1524 Smithing Competition

"I'm glad you both agree. Let's do something that won't take too long and is fair across the board." Tian Qiyuan said.

He continued, "Before I give my suggestion, let me hear yours first."

The two of them began pondering.

A few moments later, Eternal Blacksmith spoke up, "How about each of us craft five Empyrean-grade treasures with the same materials? The one with the most success wins. If there's a tie, the quality will determine the outcome."

"That will take too long. Let's just see which of us can craft the highest grade and quality weapon." Heaven and Earth Blacksmith proposed.

Both tried to gain a slight advantage over each other, as Eternal Blacksmith was confident in his higher success rate, and Heaven and Earth Blacksmith was confident in his slightly superior quality.

Tian Qiyuan, after carefully listening to their suggestions, took ideas from both and proposed, "How about we craft a weapon of every grade from Spirit-grade to Empyrean-grade? We will all receive the same material for every weapon, but how we use it will be dependent on our own expertise."

Heaven and Earth Blacksmith and Eternal Blacksmith exchanged glances with each other before nodding their heads.

"Let's schedule this match half a year from now. For the time being, we can give the Void Meteoroid Core to someone trustworthy to hold. If they dare covet it, we'll work together to destroy them. How does that sound?" Tian Qiyuan said a moment later.

"Who can we trust the Void Meteoroid Core to?" Heaven and Earth Blacksmith asked.

"I will do it!" Zi Xuan suddenly spoke up.

"I am Zi Xuan, one of nine Unrivaled Swords from the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect." Zi Xuan quickly volunteered to hold it.

"The Sword Goddess, huh? I trust the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect enough, so I have no problem." Eternal Blacksmith said.

"If you're okay with them, I don't mind letting them hold the Void Meteoroid Core." Heaven and Earth Blacksmith agreed.

"Then it's settled."

Tian Qiyuan grabbed the Void Meteoroid Core before tossing it to Zi Xuan.

"What about the location?" Eternal Blacksmith suddenly asked.

"I'll let you two decide." Tian Qiyuan said.

"How about the Grand Elder Summit? It's a hotspot for blacksmiths with plenty of competitions around the year." Heaven and Earth Blacksmith suggested.

"That sounds good. Let's use the Grand Elder Summit for our competition." Eternal Blacksmith agreed with the location.

He continued, "What about the materials?"

"I'll supply them." Tian Qiyuan calmly said.

"I will also throw in some materials." Heaven and Earth Blacksmith said.

"In that case, I will do the same."

"Good, then I'll see you both at the Grand Elder Summit in half a year." Tian Qiyuan left the scene with Zi Xuan shortly after.

Eternal Blacksmith and Heaven and Earth Blacksmith disappeared soon after, leaving the others utterly dumbfounded and dispirited, feeling as though their existences didn't even matter.

The upcoming match between the top three Divine Blacksmiths quickly spread through the Nine Heavens like wildfire, especially among blacksmiths.

Matches between Divine Blacksmiths were rare events, so one could imagine the excitement when news spread of a three-

way competition between the three most famous Divine Blacksmiths of their era.

Moreover, this match would finally answer a question that had been debated for thousands of years: which of them was the best?

Soon, the Grand Elder Summit became immensely crowded with people eager to witness the upcoming match. It was to the point where it became nearly impossible to walk in the streets without bumping into others or being bumped in every direction.

Even major sects and many famous families showed up just to spectate the match.

Half a year later, Tian Qiyuan made his way to the Grand Elder Summit.

When he arrived, Heaven and Earth Blacksmith and Eternal Blacksmith were already waiting at the peak of the summit, where the match would take place. Zi Xuan was also there with the Void Meteoroid Core, but she was not alone. The Sect Master of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect was also there to represent the sect, as well as the other eight Unrivaled Swords.

Since Zi Xuan gave their sect this opportunity to shine, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

The number of spectators was massive, enough to make Tian Qiyuan's previous auction look tiny in comparison. Moreover, influential figures from most of the top families and sects in the Eighth Heaven and Ninth Heaven were present, something that rarely happens.

In the center was a large arena with all of the necessary equipment for the competitors to craft their treasures.

Not far away were three large piles of materials, enough to craft a treasure of each grade with some leftovers.

"Thank you all for coming to witness this historic event." Eternal Blacksmith spoke in a loud voice shortly after Tian Qiyuan arrived.

"Over the next few weeks, the three of us will be showcasing our smithing experience to the whole world and, at the same time, competing with each other for the Void Meteoroid Core."

"We will be crafting one weapon for each grade, all the way up to Empyrean-grade. We all have the same amount and type of materials, but how we distribute and utilize these materials will be entirely at our discretion."

"We will be judged on our speed, success rate, and quality, and we must successfully create a weapon of every grade in order to be judged, so failing to create a single treasure means an automatic disqualification."

"Before we begin, we shall give a brief introduction of our background and experience."

Eternal Blacksmith began talking about his background. He spoke of his earlier days as an apprentice blacksmith, what caused him to choose such a path, how long it'd taken him to reach his current level, and all sorts of personal achievements that were unknown to the public until today.

Despite calling it a brief introduction, Eternal Blacksmith ended up talking for two hours straight. However, nobody minded, as this was valuable information about one of the most respected and skilled blacksmiths in the entire Nine Heavens.