Upon hearing Shi Chun's voice, Zhener broke into a radiant smile.

The spectators watching the mirrored projection outside could not hear the sounds within the valley. The elder from the Li Huo Sect presiding over the competition, for the sake of maintaining the sect's dignity, also pretended not to hear anything. He strode over to the incense burner, firmly placed the stick of incense inside, and then spread his arms, declaring in a booming voice, "The competition begins!"

His words were like an order, and the fifty-two participants holding chunks of iron immediately had their hands emit Flame Energy, swiftly softening the hard lumps of iron they held.

It was truly a mad rush to begin, as though worried about wasting even a moment. Every bit of extra time was seen as precious.

After the first round of the competition, those remaining clearly knew in their hearts who was mere decoration and who truly had the qualifications to compete. Taking advantage of the idle moments while softening their materials, some of them began to glance anxiously at their opponents.

Yan Chunlai from East Cloud Island and Du Da from Fall Flame Mountain paid no attention to others. Despite being heavily drained from the previous round, they threw themselves into action again immediately, pouring their all into the competition. The Flame Energy wrapping around their artifact refining materials was dense and blazing, so intense it was almost blinding, making them stand out among the participants.

Gu Lianni wasn't distracted by any other opponents. Her focus was locked on the handsome bald man positioned diagonally across from her. Watching the streams of varying colored Flame Energy emerging from his hands one after the other, she unleashed matching bursts, striving to catch up with him, unwilling to show any inferiority.

Her determination was admirable, but reality stood in her way. After the seventh color of Flame Energy erupted from her hands, her power could go no further. She could only watch helplessly as Luo Shengsheng's Flame Energy surged forward with an eighth flourish, then a ninth, and ultimately a tenth.

The only way she knew to counteract this disparity was to increase her Mana output, driving more powerful refining energy while hoping her artifact refining talents might surpass his, narrowing the gap between them.

In Gu Lianni's eyes, Luo Shengsheng remained her sole target of pursuit.

Her every move tugged at the hearts of everyone from Shudao Mountain, leaving scarcely any attention for other participants like Yuan Yao and Pang Hou.

Luo Shengsheng, however, was not focused on Gu Lianni. From the start, his gaze instinctively turned to Li Hongjiu.

The reason was simple: it was because of the bold and brazen words Li Hongjiu had publicly thrown at him earlier.

Despite the significant gap in their refining capabilities, he didn't worry that Li Hongjiu could defeat him in technique. What concerned him were his sect's warnings to be cautious—warnings that Li Hongjiu might resort to using fists should he lose the refining competition.

After all, if Li Hongjiu were to knock him out on the spot, rendering him unable to continue competing, it would only serve to fulfill his boast: "With Li Hongjiu here, you won't claim the prize."

Logically speaking, a disciple of the Yanbao Sect shouldn't engage in such public violations of the rules. If he did, not only would Yanbao Sect lose its qualification for this competition, but it would also be barred from participating in the next.

The problem was, the one barking wildly was Li Hongjiu.

The Daming Pavilion, out of a cautious sense of duty, carefully compiled all the background information available on Li Hongjiu's life. The resulting discoveries? Li Hongjiu was infamous for being unreliable, spending three out of every ten days kneeling in punishment. His master had broken countless canes disciplining him.

Li Hongjiu had committed many absurd actions over the years. Were it not for his master being the sect master of Yanbao Sect, this troublesome disciple would have long since either disappeared from Yanbao Sect or from the mortal world as a whole.

The more they learned, the more alarmed they became. This man was outrageous—capable of anything, it seemed.

Yet, because of his privileged background, until he actually crossed the line, no one could convict him based on speculation alone, nor take any measures against him. Even issuing warnings was inappropriate.

Faced with such a man, the entire Daming Pavilion grew increasingly tense. When advising Luo Shengsheng on where to position himself for the competition, they warned him repeatedly to stay as far away as possible from Li Hongjiu.

The reasoning was simple. No matter how much Divine Fire Luo Shengsheng had absorbed, he was no match for Li Hongjiu's raw physical strength. If Li Hongjiu ditched refining techniques entirely to settle matters with his fists, it would spell trouble.

By maintaining distance, if Li Hongjiu caused a scene, the sect elders watching from the stands would have room to intervene, avoiding situations where they'd be totally caught off guard.

That's why Luo Shengsheng deliberately chose a position directly opposite Li Hongjiu—a choice that seemed almost confrontational.

The high-ranking members of Daming Pavilion were also on high alert, poised to intervene at a moment's notice. Many of their gazes were fixed intently on Li Hongjiu.

As Li Hongjiu swept his gaze around, his eyes met Luo Shengsheng's. Surprised at the attention given to him, Li Hongjiu let out a chuckle, lightly tilted his chin and flashed a mocking grin.

Gu Lianni noticed Luo Shengsheng's eyes were solely focused on Li Hongjiu, which angered her deeply. She felt humiliated, as though Luo Shengsheng did not even consider her worthy of his attention, despite her belief that only she had the qualifications to be his true opponent.

From her perspective, both Luo Shengsheng and Li Hongjiu, viewed through the lens of gender dynamics, were admirable males.

Luo Shengsheng's boundless potential in artifact refining, Li Hongjiu's unmatched combat prowess, and Shi Chun's distinct abilities—all had drawn her interest at different times.

Yet now, her heart only burned with the fury born from being ignored. That anger fueled her relentless efforts.

Meanwhile, Tong Mingshan, despite rightfully belonging to the ranks of top contenders alongside Mi Liangmeng from Golden Appearance Hall, was not considered a true threat by either Luo Shengsheng or Gu Lianni.

Likewise, Li Hongjiu seemed to dismiss him entirely.

Standing deliberately opposite Shi Chun's location, Tong Mingshan's Flame Energy released its four colors as he exchanged a glance with Shi Chun. His expression betrayed a hint of helplessness.

It wasn't without reason. Truthfully, in this initial phase of refining—the softening of artifact refining materials—

he could easily utilize the true might of one aspect of his Samadhi True Fire to refine the materials in seconds. But he dared not do so openly, as it would instantly reveal the true nature of his flame.

Instead, he remained content, juggling four blossoms of Divine Fire, feigning progress while gauging the pace of others.

Because Shi Chun had instructed him to strive for victory, but not to win too effortlessly. For now, their sect wasn't yet strong enough. Though they could act with confidence, it was still necessary to conceal their true strength.

Noticing Tong Mingshan's relaxed demeanor, Shi Chun felt reassured and offered him a gentle smile...

On the pavilion overlooking the mirrored scene, Miao Yilan suddenly asked, "How will victory be determined in this round?"

Lan Qiaoyan, about to explain to her daughter, paused midway and tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a faint smile as she glanced at Gong Shaoci.

Uncertain whether this was a subtle prompt to engage more with the young lady or merely a test, Gong Shaoci responded elegantly, "The refining of the 'Exquisite Heart' is a well-established method used in the Artifact Refining World to evaluate disciples' refining techniques.

They use the heart's structure as inspiration to refine their materials. The grades are divided based on the number of orifices—from One-Orifice to Nine-Orifice, spanning nine levels. The highest grade is the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart. For now, we'll see who among them can refine the highest grade first; the most skilled will take precedence."

At this point, Gong Yuanzhi, as a father, corrected him, "The highest standard for refining the Exquisite Heart isn't merely the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart; it's the True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart."

Lan Qiaoyan chuckled softly, "Technically, Shaoci isn't wrong. For these artifact refining disciples, achieving the standard Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart is considered the pinnacle. The True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, however, belongs to a completely different realm—one they cannot reach."

Miao Yilan's eyes glimmered with contemplation as she asked, "Mother, is the True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart what they call the 'True Heart'?"

Lan Qiaoyan nodded slightly, "Correct, the True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart is indeed referred to as the True Heart in the Artifact Refining World. As the name suggests, it is no longer merely resembling an actual heart—it breathes life.

Only an immensely skilled artifact refiner, whose techniques have reached extraordinary realms, can achieve the True Heart. For these disciples, during the course of this stick of incense's duration, refining even a True One-Orifice Exquisite Heart or a Two-Orifice would already be noteworthy."

Gong Yuanzhi agreed, "Mrs. Miao is absolutely right. With the abilities of these disciples, refining an ordinary Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart is already an accomplishment. Forcing a leap to the True Heart realm is simply too unrealistic."

Miao Yilan seemed to grasp the explanation yet still wore a thoughtful expression.

No one knew her better than Lan Qiaoyan. Glancing at her daughter's face, she instantly understood what was troubling her and asked, "Not sure about the distinction?"

Both father and son from the Gong family turned to look at Miao Yilan with interest.

"That's correct," Miao Yilan admitted. "I'm still curious about the precise differences between the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart and the True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart."

Gong Yuanzhi smiled at Lan Qiaoyan, "She's genuinely inquisitive and sharp—someone will surely be fortunate to marry her."

This comment brought a blush to Miao Yilan's cheeks, while Gong Shaoci's gaze flickered with subtle emotion. He was struck by her shy yet enchanting demeanor, and his heart stirred in frustration as he lamented Miao Dingyi's reluctance to relent.

"You're too kind," Lan Qiaoyan modestly deflected. Then, turning her attention back to her daughter, she elaborated, "Let me put it this way: a Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart merely achieves a rough, superficial outline of a heart, forming the major pathways necessary for a functioning structure. However, the True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, as I previously explained, replicates the intricate construction of an actual heart, with the only difference being the material itself."

Gong Yuanzhi clasped the armrests of his chair and chimed in, "Though the two differ by only one word, the disparity between them is immeasurable. The concept of 'spur of the moment' encompasses vigor that requires countless meticulous pathways to work in perfect harmony.

The Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart merely requires establishing the coarse channels connecting each orifice. The True Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, by contrast, earns its title of 'True Heart' precisely because falsehood is impermissible; approximations are unacceptable.

To craft a 'True Heart,' the artisan must replicate every single intricate pathway connecting each orifice, leaving no detail neglected. The final product must echo the integrity of a genuine heart, differing only in material. Give it breath, and its vitality surges to life. That's the distinction between the two: the divide between lifelessness and living essence—an overwhelming gulf!"

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