The morning sun rose over the jagged volcanic ridges of Sacred Flame Peak as the skies above Black Tortoise Mountain began to shake with the convergent might of the Demon Immortal Continent's supreme powers.
Beneath the outer rim of the grand caldera, the Grand Exhibition Plaza stretched across three square leagues of solid, polished black basalt. Giant array towers carved from dark stone hummed with steady, deep-earth vibrations, projecting multi-layered gravity boundaries and defensive shields that shimmered like translucent amber across the open sky.
Tens of thousands of cultivators—rogue crafters from the thirty-four borderland counties, merchant delegates from the Star River Alliance, and disciples from hundreds of vassal clans—crowded the rising stone tiers.
They had all gathered for one singular event: *The Annihilation Analysis Gathering*.
The arrival of the continent's sovereign rulers was an earth-shattering spectacle.
From the northern horizon came a sharp, metallic hum. A massive, three-decked flying war galleon carved from ancient Thousand-Year Frost-Iron sailed through the clouds, its sails flying the roaring blue dragon banner of Heavenly Sword Lake. At the prow stood Jian Wuchen, his long silver hair whipping in the wind, a sheathless flying sword hovering horizontally behind his back like a sliver of concentrated starlight. Beside him stood Sword Elder Feng Qing, whose calm, piercing gaze seemed to slice the ambient heat of the caldera in half.
From the east came the slow, harmonious toll of bronze bells. A golden lotus platform spanning hundreds of feet floated serenely through the air, carrying the monk warriors of the Demon Suppression Temple. Kong Mingyuan sat cross-legged with prayer beads between his fingers and the faint golden glow of an Arhat seal radiating from his brow, flanked by twelve gold-armored warrior monks whose heavy, immovable auras suppressed the howling mountain winds.
To the south, a three-tiered floating pagoda belonging to the Hundred Formation Tower drifted into view, wrapped in swirling runic bands that calculated the geographical Qi currents. Beside them sailed the azure-glazed spirit bark of the Pill Dawn Sect, spreading thick waves of medicinal mist that cleansed the sulfurous stench from the air.
One after another, the remaining hegemons of the continent took their places. Armored war wyverns from the Ancient Beast Hall roared from the skies as they descended upon stone landing perches; the ethereal, silver-veiled palanquins of Moon Reflection Valley glided like moonlight across the shadows; the emerald-leaf spiritual barges of the Thousand Leaf Immortal Sect unfurled their lush banners; and the mist-cloaked shadow vessels of the Silent Night Pavilion slipped silently into peripheral balconies without stirring a speck of dust.
All ten major hegemons of the Demon Immortal Continent were assembled in a single arena.
Yet, despite the presence of sword masters, Buddhist warriors, and beast sovereigns, every eye in the grand plaza remained locked onto the southern sky.
Everyone present understood a fundamental truth of the cultivation world: while ten major sects ruled the continent's territory, when it came to the supreme Dao of Artifact Forging, there were only two undisputed hegemons.
*Black Tortoise Mountain and Scarlet Sun Palace.*
For tens of thousands of years, these two giants had stood as the twin pillars of creation. Black Tortoise Mountain was the sovereign of the Earth—masters of extreme compressive density, kinetic resonance, immovable defensive armor, and foundational heavy-forging. Scarlet Sun Palace was the emperor of Fire—masters of the Nine Solar True Fire, volatile offensive weaponry, extreme thermal smelting, and sovereign law refinement.
Across the entire expanse of the Demon Immortal Continent, **only Black Tortoise Mountain and Scarlet Sun Palace possessed living Rank 4 Grand Domain Smiths**. Not even Heavenly Sword Lake or the Demon Suppression Temple, with all their martial might, could claim a single craftsman capable of forging Domain-grade vessels.
And today, their ancient rivalry was about to unfold on an unprecedented stage.
*BOOM——!*
The southern clouds suddenly ruptured as an ocean of blinding, golden-crimson light consumed the horizon.
Nine colossal solar chariots, forged from blazing Sun-Essence Copper and pulled by pairs of two-headed Flame-Maned Draconic Horses, descended through the sky like falling meteorites. The heat rolling off the fleet was so intense that moisture in the clouds vanished instantly, painting the sky in a vivid, burning scarlet.
Lower-realm cultivators in the stands quickly raised their sleeves to shield their faces from the searing glare.
As the lead solar chariot approached the caldera, the ancient defensive formations of Black Tortoise Mountain reacted automatically. Immense, invisible walls of heavy-earth gravity surged upward from the basalt foundations, meeting the fiery shockwave in mid-air. The two colossal auras collided without an explosion, neutralizing each other in a shimmering dome of amber and crimson light that hung suspended above the stadium.
The solar chariots settled smoothly upon the south-facing High Balcony.
Stepping down from the carriage was Grand Elder Yan Lie of the Scarlet Sun Palace. Dressed in magnificent red-and-gold robes embroidered with nine rising suns, his beard was trimmed like a sharp crimson blade, and his deep, molten eyes radiated the unfathomable depth of a veteran Domain Forging master.
Beside him walked Chi Yao, her flowing scarlet dress trailing like molten silk, the flame ribbon coiled around her slender wrist pulsing with dangerous fire Qi. Behind them followed twelve young Core Smiths of the Scarlet Sun Palace—each carrying pristine, fire-tempered forging hammers at their waists, their heads held high with supreme arrogance.
On the central White Basalt Terrace, the hosts of Black Tortoise Mountain rose to receive them.
Sect Master Xuan Yuan stood at the center, his grey-and-black sovereign robes hanging straight and unmoving against the thermal winds. To his right stood Grand Domain Smith Elder Duan—a living legend whose silver hair draped over his shoulders, one of Black Tortoise Mountain's two living Rank 4 Grand Domain Smiths. To his left stood Elder Huo, broad-shouldered and imposing, representing the Ironblood heavy-forging lineage of the Heavenly Forge Division.
As the two crafting giants faced each other across the terrace, the entire caldera fell into absolute, breathless silence.
Grand Elder Yan Lie clasped his hands, offering a deep, measured bow of diplomatic protocol.
"Sect Master Xuan Yuan. Grand Domain Smith Elder Duan," Yan Lie spoke, his voice clear, warm, and resonating like a heated bronze bell across the plaza. "The Scarlet Sun Palace brings greetings to our fellow brothers of the forge. We must commend Black Tortoise Mountain for securing the *Volcanic Annihilation* during the merchant auction. To gather twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones in a single hour is a testament to the immense depth of your mountain's treasury."
The words sounded like high praise, yet every master in the stands caught the razor-sharp subtext beneath: *You won the auction with wealth, not with craftsmanship.*
Sect Master Xuan Yuan's expression did not waver in the slightest. His calm, heavy gaze met Yan Lie's without blinking, carrying the quiet, immovable dignity of an ancient mountain.
"Grand Elder Yan Lie honors us with his presence," Xuan Yuan replied smoothly, his deep voice carrying a grounding weight that instantly settled the lingering heat in the air. "Treasures of the Dao do not belong to those who hoard them, but to those who comprehend them. Black Tortoise Mountain has always believed that artifact creation is a path walked for the elevation of the entire continent, not for the selfish secrecy of a single hall."
Grand Domain Smith Elder Duan stepped forward slightly with a faint, knowing smile. "Brother Yan, it has been sixty years since we last sat across an anvil together during the Heavenly Forge Summit. I see your Nine Solar True Fire has grown even more fierce."
"And your Heavy Earth Mountain-Core technique remains as unyielding as the mountains themselves, Brother Duan," Yan Lie smiled gracefully, returning the elder's gaze with genuine, profound respect.
Yan Lie then turned his gaze toward the center of the Grand Exhibition Plaza, where the *Volcanic Annihilation* rested upon a warded white-jade altar, shrouded in nine layers of floating appraisal formations.
"A weapon that commands the Laws of Destruction is a rare marvel in our era," Yan Lie said, his eyes gleaming with intense ambition. "Tools, however, are easily bought with spirit stones. Comprehension... is forged only in the furnace of true talent. Since Black Tortoise Mountain has generously opened this gathering to the continent, the Scarlet Sun Palace gladly accepts your hospitality."
Yan Lie paused, glancing back at Chi Yao and the eager young disciples behind him, before looking back at Xuan Yuan.
"Let the younger generation speak through their forging."
"Naturally," Sect Master Xuan Yuan agreed calmly, raising his hand to gesture toward the guest seating. "Let the younger generation speak."
As the high elders took their seats on the elevated pavilions, the tens of thousands of spectators exhaled in unison, their blood pumping with electrifying excitement. This was a generational war of intellect between the twin titans of the crafting world.
***
Down on the lower eastern tiers, reserved for the inner branches of the Heavenly Forge Division, the Ironblood Faction disciples sat in ordered rows.
Senior Brother Ma Teng leaned forward, his palms sweating against his knees as he stared at the radiant Scarlet Sun disciples across the plaza. "Look at them... every single one of those Scarlet Sun Core Smiths is radiating pure True Fire essence. They brought their top disciples from the Solar Flame Caverns."
Beside him, sitting calmly in his simple grey disciple robes with his hands tucked into his sleeves, was "Mu Tie"—Fang Lin.
Fang Lin quietly raised his eyes, his Peak Mortal Will subtly scanning the gathered disciples across the arena. He took note of the arrogant posture of the Scarlet Sun prodigies, the sharp sword intent radiating from Heavenly Sword Lake's junior weapon refiners, and the intricate array talismans hovering around the disciples of Hundred Formation Tower.
Inside his soul sea, the Dark Flame Spirit was lying on her back, lazily chewing on a wisp of dark spiritual flame while cackling with supreme amusement.
*Look at this grand spectacle,* the spirit laughed in his mind. *The entire continent gathered in one bowl, with the two greatest crafting lineages staring each other down like roosters in a fighting pit. And all of it... just to write an essay on a mace you forged in your spare time while hiding in a cave!*
*Let them treat it as a battle of lineages,* Fang Lin replied calmly in his mind, feeling the cool weight of the golden registration token nestled inside his inner pocket. *The deeper they try to analyze the internal vessel, the more confused they will become.*
With the ten hegemons seated and the grand caldera warded by heaven-reaching formations, a deep bronze bell struck across the mountain peak.
The Annihilation Analysis Gathering had officially begun.
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