Chapter 411 - Invited Judges and Significant Participants (1/2)

”I am Xuan Ziying. On behalf of the Timeless Flame Sect, I welcome everyone and thank you for gracing us with your presence today. This is the first Inscription Meet organised by our Timeless Flame Sect. For this event, we have invited all interested inscription masters to join in the fun. Previously, we have already announced the rules of the Inscription Meet, leaving only one aspect unmentioned – the judges. Now that it is already the day of the Inscription Meet itself, it is finally time to reveal the identity of the judges. So without further ado, let us give a warm welcome to the three judges of the Inscription Meet!”

The host of the event was a beautiful young lady wearing a tight fitting gown. Her manner of speech was soft but clear, each word pleasing to the ear.

She stood in the middle of the stage, which was essentially a raised platform positioned at one end of the arena, right in front of the guests of honour.

There were only four seats placed on the stage itself. One of it was for the host, while the other three were reserved for the judges of the day.

Today, the judges were the only ones who would have a say in the result of the event.

Xuan Ziying's prompts did not go unignored, and the audiences erupted into thunderous applause.

”First, we have the Deputy Sect Master of the Timeless Flame Sect – the Iron Fist Overlord!” Xuan Ziying announced. ”Most people here should be familiar with the Iron Fist Overlord. He is an esteemed inscription master in his own right, and has dedicated his life to the study of the art of inscriptions. With his deep expertise, few will be more appropriate than him when it comes to being the judge for today's Inscription Meet!”

As she spoke, a man who looked to be in his seventies started making his way up the stage.

A nice way to put it was that his movements were slow and steady, but a more crude expression would be that he moved like a snail.

If one judged by his movements alone, he would appear no different from a mortal grandfather nearing the point of death.

However, only the foolish would dare to underestimate this man because of that.

Those who had heard of his exploits knew just how powerful and ruthless the Iron Fist Overlord had been when he was young. Even though he had not acted openly in the past few centuries, just the fact that he could retain his position as the deputy sect master of the Timeless Flame Sect was enough proof of his strength.

By then, almost ten minutes had already passed since his name was announced.

”Thank you, Deputy Sect Master. Next, we have Grandmaster Dongkuang!” Xuan Ziying continued. ”Grandmaster Dongkuang is a well-known appraiser who hails from none other than the City of Artificers – Sacred Cliff City. He has a grand track record of having appraised tens of thousands of rare items, establishing a reputation of pure perfection in his appraisals. Known as a genius in the field, his keen eye will be of great importance today as he plays a part in determining the winner of the Inscription Meet!”

As she spoke, a confident young man started making his way up the stage.

His appearance and mannerism were miles apart from the earlier Iron Fist Overlord. Each of his steps was firm but graceful, the smile on his face radiant like the sun that illuminated the lands.

It was extremely difficult to link this handsome young man to his status as a grandmaster-tier expert in his field, one who commanded respect and admiration from the rest of his peers.

Grandmaster Dongkuang stopped in front of his seat and waved to the crowds, taking in the applause for a good few moments before finally sitting down.

”Thank you, Grandmaster Dongkuang. Last but not least, we have Grandmaster Xilong!” Xuan Ziying announced. ”As an inscription master who often worked with the White Tiger Immortal Sect, he has little need for any introduction. Since his abilities are recognised even by the White Tiger Immortal Sect, he will definitely be able to channel that immense knowledge of his to help determine the winner of the Inscription Meet!”

A burly middle-aged man started making his way up the stage.

His tight robes did little to hide his muscles underneath, and his stoic face carried a hint of arrogance. Nevertheless, he made an effort to give a gentle smile to the host Xuan Ziying before taking his seat.

But with the rise of his reputation, so did his sense of pride.

Even though he had started out with humble origins all those years ago, the current Grandmaster Xilong could no longer be deigned to interact with anyone whom he deemed below his status.

That said, there were two main reasons why he accepted the invitation to participate as a judge in the Inscription Meet.

One was obviously to establish good relations with the Timeless Flame Sect. That was something that nobody would shy away from if given the chance.

However, the second point was more tempting to him, and that was to show off the fact that he was one level above all these participating inscription masters!

All these talented inscription masters had to compete against each other, while he stood above them as the judge.

Just how amazing does he look right now?

After today, even more would come to understand the difference between him and other talentless inscription masters!

Of course, he was not nearly tactless enough to let others know about those thoughts of his.

”Now that the judges are seated, it is time to meet our participants,” Xuan Ziying continued. ”Inscription masters, enter the arena!”

On her signal, thousands of people started streaming into the arena from various entrances, eventually gathering before the stage in neat and orderly rows under the guidance of the members of the Timeless Flame Sect.

The inscription masters intending to participate in the Inscription Meet had been told to express their interest earlier, and had thus been brought out from the audiences to wait in a separate area. It was only at this moment that they were allowed into the arena, entering simultaneously in a grand fashion.

These inscription masters did not just hail from various parts of the continent, but were also made up of people of all ages, from aspiring young inscription masters to experienced old ones.

There were those who belonged to established influences, as well as those who were unaffiliated to any.