Congratulations

"Is it always so formal?" Ji Jue asked in surprise. "What else did you expect?" Lou Feng glanced over at him and countered, "Ever since receiving Heaven's Choice, how many people have toiled day and night, burning the midnight oil in grueling struggle to climb upward, all for this very day? "How many spend the better part of their lives without ever crossing the threshold? Would you dare claim that achieving everything you have today was a walk in the park?" Ji Jue had no answer to that. Who hadn't experienced the hardships of the Embers? Even someone personally chosen by a Sovereign Virtue had still been ground half to death by the competition, hadn't he? Becoming an artisan held immense significance for every apprentice—not just because of an artisan's status, authority, or civil standing within the Embers. Rather, it was more like a rite of passage. Before this, an apprentice sheltered under the aegis of masters and workshops; now, as an artisan, one was recognized as a chosen of the Embers qualified to weather the storms alone and bear all consequences. No more excuses. No more pretexts. From this day forward, one bore the lineage and legacy of a school, truly standing on one's own two feet. How could anyone treat this lightly? Ji Jue took a deep breath and stepped upward. Countless eyes turned toward them upon the steps. Passing staff and hurrying artisans looked their way, scrutinizing their faces; when their gazes landed on the scar across Ji Jue's face, an expression of sudden realization dawned. Amid shock and perplexity, their expressions shifted. Some nodded in greeting. It seemed as though everyone had turned to watch at once, yet no one spoke; instead, they silently parted, making way for the two. They climbed the steps. Right before the entrance, surrounded by a crowd, two people who had been conversing fell silent and looked over. The surrounding expressions varied—mostly warm, though a few subtly shifted upon seeing Ji Jue, forcing out strained, awkward smiles. Lou Feng gave a soft cough and was the first to bow in greeting: "Director Gustav, Director Jiang." Jiang Tongguang stood with his hands behind his back, looking them over with an amused, silent smile. "Only artisans stand here today. There is no need for formality." Gustav nodded, displaying an uncharacteristic warmth, and even stepped aside to make room for them. "Go on in. The ceremony is about to begin." Regardless of station, even the Director-General would not flaunt authority on such an occasion. As elders, it was natural to display warmth and magnanimity, offering encouragement and inspiration to the rising generation. He said to Ji Jue, "Today, you enter through the main doors." As they brushed past, Ji Jue could not shake the feeling that the two directors were looking at him with deep meaning in their eyes. *The main doors?* When he turned his head, he realized Lou Feng was already gone, slipping through the open side door. And the moment the main doors were pushed open, the low hum of chatter within the hall snapped into dead silence. The hall was by no means small, but it was already nearly packed to capacity. Gathered within were not only the apprentices who had passed the exam and the artisans who had overseen it, but also masters and mentors who had traveled from all over via the leyline compass to witness the ceremony. On such an auspicious day, with so many people gathered, no one went out of their way to put on a sour face and spoil the mood. Surrounding them were many long-unseen faces, enough to make even the most taciturn person eager to talk. Acquaintances exchanged pleasantries, while bitter rivals squeezed out smiles to trade veiled barbs and sarcastic sneers. Yet the moment the main doors swung open, all trivial noise vanished like snow melting beneath a blazing sun. All that remained in the stillness were countless gazes turning toward him. Scrutiny, assessment, curiosity, marvel, and perhaps a faint trace of disdain or resistance. There were too many to distinguish. Then came the rustle of bodies rising from their seats, one after another, starting from the front rows. Ji Jue could recognize quite a few faces he had crossed paths with. Among them, naturally, was Lou Feng, who had quietly slipped in and joined the crowd. In the silence, even the sound of breathing was as distinct as a dropped pin. Ji Jue was slightly puzzled. Immediately after, he saw a bearded man—burly even by the standards of the Swarm's chosen—walk straight toward him. "North Wind Workshop. Your defeated opponent, Frederick." The Son of the North Wind raised a tattoo-covered hand. "Pleasure to meet you." "Tide Sound Workshop, Ji Jue." Ji Jue shook his hand with a smile. "I remember you. Surtr was formidable. I hope you won't take offense at how things went." Frederick's cheek twitched slightly. Whether out of bitterness or self-mockery, he sighed openly. "Victory and defeat come and go. At least I didn't die under those two blades. Thank you for showing mercy." With that, adhering to Northern custom, he pulled Ji Jue into a bear hug and clapped him on the shoulder. He said, "Congratulations." "Dragon Heart, Lin Ke." Another smiling young man stepped up, shaking his hand with an emotional sigh. "Congratulations." Though ganging up against him had still failed to win the day, when he looked at Ji Jue now, he made no effort to conceal his admiration and delight. "Add me? When you're free sometime, would you mind exchanging notes on handling evil abominations?" "Gladly, gladly." Ji Jue readily pulled out his phone. "Five Flowers and Five Leaves, Zhu Yu." A petite girl with rainbow-dyed hair looked up at his face, her brows arching slightly. Her originally critical gaze instantly brightened. "Hey brother, do you have a girlfriend? Want me to introduce my senior sister to you?" "Uh, well..." "Nine Seals Workshop, August. Yeah, the one you stomped flat with one foot. Ow, don't squeeze too hard—my master just broke my hand and set it back..." "Tongxie Workshop, Hu Yun. Brother, come visit Yunzhou when you're free!" "Qichuan..." Before he knew it, he was surrounded by the crowd. Those more aloof, harboring lingering frustration, merely exchanged names. Those more enthusiastic had already traded contact information. Someone familiar and easygoing like Lin Ke had already slung an arm over his shoulder to snap a selfie together. No matter how harsh or petty someone might be, after witnessing Ji Jue rip through twelve opponents single-handedly in an absolute slaughter, they wisely buried their petty grievances deep in the dirt and stomped on them twice. Even if you didn't become friends, why make an enemy? Was Ji Jue not ferocious enough when he went crazy, or were Ye Xian's blades not sharp enough? They were from Chaosheng! Wins and losses were part of life. Besides, Chaosheng was far away on the edge of the Federation, having no conflict of interest with their workshops' businesses. Since they had already crossed swords, why not make a friend? Even someone as taciturn as Andrei burned through most of his daily social energy to greet Ji Jue. Yet after hesitating for a long while, he couldn't help asking, "The final layer of the workshop foundation disk—how did you dismantle it?" "Huh?" Ji Jue blinked in surprise, then quickly realized. "I'd looked over your past records. Going by conventional logic, there weren't many directions your underlying framework could take, so I prepared counter-strategies for all of them. The match time was relatively short, so I had to gamble that you wouldn't have time to tear it down and rebuild." "In such a short time?" Andrei frowned. "Counter-strategies for at least seventeen structures—was that enough?" "Process of elimination." Ji Jue thought for a moment and offered a self-deprecating smile. "Because our setups were quite diametrically opposed, I prioritized a few types that put the most pressure on me..." Andrei froze, dumbfounded, before letting out a bitter sigh after a long pause. Who would have thought that a measure prepared specifically to counter Ji Jue would end up being one of the reasons for his defeat? His master had told him that his strength lay in Constancy, but his weakness in change; if his ability fell short, he would sooner or later stumble when faced with variation. Yet he had never expected to take such a brutal fall in the artisan examination. "Thank you," he said softly. "Don't mention it! Add each other as contacts?" Ji Jue pulled out his phone, his social butterfly instincts kicking in. "What app do you usually use?" "Uh, is email fine? I... don't have an account." "Not even one?" Ji Jue stared in astonishment at Andrei's phone, which was actually a feature phone—one with physical keypad buttons. Admiration welled up in him. "Doesn't that feel inconvenient?" "Modern smartphones are so annoying to charge. This one is great—a single charge lasts a long time, and it's durable." Andrei hesitated for a long while before finally pulling out a pen and paper. "What is your handle? I'll buy a new one when I get back and add you." "Sure, sure, let me write it down." ... Amidst the lively chatter and exchanges, the venue was buzzing once again. For the first time in his life, Ji Jue experienced the joy of being the top dog. Usually, wherever he went, his obsessive grind made everyone sick of him, but here in the Embers, he was surprisingly popular. For a moment, he wasn't quite used to it. In fact, he was a little shocked. "How did grinding my way to first place turn me into some kind of Celestial-Human?" He sighed. "I can't help feeling everyone is being a bit too enthusiastic." "Their enthusiasm is only natural," Lou Feng murmured from beside him. "As for becoming a Celestial-Human, you'd better hope you can." "Huh?" Ji Jue was startled. Lou Feng's expression turned mocking. "Even if you were to stand still, do you think none of the people who lost to you will manage to climb up?" You had to be joking. Every single person sitting here today was literally an elite talent—a seeded contestant and heir groomed by their respective workshops regardless of cost and resources. Aside from natural talent and ability, all they lacked was time and tempering. Now that they had become artisans, their future progress would only be more astonishing. Right now, everyone had only just stepped onto the track; down the line, there would be no shortage of brutal techniques and cutting-edge craft. In other words... "From now on, whoever among these people feels ready to avenge their defeat will come find you to test their strength," Lou Feng asked curiously. "Why else would everyone add you as a friend? Just to hear a dog bark in their spare time?" "Hsss..." Ji Jue sucked in a cold breath, only to notice the air conditioning wasn't even on yet, making him feel even colder inside. Glancing at Ji Jue's twitching expression, Lou Feng felt a measure of petty satisfaction and mused softly, "Though I imagine this sort of pressure is nothing to you." "What do you mean nothing?" Ji Jue glared at him, suddenly empathizing with what his group mates and peers had gone through. "Whenever I close my eyes, dozens of people are right on my heels trying to outgrind me! I'm scared out of my wits, alright?!" "Right, right, totally. I believe you, completely," Lou Feng deadpanned without expression. Looking at him—others might not know, but how the hell wouldn't I? A Celestial Conscription personally graced by nine Sovereign Virtues, and you're here playing dumb?! With Lou Feng having pierced through that thin veil, Ji Jue's slightly complacent, overachieving heart flared with anxious drive once more. Just as he was thinking of heading home as soon as this wrapped up to study the *Treatise on Xiang Swords* and level up his skills, he heard Lin Ke, seated four chairs over from Lou Feng, eagerly sharing gossip with their peers. Instantly, the hairs on his neck stood on end.