Liu Dashan stood before the puppet, raising the longsword in his hand. With a sharp swing, a streak of sword rays burst forth and slashed across the puppet's arm.0

The puppet's creators forged it to uniform hardness, yet a loud, crisp crack echoed across the plaza as the blade struck.0

"What?!" Gasps filled the air as the crowd jumped to their feet in disbelief. The slash had dug two-thirds of the way through the puppet's arm, far deeper than any strike before it. It was a result that pushed the limits of what a dao artifact could achieve.0

Though the puppet's arm wasn't completely severed, the depth of the cut was staggering, nearly double what others had managed.0

"This is impossible! Since when has the Liu Clan's blacksmithing technique become so advanced?" the Yuan Clan's elder exclaimed, rising from his seat, eyes wide with shock.0

Yet, despite their surprise, no one dared to accuse. Shi Yuan's earlier disgrace had served as a cautionary tale, and no one would risk challenging the Liu Clan without concrete proof.0

"This is getting interesting," said a few elders from the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, stroking their beards with amusement. "This year's commerce fair is full of surprises."0

In previous years, a few dominant powers always took the spotlight, but this year broke tradition. The Profound Cloud Sect...0