The immortal crane folded its wings and landed steadily on the outskirts of the Artifact Refining Tournament grounds on Spirit Artifact Peak. Shen Yuxi and Song Zhiyi jumped down from its back in turn and looked around.
Unlike the tranquil Spirit Pool Peak or the boisterous Spirit Sword Peak, even the rocks of Spirit Artifact Peak seemed steeped in the dark hues of mineral veins. The moment one stepped in, an imposing and solemn air rushed forth, making people unconsciously rein in their restlessness and lighten their footsteps.
The so-called "venue" was actually nothing more than an expansive bluestone square. The ground was smoothly paved, and the surroundings stood empty save for several dark stone pillars at the edges. Luminous spirit stones were embedded atop the pillars, their spiritual light flowing as they faintly sustained the operation of some formation, gathering in the clamor within the grounds.
Most eye-catching of all were the dozens of Water Mirrors floating in midair. Similar in size, each roughly a zhang wide and long, they were scattered across the sky above the square in an orderly arrangement. Their surfaces shimmered with faint spiritual light as they projected scenes from the various refining rooms in real time—
Some artifact refiners were swinging massive hammers, striking red-hot blanks again and again as sparks flew with every rise and fall; some cultivators sat cross-legged, their eyes fixed on the flames before them; others held fine sandpaper, repeatedly polishing half-finished items...
The tedious process of artifact refining inherently required a great deal of space. Building dozens or hundreds of refining rooms directly on a square would have been both foolish and impractical.
At that moment, the competing cultivators were scattered throughout the refining rooms across Spirit Artifact Peak, each fighting their own battle. These Water Mirrors transmitted their