The morning's competition concluded as scheduled. From the expressions of the audience, judges, and other participants, it was clear that the matches had left them deeply astonished.
"His... is just too massive!"
"Truly worthy of the title 'Divine Hamr Little Tyrant'—to possess such a terrifying physique!"
"Eep, no wonder they say he's a blessing to his wife..."
"Sothing's off. No matter how talented he is, how can a seventeen-year-old achieve this? Seventeen and already built like that?"
"Right! And right after the match, he shrank back into a scrawny guy. I suspect he used performance-enhancing drugs!"
"But the organizers already checked. There's no trace of Divine Strength Powder in his system."
The venue of the Armant Forging Grand Competition buzzed with endless chatter.
Not just the judges' panel—the entire crowd was abuzz with discussions. After all, the "Rivers and Mountains Scroll" had projected the scenes across the entire Imperial Capital, even replaying them repeatedly.
After another round of advertisents, the host turned to the judges for their opinions.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what are your thoughts?"
"In my view, that was not his own power, nor even a strength belonging to the Observation Divine Realm. rely borrowed might," Jiang Yu remarked, narrowing his eyes at the images in the sky.
He pondered—could Li Mo wield such power consistently?
That physique alone was already on par with a True Dragon Body!
However...
While the True Dragon Body was fearso in form, its strength wasn't limited to re physicality—it held many other divine wonders.
Jiang Yu maintained his position atop the Hidden Dragon Ranking not solely through physique. For Li Mo to surpass him even slightly in one aspect was already remarkable.
A pity... that this man dared to bring Jiang Chulong back with him.
"In my opinion, the Divine Hamr Little Tyrant might have cultivated a unique martial art rather than relying on external aids," Du Wufeng unexpectedly countered, despite having agreed to forge an armant for Jiang Yu.
"Many with imnsely powerful physiques appear frail at a glance. Why?"
"Because such overwhelming strength constantly weighs upon them. Every movent burns vitality, placing imnse strain on the body. Thus, when not in use, they retract their qi and blood."
"For example... take !"
BOOM—
Thunderous roars erupted as Du Wufeng's qi and blood surged like raging rivers, his presence blazing like a scorching sun.
A pillar of energy erupted from his body, its oppressive might akin to towering divine peaks.
The unassuming old man seed to shed his mortal shell in an instant, growing two heads taller than an average man. The sheer pressure of his physique far surpassed what Li Mo had displayed earlier.
Du Wufeng—sixth realm, peak of the Law Body stage.
His path was that of Force.
The arena fell into stunned silence.
Though Du Wufeng's aura was far more overwhelming, its nature seed eerily similar to the scenes replayed in the Rivers and Mountains Scroll.
But... how could soone in the Observation Divine Realm already comprehend the Great Dao? ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ɴovelfire
Yet with Du Wufeng vouching for it, the skeptics gradually quieted.
"We will now announce the results of the preliminary round."
"A total of one hundred artisans have been selected to advance to the second round—the forging of divine armants."
---
anwhile, in the resting area for the craftsn...
"Brother Li, what kind of... goods were you using?" Lu Zhuang, now back to his scrawny self, whispered cautiously.
"Don't spout nonsense. What goods?" Li Mo, also returned to his normal build, wore the expression of an upright gentleman.
"Everything I've achieved is through sweat and hard work."
"Heh... we're all friends here. No need to keep secrets. You can fool others, but not your own, right? You finally took first place—why not give this old brother a leg up?"
"I've got a niece, quite pretty. Just share your thod, and I’ll let you... bless her."
Lu Zhuang pleaded with a mix of sincerity and suggestive eagerness.
"?"
Li Mo had only intended to play hard to get, but Lu Zhuang’s desperation surprised him.
"I can point you to the source. But after the Grand Competition, you’ll take sowhere."
"Where did you get that enhanced Heavenly Sovereign instant noodles?"
Indeed, Li Mo planned to follow the trail.
Divine Strength Powder was no re banned substance—it had crossed into territory he couldn’t ignore.
This might yield substantial returns, but that wasn’t his focus.
As Li Mo had long declared—
He stood in eternal opposition to gambling and drugs!
After so hesitation, Lu Zhuang agreed for the sake of Li Mo’s promised "connection."
Another half-hour passed, and the first phase of the Grand Competition concluded. Li Mo, amid so controversy, had defeated master smiths and even forging grandmasters to claim the top spot.
After retrieving the "ice block" (Ying Bing) and Princess Jiang Chulong from the Sword Tomb, Li Mo prepared for the second round.
Before the true forging began, Du Wufeng—as a judge—ignited the sword furnace with the "Falling Star Fla" and took up his hamr. Under the gaze of the entire Imperial Capital, he would forge his first weapon since erging from seclusion.
A demonstration for all artisans.
And this blade would accompany Jiang Yu into the Hidden Dragon Ranking battles.
"Divine Smith Du once forged a Celestial Sword for Senior Shi Sujun, which still hangs in the Celestial City as a symbol of glory."
"After years in seclusion, surely he’ll surpass his past achievents?"
"With His Highness’s innate sword bones and a masterpiece forged by a divine smith, he’ll be unstoppable!"
"Divine Smith Du is selecting his materials now!"
Standing below, Li Mo also watched the Rivers and Mountains Scroll.
Du Wufeng glanced at him, and a voice rang in Li Mo’s ears:
"Kid, though I admire you, I won’t tarnish my reputation."
"Watch closely—this is how a true divine smith forges a weapon!"
A living divine smith.
In the prestige of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor, his status surpassed even the hall masters, second only to the sect leader.
CLANG!
The hamr shone like a blazing sun.
Though the glare stung, Li Mo refused to look away.
Steel erupted in a shower of sparks—as though the tal had turned pliant, resonating with the hamr’s strikes like a sponge.
Each blow squeezed out impurities like water.
This level of skill, honed through countless strikes, already surpassed Li Mo’s own "Divine Treasure Hundred Refinents" by a margin.
"A divine weapon has a soul. An armant is no dead object—to forge is to temper the heart."
"This is why so fad blades remain re tools... while those I forge beco true divine arms!"
CLANG—CLANG—
Each strike reverberated in Li Mo’s chest.
He didn’t tap into his martial insights, yet the dance of fla and steel, hamr and blade, flowed through his mind.
Over and over, the motions replayed in his thoughts, every detail crystal clear.
Ti blurred.
Then—a cool touch on his hand.
Ying Bing held his fingers and whispered, "Divine Smith Du has finished the sword."
Li Mo snapped back to reality and looked up.
A blade, still radiating the furnace’s heat and cradled on silk, was being presented to the judges’ panel.
Into Jiang Yu’s grasp.
Jiang Yu narrowed his eyes, the autumn-water-like blade reflecting his dual pupils.
With a sudden flick of his wrist, he reversed the sword's edge and pointed it toward the stage below.
The sword's hum resonated like the roar of a dragon.
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