Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 246 No Fear of Failure

It was a dark night. Gao Xingchen held Nanli's hand and walked through the intricate streets until they finally returned to the inn.

"How are you? Are you hurt?" Gao Xingchen asked with concern, carefully checking every inch of Nan Li's skin, fearing that she was injured.

"I'm fine," Nan Li shook her head. Feeling Gao Xingchen's genuine concern, her heart warmed. "How about you? Why did you come here so suddenly?"

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, briefly recounted what had just happened, and finally said: "I can't let you face danger alone."

Nan Li was touched. She knew that Gao Xingchen even gave up the preparation time for the weapon refining competition for her. She would always remember this friendship.

"Xingchen, thank you," Nanli said softly, "But what about the competition? Do you still have time to prepare?"

Gao Xingchen smiled slightly, his eyes full of confidence, "It doesn't matter, there is still time. I believe that even if the time is short, I will be able to refine the best magic weapon!"

Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen's determined eyes and her heart was filled with confidence. She believed that as long as Gao Xingchen was there, all difficulties would be solved.

The next day, the weapon refining competition officially began.

Gao Xingchen brought his carefully selected materials and stepped onto the refining table.

There were huge crowds of people below the stage, and it was very lively.

Everyone is looking forward to what kind of surprises this weapon-refining genius from a remote star region will bring.

However, when Gao Xingchen opened the material box, everyone was stunned.

There were only a few pieces of materials in the box, and the quality of these materials was far lower than that of other contestants.

"How is this going?"

"Why did Gao Xingchen bring so few materials?"

“And the quality of these materials is too poor, isn’t it?”

There was a sudden buzz of discussion in the audience, with voices of doubt rising one after another.

Gao Xingchen's face was calm, but he was secretly groaning in his heart.

In order to save Nanli last night, he missed the best time to purchase materials and could only make do with the remaining materials.

He knew that the quality of these materials was far from meeting the requirements for refining high-level magical weapons.

But he had no way out.

He had to try his best to make up for the lack of materials and complete the competition.

Taking a deep breath, Gao Xingchen put aside all distracting thoughts and devoted his full attention to refining the weapon.

His hands flew, casting spells one after another, melting, purifying, and shaping the materials...

His movements were smooth and seamless, as if he was performing a sacred ritual.

As time passed, beads of sweat appeared on Gao Xingchen's forehead.

He knew that he was challenging the limits of weapon refining, and if he was not careful, he would fail.

However, at this moment, an accident happened.

Due to material defects, there was a sudden violent vibration in the refining furnace!

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the furnace shook violently, and the fire flickered, as if it would go out at any time. Gao Xingchen's face changed, and he quickly formed seals with his hands, trying to stabilize the fire. However, the impurities in the material continued to expand under the high temperature, and finally with a "bang", the furnace exploded, with flames splashing and thick smoke billowing.

The audience was in an uproar and talked a lot.

"What happened? Did the furnace explode?"

"I told you, how could a little-known guy like him make something good?"

"Alas, what a pity those materials are wasted."

Master Zhang, who was sitting in the VIP seat, frowned and thought to himself, "What a pity! This kid's weapon refining skills are indeed quite good, but it's a pity that the materials are too poor, and he failed in the end."

Xuan Yu stood in the crowd with a smug look on his face, and said sarcastically: "I thought he was a genius in refining weapons, but it turns out he is just like this! He can't even do the most basic fire control, it's really hilarious!"

Gao Xingchen's face turned pale and he said nothing. He knew that this failure was not only due to the material problem, but also due to his own lack of experience. If he could have discovered the material defects earlier and adjusted the refining plan in time, perhaps this result would not have occurred.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his disappointment and self-blame, and silently cleaned up the mess on the stage. He knew that now was not the time to give up on himself, he still had a chance, he had to cheer up and keep working hard!

At this moment, a warm and soft hand gently held his hand. Gao Xingchen turned around and saw Nan Li standing beside him, her beautiful eyes full of encouragement and support.

"Don't be discouraged, Xingchen, I know you have tried your best." Nanli said softly, "I believe in you, you can do it."

Gao Xingchen looked at Nan Li's determined eyes, and a warm current surged in his heart. He knew that no matter what happened, Nan Li would always be by his side, supporting him and encouraging him.

"Thank you, Nanli." Gao Xingchen said gratefully, his eyes gradually becoming firmer, "I won't give up, I will definitely succeed!"

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Gao Xingchen and Nan Li walked down the refining platform side by side. However, no one noticed that under a big tree in the distance, a pair of cold eyes were staring at them closely, with a strange smile on the corner of his mouth...

Under Nan Li's gentle gaze, Gao Xingchen calmed down and walked down the refining platform with her. People were coming and going around him, and all kinds of discussions were heard, but they could no longer disturb his mind. Nan Li's hand was very warm, as if it conveyed a force that gradually calmed his originally flustered heart.

"Xingchen, you've done very well." Nan Li's voice was very gentle, but it was like a clear spring, nourishing Gao Xingchen's somewhat anxious heart, "This is not your fault, I believe you."

Gao Xingchen turned to look at Nan Li. There was not a trace of blame in her eyes, only full of trust and encouragement. He knew that no matter success or failure, Nan Li would always be by his side, which filled him with strength.

"I will continue to work hard." Gao Xingchen said firmly, with fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

At this time, an old man in a green robe came over. He had white hair and a youthful face, and looked energetic. It was Master Zhang, the master of weapon refining.

"Young friend, don't be discouraged." Master Zhang's voice was gentle but powerful. "I see that you are skilled in refining weapons and controlling fire. You are not inferior to others in skills."

Gao Xingchen looked at Master Zhang with some surprise. He didn't expect that this highly respected weapon-refining master would take the initiative to comfort him.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior." Gao Xingchen bowed respectfully, "It's just that my skills are not good enough, and I have failed everyone's expectations."

Master Zhang smiled and said, "Victory and defeat are common in the military, and a failure does not mean anything. I see that there seems to be some problem with the materials you used, which caused the spiritual energy to be unstable during the refining process, and ultimately failed. This is not your fault, so there is no need to blame yourself."

Gao Xingchen was moved when he heard this. He had only blamed himself before, but did not think about the problem of materials. Now, after hearing what Master Zhang said, he suddenly realized it. Indeed, he clearly felt that the spiritual energy of the material was not flowing smoothly during the refining process, which made the refining process extremely difficult.

"Thank you for your advice, senior. I understand now." Gao Xingchen said gratefully.

"I'm glad you understand." Master Zhang nodded with satisfaction. "It's getting late. You should go back and rest first. You still have a game tomorrow. Get yourself in shape. I look forward to your next performance."

Gao Xingchen bowed to Master Zhang again, and then left the competition venue with Nan Li. They walked side by side on the way back, and no one spoke, but the tacit understanding and trust between them were more powerful than any language.

After returning to their residence, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li began to analyze the reasons for their failure in today's competition. Gao Xingchen recalled every detail of the refining process, trying to find out where the problem lies. Nan Li listened quietly and occasionally expressed her own opinions.

As the night deepened, only a candlelight flickered in the room, reflecting the focused expressions of the two. They all knew that tomorrow's game would be more brutal, but they were ready to meet the new challenge. Can Gao Xingchen successfully counterattack in the second challenge and avenge his previous defeat?