Gu Yanduo, who occasionally opened his eyes to observe his daughter's reaction, was now unable to close them again. His mouth tightened, fists clenched, with a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes.

Soon, someone shouted, "She's got a nosebleed!"

The crowd looked closely, and indeed, blood seeped from one of Gu Lianni's nostrils as her body trembled slightly.

The Shudao Mountain group was collectively stunned.

Elder Jin Guiqi immediately turned to the Sect Leader beside him and said, "If this continues, something might happen. Senior Brother, let Lianni withdraw from the match."

Gu Yanduo's face was stern, and he repeated the same response, "No one forced her to participate. She fought for the spot herself. Whether she can endure it or not, she knows in her heart. Whatever price she pays is on her; she brought this on herself. After all, she is my daughter, and no one is allowed to intervene!"

His righteous and resolute words were meant for all the Shudao Mountain disciples present.

Some disciples sighed, while others showed expressions of sympathy.

Pang Hou tugged Yuan Yao's arm, signaling, "What should we do?"

Yuan Yao lightly shook his head, his face equally filled with helplessness.

Reality was indeed cruel. Some gaps could not be bridged by effort alone. No matter how desperately Gu Lianni fought, it was futile. Sometimes, talent was fate!

In the end, Mi Liangmeng completed the One Orifice artifact refinement ahead of her.

Holding the dazzling radiance in his hands, Mi Liangmeng glanced around the competition site. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, fully aware that no matter how hard he pushed himself, it was impossible to refine a second Orifice within the remaining sliver of time.

His judgment was accurate, and his decision swift. Assessing the situation, he immediately cast a technique with both hands to meld nine pieces of material into one.

The so-called 'Exquisite Heart' could not be handed in as a pile of fragments to meet the requirement. Regardless of the techniques applied during refinement, the final submission required a complete artifact form, as this was a standard in the Artifact Refining World.

Combining nine into one was simple. The pieces that had been thoroughly divided and smoothed earlier could easily fit together. A slight refinement with Divine Fire to merge them, followed by rapid cooling with a Fire Attribute Skill, and he was able to stride toward the judges' area.

But as he moved forward, he suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion, as though all the strength had been drained from him. He stumbled, his legs sluggish and unresponsive, and nearly fell in front of everyone.

The scene startled those from Daming Pavilion.

Luckily, he managed to steady himself amidst the stumble. Taking a deep breath and adjusting his aura, Mi Liangmeng stabilized his body and continued walking toward the judges' area.

Meanwhile, Gu Lianni was still giving it her all right behind him. Amidst a flurry of exclamations, the radiant light in her hands demonstrated that she, too, had completed the refinement of a True Heart with One Orifice. Blood dripping from her nose had already stained a patch on her chest red.

Though Elder Jin Guiqi's expression was grave, he sighed with relief and said, "She suffered, endured pain, but it was worth it. Surviving this trial means she has taken the first step, entered the hall, surpassing twenty years of painstaking cultivation. Some people may struggle for twenty years and still fail to fully comprehend such a process. Therefore…"

He turned to the gathered disciples and earnestly said, "Do not fear hardship or weariness. Sometimes, certain breakthroughs are achieved only under pressure!"

A chorus of respectful nods followed from the disciples.

But the first thing Gu Lianni did upon opening her eyes was to check Mi Liangmeng's artifact refinement status. She soon realized that his spot was empty, and then saw him leaving after successfully submitting his work.

This scene filled her with anguish. She began to feel ashamed, as though she had lost all face. Overwhelmed by humiliation and exhaustion, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, spraying it out in front of everyone.

"Ah!" A wave of shocked gasps echoed throughout the site.

Hearing the commotion, Mi Liangmeng, who was already leaving the arena in exhaustion, turned his head to glance back. He missed the sight of her spitting blood but caught Gu Lianni staring straight at him.

At the same time, Gu Lianni's ears rang with her father's thunderous voice transmitting directly to her, "Hold yourself together! Ninety-nine steps walked, just one short of a hundred. How can you give up now? Hold on!"

His rebuke struck her like a bolt of lightning, jolting her back to clarity.

Gu Lianni had no choice but to gather her scattered focus. She cast a technique to lift up the remaining few pieces of material, refining and fusing them with Divine Fire.

Once finished, she took a step forward, intending to submit her work. But just like Mi Liangmeng earlier, her legs and body coordination failed her. She stumbled repeatedly, nearly falling, but finally managed to stay upright.

Her exhaustion was visibly worse than Mi Liangmeng's. One step at a time, she made her way toward the judges, appearing as though she was dragging herself. The blood from her nose continued to drip.

Only she knew just how overwhelming the fatigue was after that movement. It engulfed her like a tidal wave, leaving her feeling utterly hollow. Her vision blurred, and objects began to appear doubled before her eyes.

The entire Shudao Mountain audience remained silent. No one had ever seen Gu Lianni in such a pitiful state.

Gu Yanduo's lips thinned into a hard line at the sight of his daughter's struggle.

The Shudao Mountain elders overseeing the judging wanted more than anything to rush forward and assist her. But the competition rules were clear: no interference was allowed until the participant had submitted their final work. Touching the participant was even more strictly prohibited.

Who could prove that you weren't helping them complete their artifact during the touch? Claims of innocence hold no weight.

Gu Lianni, trembling and barely able to sustain herself, approached the judges. She extended her shaking hands to present her work and murmured weakly, "Gu Lianni from Shudao Mountain has completed her refinement. I humbly request the seniors to judge…"

As soon as the artifact was taken from her hands, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as she collapsed, her body finally giving out. She closed her eyes and fell limp in front of everyone.

"Ah!" Countless exclamations of alarm erupted.

The Shudao Mountain group seemed to explode, but their instructors sternly forbade any rash actions. According to the rules, no one from the outside was allowed to rush into the arena.

Mi Liangmeng, who was being helped to rest by fellow disciples, saw the scene unfold and felt a pang of shared sorrow in his heart. He could fully understand the exhaustion she was experiencing.

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