Although the materials were quite good, he didn’t have any jade in hand, so when setting up the formation, its power was much weaker. However, after three days, he managed to barely craft a piece he was fairly satisfied with.

The pursuit of the “Dao” is what the fangshi seek; they usually specialize in internal alchemy, with external alchemy as a supplement, which is different from ordinary cultivators. They rarely participate in the struggles of the cultivation world, so aside from a few defensive magical treasures, they seldom craft such items.

William Graham took some time to make a wooden box, its surface carved with exquisite vine patterns. The small, delicate, and sparkling dagger placed inside immediately appeared extraordinary. He gently lifted it with his palm, and the petite dagger rose like a rainbow beam. As he moved his hand, the dagger let out clear whistles, flying up and down around William Graham. With a flick of his finger, the rainbow light shot out the window, circled a large tree behind the house, and the lush tree crashed down, its green leaves quickly withering, the trunk decaying, completely lifeless.

William Graham was greatly surprised: the spiritual energy in this world was far more abundant than on Earth, and the “vitality” drawn from such a tree was twice as much as on Earth!

In fact, this method of “wielding tools” is rather extreme. Fangshi, when cultivating internal alchemy, not only practice breathing techniques themselves, but also absorb the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, as well as the life force of all living things. In the eyes of fangshi, the life force of living beings is a wonderful medicine for prolonging life and achieving immortality. However, when absorbing the life force of plants and animals, fangshi only take a little each time, which not only benefits themselves but also helps the living beings’ metabolism—a win-win situation. It’s like blood donors who, by regularly giving a small amount of blood, actually improve their health and can also help patients.

To demonstrate the power of his magical treasure to Benjamin Franklin, William Graham drained all the life force from that tree at once, leaving it completely lifeless and naturally withered. This is also a method of attack for fangshi: when subduing certain spirits or monsters, the magical treasure can absorb most of their life force, leaving them too weak to resist.

Benjamin Franklin was dumbfounded; the wonders of Eastern magical treasures were beyond his comprehension. William Graham’s “creation” was truly impossible for him to imitate...

But the old man would never admit defeat so easily. The title of the number one alchemist in the Starforge World was not for nothing. Benjamin Franklin smacked his lips: “I can’t replicate your thing either, so this round is a draw. Let’s continue!” William Graham chuckled indifferently, “No problem.”

The old and the young were locked in competition. Benjamin Franklin couldn’t give up for the sake of his reputation, and William Graham, young and proud, refused to admit defeat. After three months, Benjamin Franklin’s raw material warehouse was severely depleted, and both inside and outside the house were piled high with their alchemical creations. Benjamin Franklin crafted a spatial ring and stored all these creations inside it. William Graham was not to be outdone; he made a square coin and, right in front of Benjamin Franklin, stuffed dozens of his own works into the square hole of the coin. The old and the young glared at each other for a while, then each went off to ponder what kind of item to craft next.

Six months passed in a flash. Even with their vast knowledge and skills, making a new creation every day for six months had nearly exhausted all their ideas. William Graham grew anxious: the older, the wiser—this old man’s experience seemed endless, while I’m already at my limit. If one day he makes something I can’t replicate, and I can’t come up with anything else, wouldn’t I lose this contest?

Benjamin Franklin sighed: heroes emerge from the young—this kid’s creativity is endless, while I’m running out of steam. If one day he makes something I can’t replicate, and I can’t come up with anything else, wouldn’t I lose this contest?

Neither of them knew the other was already putting on a brave front, and each day was spent in anxious uncertainty.

After racking their brains for another half month, both of them actually relaxed. They both came to terms with it: if I lose, I lose. Over the past six months, in order to keep going, I’ve pushed myself to think of new ideas every day, and my skills have improved rapidly—I’ve gained a lot, so even if I lose, it’s worth it. Especially Benjamin Franklin, whose alchemy skills had stagnated ever since becoming a titled master. He never expected that, because of a bet with a young man, he would make such great progress.

To ensure fairness, Benjamin Franklin and William Graham specially built two identical small wooden cabins, one for each. On this day, almost simultaneously, a loud shout came from both cabins: “I give up, I really can’t think of any new ideas!” Both heard the other’s voice, paused, and then suddenly burst out laughing together.

William Graham and Benjamin Franklin, from initial rivalry to mutual admiration through their contest, now truly felt like friends despite the age gap.