The command was given, and the sects responded immediately.

Shi Chun turned his head and happened to see Tong Mingshan watching him. He patted Tong Mingshan's arm decisively, saying, "It's your turn now. You know what I want. Don't think about anything else—just focus on this competition!"

Tong Mingshan detected the sentiment of "raising soldiers for a thousand days, only to use them in one moment." Back in the Divine Fire Domain, Shi Chun had risked everything, using all possible means to acquire various Divine Fires for him. He had almost coasted along until now—and now was indeed the time for him to contribute. Otherwise, he truly wouldn't deserve the title of 'Sect Master' that everyone had been bestowing upon him all this time.

He undoubtedly knew what the Master wanted—it was simple and direct: he wanted benefits, great benefits, and the rewards for claiming first place!

"Sect Master, focus on the competition!" Chu Jingtang also shouted.

"Sect Master, face them boldly and compete to your fullest!"

"Indeed! Our Mingshan Sect might be new, but we're not pushovers!"

Encouraged by his companions, Tong Mingshan ignored the scrutinizing gazes from the Hundred Refinement Sect's camp. He turned around to face his team, gave a firm nod, then resolutely stepped onto the stage.

Wu Jinliang immediately raised his arm and roared, "When the Sect Master takes the stage, who dares to challenge?"

This was shouted toward his own people.

His companions were momentarily stunned, but Chu Jingtang quickly raised his arm in unison, shouting, "When the Sect Master takes the stage, no one can compete!"

Consequently, everyone followed suit, shouting in unison, "When the Sect Master takes the stage, no one can compete!"

At first, the shouting was a chaotic mess, but after three or four repeats, it finally became synchronized.

They were all exhilarated, knowing well the pressure Tong Mingshan had just endured from the Hundred Refinement Sect. So they wholeheartedly cheered him on, hoping to dispel the gloom in his mind.

However, to outsiders, the shouting sounded somewhat grating, drawing the attention of nearby onlookers whose eyes collectively locked onto them, as if they were staring at a group of foolish imbeciles.

No one truly understood where this group of idiots gathered the confidence to shout such over-the-top declarations in public. Considering the reality of this year's Divine Fire Covenant, they dared to yell phrases like 'none can compete'? Seriously?

In past years, the Four Blossoms might have genuinely had some chance. But this year, talents abounded, and the grand event was unprecedented in scope. There was clearly no hope for the Four Blossoms.

"I say, stop shouting—watch out, the louder you yell now, the more embarrassed you'll be when you fail later."

From the back, an elder from an unknown sect kindly reminded them.

This earned him a collective glare from the Mingshan Sect members. Those looks seemed to speak a unified message: "Mind your own damn business!"

Their confidence stemmed from knowing how many Divine Fires Tong Mingshan had absorbed. What did that Luo Shengsheng absorbing ten blossoms of Divine Fire amount to? Gu Lianni's absorption—their scraps left over—was nothing to compare to. What could these people use to rival them?

And so they continued waving their arms and cheering for Tong Mingshan. But what could they do? Wu Jinliang didn't even know what 'modesty' meant. He wasn't afraid to draw attention or be annoying. He didn't know what shame was either and kept shouting. The others couldn't just leave him howling alone without responding. So every time Wu Jinliang shouted, they would echo it with arm gestures of their own.

Only Shi Chun remained calm, arms folded in indifference. He knew full well that things had already reached this point—he had done everything that could be done. The rest of the competition was out of his control.

The well-intentioned elder found himself choked up by that seemingly eloquent glare from the Mingshan Sect group.

Meanwhile, the Hundred Refinement Sect camp collectively turned their gaze towards the Mingshan Sect group. Yan Sect Master's mind involuntarily surfaced with the words "birds of a feather flock together."

Of course, whether or not they looked somewhat idiotic, the ability to unite so shamelessly was still a form of solidarity. This realization caused Tong Mingshan's master, Luo Wan, to feel heavy-hearted. He vaguely sensed there was no turning back for his disciple.

Young Master Nan, observing from the mountainside, noticed the commotion caused by the Mingshan Sect group, turning them into a focal point in their area. Curiosity piqued him as he wondered what antics the group was up to again.

He was in an exceptionally good mood, having heard that Refining Heaven Sect had absorbed at most three Divine Fires, while someone from Daming Pavilion managed ten. Knowing there were others who had absorbed four or seven, he felt greatly relieved—the Refining Heaven Sect stood no chance of claiming victory.

He now had the leisure to intermittently use the Mother-child Talisman to contact people outside the valley.

In the Shengshen Continent's Royal Capital Arena, on the stands, Bian Weiyin and two others strained their eyes to finally locate Shi Chun and his group within the mirror's reflection.

Initially, due to the surrounding scenery and the shadows within the valley—as well as the distance of the Heavenly Mirror's projection—it was difficult to locate Shi Chun's group.

However, Shi Chun's group stood out immensely—not because of their behavior, but because of their attire. Every other sect had unified clothing, with only slight variations for high-ranking members compared to the disciples. Yet, Mingshan Sect seemed to be the only one presenting attire in a wildly diverse range of colors and styles.

To Bian Weiyin, this style wasn't unfamiliar—he had witnessed it during the Sky Rain Meteor Conference and knew well how little the two truly cared about sect uniforms. They wouldn't wear sect clothing, yet they could act as disciples from any sect.

Still, they could only make out a vague outline of the group in the reflection—not the individual faces of Shi Chun's people clearly.

"Come sit over here," a man's voice beckoned.

Bian Weiyin and the other two turned their heads and saw that Domain Master Wei Mo had arrived at some point. He waved them over as he sat down.

A dozen or so people were already seated sparsely in the area. Since Bian Weiyin and his companions didn't recognize anyone, and they knew it was a seating area for esteemed guests, they hadn't dared sit there and had instead stood awkwardly in the corner. Only now, with Wei Mo's invitation, did they approach him to greet him.

Wei Mo dismissed their pleasantries and focused on the mirror's projection, asking, "Can you see Shi Chun's group?"

Elder Yi Huachun and Elder Yin Huixin instinctively exchanged a glance. They were slightly astonished to hear this Domain Master repeatedly mention Shi Chun's name. After all, Shi Chun had left Sheng Province long ago.

The two faintly sensed there was something significant about this.

Little did they know that Wei Mo wouldn't bother coming to observe a group of low-level artifact refining disciples competing in primary refining if it weren't for Shi Chun. Wei Mo had relationships with numerous refining experts, and there were plenty of refining sects within his domain. Just one word from him could compel the sect leaders to perform for him. Without a specific purpose, why would he waste his time here? He wasn't even gambling.

Bian Weiyin immediately pointed at the mirror, saying, "That bunch with mismatched clothing over there should be Shi Chun's Mingshan Sect group."

Wei Mo squinted, digesting this information, before chuckling at how the group likely hadn't even managed to decide on a uniform for their sect. He glanced faintly at the three respectful figures beside him and then said lightly, "Later, someone might come to introduce you to someone. Be prepared."

The three were taken aback, then quickly bowed respectfully and obediently leaned forward to perch awkwardly on the edge of their seats, following Wei Mo's gesture.

Elsewhere, unable to locate Xiang Laner's group at the guesthouse, An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin returned to the valley entrance to wait. They found a good spot on the slope, took a slanted position, and reclined to watch the mirror in the sky. Through the attire, they also identified Shi Chun's group.

They regretted their decision somewhat—if they had known earlier, they wouldn't have left the scene. Staying at the venue would have been better.

Standing among the densely packed crowd on the beach, Duan Xiangmei also looked up to locate Shi Chun's group in the mirror projection, spotting Tong Mingshan stepping onto the stage.

Around her, conversations about "seven Divine Fires" and "ten Divine Fires" began to ripple throughout the crowd.

After the closure of the inter-realm passage, communication between inside and outside Qi Yun Valley was no longer obstructed, and news from inside the valley was constantly updating.

Duan Xiangmei cared little for discussions about the count of Divine Fires. Occasionally looking around, she noticed Xiang Laner and her companions had vanished again. In her mind, the image of the green-clothed man surfaced once again, filling her with an invisible sense of unease.

Meanwhile, Xiang Laner and Feng Chi were indeed still with the green-clothed man, standing towards the outskirts of the crowd. They, too, overheard the conversations about Divine Fire counts.

Even so, Feng Chi suddenly interjected, "We might be targeted. If Shi Chun's group wins the competition, can they still manage to take their items away?"

Xiang Laner and the green-clothed man immediately turned to her, staring as if she had gone insane.

Xiang Laner couldn't help but remind her, "Tong Mingshan absorbed four Divine Fires. Shudao Mountain absorbed seven, and Daming Pavilion absorbed ten. Didn't you hear?"

Feng Chi retorted, "So what? It's an undeniable fact that being pursued and coveted by other sects is a possibility. Shudao Mountain absorbed seven fires because of Shi Chun's group—that's also a fact. How could Shi Chun's group only absorb four fires themselves? If they weren't confident in claiming first place, why would Shi Chun let Tong Mingshan, who absorbed four fires, step into the competition?"

Xiang Laner and the green-clothed man were stunned, looking at her as though she were delusional. They wanted to ask her, "It's just a competition. People who absorbed only one fire are stepping up as well—so what?"

Xiang Laner sighed, "The competition rules have been repeatedly altered to target Shi Chun's group. They wouldn't give them a chance to win in the first place. Tong Mingshan was thoroughly examined to confirm he absorbed only four fires. There's no doubt about it; otherwise, he wouldn't have been allowed to compete."

"Who can say until the end? During the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, who believed he could win first place?" Feng Chi said firmly, her tone unwavering, "Given the considerable chaos in the Divine Fire Domain where sects united to hunt Shi Chun down—how can it make sense for them to have absorbed only four fires? The entire process reeks of mystery. I believe he won't give up easily and won't let… us down!"

She turned to the green-clothed man. "Mr. Qing, we must start planning now on how to transfer Shi Chun's group's possessions to safety, to preemptively counter the other two sects forcing a move."

Xiang Laner felt utterly speechless. She knew Feng Chi held Shi Chun in high regard and had essentially made him her emotional pillar—but she hadn't expected Feng Chi's mindset to twist into near delusion, ignorantly refusing to face reality. Feng Chi was practically talking nonsense as though dreaming.

Worried for her mental state, Xiang Laner slowly turned to look at the mirror projection in the sky, choosing to remain silent.

Is this woman insane? The green-clothed man wondered inwardly. After staring at Feng Chi with muted shock for a while, he swallowed dryly and reluctantly humored her with, "If they truly win first place, and if they pass the hurdle posed by Mulan Jin, then taking their possessions away shouldn't be an issue. With Mulan Jin present, the other two sects wouldn't dare make reckless moves."

Feng Chi responded, "What if the other sects prefer to pay the price and force a move?"

The green-clothed man replied, "Don't worry. Since the higher-ups have said they have a way to suppress such situations, they surely do. It's out of our hands."

Feng Chi nodded seriously and sighed, "Let's hope so."

Speechless, the green-clothed man said no more and directed his gaze to the mirror above. Even so, he couldn't help but turn back repeatedly to glance at Feng Chi from head to toe, examining her obsessively.

Across the Four Great Continents, everyone who could see the mirror projection raised their heads to watch the competitors appearing on stage.

In Bustling City, inside a bustling guesthouse, a group of customers huddled together in excited chatter. All were waiting on betting outcomes and results from the competition.

Central to the gathering was a man holding the Mother-child Talisman. Even though he didn't have the credentials to attend the arena, he was forwarding live updates from inside the venue sent by his friend.

On the sidelines, an old woman polishing the floor on her knees was listening intently to the customers' discussions. At the mention of 'Shi Chun,' she froze in her actions and strained her ears to listen more closely.

She, too, was from East Nine Plain. She had once joined the people at Wukang Mountain's foothills cursing Shi Chun, her taunts exceedingly harsh, even reminding everyone how Shi Chun had consumed her milk as a child.

In a massive harbor, where countless ships were moored, a dark-skinned man carried a mountain-load of cargo, hauling it up and down the vessel. Even as a monk, he was drenched in sweat. Hearing the sailors nearby gossip about 'Shi Chun,' he paused in reflection.

With a crash, waves stirred, and near the dock, a giant sea creature surfaced its fishbone ridge, splashing water all over him.

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