Chapter 0457: Doing Him a Favor

“Top-grade, Seventh Tier, Advanced!”
When Patriarch Bartley of the Akro family’s voice rang out at the competition site, even the referee could hear the gasps of shock from those around.
Top-grade divine artifacts were divided into seven tiers—Eighth, Ninth—and within each tier, there were lower, middle, and advanced levels.
In the divine realms, during various artifact-forging competitions, there once was an unparalleled expert who spent five days and nights crafting a top-grade divine artifact—a record that no one has ever broken!
Not even the highest-ranking gods!
While strength was important in artifact forging, it wasn’t the decisive factor.
Yet here, Huang Long had created a top-grade, Seventh Tier, Advanced divine artifact in just a few breaths!
The atmosphere at the competition site became strangely tense.
Bartley’s hands, holding the green sword, trembled slightly.
“Ah!” Just as silence reigned, a sudden cry shattered the calm, startling everyone. They turned to see that one of the competitors, after summoning a furnace and his inner divine fire to begin forging, was shocked by Huang Long’s creation of a divine artifact. Losing focus, he failed to control the divine fire. When he snapped back to reality, he saw the prepared ores and refined iron in the furnace ruined and cried out in alarm.
This cry woke everyone up.
But soon, more cries followed—one after another. Needless to say, the ores and refined iron in the competitors’ furnaces met the same fate.
“Have I passed the preliminary round?” Huang Long asked, seeing Bartley still in a daze.
Bartley snapped out of it and hurriedly nodded. “Passed, passed!” He then handed Huang Long a silver medal, a ticket to the next round.
Huang Long took the medal, nodded, and left the competition site under the complicated gazes of the crowd.
“Hey, isn’t that Lord Huang Long?!”
“Yes, it’s Lord Huang Long!”
“How come Lord Huang Long is leaving?! Didn’t the competition just start?!”
“Probably because he realized he couldn’t guarantee creating a top-grade divine artifact, so he withdrew voluntarily!”
Although some high-ranking gods could craft top-grade divine artifacts, it didn’t mean they succeeded every time.
Huang Long’s departure sparked endless speculation among the gods watching from outside. Naturally, many who were jealous of him couldn’t help but mock him quietly.
Huang Long heard all the chatter and mockery calmly.
“Young master, how did it go?!” Bog and the others rushed forward after being startled by Huang Long’s appearance. Though they had seen his terrifying speed in forging, this was even faster!
Bradd also stared at Huang Long.

In fact, in recent years, Huang Long had not crafted weapons in front of others, so people’s understanding of his speed in crafting remained at that before he joined the Luning family. Huang Long looked at everyone, nodded, and then said, “Let’s go back!” Seeing Huang Long nod, Bog and the others were stunned for a moment before coming to their senses and following him. Not long after Huang Long returned to the villa, the entire Niga City erupted in excitement! In just a few breaths, Huang Long had crafted a top-tier, seventh-tier advanced divine weapon! The news spread at an astonishing speed throughout every corner of Niga City with incredible force. Everyone went wild! Everyone was thrilled! Everyone screamed in astonishment; everyone kept asking and verifying the truth of it, all shocked and amazed by what they heard! Back in the Netherworld, Huang Long had led Bog and the others to break Marshall’s record for the Netherworld King Trial, shocking the entire Netherworld. But now, if this news spread, it would shock countless divine realms! This was as astonishing as Huang Long having twelve divine avatars—perhaps even more so in some ways! Crafting a top-tier divine weapon in just a few breaths, and that too a top-tier, seventh-tier advanced one—they couldn’t imagine how Huang Long did it, but they could picture the scene at the competition when he created such a weapon in mere breaths! Many even regretted not attending the competition and missing this eternal moment that could never be seen again in thousands of ages! Outside Niga City, inside a massive castle… “Elder Bartley, is this true?! Huang Long actually crafted a top-tier, seventh-tier advanced divine weapon in just a few breaths!” Donald Xiu, the head of the Akro family, stared at Bartley in disbelief, his eyes wide open. In the great hall, the other seven family heads were also there, all looking equally astonished. “Yes, family head. It’s absolutely true!” Bartley said solemnly, then added, “All the elders were present at the time.” Donald Xiu and the other seven family heads looked at the elders from various families who had been in charge at the time, and all of them nodded, confirming the fact. After a long while, Donald Xiu and the seven family heads exchanged stunned glances. “Show me the divine weapon he crafted,” Donald Xiu finally said to Bartley after a while. “Yes, family head,” Bartley replied respectfully before presenting the green sword crafted by Huang Long to him. Since the divine weapons crafted by the competitors after the competition were to be kept by the eight major families for evaluation, Huang Long’s green sword had not been taken away.

Donaxiu took the divine weapon from Bartley and examined it carefully. However, his expression grew increasingly grave, eventually turning to one of shock.
“Chief Donaxiu, what’s going on?” Holly, the head of the Reichi family, couldn’t help but ask.
“This divine weapon is by no means just an ordinary top-tier seventh-grade advanced divine weapon!” Donaxiu looked up and said to everyone.
Not an ordinary top-tier seventh-grade advanced divine weapon?!
Everyone was puzzled.
Donaxiu turned to Bartley and asked, “Elder Bartley, have you ever tested the attacking power of this divine weapon?!”
Bartley shook his head. “No.” But he wondered if there might be some special feature related to its attacking power.
The others also had similar suspicions.
Donaxiu stood up, went to the center of the hall, and channeled divine energy. Sword lights emerged from the green sword. When Donaxiu swept it lightly, the space in front of the hall was effortlessly split open.
The others watched Donaxiu’s movements but saw nothing unusual. After all, Donaxiu was a supreme god at the highest level of perfection; splitting through hellish space was not difficult for him.
Seeing their confusion, Donaxiu pushed the green sword forward with both hands and placed it in front of Holly, the head of the Reichi family. Holly, still puzzled, took the sword and channeled divine energy into it. With a wave of her hand, sword lights flashed, and space was split open.
Holly’s puzzled expression turned to shock. “This is a formation divine weapon!” During his earlier attack with the green sword, he had realized that it could enhance the power of one’s attacks, increasing their strength by at least twice!
This was naturally due to a formation embedded in the sword, and it was a formation designed to boost the power of sword attacks!
Hearing Holly’s exclamation, the other clan leaders could no longer hold back. They took turns testing the power of the green sword. As expected, it was indeed a formation divine weapon, just as Holly had said. At the same time, they understood why Donaxiu had been so shocked earlier.
After everyone in the hall had taken turns testing the sword’s power, silence fell.
“That Yellow Dragon is truly terrifying!” After a long while, Donaxiu, the head of the Akro family, blurted out.
Terrifying?! The others exchanged glances.
Donaxiu, the head of the Akro family—the leader of the eight great hellish clans—and a supreme god at the highest level of perfection, was calling someone with weaker strength terrifying!
Yet strangely, no one thought Donaxiu was wrong; instead, they all agreed with him.

The only advanced beast master in countless divine realms who possesses twelve divine avatars and six million mutated beasts, and now, he can even craft divine array artifacts in just a few breaths!
“Elder Bartley, please recount the process of Huang Long’s artifact crafting,” Donald Xiu asked Bartley after a while.
“Yes, clan leader,” Bartley replied and described what he had seen.
“His cauldron can change size automatically, yet it’s not a supreme divine artifact?! And you didn’t see him drawing arrays while crafting?” Donald Xiu couldn’t help but ask after hearing Bartley’s account.
“Yes, clan leader!” Bartley answered.
Everyone exchanged glances.
“It’s a pity that Huang Long isn’t from my Akro family!” Donald Xiu sighed after a long silence.
Holly shook his head. “With the Opening of the Forgotten Lands in the Netherworld, Huang Long’s identity has been exposed. The leaders of the six major Netherworld families are vying fiercely to bring him into their own families. I used to doubt it, but now I believe it!”
“Huang Long even dares to reject the Supreme God. Clan Leader Holly, it’s better we give up the idea. Our Eight Great Families of Hell sound great, but he disdains us!” Xia Zuo, the leader of the Liwa family, said. He could tell Holly’s thoughts—he also wanted to recruit Huang Long into the Leichi family, but who didn’t? Not even Donald Xiu was an exception.
Holly wanted to argue but ultimately stayed silent, knowing Xia Zuo of the Liwa family was telling the truth.
“It seems Huang Long is participating in the artifact crafting competition for the Golden Fire Crystal from Ice Mirror Lake,” Xia Zuo mused.
Donald Xiu nodded. “But there are only three spots. Although Huang Long can craft top-tier Grade 7 advanced artifacts in just a few breaths, that doesn’t mean he can create top-tier Grade 8 artifacts. He might not even get a spot.”
Everyone nodded.
Top-tier Grade 8 artifacts could generally only be crafted by peerless powerful beings with divine flames—a fact recognized by all gods.
“Since Huang Long is after the Golden Fire Crystal, it would be even better if he can’t get a spot. We can give him a few crystals then to owe him a favor!” said Holly, the leader of the Leichi family.
Donald Xiu and the others nodded.
Although the Golden Fire Crystal was precious, it was still a good opportunity to owe Huang Long a favor.
Huang Long’s current strength might not be much, but what mattered was his potential. With such extraordinary talent, what terrifying being would he become if given time to grow?!