The competition grounds of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion were set up in the Artifact Forging Hall adjacent to the main hall.
From the outside, the Artifact Forging Hall appeared to be an ordinary building, but upon entering, one would realize it was a hidden world of its own.
Wen Shuangbai stood among over a hundred disciples in the spacious hall, listening to the elder explain the rules of the competition while her gaze instinctively wandered to either side.
To the right was the storage room of the Artifact Forging Hall, where towering black wooden cabinets stretched endlessly into the depths like rows of terracotta warriors, their boundaries unseen in the distance.
To the left were the forging chambers, their doors now all open, revealing inside a simple setup—a workbench, a wooden chair, and a small bed, each chamber no more than six or seven square meters in size.
And directly behind the elder stood an enormous round table, upon which lay hundreds of sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
"Listen carefully, I will only say this once!"
The presiding elder was Shentu Ming, the overseer of the Artifact Forging Hall and a direct disciple of the Pavilion Master of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.
At the same time, Elder Shentu had once been defeated by Wen Shuangbai’s father in the past.
Of course, times had changed, and now her father was the one who had lost to Elder Shentu.
Elder Shentu announced, "This competition will last seven days. Each disciple must select two artifacts from the Hundred Artifacts Compendium and forge them into an entirely new artifact—merging two into one."
As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples erupted in uproar.
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
"Merge two into one? Did I hear that right? Even three months wouldn’t be enough for me to pull this off, let alone seven days! How is this year’s competition so difficult?"
"Ahhh, I’m doomed! I can barely forge the artifacts listed in the Hundred Artifacts Compendium as it is, and now I have to create something entirely new? Impossible!"
"Which elder came up with this competition theme? I remember previous years just involved drawing lots to decide what to forge."
"..."
Wen Shuangbai’s expression remained calm.
But inwardly, she was also puzzled.
She had indeed prepared based on the previous years’ competition formats, never expecting the difficulty to spike so drastically this time.
In the original novel, this phase of the plot had focused mainly on the second round of the competition, while the first rounds for each pavilion were only briefly mentioned.
But it didn’t matter—if it was difficult for her, it was difficult for everyone else too.
No difference there.
"Silence! What’s all this noise? If you think it’s too hard, you can leave right now!" Elder Shentu snorted coldly, waiting for the disciples to quiet down before continuing, "Decide what you want to merge and what materials you’ll need. Write them down on the paper behind me, then go to the storage room on the right to collect your materials from your senior brothers and sisters. Once you have everything, proceed to the forging chambers on the left."
Elder Shentu emphasized sternly, "Listen well—once you enter the forging chamber, you may not leave until you’re done. Stepping out means your competition is over! So make sure you’ve accounted for every material you’ll need beforehand. If you realize later that something’s missing, there will be no second chances!"
Oh?
Wen Shuangbai’s eyes gleamed faintly.
What if... she took extra?
After all, forging artifacts was never a one-time success. There were bound to be losses during the process, right?
"Considering potential wastage, you may take additional materials within reason." Elder Shentu paused, as if well aware of the schemes brewing in the disciples’ minds, and added with a sinister smile, "But wasting or hoarding materials is disgraceful. The elders will determine your ranking based on the total materials you used and the final artifact you produce. Understood?"
Wen Shuangbai understood perfectly, but some disciples clearly still had questions and raised their hands.
Elder Shentu’s patience wore thin. "If you understood, get started. If not, get lost! I said I’d only say it once!"
The disciples with raised hands: "..."
They awkwardly lowered their arms.
Elder Shentu barked, "From this moment on, no talking! Anyone who speaks will be disqualified!"
The vast Artifact Forging Hall fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Wen Shuangbai moved with the crowd to the table, picked up a brush and paper, and began contemplating how to excel in this competition.
If she wanted to rank within the top ten, she couldn’t settle for something conventional—it had to be unique enough to stand out among over a hundred submissions.
And she had to be confident she could pull it off within the seven-day limit.
Without hesitation, Wen Shuangbai thought of the Thousand-Leaf Blade.
But what could she merge it with?
The results of the first round were closely tied to the second round.
For artifact-crafting disciples, the second round permitted only one artifact—the one they forged in the first round.
Closing her eyes, Wen Shuangbai rapidly reviewed all the artifacts listed in the Hundred Artifacts Compendium, mentally pairing them to find the most suitable combination.
Meanwhile, a dozen or so disciples acted swiftly, writing down their material lists almost the instant Elder Shentu gave the signal to begin.
From his elevated seat, Shentu Ming observed them with sharp eyes.
These disciples were the most talented of their generation. While others still struggled to forge artifacts using the methods described in manuals, they had long since begun innovating on their own.
Thus, the challenge of merging two artifacts was no difficulty for them—their minds were already brimming with dozens of ideas.
Soon, disciples began moving about, and as time passed, the shuffling grew louder as more and more finished writing.
The remaining disciples, still stuck in the planning phase, grew increasingly anxious. Some scratched their heads in frustration, others knocked over chairs and tables, crumpled paper repeatedly, or tossed discarded drafts aside—filling the hall with noise and tension.
But Wen Shuangbai remained unaffected.
She continued her quiet deliberation.
In her view, deciding what to forge was the most crucial step of this competition.
A single misstep could lead to irreversible mistakes.
Half an hour later, only about thirty disciples remained stuck in the first stage, their faces twisted in distress.
Wen Shuangbai opened her eyes, picked up her brush, and swiftly filled seven pages before decisively turning to collect her materials.
Shentu Ming glanced at her.
The daughter of Wen Dafeng—he remembered her as another good-for-nothing, a shame given her third-grade fire spirit bone.
—
Time passed minute by minute.
By the third day, disciples began emerging from the forging chambers.
Some walked out dejected and in tears, others brimming with confidence—each bearing their own joy or sorrow.
Some left the Artifact Forging Hall immediately, while others chose to stay, waiting in the main hall for the results to be announced.
At Qingling Mountain, the rules dictated that the rankings for the first round must be announced within one hour of the competition’s conclusion.
On the seventh day, as the final quarter-hour of the competition approached, the main hall was packed with disciples who had already finished.
Elder Shentu was absent, and with other elders overseeing the proceedings, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. The disciples chatted animatedly.
After all, once the forging chamber doors were shut, no sound from outside could penetrate.
"How many are still inside?"
"About a dozen or so."
"Senior Brother Zhang and Junior Brother Li haven’t come out yet. But knowing them, they can’t even forge the simplest sword—they’re probably crying in there right now, haha..."
The crowd burst into laughter.
"They should’ve taken my approach—admit defeat early and just walk out!"
"Exactly! What’s the point of pretending to work hard now when they never put in the effort before?"
"...Senior Brother Baili hasn’t come out either."
"Exactly! I heard Senior Brother Baili only arrived yesterday afternoon, covered in blood!"
Someone gasped. "That means he had less than a day. Can he even finish in time?"
"That’s Bai Lijue we’re talking about. Anything’s possible with him—he’s a first-grade Fire Spirit Bone!"
"But Senior Brother Baili is injured. Hard to say..."
In a corner nearby stood two senior brothers who worked in the storeroom.
One of them suddenly remarked coldly, "That man’s daughter hasn’t come out yet either."
Wen Feng held an awkward position in the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.
Though he held the title of elder, his disgraceful actions had led everyone to avoid addressing him as such. Yet, as juniors, it was improper to call him by name directly, so they referred to him as "that man."
Five years had passed since those events, and most disciples aged fifteen to twenty had joined during that time, so they weren’t fully aware of Wen Feng’s past.
But the older disciples remembered well.
"I saw her when she came to collect materials from you. I forgot to ask—what did she take? Seven pages’ worth! That’s way too much!"
"Right? Do you know how long it took me to gather everything? Exhausting. Most of it was for crafting Thousand Leaf Blades. Guess she expected to fail a lot."
"Some things never change. Five years, and she still has no self-awareness. Thousand Leaf Blades? And a fused dual version at that. Who does she think she is?"
"That’s just her—arrogant, always acting like she’s special because her father’s an elder. Never mind what kind of disgrace he is."
Before they could continue, Shentu Ming arrived.
In an instant, the hall fell dead silent. Not a single word was uttered.
At the hour of Si, the bell signaling the end of the competition rang.
On the final chime, Wen Shuangbai pushed open the door of the forging chamber, staggering out while leaning against the wall.
Her face was deathly pale, her eyes hollow, as if completely drained.
Honestly, to squeeze every last bit of free materials from the sect, she had exhausted every ounce of her mental and spiritual energy, fighting until the very last second.
Almost simultaneously, the door of the chamber opposite hers opened, and a figure emerged.
Sensing movement, she looked up—but before she could clearly see the person’s face, they swayed and collapsed toward her!
Wen Shuangbai’s eyelids twitched, a surge of danger flashing through her mind.
With her spiritual energy depleted, if this grown man crashed into her, the back of her head would hit the ground… What if her brain got damaged? Medical bills weren’t cheap!
In the blink of an eye, she mustered the last of her physical strength and dodged to the side.
BANG!
The man slammed into the spot where she’d just stood, his head smacking against the threshold. A few streaks of blood oozed from his scalp.
Wen Shuangbai: "..."
See? Artifact cultivators were fragile. Brains got hurt so easily.
She gave him a sympathetic glance and was about to help when two people rushed out of nowhere, shoving her aside without a word.
"Young Master! Young Master, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
One of them checked Bai Lijue’s injuries, then glared at Wen Shuangbai and snapped, "Was it so hard to catch him? What’s your name? Which family are you from? If anything happens to our young master, the Bai Clan will make sure you regret it!"
Wen Shuangbai: "?"
She was genuinely impressed.
Wow. They could even blame her for this?
Good thing she dodged.
So this was Bai Lijue.
Her sympathy vanished. With a frosty smile, she replied, "Better remember this well—your grandma’s name is Wen Shuangbai!"
The man was livid. Forgetting even his young master, he summoned a massive iron hammer out of thin air, snarling about teaching her a lesson.
Wen Shuangbai: "You unfilial brat, daring to rebel against the heavens?"
After delivering that bold insult, she immediately crouched, shielding her head with both arms, and yelled, "The Bai Clan is murdering people! Elder Shentu, save me!!!"
Shentu Ming: "..."
The elder, who disliked both the Bai and Wen families, finally intervened. With just a glance, the Bai clansman and his hammer vanished into thin air.
Shentu Ming growled, "As a competition overseer, attacking a disciple is punishable by the revocation of cultivation and expulsion from Qingling Mountain!"
His words left the surroundings deathly silent.
Disciples held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.
The other Bai clansman, who hadn’t acted, narrowly escaped punishment.
He shot Wen Shuangbai a hateful glare but said nothing, silently carrying Bai Lijue away.
Wen Shuangbai straightened up and gave Shentu Ming a deep bow, declaring loudly, "Many thanks to Elder Shentu for upholding justice! Your impartiality and profound cultivation inspire deep admiration in this disciple!"
Everyone else: "..."
Shentu Ming: "..."
With her leading the charge, the others had no choice but to follow suit.
Exchanging glances, they bowed in unison.
"Elder Shentu’s impartiality and profound cultivation inspire deep admiration in us all!"
Faced with this, what could Shentu Ming do?
He said nothing, merely straightened his posture slightly, lifted his chin, and waved a hand after the disciples finished. "Enough. Wait quietly for the results."
---
Next door in the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion’s main hall, an elderly woman sipped her floral tea and suddenly chuckled.
Someone nearby asked curiously, "Pavilion Master, what’s the matter?"
The old woman blew on her tea. "Nothing. Since it’s over, have them deliver the results promptly."
"Yes, Pavilion Master."
This competition had 156 participating disciples, yielding 98 artifacts.
The artifacts were anonymized, and the elders deliberated to rank them.
At this stage of cultivation, the quality of the artifacts was obvious to the elders, so the results were finalized quickly.
When Shentu Ming went to retrieve the rankings, he found the other elders gathered around one artifact, murmuring with mixed expressions.
"This one is… shameless. That’s the only word for it."
"But you have to admit, it’s eye-catching."
"Which disciple made this? They’ve got quite the personality."
"You’ll never guess. The name will shock you."
The elders scoffed.
"Go on, say it."
"If it doesn’t shock me, you owe me a drink."
"..."
Shentu Ming paused. "Who’s buying me a drink?"
The elders: "None of your business. Go announce the results."
"What’s got you all so worked up? Let me see!" Ignoring them, Shentu Ming shoved through the crowd and took a look. His face twisted. "...Truly shameless."
---
"The results should be out soon. Who do you think took first place?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Senior Brother Baili, of course!"
"Not necessarily. You saw how he looked earlier. My bet’s either Senior Brother Liu Qi or Senior Sister Tang Yin."
"..."
Wen Shuangbai found a quiet corner and sat cross-legged on the floor, circulating the Yaoling Heart Technique while waiting for the results.
She had recently discovered that this technique was quite remarkable—consistent practice not only strengthened the body but also restored spiritual energy, with effects only slightly inferior to consuming Spirit-Restoring Pills.
So, for this competition, while other disciples carried various elixirs, Wen Shuangbai’s pockets were empty except for the essential Fasting Pills.
By the seventh cycle of the Yaoling Heart Technique, Shentu Ming returned. He cast a deep glance at Wen Shuangbai in the corner and announced, "The results of this competition are as follows: First place, Tang Yin. Second place, Liu Qi.…"
Wen Shuangbai listened attentively, unsurprised.
These individuals were seasoned disciples who had cultivated for years, steadily honing their skills. It was only natural their results surpassed hers.
After all, she had only crammed for a month.
Though she was satisfied with the magical artifact she had crafted, she acknowledged that some aspects still lacked refinement—something that required time to perfect.
"...Sixth place," Shentu Ming paused, then uttered a name that took everyone by surprise. "Wen Shuangbai."
Most of the audience were new disciples, unfamiliar with the name at first.
But earlier, when Wen Shuangbai had clashed with the Bai Li family, her bold declaration—"Listen here, Grandma!"—had echoed clearly through the hall.
Many had privately admired her audacity.
After all, the Bai Li family was the foremost lineage in artifact crafting on the Xuantian Continent—not one to be trifled with!
"Seventh place, Bai Lijue…" Shentu Ming hastily read out the remaining names before sweeping his sleeves and departing.
"Did I hear that right?" someone murmured in disbelief after Shentu Ming left. "Senior Brother Baili only got seventh…"
"Seventh is already generous. In previous years, he wouldn’t have ranked at all. He was six days late!"
"True, but it’s still hard to believe…"
"Who is this Wen Shuangbai? Never heard of her before, yet she took sixth! Impressive!"
"I’d love to see what she crafted, but we’ll have to wait for the second round."
"And she dared to stand up to the Bai Li family like that… I—I really like her," someone whispered.
"Don’t get carried away. That one… well, it’s a long story. Just stay away from her. Her entire sect is… unconventional."
The "unconventional" Wen Shuangbai completed her final cycle of the heart technique, fully rejuvenated.
She sprang up nimbly, retrieved her Mystic Heaven Mirror, and immediately checked for updates from her junior sister—hoping to learn whether her shifu’s eldest disciple had made it back in time.
Good news: he had returned and even secured a decent ranking.
Bad news: he was severely injured, unconscious, and currently receiving treatment.
