Chapter 853: How Pitiful the Paupers Are
Several weeks had passed, and the competition was still fiercely underway. For most Artifact Refiners, the process of smelting materials took a few weeks, but their Cosmic Source Power couldn't withstand such a consumption. From the third day, people began to take drugs to support their internal Cosmic Source Power.
If the flame went out, the previous refining process could go up in smoke, which was a massive psychological burden for any contestant.
"Is he here to compete or to cause trouble?" Countless eyes across the universe were fixed on Fang Jueyu, including those in high positions on Earth.
Since the start of the competition, Fang Jueyu had been sitting in place. On the first day, he listened to music; on the second day, he watched movies. While others were using Source Power Flames to refine metals, he was cooking. Now, he was meditating with his eyes closed, beginning to cultivate Cosmic Source Power!
"What exactly is he here for?" If those Artifact Refiners didn't all have a firm mind, they would've blown up by now.
For Artifact Refiners, refining was a sacred task. But in Wang Dachui's eyes, it had become a joke.
"This kid, don't think I won't recognize you because you've changed your name!" A middle-aged man was eating sunflower seeds while watching this cosmic festival.
The rapidly developing Earth was no longer what it used to be. Although the infrastructure still needed improvement, its wealth was truly formidable. Nowadays, this area had already become the core region of this universe.
Earth had long purchased chain entanglement technology from other civilizations. Even separated by countless light-years, they could watch this once-in-a-millennium cosmic event.
"Dad, do you know him?" Wang Cong's son happened to walk by.
"Oh, that's your Uncle Fang Jueyu!" Wang Cong said.
Wang Dachui, this name alone indicated someone who had run away from Earth. Wang Cong also knew that in recent years Ma Yun, Zhou Runfa, Lu Benwei, Liu Mou, who had turned the universe upside down, were all aliases of Fang Jueyu. Naturally, Wang Dachui was no exception.
"Huh? Uncle Fang? How did he end up at the Artifact Refiner competition? I heard the competition has a high threshold, and most people can't even qualify." To Wang Cong's son, he had always been a legendary figure.
"I don't know, maybe ordinary pretending no longer satisfies him," Wang Cong laughed, "Look, everyone's giving it their all, and he's here watching movies, listening to music, eating, sleeping, and cultivating!"
"Hahaha, this style of doing things is just like the Uncle Fang I've heard about!" Wang Cong's son couldn't help but laugh, "Uncle Fang must have gotten bored wandering around alone, right?"
"I have no idea. With his wealth and fame, he'd have long retired to a life of luxury back on Earth. I don't know what he's busy with," Wang Cong had recently contacted Fang Jueyu, but Fang Jueyu said he had something important to do. Could this be what he meant?
"Want to watch? I have a feeling, this kid might just win the championship!"
"Really?" Wang Cong's son said skeptically, "I don't underestimate Uncle Fang, but with his..."
"Hahaha, as far as I know your Uncle Fang, once he starts to show off, there's nothing he can't do. Just watch!"
"Alright," Wang Cong's son became interested, "Shall we make a bet?"
"Hahaha, alright, I'll bet 200 civilized planets. If this kid doesn't win the championship, these 200 planets will be yours!"
"Deal!" Wang Cong's son said excitedly. It was rare for his father to be so generous.
"But if you lose, you have to honestly inherit my estate, and stop thinking about playing those cosmic ship races!"
...
"Oh!" Fang Jueyu stood up and stretched lazily. Unknowingly, over a month had passed, and almost all the Artifact Refiners had completed the first step of the refining process.
Now, the arena was aglow with brilliant light as the Artifact Refiners were diligently inscribing. Only by completing this step, would their works take shape.
"Look, that young man named Wang Dachui has woken up!"
"He actually cultivated for a whole month. What does he think this Artifact Refiner competition is? A free training ground?"
"Didn't he say he was afraid his flame would disrupt others' competition? Now that everyone's refining process is over, I want to see if his flame is as powerful as he claimed!"
"Hahaha, did you really take his words seriously? A connection always has connections. I doubt he even qualifies as an Artifact Refining Master. How can he be so powerful?"
"Almost done!" Fang Jueyu glanced casually around him, a high and mysterious smile slowly spreading across his face, "It's time to show true skill!"
Fang Jueyu casually flipped his palm, and a streak of silver flame shot out, transforming into a silver fire dragon that roared towards the sky over the arena.
"That's the flame!" Among the numerous spectators, the young man who took the exam with Fang Jueyu and the three Grandmasters serving as judges were also present. They recognized instantly this was the first flame Fang Jueyu had used that day!
This roaring dragon-like sound felt like a loud slap in the face of those who doubted Fang Jueyu. Even to outsiders, the power of this flame was unmistakably terrifying!
Just now, tens of thousands of Artifact Refiners simultaneously unleashed their flames, but none could match its might. He really wasn't exaggerating! Had Fang Jueyu unleashed this flame during the smelting process, all surrounding Source Power Fires would've been severely suppressed!
"How can there be such a flame in the world!" Several Grandmasters in the judges' seats displayed astonished looks.
"This flame doesn't seem purely like fire. I even feel as if they have a life of their own. How is this possible?"
"His level is just a Controller, but don't you feel this flame's temperature surpasses even those summoned by Transcender Artifact Refiners?"
"Look carefully. His life breath isn't even a hundred years old. My head hurts; I can't explain it..."
In that instant, this young man shattered too many of their understandings!
"This is the Origin Fire!" said Luozi Fala, the Chairman of the Artifact Refiner Association.
"What? But hasn't the method to cultivate this flame been lost? Even Root Universe's records of this flame are extremely rare!"
"This young man named Wang Dachui reminds me of someone." Luozi Fala wasn't seeing the Origin Fire for the first time. Decades ago, after a Cosmic Federation School assessment, a young man demonstrated a cyan flame like this right before him. This flame was also the Origin Fire!
"Fang Jueyu, Wang Dachui, is there truly nothing your wealth-driven civilization can't achieve?"
"He's taking the materials!"
"Wonder what he's going to bring out."
"Hmm? What's that black wood?"
"Crack!" Luozi Fala crushed the container he was holding while drinking water, his eyes seemingly ready to pop out of their sockets.
"This is... This is Mosla Meteorite! It's material for forging a Divine Weapon, not found in our universe. Until now, the only thumb-sized piece of Mosla Meteorite from Root Universe is stored in our association's treasury."
"Hiss!" Everyone gasped in shock.
They knew all too well the value of Mosla Meteorite. Just that thumb-sized piece was worth far more than a typical demi-divine weapon, and the piece Fang Jueyu took out was as big as a head!
Not just the Grandmasters, but many well-informed Artifact Refiners were stunned, with some slowing down their inscription work. In their eyes were envy, doubt, and fanaticism.
"Thud!" Fang Jueyu casually placed the precious meteorite on the stage.
"Crack!" Being extremely brittle, the gentle contact caused several small fragments to fly off the Mosla Meteorite.
But even these tiny fragments were still worth a fortune. Fang Jueyu didn't even glance at them, not even realizing it!
"Whoosh!" An Artifact Refining Master nearby abandoned his work and leaped towards one of the fragments.
"This is mine! I saw it first!"
"Get lost! I got it first!"
...
"It's just...a broken rock, is it worth it?" Fang Jueyu looked puzzled at the nearly fighting Artifact Refining Masters, shaking his head, "Ah, poor guys really are pathetic!"