133: Refining weapons? We believe in returning to simplicity.

The Myriad Worlds Academy Exchange Tournament was halfway through, and the Cloud Court team remained firmly at the top of the leaderboard in a nearly absurd manner. Their style of "subduing others with virtue" and their unfathomable foundation had already become the focus of the entire event, even overshadowing the academies under several ancient Dominators.

This day marked the highly anticipated third official event: "Artifact Creation." The rules required each academy team to use standardized basic Materials provided by the organizing committee (a batch of medium-to-high-quality spirit ores and spirit wood) within a limited time to refine a "Magical Artifact" with specific functions. The judging panel would then score them based on function, creativity, and refining techniques.

This event aimed to test the students' creativity, their foundation in Artifact Refining, and their understanding and application of Laws. For academies renowned for Artifact Refining, such as the "Divine Machine Hundred Refinements Mansion" and "Gold Stone Fortress," this was the stage for them to showcase their skills.

As the competition began, the various academies immediately busied themselves. Students from the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements Mansion used exquisite techniques, drawing upon earthly fire and heavenly lightning to smelt and purify the spirit ores, carving countless miniature Formations. The dwarf students of the Gold Stone Fortress swung their specialized giant hammers, the sound of their striking like war drums, imbuing the metal with spirituality and power. The mages of the Elemental Holy Land guided elemental spirits to inject into their objects, creating piece after piece of shimmering elemental artifacts... The entire competition arena was filled with sparks and surging energy, a scene of intense activity.

Looking at the Cloud Court side, the style went off the rails again.

Long Qianyuan led his team members, circled the pile of basic Materials twice, and rubbed his chin.

"Revered Master once said that the highest Realm of Artifact Refining is returning to simplicity, seeing the miraculous in the ordinary," he said to his team members with a straight face. "We cannot be as flashy as them; we must be low-key and have substance."

Thus, under the strange gazes of everyone, the Cloud Court team did not light any furnace fires, did not carve any Formation patterns, and did not even use any tools. Long Qianyuan picked up the most ordinary piece of "black iron wood," weighed it in his hand, and then... began to dig at it with his hands.

That's right, he was literally digging at it with his hands!

His fingertips were wrapped in barely perceptible Chaos Qi Flow, acting like the most precise carving knife, casually scratching at the piece of black iron wood. There was no light, no sound, and the wood shavings peeled off automatically as if they had life. The other team members followed suit, each picking up their Materials; some were kneading mud, some were weaving grass ropes, and one was even holding a beast bone and... grinding their teeth?

At the judging table, several judges from various Artifact Refining Holy Lands frowned deeply.

"Absurd! Is this Cloud Court giving up on the competition?"

"That piece of black iron wood has negligible spiritual power; what can they refine from it? A fire-poking stick?"

"It seems the first two rounds were just luck. Now that they've reached an event that truly requires real strength, their true colors are revealed."

Scoffs also rang out from the audience, all feeling that Cloud Court had overplayed its hand this time.

However, as time passed, those with keen eyes gradually noticed something wrong.

The black iron wood in Long Qianyuan's hand, which seemed to be casually dug at, was undergoing a change at a fundamental level that they could not comprehend! The texture of the wood seemed to come alive, intertwining on its own into a natural Formation diagram containing Dao Rhyme. Strands of Chaos Qi were quietly locked within it, and the entire piece of wood became as warm and smooth as jade, yet as heavy as a mountain!

The "works" in the hands of the other team members were the same. The mud they kneaded had its internal Earth-type Laws combed into a state of perfect harmony, faintly forming a miniature "Earth Membrane." The grass ropes they wove seemed to pierce through the Void Realm with every blade of grass, containing the true meaning of "binding" and "tenacity." The beast bone that had been ground emitted an ancient, savage Aura, as if it could summon the roar of a giant beast...

There was no dazzling brilliance, no earth-shattering Aura, but a Concept of "Dao follows nature" and "returning to simplicity" quietly permeated the air, causing the scoffing to gradually subside, replaced by an inexplicable sense of oppression and trepidation.

The competition time was up.

Each academy presented their works. The Divine Machine Hundred Refinements Mansion refined a "Nine-Layer Exquisite Pagoda" capable of trapping and killing a Legendary; the Gold Stone Fortress forged a "Breaking Army Battle Axe" that could invoke the power of the stars; the Elemental Holy Land created a "Heart of Elements" capable of instantly casting ninth-tier composite magic... Each piece gleamed with precious light and possessed extraordinary power, drawing rounds of applause.

It was Cloud Court's turn.

Long Qianyuan walked to the judges' table with the thing he had "dug" into an irregular small wooden plaque.

"Here, this is the 'Heart-Cleansing Demon-Suppressing Plaque' we refined." He casually placed the wooden plaque on the table. "As for its function, it's basically that when worn on the body, it allows one's mind to be clear, making it difficult to suffer from Qi Deviation, and by the way... um, it can block Heart Demon invasions and Soul attacks below the Heavenly Mandate Rank. The effect is average, just make do with it."

His tone was flat, as if he were introducing a small trinket bought on the street.

Silence descended upon the judging table.

An Arhat judge from the Buddha Realm couldn't help but pick up the wooden plaque, probing with his Divine Sense.

The next moment, his whole body trembled violently, as if he had heard the Zen chants of ancient Buddhas and seen the clarity of when Chaos first opened! The cultivation Bottleneck that had trapped him for thousands of years actually showed signs of loosening! What horrified him even more was that the interior of this wooden plaque was naturally formed, without any traces of artificial carving, as if it were meant to be this way from birth, containing the supreme Laws of "Stillness" and "Purity"!

"This... how is this a Magical Artifact! This is clearly... a creation of Law! It is a carrier of the Dao!" the Arhat exclaimed.

Other judges also probed it, and without exception, they were all dumbfounded!

The value of that seemingly ordinary wooden plaque far exceeded those pagodas, axes, and hearts that shone with precious light! Because it touched the essence and pointed directly to the Great Dao! This was not "refined" at all; it was more like it had been "enlightened" into existence!

The students of other academies and their works instantly paled in comparison to this plain and unadorned wooden plaque. It was like a group of skilled craftsmen showing off their gorgeous weapons, while the opponent simply brought out a piece of uncarved chaos primal stones that contained the birth and death of the Universe!

What was there left to compare? They weren't even in the same dimension!

Without any suspense, Cloud Court once again won first place in "Artifact Creation" with an overwhelming advantage. Long Qianyuan's remark, "The effect is average, just make do with it," also became the most classic "humblebrag" quote of this exchange tournament.

The news reached Cloud Court.

Nie Li reported to Yun Feng about how Long Qianyuan shocked the entire audience with a wooden plaque that he "dug" out.

Upon hearing this, Yun Feng just commented lightly:

"Hmm, the technique is still slightly rough, and the use of Chaos Qi is not restrained enough. Next time, tell him to be more careful, don't destroy the texture of the wood itself; it needs to be more 'natural'."

Nie Li: "..."

He suddenly felt that the Geniuses outside who were so devastated that they doubted their lives were a bit pitiful.