Lord of Prayer - Chapter 319 - 216: Restricted Area 2
2. Contestants may only carry the Weapon they forged during the preliminary round. No other Weapons are permitted. If the Weapon is an Essence Armament, its use is strictly forbidden during the competition. Any contestant discovered using one will be Deprived of their competition results.
3. The Sword Forging Competition strongly encourages armed conflict between contestants. Before the competition begins, the Association will distribute life-saving Artifacts. These Artifacts will automatically activate in life-threatening situations, teleporting the contestant out of the competition grounds. Therefore, contestants do not need to worry about mortal danger. (P.S. Once a life-saving Artifact is activated, the contestant will be considered eliminated.)
4. …
5. …
After reading the Rules, Zhou Chen asked in confusion, “These are all basic Rules. What about the competition Rules? The venue and competition format haven’t been announced yet?”
“The competition format and Rules will be announced once all contestants are in position. Please wait patiently,” the young woman explained with a sweet smile.
’So mysterious?’ Zhou Chen had no idea what the organizers were planning. According to past precedent, the competition format should have been announced long ago. Keeping it under wraps until now was a first…
Wait a minute.
’Don’t tell me the organizers are planning to pull some crazy stunt?’
Zhou Chen opened the forums. At this critical juncture, they were buzzing with activity. Most of the posts were from spectators and contestants wondering why the organizers hadn’t announced the competition format yet. The official livestream chat was completely flooded with a barrage of comments, as this was the first time something like this had ever happened.
As he scrolled, he saw a post that was rapidly gaining traction.
[OMG! I met Han Danqing, the disciple of the current Celestial Craft! Photo attached!]
’The disciple of the current Celestial Craft?’
Zhou Chen’s interest was piqued.
—Celestial Craft.
It was a title bestowed only upon the strongest in the Eastern Continent’s Forging Realm, just like Vulcan or the Dwarf Masters… They were the greatest masters of Forging Skills in the World, each possessing god-like craftsmanship and having created many incredible “grand miracles.”
The creation of the man-made wonder, the Celestial Floating City, for example, was inextricably linked to them.
Naturally, the disciples of such master smiths were anything but weak. Every one of them was a popular candidate to win, and among them, the current Heavenly Craft Disciple, Han Danqing, was the biggest favorite, boasting countless fans.
Because he was handsome.
Zhou Chen opened the post. The photo showed two men. One had his face covered by a sticker that was added later—likely the original poster, who didn’t want to show their face. The other was a handsome guy in a white casual outfit, exuding a cool, laid-back vibe as he flashed a peace sign.
[JuLiJuQi]: AHHHHHHHHH HUSBAND! AHHH~~~ Big Brother Danqing, my Danqing!!!!
[AirConChengzi]: *inhales sharply*… Husband Danqing is still so handsome! I love him so much!!!
[JiuJiuJiu]: Big Brother Danqing! My legs go weak for you!!
[MaoMaoChong]: Stop freaking out up there! Have some decency! You’re getting in the way of *my* freaking out! AHH! Big Brother Danqing, my Danqing~~~~ I (sprint) (dash) (crawl menacingly) (writhe) (squirm menacingly) (roll) (convulse) (roar) (indescribable muffled barking) (crawl all over the ceiling) (wag tail) (wag tail) (grind on the bed until I see stars)
Zhou Chen’s brow furrowed as he instinctively held his phone further away.
*[Image of a confused old man on the subway.jpg]*
’Why is everyone freaking out in here? Where are the mods? Can a mod come and do something… Oh, wait, one of the people freaking out *is* a mod. Never mind, then.’
Zhou Chen studied Han Danqing’s face carefully. After repeated observation, he came to a correct conclusion—to be fair, Han Danqing was indeed very handsome. Almost as handsome as him.
It was only natural that a handsome guy like that—good-looking, powerful, with a strong background, and a cool, lazy vibe—would have so many female fans.
’Han Danqing is ranked eighth from the preliminaries, and his contestant title is [Wants to Sleep]. Considering he’s inherited the Forging memories of the current Celestial Craft, eighth place feels a bit low… Did he deliberately hold back during the Forging? Probably. He seems like a pretty easygoing person…’
’Then there’s the person in second place, “My Great Hammer is Thirsty.” She’s the disciple of the current Vulcan… Just how strong is the number one, “Magnetic Field Maniac”?’
Zhou Chen mentally noted these contestants, feeling they would be his toughest rivals.
He spent the next few dozen minutes scrolling through the forums in the lounge, learning a lot about the other contestants. Just as people online were saying, this year’s Sword Forging Competition had the most stacked roster in recent years. With so many prodigies gathered, the competition was bound to be fierce.
And for the audience, this was definitely good news. They would get to see an even more spectacular competition.
“Mr. Zhou Chen, it’s almost time to assemble. Please come with me.”
The young woman from before came to the lounge and led Zhou Chen to an empty room. There was nothing inside but a plain, unremarkable wooden door standing in the center.
Zhou Chen paused, then asked tentatively, “An Any Door?”
“You know about them?”
The young woman seemed a little surprised, then explained, “The association managed to get usage rights for an Any Door for this year’s Sword Forging Competition, so we might as well use it. Please be aware, the Any Door will open in five minutes. Passing through it will take you to the assembly point for the competition. The organizers will announce the venue and format at that time.”
’Such a power move?’ Zhou Chen was stunned. The Forging Association had actually managed to get usage rights for the S-Level Forbidden Object, the Any Door, from the Star Association. That was one of the Star Association’s core secrets!
Beyond his shock, he couldn’t help but murmur to himself. ’The organizers are going all out this time. I have a feeling they’re really about to pull something crazy.’
Five minutes passed quickly. An invisible force pushed the wooden door in the room open, and a blast of scorching air rushed out. Beyond the door, everything was a sea of crimson.
Zhou Chen instinctively narrowed his eyes. He saw a sky shrouded in thick volcanic ash, gloomy and overcast. The air was so hot it felt devoid of all moisture, rolling in scorching waves.
In the distance, several active volcanoes billowed thick smoke. Crimson lava flowed down their slopes, forming a molten river that snaked into the distance.
Countless doors opened in the void. Contestants from all over the World poked their heads out curiously, staring at the world behind the doors, then stared blankly at the other contestants.
“Will all contestants please step through the doors. Will all contestants please step through the doors,” a voice boomed from a loudspeaker in the sky, urging them on.
Zhou Chen stepped into the volcanic zone with his travel backpack. Fortunately, he had spent a pretty penny on his pack; its material was highly heat-resistant. In just that short moment, the backpacks and clothes of several other contestants on site had already begun to spontaneously combust.
After all the contestants had exited their Any Doors, the countless portals closed automatically and vanished.
“Ahem, the global live broadcast is about to start. Everyone, look sharp and don’t cause any trouble. At least, not before the competition starts. Otherwise, whoever starts something, I’ll finish it.”
A middle-aged man’s voice came from the loudspeaker. Many contestants had strange expressions on their faces, because they recognized it as the voice of the Forging Association’s president.
Er, that didn’t seem to be a problem. The Sword Forging Competition was never a serious affair to begin with. How could the organizers be expected to be prim and proper…
“3, 2, 1…”
As the countdown finished, the global livestream cut to the scene. The camera panned over the several hundred contestants at the foot of the volcano as an energetic, powerful voice rang out:
“Hello to our audience watching from your screens! Welcome to the S35 Global Sword Forging Competition! This program is jointly sponsored by the World Forging Association, Helandy Alchemy Workshop, Li’s Flower Group, Crazy Thursday Fried Chicken Shop… and many more! I’m your commentator, Colonel Guan.”
“And I’m your commentator, Catcat,” a female voice added from the side.
“Without further ado, let’s get right to the long-awaited announcement of the competition venue and Rules.
We’ve just received a message from the organizers in the broadcast booth, and I can tell you all in no uncertain terms that this news is explosive.
—The location for the S35 Global Sword Forging Competition… will be a Restricted Area!”
As soon as he said this, the livestream’s comment section instantly exploded. A flood of question marks washed over the screen, threatening to drown the entire broadcast.
At the foot of the volcano, every single contestant’s eyes went wide.
’The hell?’
’A Restricted Area???’
