Chapter 176

Chapter 176: A Stunning Debut

Lou Yun reached out and caught that single petal while the others drifted down to the ground. He then tore off the cotton cloth covering his eyes and the cotton plugs in his ears. Smiling at Yang Mengqiu, he asked, "Is this the one?"

To ensure fairness, even though these petals were formed from spiritual energy, they remained visible after touching the ground. This allowed everyone to verify which petal was the lightest. Naturally, Yang Mengqiu knew the answer best. Staring at the petal held between Lou Yun’s fingers and hearing his question, the seductive smile vanished from her face, replaced by undisguised shock. After a long moment, she finally nodded. "Yes!"

Though Yang Mengqiu was acting under Fan Ruobing’s orders to deliberately trouble Lou Yun, she wouldn’t dare lie outright before so many witnesses. After all, besides Lou Yun, others surely could have used their spiritual perception to detect the lightest petal.

Silence hung over Yao Lin Valley for several seconds before Lei Nu let out an excited roar: "Master! You’re incredible!"

Immediately, the crowd snapped out of their stunned state, erupting into thunderous cheers. While few knew Lou Yun personally, his formidable spiritual perception alone earned their deep respect and admiration.

Amid the roaring applause, Lou Yun smiled and nodded graciously to those around him. Then, with a relaxed motion of his fingers, the petal he held floated steadily as if supported by invisible hands, gliding before Yang Mengqiu. Having regained her composure, she caught it with her own fingers and gave a charming smile. "Young man, the power of your spiritual perception is truly breathtaking."

After speaking, she blew softly. Instantly, all the petals on the ground rose into the air, coalescing into a complete, exquisite flower that then vanished into her body. Her magical weapon was a flower!

Yang Mengqiu turned and swayed her hips back to her seat. Short Winter Melon opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately closed it without uttering a word, slinking back to his own place.

Fan Ruobing had intended to embarrass Lou Yun with this stunt, making him lose face. Instead, not only did he not humiliate Lou Yun, he had orchestrated his resounding triumph. This unexpected turn left Fan Ruobing seething, his face dark and stormy. He glared fixedly at Lou Yun, frantically scheming for other ways to cause trouble.

The happiest person, of course, was Beichen Ming. He grinned from ear to ear. With Lou Yun having won the recognition of many skilled weapon makers here, if he performed well in subsequent tests, announcing him as the successor would easily gain widespread acceptance!

With that, the first stage of the newcomers’ test concluded. Lou Yun’s dramatic emergence had ignited intense interest and anticipation for what was to come. Most eyes focused squarely on him.

Especially the higher-tier skilled weapon makers. They recognized Lou Yun as a rare and promising candidate for forging weapons. They were eager to observe his performance further. If Lou Yun showed remarkable capability in the spiritual energy test, they’d compete fiercely to recruit him. After all, a promising weapon maker’s future value was incalculable!

The method for the second test—assessing spiritual energy—had been decided temporarily. It was simple: Each participant was given a palm-sized piece of material resembling fabric. First, they had to ignite it with fire. Then, their task was to slow down its burning as much as possible—the slower it consumed, the better. However, the flame could not go out.

This evaluated the duration spiritual energy could sustain the fire while indirectly testing control over flame temperature.

Sound simple? It wasn’t. This fabric-like material was called Earth Silkworm Cotton. It was said to be woven from silk excreted by an animal called an Earth Silkworm. This cotton possessed a unique property: an extremely high ignition point, yet an extremely low melting point.

In short: hard to light, but once aflame, it burned away with terrifying speed! Only flawless control over flame temperature could prolong its burning time.

Because of Lou Yun’s presence, the crowd paid little attention to the other initiates. The first ninety-plus felt like a rushed formality. Few cared about their results, except those personally connected.

At last, it was Lou Yun’s turn again. Someone suggested he shouldn’t be grouped with others but tested alone. This idea won unanimous approval, so he was scheduled last. Only after everyone else finished did he step forward.

Lou Yun hadn’t encountered Earth Silkworm Cotton before, though he’d heard of it. Watching others test, he observed closely. Lighting it seemed easy for him. The real challenge lay in slowing the burn. Its melting point was lower than paper’s. Reducing the flame’s temperature the instant it ignited was crucial to delaying its complete incineration.

Of the hundred who tested before him, fewer than thirty managed to light the cotton. Every single one who succeeded saw it instantly turn to ash in their hands. Not one maintained the flame for longer than three seconds!

As Lou Yun took the Earth Silkworm Cotton, every gaze in the valley locked onto him.

Lou Yun smiled faintly. A soft whoosh sounded as he flicked his wrist. A slender flame sprang to life—the cotton was aflame!

But instead of vanishing instantly like the others, only the spot ignited continued burning steadily. The flame did not spread outward; it seemed frozen on that single corner.

Holding the cotton aloft, Lou Yun turned slowly, allowing everyone to witness the small, contained flame.

The crowd watched, breaths held, captivated by this miracle. The cotton… burned on. One minute… ten minutes…

This level of control, including even Beichen Ming, left them acknowledging their own inferiority. They simply couldn’t achieve it!

Absorbing the power of the Heavenly Fire Fusang had melded Lou Yun with Fusang Fire. Coupled with the healing abilities unique to Fusang Fire, with adequate spiritual energy, Lou Yun could sustain the flame indefinitely… while the Earth Silkworm Cotton remained impervious to complete destruction.

After a full quarter-hour, Lei Nu led the ecstatic cheers once more. Yao Lin Valley erupted into deafening applause!

Lou Yun’s performance in both tests left no doubt: He was an undeniable genius, possessing extraordinary potential for forging weapons. Many high-tier weapon makers were already rubbing their hands together, plotting how best to recruit him!

But it was then that Fan Ruobing abruptly stood up. In a flash, he appeared before Lou Yun, his voice icy: "Boy! Who exactly are you?"

The cheers sputtered out with Fan Ruobing’s sudden intervention. Those in the know understood this was deliberately aimed at Lou Yun. Those unaware looked bewildered, unsure why Fan Ruobing would confront him.

Facing Fan Ruobing’s challenge, Lou Yun gave a slight shake. The flame on the cotton vanished. Only a tiny burned corner was visible; the rest remained unscathed.

Handing the remaining cotton to an attendant, Lou Yun finally looked up. He met Fan Ruobing’s gaze without fear, his expression calm, a composed smile playing on his lips: "I’m just a newcomer here to take the skilled weapon maker test. Is there a problem, Master Fan?"

Fan Ruobing sneered. "A newcomer? Both your spiritual perception and your command of spiritual energy surpass most people here! Daring to call yourself a ‘newcomer’? Hmph! I think you’re an imposter! Infiltrating our forging conference with ulterior motives!"

Lou Yun remained serene. "Strong perception and refined control… wouldn’t they suggest I’m naturally suited to become a skilled weapon maker? If I’m an imposter, Master Fan, what do you suppose my ‘ulterior motives’ might be?"

Fan Ruobing’s harassment was blatant—he simply wanted to disrupt Lou Yun. That’s why he, a renowned figure, had charged onto the testing platform.

Cornered by Lou Yun’s calm counter-question, Fan Ruobing couldn’t answer directly. But he recovered quickly, his sneer deepening. "You claim you’re legitimate? Then show us your invitation! And where’s that companion of yours?"

Lou Yun hesitated, unwilling to drag Xu Yangteng into this. But before he could speak, Xu Yangteng stood up boldly himself, declaring: "I brought him in!"

"You!" Fan Ruobing swept his eye over Xu Yangteng with open contempt. "Don’t tell me you’re his master!"

Xu Yangteng flushed scarlet. Though a newly advanced third-grade skilled weapon maker, he lacked the courage to confront a sixth-tier master like Fan Ruobing. He could only respond loudly: "No! No… He’s my friend!"

"Friend?" Fan Ruobing barked a derisive laugh. "No offense meant, but his forging skill far surpasses yours! How could he be friends with someone beneath him? You’ve either been used by him… or you’re merely trying to ingratiate yourself…"

Fan Ruobing’s words choked in his throat. Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold pierced his body. Whipping his head around in alarm, he saw Lou Yun staring back, frost etched across his face. His eyes were dangerously sharp—twin icy blades pressed firmly against Fan Ruobing’s throat.