1530 God of Creation Ceremony

"Exalted Blacksmith, huh? You're all that I've been hearing about lately. It's nice to meet you finally." Star Forging Blacksmith stood up and extended his arms to bow respectfully.

"There's no need to call us Seniors when you're already above us in terms of skills." Relentless Blacksmith said.

Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Tian Qiyuan's skills were already surpassing those of his elders. In their world, skill was the ultimate measure of seniority.

Fiery Heaven Blacksmith suddenly sneered, "Hmph. Is he really as good as they say? I know he won against Eternal Blacksmith and Heaven and Earth Blacksmith in a competition, but that doesn't mean much to me. I'm not convinced by you, Exalted Blacksmith. You came out of the blue with all of these ridiculous achievements. You're more suspicious than anything, and whatever you're hiding, I'll be sure to expose it."

"You can ignore him, Exalted Blacksmith. He's a very jealous man with a few missing brain cells. None of us takes him seriously." Silver Flame Blacksmith, the only female Divine Blacksmith, said with a smile on her face.

"The fuck did you just say, you silver-haired bitch?! I'll fucking kill you!" Fiery Heaven Blacksmith roared.

"As you can see, he truly lives up to his name with his fiery temper. But don't worry, he's all bark and no bite." Yin Yang Blacksmith laughed out loud.

"Exalted Blacksmith, come join me. I have a spot here for you and your friend." Eternal Blacksmith pointed at the seats beside him.

Tian Qiyuan nodded and sat beside him.

Once he was seated, Eternal Blacksmith asked him, "What do you think about Heaven and Earth Blacksmith's decision to perform his God of Creation Ceremony?"

"I can't really say since I don't know him well enough. What do you think? You've been rivals for a long time, right?" Tian Qiyuan said.

"Indeed, we've been rivals for the longest—ever since we were mere Apprentice Blacksmiths at the academy. Even during our time at the academy, he would always try to one-up me and end up screwing himself over. I want to say that it'll be different this time, but I truthfully don't think he's ready yet. However, I'd be more than happy if he proves me wrong." Eternal Blacksmith said.

Despite being rivals, the two of them were also friends.

"If he fails the God of Creation Ceremony this time, he'll only have one more chance left, which will put immense pressure on him." Silver Flame Blacksmith said.

All of the Divine Blacksmiths besides Tian Qiyuan have attempted the God of Creation Ceremony once, with Heaven and Earth Blacksmith attempting his second one.

"When will you perform your first God of Creation Ceremony, Exalted Blacksmith?" Star Forging Blacksmith inquired out of curiosity.

Tian Qiyuan smiled behind his mask and said, "It'll be a while before I attempt the God of Creation Ceremony."

"Hah! He can't even craft Celestial-grade treasures yet!" Fiery Heaven Blacksmith sneered.

Tian Qiyuan did not reveal that he'd already successfully crafted a Celestial-grade treasure, so only Zi Xuan was aware of this information. He only intended to do so when he was prepared for the God of Creation Ceremony.

Sometime later, Heaven and Earth Blacksmith showed up at the Grand Elder Summit with seven other individuals.

These individuals were from the Ancient Anvil Association, a vast community of blacksmiths. To be acknowledged as an official blacksmith, one must receive a permit from the Ancient Anvil Association.

The Elders of the Ancient Anvil Association must also be present to witness the God of Creation Ceremony. Only with their presence would it be considered legitimate.

Sometime later, one of the individuals from the Ancient Anvil Association hovered above the arena and spoke loudly, "Welcome to Heaven and Earth Blacksmith's second attempt at the God of Creation Ceremony. In order to be acknowledged as the God of Creation, one must have at least a 25 percent success rate. During the God of Creation Ceremony, Heaven and Earth Blacksmith will attempt to craft 25 Celestial-grade treasures, and he has 100 attempts to do so."

Due to the number of Celestial-grade treasures that must be crafted, the God of Creation Ceremony typically lasts over a century.

"Now, Heaven and Earth Blacksmith will give a brief speech."

Heaven and Earth Blacksmith rose into the air before speaking, "I am aware that my God of Creation Ceremony may appear rushed, but I guarantee you that's not the case, and I will prove it to you by becoming the next God of Creation!"

When Heaven and Earth Blacksmith spoke, his gaze remained on Eternal Blacksmith for the longest.

Heaven and Earth Blacksmith kept his speech short and immediately began preparing for the God of Creation Ceremony.

"Heaven and Earth Blacksmith will now be given one year to prepare." The Ancient Anvil Association announced.

Then, a Tier 8 Array Master appeared to create a formation around Heaven and Earth Blacksmith to prevent any disturbance.

Once Heaven and Earth Blacksmith closed his eyes, the audience immediately began speaking with each other while many of them also closed their eyes to cultivate.

"Heaven and Earth Blacksmith seems pretty confident."

"Maybe he's just putting up the act."

"Have some faith in him, will y'all?"

Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan closed his eyes to practice inside his head.

"I'm going to cultivate. You don't need to wait for me," he said to Zi Xuan, who nodded.

Most people tend to watch the God of Creation Ceremony for a few days to weeks before leaving. After all, nobody was expected to witness the entire ceremony, which could last for over a century.

While all individuals from the Ancient Anvil Association must be present, only three are required to watch the ceremony, so they take turns watching Heaven and Earth Blacksmith while the others cultivate.

A year later, the Heaven and Earth Blacksmith emerged from his cultivation and began crafting his first Celestial-grade treasure, marking the commencement of the God of Creation Ceremony.

"So it's finally begun…" Eternal Blacksmith mumbled as he prepared himself to watch the entire ceremony without missing a moment.