Chapter 29: A Dazzling Display

At the center of the marketplace, where the four main roads intersected, lay a large circular plaza. This was typically a place where rogue cultivators came to trade. 

When Song Changsheng had visited the marketplace the other day, he hadn't seen many people not because the place was deserted, but because most of them had gathered there. 

The fact that the Earthfire Sect had changed the venue was something Song Changsheng welcomed. After all, he had come precisely to stomp on the Earthfire Sect's prestige the more people watching, the better. 

By the time they arrived, the plaza was already packed with onlookers, all craning their necks in anticipation. Some opportunists had even set up betting stalls, taking wagers on who would win. There was no shortage of people placing bets. 

"People from the Treasure-Seeking Pavilion are here!" 

The moment Song Changsheng and his companion appeared, they drew the attention of many in the crowd. Thanks to the events of the previous day, Song Changsheng's name had already spread throughout Liuyun Market. 

Everyone was wondering whether he could once again trample the Earthfire Sect's pride like he did before. 

With his gaze steady, Song Changsheng walked to the center of the plaza accompanied by Song Luyuan, waiting for the other party to arrive. 

In the crowd, a plump man elbowed his way to the front. When he saw Song Changsheng, he froze for a second. 

"Isn't that Fellow Daoist Shen Changsong? Shen Changsong… Song Changsheng… Heh, interesting." 

A curious gleam lit up the fat man's face. 

About the time it would take to brew a cup of tea later, Bai Ruofeng finally arrived with Cheng Xiao in tow. 

"Oh dear, Shopkeeper Song, I changed the venue without informing you beforehand please don't take offense," Bai Ruofeng said, walking up with feigned politeness. 

Song Luyuan also greeted him with a forced smile, and the two exchanged pleasantries that were utterly devoid of substance. Though both secretly wished they could kill each other, they had to maintain appearances. 

While the two faction leaders made small talk, Song Changsheng began to size up his opponent. 

It was a young cultivator in his twenties, dressed in white robes, with impressive looks but an air of arrogance clung to him, making him rather unpleasant. 

As Song Changsheng studied him, Cheng Xiao was the first to speak. 

"You're the one challenging me?" 

"I've heard of your remarkable artifact-crafting skills and came to learn from you," Song Changsheng replied calmly, his tone composed. 

"Heh, fine. How do you want to compete?" Cheng Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, not even bothering to look directly at Song Changsheng. He believed victory was already his. 

Song Changsheng didn't mind his attitude and replied indifferently, 

"Since I'm here to learn, I'll leave the rules to you." 

A flicker of disdain flashed through Cheng Xiao's eyes. He waved his hand and produced two artifacts. 

"Very well. These are two identical top-grade tier-one artifacts, uninscribed. Let's see who can inscribe more arrays with better quality in three hours." 

"No problem." Song Changsheng nodded in agreement. Crafting a top-grade tier-one artifact usually took a lot of time, and using this method was a much quicker way to showcase one's true skill. 

"Uncle, when do we start?" Cheng Xiao asked impatiently, glancing at Bai Ruofeng. 

"If everyone is ready, let's begin now," Bai Ruofeng said after exchanging a glance with Song Luyuan. 

The two participants each chose a spot on the open ground and sat cross-legged. Cheng Xiao tossed over a round-shaped artifact while keeping a longsword-shaped one for himself. 

Song Changsheng wasn't bothered by this. He caught the artifact and began inspecting it. It was clear that Cheng Xiao hadn't tried any underhanded tricks the artifact was clean. 

However, during his inspection, Song Changsheng did notice several subtle flaws in the artifact, likely due to shortcomings in the crafting process. 

"There's still plenty of time left might as well refine it a bit more," Song Changsheng muttered to himself as he glanced at Cheng Xiao, who had already begun inscribing arrays. 

To the bewilderment of the entire crowd, a tangerine-orange flame rose in front of Song Changsheng and enveloped the artifact. 

"What's he doing? Isn't this a competition about inscribing arrays?" a confused cultivator asked. 

Soon, someone more knowledgeable responded, 

"He's refining the artifact. Doing so can further improve its overall quality." 

"But that's not part of the competition rules, is it?" 

The knowledgeable cultivator hesitated for a moment, then nodded, 

"True, it's not." 

For a while, everyone was puzzled by Song Changsheng's actions. 

Was this confidence or pure arrogance? 

Cheng Xiao had naturally noticed Song Changsheng's unusual behavior. Seeing that he had already completed a third of his array of inscriptions, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly that Song Changsheng was far too arrogant. 

It was true that refining could improve an artifact's quality, but both artifacts had been crafted by Cheng Xiao himself. He had full confidence in his skills. 

He had already pushed the artifacts as close to perfection as possible. Even if there were a few minor flaws, a round of refinement wouldn't significantly enhance the quality. In his eyes, Song Changsheng was just getting his priorities completely wrong. 

Song Changsheng paid no attention to the murmuring crowd around him. He had entered a state of total immersion. 

Time flew by. Just as the first hour was about to pass, Song Changsheng finally completed the refinement process. By that time, Cheng Xiao had already finished inscribing his first array. 

Most of the spectators had already lost faith in Song Changsheng. He had fallen far behind. Those who had placed their bets on him were now deeply regretting it some of them so much they could practically feel their intestines knotting in frustration. 

If it weren't for Song Luyuan's presence, they probably would've started cursing out Song Changsheng's parents on the spot. 

"Two hours left I'll need to pick up the pace," Song Changsheng murmured. 

The next moment, his spiritual power surged into the artifact like a dam bursting. Under his control, it split into two streams and began inscribing two arrays simultaneously! 

Since the competition was taking place outdoors, the entire process of his array inscription was visible to everyone. At first, it wasn't obvious. But as the outlines of the formations gradually took shape, someone in the crowd noticed something startling. 

"Heavens! Song Changsheng is inscribing two arrays at the same time am I seeing this right?" a rogue artifact cultivator exclaimed. 

"What nonsense are you spouting?" His remark drew skepticism from those around him. After all, inscribing even a single array was an extremely meticulous and demanding task, requiring one's full concentration. 

Simultaneously inscribing two arrays? Maybe that happened somewhere else, but in Lingzhou, such a thing had never even been heard of. 

"Wait he's right. The outlines of two different arrays are taking shape." 

"This guy must be a freak. How is he even doing this?" 

Facts spoke louder than words. More and more people started noticing what was happening, and a collective gasp spread through the crowd. Everyone was stunned by Song Changsheng's display. 

Bai Ruofeng stared at Song Changsheng, eyes wide in disbelief. 

"Split focus technique? The legendary ability to control two things at once? That's impossible! How can he do it?!" 

Seeing Bai Ruofeng's reaction, Song Luyuan quietly stepped forward, placing himself between Bai Ruofeng and Song Changsheng, just in case the former decided to lash out in desperation. 

Unaware of the storm he had stirred, Song Changsheng remained fully immersed completely absorbed in his work. 

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