Chapter 0302: Framing

Chapter 0302: Framing

Qin Yun was also surprised as he looked at Lan Huayu. He had no idea that he had forged Imperial Bone Steel!

"Elder Lan, are you certain this is genuine?" someone asked, full of doubt.

"It's genuine, but it's a lower-grade Imperial Bone Steel. However, it's still much better than high-grade Bone Steel!" Lan Huayu was very certain. With his experience, he couldn't be mistaken.

At this moment, many Runes Masters came over and took turns holding the Imperial Bone Steel that weighed several hundred pounds. After touching it themselves, they were left speechless and somewhat embarrassed as they returned to their positions.

These proud senior Runes Masters were actually outdone by a young upstart!

"Hmph!" Ji Kailin snorted, his voice tinged with envy. He had always wanted to become a Runes Master, but he lacked the talent for it.

Learning runes was not something that could be achieved through envy!

Lan Huayu proceeded to weigh the other high-grade Bone Steel pieces and quickly completed the task.

After Qin Yun's piece, the heaviest was just over three hundred pounds. Without Qin Yun, this level would have been considered quite high.

Lan Fengjin's high-grade Bone Steel weighed over two hundred and sixty pounds, which was also quite impressive, ranking seventh!

"This round of the competition is over. Qin Yun has taken first place and will receive the mid-grade Wind Rune as a reward from our Blue Spirit Holy Palace!" Lan Huayu announced loudly, causing many Runes Masters to once again be stunned and look at Qin Yun with envy.

The Wind Rune was an extremely practical spirit rune.

If engraved on certain equipment, it could enable flight. If combined with a flying beast rune, it would be even better.

For many Runes Masters, obtaining a low-grade Wind Rune would already be a great achievement, let alone a mid-grade one!

Everyone secretly marveled at the generosity of the Blue Spirit Holy Palace. Just for the first round, they were rewarding a Wind Rune. What would the rewards be like in the later rounds?

Qin Yun took the piece of animal hide, stashed it away without a glance, and promptly thanked them.

After the first round ended, everyone left the hall with various degrees of astonishment.

...

Qin Yun was exhausted and followed Zhuochuan to Lan Huayu's forest.

Returning to a small house, Qin Yun hurriedly entered his room and soon fell asleep.

When Lan Huayu and Lan Fengjin returned, they saw Zhuochuan sitting on a stone chair at the entrance, looking at the Imperial Bone Steel Qin Yun had forged.

"Old Zhuochuan, if it were you, could you forge Imperial Bone Steel with high-grade materials in such a short time?" Lan Huayu asked with a hint of doubt on his face.

Zhuochuan shook his head: "I'm not sure. I've never concentrated on such tasks. Even if I could, I might not be as good as Qin Yun!"

Lan Fengjin was immediately surprised: "You can't do it either? I thought this would be a piece of cake for you!"

Lan Huayu frowned: "I can do it, but at most, I could forge Imperial Bone Steel weighing six hundred pounds, not much better than Qin Yun. Since my strength is naturally greater than his, if he had my level of cultivation, he would definitely surpass me!"

"Grandpa, is forging materials really that important for a Runes Master? When the event ended, I also heard many senior Runes Masters say that being able to forge materials well doesn't necessarily reflect a Runes Master's skill. What's more important is the ability to carve spirit runes!" Lan Fengjin asked softly.

Lan Huayu smiled: "Are you feeling envious towards Qin Yun? Is that why you have such thoughts? Do you think Qin Yun forging materials well isn't of much use?"

Lan Fengjin puffed out her cheeks and gave a slight nod. She also knew that Qin Yun could forge Imperial Bone Steel, which was also a very shocking thing!

"This kid, not even twenty, is already so formidable! It makes me feel like I've been wasting my life!" Lan Fengjin pouted and snorted lightly.

Only in front of her grandfather did she act like a little girl.

Lan Huayu said seriously, "Little Jin, you must understand that crafting materials is the most fundamental aspect for a Runes Master. Now you think that high-grade bone steel, top-grade bone steel, and even Imperial Bone Steel can be bought directly, but what about in the future? Some Imperial-grade spiritual tools or profound tools require materials to be strictly crafted according to the blueprints."

"For example, some Imperial-grade spiritual tool blueprints require the use of Imperial Bone Steel bricks weighing a thousand pounds to be refined. If the standard is not met, problems can easily occur during the engraving of spiritual patterns or in later use."

Zhuochuan nodded, "Also, some spiritual tools require special materials to be refined. Those materials cannot be purchased and must be crafted personally!"

Lan Huayu sighed, "In the borderlands, many Runes Masters do not value material refinement because they are too short-sighted. In Wuhuang, if one does not meet the material refinement standards, it is impossible to become a spiritual-grade Runes Master!"

"In the assessment for spiritual-grade Runes Masters, there is a material refinement test!" Zhuochuan laughed, "Little girl, if you want to become a spiritual-grade Runes Master, you must work harder on this aspect!"

Lan Huayu was puzzled, "Qin Yun's Way of Odd Patterns couldn't have been self-taught, could it? He must have had a master guiding him, otherwise, he wouldn't be so focused on material refinement. Even I sometimes overlook this aspect and only made up for it later!"

Lan Fengjin now clearly understood the importance of material refinement.

...

Qin Yun was resting in his room, unaware of the discussions about him outside, and was sound asleep.

The next morning, his door was knocked, and upon opening it, he saw Zhuochuan.

"The second round of the tournament has begun!" Zhuochuan chuckled, "One round per day, you will participate in two matches, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It's going to be exhausting!"

Qin Yun smiled wryly, "No choice, since I've already joined, I can only try to go as far as possible!"

He changed into a neat white outfit and followed Zhuochuan to the Spirit Martial Hall.

No one knew what the second round would be, and the warriors entering the Spirit Martial Hall were full of anticipation.

Everyone only knew that the real competition would begin in the fifth round, which would be the most exciting!

After Qin Yun arrived, he encountered various gazes—jealousy, respect, admiration, as well as disdain and mockery...

This was different from yesterday, as many people had not believed in him then.

But today, many had changed their views of him, especially after his performance in the Fine Patterns Hall, which was unforgettable.

Many had been eliminated yesterday, so fewer people were participating today.

An elder, responsible for presiding over the second round of the competition, announced loudly, "Today's martial test will challenge your speed and endurance. You will each carry two iron weights weighing twenty thousand pounds in your hands and run laps around the hall."

"You must run for the duration of an incense stick's burn, completing at least one hundred laps. Those who last until the end will advance to the next round, with no limit on the number of participants. Warriors who advance to the next round will be allowed to soak in the Mystic Spirit Pool of our Blue Spirit Holy Palace for an hour!"

This was a reward for everyone, which excited the warriors.

The Blue Spirit Holy Palace had many iron weights, clearly used for disciple training. Each was only the size of a bucket but weighed twenty thousand pounds, engraved with weight-increasing spiritual patterns. As long as there was energy inside, they would produce weight.

Five hundred warriors, each carrying two iron weights in their hands, stood neatly on the track, ready to start running!

The track in the middle of the Spirit Martial Hall was very crowded, and collisions were inevitable!

"Collisions are unavoidable during the run. As long as there is no fighting, collisions are allowed!" the elder said.

Many warriors complained because this was very disadvantageous for them.

The disciples of the Blue Spirit Holy Palace often underwent such training and surely mastered various collision techniques.

"Ah!" Suddenly, someone shouted. The one who cried out was a youth dressed in gold and blue, a Blue Spirit saintess, standing next to Qin Yun.

"Qin Yun deliberately stepped on my foot!" the Blue Spirit saintess shouted angrily, with a look of pain on her face.

Qin Yun was slightly angry and said, "I didn't! He's framing me!"

He truly hadn't stepped on it!

"You're holding two iron weights, totaling over forty thousand pounds. Stepping on someone's foot would be extremely painful!" Ji Kailin coldly shouted in anger, "Qin Yun, you definitely did it on purpose! I ask the elder to punish him!"

"I also ask the elder to punish Qin Yun!" another Blue Spirit saintess chimed in.

Qin Yun tightly gripped the two iron weights, itching to swing them back at them!

These Blue Spirit saintesses were actually ganging up to frame him!

Since everyone was gathered together, waiting to start running, it was hard to see if this was true or not!

Xie Wufeng and Lan Fengjin, who were outside the arena, were also secretly furious. They knew Qin Yun was being framed!

"Qin Yun, although collisions and stepping are possible, they are only allowed during the run. We haven't started yet!" the elder presiding over the competition walked over and said with a stern expression.

As soon as the elder approached, the Blue Spirit saintess quickly took off her shoes and socks, revealing a swollen and deeply bruised foot. It was clear that it had been stepped on!

"I didn't step on his foot!" Qin Yun glared at the Blue Spirit saintess and said through clenched teeth.

"Actions speak louder than words. If it wasn't you, then why is my foot so badly hurt?" the Blue Spirit saintess angrily asked.

Qin Yun didn't know what was going on, but he was certain it was premeditated. Otherwise, these Blue Spirit saintesses wouldn't have stood near him.

"Enough, no more talking! Qin Yun, I'll consider it an accident, but you still need to be punished. You will start running after half an incense stick has burned, and your iron weights will be replaced with forty thousand pounds ones!" The elder finished speaking and walked away without looking back, shouting, "Get ready to start!"

Qin Yun was stunned, his heart seething with rage.

Those Blue Spirit saintesses had actually succeeded!

He looked at the smug grins on Ji Kailin and the others, and the anger in his heart almost erupted!

"Start!"

Except for Qin Yun, all the other warriors began to run, sprinting down the track!

For warriors at the ninth level of the Martial Body stage, running with a twenty thousand pound iron weight in each hand was extremely strenuous, especially when they had to run a hundred laps within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. This was more a test of endurance and willpower!

As for Qin Yun, he had to run a hundred laps with two forty thousand pound iron weights in half the time. It was simply impossible!