Chapter 252: Stealing Chickens

When Shi Chun seemed unclear who he was, Tong Mingshan clarified for him, "It's an elder from the Heaven Refining Sect named Situ Gu. He's the foremost master in artifact refining. Over several hundred years, the Heaven Refining Sect has become the leading refining sect because of him."

Tong Mingshan said this to remind Shi Chun that while it was true someone could achieve such feats, that person was the top refiner in the world, a unique individual. Was it realistic for insignificant people like them to aim to catch up to the world's number one?

Shi Chun had only mentioned it in passing and didn't intend to explain further. He continued, "Right, right, right, Situ Gu, you mentioned him last time. I heard passersby on the island say that the True Flame Ruyi Pagoda, one of the three great treasures this time, was personally forged by him."

Tong Mingshan nodded. "I've heard that too."

Shi Chun asked, "What exactly is the True Flame Ruyi Pagoda?"

Tong Mingshan hesitated. "I don't know. I haven't discussed it with anyone. But since it's listed alongside the 'Shattered Desolation Blade,' it must be an extraordinary treasure."

Shi Chun looked skeptical. "What's the 'Shattered Desolation Blade' then?"

The group nearby also perked up their ears, as none of them had heard of it either.

Tong Mingshan replied, "I'm only guessing; I haven't discussed it with anyone, so I can't be certain. In ancient times, there was a divine weapon called the 'Desolation Blade.' It's said to have been shattered in an epic battle. So, 'Shattered Blade' might refer to one of its fragments."

Hearing this, Wu Jinliang immediately turned, patted someone from a nearby sect, and asked loudly, "Brother, can you tell me what the 'Shattered Desolation Blade' is?"

The person he addressed, along with several others nearby, all turned to look at him as if he were a strange creature, seemingly thinking, "You don't even know what the 'Shattered Desolation Blade' is, yet you came to join this event?"

Nevertheless, the person replied, "It's a fragment of the ancient divine weapon, the 'Desolation Blade.'"

Wu Jinliang clasped his hands in a gesture of thanks, then turned back to his group, subtly raising his chin as if to say, "See? I told you so."

Tong Mingshan's expression showed that he had expected this.

Shi Chun then asked in a low voice, "Can a single fragment also be considered a great treasure?"

Tong Mingshan explained, "For refiners, it's a top-tier crafting material. Although it's just a fragment and cannot replicate the complete 'Desolation Blade,' if there's enough of it, it can be forged into a blade. Even if it can't revive the myth of the 'Desolation Blade's' unparalleled sharpness, its edge would still be capable of piercing anything. I never thought even a fragment from such ancient times would be found."

Shi Chun murmured, "Oh," and then asked, "What about the 'Incomplete Dragon Artifact Spirit'?"

Tong Mingshan replied, "That's an artifact spirit found in high-grade magical artifacts. Brother Xiao, hailing from the Spirit Gathering Valley, which specializes in crafting these, should know more about it."

The others then looked at Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng considered this. "Judging by the name, it should be a dragon spirit. However, I doubt it's a true dragon spirit. If it were, it would be among the most supreme artifact spirits, and they wouldn't be willing to offer it as a competition prize. I suspect it's a 'near-dragon' artifact spirit. 'Near-dragon' means it has evolved to a state closely resembling a dragon, perhaps originally a flood dragon or python that had reached a considerable cultivation level."

Tong Mingshan glanced at the mountaintop, where the illusory flames were still being conjured. He nodded and said, "Indeed, a true dragon spirit's value would likely be too high to be used as a competition prize. However, for it to be a winning item in the treasure contest, its quality must be quite high."

Wu Jinliang interjected, "Didn't they say 'incomplete dragon'? Could it be a damaged true dragon?"

Xiao Sheng replied, "That's also a possibility. However, 'incomplete' in the context of artifact spirits usually means the spirit has lost its self-awareness, which is a requirement during the refining process. Once such an artifact spirit is integrated into a magical treasure, its consciousness needs to be awakened through 'master recognition.' This means the owner merges their own consciousness while wielding the treasure to complete the artifact spirit, and then the treasure will obey the owner's command. Of course, some people can refine artifact spirits that retain their full, independent consciousness. However, these are difficult to control. With self-awareness, there's no guarantee the treasure will fully obey, and it's hard to achieve complete synergy while wielding it. Without absolute confidence, no one typically attempts this."

Tong Mingshan asked, "I hear the success rate for refining artifact spirits in your profession is quite low, like 'three years of no business, then one deal feeds you for three years'?"

Xiao Sheng smiled wryly. "It is indeed very low. Successfully refining two out of ten carriers is considered good. Currently, even the most skilled masters only have a fifty percent success rate with a given carrier."

The bystanders occasionally interjected with questions to clarify their doubts.

Shi Chun, who had inquired about each of the three treasures, fell into deep thought. The demonic faction had only told him to take one of the three treasures but hadn't specified which. After assessing the value of each, he still couldn't figure out which one the demonic faction truly wanted.

Outside the terrace of the highest peak, the sect leaders from within the top ten of the artifact refining world had largely gathered. Accompanied by some elders, they stood close to the terrace, observing the eight masters on stage wielding the Divine Fire Spirit Gate with illusory flames.

By convention, non-participating members of each sect were supposed to remain in their houses within the valley and not cross the boundary.

However, they had not stayed in the valley beforehand; instead, they were guests at the Lihuo Sect's compound.

Naturally, they also had to participate in related procedures, and the individuals on stage who were opening the Divine Fire Domain were mostly from their own sects.

The Extreme Fire Sect, ranked fourth in the artifact refining world and the sect that contributed the Shattered Desolation Blade, had its leader, Su Qiao, occasionally glance at the leader of another sect standing grim-faced nearby.

That was Qu Wuming, the leader of the Yanbao Sect. The Yanbao Sect was ranked third in the artifact refining world, but in this treasure contest, the treasure they offered did not make it into the top three. This meant that for the current Divine Fire Covenant, the third-ranked artifact refining sect did not receive the privilege of sending a large number of disciples into the Divine Fire Domain.

This wasn't just a small number of extra disciples. Sects whose contributed treasures became prizes for the Divine Fire Covenant could send one hundred disciples inside.

In contrast, sects that failed to contribute a winning treasure were only allowed to send twenty disciples inside. This significant disparity naturally affected their chances of acquiring divine fire.

Of course, with the exception of the Heaven Refining Sect, which held the top spot due to the presence of someone like Situ Gu, making their sect's power far superior to others, the strength gap among the subsequent top-ranked sects was not actually very large.

Situ Gu was also present, standing among the crowd. He was a middle-aged man dressed in dark green attire, leaning more towards middle-aged than young, yet he appeared to be the youngest among the high-ranking artifact refiners.

On the surface, no one could tell that this was an artifact refining grandmaster over six hundred years old.

This wasn't due to any age-defying techniques, but rather because he had broken through to a higher realm at a relatively young age. However, the weariness in his eyes and the aura of having lived through many years were impossible to conceal.

Although he did not go on stage to intervene in the opening of the Divine Fire Domain, his gaze was mostly fixed on the Divine Fire Spirit Gate in the sky. He had personally participated in the opening of the Divine Fire Spirit Gate in the previous session but was observing this time.

Su Qiao, the leader of the Extreme Fire Sect, who had been watching patiently, finally couldn't resist and jested, "Sect Leader Qu, why the long face?"

His words drew the gazes of others towards Qu Wuming, and some couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Qu Wuming scanned the crowd and snorted coldly, "Su Qiao, your Extreme Fire Sect managed to pull off a trick; just enjoy your quiet victory. Don't stir up trouble."

The other sects understood what he meant by "pulling off a trick." No one had expected the Extreme Fire Sect to produce the 'Shattered Desolation Blade' this time. No one knew where it came from; there had been no rumors whatsoever. Its sudden appearance caught the Yanbao Sect off guard, leading to their defeat in the treasure contest.

This move effectively made the Yanbao Sect's heart bleed. It was easy to imagine the deep resentment felt by the many disciples who suddenly lost their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate.

Su Qiao replied earnestly, "How can you call this a trick? Everyone knows your Yanbao Sect has several trump card treasures, like the Wind-Calming Pearl. Any one of them could have defeated my Extreme Fire Sect. But your Yanbao Sect is so stingy! You couldn't bear to bring out your good treasures, so who can you blame?"

These words made many people suppress laughter; it was clearly a taunt. In such a treasure contest, no sect would easily reveal their ultimate trump card treasures.

The reason was simple: absorbing divine fire involved increased probability as one factor, but opportunity and fortune were also significant elements. With similar artifact refining skills, no sect dared guarantee a victory, not even the Heaven Refining Sect.

Offering a great treasure as a prize was a huge gamble. If you won, you could not only reclaim your own treasure but also win the other two sects' treasures. If you lost, it was gone.

Without absolute certainty, one naturally had to weigh the pros and cons before betting.

Of course, they also hadn't expected the Extreme Fire Sect to produce the 'Shattered Desolation Blade.' Otherwise, they might have brought out a trump card treasure, especially considering the resentment of so many disciples, who would likely blame the sect's high-ranking members for life.

Qu Wuming gritted his teeth and said, "Su, don't gloat when you've already gained the advantage!"

Su Qiao shrugged and spread his hands, unable to hide the comfort on his face. There was nothing he could do; the disciples of the Extreme Fire Sect were already cheering loudly, and even after all this time, their jubilation still echoed in his ears.

Luo Yan, the leader of the Heaven Refining Sect, with his dark yellow beard and hair, raised a hand to stroke his beard. He then gestured towards the terrace with his chin, saying in a chiding tone, "Stop arguing. Don't distract them."

At his words, everyone immediately quieted down.

Luo Yan tilted his head and asked, "Why is it taking so long?"

Situ Gu, standing beside him, watched the movements of the Divine Fire Spirit Gate and slowly said, "If it's still not open after daybreak, I'll try."

Gu Yanduo, the elderly but clear-faced and refreshed-looking leader of the Shudao Mountain Sect, the second-ranked sect in the artifact refining world, did not resemble a refiner seasoned by years of furnace work. He nodded as he watched the people on the terrace, saying, "They are all doing this for the first time, after all. Give them a little more time."

Luo Yan looked at him and asked, "I heard your daughter will also be venturing inside this time?"

Gu Yanduo nodded slightly. "She wouldn't give her opportunity to anyone else. She won the chance by participating in the competition, so I had no choice but to let her."

Luo Yan said, "It's an opportunity, indeed."

The low, growling sound in the air, like a beast's roar, continued non-stop. Everyone on the mountain and below kept waiting.

As dawn gradually appeared and the sky brightened, and sweat began to bead on the foreheads of the eight individuals on the terrace, the fluctuating giant metal ring suddenly slanted and fixed itself in the air.

The leader on the stage shouted loudly, "It's working! We're ready!"