Seeing he was unclear about who it was, Tong Mingshan filled in the details for him, "An elder from Refining Heaven Sect named Situ Gu, the foremost among Artifact Refining Masters. Over the centuries, it's due to him that Refining Heaven Sect has become the number one Artifact Refining sect."

By saying this, he also wanted to remind Shi Chun that although there are people who can achieve such status, they're the first and unique in the Artifact Refining World. As small fry like us, is it realistic to aim for the top and chase after the first under heaven?

Shi Chun didn't really intend to explain anything and instead continued, "Right, right, right, that's Situ Gu. You mentioned him last time. I heard from passersby on the island that this time one of the three great treasures, the True Fire Ruyi Tower, was personally refined by him."

Tong Mingshan nodded, "I've heard so too."

Shi Chun asked, "What exactly is this True Fire Ruyi Tower?"

Tong Mingshan hesitated, "I don't know, I haven't discussed it with anyone. But since it can be ranked alongside the 'Desolate Blade,' it must be an incredible treasure."

Shi Chun was skeptical, "What exactly is this 'Desolate Blade' then?"

People around them also perked up their ears, as they hadn't heard of it either.

Tong Mingshan explained, "It's just my conjecture, haven't discussed it, so I'm not certain. In ancient times, there was a divine weapon called the 'Desolate Knife.' It was said to have been shattered in a battle of immense antiquity. The so-called blade remnant might refer to one of its pieces."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jinliang immediately turned his head and tapped on the shoulder of someone from another sect nearby, raising his voice to ask, "Brother, can you fill me in on what this 'Desolate Blade' is?"

The one being asked, along with a few others around him, turned their heads to look as if they were seeing a creature from another world, as if to say, you've come to join the excitement without even knowing what the 'Desolate Blade' is?

But the man did reply, "It's a remnant of the ancient divine weapon 'Desolate Knife.'"

Wu Jinliang thanked the man with a nod, then turned back to everyone, tilting his chin slightly in a 'did you hear that?' kind of way.

Tong Mingshan's face revealed an 'as expected' expression.

Shi Chun asked in a low voice, "Could a mere remnant also be considered a treasure?"

Tong Mingshan, "To Artifact Refiners, it's a top-grade material for refining. Although it's only a fragment and can't recreate the complete 'Desolate Knife,' if its mass is sufficient, it could be forged into a blade. Not to mention recreating the legendary sharpness of the 'Desolate Knife,' but its edge would still be incredibly powerful and invincible. I didn't expect that even such an ancient piece would be found."

Shi Chun vocalized his understanding, then asked, "And what about the 'Residual Dragon Artifact Spirit'?"

Tong Mingshan, "It's the Artifact Spirit within a high-level Magical Treasure. In this regard, Mr. Xiao from the Gathering Spirit Valley should know better since his sect specializes in refining these things."

So they all turned to look at Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng thought for a moment, "Judging by the name, it should be a dragon spirit, but I suspect it's not a True Dragon Artifact Spirit. If it were, that would be among the very top-tier of Artifact Spirits and they likely wouldn't use it as a contest reward. I reckon it's probably a near-dragon spirit. 'Near-dragon' means it has evolved to be nearly like a dragon; its original form could be that of a creature like a Jiao or python that has reached a substantial realm."

Tong Mingshan glanced at the summit still commanding virtual flames, nodding, "Indeed, the value of a True Dragon Artifact Spirit probably wouldn't be used as a competition reward. However, to win in a contest of treasures, the quality should be quite high."

Wu Jinliang interjected, "Isn't it called 'Residual Dragon'? Could it be a damaged True Dragon?"

Xiao Sheng replied, "There's also that possibility. However, in the context of Artifact Spirits, 'residual' usually refers to the spirit having lost its self-awareness, which is a requirement during the refinement process.

To awaken its consciousness within a Magical Treasure, one would need to claim ownership—meaning the owner must infuse their own consciousness during the control process to complete the Artifact Spirit. Then the treasure will follow the master's commands.

Of course, there are cases where Artifact Spirits with their own complete consciousness are refined, but they're harder to control. With their own will, it's tough to ensure the treasure's full obedience and to achieve a melding of minds. Without absolute confidence, people generally don't do this."

Tong Mingshan, "I've heard that the success rate for producing Artifact Spirits is very low in your line of work; it's like opening for business once every three years and then living off that for the next three?"

Xiao Sheng gave a wry smile, "Indeed, the success rate is very low. To have two successful refinements out of ten carriers is not bad. Even the top masters only have a fifty percent success rate with a given carrier."

The onlookers occasionally chimed in, seeking clarification.

But Shi Chun, who had been inquiring about the three treasures one by one, fell into deep contemplation. The Demon Path had only mentioned that one of the three treasures was needed and didn't specify which one. After probing the value of each, he still couldn't figure out which one the Demon Path really wanted.

Outside the summit's terrace, the sect leaders of the top ten ranks of the Artifact Refining World were almost all present, along with some accompanying elders, as they stood close to the terrace, watching the eight masters manipulate the Divine Fire Spirit Gate with virtual flames.

By the rules, non-participating members of the sects were supposed to stay inside the houses in the valley and not cross the boundary.

But they hadn't stayed in the valley from the start; instead, they had been directly lodging as guests at the Li Huo Sect's headquarters.

Of course, they also needed to participate in the relevant procedures, and the people initiating the Divine Fire Domain on the stage were mostly from their sects.

The Extreme Fire Sect, ranked fourth in the Artifact Refining World and the very sect that contributed the Desolate Blade, had its Sect Leader, Su Qiao, occasionally glancing at another Sect Leader standing off to the side with a dark expression on his face.

That was the Sect Leader of the Yanbao Sect, Qu Wuming. The Yanbao Sect was ranked third in the Artifact Refining World. However, in this artifact competition, the treasures offered by the Yanbao Sect failed to make it into the top three, meaning that in this term's Divine Fire Covenant, the third-ranked Artifact Refining Sect would not have the privilege of sending additional disciples into the Divine Fire Domain.

It wasn't just a matter of sending a few more disciples in; the sect whose treasures became the Divine Fire Covenant's prizes could send in a hundred disciples.

And the other sects that did not successfully offer treasures could only send twenty disciples each; this disparity opened up a significant gap in the probability of obtaining Divine Fire.

Of course, except for the first-ranked Refining Heaven Sect, which was far superior to the other sects thanks to the presence of a figure like Situ Gu, the power gap between the other top-ranked sects wasn't really that significant.

Situ Gu was also present at the event, an inconspicuous figure among the crowd, a middle-aged man dressed in azure clothing, exuding the aura somewhere between a young man and a middle-aged person, leaning more towards the latter. He looked the youngest among a group of high-level Artifact Refiners.

On the surface, none could tell that this was an Artifact Refining Master who was over six hundred years old.

The reason for this was not some youth-preserving technique but rather because he broke through to a higher realm at a younger age. However, the vicissitudes in his eyes couldn't be concealed, nor the demeanor shaped by the years.

Although he did not step forward to intervene in the opening of the Divine Fire Domain, he spent most of his time observing the Divine Fire Spirit Gate in the sky. He had personally participated in the opening of the Divine Fire Spirit Gate in the previous term; this time, he remained an observer.

Having pondered for a long time, the Sect Leader of the Extreme Fire Sect, Su Qiao, finally couldn't hold back and teased, "Qu Sect Master, why the long face?"

His words drew the gaze of the others toward Qu Wuming, prompting some to barely suppress their laughter.

Qu Wuming glanced at the crowd and snorted coldly, "Su Qiao, the Extreme Fire Sect has stolen a march; you might as well sneak away and gloat. There's no need to stir things up."

The other sects knew what he meant by "stealing a march." No one had expected that the Extreme Fire Sect would suddenly produce the Desolate Blade, with no inkling from whence it came or any rumors heard beforehand. The sudden move caught the Yanbao Sect off guard, leading to their defeat in the treasure fight.

This maneuver had dealt a painful blow to the Yanbao Sect. The disciples within who had a chance to attend the gathering suddenly lost their opportunity—an agony that could well be imagined, as it affected a large number of people who only had such an opportunity once in their lifetime.

Su Qiao said earnestly, "How can this be considered stealing a march? Everyone knows that your Yanbao Sect possesses several treasures kept for a rainy day, like the Wind-stabilizing Pearl. Any one of them could have beaten the Extreme Fire Sect, but your Yanbao Sect is stingy, too reluctant to part with precious treasures. Who can you blame?"

His remark caused quite a few people to suppress their smiles further; it was clearly a roundabout way of mocking. In such a treasure contest, no sect would easily bring out their most treasured items.

The reason was simple: while increasing the odds of absorbing Divine Fire played a part, fate and fortune were also significant factors. With similar skills in Artifact Refining, no sect dared to guarantee victory, not even the Refining Heaven Sect.

To offer a valuable treasure as a prize was a risky gamble; the winner could not only reclaim their own treasure but also win the other two sects'. But losing meant losing everything.

Without the assurance of victory, it was natural to weigh the pros and cons before betting.

Of course, they also did not expect someone to bring out the Desolate Blade; otherwise, they might have brought out one of their most precious treasures. After all, it was a matter related to the grievances of so many disciples, which would probably haunt the sect's higher-ups for life.

Qu Wuming gritted his teeth and said, "Su, spare me your smug gloating!"

Su Qiao shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, the satisfaction on his face impossible to conceal. After all, the disciples of the Extreme Fire Sect had been cheering nonstop for so long that their cheers were still echoing in his ears.

The Sect Leader of the Refining Heaven Sect, Luo Yan, with grizzled hair and beard, lifted his hand to stroke his beard and, tilting his chin toward the stage, said with a rebuking tone, "Stop arguing, don't distract them."

Upon his words, everyone immediately quieted down.

Luo Yan turned his head and inquired, "Why is it taking so long?"

Standing beside him, Situ Gu, focused on the activity at the Divine Fire Spirit Gate, said slowly, "If it's still not working after dawn, I'll give it a try."

On Shudao Mountain, the second-ranked sect in the Artifact Refining World, the Sect Leader Gu Yanduo, despite his age, bore a fresh and refined appearance, not seeming like a seasoned Artifact Refiner. He nodded toward the people on the stage and said, "After all, this is their first time. Give them a little more time."

Luo Yan looked at him and asked, "I heard your daughter is also venturing in this time?"

Gu Yanduo nodded slightly, "I suggested she give her chance to someone else, but she wouldn't hear of it. She won the right to participate in the contest, so it's up to her now."

Luo Yan: "It's an opportunity as well."

The deep, beast-like growls in the air continued unabated, while the people on and below the mountain waited on.

Until the break of dawn began to brighten the sky and beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of the eight individuals on the platform, the immense, fluctuating metal ring suddenly froze diagonally in the air.

The leader on the platform shouted, "We've got it, it's ready now!"

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