These words sounded frightening—why would Demon Path be involved?

The party from the Hundred Refinement Sect froze on the spot, astonished and skeptical, pondering whether the other side's words were true.

Yan Qufeng and others had only heard about Mulan Jin of the Stargazing Pavilion arriving—they hadn't expected she would come for Shi Chun.

Some news doesn't reach the ears of sects like the Hundred Refinement Sect.

The nearby sects, upon seeing Tong Mingshan return, had some members approach to say hello and make connections. But before they could get close, they overheard these words and immediately halted in their tracks.

Yan Qufeng, who had just extended an invitation earlier, couldn't retract his words immediately; he had no choice but to turn his head toward Luo Wan.

Luo Wan, who was already anxious, immediately asked his disciple, "Mingshan, is what he said true?"

Tong Mingshan, whose shoulder-length white hair was sporadically lifted by the wind, calmly replied, "Yes."

Luo Wan knew his disciple wouldn't dare to lie about such a thing to him. He hesitated and looked toward the Sect Master with a conflicted expression, unsure what to say.

In truth, he was torn. On the one hand, emotionally, this was his disciple whom he had personally trained—he naturally hoped he could return to the sect, especially since he had made some achievements. On the other hand, he acknowledged the risks of being associated with Demon Path. The Hundred Refinement Sect could not withstand such involvement; one misstep could lead to annihilation. How many lives would be jeopardized? He could not afford to act based on sentiment.

Fine, Yan Qufeng understood. After a slight hesitation, he mused aloud, "You can't fight the strong with the weak. Since the Xuanji Token Master has matters to attend to, we must let him take precedence. Our affairs will need to wait and be discussed later."

Though he said this, he knew perfectly well in his heart that this retreat meant severing Hundred Refinement Sect's ties with Tong Mingshan entirely.

Summoning someone when they're needed, then distancing themselves when trouble arises—this wasn't the first time. How was Tong Mingshan supposed to feel about this? It would be nearly impossible to approach him again.

But standing in his position, what else could Yan Qufeng do for his sect?

Seeing the Sect Master speak this way, sorrow flickered across Luo Wan's face, for he too understood the significance of this retreat.

The Hundred Refinement Sect's group, which had been eager and hopeful just moments before, withdrew and fell silent, their enthusiasm entirely extinguished. Some even began to worry whether they might have gotten too close to the Mingshan Sect in the past.

Wu Jinliang chuckled twice.

The completely indifferent Tong Mingshan exhibited unnatural calm, as though nothing had happened, closing his eyes in quiet meditation.

Those sect members who had approached in hopes of making connections now seemed as though they had come to the wrong place. Some retreated, while others looked around awkwardly, pretending to be passing through.

The leaders from the Ten Great Sects were already gathered for discussions, signaling the declaration of the final competition results.

The Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, newly refined by Tong Mingshan, was circulating among the high-ranking members of the Ten Great Sects, each flipping it over for inspection.

Witnessing this scene, Shi Chun wished to inquire about something but, turning around, realized Yan Qufeng had already left his side and returned to his position amidst the Hundred Refinement Sect.

"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly.

Forget it, he turned to Wu Jinliang and said, "Later, go retrieve the Exquisite Heart that the Sect Master refined."

He had initially wanted to ask Yan Qufeng about this—whether the artifact refined in the competition could be taken back—but seeing it wasn't convenient to ask directly, he decided to skip the inquiry altogether and simply ordered Wu Jinliang to fetch it. He knew Wu Jinliang's efficiency; there was no way he wouldn't be able to accomplish this task.

Wu Jinliang asked curiously, "Is it valuable?"

He wanted to gauge the item's worth to determine how much effort he should expend and the price he might need to pay.

Shi Chun didn't know the artifact's exact value either and casually replied, "For gifting."

"..." Wu Jinliang froze for a moment before quickly understanding, realizing to whom the Master intended to gift it.

Gifting something to that person—whether it was valuable or not was secondary. That person didn't lack wealth; the key was to convey intent. An artifact claiming the championship at a prestigious gathering held once every few centuries within the Artifact Refining World, crafted under the watchful eyes of all—what a thoughtful gesture, and a unique one at that.

To this end, Wu Jinliang was impressed. He admired the Master's persistence.

He chuckled and said, "Alright, rest assured. If I fail to get it back, I'll report to you with my head."

The slightly noisy murmurs of the crowd suddenly quieted down like receding tides, as the Sect Master of the Refining Heaven Sect, Luo Yan; the Sect Leader of Shudao Mountain, Gu Yanduo; and the Sect Master of the Extreme Fire Sect, Su Qiao, walked together toward the central axis staircase that crossed the venue.

None of the three descended from the stage into the arena.

Once the space was entirely silent, the Sect Master of Refining Heaven Sect, Luo Yan, unexpectedly flung his sleeve. A dark silhouette soared into the sky, expanding in the wind to transform into a towering golden-black pagoda.

The pagoda had thirty-six layers and spun in mid-air, continuously growing larger until it became as massive as a mountain. Its smooth, glass-like surface radiated grandeur and magnificent energy.

It grew so enormous that even Mulan Jin, standing atop the mountain, had to lift her head to see its summit.

It became apparent that if the pagoda descended, it could suppress everyone in the valley in a single strike.

Many gasped, "It's the True Fire Ruyi Tower!"

Shi Chun, gazing at it, sighed deeply; he hadn't expected the tower to be this colossal.

Back in the Divine Fire Domain, he had already figured out the tower's purpose—for ordinary monks, it wasn't particularly useful. However, it was perfect for artifact refiners—a straightforward description would call it a gigantic furnace for artifact creation.

Authentic artifact refining was utterly different from the prior competition; genuine artifacts were sometimes massive in scale during their creation. Relying solely on one's Divine Fire wouldn't suffice, and managing such refinement would drain mana to an unsustainable extent. The process necessitated using external fire as the primary source.

Therefore, the temperatures required for real artifact-making were terrifyingly high—unbearable for those who didn't practice Fire Attribute Skills. Dedicated refinement venues were essential, and the True Fire Ruyi Tower stood as the ideal site, capable of locking extreme temperatures within itself. Its internal array, said to be devised by Situ Gu after years of artifact-refining experience, provided extraordinary aid for the refining process. This utility was what made the tower particularly valuable.

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