The Unparalleled Sword Emperor Chapter 2963 - 2938: Fire Lotus Mountain! Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures!

The Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures is not only vastly renowned on the Southern Continent, but also holds considerable fame on the Barbaric Ancient Continent.

He is hailed as the foremost artifact refiner of the contemporary Barbaric Ancient Continent, with half of the King-level Spiritual Artifacts currently on the Southern Continent being crafted by his hand.

Furthermore, numerous superpowers visit him every year.

Even the East Continent Academy, the Sword God Family, the Central Holy Nation, the Poison God Clan, and even the reclusive monks of the Western Buddha Land once sought him to forge Divine Soldier Weapons.

Even now, on the Southern Continent, those wishing him to refine artifacts are countless.

Therefore, the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures devised a method.

He announced to the public that those who wish me to forge treasures must meet two requirements.

The first requirement is either to be an unparalleled genius on this Barbaric Ancient Continent, otherwise, a group of useless warriors would not know to what extent they should ask to have Divine Soldier Weapons made for them.

The second requirement is to be a superpower on the Barbaric Ancient Continent, otherwise, the Divine Soldier Weapons forged would be left gathering dust.

Moreover, the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures created only one treasure per year.

Thus, the tradition of the Monarch’s Birthday Celebration of the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures was established.

At the birthday celebration, each major power selects talented individuals to participate in a martial arts competition, vying for the first place to request that the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures forge an unparalleled Divine Soldier Weapon.

And the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures agreed to this requirement, thus the tradition has continued to this day on the Southern Continent.

This year marks the ninety-ninth birthday celebration of the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures!

This is why the birthday celebration of the Venerable Lord of Thousands Treasures is so enticing, especially for the major superpowers, all eager to seize the opportunity for their families at the celebration.

Southern Continent, Fire Lotus Mountain.

A palace built atop a sheer cliff, with a gray-haired elder dressed in a flaming red robe, sitting on the cliff, gazing at the morning sun in the sky ahead.

The gray-haired elder held a turtle shell in his hand, shaking it gently, ten chess pieces leaped out from the shell.

The chess pieces are quite intriguing, the two sides of each are black and white.

The ten pieces danced a few times on the ground, then wobbled to a stop.

Remarkably, the black side of nine pieces faced up.

And the only white piece, when it was about to stop moving, was seemingly crushed by an invisible force, disappearing in front of the old man.

Seeing this scene, the gray-haired elder’s eyes narrowed, after contemplating for a long time, he rasped, "It’s... the Nine Black Death Crisis!"

"How can this be possible!"

"Could it be this year’s birthday celebration is gonna be this old man’s last?"

The gray-haired elder stands up from the ground, hands behind his back, looking at the morning sun ahead, contemplation deep in his eyes.

"Master." At this moment, a young man with a dusty and dark complexion wearing animal skins approached, calling respectfully from the distant passage.

If Lin Bai were here, he would surely be amazed, for that young man was none other than Hu Qi!

The gray-haired elder glanced at Hu Qi, and said indifferently: "I hear you caused quite a stir in the East Continent? And now you know to come back?"

Hu Qi replied in a low voice: "I dare not miss Master’s birthday! That’s why I return!"

The gray-haired elder chuckled lightly: "At least you have a sense of filiality, knowing to return and celebrate for your Master! Alright, since you’re back, go and join your elder and younger brothers, prepare well for the birthday celebration!"

"Yes!" Hu Qi responded and said in a low voice: "Master, you seem unwell; were you divining Tiandao for this year’s artifact refinement?"

The gray-haired elder glanced down at the nine black pieces on the ground, waved his sleeve to capture the nine black energies into his palm, and replied lightly: "According to the rules of the Pangu Sect, artifact refinement must conform with Tiandao!"

"If ten pieces come forth, five black is no refinement, six black is no stay, seven black must hide, eight black must die!"

"And my divination this time turned out to be the Nine Black Crisis!"

For five black pieces, representing ten chess pieces, if five display the black side up, he wouldn’t proceed with refinement.

Six black indicates that upon seeing six black pieces, immediately eject those seeking weapons to avoid drawing lethal disaster.

Seven black must hide, meaning that when someone seeking refinement aligns with Tiandao, should seven black pieces appear, it suggests this person will undoubtedly provoke tremendous calamity, whereupon you must not only refuse them but also remove oneself from secular affairs, vanishing without a trace.

As for eight black, it’s quite simple, even if hiding from the world, one would still face calamity.

Hu Qi exclaimed in surprise: "Doesn’t that imply that the artifact refinement at this year’s celebration will bring disaster for you, Master!"

"Nine Black Death Crisis!"

"Master, we can scrap this birthday celebration; let us disciples quietly leave the Southern Continent and disappear!"

Hu Qi urged the gray-haired elder earnestly.

"No!" The gray-haired elder interrupted Hu Qi immediately: "I must refine!"

Hu Qi asked anxiously: "Why, Master? You clearly know the sect’s rule, ten pieces should accord with Tiandao, five black not to refine, six black not to stay, seven black must hide, eight black must die, yet you’re confronted with a Nine Black Crisis!"

"If you proceed with this year’s refinement, I’m afraid..."

The gray-haired elder laughed lightly: "Hu Qi, do you know why each disciple of the Pangu Sect must divine the Tiandao with ten pieces before every refinement?"

Hu Qi replied: "Master said spiritual tools are instruments seizing the fortune of heaven and earth, tools for killing!"

"The Pangu Sect specializes in refining renown weapons under heaven; sometimes, in an uncontrolled moment, one may craft a divine object capable of annihilating the firmament, destroying Tiandao, shaking heaven and earth, weeping ghosts and deities!"

"Such spiritual tools would defy even the forces of heaven and earth!"

"Thus, refiners often seek Tiandao themselves after their artifact takes shape, lest they invite heavenly wrath and doom!"

"Throughout history, the Pangu Sect has been sparsely populated as almost 80% of the disciples were killed by heavenly wrath!"

"This rule was set by the Ancestral Master, ten pieces accord with heaven, five black no refinement, six black no stay, seven black must hide, eight black must die..."

"With these regulations, the Taoist inheritance of the Pangu Sect barely survived to this day!"

Hu Qi commented softly.

The gray-haired elder nodded and smiled approvingly: "Indeed, you remembered what I taught you well!"

"However!"

The gray-haired elder spoke earnestly: "I didn’t tell you what comes after..."

Hu Qi inquired curiously: "After?"

The gray-haired elder said: "After eight black must die, there’s one more sentence!"

Hu Qi stared blankly at the gray-haired elder.

The gray-haired elder opened his palm displaying the nine black pieces, speaking coldly: "Eight black must die, nine black to slaughter gods, ten black defy heaven!"

"The Nine Black Crisis represents an inevitable death for me!"

"But once a Nine Black Crisis appears, it predicts that the weapon I am about to forge will be capable of destroying heaven and earth in the future!"

"That’s why so many disciples of the Pangu Sect, knowing full well of Eight Black’s certain death, still defy the rules to refine!"

"Because for an artifact refiner, nothing is more important than crafting a weapon that will be passed down forever!"

The gray-haired elder grasped the nine black pieces in his hand, speaking coldly: "So this year’s refinement must proceed! Because this will be a weapon capable of killing gods!"

"This might be the finest weapon I will forge in my lifetime!"

The gray-haired elder stated calmly.

Hu Qi fell into silence upon hearing the elder’s words.

The gray-haired elder took a deep breath, gazing at the morning sun on the horizon, sighed lightly: "What I’m curious about now is... who will seize the championship in the martial arts competition this year!"

"Who is it that will seek my refinement!"

"And what will this spiritual tool they’re requesting to be like!"

"I truly can’t wait to meet this person!"