Hao Ren’s first destination was a place called Cauldron Valley. This was a city that was sitting inside a crater left behind in the mountain ranges of the western Spirit Siphon continents. This place happened to be the hub of artifact refiners as well. The reason they choose this place to settle down was because the crater was made by a meteor.
This meteor changed the landscape and the intense heat on the impact of collision caused a lot of chemical and physical changes in the nature of the meteor. It was said that under this city there were multiple metal veins and even after hundred thousands of years, there were some veins that had yet to be discovered by the people.
Hao Ren sighed as he finished reading the book in his hand. He was sitting on the flying sword that he had refined back for time pass. The fact that even at the speed three times faster than the sound it would take him three more days to reach the Cauldron valley, it was really far from the Iron Mountain City.
Eventually when leaving the city he was worried where he would have to go, when Samaira gave him an invitation. It was an invitation for the Grand Conference of refining artifacts. This was an event organized by the Cauldron Valley every ten years. Many Master level practitioners join the contest but they are usually at the eighth or ninth level of their path.
Their was a separate category for the grandmaster level, and while Hao Ren was promoted newly, his understanding of the grandmaster realm had increased a lot ever since he comprehended the information left behind by Tang Sen.
He traveled continuously without any rest or sight seeing. He had no interest in this place but only wanted to see if he could comprehend the second Artifact left behind by the refining saint. Also, the threat of Sect Leader Harman was still haunting him. To face a man in half step heaven realm he needed more than just his sword saint realm, and Heavenly Titan Body. This was not going to be easy, and he was sure that those bastards would be waiting for his weak moment and attack.
He was in the light and they were in the shadow. As he was sitting on the sword with his eyes closed he sensed something. His realm was increasing but so was the threat of the people aiming at him. The young man stood up on flying sword and said, "Since you all have come over, why not show your faces."
The enemies in the shadows all came out, and they were flying as fast as him. Hao Ren could see that they were all World Overlords, twenty people, all one major realm ahead of him. However, instead of the fear they expected, he smirked and said, "Looks like, I am being underestimated."
He took out his sword and the battle began. The people who were confident that they would be able to settle things easily were shocked to find that Hao Ren’s aura changed completely when he grabbed the sword. The young man looked at the people and asked, "Did you all seal the space?"
One of the men chuckled and said, "As expected, you are a talented artifact refiner to see through the restrictions we set up, but too bad you offended his highness."
Hao Ren smiled and said, "You all are good too, to come so far after a man you know almost nothing about, thinking that you can kill him to get in the good books of a selfish insect, I am astounded, but the only reward you will get from your bravery, is death."
He blinked and behind his back appeared a halo. The surroundings seemed to have froze, because Hao Ren decided to tease his enemies and make them give into desperation. The first halo shocked them but when they saw the embryo of the second hallo, their faces turned pale.
One of the men said, "Saint Halos, you are not even a hundred years old!" For more chapters visit novel fire.net
Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You can exclaim when you cross the doors of hell."
Like a demon, he went after them. His sword intent was so strong that the people could not retaliate. They tried to block but Hao Ren cut through their spirit shields and defensive artifacts as if window paper. He didn’t mind the fact that some of their gushing blood poured over him.
Within a minute he took down seven of the twelve assailants. A burly survivor said, "You bastard! You dare to fight me hand to hand? Why are you relying on your sword? Hmph, shameless creature."
Hao Ren froze, and he was stunned as he said, "I thought that was the norms in this battle. You twelve people having the lead of one major realm above me, dared to attack me with the intention to kill, and now that I am using my strength, you are calling me shameless? Fine then, come let me see how much strength does your arms have."
The burly enemy fell for the trick. Hao Ren stored away his sword and the burly man yelled, "Thunder Rock Fist."
He vanished from his spot and appeared before Hao Ren as his fist landed squarely on the chest of the young man. However, the scene where Hao Ren exploded from his punch didn’t come, what came was a chuckle. This laughter sent a shiver down their spines and they saw Hao Ren standing in the void unfazed.
The young man said, "You think that only you have divine strength? Allow me to show you something."
He clenched his fist and said, "Titan Fist."
His punch appeared to be moving through water, and it landed on the chest of the burly man like it was a love gesture. However, in reality, the speed was so fast that the object appeared slow.
When Hao Ren’s fist touched the chest of the enemy, the burly man didn’t even have the time to react and he exploded. His whole body exploded from within, and his blood covered Hao Ren, painting him red. His hair drenched in red blood, and crimson dripped down his chin.
He appeared like a demon, more scary than the prince these people wanted to serve. They shivered as Hao Ren turned to look at them indifferently and said, "I have lost interest."
He waved his hand and four flame balls appeared in the void and before the people could react, their bodies were devoured. However, they were not completely burned. Their hearts were left intact, the purpose, to destroy the section of the force that aligned with Demon Moon.
He collected different drops of bloods and then landed on the ground. Hao Ren quickly made an array symbol on the ground, then he placed various materials needed for this array. The blood tracking array, Hao Ren had come up with not only a way to track the bloodline of the people, but also to kill them.
How? He ran tracks and sensed the movement of the bloodlines, and then he took out several small flying swords, each one as big as his palm, and then he imbued his sword intent in the blades, and using his consciousness he controlled them and the flying swords moved through the void at the speed of lightning.
Hao Ren had mastered the art of spiritual sword control, otherwise, wouldn’t his title of the sword saint would be reduced to nothing but a blemish. Imagine a sword saint who could not control his weapon without holding it.
After half an hour, twelve families and forces in different places vanished from the world. Each one of them had a blade wound on their forehead. Hao Ren tracked their blood and attacked their souls. He was cruel to not leave even a dog behind. After all, the Demon Moon crossed his line by aiming for his wife. The more he thought about that sight the higher the rage became in his mind.
The young man took a deep breath and after a few minutes, he got back on his flying sword and headed to the Cauldron Valley. The journey which had gained pace from the sudden encounter had now become bland again, but Hao Ren used it to comprehend his gains and mistakes. His control over his arts became even better.
After a few days, he reached the Cauldron Valley, and the sheer scale of this place put Iron Mountain City to shame. The crater in the mountain range seemed to have destroyed the entire range. He was standing in the void, admiring the scenery when a young lad appeared beside him and sighed, "Every time I see this place, my heart just cannot help but admire the magnificence, what do you think brother, am I wrong?"
Hao Ren shook his head but his gaze was fixed on the city under him, as he said, "To think that the entire city is akin to a delicate artifact, to think this place, spanning over to several hundred kilometers is cast with a single technique, this is amazing."
The young man was shocked, but Hao Ren was engrossed in the magic of the Eye of insight. Beside the young man stood an old man, who was shocked to look at Hao Ren and said, "My name is Kar, I wonder what this little brother is called?"
Hao Ren replied, "I am Ren. I come from the Iron Mountain City."
Kar frowned and then after a few seconds he raised his eyebrow and said, "No wonder, you could see through the essence of the city. I have been humbled."
The young man beside Kar was shocked and asked, "Grandpa, who is this?"
Kar smiled and said softly, "Grandmaster Ren, the one who awakened the spirit phantom of the Refining Saint. Go, welcome him to the valley."