The True Exquisite Heart, every minuscule detail is a complex and comprehensive chain reaction.

Tong Mingshan had never formally trained in this chained refinement process, but he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with it. Back during his time at the Hundred Refinement Sect, he had once asked his elders out of curiosity, only to be scolded for trying to run before learning to walk.

Still, he had secretly experimented with it on his own. However, due to his insufficient strength, he was ultimately deterred by the difficulty, realizing it was far beyond what he could achieve at his current level.

But Luo Shengsheng from the Daming Pavilion and Li Hongjiu from the Yanbao Sect were different. Even disciples from major sects like Gu Lianni had been encouraged by their sects to maintain interest in such challenging endeavors, to attempt them, and to discover their own strengths. Compared to smaller sects, major sects had resources to spare for such trials, and they willingly shared the corresponding refining methods with those who sought to learn.

That said, things with high entry barriers are never simple. For low-tier disciples, crossing that threshold was undeniably challenging.

Among the competitors present, if there was anyone who had truly crossed the barrier, it was only one person—Li Hongjiu.

Driven by curiosity, he had made an attempt, expending a great deal of effort and time to successfully refine a True One Orifice.

To be able to refine a True One Orifice meant that refining a True Nine Orifices was also within reach—the only difference being the amount of time required.

Once he succeeded, he realized the process and felt it was no longer intriguing, so he lost interest.

He had always been more invested in his personal cultivation and had little enthusiasm for refining artifacts. His attempts had stemmed from momentary curiosity, but after solving the mystery, he found it too time-consuming and labor-intensive to be worth it, and so he hadn't touched it since.

When he refined a True One Orifice, he had done so in seclusion at the back of his sect. No one but himself knew about it.

Not wanting it to become public knowledge, he immediately destroyed the evidence for fear of being scolded and pushed into dealing with all sorts of bothersome artifact refining materials. The moment it was completed, he obliterated the proof.

Had it not been for Luo Shengsheng's apparent attempt to overshadow him using a True Exquisite Heart, he wouldn't have revealed this skill today.

He knew what he wanted, and he knew what his master, Qu Wuming, wanted. But he truly had no desire to one day inherit the sect leadership. The politics of the Ten Great Sects held no appeal for him. He didn't want to be entangled in the interpersonal disputes and pointless rivalries that meant nothing to him.

Yet, here came a 'however.' At most other times, he could afford to be lazy and carefree, but not now. At this moment, he was under pressure, fully aware of what his sect needed from him right now.

He also knew that showcasing greater refining prowess would yet again place another chain around his neck.

But that's just how life works—if you can't be entirely selfish, the one who ends up struggling is yourself.

Because of his ability to refine a True Exquisite Heart, he sneered coldly after realizing Luo Shengsheng's intent.

Yes, he had indeed fallen into Luo Shengsheng's trap, and yes, he would have to start over. But he didn't believe Luo Shengsheng's refining techniques could surpass his own skills.

Of course, he had never attempted to refine a True Exquisite Heart in such a short period. Reconstructing the "traces" of a True Exquisite Heart in the void was an exceptionally intricate task, and complexity naturally translated to consuming more time.

But he still didn't believe Luo Shengsheng could be faster than him.

Luo Shengsheng would need to rely on refining techniques bit by bit, whereas he merely needed to outline the "traces"—the melted materials would then naturally merge and take shape.

He was confident that this time differential was not an edge Luo Shengsheng's minor tricks could surpass.

While refining materials anew with his techniques, he closed his eyes, concentrated, and moved his fingers lightly, redrawing the "traces" lingering in the unseen plane.

Shi Chun observed with a serious expression, as he could see the intricate trace lines rapidly being sketched out by Li Hongjiu step by step.

In contrast, he couldn't understand what Tong Mingshan was doing at all.

Tong Mingshan's refining approach stood apart—not only different from Luo Shengsheng, Mi Liangmeng, and Gu Lianni but also not resembling anyone else in the competition. The latter three shared some similarities in their refining techniques, striving toward a common directional goal.

One could even say that all the refining techniques in play—except for Li Hongjiu's—had observable commonalities as viewed through the enhanced perception of Shi Chun's superpower, including Tong Mingshan's earlier process for the Nine Orifices refinement.

It was clear that this similarity adhered to the proper refining method.

But since Tong Mingshan had abandoned eight pieces of refining materials to focus on only one, Shi Chun was left utterly confused. Tong Mingshan even took the piece that had presumably nearly finished forming the Nine Orifices and remelted it.

It would have been fine if it was completely incomprehensible, but the problem was that Shi Chun could spot bits and pieces. Tong Mingshan appeared to focus repeatedly on minute sections of the material, alternating between small segments, tweaking one part, then shifting to another, and repeating the process. What was he doing?

Unable to decipher it and with nothing to say about it, Shi Chun decided to let it be. Anyway, winning seemed unlikely, so he might as well let his Sect Master tinker with whatever he was experimenting on.

However, the nagging feeling in his heart wouldn't let up. He had been around Tong Mingshan long enough to understand his character—Tong Mingshan was not someone to act without purpose. There had to be a reason behind this.

Unable to voice his doubts to others, he felt as though claws were scratching at his heart from within.

Truly, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

After practicing on each small portion, Tong Mingshan would open his eyes briefly to check the incense burner to see how much time had passed. He feared losing himself in focus and forgetting about the time limit.

Finding he still had time, he'd close his eyes again and concentrate, seizing every moment to practice.

He was repeatedly refining the materials with True Fire, honing his proficiency and fluidity by relying on his awareness to guide him.

Within any Artifact Refining Sect, no one would teach such a rush approach. Refining sects valued mastering techniques first. Even the pursuit of smooth proficiency was an endeavor for later. Typically, such refinement was never done under time pressure, as some materials, if mishandled, would be ruined beyond recovery.

At this juncture, Tong Mingshan was attempting an entirely unknown path. In the Artifact Refining World, this was his first-ever step onto his own path. Although the fear of the unknown and a feeling of unease simmered within him, the urgency of the situation left him no choice but to put it all aside.

Precisely because he was treading an unknown road, even the smallest gains seemed unattainable before taking this step forward.

One has to admit—at times—the focus produced under pressure is a gift, unmatched by any other moment.

And some insights, which are often elusive in normal times, can only be reached through such extraordinary focus.

Once such moments of dazzling clarity are seized, the resulting breakthroughs can be astonishingly rapid.

These insights are treasured, rarer than rare, the kind that many might never achieve in a lifetime.

Once the method of attaining such clarity is understood, it becomes part of one's own path—guiding one on how to proceed in the future.

At this point, the competition within Qi Yun Valley had bifurcated into two distinct levels. Luo Shengsheng, Li Hongjiu, Mi Liangmeng, and Gu Yanduo clearly stood on one level, while the rest—except Tong Mingshan—occupied another.

Tong Mingshan now left not only Shi Chun but also even the experts in the audience unsure of what to make of him. His work resembled refining a True Exquisite Heart but not quite. Yet his discarding of eight pieces mirrored the actions of Mi Liangmeng and Gu Yanduo. No one knew which category of the competition he belonged to.

Luo Yan, Sect Leader of the Refining Heaven Sect, debated his thoughts. He hesitated to assert whether Luo Shengsheng and the others could refine a True Exquisite Heart within the remaining time. After careful thought, he turned to Situ Gu beside him and asked, "Junior Brother, do you think they can succeed?"

Knowing that Situ Gu's expertise in artifact refining surpassed his own, he hoped his junior brother could discern what he could not.

Situ Gu shook his head lightly. "Hard to say."

At this moment, however, his attention was focused on Tong Mingshan, whom few were paying attention to.

This was because Zhener, unnoticed by most, had suddenly locked her gaze onto Tong Mingshan and hadn't looked away since, her eyes radiating suspicion. Situ Gu, puzzled by Zhener's reaction—since she wasn't unfamiliar with Tong Mingshan—began scrutinizing him as well.

Just outside Qi Yun Valley, countless onlookers gathered around commentators who could explain the competition.

Many others paid little attention to the process unfolding in the reflected images. Compared to martial contests, this type of artifact refining competition was overly technical, lacking the immediate and exciting appeal of combat. Watching a group of people toying with fire didn't seem entertaining.

Most simply passed the time waiting for the final outcome…

The incense in the burner had burned past halfway and was nearing its final quarter.

With only one-fourth of the time remaining, the Refining Heaven Sect disciple Zuo Zisheng began to cautiously manipulate the eight floating artifact pieces, merging them into one.

"Looks like the Eight Orifices Exquisite Heart is about to succeed!"

"The Refining Heaven Sect seems to be taking the lead."

"If those trying to refine a True Exquisite Heart fail, he might just take the crown."

"With a quarter of the time remaining, he could very well refine a Nine Orifices next."

"Could it be that he underestimated his own abilities from the start?"

"Well, he only recently acquired the Divine Fire. He probably didn't know how much of its potential he could utilize."

Amidst the murmurs, Zuo Zisheng himself was feeling puzzled. He hadn't expected the competitive pressure to allow him to finish refining the Eight Orifices so far ahead of time. If he had known earlier, he would have aimed for a Nine Orifices, perhaps even trying for a True Exquisite Heart.

Yan Qufeng, who was observing with a stroking motion of his beard, suddenly shifted his gaze. His hand froze mid-stroke, nearly yanking out his beard, as he exclaimed, "That radiance—is that…?"

Shi Chun noticed it too. It was hard not to, given how anomalous it was. The artifact Luo Shengsheng was refining had begun to emit faint threads of iridescent light. While trying to understand what was happening, the surroundings erupted in exclamations.

"True Exquisite Heart!"

"Could it really be completed?!"

"No doubt—it's nearing completion!"

"Unbelievable! Refining a True Exquisite Heart in under 15 minutes!"

"That's the power of someone who wields ten Divine Fires!"

The growing chorus of shocked voices left everyone at the Daming Pavilion energized and elated, with some disciples unable to resist applauding.

Meanwhile, the Refining Heaven Sect's onlookers, who had been gleeful and full of hope moments earlier, felt like they had been doused with cold water.

Zuo Zisheng, glancing toward the triumphant cheers, felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Still, his mental fortitude held firm as he redoubled his focus, carefully completing the final steps of his work to avoid any mistakes.

Shi Chun hurriedly asked the person next to him, "Yan Sect Master, does the radiance mean it's been completed?"

Yan Qufeng sighed, whether in awe or lamentation. "Upon completion of the True Exquisite Heart, its internal structure gains a fine, interconnected texture composed of countless minuscule strands and gaps, invisible to the naked eye under normal circumstances. The firelight used during refinement refracts through these spaces, creating the appearance of this iridescent glow. So, in a way, this phenomenon can indeed confirm successful refinement."

During this explanation, the radiance surrounding the artifact Luo Shengsheng was refining grew increasingly vivid and dazzling.

The atmosphere became an uproar of astonished murmurs and exclamations.

Li Hongjiu, still refining as the commotion swelled, opened his eyes briefly to glance at Luo Shengsheng before curling his lips into another faint sneer. He then closed his eyes and returned to his focus.

Tong Mingshan, too, opened his eyes to check, glancing quickly at the vanishing quarter of the burn-left incense. He exhaled deeply and then inhaled again, raising his arms with a push-palming motion. The eight discarded artifact pieces on the ground suddenly rose, forming a vortex-like alignment around his heated central piece.

With one hand behind his back, the other extended, a surge of black-and-white flames erupted, enveloping and tempering the assembled materials.

There was no time left—he had to give it his all!

At that moment, the two competitors nearest him simultaneously turned their heads to look at him.

Despite the considerable distance separating them, they simultaneously felt a surge of some great force emanating from Tong Mingshan, as if suppressing the power of the Divine Fire in their own hands. It was as if the fire they wielded had suddenly diminished, its potency weakened.

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