Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu, believing they already understood the depths of this locale, acted brazenly. After sneaking into the tower to avoid the watchful eyes of Shi Chun and the others, they shed all pretense and began their aggressive pursuit, quickly capturing two Divine Fires they stumbled upon.

Chu Jingtang and Fang Zicheng, unsure of what exactly was transpiring, were somewhat surprised when they saw the Divine Fires in Xu and Youu Mu's hands. However, they refrained from asking questions. Their unease in this place consumed them, leaving them with no time or inclination for inquiries. Per prior arrangements, they promptly led Xu and Youu Mu to find Wu Jinliang.

Riding the Wind Scales into the skies, Xu and Youu Mu glanced back at the islands and lands on the surface of Ice Sealed Lake. Finding no signs of activity, they shared a knowing smirk.

Though little commotion occurred during the capture of the Divine Fires, they doubted the people inside the tower hadn't heard a thing. Were they pretending to be oblivious?

The reaction from inside the tower amused them, and they understood the situation well. Keeping their advantage a secret, they decided not to reveal the truth spoken by the child to Shi Chun and the others. Maintaining control was key to strategizing their moves with flexibility.

Looking ahead at the two individuals leading the way, Youu Mu turned his head and quietly reminded, "We're about to meet Wu Jinliang again."

Xu Anzhang understood his implication and replied, "I had the same thought, which is why I readily agreed to Shi Chun's proposal."

The two exchanged a grin.

Shi Chun, hidden afar on the surface of Ice Sealed Lake, watched as the two captured Divine Fires were taken away and observed the lack of response from the Earth Heart Tower. After lying low for quite some time, he finally rose slowly.

In the valley near the lakeshore, Wu Jinliang, hearing the guards announce someone's approach, immediately activated three cushion-shaped Magical Treasures and relied once again on his Divine Demon Dharma Form for protection.

As the guides descended into the valley, Xu and Youu Mu immediately spotted Wu Jinliang, shrouded in the protective power of his Magical Treasures. They were momentarily stunned, wondering at his intentions—why persistently activating the treasures' power for defense? Did he truly think their power wouldn't be depleted?

Tong Mingshan, Zhu Xiangxin, and An Wuzhi hurried over to Xu and Youu Mu at once. No one could ignore the two luminous Divine Fires in their hands—one white, one blue.

Wu Jinliang, still protected by his Magical Treasures, floated closer and laughed heartily upon seeing the Divine Fires: "Heh, heh, you really managed to capture them."

Turning to the three practitioners of Fire Attribute Skill, he said, "The Master instructed that this is a grand occasion for the Artifact Refining World. Whether we have the ability to win the top prize will determine if outsiders will go all out to save us. Therefore, the Divine Fires will first fill Sect Leader Tong's shortfall. Anything Tong can't use will be split between the two of you. The Master also mentioned you shouldn't worry; there's plenty more Divine Fire to come."

These were indeed instructions from Shi Chun, predetermined words to be spoken upon the delivery of the Divine Fires. If no Divine Fires had been brought, these words wouldn't have been spoken either.

The words set the stage, and with things reaching this point, Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi couldn't protest. They simply stepped aside for Tong Mingshan.

Tong Mingshan hesitated as if trying to decline, but Wu Jinliang didn't indulge him, directly asking if the two Divine Fires were the ones he was missing.

The answer was "Yes." Wu Jinliang then instructed him to take one, while the remaining one was temporarily left under the supervision of Zhu and An.

Thus, the matter was settled.

Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu lingered for a moment longer, observing Wu Jinliang's resolute defense. Finally, Xu could no longer resist a teasing inquiry: "Brother Wu, aren't you worried about wasting the power of those treasures with constant use?"

"Of course I am!" Wu Jinliang sighed heavily. "It takes a long time to recover. But what can I do? Danger could appear at any moment, and I must act as protector for everyone. The capable bear more responsibility; what can I say? I happen to have these treasures in hand."

The members of Mingshan Sect collectively glanced at him. Based on their previous interactions, they knew Wu Hehe's actions rarely matched his lofty words. It was obviously a recently staged defense setup.

Upon hearing his justification, Xu Anzhang smiled awkwardly. "Fine, fine, we appreciate your intention."

Youu Mu couldn't help but twitch his cheek.

After staying briefly, the two took their leave. This time, Chu Jingtang and Fang Zicheng didn't accompany them, having already guided them once before.

Once the two departed, Wu Jinliang immediately gestured to Lao Changtai to confirm if they had truly left.

Lao Changtai nodded in understanding, ran out of the valley, and returned after carefully observing. "They've really left, heading toward Lake Heart Island."

With the confirmation, Wu Jinliang promptly dispersed his Divine Demon Dharma Form and stored his Magical Treasures away, whistling leisurely.

His overly transparent behavior didn't escape the notice of the others nearby.

Lao Changtai caught on quickly and asked, "Brother Wu, are you guarding against those two?"

Previously, Shi Chun seemed to always sideline the two when discussing matters privately, causing some resentment among them. But now it was evident; his caution wasn't directed at them—it was the other two he truly distrusted.

"Oh!" Wu Jinliang slapped his forehead as if suddenly recalling something. "I nearly forgot to tell you. The Master specifically instructed me to warn you about those two. He said they're up to no good, so you and the other brothers on duty should keep your guard up."

The group exchanged puzzled looks.

Chu Jingtang leaned in and asked, "If they're not trustworthy, why ask them to cooperate?"

Wu Jinliang laughed. "Avoiding troublemakers solves nothing. When I was little, Brother Jinliang and I were raised as livestock for emergencies. We grew up surrounded by untrustworthy people."

Returning to Lake Heart Island, Xu and Youu Mu again encountered Shi Chun. Seeing no further response from the tower, they considered taking action. Yet Shi Chun stopped them.

The reason he gave, grounded in truth, was that acting rashly could harm their interests.

With so many Divine Fires in the tower, hasty moves could lead to many escaping. After all their efforts locating them, how could they let go of what they'd secured? There was time enough, and Shi Chun preferred to feed Tong Mingshan and the others first before making a move—to maximize their gains.

The group inside the Earth Heart Tower kept urging him, asking when he would officially propose.

Knowing they were "useless," Shi Chun felt emboldened to delay, claiming he needed more time to prepare the proposal gift. The conditions in the Divine Fire Domain required additional effort.

Master Nine suggested it was sufficient, but Shi Chun insisted it couldn't be rushed. A casual approach would dishonor Zhener, and this sentiment truly moved Zhener.

A day later, after Tong Mingshan finished absorbing the two Divine Fires, Shi Chun sent Xu and Youu Mu back into the tower to capture more.

This time, the two went overboard in their urgency, capturing four Divine Fires at once, causing enough commotion that even Zhener sensed something was amiss.

Zhener, however, was easy to deceive. Shi Chun could say anything, and Zhener would believe him.

For Shi Chun, as long as the "masters" inside the tower didn't dare oppose him, all was well.

Xu and Youu Mu were disappointed to find Wu Jinliang still maintaining his protective Dharma, as always. They wanted to ask—wasn't it exhausting to uphold it day and night?

With more Divine Fires secured, even those of similar attributes to the ones Tong Mingshan previously absorbed began to surface. This seemed to fulfill Shi Chun's promise, as Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi now started reaping their share of Divine Fires.

Day after day, this cycle continued. Once Tong Mingshan had absorbed twenty-six different types of Divine Fires, Xu and Youu Mu no longer provided him with new varieties. The ones they sent next were distributed to Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi.

If there were Divine Fires matching the attributes of all three, their spiritual consciousness was extinguished, and they were released—a wasteful act that would surely shock other sects specializing in Artifact Refining.

One day, a bored Tong Mingshan, sensing inspiration while observing the stars of the Divine Fire Domain, approached Wu Jinliang to reveal his intentions to enter seclusion for cultivation.

Wu Jinliang dismissed him indifferently, unconcerned whether Tong chose to retreat. He did point out, however, that Tong's seclusion might be interrupted at any moment, depending on unforeseen developments.

Tong Mingshan acknowledged this, then disappeared into a cavern for his retreat.

On the second day of his retreat, the sealed cavern suddenly emitted a dazzling white light from the cracks in the rocks—an extraordinary white light, substantive and dense, radiating without scattering wildly.

The peculiar quality of the light, though glaring, gave an impression of control and divinity.

Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi, absorbed in their cultivation, missed this sight. Wu Jinliang and the others, however, turned to stare in stunned silence.

Soon, the white light receded, and the cavern entrance returned to darkness.

Chu Jingtang asked, "Is Sect Leader Tong cultivating some divine ability?"

Wu Jinliang replied, "How should I know?"

Though his words sounded dismissive, he grew noticeably more attentive to Tong Mingshan's seclusion, instructing two guards to keep watch at the entrance.

Two days passed, and the guards—Chen Wuji and Hao Ji—suddenly erupted in tragic wails and erratic behaviors, crying out in pain and flailing violently. Alarmed, the others quickly gathered and stood ready, with Wu Jinliang deploying his cushion-shaped treasures for defense.

However, no enemies appeared; only the suffering Chen Wuji and Hao Ji remained.

Amid their uncertainty, the cavern's sealed entrance abruptly opened from within, and Tong Mingshan shot out, flying toward the writhing duo. With a wave, he absorbed something clinging to the two men.

The group noticed Tong Mingshan was cloaked in thick, black Flame Energy, and the absorbed substance from Chen and Hao mirrored this black flame—only previously obscured by the dim light of night.

This time, Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi witnessed everything.

Upon absorbing the black flame, Chen and Hao ceased their writhing. Yet their bodies were grotesquely swollen, enlarging rapidly into balloon-like forms, causing widespread panic.

Wu Jinliang pointed at Tong Mingshan and demanded, "What's going on?"

Before answering, Tong Mingshan swept away the black flame, flipping his palm to conjure a dense, white flame.

He held it aloft and blew a stream of True Qi toward the suffering men, creating a dazzling white light. From the flame emerged a colorful mist that split into two streams, entering both men while excess mist encircled them.

The transformation was instantaneous. Chen and Hao stopped moaning and began expressing relief. Their bulging bodies deflated visibly, and soon they returned to their normal forms, albeit temporarily gasping for air.

Tong Mingshan extinguished the white flame, approached swiftly, and placed two Ice Sheep by their noses.

Their breathing stabilized, and they gradually opened their eyes. Tong Mingshan finally ceased his actions and allowed them to recover independently.

Before being questioned, Chen Wuji took the initiative to ask, "Sect Leader, what just happened? While guarding your retreat, why did you burn us with fire?"

Tong Mingshan quickly clasped his hands apologetically. "My apologies. The Divine Fire had just been refined, and during its use, I failed to notice it escaped through the cracks in the rock."

The curiosity among the group paled compared to the intrigue burning in Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi's minds. They clearly discerned that the black and white flames weren't typical of the thirty-six Divine Fires, despite some of them sharing similar colors.

Having overheard the term "refined," An Wuzhi strode forward, disregarding his companions' injuries, and urgently asked Tong Mingshan, "Refined? What do you mean by refined?"

The others followed suit, gazing intently at Tong Mingshan.

Tong Mingshan hesitated briefly, seemingly unsure how to articulate his thoughts. He raised both hands, summoning the black and white flames once more, each occupying one hand. He mused aloud, "I can't fully explain it; I simply had an epiphany one day and refined the Divine Fires within me. Twelve merged into this white flame, and another twelve fused into this black flame. The remaining two weren't enough for further refinement. If I gather ten more unique Divine Fires, perhaps I can refine another flame."

Suspicious, Zhu Xiangxin remarked, "Can thirty-six Divine Fires really merge into three distinct flames?"

"It's not Divine Fire!" An Wuzhi, seemingly enlightened, exclaimed in excitement, "It's True Fire—it's the legendary 'Samadhi True Fire'!"

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