Suddenly, the mirrored image zoomed in and focused on the Daming Pavilion disciple Luo Shengsheng participating in the competition, or more specifically, zoomed in and magnified the scene surrounding Luo Shengsheng.

At this moment, Luo Shengsheng's appearance and aura were displayed clearly within the mirrored image, stirring whispers among women viewers across various locations. Women have an eye for beauty even more keenly than men.

Many female viewers found themselves enchanted by Luo Shengsheng's looks, while the male viewers, being more rational, paid attention to the movements of Luo Shengsheng's hands.

Most of the flame energy on Luo Shengsheng's hands had already dissipated or, rather, had begun to retract inward and meld together. The fused flames created another type of momentum as they gradually penetrated the red-hot artifact refining materials.

"As expected of someone who has absorbed ten Divine Flames."

"He's already ahead from the start."

This stirred a wave of murmured discussions among the observing factions.

Over at Daming Pavilion's side, quite a few individuals were already smiling or showing satisfied expressions.

Those familiar with the craft knew what was at hand, yet the Mingshan Sect crew remained mostly clueless, unable to decipher even the imagery presented right before their eyes.

Shi Chun initially tried to maintain a cultured and composed demeanor—he enjoys showing off an air of sophistication in crowded places.

However, ignorance is ignorance. Acting like an oblivious fool was unbearable, especially when the surrounding discussions made it clear that he was completely out of his depth. Eventually, he couldn't maintain the facade any longer, awkwardly clearing his throat. He then approached the Hundred Refinement Sect while calling out, "Yan Sect Master."

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to be so casual with a sect leader.

Yan Qufeng turned his head to look at him, puzzled by his intent. Seeing Shi Chun standing on the border between the two sects but unwilling to cross further, behaving as if he wished to keep the peace, it left Yan uncertain whom the act was meant for. Reluctantly, Yan walked to the border himself and asked, "Brother, to what do I owe this guidance?"

Shi Chun let out an awkward laugh and replied, "In a setting like this, it's hardly my place to offer guidance—I should be seeking advice from Senior instead." He raised his gaze slightly, looking at the bald man dominating the mirrored image, then tilted his chin toward Luo Shengsheng on the field. "What's going on there? Why has the flame weakened?"

To ask such a question was to expose himself as a complete novice in artifact refining. Yan Qufeng was taken aback. Ordinarily, as the leader of an esteemed sect, he wouldn't need to stoop to explain such rudimentary matters. However, since his sect was currently attempting to poach disciples like Shi Chun's, maintaining a good attitude seemed wise for now.

There was no need to cause disharmony in the moment—especially considering this young man was hardly a pushover.

After some thought, Yan decided that, given Shi Chun's evident ignorance, he should opt for a simplified explanation. "The flame surrounding his refining materials has reached the necessary temperature. He's now channeling mana to refine the internal structure of the materials—that is, he's officially beginning the inner refining process of the 'Exquisite Heart.' At the moment, it's unclear how many orifices he plans to craft."

Shi Chun replied with an "Oh" and seemed to somewhat understand. As for the 'Exquisite Heart' technique itself, Shi Chun had at least heard about it during prior inquiries with individuals like Miao Yilan and her family. After all, Tong Mingshan was also participating in such competitions; Shi Chun had definitely learned about the competitive crafting objectives in advance.

While he had grasped the general concept, the specifics of on-site refining were foreign to him, requiring him to seek clarification during the competition.

The equally clueless crew from Mingshan Sect inadvertently benefited as well, receiving the explanation alongside Shi Chun.

Having already opened the conversation, Shi Chun didn't hold back further, asking, "Yan Sect Master, in your opinion, since he absorbed ten Divine Flames, how many orifices of the Exquisite Heart do you think he can refine?"

Yan Qufeng's gaze shifted to the incense timer. "That's hard to say. How much of the Divine Flame's power he can utilize is one factor—but mastery in controlling the Divine Flame, as well as his personal refining talent or ability, are equally critical. Additionally, there's the issue of time constraints.

Most of the contestants here are elite disciples from various factions. Given sufficient time for meticulous craftsmanship and careful refinement, probably all of them could refine a 'Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart.' However, with the competition limiting them to just one incense stick's time—or about one hour—this duration is extremely tight for artifact refining.

Of course, competitions like this are designed to impose rules and conditions, aiming to push contestants and reveal their true capabilities."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun turned his attention toward Tong Mingshan. The uncertainty was palpable—not only could Yan Qufeng not conclusively evaluate Luo Shengsheng, but even Tong himself seemed unsure whether he could craft a multi-orifice Exquisite Heart within the competition's rules.

Back when they had first entered the Divine Fire Domain and deceived the Four Cauldron Sect, Tong Mingshan had boasted to Feng Yaoyang that he could refine a 'Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart' within half a day.

That, however, had been mere bragging. According to Tong's own words, even if his cultivation broke through to High Martial, refining nine orifices would still take him several days.

Of course, that was before absorbing the Divine Flames—the comparison now was no longer valid.

The main issue was that after absorbing the Divine Flames, Tong Mingshan hadn't tested his ability, as the Divine Fire Domain didn't provide materials for such trials. Once outside, he managed to gather artifact refining materials, but there was never enough time.

With the competition looming, Tong Mingshan couldn't afford to spend an hour testing his limits—wasting mana and energy would leave him unprepared for the actual trials afterward.

Thus, even Tong Mingshan himself remained uncertain about his exact capabilities. Still, the general sentiment was that with his absorption of twenty-four Divine Flames, he shouldn't lose. His chances of victory seemed promising.

As the firelight in Luo Shengsheng's hands seeped into the red-hot hunk of metal, faint shadows of varying hues appeared inside—it was likely the influence of different Divine Flame colors.

The mirrored image zoomed back out to the entire competition field just in time to showcase Gu Lianni's firelight waning. Her situation closely mirrored what had happened with Luo Shengsheng earlier.

Yan Qufeng couldn't help but sigh, "The power of seven Divine Flames truly is extraordinary." Capitalizing on this topic, he turned to Shi Chun. "It's said that Shudao Mountain's Sect Leader's daughter was granted her share of these Divine Flames thanks to you. Why was she able to absorb seven Divine Flames, while Tong Mingshan could only absorb four?"

Shi Chun had a ready explanation, knowing full well the other party wouldn't dare verify with Shudao Mountain. He casually slandered, "Simple—whoever has the bigger fists calls the shots and takes more."

Yan Qufeng responded with two understanding "Oh"s. With that explanation, everything made sense—after all, Shudao Mountain was an enormous powerhouse.

Meanwhile, the Mingshan Sect crew all turned to look at Shi Chun in unison. Why bother watching the competition when Master Shi's shocking words were far more interesting?

Wu Jinliang chuckled softly, while Chu Jingtang and others sighed deeply. Lies rolled off Shi Chun's tongue with a rustic simplicity, as if he spoke truths even more believable than reality itself. Truly impressive.

Naturally, Yan Qufeng hoped to inquire further about the secret techniques for locating Divine Flames. However, he knew he lacked the qualifications to ask. After leaving the Divine Fire Domain, Yan's attention had remained fixed on the Mingshan Sect crew, aware that Shi Chun and his group had been fraternizing with the Ten Great Sects. He could safely assume that the dealings involved the secret techniques, meaning they were matters outside his jurisdiction.

He was acutely aware that meddling in such affairs recklessly might lead to the annihilation of his sect.

Just then, a renewed surge of firelight flared in Luo Shengsheng's hands as he manipulated the artifact refining materials rapidly, shaping them into the form of a heart.

Yan Qufeng remarked again, "We will soon see how many orifices he plans to refine."

This was clearly in response to Shi Chun's earlier question. Upon hearing this, Shi Chun widened his eyes and stared closely at the scene.

Soon after, the artifact in Luo Shengsheng's hands cracked open, emitting multicolored flames upon shattering in a dazzling display akin to a sunset glow.

The artifact had split into nine pieces, each of varying sizes and forms. The fragmented sections appeared eerily surreal, as though cleaved by the force of Divine Flames or torn apart by some great power. The surfaces of each piece were riddled with numerous apertures large and small.

The nine fragments hovered in midair in front of Luo Shengsheng as he devoted his attention to refining one piece, engulfing it in concentrated flames.

"Nine orifices!"

"It's nine orifices!"

"He's attempting to refine a 'Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart' within the span of one incense stick?"

A wave of astonished exclamations erupted from the crowd, but Luo Shengsheng's unwavering concentration remained undisturbed. Bathed in radiant flames, his poise gave him an almost divine presence.

The Daming Pavilion members were immensely pleased, their pride palpable.

Of course, some of them kept a watchful eye on Li Hongjiu.

They noticed that Li Hongjiu maintained an unhurried demeanor, occasionally glancing over at Luo Shengsheng with a sly expression, almost as if mocking him for his effort. With an air of disdain that riled up his rivals, it was impossible for the Daming Pavilion to let their guard down.

Yan Qufeng echoed an awed tone, "Daring to refine a 'Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart' within one incense-stick's time—it's evident that this goes beyond the power of Divine Flames. This Luo Shengsheng must have extraordinary innate talent in artifact refining. It's also clear that the Daming Pavilion has been preparing for this day for a long time, keeping Luo Shengsheng's abilities hidden well for a grand reveal like today, where his talents shine brightly."

Shi Chun, glancing at the scene around him, simply posed another question to satisfy his curiosity. "Yan Sect Master, does splitting the artifact into pieces equate to refining multiple orifices?"

Yan Qufeng, knowing Shi Chun was a near-complete amateur in the field, patiently elucidated, "You could put it that way, but the split isn't just for show. It's primarily due to the difficulty of managing everything at once. During refinement, the materials are in a softened state. As they progress and the apertures multiply, the demands for precise control over temperature and force grow exponentially. Any slight inconsistency could undo the intricate pathways previously refined.

To simultaneously refine all areas would consume an incredible amount of mana and mental focus. The optimal approach is to segment the artifact into different regions, refining each individually. Once all segments are perfected, they are merged back together for completion.

The nine orifices often feature relatively larger apertures, which are easier to refine. Therefore, artisans typically start with simpler areas to conserve energy for tackling tougher sections. Luo Shengsheng is currently following this sequence.

He initially crafted the artifact's complete form and internal structure before segmenting it into nine distinct regions, aligned with both the artifact's design and his preferred refining methods. His current process will continue until he merges the nine zones, signaling the completion of his masterpiece."

Nearby, Elder Pan Gongying chimed in, "Even with nine segmented regions, controlling the flame temperature remains immensely challenging. Tiny apertures being repeatedly refined in compressed areas are prone to disappearing due to overpressure—this often necessitates starting over. However, the more varied a practitioner's Divine Flames, the greater the advantage when balancing these attributes. Alternating between hot and cold or blending soft and hard, among other techniques, can dramatically improve efficiency."

Shi Chun's group took in the explanation with partial understanding, grasping at least the broad strokes.

"Another nine orifices!"

"Look! That disciple from Shudao Mountain is refining nine orifices too!"

"Does Sect Leader Gu's daughter truly have the confidence to craft a 'Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart' within an hour?"

Another wave of astonishment swept across the scene, as most of the spectators here were experts.

Shi Chun's entourage turned to look, spotting Gu Lianni handling her materials with fiery brilliance. She forcefully segmented the forming artifact into nine pieces, her actions clearly accompanied by competitive glances toward Luo Shengsheng's side.

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