Nie Shiyun’s Strange Fire was quite the extrovert. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it burned more vigorously than ever, crackling and popping as if showing off its form.
Nie Shiyun paid it no mind. He performed a simple smelting of the materials, followed by the meticulous forging and shaping, leaving the final quenching for the end.
His precise movements drew the eyes of everyone below the stage. Though they had all watched Nie Shiyun refine before, something felt different today.
Refining in a live setting emphasized speed and accuracy. Normally, a refiner could go into seclusion and spend a month slowly tempering materials. However, an audience could not wait that long. The challenge lay in how to quickly shape an item within a few hours while perfectly managing every bit of spiritual energy.
"Dammit..." Ao Fan cursed under his breath.
Nie Shiyun’s movements were so fast! Ao Fan tried to comfort himself, thinking that the other man was surely sacrificing quality for speed. Usually, the audience’s gaze was fixed on him, but as he scanned the crowd, he noticed that almost every cultivator was captivated by Nie Shiyun’s seemingly ordinary actions. Feeling his pride wounded, he raised his hammer with an exaggerated flourish and brought it down heavily, as if to demand attention.
"Young Master Ao Fan’s movements are so aggressive. Do you think he’ll snap the sword blade?"
"I don't know, he seems really agitated today..."
The harder Ao Fan tried to draw attention, the less the crowd thought of his progress compared to Nie Shiyun’s. When Ao Fan noticed several female cultivators who had been fawning over him just days ago were now unable to look away from Nie Shiyun, his fury reached a boiling point.
Since the first time Nie Shiyun had picked up a refining tool in the cultivation world, he had forged countless treasures. For something as fundamental as a sword, his tempering speed was far beyond the norm. While Ao Fan was busy making a scene, Nie Shiyun had already forged the blade into a uniform shape. The spiritual energy originally scattered within the metal was now being guided to distribute evenly throughout the body, with a slight concentration at the edge. It was flawless; one could not find a single fault.
"The form is quite beautiful. His technique is solid."
Even the senior refiners from other great families sitting below the stage couldn't help but murmur their praise. Such skill was not something that could be mastered overnight!
If Nie Shiyun’s flighty behavior and the Lan family’s secret support over the past few days had made these refiners look down on him, their perspective had now completely shifted.
"He’s surely more than a Grade 2 refiner, isn't he?"
"Likely so. From what I can see, his technique is far more proficient than the apprentices in our workshops. Moreover, to remain so calm during his first competition suggests a very strong psychological constitution."
"A pity the Lan family got to him first."
A group of refiners shook their heads and sighed, entirely unaware that the Lan family was currently in a state of chaotic realization.
"Burn hotter for me!"
Nie Shiyun heard Ao Fan’s low, hurried urge and glanced over. Ao Fan had also brought out a Strange Fire, but his bond with it was poor. Under Ao Fan’s cold pressure, the flame appeared timid, flickering unsteadily within the furnace.
Seeing this, Xiao Que did a triumphant lap inside Nie Shiyun's furnace, as if bragging to its master about how useful it was.
Nie Shiyun was using a spiritual awl to carve blood grooves on both sides of the sword’s spine, making the slender blade look even more exquisite. Although most treasures used by cultivators were for fighting with sword qi and spiritual power, Nie Shiyun had always cared about the aesthetics of the weapon itself. From his business experience, he knew that as long as there were no exorbitant extra costs, cultivators appreciated fine details on their treasures.
As he processed the blade and infused it with spiritual energy, the crowd gradually realized that the grade of this treasure would certainly be higher than the Mortal Grade.
They rubbed their eyes and looked closely at the pendant on Nie Shiyun’s waist; no matter how they looked at it, it was the token of a Grade 2 refiner.
Ao Fan was already incredibly anxious. Hearing the uncontrollable discussions from the crowd, he wanted nothing more than to tell these nobodies to shut up. He had completely forgotten that he was the one who had instructed the Lan family not to separate the refiners from the audience because it was "more fun" that way.
When he heard people speculating that Nie Shiyun was about to refine a Mystic Grade treasure, Ao Fan was incredulous. Even he didn't succeed every time he attempted a Mystic Grade item. Was this Grade 2 refiner really taking such a risk in a competition?
The pressure Nie Shiyun exerted on him was even stronger than the Grade 3 refiners he had faced before!
Ao Fan never considered that those Grade 3 refiners had simply been going easy on him.
"..."
Ao Fan’s hammering faltered as he gritted his teeth. He had originally planned to refine a high-quality Mortal Grade sword, but it seemed he had to change his plans on the fly...
By now, Nie Shiyun had Xiao Que form a ball of fire, drawing the blade into the furnace to begin the tempering process.
"Hey, look at Fellow Daoist Nie’s focused expression... Why is he... so handsome? Is it just me?" a female cultivator in the audience whispered bashfully to her friend.
"What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing..."
Many female cultivators looked at the lavishly dressed Ao Fan, who was practically radiating golden light, yet they found the currently plain-looking Nie Shiyun much more attractive. They couldn't take their eyes off him.
"After this competition, whether he wins or loses, I’m going to ask him to refine a treasure for me!"
"Me too! A few days ago I thought he looked unreliable, but I guess I was wrong."
Hearing the women's chatter, someone nearby couldn't help but interrupt. "Don't get your hopes up. It seems he already has a Dao companion."
"Right, he was chatting with us a few days ago! He came here from the lower realms specifically to find his companion." A cultivator who had spoken to Nie Shiyun during the preliminaries acted as if he knew him intimately, explaining with great authority.
"I-I just want him to refine something for me. What does him having a companion have to do with anything!"
the female cultivator snapped back, though she couldn't hide the slight look of disappointment on her face.
These whispered conversations didn't reach the ears of the two on stage. But even if they had, Nie Shiyun wouldn't have cared, and Ao Fan currently had no energy to spare for such trifles.
The materials the Lan family had prepared for Ao Fan were actually a grade or two better than those given to Nie Shiyun. If Ao Fan had honestly refined a Mortal Grade treasure according to his actual strength, he could have produced a decent result and at least saved face. But seeing Nie Shiyun aiming for the Mystic Grade, he lost his composure and hurriedly changed his plan. Consequently, the high-grade materials became difficult to handle.
In his desperation, Ao Fan kept mentally urging his Strange Fire to increase its heat.
Once a Strange Fire is contracted to a cultivator, it can sense their state of mind. Influenced by his violent attitude and hampered by a lack of practice and poor synchronization, a sudden "BOOM" echoed out. Everyone present jumped in fright.
"Im-Impossible..."
The sword embryo in Ao Fan’s hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
The audience realized Ao Fan’s furnace had exploded. They couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude, but no one dared to laugh out loud. The area below the stage was silent, though several people’s mouths were twitching as they suppressed their laughter.
"I think you’d have a better chance if you stuck to the Mortal Grade," Nie Shiyun said, looking at Ao Fan.
"You’re refining a Mystic Grade item, yet you’re advising me to refine Mortal Grade? Do you take me for a fool?" Ao Fan sneered.
Nie Shiyun shrugged. "At least that way you’d have a result to show. Now it’s blown to smithereens. I’m just being kind."
The more indifferent his tone, the angrier Ao Fan became. It felt like punching cotton—his rage was simply absorbed and brushed aside.
Nie Shiyun glanced below the stage, but not at the crowd's reaction. He noticed the Lan family cultivators all looked dazed, and the private booth in the distant restaurant was now empty. Though he didn't know what they were up to, he knew he couldn't stall for much longer.
*If only the Lan family were as slow-witted as Ao Fan,* he thought.
With that in mind, Nie Shiyun moved directly into the finishing work on the hilt.
The Lan family had already confirmed that no Strange Fires had been sold in the nearby towns recently. Only then did they realize that Nie Shiyun had never mentioned having one, nor had he shown it publicly. To suddenly stop hiding his strength at the very end must be for a reason.
If they had stepped in to stop the match immediately, they might have made it in time. Unfortunately, the layers of bureaucracy within a great family acted as a drag on their own efficiency.
The Lan family cultivators near Ao Fan were all juniors. After receiving feedback from the servants, even if they wanted to stop the competition, such a major decision required the approval of their superiors. They hurried to report, were cursed out by their elders, and then rushed back to the scene.
However, they were one step too late.
By the time the Lan family arrived, the square was packed so tightly with excited cultivators that not even a drop of water could leak through. After all these years, a cultivator had finally appeared to end Ao Fan’s unreasonable winning streak! It was truly heartening.
Seeing they couldn't squeeze through, a Lan family cultivator said hatefully, "Send a transmission to the judges..."
"It's no use," the person beside him said with a look of despair. "Look..."
The Lan family cultivator followed his gaze. On the stage, Ao Fan’s workstation was scorched black, and he was pointing at Nie Shiyun, shouting something. Meanwhile, Nie Shiyun’s finished product had already been placed on the display stand in front of the audience. It was obvious that Ao Fan had failed to produce anything at all. No matter how biased the Lan family judges were, they didn't dare lie through their teeth at this moment.
"What is he doing!" the Lan family cultivator cursed, frustrated by Ao Fan's incompetence.
"What Nie Shiyun refined... seems to be a Mystic Grade treasure! And... it’s Middle Tier!" another person exclaimed from afar, quickly rendered speechless by shock.
"That’s impossible. He’s a Grade 2 refiner! That information came from the Guild; there’s no way it’s fake."
The two looked on in disbelief.
Ao Fan was usually lazy. The last time he had tried his hand at the Mystic Grade was likely during his Grade 3 refiner examination. Even then, his skills weren't up to par, and the Lan family had pulled strings to barely get him the rank. Though many years had passed, Ao Fan had never applied himself, so his skills hadn't improved.
Seeing the man he considered a hack actually refine a Mystic Grade item, it wasn't hard to guess what the provoked Ao Fan had done, even if the Lan family cultivators hadn't witnessed it...
"Nie Shiyun... he dares to break our agreement," the Lan family cultivator said, seething with hatred. He was the one who had invited Nie Shiyun to discuss terms, and it was his own carelessness—being fooled by Nie Shiyun’s act and failing to sign a formal contract—that left him with no ground to stand on now.
"Heh. Does he really think that even if he wins and gains temporary fame, he can just walk away with the reputation and the rewards? How shortsighted."
In the first few years after Ao Fan arrived in the Middle Realm, there had been a few such individuals. They had all disappeared later, for obvious reasons.
On the stage, Ao Fan’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"Your behavior before... it was all an act?"
"What behavior?" Nie Shiyun asked back with a look of confusion.
Though Ao Fan wasn't the brightest, he finally realized at this point that he had been played by Nie Shiyun.
"I just wasn't in top form. If you have the guts, we’ll go again!" Ao Fan shouted.
"Can we even redo this..."
"The result is already so obvious, isn't it?"
Dissatisfied murmurs rose from the audience, but one unreasonable, furious glare from Ao Fan silenced them instantly.
As much as they disliked Ao Fan, they still didn't dare provoke the Dragon Race...
"Fine, let’s have a rematch," Nie Shiyun replied nonchalantly.
"I said—huh?" Ao Fan stopped mid-sentence, his anger momentarily interrupted.
Nie Shiyun had agreed to a rematch so readily?
The cultivators below were also stunned, whispering among themselves. Was Nie Shiyun so confident that he felt he could win again? But based on past experience, the Lan family would definitely intervene and cheat during a second round. Did he really not know that?
The Lan family cultivators heard this and felt there was still a chance.
"Transmit a message to the people over there. Tell Young Master Ao Fan to refine according to his own pace. Just make anything, as long as he produces a finished product!" the Lan family cultivator hissed. To cheat, the judges at least needed to have an object to point at!
"Yes, sir."
On stage, while everyone—including Ao Fan—was trying to figure out Nie Shiyun’s sudden cooperativeness, he continued, "However, the stage is a bit of a mess right now. Why don't we let someone clean up while we take a short break before continuing?"
the Lan family cultivator by the stage perked up. This was the perfect opportunity for them to tamper with things. He quickly chimed in, "Quite right! The match will be paused for a moment. Fellow Daoist Nie and Young Master Ao Fan, please step backstage for a brief rest."
Nie Shiyun and Ao Fan temporarily left the stage.
"What are you playing at?" Ao Fan narrowed his eyes, looking at Nie Shiyun suspiciously.
"Didn't Fellow Daoist Ao say he wanted a rematch?" Nie Shiyun asked in surprise.
Ao Fan was left speechless, but he felt that things weren't this simple.
"But our previous bet cannot be redone," Nie Shiyun smiled.
Ao Fan clenched his fists. He didn't want to admit he had lost. But just as he was about to say "the result of the rematch isn't out yet," he suddenly felt a sharp, agonizing pain in his chest, as if he were being suffocated.
"Ugh..."
Ao Fan glared at Nie Shiyun, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word. That was it—he had foolishly sworn an oath earlier! If he didn't comply, he would be punished by the Heavenly Dao.
"Heh, fine. Speak. What is it? Money or women?" Ao Fan caught his breath and exhaled, regaining his usual demeanor. He waved his hand with feigned magnanimity, as if he hadn't just been trying to back out of the debt.
*You can act smug for now,* Ao Fan thought to himself.
Nie Shiyun nodded and, without much thought, made his demand directly: "I don't need money or women; you can keep them. Just give me one dragon scale."
Ao Fan froze, staring at Nie Shiyun as if questioning his sanity.
"Say that again?"
Nie Shiyun sighed. "I made myself clear, didn't I? Give me a dragon scale. When you swore the oath, you agreed to give me anything I asked for. Please fulfill your promise."
"..."
Ao Fan pointed a trembling finger at Nie Shiyun, his mouth opening and closing for a long time without a word coming out.
"Fellow Daoist Ao, hurry up. If the heavenly punishment for breaking an oath descends, at best your cultivation will drop several levels; at worst, your life might be at stake. In comparison, handing over a single dragon scale should be quite harmless, shouldn't it?"
Hearing Nie Shiyun say this, Ao Fan laughed out of pure rage.
Tearing off a single scale wouldn't do much to him physically, but it was an absolute humiliation!
"If you take those words back now, I might still leave you a path to live."
Nie Shiyun remained silent.
Ao Fan felt his breathing becoming more and more difficult. If he killed Nie Shiyun, the oath would be broken. But he was currently powerless to fight, and he certainly didn't want the Lan family members—who usually bowed to him—to see him in such a pathetic state.
"I specifically chose the timing of coming off-stage so I wouldn't have to make this request in front of everyone," Nie Shiyun said helplessly.
Finally, unable to bear the suffocating pain, Ao Fan gritted his teeth and hid his hand beneath his sleeve. With a lightning-fast motion, he reached in with his other hand and ripped off one of his own scales.
Nie Shiyun guessed that he had briefly transformed part of his body back to its original form under the sleeve. He actually wanted to say there was no need for such secrecy; he only wanted a scale and had no interest in anything else.
"Nie Shiyun, you better remember this."
Ao Fan’s hatred was so intense it almost manifested as physical killing intent directed at Nie Shiyun’s face.
If losing on the stage had only made Ao Fan want to teach him a lesson, Nie Shiyun now had no doubt—if not for Ao Fan’s desire to win back his pride in the rematch before settling the score, the man would have unleashed a lethal strike right then and there. Having already stashed the dragon scale into his storage space, Nie Shiyun felt his goal was perfectly accomplished.
"Apologies for the wait, everyone! We ask Young Master Ao Fan and Fellow Daoist Nie to return to the stage!" a Lan family cultivator announced loudly, sweating profusely. The workstation that Ao Fan had ruined with his explosion was now brand new. Simultaneously, some "necessary" adjustments had naturally been made to Nie Shiyun’s station...
Blinded by fury, Ao Fan strode onto the stage. As Nie Shiyun followed, he was pulled aside by a Lan family cultivator who whispered a warning: "Nie Shiyun. If you still want to keep your life, you’d best behave yourself."
Nie Shiyun gave a wry smile. It was likely too late for "behaving."
He walked to his workstation and inspected it with a normal expression.
The Lan family saw Nie Shiyun look around, but he didn't adjust anything or say a word. He simply stood there silently, waiting for the signal to start. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The audience watched this groundless rematch begin with mixed emotions, unsure of how to react.
"I knew it wouldn't be that smooth."
"The Lan family is really...!"
Most cultivators had anticipated this outcome. They had hoped for a reversal, but in the end, it seemed things would go as they always did. But there was nothing to be done; Nie Shiyun was just a lone rogue cultivator, and a lone arm could never hope to win against a giant thigh.
Because he had lost a dragon scale—and had been "tricked" out of it by a human—Ao Fan’s hands were trembling slightly as he refined. His mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of how he would kill Nie Shiyun after redeeming himself, and how hanging the body on the city wall for a hundred years wouldn't be enough!
Nie Shiyun hammered the metal half-heartedly, observing the cultivators below and the positions of the Lan family members.
Sensing its master’s distraction, the Strange Fire also began to flicker and sway unsteadily.
*It seems the Lan family wants me to have a furnace explosion? In that case, I’ll satisfy them just this once,* Nie Shiyun communicated to the fire in his heart. Xiao Que understood his meaning, and its flames immediately leaped three feet high in excitement.
A massive "BOOM" echoed out. Just as everyone thought Ao Fan had embarrassed himself again, they saw him standing there perfectly fine.
It was Nie Shiyun’s furnace that had exploded!
"Cough, cough..."
"That was a violent one! So much smoke."
A smirk of schadenfreude appeared on Ao Fan’s face. He was already thinking of how he would mock Nie Shiyun.
At that moment, the Lan family cultivator in charge finally returned to the high balcony of the restaurant. He let out a long breath and blew on his tea. Looking at the billowing black smoke on the stage from afar, he said casually to the person beside him, "You guys went a bit overboard with the sabotage. Whatever, at least this is settled. Once it’s over, seize Nie Shiyun immediately and bring him to the Lan residence."
"Yes. But... we only did a small thing, it shouldn't have been that extreme..."
"Hmm?" Hearing the doubt in the other's voice, the man looked up. Almost at the same time, a commotion erupted outside, and the gathered crowd fell into chaos.
The two scrambled to the window. As the black smoke cleared, only a stunned Ao Fan remained on the stage.
Nie Shiyun had vanished into thin air!
After a moment of realization, the Lan family cultivator screamed frantically, "What are you standing there for! Find him! After him!"
"Ah... Y-Yes!"
The Lan family was in total disarray. The cultivator in charge felt like dying right then and there. Although Nie Shiyun had fled and Ao Fan had technically won by default, preserving his title as number one, almost no one cared about the result anymore.
Ao Fan was suffering in silence, unable to bring himself to tell the Lan family that Nie Shiyun had swindled a dragon scale out of him. Enraged, he smashed the competition grounds to pieces on the spot. The poor, innocent spectators were caught in the crossfire and fled in all directions.
The refining grand competition thus came to a messy, chaotic conclusion.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 177 | The Dragon's Scale | Novela.app | Novela.app
