Chapter 465: The Strength of a Dull Horse

Although he wasn't familiar with Tong Mingshan, he knew him. The sudden shout of Tong Mingshan, immediately followed by silence, made him wonder if it was related.

After opening his eyes, his gaze immediately went to Tong Mingshan's position. With just one look, he understood the reason for the gasps and the sudden silence.

He saw a faint, glowing aura emanating from the base of the refining material Tong Mingshan held, near his palm. What did this mean?

Was Tong Mingshan also refining a True Exquisite Heart?

How was this possible?

Given Tong Mingshan's seamless molding, could he also know this refining method? He immediately dismissed the thought; he didn't sense Tong Mingshan controlling the mysterious power, nor did his technique resemble it.

Yet, this aura was enough to prove that the refractive space refined inside the material was indeed intricately complex and transparent to a significant degree; otherwise, it would be difficult for such material to emit a colorful glow.

Noticing the surrounding audience looking up at the mirror image in the sky, unsure what they were observing, he couldn't help but look up as well. He then realized that the viewing angle from their position was too limited, allowing them to see only one side. The overhead mirror image in the sky, seemingly out of curiosity, was continuously changing angles to observe Tong Mingshan's refining object, almost circling it, making it possible to see all sides except the bottom and the side obscured by Tong Mingshan.

It was precisely by observing it from all angles that Li Hongjiu was surprised to discover that if Tong Mingshan was indeed refining a True Exquisite Heart, his method differed from everyone else's. Everyone else refined by dividing the material into sections, working on one area at a time.

Even he, Li Hongjiu, when creating a seamless form, based it on primary meridians. If one were to first complete the entire structure of the "True Heart" before integration, it would take an exorbitant amount of time. He doubted he could finish outlining it even by the end of the competition.

However, the aura refined by Tong Mingshan rose like water spreading, swelling uniformly from the bottom of the entire material.

Not only Li Hongjiu, but all the experts present were plunged into deep surprise and doubt.

Even Luo Shengsheng and other competitors opened their eyes due to the unusual commotion, all equally astonished.

"Tong Mingshan can refine a True Exquisite Heart?" asked Grandmaster Yan of the Hundred Refinements Sect, turning to Luo Wan. He assumed Luo Wan would know, as Tong Mingshan was his disciple.

Upon hearing this, the group from the Hundred Refinements Sect, along with Shi Chun's group from the Bright Mountain Sect, all looked at Luo Wan.

But Luo Wan had no idea what was happening. Unsure whether to shake his head or wave his hand, he finally managed a strained reply: "I still cannot refine it, so I haven't taught him. I don't know if he learned it from someone else."

Then the Hundred Refinements Sect members turned their gazes to Shi Chun, thinking he would be most aware if Tong Mingshan had learned from others.

Shi Chun knew what they meant, but how could he answer such a question? He had no idea if Tong Mingshan had learned from anyone else, as he didn't know if Tong Mingshan had met any skilled inmates during his time in prison.

Such inmates were indeed found in places of exile.

So, he vaguely countered, "Can you be sure he's refining a True Exquisite Heart?"

With that question, it became difficult to be certain, so everyone continued to observe intently.

The quiet venue gradually erupted into an uproar, with discussions rising like a tide, boiling over once more. No one could believe Tong Mingshan possessed such skill, given his background as a disciple from a small, insignificant sect in the eyes of many.

For many sect members, this was hard to accept, and they expressed denial in their conversations.

They could acknowledge that Tong Mingshan received some divine flames through Shi Chun. But if Tong Mingshan's refining skills also surpassed theirs, wouldn't that be threatening their livelihoods? How could they easily accept that before seeing the results?

To Li Hongjiu, these gossiping people were merely speaking idly, as others' wins or losses wouldn't affect them. But he was a competitor, so he couldn't afford to be careless.

He observed the rising speed of the aura in Tong Mingshan's material for a moment and suddenly felt his scalp tingle, a strong sense of urgency seizing him.

Regardless of whether Tong Mingshan truly knew how to refine a True Exquisite Heart, his current momentum was undeniably abnormal. His competitive focus suddenly shifted from Luo Shengsheng to Tong Mingshan, a change so swift that it felt unreal even to himself.

However, he had no time to think further. Daring not to waste another second, he focused his complete attention, quickly closed his eyes, and composed himself once more.

This time, he dared not consider any more of the energy-saving calculations he had used against Luo Shengsheng. Saving more might make it impossible to account to his sect. This was his true, full effort.

Luo Shengsheng, who had been observing the progress of the aura in Tong Mingshan's hand, was filled with even deeper surprise and doubt.

His pride, even when faced with Li Hongjiu's demonstrated advantage, refused to concede easily; he was determined to fight with all his might. Now, with Tong Mingshan emerging, he suddenly felt a bit disheartened.

For a moment, his Dao heart almost collapsed, and he nearly gave up.

He had absorbed the most divine flames in the entire arena, a full ten of them. If he couldn't even defeat Li Hongjiu in the end, that would be hard enough to accept. But if Tong Mingshan also surpassed him, how could he possibly bear the humiliation?

No, he absolutely would not accept such an outcome!

As he closed his eyes again to activate the divine flames, his face, illuminated by the fire, appeared increasingly pale.

At this moment, Gu Lianni, looking at the mirrored image in the sky, felt a hint of despair. Her complex thoughts, intertwined with ambition, suddenly became simple and pure. She turned her head to look at Mi Liangmeng, who had become her last baseline.

If she, who had absorbed seven divine flames, turned out to be inferior even to Mi Liangmeng, then she would truly have no face to show anyone.

She was the daughter of the sect leader of the second-largest refining sect in the world! If everyone who surpassed her were disciples from sects ranked after Shudao Mountain, where would Shudao Mountain put its face?

Clenching her teeth, she closed her eyes and plunged into refining with unprecedented determination.

In contrast, Mi Liangmeng was arguably the only person, besides Tong Mingshan, unaffected by any external commotion. Once he resolved to refine a True Exquisite Heart, he isolated himself completely in his refining world.

He knew very well that success or failure depended entirely on this one attempt.

He had simply decided early on what to do and then proceeded with it...

Lan Qiaoyan and Gong Yuanzhi, sitting idly on the terrace, were not refining experts. However, their future son-in-law had made sure they were well-attended, finding an expert named Wang to explain things to them.

When the mirrored image focused on Tong Mingshan, and they heard he might be refining a True Exquisite Heart, not only Miao Yilan and Gong Shaoci but also Lan Qiaoyan and Gong Yuanzhi were considerably surprised.

They might not know much else, but they understood what it meant to be able to refine a True Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart: it signified that refining skills had reached another realm, a step into the threshold of crafting advanced magical artifacts.

For a refiner, this was an extraordinary feat.

Moreover, considering the age and cultivation of Tong Mingshan and the others, if this were true, their future would be limitless.

However, the seemingly disheveled expert named Wang, who liked to stroke his short beard, remained uncertain. He kept muttering to himself, "It seems he's only been using two divine flames. If he's truly refining a True Exquisite Heart, why not use all four? Wouldn't it be good to use them occasionally for assistance?"

Listening to him mutter, Gong Yuanzhi, who was staring at the mirror image, seemed to grow increasingly interested in Tong Mingshan and asked, "Judging by the reactions of so many experts here, it seems unlikely that everyone could be mistaken, right?"

The expert named Wang pondered for a moment, stroking his beard, and nodded slightly, "That makes sense." He then stared at the mirror image and fell into another soliloquy, "If that's truly the case, then it's extraordinary."

"Oh?" Gong Yuanzhi uttered. "How so? I'd be glad to hear your insights."

The expert named Wang pointed to the mirror image in the distance. "Given his background, age, and cultivation, without any other fortuitous encounters, and solely based on the teachings of that so-called Hundred Refinements Sect, even if he were given four divine flames, or even ten, he might not be able to refine a single true aperture within such a short time.

"He wasn't refining a True Exquisite Heart at all initially. His initial refining actions were consistent with his background and personal conditions.

"He restarted refining when only one-fifth of the incense remained. What was the purpose of wasting time before that? Was he intentionally faking it, hiding something? There's no way to hide like that. Since he had to refine it in the end anyway, such a disguise would not only be meaningless but also make him more noticeable.

"If the final result proves he truly is refining a True Exquisite Heart, then it's highly possible..."

He suddenly plucked out a single beard hair, his eyes shining. "He's enlightened!"

"Enlightened?" Gong Yuanzhi questioned, puzzled.

The esteemed expert named Wang flicked away the broken beard and nodded. "His current refining technique doesn't resemble any known cultivation method in the current cultivation world. He might have been pondering a refining technique that he couldn't quite grasp, and just now, through a coincidental opportunity, he suddenly achieved enlightenment. This young man might have had some miraculous encounter in the Divine Flame Domain, as many ancient sages met their demise there, making it highly possible for him to have inherited someone's legacy."

As he spoke, he stared intently at the mirrored image. "The area of transparent aura is growing larger and larger; it really is possible he's refining a True Exquisite Heart."

The few people present exchanged glances. Gong Yuanzhi suddenly smiled at Lan Qiaoyan. "If that's truly the case, then this Shi Chun is quite lucky to have such a talent under him."

There was no need for polite pretense here; everyone knew Tong Mingshan was actually Shi Chun's subordinate...

At the competition venue, the remaining contestants, those who weren't the focus of attention, were still submitting their finished refined products for judgment one after another.

Apart from a few still competing fiercely, not many people remained in the arena.

"Three apertures! He's refining the fourth!"

A sudden gasp swept through the venue again, as the mirrored image now focused on Luo Shengsheng.

Luo Shengsheng had already redirected his divine flames to refine the fourth aperture.

However, beads of sweat were already trickling down his bald head. His face, illuminated by the fire, looked bloodless, and the radiance in his proud, cold eyes had dimmed. After glancing at Tong Mingshan and Li Hongjiu, he no longer even looked at the timing incense stick, continuing to refine with his eyes closed.

Everyone from Grand Ming Pavilion could see he was desperately holding on.

Pavilion Master Xiao Youhong sighed softly, "That's enough, that's enough."

It wasn't just Luo Shengsheng; sweat also poured down Gu Lianni's cheeks. Her occasional twitches, due to overexertion while her eyes were closed, made her look as if trapped in a nightmare.

Everyone at Shudao Mountain held their breath, subtly sensing that the sect leader's daughter seemed to be at the end of her tether.

Gu Yanduo stared at his daughter, his face taut and grim. He knew well that a common horse, trying to emulate the might of a Qilin, would surely perish from overexertion.

Yet, at this point, he found it hard to persuade his daughter to stop. Seven divine flames... if she couldn't even make it into the top three, well, that might be acceptable. But Gu Lianni at least needed to produce a decent result to account for the entire sect, right?

Did so many die just to enable a useless person like her? Just because she was the sect leader's daughter?

Later, when disciples faced ridicule from other sects, they would inevitably whisper behind her back: how was the decision made for Gu Lianni to represent Shudao Mountain in the Divine Flame Domain? Just because she was the sect leader's daughter?

"The fifth aperture! Li Hongjiu is refining the fifth!"

No sooner had the exclamations for Luo Shengsheng died down than a new wave erupted for Li Hongjiu.

Li Hongjiu quickly glanced at Tong Mingshan and secretly groaned. He saw that the aura emanating from Tong Mingshan's material had already risen to nearly half its height.

It was clear that once Tong Mingshan completed his refining, all nine true apertures would be finished simultaneously.

While he still had to meticulously outline each one, this was utterly insane—it was going to push him to his breaking point!

If he had known this earlier, why bother focusing on Luo Shengsheng? He should have just refined relentlessly; at least he could have completed one more aperture.

Cursing inwardly, he dared not waste any more time. He immediately closed his eyes and continued. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his breathing became labored.

Sect Leader Qu of the Treasure Cultivation Sect wore a grave expression. It was the first time he had seen his unreliable disciple forced to sweat so profusely over a serious matter. He could tell that this time, his undependable disciple was truly giving his all.

"Old An, look at Tong Mingshan's hair!"

Outside the Cloud Artifact Valley exit, Zhu Xiangxin, who had been looking up, suddenly reached out and patted An Wuzhi's arm beside him, gesturing for him to look.

Women are always meticulous; she noticed the anomaly in the mirrored image immediately.

An Wuzhi immediately focused and scrutinized. Under the flickering light of the refining fire, it was hard to notice anything unusual without a close look. Upon careful observation, he discovered that Tong Mingshan's black hair seemed to be gradually fading, already appearing grayish.

He was startled, and his lips trembled. "Is it... turning white?"

Shi Chun's group, seated in the viewing area, had long since fallen silent, closely watching the final stages of the competition, barely daring to breathe.

At this moment, the changes in the aura emanating from Tong Mingshan's hand made them realize they had been mistaken, that they had misunderstood. Tong Mingshan had not given up at all; he was truly contending for the supreme throne of the refining world, one that only appears once every few centuries.