As Lin Tian gazed at the array of rare metals and ores on the table before him, a flicker of delight appeared in his eyes. He had long wished to craft a spiritual tool, but had been hindered by a lack of sufficient rare metals. Thus, his plans had been postponed for the time being.
Now, however, before him lay an abundance of such precious materials. The sheer quantity was more than enough to meet his needs. Moreover, the metal he required most was Black Xuan Iron, a material of modest rank among the rare metals, and fortunately, none of the other contestants seemed interested in it.
Without hesitation, Lin Tian reached for the pile of Black Xuan Iron before him and made his way to his designated position.
"What is this brat planning to do with so much Black Xuan Iron?" The elders of Weapon Peak watched in astonishment as Lin Tian gathered the metal. It was, after all, the first time they had seen a disciple use such an excessive amount of Black Xuan Iron for crafting a spiritual tool.
It was well-known that the low grade of Black Xuan Iron would drag down the quality of any tool forged from it. With all the metal Lin Tian was using being Black Xuan Iron, it was certain that his crafted spiritual tool would not surpass the Foundation Building stage—if it even reached that level.
"What on earth is he thinking?" Even Elder Nanyin, who had always supported Lin Tian, was puzzled. His actions made no sense to her.
Yet, with the competition already underway, she could do nothing but watch, her gaze fixed on Lin Tian as he began the forging process.
"He's actually refining Black Xuan Iron," Elder Nanyin muttered under her breath. Metal refinement was the most time-consuming part of forging a tool. If higher-quality materials had been used, much of the refining process could have been avoided. Lin Tian's actions, therefore, seemed utterly futile.
Furthermore, with the amount of Black Xuan Iron he had, if he completely refined it into Black Xuan Iron essence, the other contestants would likely have finished their tools long before him.
"This brat is refining Black Xuan Iron on the stage—he's asking for trouble," Elder Dongfeng sneered with malicious glee. The more time Lin Tian wasted, the less likely he was to win, and the more certain it became that the precious materials in Elder Nanyin's hands would belong to him. The thought of it only made Elder Dongfeng more excited.
Gao Zhenhao had also noticed Lin Tian's actions. Having consumed the Small Spirit God Pill, Gao Zhenhao's cultivation and mental strength had both been greatly enhanced. His forging speed was now significantly faster than usual.
While the other disciples had only completed about a third of their crafting, Gao Zhenhao had already reached the halfway mark. At this pace, he would finish ahead of the others by a good half hour. This extra time would be more than enough for him to knock all of his opponents off the stage.
As for Lin Tian, Gao Zhenhao was certain that by the time he finished forging, Lin Tian would still be far from completing his spiritual tool. This meant Gao Zhenhao had a considerable advantage, and Lin Tian's inevitable failure seemed like a foregone conclusion.
With this in mind, Gao Zhenhao accelerated his efforts, focused entirely on crafting his spiritual tool. Half an hour later, as Gao Zhenhao extinguished the last flicker of flame, a third-level Foundation Building Liushuang Sword emerged from the forge.
At that very moment, Lin Tian had only just completed the refining process of the Black Xuan Iron.
Seeing this, a smug smile spread across Gao Zhenhao's face. Without a second thought, he unsheathed the Liushuang Sword and swung it swiftly. In the next instant, a streak of white frost began to spread across the stage toward Lin Tian.
But just as the frost neared him, a radiant glow erupted from Lin Tian's body. Upon making contact with the light, the frost was repelled instantly.
"What is this?" Elder Dongfeng stood up in shock, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. He was completely dumbfounded. The formation surrounding Lin Tian was unlike anything he had ever expected. Clearly, Lin Tian had something up his sleeve.
"When did this brat set up a formation?" Elder Dongfeng was filled with indignation. To use a formation in a competition was an utterly shameless move.
"Is something the matter, Elder Dongfeng? Do you intend to interfere with the match?" Elder Nanyin quickly stood up, her voice laced with a note of urgency as she confronted him.
Elder Dongfeng turned to face her, his lips curling into a faint, vexed smile. He knew full well that he had been the first to break the rules by interfering with the match, but if he stepped in now to challenge Lin Tian, it would implicate Gao Zhenhao as well, undermining his carefully crafted plan.
He had long placed high hopes on Gao Zhenhao, even considering him as a potential disciple. It would be a disgrace to have Gao Zhenhao's victory questioned on the grounds of rule-breaking.
Fortunately for him, Lin Tian's formation, though formidable, was still close to the Fourth Level of Foundation Building. As long as Gao Zhenhao was given enough time, breaking through the formation would not be impossible. Moreover, the other disciples had already begun attacking Lin Tian, spurred on by Zhao Zhenjie. In other words, if the others finished crafting their tools and attacked simultaneously, Lin Tian's formation would not be able to hold out much longer.
Thus, despite the unexpected turn of events, Elder Dongfeng could do nothing but feign ignorance and watch the match unfold silently.
At that moment, Lin Tian was already in the process of forging his spiritual tool, with pieces flying into place at an astonishing speed. Meanwhile, more disciples on the stage were successfully completing their tools. Seeing the situation unfold, they wasted no time in launching their attacks on Lin Tian's protective formation.
As more and more attacks came, Elder Nanyin's heart tightened in her chest. Cracks quickly began to appear on Lin Tian's formation.
When he saw these cracks, the smile on Elder Dongfeng's face grew even more pronounced. Just then, Lin Tian successfully completed the final piece of his spiritual tool.