Sixty-two, Refining Equipment Competition (6)

  Xiao Yao looked at the other contestants and found that they all seemed to be hearing the old man's name for the first time. Apart from the blind old man and Fu Chun, she also discovered that one of the fifteen people, a young man named Nan Ye, was quite interesting. He had a tall and slender figure, with a handsome face, but his gaze towards Wan Jia Ling Jun was filled with a hint of helplessness and resentment, not disrespect, but rather the kind of look you would give to someone familiar.

  "As for Wan Jialing, it's as if he hadn't seen the person's gaze at all, and continued to introduce: 'I and Fu Chun are probably familiar to everyone, while Ji Luan is a well-known appraiser in the Diqiao Xing district. His appraisal skills are also recognized by the 72-star district, so you can all rest assured that this evaluation will be absolutely fair and just.'"

  Although the cultivators present were only equipment refiners and didn't know much about appraisers, to be recognized as a renowned master by all 72 star districts was someone worthy of admiration. In an instant, everyone's gaze towards the old man became respectful, and their evaluation of him also increased with anticipation.

  Next, Jilun, Wanjiangling Jun and Fu Chun took turns picking up the "Nine Dragon Needles" on the round table to carefully examine them. Wanji and Fuchun both observed before touching, but Jilun was different from the two of them - he was blind, so he directly touched the artifact with his hands, carefully stroking it, and as his hands moved, the expression on his face also changed, sometimes joyful, sometimes frowning, just like he was feeling the soul wrapped under the cold shell of each artifact.

  Among the sixteen contestants, their eyes followed the three people in front of the round table from start to finish, and they were nervous. Finally, the three people looked at and touched all the "Nine Dragon Needles" on the round table without making any comments, and then sat back to their original positions, which made everyone's heart rise to their throat.

  A moment later, Wan Jia spoke up: "Everyone, before announcing the results, I would also like to ask you all to evaluate your own forged artifacts, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and choose one of the sixteen 'Nine Dragon Needles' that you think is the best made, write it on a placard and hand it over to us."

  As they spoke, two maids handed out a two-inch bamboo slip and pen and ink to the sixteen people. The crowd looked at each other in confusion, unable to figure out what kind of trick the three were playing, but still followed suit, carefully examining the "Nine Dragon Needles" of the other contestants, comparing them, and then returning to their seats to write down the numbers they recognized on the bamboo slips.

  After everyone had returned to their seats and handed in the numbers on their cards, Wan Jia glanced at what they had written, nodded slightly, and said: "So, starting from the first seat on the left, please tell me one by one."

  Sitting on the far left was a man with a full beard and copper-colored skin, robust and powerful. He stood up and bowed to the three people in front of him before launching into a enthusiastic speech about his "Nine Dragon Needles", exaggerating their abilities while glossing over their shortcomings in just one or two sentences.

  Waiting for him to finish, Wan Jia first smiled slightly and said: "Is the small friend's bamboo slip written with the 16th token?"

  Han hesitated for a moment, then hastily replied: "Yes."

  Wan Jia nodded, "As far as I know, the 16th 'Nine Dragon Needle' was not forged by Xiao You. Since you think your own forged artifact is so excellent, why do you still want to write about the 16th artifact?"

  "This..." The big Han was also stunned, and when he came to his senses, he saw Wan Jia and Shan looking at him with clear eyes. His face suddenly turned red with embarrassment, and he scratched his head, saying: "Of course... of course it's because No. 16 is better trained than me."

  Wan Jiaxuan smiled: "Hehe, not bad, not bad. Daring to admit that others are better than oneself is also a kind of courage. Little friend, please sit down first and let someone else take over."

  With Da Han as a precedent, the next few people did not overdo it. They all clearly stated their strengths and weaknesses, but the booth numbers they wrote on their bamboo slips were surprisingly consistent, all of which were sixteen.

  Everyone took turns to speak, and soon it was Zhuge's turn. Although this gentleman seemed a bit dull, he was very serious when it came to refining instruments, clearly stating his strengths and weaknesses. Even Wan Jia nodded repeatedly in agreement after listening.

  After glancing at the bamboo slips he had submitted, Wan Jia narrowed his eyes and asked: "Little friend, you chose number forty-four, why?"

  Xiao Yao was sipping tea, a mouthful of water almost spat out in surprise. She had never expected Mr. Zhuge to have such a high evaluation of the magic weapon she had forged. If he knew that this instrument was forged by her, a female cultivator, she wondered what kind of thoughts he would have.

  Mr. Zhuge replied seriously, "Indeed, the 44th was slightly inferior to the 16th in terms of polishing and shaping during the later stages of production, but it's not enough to simply look and touch to determine the quality of the forging process. One must use it before making a judgment. Since we can't use it now, I'm just relying on my intuition to evaluate, and the feel of the 44th in my hand is more pleasing than the 16th."

  "Intuition?" The silent and sudden opening of the mouth, with a full face smile, said: "Interesting, really interesting, also rare..."

  Mr. Zhuge didn't know what he was referring to, and for a moment, he neither stood nor sat, until Wan Jia nodded at him, then he felt relieved and sat down, but his eyes were still on Ji Ling, who was smiling at him with her face up.

  Next in line was a somewhat strange young monk who, when evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, only said: "In comparison to those above me, I am insufficient; compared to those below me, I have an abundance."

  Wan Jia's face suddenly changed, and his originally warm smile also fell. "What is meant by 'compared to those above, one is not enough; compared to those below, one has more than enough'?"

  Provoking Wan Jia, the young man was not afraid at all, but said lightly: "Can't compare to Master Wan Jia, but compared to ordinary people, I still have some confidence."

  This remark is simply a contemptuous disregard for all the participants present, and many cultivators have turned black in the face, staring at the male cultivator with an unpleasant expression. The male cultivator seems to be unaware of it, but looks calmly at Wan Jia.

  The two men stared at each other for half a moment before Wan Jia finally shifted his gaze and asked in accordance with the rules, "Why did you choose the 16th card?"

  "I believe in myself!"

  Wan Jia didn't say anything else and just waved his hand for him to sit down.

  Then answered two more people, and finally it was Xiao Yao's turn to answer.

  As she was the only woman in the room, all sorts of unclear and inexplicable gazes instantly focused on her, sizing her up unscrupulously.

  Fu Chun had already noticed her in the first round of evaluation, especially after seeing her forged "Nine Dragon Needle", and had confirmed that the "Bi You" was indeed forged by her. Now he sat up straight and listened attentively.

  Even Wan Jia was quite interested and said: "It's rare to see a woman who has achieved something in refining instruments, I wonder where your master came from?"

  Xiao Yao replied respectfully: "As a junior, I am an ascending cultivator. All the skills I have acquired were passed down by my master, who was a master craftsman in the lower realm. My master hoped that I would be able to pass on these skills for generations to come, so I dare not slack off and have followed his teachings to achieve some small success."

  Wan Jia also nodded in agreement: "The heavens reward diligence, and diligence and innate talent are equally important. Tell me, what about the 'Nine Dragon Needles' you've been practicing? What are its strengths and weaknesses?"

  Xiao Yao didn't say much, and simply said: "The young generation's achievements in craftsmanship are not particularly outstanding, but they have a solid foundation. Today's accomplishments are entirely due to years of learning and tempering accumulation. There are still many areas for improvement, the most lacking being in the refinement of polishing and shaping techniques, which appear somewhat rough in the later stages. This 'Nine Dragon Needle' is no exception."

  "Ah, it's rare to see a young friend so humble and noble in character." Wan Jiaxian first praised him, but then changed his tone and asked: "However, I saw that the writing on your bamboo slip is your own signature. Since you think your skills are not the best, why did you choose yourself?"

  Facing doubts, Xiao Yao didn't show a hint of embarrassment, and from start to finish, her attitude was calm and composed. She replied, "Senior, the pursuit of mastery has no end. Even if one stands at the pinnacle of the crafting world as a saintly master, they wouldn't dare claim their skills are flawless and unbeatable. Therefore, regardless of who it is, everyone will have some shortcomings. However, this doesn't mean that I, as a junior, lack confidence in my own creations. I believe in myself."

  He was taken aback for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, and the approving look in his eyes became even more pronounced. Someone had also said this before: I believe in myself. Comparing the two, the former only made people feel somewhat arrogant, while the latter gave people a sense of firm confidence.

  There is a way that attitude determines everything, not just Wan Jia. At this point, the eyes of most participants who were casting towards Xiao Yao also underwent a change, with less doubt and more respect.

  When all sixteen people present had finished answering, the numbers written on the sixteen bamboo slips were also revealed. Thirteen people voted for number 16, two people voted for number 44, and one person voted for himself, number 108.

  Looking at the crowd's expression, it was clear that they had already guessed the final result. Wan Jia was very satisfied and stroked his beard. This time, he didn't keep them in suspense again and directly announced: "I believe you all have the answer in your hearts. I hereby declare that No. 16 and No. 44 are the winners of this competition and will represent Meishan Floating Island in the Refining Equipment Grand Prix to be held on the mainland two years later."

  Although the three judges had not identified it from beginning to end, this result can be said to be acknowledged by the sixteen people, so no one stood out in opposition. It was just that the young man with the number 16 suddenly stood up and calmly asked: "Senior Wan Jia, I have no objection to who the winner is, but forgive me for being ignorant, I couldn't tell the difference between the two magical instruments, so I'd like to hear the opinions of the three seniors. Please, seniors, make a judgment on who forged it better."

  As soon as this remark came out, it immediately received the echo of many masters, and regardless of what purpose the young male cultivator had, in their opinion, since they couldn't get the championship, being able to hear the sect master's explanation was also a great benefit.

  Wan Jia listened, and the corners of his mouth curved up again, as if he had been waiting for this moment all along. He smiled and said: "Actually, even if you fellow Taoists didn't say anything, we would still evaluate all the magical instruments once, so that people wouldn't gossip and say that us old bones aren't doing our job properly, and just fulfilling someone's wishes."

  Update, tomorrow's equipment competition will end