Countless cultivators stared dumbfounded at the scene before them. With a turn of the enormous white jade hand, countless mountains, sand, and stones came rushing over. It had actually forged a Saint Artifact from the most ordinary materials!
"A Half-Step Saint Artifact, this... but it already contains the presence of a Saint Artifact!"
Some cultivators cried out, their eyes filled with wonder and shock as they looked at the arena suspended in midair.
"Is this the power of a Saint?"
"It's simply too terrifying!"
"I've never been this close to a Saint Artifact in my life!" some cultivators said excitedly.
Saint Artifacts were things of legend. Even in the major sects, they were treasures that safeguarded the sect. How could they be casually brought out for people to admire?
But a miracle had happened today. The Saint of the Primordial Hall had actually forged a Saint Artifact with a mere raise of his hand!
What terrifying power!
"This... this..." Ling Ziao's body trembled slightly. This power was truly far too terrifying.
Although Cloud Firmament City also had a Saint Artifact, the presence it contained was not even as terrifying as that of the one Lin Yu had just forged!
A Half-Step Saint Artifact-ordinary cultivators mostly felt amazed, with a little delight at being so close to a Saint Artifact. But only disciples of major sects like Lin Qingfeng could appreciate the terrifying might this represented.
It was not as though Lin Qingfeng had never seen a Saint. His master, the sect master of the Supreme Sword Sect, was a Saint-level existence.
But precisely because of this, Lin Qingfeng understood all the more how terrifying the Primordial Hall's strength was!
Even with his master's might, it would have been impossible to forge a Half-Step Saint Artifact from a hundred li away with a mere turn of his hand!
Moreover, this person from the Primordial Hall had used the most ordinary materials, not any rare or precious treasures.
This... just what was the Primordial Hall's origin?!
At this thought, Lin Qingfeng was already breaking out in a cold sweat. More than curiosity about the Primordial Hall's strength, he felt terror.
Could such a powerful force really exist silently within the Eastern Wasteland? Lin Qingfeng pondered.
Yet Lin Yu had merely wanted to forge an arena as a place to fight. He had not actually given any of those other matters much thought at all.
"All right, finished!" Lin Yu was reasonably satisfied with the arena. Now that the venue was ready, the rest depended on the performances of those young talents from Cloud Firmament City.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Lin Yu happened to notice a figure not far away.
It was none other than Ling Yunxiao, the young city lord of Cloud Firmament City, whom Ye Wenqiang had beaten unconscious.
"You dared point fingers at the Primordial Hall? Just watch me teach you a little lesson." With that, Lin Yu gently crooked a finger at the unconscious Ling Yunxiao.
At once, Ling Yunxiao's body rose into the air and flew toward the enormous white jade hand overhead.
Seeing that his precious son might be in danger, Ling Ziao, who had just been bowing so respectfully, could no longer worry about anything else. The spiritual power throughout his body erupted to its limit, and he charged toward the enormous white jade hand.
There was no time now to dwell on how this wayward son of his had offended the Primordial Hall's hall master. The crucial thing was to save his life.
"Senior, please spare this wayward son's life! He is my only son. It was my failure to discipline him that led him to offend a Saint. I am willing to cripple all his cultivation and never let him take another step outside the city lord's residence. Please forgive him, Saint!"
Ling Ziao spoke anxiously, charging toward the enormous white jade hand regardless of everything else.
By now, Ling Yunxiao's body had already landed in the enormous white jade hand. Lin Yu had not wanted to bother with Ling Ziao, but seeing how desperately he wanted to protect his son, he could only add indifferently,
"Rest assured. I, the hall master, will not take his life."
Ling Yunxiao was Ling Ziao's only son. Although Lin Yu had given this assurance, how could he naively believe it?
Hearing this, Ling Ziao did not stop. Terrifying pressure erupted from his body, and streaks of sword light appeared behind him. He was just about to take another step in pursuit, but it was already too late.
The enormous white jade hand in midair withdrew directly. Within just a few breaths, the rift that had appeared out of thin air vanished. Apart from the Half-Step Saint Artifact suspended above Cloud Firmament City, the world was so peaceful that it seemed nothing had happened!
The ocher arena bore no special patterns and looked plain and unadorned.
The instant the enormous white jade hand withdrew, light flashed across the ocher arena. The next second, dozens of beams of light shot into the sky from Cloud Firmament City, reaching straight up to the arena.
In the blink of an eye, every member of the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking within Cloud Firmament City had appeared on the ocher arena. There was not only the group from the Supreme Sword Sect, but also Ye Wenqiang, who had just defeated Ling Yunxiao, and two unfamiliar faces.
Having just won his fight, Ye Wenqiang could not take in this sudden change for a moment, especially the twenty-odd figures who had suddenly appeared before him!
There were only a hundred people on the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking in total, and Ye Wenqiang happened to be ranked one hundredth.
Yet now, more than twenty had gathered in Cloud Firmament City alone, equivalent to one-fifth of the ranking. He... wasn't he far too lucky!
At this thought, a trace of a wry smile could not help showing in Ye Wenqiang's eyes.
It would be a lie to say he was not tempted by the mysterious prize mentioned in the announcement. This was especially true for a Rogue Cultivator like him. Without a sect's support, he could only rely on his own fortunate encounters for any rare and precious treasures.
He had originally thought of making an effort to compete for it, but judging by the current situation, the final championship certainly could not be his.
Since that was the case, he might as well broaden his connections.
"I am Ye Wenqiang of the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking. May I ask who you all are?" At this point, Ye Wenqiang smiled again and said, "I acknowledge that my strength is lacking, and the mysterious prize is not destined for me. But meeting all of you and exchanging pointers is no bad thing either!"
As soon as Ye Wenqiang finished speaking, a dark-skinned young man with an honest face spoke up as well. "Uh, howdy, everyone! I, I'm Chen Xiaoxian. Just call me Xiaoxian. How'd we suddenly get up here? When can we go down?"
As he spoke, Chen Xiaoxian shuffled toward the edge of the arena, looking utterly at a loss as he gazed at Cloud Firmament City, which had suddenly appeared beneath his feet.
"Number fifty-three on the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking!" Someone recognized Chen Xiaoxian.
"Think it's fifty-something. I don't get it either. My name just suddenly got written up there. I'd always lived in the village before, so I don't know what happened."
As he spoke, Chen Xiaoxian scratched his head. He really was the very picture of simple honesty.
Yet Lin Yu, watching from afar, was extremely dissatisfied. He had intended to watch a spectacular showdown. Why were these people just standing around chatting!