The reason everyone was shocked was because of Shi Chun. Otherwise, seeing that name would not remind them of a disciple of the sect, as the expelled disciple was thrown out of the sect due to Shi Chun.

Yan Qufeng suddenly asked, "Is the disciple expelled from the sect also named Tong Mingshan?"

An elder named Pan Gongying replied, "Yes, that is his name."

Another elder named Jie Lunguang hesitated, "If the expelled Tong Mingshan has become a sect master, how could that be possible?"

Pan Gongying said, "Mingshan Sect. The name doesn't avoid the name of the sect. Could it be that Tong Mingshan is the one who founded the sect, naming the sect after himself?"

Jie Lunguang laughed, "What virtues and abilities does he have to establish a sect? If it is true, it must be a newly established sect. How could it possibly be listed in the alliance covenant?"

That calmed everyone in the hall down.

After a while, Yan Qufeng stood up and said, "Let's go and see for ourselves to know whether it's true or not."

Soon, led by their group of seven or eight people, they left the building and after winding through the pathways, arrived in the valley where a crowd had gathered, buzzing with noise.

"Is this Shi Chun the same Shi Chun from the Sky Rain Meteor Conference?"

In the crowd, newcomers were inquiring.

"It must be. His associate, that Wu Jinliang, is also here. These two names appearing in the same sect cannot be mere coincidence."

Then there were a bunch of criticisms questioning why Shi Chun had the right to participate in this covenant as well.

Most of the noise came from people from Shengshen Continent. The sects from the other three great continents mostly watched the spectacle, as they had not experienced the Sky Rain Meteor Conference firsthand and it was not as widely publicized in their areas; they could not sympathize fully.

The sects from Shengshen Continent were noisy because they felt an inexplicable threat.

After a good deal of uproar, the person in charge of the site arrived, made his way to the middle of everyone, and after hearing everyone's concerns, he declared loudly, "After the Sky Rain Meteor Conference in Shengshen Continent, Shi Chun was expelled from Wukang Mountain. He was expelled even before we in the Artifact Refining World realized the impending approach of the Divine Fire Domain.

Afterward, he found a new path, switched to artifact refining, and joined an Artifact Refining Sect. Isn't that allowed? Isn't it permissible for his sect to delegate him to participate in the Divine Fire Covenant? Since when does his sect's decision on which disciple to send have to be approved by you?"

Having these answers ready showed that they were well-prepared; otherwise, the Artifact Refining Sects of Shanbu Continent would not be so well-informed about Shi Chun's situation.

Several questions quieted down the noisy crowd, who then hesitated as they lacked enough information to argue convincively.

Members of the sects from the other three great continents, who were onlookers, let out snickers, probably laughing at how the people from Shengshen Continent were making a big fuss over compliance issues, which were unlikely to grant easy admission into the Divine Fire Covenant.

The onlookers, including those who had been noisy, were yet to realize one thing: This sect was newly established because they didn't know the details of other members of the Mingshan Sect and no one here recognized who the sect master Tong Mingshan was.

Only Yan Qufeng and his group, eyeing each other, knew where the key issue lay; yet they too couldn't be sure, as they had not yet met the person for verification.

And they didn't know that all thirteen members of the so-called Mingshan Sect were comprised of the discarded who had been expelled from their sects. Given their status, they only knew that during the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, disciples from eleven sects had blindly followed Shi Chun; they couldn't recall them by names, like Chu Jingtang and others.

After the group dispersed, Yan Qufeng quickly caught up with the person in charge to introduce himself, immediately earning a respectful bow and polite greeting, "So, you are Yan Sect Master. May I know if there's anything you require?"

Yan Qufeng slightly waved his hand to indicate that he need not bow, then asked, "Can you find out where the people from Mingshan Sect are staying?"

The official shook his head, "They haven't checked in yet; they might not have arrived."

Yan Qufeng felt his group was already late, puzzled he said, "They haven't arrived? Don't they want to familiarize themselves with the environment in advance?"

The official chuckled, "I'm not sure about that. It's the sect's own business when they want to come, and if they don't come at all, there's nothing we can do about it. Do you have any other questions, Yan Sect Master?"

Yan Qufeng replied, "I have an acquaintance in Mingshan Sect, just wanted to say hello."

The official oh-ed, then immediately turned back and instructed his attendant, "If people from Mingshan Sect check in, please notify Yan Sect Master."

"Yes," responded the attendant.

Yan Qufeng then bowed courteously, "Thank you."

The official also bowed in return, "Ensuring a smooth stay for everyone here is part of my duties. If Yan Sect Master has no further instructions, I shall leave you be."

Yan Qufeng nodded, "Go ahead with your duties; no need to mind us."

With that, the two parted ways.

Yan Qufeng paused momentarily, then turned and looked at his fellow sect members with hesitation, saying, "He hasn't arrived yet…"

What could be done if he hadn't come? They could only wait.

Eventually, the situation spread firstly back to Shengshen Continent.

Although not everyone recognized all thirteen members of the Mingshan Sect, there were still those in Shengshen Continent who did.

Some astute individuals, upon receiving the roster of the Mingshan Sect, were in for a shock upon reviewing it. "What the hell? These guys actually teamed up to establish a sect?"

Such a playful maneuver—why not include that woman from the brothel as well so everyone could have a look?

Some people figured it out, and quite a few at that. So the matter could no longer be concealed, and the news naturally spread to the other Three Great Continents, causing a major uproar in the Cultivation World, especially in the Artifact Refining World, which was virtually in turmoil.

What was all this mess and chaos? Initially, it was thought to be just Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, but it turned out that the entire Mingshan Sect had just entered the Artifact Refining World, except, of course, Sect Master Tong Mingshan.

Even more surprisingly, there were disciples from the Alchemy World and other Fire Attribute Skill sects mixed in. What was this about? This wasn't just breaking the rules; this was crashing the party, utterly outrageous!

Anger abounded. Setting aside the weirdest particulars, why should a newly founded sect be allowed to participate in the Divine Fire Covenant?

If things could be done this way, it would be too easy to exploit. When the Divine Fire Domain approached next, could any cultivator suddenly create a sect and slip into the Divine Fire Domain? What then, would be the point of the artifact refiners forming this covenant?

Feng Chi and Xiang Laner from the Demon Path truly hadn't expected things to escalate this much and were relieved they hadn't placed anyone in Shi Chun's team. Currently, each of the thirteen members of the squad was being scrutinized repeatedly, every oddity inspected thoroughly.

In Wukang Mountain, within the Sect Main Hall, the matter was also brought up. Bian Weiyin listened from beginning to end without interrupting.

The high-ranking officials of Wukang Mountain found it hard to believe that Shi Chun had stirred up such a commotion. The matter exploded in an extremely short time and continued to spread.

In a secluded forest near the royal city of He Niu Continent, by the serene and elegant water pavilion, Young Master Nan casually spoke among several simply dressed men, touching on the matter before reminding them, "It's not good for the matter to blow up. I've heard that some Artifact Refining Sects here in He Niu Continent are quite irate; it's still necessary to pacify them. The other three continents aren't much of an issue."

A man lying on a recliner nearby slightly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat somber, and slowly turned his head to another person, saying, "Check who is involved, and greet each sect one by one."

"Okay," someone nodded.

Young Master Nan finished his drink, stood up, and said, "You guys enjoy, I'll take my leave first. Tough luck, I still have to run errands for you."

With a wave of his hand, he left.

He, constantly on the move, eventually arrived at Li Huo Island and contacted Shi Chun, calling him out for a stroll on the palm-lined beach.

Shi Chun hadn't expected the situation to escalate so suddenly either. After discussing some concerns, he said worriedly, "The commotion is not small, even this island is buzzing with talk about it. I dare not let those eleven out; I've got them confined to indoor cultivation. The Divine Fire Domain opens tomorrow; nothing will go wrong, right?"

Young Master Nan stroked his little mustache and smiled, "Things have come to this. Either those who are causing a fuss will swallow their complaints, or those who manage this affair will have to. Guess who will end up swallowing it? Don't worry, it'll blow over, and all will be well."

He seemed very familiar with handling such situations.

His arrival indeed acted like rain quenching the fire on the island, while discussions persisted, the anger within the major Artifact Refining Sects was rapidly cooling.

On one side, people from all Four Great Continents were privately greeting the sects, while on the other, Refining Sects and Artifact Refining Masters were stepping up to vouch.

Then, explanations followed. The thirteen expelled from their sects were sorted according to class, but eventually, they all gravitated towards the Artifact Refining World. What did that signify? Those Refining Sects and Artifact Refining Masters who referred them certainly had their lofty considerations.

Next, everyone was shown components of the thirteen; none were in the High Martial Great Success Realm. What harm could there be in letting them in to have a look?

If there were really any problems, how could they have evoked such attention without gathering a full score of twenty?

Various clarifications and temper-cooling conversations consequently began to appear within those Artifact Refining Sects internals.

The ultimate outcome was, as long as those Artifact Refining Sects had no objections, no matter how far the issue spread or was discussed outside, it would be like a fart, affecting nothing.

Sect Master Yan Qufeng of the Hundred Refinement Sect stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, pacing within the room from time to time.

Although he hadn't met Tong Mingshan in person, the situation had now become clear; the founder of the new sect was indeed an expelled disciple of his Hundred Refinement Sect.

That in itself wasn't much of a concern. The problem was, his Hundred Refinement Sect had also become notorious, and from time to time, other Artifact Refining Sects approached, inquiring about Tong Mingshan.

He himself wanted to ask Tong Mingshan about the situation, but he had not shown up.

What annoyed him was his Hundred Refinement Sect had come for the Divine Fire Covenant, not for Tong Mingshan, and the stress had nearly worn his lips thin.

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