"Just a cheap show-off," Zhao Zhenjie muttered coldly as he watched Lin Tian's actions. He had already harbored some resentment towards Lin Tian, and now, seeing that all eyes were on him, it only made Zhao Zhenjie feel more irritated.
However, Lin Tian, at this moment, paid no heed to the gazes of others. His spiritual power surged within him, swiftly refining the metal before him.
"This kid... does he really think this will win him the competition?" Zhao Zhenjie couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise as he watched Lin Tian's speed. He had initially believed that he had exhausted all methods to deal with Lin Tian, but now he realized that the latter had a way to counter his moves.
Clearly, Lin Tian had deduced that, with his speed unable to compare to that of other disciples, he would instead surpass them through the quality of his work.
"This kid has some skill," one of the elders in the Elder's Hall commented as they observed Lin Tian's expert techniques. Even from their high standards, this alone was enough to demonstrate that Lin Tian's talent far surpassed that of the other outer disciples.
"Indeed, this kid's methods are impressive. Not only does he have an exceptional command over the properties of metals, but his forging speed is astonishing as well. However, half the time has already passed, and without the help of his two teammates, it's impossible for him to finish the Magic Pulling Nails within the remaining half-hour," Elder Dongfeng couldn't help but say.
While Zhao Zhenjie's harassment was evident, Elder Dongfeng still held a favorable view of Lin Tian. Seeing him in this situation, however, he couldn't help but sigh.
Other elders nodded in agreement with Elder Dongfeng. Forging the Magic Pulling Nails was difficult, and under normal circumstances, a Forging Peak disciple would need at least two full hours, especially if they were not already highly familiar with the crafting process. Lin Tian had spent half of his time purifying the metals before him. With just half an hour left, he could only hope that his teammates would step up. Yet, at this point, it was clear that there were few chances left.
"Is this kid still planning to continue?" Elder Nanyin exclaimed in astonishment when she saw Lin Tian take up a purified piece of metal. "Knowing that he has no chance of succeeding, why does he persist in this hopeless effort?"
"He's lost his mind. With only half an hour left, he still plans to keep going?" Zhao Zhenjie commented with a mocking tone. Originally, when Lin Tian paused for a moment, Zhao Zhenjie had assumed he was giving up. But to his shock, Lin Tian had no intention of quitting.
"Look, what's that in his hand?" Elder Nanyin's voice snapped everyone's attention to Lin Tian's left hand. He was holding three jade bottles. The contents of these bottles were unknown to everyone.
Without hesitation, Lin Tian opened one of the bottles. A dense aura of spiritual power instantly enveloped the area. Without a second thought, he consumed the spiritual liquid inside the bottle. Simultaneously, a flame erupted in his palm.
The flame began as a bright yellow, but soon, a faint green hue emerged within the fire. Gradually, the green spread, until the entire flame in Lin Tian's palm had turned a vibrant green.
"Green forgemaster's fire?" The elders in the hall could only stare, their eyes wide in disbelief. Such a phenomenon was almost beyond comprehension.
Although there was no cultivation level limit in forgemastering, it was already an extraordinary feat for a disciple in the Qi Refining stage to condense orange forgemaster's fire. A few exceptional individuals could even condense yellow forgemaster's fire, but that was a rare occurrence.
For Lin Tian to already be using yellow forgemaster's fire to forge spiritual tools at the Qi Refining stage was a sign of unparalleled talent. Yet now, he had managed to condense green forgemaster's fire—something no one had ever seen before.
"This kid... is ridiculously strong," Elder Dongfeng muttered through gritted teeth, his expression a mixture of admiration and discomfort. Even many inner disciples of the Forging Peak had failed to condense green forgemaster's fire, so Lin Tian's achievement was nothing short of humiliating for them.
Though Lin Tian had successfully condensed this extraordinary flame, the strain on him was enormous. His spiritual power was barely enough to control it, and the consumption of his energy was so great that he had to rely on the spiritual liquid to replenish his strength.
"This kid... how is he so strong?" Zhao Zhenjie's brows furrowed, his eyes filled with wariness. Lin Tian's performance was far beyond what he had anticipated. It was clear that after this round, the elders of the Forging Peak would begin to pay much more attention to Lin Tian. And once that happened, it would become increasingly difficult for Zhao Zhenjie to take action against him.
Zhao Zhenjie glanced at Zhao Zhigang by his side and gestured for him to act. Zhao Zhigang stepped forward.
"Lin Tian, let me lend you a hand," Zhao Zhigang said, his voice full of feigned kindness.
Startled, Lin Tian turned just in time to see Zhao Zhigang moving toward a piece of already refined exotic metal. Without thinking, Zhao Zhigang reached out and took it.
Lin Tian cursed inwardly, realizing that Zhao Zhigang was targeting him. The green forgemaster's fire he had summoned demanded his full attention, and any lapse would cause the flame to become unstable.
Even though Lin Tian knew Zhao Zhigang was going to make his move, he had no choice but to focus entirely on the refinement of the remaining metals in his hands.
Moments later, Zhao Zhigang let out a surprised cry, and an unusual scene unfolded before everyone's eyes. Zhao Zhenjie's face immediately changed as he watched in shock.
"What's happening here?" The elders in the hall exclaimed in unison, utterly confused by the sudden turn of events.
At that moment, Lin Tian finished refining the exotic metals in his hands. He smiled lightly and looked over at Zhao Zhigang.