Most people were no longer paying much attention to the other Divine Runes. All eyes were on Lin Li and the other top contenders. But now, with He Qianhan’s sudden emergence, the race for the top three seemed all the more unpredictable.

Yi Tianyun paid her some extra attention. Her skill level was quite high. He just didn’t know which sect had sent her to help.

"Her skill is pretty impressive. I wonder where they hired her from? Or was she trained by the Hua Family all along?"

"The Hua Family can produce a Divine Rune Master with that kind of talent? She doesn’t look old, only in her twenties. No idea where she popped up from."

"She wasn’t trained by the Hua Family. They invited the Celestial Extreme Mansion to help."

"The Celestial Extreme Mansion? That declining Celestial Extreme Mansion?"

It was only then that they learned He Qianhan’s true origin. They hadn’t expected her to be from the declining Celestial Extreme Mansion, appearing here now to help the Hua Family in the competition.

’The Celestial Extreme Mansion?’ Yi Tianyun was taken aback. He hadn’t expected He Qianhan to be from the Celestial Extreme Mansion. ’What a small world.’

’Thinking about it, the declining Celestial Extreme Mansion needs resources to develop,’ he reasoned. ’Establishing a good relationship with the Star Pavilion would undoubtedly be the best choice for them.’

As time went on, the Divine Runes both of them were engraving gradually took shape. But just as she reached a critical moment, He Qianhan’s hand began to tremble slightly. She was clearly unstable, and it seemed as if she was unsure how to proceed. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

It was obvious her attempt at this technique was still in the experimental stage; she hadn’t fully mastered it before deciding to use it in the competition. This time, she was risking it all. To secure a high ranking, she had no choice but to give it everything she had.

However, the drawback quickly became apparent as she neared the end. She didn’t know how to continue engraving. If she made a mistake with the lines, it would all be over.

"She’s about to fail! Her hand is starting to shake. She’s not stable enough!"

"Heh heh, looks like she’s on the verge of failure. If she fails, her only option will be to make a Second-Grade Divine Rune."

"If she settles for a Second-Grade Divine Rune, she’ll have no chance at the top three!"

They all shook their heads. This was what happened when you lacked the skill but forced it anyway. In the end, she wouldn’t even be able to successfully complete a Third-Grade Divine Rune.

Seeing this, Patriarch Wang revealed a relieved smile. He didn’t want to see anyone capable of competing with Lin Li.

’Is it really over...?’ He Qianhan stared at the Divine Rune before her, her vision starting to blur. She could barely make out the direction of the lines anymore.

"Calm down. The key to this Divine Rune is the inner line. Just make it completely overlap with the outer line. That way, the Fire Attribute’s effect can be stacked!"

Just then, a voice reached her ears. She turned her head and saw it was the young man who had been engraving a First-Grade Divine Rune earlier. After hearing his words, it was like a sudden epiphany, and her thoughts instantly cleared.

The next moment, the Divine Rune Pen in her hand steadied, no longer shaking in the slightest. She immediately began engraving with a furious pace, each stroke firm and steady. Soon, she had perfectly engraved the Third-Grade Dual Attribute Divine Pattern!

"I’m done!" He Qianhan shouted, her voice filled with exhilaration.

"Excellent!" The Patriarch of the Hua Family, standing at the side, couldn’t help but jump to his feet, overcome with excitement.

Immediately, Li Tianlong walked over. After a brief look, he nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. A slightly modified Fire Attribute Divine Rune, and a Double Divine Pattern at that. The effect is quite good. I can give you twenty-five points for this. The extra three points are a reward for your modification. This Divine Rune of yours is a bit stronger than a standard Dual Attribute Divine Pattern. Keep up the good work!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Pavilion Master Li!" He Qianhan said respectfully. She then turned to Yi Tianyun, who was meditating beside her, and said in a low voice, "Sir, thank you for your help just now. I would have failed otherwise."

"You’re welcome. You have a good foundation; it had nothing to do with me," Yi Tianyun said with a casual smile, not taking any credit.

He Qianhan’s clear eyes scanned him up and down. To have such a level of skill at such a young age was truly astonishing.

"Look! Lin Li’s Divine Rune!" Patriarch Wang’s eyes lit up. He had placed all his hopes on Lin Li. As long as he won first place, the glory would belong to the Wang Family, not the Zhu Family.

Zhu Tianhong had some confidence in Yi Tianyun, but when he lifted his eyes to observe Lin Li, his expression changed instantly.

The center of attention was suddenly stolen by Lin Li. The Divine Rune he was engraving was rapidly taking shape, and the aura it released already revealed its level—a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune of medium difficulty!

This was no ordinary Fourth-Grade Divine Rune, but also a slightly modified one, meaning his score would absolutely not be lower than forty points!

If Yi Tianyun’s demonstrated skill was still just that of a First-Grade Divine Rune, only at the level of engraving a Triple Divine Pattern, then Lin Li’s victory in this competition was assured. After all, a Triple First-Grade Divine Rune was worth ten-something points at most. The gap between them would quickly widen to thirty points. Wouldn’t that be more than enough to make up for the previous deficit?

"That’s insane! To be able to engrave a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune at such a young age is incredible!"

"Even if he hasn’t mastered all of them, just being able to engrave a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune already makes him equivalent to a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune Master!"

They were all amazed. He Qianhan’s earlier brilliance was instantly overshadowed. The two of them were simply not on the same level. This was Lin Li’s true power. After conserving his strength, he was now bursting forth to complete a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune, taking a commanding lead!

In contrast, Yi Tianyun had yet to even make a move. He was still meditating in place. Watching Lin Li engrave the Fourth-Grade Divine Rune, Yi Tianyun’s expression was perfectly calm, showing not the slightest hint of panic or alarm.

A moment later, however, Yi Tianyun stood up. As if finally giving in to the pressure, he began to prepare to engrave a Divine Rune. The familiar starting motion pressed down, leaving the crowd dumbfounded once again—it was still a First-Grade Divine Rune!

Was he trying to defy the heavens? Using a First-Grade Divine Rune to compete against a Fourth-Grade one? Did he intend to make a Quadruple or Quintuple First-Grade Divine Rune? If he could really do that, he might be able to catch up in points. But wouldn’t that be a bit too heaven-defying? The difficulty of engraving a Quadruple or Quintuple First-Grade Divine Rune was already on par with a Fourth-Grade Divine Rune. Was he just making things difficult for himself?

The entire audience was shocked by Lin Li’s skill, but they were equally dumbfounded that Yi Tianyun continued to engrave a First-Grade Divine Rune. Did he really only know how to engrave First-Grade Divine Runes? That would be such a letdown. With his astonishing focus, the effect of him engraving a high-grade Divine Rune should have been excellent.

But Yi Tianyun stubbornly stuck to his choice, once again beginning to engrave a First-Grade Divine Rune!

Lin Li glanced over from the side, a look of contempt in his eyes. ’Still a First-Grade Divine Rune? Looks like you’re a lost cause. You actually dream of defeating me with a First-Grade Divine Rune? Too naive. I refuse to believe you can engrave an even more complex pattern!’

"Why don’t you try me and find out?" Yi Tianyun replied with a faint smile.