325: The news of Xu Ruyu's weapon-forging explosion spread like wildfire throughout Tianyin Mountain. (Chapter 325)

The next morning, the first light of dawn appeared.

The news of Xu Ruyu’s Artifact Refining explosion spread across the entire Tianyin Mountains overnight like locusts with wings.

The source was, naturally, the Fire Cloud Cave.

Those Artifact Refining apprentices who had personally witnessed Xu Ruyu being blasted until his hair stood on end and his face was charred black gathered in groups of three or five after leaving the Artifact Testing Ground, vividly describing the scene at the time.

"You didn't see it, but that scene was spectacular!"

"Sect Leader Xu was holding that long tube, and when the array patterns lit up, I really thought he was about to unleash something earth-shattering!"

"But then, with a 'boom,' the tube just exploded! Shards flew everywhere!"

"Right, right, right! You should have seen him after the explosion; his hair was all standing straight up, looking like a hedgehog!"

"His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, leaving only two eyes and a row of white teeth!"

"Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter! Is this even Artifact Refining? This is more like self-detonation, right?"

"And there was a second one! That thin, long rod exploded even harder! Sect Leader Xu was knocked flat on the ground and was even spitting blood! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"The third one exploded too; each one was louder than the last!"

"Tsk tsk, with this level of skill, he's still called a Saint Master? I started learning Artifact Refining at three and could forge first-grade Magical Artifacts by five, but I've never seen anything this ridiculous!"

"He's an Array Dao Genius, after all. Unfortunately, for Artifact Refining, having just the Array Dao isn't enough."

"Materials, forging, heat control, structure—which one of these doesn't take decades of hard work? A young brat like him wanting to achieve instant success... it would be weird if it didn't explode!"

These words were passed from mouth to mouth within the Fire Cloud Cave and quickly spread outside.

And some people clearly felt that this wasn't enough.

In Elder Mo Feng's courtyard.

Mo Feng sat at the head of the room, with Ku Mu and Hu Yong seated on either side.

Standing before the three of them were several young Disciples, led by the troublemaking apprentice from the Fire Cloud Cave, Mo Ran—he was Mo Feng's distant grand-nephew.

"Ran'er, how is the matter proceeding?" Mo Feng asked slowly, stroking his beard.

Mo Ran's face was covered in smiles: "Rest assured, Great-Uncle, the news has already been spread. The apprentices in the Fire Cloud Cave are currently telling jokes about Xu Ruyu everywhere."

"I specifically instructed a few with silver tongues to embellish the story, making it as exciting as possible."

"Good." Mo Feng nodded with satisfaction. "Remember, it's not just the Fire Cloud Cave."

"Make sure the entire Tianyin Mountain knows that the 'Saint Master' the Clan Chief praised to the heavens is actually an incompetent fool who doesn't even have the basics of Artifact Refining."

"His so-called 'achievements' are nothing more than good luck."

Ku Mu added sinisterly, "Especially let those Hehuan Sect Disciples know."

"Aren't they proud of their own Sect Master? Then let them hear what kind of trash the Sect Master they take pride in is in the eyes of outsiders."

Hu Yong said with a smile, "I have already arranged for some clever Disciples to specifically hang around the places the Hehuan Sect Disciples frequent."

"When they hear those words, their expressions will surely be quite a sight."

Mo Feng sneered, "This is called killing two birds with one stone. Not only will it make that Xu Ruyu lose face, but it will also make the Hehuan Sect Disciples unable to hold their heads up."

"If they can't help but start a fight, that would be even better—on the Taihu Clan's territory, if outsiders dare to strike, we can just charge them with 'disrespect.'"

"Even if the Clan Chief wants to protect them, he'll have to consider that public outrage is hard to defy."

The three looked at each other and laughed, their smiles full of malice.

Thus, with the push from Mo Feng and the others, the news of Xu Ruyu’s Artifact Refining explosion swept through the entire Tianyin Mountains in a way that was faster and more exaggerated than natural propagation.

Outside Qixia Valley, on the mountain path leading to the public resource distribution point.

Several female Disciples of the Hehuan Sect were walking together to collect this month's cultivation Materials.

They chatted and laughed in low voices as they walked, their faces filled with a sense of novelty about the new environment and expectations for the future.

Suddenly, a burst of noisy laughter came from ahead.

Several young Taihu Clan Disciples walked toward them, led by a thin, sharp-featured young man in Fire Cloud Cave apprentice robes—it was Mo Ran.

They talked loudly as they walked, as if afraid others wouldn't hear them.

"Hey, do you guys think that Sect Leader Xu has a problem with his head? With his mediocre forging skills, he actually dared to go to the Fire Cloud Cave and make a fool of himself?"

"Isn't that right! I heard he doesn't even know the most basic 'Spirit Forging Method.' He only knows how to burn it with fire and hit it with a hammer. That technique is cruder than when I first started!"

"Hahaha! And he still calls that Artifact Refining? Even if he forged something, it would be trash!"

"It can't even be called trash. Trash can at least be looked at. His things just exploded! He blew himself up until his head was covered in bumps!"

"I heard he even spat blood from the explosion? Tsk tsk, if this were on a battlefield, he'd blow himself up before the enemy even attacked. That would truly be a tale for the ages!"

Mo Ran and the others laughed as they spoke, their gazes intentionally or unintentionally sweeping toward the female Disciples of the Hehuan Sect.

The smiles on those female Disciples' faces gradually vanished, replaced by embarrassment and awkwardness.

They lowered their heads and quickened their pace, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

But Mo Ran and the others deliberately slowed down, blocking the middle of the road. When the girls drew near, Mo Ran suddenly said loudly, "Yo, aren't these the Junior Sisters from the Hehuan Sect? Your Sect Master really made a name for himself at the Fire Cloud Cave yesterday!"

"The explosion was spectacular! It's such a pity you didn't go to see it!"

Another Disciple chimed in, "Exactly! Your Sect Master is so powerful, why didn't he take you to broaden your horizons? Oh, right, maybe he felt ashamed himself and was too embarrassed to take you?"

"Hahahaha!"

Another burst of piercing laughter rang out.