The Geared Immortal

The three academy contest 3

/*unedited*/

Every contestant on the field was stunned at the action of the judges. They could not believe what is happening right now as if everything is like a dream. The judges' actions also made everyone in the crowd dumbfounded.

One of the judges approached a stunned contestant and suddenly said with a stern voice.

"Activate it now!"

With no question asked, the contestant who is still in a state of confusion slowly approached the artifact he created.

"What's the hold-up?! Hurry up!" the judge shouted.

"Yes… yes…" the student said which seems to have been woken up from his stupor.

With a helpless look on his face, he quickly activates the ring on the table and a gleam of golden rays erupted. But then it died down after just a few seconds.

"Failed!" The judge shouted as he turns around and quickly rushed towards another student.

This left the student with a confused expression as if not understanding what is happening.

Usually, the judges would carefully ask the students what the artifact is and its effect then they would scrutinize the object and carefully check it. Then after that, they would test its effect meticulously to prevent any misjudgments on their part.

But now everything seems illogical as the judges seem to be in a rush in doing something. On the stage, everyone seems to be in a hurry which made the students look helpless. Out of the many students, there are only 10 so far who have passed the judge's assessments. This made everyone even the audience gasped in disbelief.

"What is happening? Why are those judges seem to be in a hurry to do something?"

"There might be some conspiracy going on… it's the first time that this had happened in this competition."

"I think the judges have gone crazy. They look like a bunch of lunatics running around the stage."

Shin Jiao could not help but knit his brow on this situation. He didn't know what is happening and what these fellows are doing. No one expected that the simple competition would now garner a lot of attention from the crowd.

After some time, the judges have finished giving out their judgments and began to gather in front of a particular table where a fat student looked at everyone with a dumbfounded look on his face. This made everyone look at the situation in disbelief. They didn't know what is happening at this time, although they can see that the artifact on the table seems not ordinary because it's not anything that they have seen before.

"Young man, tell me what this thing is." suddenly the man who seems to be the head judge asked as everyone's gaze was turned towards Tong Lei.

Tong Lei is now sweating profusely with cold sweat. He didn't know what is happening right now, and why he had garnered the attention of these powerful individuals. But deep in his heart, he knows that what he made would really be of help to a cultivator when it comes to going out to the field.

Right now, the Eye Cover that's lying on the table has the ability to detect any living thing within 300 meters. With his knowledge when it comes to using spiritual sense, he was able to think of a way to combine this and technology and made the Eye Cover. With the help of the Eye Cover, one can detect any living thing even those who are hiding behind trees or bushes without even using spirit sense. With would help any cultivator to be able to dodge danger in advance.

Spiritual sense has its own weakness especially when there is an array barrier, and this is its disadvantage. But with the use of this Eye Cover, even array barriers lower than tier-2 would be useless. And his made this artifact that Tong Lei made special. Although it is far in effectiveness and function than the glasses, merely to Tong Lei, it is already the first step in following his master and friend's step.

After taking a deep, Tong Lei carefully lifted the Eye Cover and put it over his eyes. Then he presses a red circular button on the right side of his head covering his ears. Then suddenly the dark metallic-like object covering Tong Lei's eyes suddenly turned into a bluish crystal.

When everyone saw this, a gasp of disbelief can be heard everywhere.

"That… that's crystal metal… How did he know how to refine crystal metal?"

"I heard that those things are only used for decorations, I didn't think that they could be used like this."

"So what now? Is that it?"

"Haha… that's not an artifact… it's just a toy…"

A mixed reaction immediately erupted throughout the crowd even on the whole stadium. This is because not everyone in the cultivation land knew how to combine those raw materials. So except for lights and weapons, no one ever dared to waste their time in using these kinds of materials which is brittle and just good for decoration.

"I that it? I thought that this artifact would be of any good." The man in front said with a bit of suspicion in his face.

"What else can it do young lad?" the man added as he asked Tong Lei.

Tong Lei lifted his hand and signaled for everyone to wait. This is because he can see a progress bar below his sight which is slowly filling up.

"I think the processing of this thing is taking a long time. I need to ask, master to help me with this." Tong Lei thought as he waited.

A pin drop silence covered the whole stage as the students and judges waited for Tong Lei. Then after a while, before everyone could express their discontent, Tong Lei lowered his hand and looks around the place. Then he carefully calibrates the Eye Cover as he records everything in his surroundings.

"What are you doing? Tell us what this thing is?" The man said with impatience now clearly written all over his face.

They have quickly finished judging this competition as fast as possible to that the judges can see this unique artifact that they have never seen before and this young man is trying to waste their time.

"Teacher, wait a minute, please. I'm still calibrating the artifact as this is the first time it is going to be used." Tong Lei said as he continued looking around like a fool.

When the people saw this they felt a little helpless and some even began to talk bad at the artifact which seems to be useless in their own view. But once again before everyone can react, Tong Lei remove the Eye Cover and puts it down the table.

"Alright, I'm done with calibrating." Tong Lei said with confidence.

After doing the calibration, confidence immediately flooded Tong Lei's heart. He knows that what he made was a success and that it is closer to his master's more refined artifact. So this made him truly excited and confident about what he had made.

"Teacher, you can try it out. I won't explain anything." Tong Lei said as he gestured for the main judge to wear the Eye Cover.

With great expectation, the main judge walks forwards and carefully wore the object on his eyes while frowning. He is confused as to what this thing would be able to do and how it can assist a cultivator. If it is an eye protector then it would be useless as cultivators could use their own Qi to protect their own eye.

So the main judge wore the Eye Cover with reluctance and little curiosity. But before he can react, he saw something that made his expression change from reluctance to amazement.

This made everyone curios about what the main judge is seeing. Then everyone was dumbfounded when they saw him suddenly smile.

This is because; he suddenly saw something that made him happy as a man. Every cultivator in the cultivation land wore special robes that can protect them from the prying eyes of spiritual sense from other cultivators. But this thing is different, although it is not clear and vivid, yet it is enough to see the contour of one's body.

"Ahem…" the main judge cleared his throat and gave Tong Lei a knowing glance.

"This young chap is a little pervert but I think he made something that is truly amazing." The man thought.

Then he roams his eyes around and tried the function of the Eye Cover which made him truly astounded. He never would have expected that the simple looking object has the ability to see anything even behind any obstruction. And what stupefied him is the range of the vision. So far, a low-level artifact with a 300 meters range is already an amazing feat. But the thing on him is truly something that can help any cultivator. This would be a life saver for them and would help them in dangerous situations.

After some time of testing, the main judge of the crafting contest removes the Eye Cover with reluctance in his expression. He truly likes the crafted objects and was truly amazed at the young man who crafted it.

When the other judges saw the reaction of their leader, they felt confused with disbelief clearly written on their eyes. Everyone wanted to know the thing on their leader's hand. But since they are just there to support him, they just throw curious glares towards that object.

"Everyone, the contest for this time is done. This artifact is the winner." The main judge said with a smile.

"How can that be? What is that thing that even the main judge looks amazed by it?"

"There must be some conspiracy with this artifact. I think it's just an ordinary thing and that it is not something special."

"This is impossible, how can that thing be the winner?"

Objection and murmurings can be heard in the stage as the contestants can't accept that something they never have seen before could win over their own handy work.

And so the main judge didn't say anything anymore and handed the artifact to another to let them try it out. Suddenly the other judges gasped in disbelief after they tested the artifact. Some of the judges who are women and tried it showed a blushing face as they discovered the perverseness of the object.

Then with a unanimous decision, the judges said that the artifact that won the round is the Eye Cover that Tong Lei made. And he along with ten others advances to the semi-final round.

The rest of the contestant along with Tong Lei who advances threw cautious glances at Tong Lei as they now viewed him as the strongest hurdle in this contest.

Shin Jiao on the stand felt elated at this and showed a proud smile towards Tong Lei.

Then he turns his attention towards the other side of the stage, the alchemy contest.