.
The air subtly shifted.
His flame surged more aggressively than the others, forcing several elders to narrow their eyes. Yet despite the intensity, his control never wavered. He guided the energy through sheer will, compressing the materials until the artifact stabilized with a low hum.
A faint tremor passed through the platform—but it held.
"He's forcing stability," someone muttered.
"Reckless… but effective."
From the stands, Fang Jianhong's gaze darkened slightly. Pride and concern intertwined.
The trial continued.
Several participants struggled. Some failed when the beast core cracked. Others were forced to withdraw as their flames destabilized.
When the dust finally settled, Elder Mu Rong stepped forward once more.
"The results are clear."
The jade board shimmered as new rankings appeared:
1st — Fang Qingsheng(50)
2nd — Fang Yulin(40)
3rd — Fang Zhenyu(30)
4th — Fang Lianyu(25)
5th — Fang Yushenjin(20)
6th — Zhao Xian(15)
7th — Fang Liang(14)
8th —Fang Shenchao(13)
9th — Fang Chen(12)
10th — Fang Ming(11)
11th—Fang Liwei(10)
12—Fang Ruoxlin(9)
A quiet wave of murmurs swept the crowd.
From the stands, Fang Zhengyuan exhaled slowly. His gaze lingered on his sons—both had held their ground, even if they stood below the top ranks.
Beside him, the mothers watched in silence. Relief softened their expressions, pride glimmering beneath concern.
Elder Mu Rong did not allow the murmurs to linger for long.
He raised his hand, and the glowing rankings slowly faded from the jade board. The air shifted again—this time heavier, quieter, as though even the breath of the crowd was being restrained.
He said calmly, "step back. The next trial begins now."
"This is the Formation Test," Elder Mu Rong's voice echoed through the darkness.
"This test measures not talent alone, but comprehension, patience, and control."
With a wave of his sleeve, several stone platforms rose from the ground. Upon each platform rested a formation core, stacks of spirit stones, and several jade slips engraved with formation scripts.
"The goal is simple," Elder Mu Rong said evenly."Create a functional and stable formation capable of withstanding an external attack."
He gestured toward the jade slips.
"You may choose one script only. Examples include the Golden Shield Array or the Whirlwind Sword Array. Once chosen, you will have one hour to construct the formation and activate it."
A pause.
"If your formation collapses upon activation… you fail."
The pressure instantly became tangible.
Some disciples hesitated, scanning the scripts nervously.
The moment the hourglass was turned, spiritual energy flared throughout the hall.
Formation flags were placed. Spirit stones embedded. Lines of qi flickered uncertainly as candidates struggled to maintain balance.
Mistakes appeared quickly.
One disciple misaligned a node—his array sputtered and collapsed instantly.
Another overfed spirit energy, causing his formation to detonate in a harmless but humiliating burst of light.
Among them, Fang Yushenjun moved differently.
He did not rush.
After briefly scanning the scripts, he chose the Golden Shield Array, then calmly knelt and began placing his formation nodes with meticulous precision.
His movements were smooth, almost elegant.
Rather than forcing energy through the array, he allowed the flow to guide him—adjusting angles by mere finger-widths, aligning each node with invisible currents in the air.
As his formation activated, a soft golden barrier shimmered into existence.
Stable. Silent. Perfectly balanced.
A testing pulse struck the shield.
It didn't even ripple.
A quiet breath passed through the audience.
"That level of stability…" someone whispered.
Fang Ruoxin managed to stabilize a Whirlwind Sword Array after several failed attempts, sweat lining her brow.
Fang Lianyu nearly lost control when her formation destabilized but managed to salvage it at the last moment.
Fang Zhenyu forced his array into form with raw spiritual power — effective, but crude, leaving visible cracks in its structure.
Others were not so fortunate.
Several formations collapsed outright.
Some participants were forced to withdraw, faces pale with exhaustion.
From the viewing platform, Fang Zhengyuan observed quietly.
The two women beside him watched with tightly clenched hands, anxiety flickering in their eyes as their sons struggled.
Yet when Fang Yushenjun's formation stabilized fully, glowing with serene brilliance, even they could not deny the difference.
Elder Mu Rong stepped forward, eyes resting briefly on the golden formation.
"A stable array, balanced flow, minimal energy loss," he said calmly."Excellent."
He turned his gaze toward the others.
"Only those whose formations endured may proceed."
The message was clear.
Among the younger generation, Fang Yushenjun had stood apart — not through force, but through mastery.
1st — Fang Yushenjin(50)
2nd — Fang Ruoxlin(40)
3rd — Fang Lianyu(30)
4th —Fang Zhenyu (25)
5th —Fang Qingsheng (20)
6th — Fang Yulin(15)
7th — Fang Liang(14)
8th —Fang Shenchao(13)
9th — Fang Ming(12)
10th —Fang Chen (11)
11th—Fang Liwei(10)
12—Zhao Xian(9)
Elder Mu Rong raised his hand, the air still vibrating with residual energy from the formations.
"The trials for today are concluded," he announced calmly. "All disciples will be given a break. Rest, hydrate, and recover your strength."
Elder Mu Rong's gaze swept across the gathered crowd, sharp and deliberate. "However," he continued, "the next stage will test a different skill—the one-to-one duels. Only the top twelve from today's trials will advance to these matches. There, your strength, strategy, and mastery will be measured directly against your peers."