The organizers of the competition were not merely for show. Someone quickly carried Gu Lianni away to the Shudao Mountain side and entrusted her to their care for self-rescue.

This scene made Shi Chun and his group's hearts pound wildly. They had thought it was just an Artifact Refining Competition, not expecting it to be so intense, gripping their hearts tightly.

They were also deeply worried about Tong Mingshan, as his hair had visibly changed color.

Among the contestants, only three remained: Luo Shengsheng, Li Hongjiu, and Tong Mingshan. Yet, despite the commotion outside the arena, the three remained indifferent, each focusing on their own task.

Especially Tong Mingshan—ever since closing his eyes that time, he had never opened them again. He seemed completely impervious to the outside world, utterly absorbed in his work.

"The sixth orifice is complete; he's already attacking the seventh!"

An excited voice shouted out. Even without looking, everyone knew who it was referring to—Li Hongjiu.

But looking was inevitable, and when their eyes shifted to Li Hongjiu, it turned out to be true.

His rapid advance to the seventh orifice stirred up excitement among the spectators and drew silent astonishment from the leaders of various sects.

It became apparent that Li Hongjiu's artifact refining speed had improved by leaps and bounds.

Previously, when Luo Shengsheng was refining the third orifice, Li Hongjiu had just started on the fourth. Now, Luo Shengsheng was still on the fourth, while Li Hongjiu had already reached the seventh.

This demonstrated the fearsome intensity of Li Hongjiu when giving it his all.

Even Qu Wuming couldn't help but grimace, realizing how stubbornly consistent his judgment had been. This disciple of his frequently seemed unreliable, but when he got serious, he was truly exceptional.

Having finished refining another orifice, Li Hongjiu quickly glanced at the incense stick used for timing, then at Tong Mingshan's progress. Noticing that the radiant glow over there was almost reaching the core, he didn't even have the energy to curse inwardly. He immediately closed his eyes and plunged himself back into the refining process, his breathing erratic.

He was utterly exhausted, feeling as if he were on the verge of death!

Meanwhile, the excited shouts from the arena cut through the cracks and crevices, resonating within Luo Shengsheng's mind.

This primarily occurred because he had just completed the fourth orifice, causing his tense spirit to momentarily relax, letting the sounds filter in clearly.

He naturally knew who they were referring to.

"He's already at the seventh?"

Just as he completed the fourth orifice and came to himself, thinking to confirm whether he had narrowed the gap by giving his all, he was instead doused with a cold bucket of water. Only then did he realize that not only had he failed to close the gap, but it had widened further.

The anxiety of that instant was magnified by his inherent pride to an unbearable extent.

Panic and frustration, combined with an already weary body pushed beyond its limits, created a suppression of blood and energy with nowhere to go. Finally, it burst forth in one swift moment. Although it wasn't as dramatic as Gu Lianni's collapse, he coughed up a mouthful of blood in full view of the audience.

His legs buckled, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

Almost collapsing completely.

With rage burning in his eyes, he clasped the ground with one hand while desperately casting a spell with the other to catch the refining materials that nearly fell.

"What just happened?"

The crowd erupted in gasps and exclamations again.

Scenes of contestants coughing up blood during the Artifact Refining Competition were a first for the countless gazing at the Heavenly Mirror.

Everyone in Daming Pavilion was visibly shaken, even the elderly Pavilion Master Xiao Youhong nearly lost his composure, looking toward him with an expression full of worry.

Propping himself up with one hand on the ground, Luo Shengsheng didn't stand. Instead, he glanced at the progress of both Li Hongjiu and Tong Mingshan before resuming his work while kneeling. He lifted all nine materials into midair and began refining with the Divine Fire.

He knelt on the spot to complete his artifact refining.

Upon seeing this, sighs of regret rippled through the outside spectators, especially from the Daming Pavilion.

It was clear that Luo Shengsheng had abandoned the fifth orifice; this was his effort for a fused concluding piece.

Before long, Luo Shengsheng formally concluded his work. Using one hand to support himself and the other to hold the finished product, he stood up shakily. A man who usually walked with his head high and chest out, now bowed his head slightly in despair as he walked to the evaluation area.

Possessing ten Divine Fires and losing to those with only four and three—it filled him with shame.

Losing to one competitor was one thing. But two surpassing him at once? That felt like more than mere coincidence to him.

With blood staining the corner of his lips, the arrogance that had once defined him was completely shattered at that moment.

Still, the young Artifact Refiners of the era gazed at him with admiration, while the eyes of the older generation held an undeniable sense of awe.

After submitting his product, Luo Shengsheng quietly turned and withdrew from the centuries-old arena of competition.

Returning to the Daming Pavilion's side, he saluted his mentors. However, amidst the hum of voices around him, he heard nothing, retreating silently into the team's ranks.

It wasn't until someone shouted, "The seventh orifice is complete!" that he snapped out of his daze. Raising his head, his eyes shot toward the arena, where he saw the fully-formed radiance of the seventh sheen in Li Hongjiu's hands.

At that moment, another voice burst out in astonishment, "Tong Mingshan opened his eyes!"

All eyes turned toward him, and sure enough, Tong Mingshan, who had kept his eyes closed since the beginning of the fusion process, had now opened them. His weary yet luminously insightful gaze locked instantly with Li Hongjiu's.

The heart-shaped object in Tong Mingshan's hands radiated a perfect spectrum of seven-colored light, its body glowing with brilliance.

Suddenly, the black and white flames cradling the object vanished in an instant.

Without the internal refraction of the fire, the heart-shaped artifact lost its seven-colored glow, swiftly dimming as it cooled.

When the flames dissipated, stripped of its light and shadow allure, the audience finally noticed that Tong Mingshan's hair had turned snow-white.

Once jet-black, his hair had transformed into a full head of silver.

Even his brows had paled—not entirely, though. Beginning from the roots, they were half-white, as though brushed with black ink toward their tips.

All fell silent, their eyes fixed on him.

Stories of "turning white overnight" were common enough, but to watch it happen within less than half a *two-hour* period was unheard of to all present.

But Tong Mingshan wasn't done. Noticing the dwindling incense stick in the censer, he immediately refocused.

When the cooled heart-shaped artifact fell solidly into his palm, numerous cracks suddenly appeared across its surface. In the next breath, it shattered and crumbled, clinking against the ground like iron shards, producing a crisp metallic sound.

What remained in his palm was an artifact with a texture so finely detailed it seemed alive, its surface glowing with a metallic sheen of deep blue tinged with luminous indigo and gold. It shone brilliantly under the sunlight, capturing everyone's attention.

The Heavenly Mirror focused on him, broadcasting a close-up of this moment for all to witness.

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