Blydas watched Changkong Zhence with burning envy. For millennia, perhaps even tens of thousands of years, no one had ever heard of a smith actually forging a Sacred Artifact.

No matter how excellent the materials used, or how vast the manpower invested, no one had ever succeeded in crafting a Sacred Artifact.

Although both blacksmiths and enchanters constantly aimed to create Sacred Artifacts, deep down, many had long abandoned the fantasy of true creation. Instead, they pivoted to an alternative path: maximizing material conservation to forge relatively stronger equipment.

This shift, spanning over ten millennia, had become the dominant trend, spawning countless specialized sub-branches.

Among these, some dared to formulate a bold hypothesis: forging Pseudo-Sacred Artifacts!

If a true Sacred Artifact was impossible, surely a pseudo-version was achievable? If the required strength couldn't be met, then so be it! If the unique Domain ability of a Sacred Artifact couldn't be replicated, then skip it!

But Sacred Artifacts also possessed the ability to unlock human potential, and other miscellaneous functions, right? So, why not create an item lacking the ultimate strength and the Domain, yet possessing the other features of a Sacred Artifact!

Thus! The theory of the Pseudo-Sacred Artifact appeared simultaneously across the Human, Demon, and Barbarian races.

Yet, all these years later, not a single person had managed to truly forge even one Pseudo-Sacred Artifact!

Blydas had once believed this branch of forging was also a dead end, that no one could ever create a Pseudo-Sacred Artifact.

But then—two years ago!

One day two years prior, Blydas received a parcel. Inside lay a Pseudo-Sacred Artifact, accompanied by a letter: a small gift from Changkong Zhence, inviting him to collaborate on developing even stronger Pseudo-Sacred Artifacts, or perhaps even forging a true Sacred Artifact.

Blydas vividly recalled the shock he felt upon seeing the Pseudo-Sacred Artifact. Someone had actually succeeded! What method did they use? What kind of team did they assemble?

The pride of the Dwarves caused Blydas to reject that intensely tempting proposal at the time.

Now, seeing Qian Jin forge Soul Weapons with a mere wave of his hand, the prospect of him truly forging Sacred Artifacts loomed, threatening to permanently place the Dwarf race beneath his heel.

This confluence of perceived crises, along with the sting of countless lost materials, drove Blydas to seek cooperation with Changkong Zhence, intending to present him with the Jintian Tianlu set.

“This is still the absolute finest Pseudo-Sacred Artifact. Another set is already in production,” Changkong Zhence said, waving for attendants to place the Pseudo-Sacred Artifact before Jintian Tianlu. “You may put it on now and feel its essence.”

Pseudo-Sacred Artifact… Pseudo-Sacred Artifact…

Jintian Tianlu lightly caressed the offering before him. The instant his fingertips brushed the equipment, he felt an overwhelming surge of power, a force capable of awakening even greater power within his own core.

A kind of magic, a pull compelling him to don the armor, like the seductive whispers of a succubus urging a mortal toward diabolism echoed in his mind.

“Put me on… I can grant you supreme strength…”

“Wear me! You shall become the strongest king!”

“Wear me, and I can realize all your dreams…”

Jintian Tianlu’s hands trembled as he touched the set again. The Pseudo-Sacred Artifact set seemed to suddenly spring to life, leaping into the air. They spun rapidly around Jintian Tianlu’s frame.

Instinctively, Jintian Tianlu straightened his posture. Coiling around his formidable body appeared the Spirit Soul of a massive Gray Python, which reared back and roared greedily at the Pseudo-Sacred Artifacts dancing above its master’s head.

The artifacts swiftly descended from the air. They separated, piece by piece, snapping rapidly onto Jintian Tianlu, instantly transforming him into a battle-clad Demon God.

“Power… power… real and overwhelming power…”

Jintian Tianlu raised both arms, gazing with elation at his surging, powerful limbs. His Battle Qi expanded continuously, swelling and swelling, sweeping through the entire chamber of the high tower like a tempest, sending velvet draperies scattering everywhere. A beautiful maiden hastily moved to hold down her skirt, threatening to fly up.

Jintian Tianlu was the eye of this storm. Having just entered the Quasi-Sacred state, his strength soared higher and higher!

“Qian Jin!”

Even the thick tower walls could not contain Jintian Tianlu’s arrogant, world-dominating roar: “You are no longer a match for me, Jintian Tianlu! You are merely a stepping stone for me to defeat Qian Zhanxuan, crush Pan Hongji, and annihilate the Great Demon King! You are nothing but a stepping stone!”

The grand, violent roar seemed poised to envelop the entire Divine Capital city. Duan Fengbu’er casually rubbed his ear, glancing at the busy Qian Jin, then turned to Chekefulit beside him: “Concubine, did you just hear some stray dog yelping?”

Chekefulit kept his gaze fixed on the elevated platform and replied flatly, “Strong. Truly formidable…”

The Rookie King Tournament was about to commence. Ordinary warriors and Bloodline Warriors from all corners of the Zhence Dynasty flooded into the Divine Capital like a tide. Some came merely to witness the grand arena battle, something that happened perhaps once every ten thousand years; others came solely to seize the highest honor.

Scholastics, battlefield veterans, and practitioners of the ‘My Own Way’ school—warriors and mages cultivating strength through different methods—all converged on the Divine Capital.

For a time, the bustling, immense Divine Capital became densely packed. Those arriving to watch weren't just warriors and mages; many wealthy civilians sought ways to secure a ticket to even one arena match just to observe.

Warriors entering the Divine Capital initially carried the anticipation of being watched by countless eyes, as many were contestants, including numerous members of famous noble Bloodline Warrior families.

However, the warriors preparing for the Rookie King Tournament soon found themselves depressed.

In past years, even when the ultimate Bloodline heirs were not all present, the Rookie King Tournament itself commanded all attention, eclipsing everything else in the Divine Capital.

This year, the tournament featured three ultimate Bloodline heirs, and it was even rumored that someone might reach the state of fully awakened ultimate Bloodline power during these contests, settling the question of who was the strongest Bloodline Warrior.

Now, an event that should have captivated everyone from the oldest to the youngest had been utterly disrupted by the emergence of one young man. His affairs attracted the gaze of countless individuals—or perhaps, the attention of numerous factions simultaneously.

It was unavoidable; this young man’s influence was simply too vast. His network maintained tight connections with various industries, and those merchants, in turn, were closely linked to others.

Invisibly, this formed an enormous web of connections.

Soon, people realized this net extended beyond merchants; it involved the military, and astonishingly… the Imperial Family itself was linked to it!

After all, the Royal Family could not produce every necessary item internally and still needed to procure goods externally. Many items required by the court could be sourced directly through this one power structure.

Qian Jin—a name that sounded utterly foreign to most just over a year ago.

Now, if someone claimed ignorance of the name Qian Jin, they would be immediately and openly ridiculed by countless people as hopelessly outdated and provincial.

Qian Jin was getting married!

This single short announcement spread through the populace and across factions with the speed of chained lightning.

People naturally began trying to figure out how Qian Jin’s wedding related to them, and the next step was securing an invitation to the ceremony.

Indeed! The hottest commodities in the Divine Capital right now were not tickets to the Rookie King Tournament, nor invitations to any royal banquet—they were invitations to Qian Jin’s wedding celebration.

Possessing such an invitation was a mark of status. Those holding one stood a high chance of concluding major business deals at the wedding.

After all, the groom was Qian Jin, the General President of several major Guilds. Therefore, his invitees were likely an assembly of highly influential entities. Simply managing to infiltrate the event offered the potential for instant, massive wealth.

The swift horses dispatched by the Warrior’s Guild raced like the wind across the lands of the Zhence Dynasty, carrying news that rapidly radiated from the Divine Capital to every major and medium-sized city.

“A wedding is causing a stir almost comparable to an Emperor’s coronation,” Duan Fengbu’er remarked, perched on the thick branch of a large tree, his arm draped around his accompanying beautiful demoness, his legs swinging gently in the air, projecting an air of leisure. “What’s going on with that kid Qi Jiuyang? I’ve sent him so many letters via courier, why hasn't he replied?”

Chekefulit’s usually impassive eyes flickered with faint curiosity. He had heard Duan Fengbu’er mention Qi Jiuyang numerous times but had never seen the man in person; anyone repeatedly referenced by Duan Fengbu’er must be someone noteworthy.

Six days! For six consecutive days, Qian Jin had sequestered himself inside a specialized smithy. Beyond the fixed delivery of water and food, his needs consisted only of the constant transport of hammers—all different models—into the smithy, while dedicated staff continuously hauled broken and worn-out hammers out of the courtyard.

The blacksmiths, Senior Blacksmiths, and even Blacksmith Masters from the General Blacksmith Guild, along with branch presidents from various regions, rotated non-stop, forging hammers.

This sight led countless laymen to chuckle, sighing that the world had truly changed, as even Guild Presidents were now busy crafting simple hammers.

In those six days, Qian Jin must have ruined countless hammers, constantly switching between them, feeling out the forging skill embodied in each one. Forging Soul Weapons by leveraging the distinct advantages of every different hammer was, in itself, a profound enhancement of technique.