Translator: Silavin
Circling in mid-air for several rounds, the True Phoenix Puppet that had just been imbued with spirit, responding to Qin Yichen’s summons, swept up a gust of fierce wind and landed before him.
Gazing at this True Phoenix Puppet, every single member of the Mo Clan stood agape, dumbfounded. Not one of them had imagined that a True Phoenix capable of commanding the submission of countless avian Puppet Beasts would emerge from the hands of an outsider!
Opposite Qin Yichen, Mo Xun, adorned with countless dazzling halos of achievement, wore an expression of profound displeasure.
One was a True Phoenix; the other merely an ordinary eagle.
There was simply no comparison between the two!
Even with his arrogant pride, he had to acknowledge that what he had originally thought would be a casual contest of humiliation had become his own self-inflicted disgrace!
Whether in carving artistry, Spirit Infusion Technique, or the final result, he had suffered complete and utter defeat!
Behind Mo Xun, the dense crowd of onlookers had fallen into deathly silence. The original contempt in their eyes had completely vanished, replaced by a reverence reserved for a Master whose achievements in the Dao of Crafting far exceeded their own!
At this moment, from the passage through the crowd, five Elders slowly emerged. Seeing these five Elders, Qin Yichen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Whether from the faint Spiritual Energy fluctuations emanating from their bodies or the attitude of the surrounding crowd towards them, it was not difficult to discern that their status within the Mo Clan was considerable!
These five were none other than the five Mo Clan Elders led by the Third Elder!
[The Third Elder!]
Seeing the five Elders approaching, Mo Xun also lowered his head, bowing to them with shame evident on his face.
“Stand down. This cannot be blamed on you.” The Third Elder shook his head, saying.
To create a True Phoenix Puppet in less than an hour and a half…
Although this Puppet’s combat strength might not match the Puppets they Elders could create with their full effort, merely the words ‘True Phoenix Puppet’ alone were enough to overshadow them!
Even they felt inferior to such a Puppet, let alone a mere Mo Xun?
“Young man, what is your name?”
Walking before Qin Yichen, the Third Elder paid no heed to Gongshu Zhiyi and Lu Xiaoguan. He first cast a complex glance at the True Phoenix Puppet, then fixed his gaze on Qin Yichen, slowly asking.
Thinking of how this youth’s mastery over Spiritual Energy could rival his own, his heart could not remain calm.
However, what puzzled him was: how had this youth obtained the Spiritual Awakening Seal?!
“Qin Yichen.” Qin Yichen cupped his hands in salute, answering neither humbly nor arrogantly.
“Qin Yichen?” The Third Elder’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if searching through his memory for the surname Qin.
But after a moment, he discovered that in his recollection, among the Lu Ban’s Descendants, there was no such surname.
“Qin Yichen, I have something to ask you, and you must answer me truthfully.”
The Third Elder took a deep breath, speaking slowly.
As his words fell, the four Elders beside him shifted their feet slightly, subtly forming a circle around Qin Yichen.
Seeing this scene, Lu Xiaoguan frowned, while Gongshu Zhiyi called out in displeasure. “After beating the young one, the old ones come? Is this how your Mo Clan treats guests?”
Witnessing the Elders’ actions, the Mo Clan members behind them also looked somewhat bewildered.
Their Mo Clan was extremely proud, but they would never engage in such shameless conduct as Gongshu Zhiyi suggested!
Regarding this, Qin Yichen showed no signs of anger, merely shrugging his shoulders in tacit acceptance.
“From where did you obtain the Spiritual Awakening Seal?” Amidst countless puzzled gazes, the Third Elder’s somewhat gloomy voice slowly rang out.
“What? Spiritual Awakening Seal? The hand seal that he used during Spirit Infusion was actually the legendary Spiritual Awakening Seal?!”
“*Siii…* No wonder he could create a True Phoenix Puppet!”
“The True Phoenix Puppets and the Spiritual Awakening Seal are not closely related. Although the Spiritual Awakening Seal has extremely strict requirements, our Clan isn’t without those who know it, yet no one has ever created a True Phoenix Puppet before!”
“Wait, the Spiritual Awakening Seal is our Clan’s Secret Technique, accessible only to the Elders. In that case, where did he steal it from?”
Hearing the Third Elder’s question, many Mo Clan members were stunned, then quickly understood why the Third Elder was interrogating Qin Yichen.
Among Lu Ban’s Descendants, only the Mo Clan possessed the cultivation method for the Spiritual Awakening Seal. Since Qin Yichen was not a member of their Mo Clan, how could he know the Spiritual Awakening Seal?
[Theft?!]
When this possibility occurred to them, the faces of many Mo Clan members darkened.
Although they did not know how he had managed to steal it, daring to infiltrate their Mo Clan’s sacred grounds and steal such an important technique was a capital offence!
“Steal?” Hearing the Third Elder’s question, Qin Yichen snorted derisively, shaking his head slightly.
“Still dare to argue! If you didn’t steal it, then where did you obtain it!?”
Beside Qin Yichen, an Elder’s face darkened as he shouted, the pressure of his Earth Grade Spiritual Energy faintly emanating, enveloping all three of them.
“*Hmph!* The Spiritual Awakening Seal can only be accessed by the Elders of our Clan. If he didn’t steal it, where else could he have obtained it!”
“Elders, seize these thieves!”
“Right! They even dare to deliver themselves to our doorstep! We absolutely cannot let them off lightly!”
In that instant, deafening roars of fury erupted from the densely packed crowd behind them.
Opposite Qin Yichen, the Third Elder’s expression was grim, his eyes fixed intently on Qin Yichen, as if he would make the latter understand the Mo Clan’s might the moment he showed any suspicious movement!
“A mere Spiritual Awakening Seal, could it be that aside from your Mo Clan, no one else could have obtained it?” Amidst the furious roars, Qin Yichen’s voice rang out clearly.
This voice seemed to carry a trace of helplessness, and even a hint of disappointment!
The Third Elder’s brow furrowed slightly, but he showed no intention of releasing the youth based on this simple denial.
“Witnessing the Mo Clan today, your arrogance and narrow-mindedness truly disappoint me.”
Facing five Elders and countless furious gazes, Qin Yichen paid them no heed, shaking his head and sighing to himself.
“Preposterous! How dare a mere brat like you criticise our Mo Clan!”
“Damned brat, daring to insult our Mo Clan! Elders, you must severely punish him!”
Hearing Qin Yichen’s voice, the already enraged Mo Clan members fell into an even more frenzied state.
Some hot-headed youth could barely restrain themselves from stepping forward to take direct action.
Hearing Qin Yichen’s assessment of the Mo Clan, the expressions of all five Elders became thoroughly grim.
Truthfully, throughout the countless years that had passed, their Mo Clan had maintained a semi-reclusive state. Many Imperial Dynasties and even Top Tier Forces from other regions had come to pay their respects, yet never had anyone dared to speak ill of the Mo Clan like this! And in front of so many Mo Clan members, no less!
Under those nearly murderous gazes, Qin Yichen shook his head, then with a mental command, withdrew the Master Craftsman’s Hammer, holding it single-handedly.