Chapter 466: Talent Is Destiny

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Previous doubts were nothing compared to what they were witnessing. As the final contest appeared to be evenly matched, and hope of victory seemed within reach, Shi Chun's group was even more nervous than Tong Mingshan himself.

On the mountainside, Young Master Nan's gesture of stroking his mustache also froze. Unconsciously, his fingers had strayed into his agape mouth, turning the act of stroking his mustache into picking his teeth. His eyes were fixed intently on the competition.

He had initially spent a good sum of money betting on the Mingshan Sect's victory, merely to demonstrate his confidence in Shi Chun's group entering the Divine Fire Domain to the nobles. Now, he felt a bit uneasy, wondering if he might actually have called it correctly.

On the mountaintop, Mulan Jin also looked utterly surprised, staring intently, awaiting the final moment.

In the viewing stands of the Sheng Shenzhou Royal Capital parade ground, Wei Mo and the richly dressed man sitting beside him finally stopped their casual chat, their eyes now glued to the scene in the mirror.

Could someone from the Shi Chun Mingshan Sect actually win the grand event in the artifact forging world? Bian Weiying's group also watched with unblinking eyes.

Inside the parade ground, murmurs and whispers filled the air. At this very moment, in front of the mirrors across various regions, countless people became familiar with Tong Mingshan's face...

“The fifth aperture is complete! Li Hongjiu is now working on the sixth!”

Another gasp arose from the audience in Qi Yun Valley. More precisely, the gasps were slowly transforming into expressions of awe.

Everyone could see that the progress was significantly faster than before.

Li Hongjiu, however, paid no mind to this. He merely glanced at Tong Mingshan’s progress, not daring to let his mind wander, and immediately re-immersed himself in his own forging process.

At this point, his front and back were drenched in sweat, and his breathing was no longer even, coming in accordance with his needs.

The entire Yanbao Sect, deeply concerned for him, was also highly tense, constantly monitoring Tong Mingshan’s progress. It seemed the whole sect regarded Tong Mingshan as their sole competitor.

Indeed, apart from these few still competing fiercely, there was no one else on the stage. No one else was determined to push themselves until the very end of the time limit; they had all finished their forging according to their capabilities and exited.

Luo Shengsheng, his bald head gleaming, was covered in oily sweat, feeling as if he were in a nightmare. He occasionally tilted his head and strained to listen, clearly pushing himself to his absolute limits.

Gu Lianni's chest was already soaked with sweat, revealing the contours of her body. She felt unsteady standing still, so she stood with her legs apart, her body trembling.

The entire Shudao Mountain contingent was filled with worry, frequently looking towards their Sect Master. Gu Yanduo himself only occasionally opened his eyes, finding it difficult to watch.

An elder suggested urging Gu Lianni to withdraw, but Gu Yanduo refused, stating that she should make her own decision.

Mi Liangmeng's hands also trembled slightly. Although his front and back were sweat-soaked, he still appeared relatively composed overall.

Ironically, the most composed person present seemed to be Tong Mingshan. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he held his forging with one hand, as serene as a stone sculpture. Only the fire in his palm flickered. Though his front and back were also sweat-soaked, he exuded an aura that made him appear more and more like a master with every glance.

Before, he had clearly seemed like a naive young man from a humble family. For a moment, no one understood the reason for such a profound change.

In fact, relatively speaking, he exerted somewhat less effort than the others. Unlike them, who had to exhaust their spiritual energy to control the divine fire for sculpting.

Ultimately, his ‘tool’ was sharper. He didn’t need to laboriously sculpt; a gentle activation of spiritual energy was enough. Especially after he resolved the issue of 'effortless control,' his technique became more and more refined as the competition progressed, effectively requiring less and less effort.

However, the terrifying complexity of the 'True Heart' structure he faced was an unavoidable reality. The energy expended was enough to completely exhaust a person, leaving them mentally and physically drained.

Others forged aperture by aperture, completing as many as they could. He, however, was simultaneously confronting the complexity of all nine apertures.

Moreover, he started very late. To fully deconstruct the complexity of the nine apertures in a much shorter time than others—this intensely stressful process was so overwhelming it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it could drive a person mad. It felt as if his own brain had been reshaped.

Even he worried that if a single nerve in his brain misfired, he could collapse at any moment.

Yet, he had endured, pushing forward despite his complete mental and physical exhaustion.

He appeared to be doing nothing, merely standing still, but the hardship involved was beyond the imagination of outsiders.

At the corners of his eyes, fine wrinkles seemed to have appeared from the short period of intense fatigue.

Just then, the artifact in the hands of Mi Liangmeng, a disciple of Jinmao Hall, also began to emit a radiant glow, becoming increasingly transparent and distinct.

Someone exclaimed in astonishment, “It seems Mi Liangmeng’s first aperture is also about to be completed!”

“So many people have actually reached the level of forging the ‘True Heart’ in this Divine Fire Alliance competition. If not unprecedented, it is at least an unparalleled event.”

“Back then, when Senior Situ Gu emerged victorious from the Divine Fire Domain, it seemed he also only forged all nine apertures at the fastest speed to stand out.”

“How strange, why are so many talented individuals appearing in this particular competition?”

Amidst the murmuring, a voice suddenly changed tone: “Quick, look at that woman, she seems to be finishing too!”

The only person in the arena who could be referred to as 'that woman' was Gu Lianni. Everyone looked, and indeed, they saw the artifact she was forging begin to glow with a colorful aura.

Gasps of astonishment filled the arena. The disciples of Shudao Mountain couldn't help but get excited, finally seeing a moment of pride.

However, Gu Yanduo, who had been occasionally opening his eyes to observe his daughter’s reaction, could no longer close them. His lips were tightly pressed, his fists clenched, and a hint of unbearable pain appeared in his eyes.

Soon, someone cried out, “She’s bleeding from her nose!”

Everyone looked closely, and indeed, a trickle of blood seeped from one nostril of the slightly trembling Gu Lianni.

The Shudao Mountain group was all greatly alarmed.

Elder Jin Guiqi immediately said to the Sect Master beside him, “Something bad will happen if she continues. Senior Brother, please tell Lianni to withdraw.”

Gu Yanduo’s face was taut, but he reiterated his stance: “No one forced her to participate. She earned her spot herself. She knows whether she can endure it. If she has to pay any price, it’s her own doing. She’s my daughter, and no one is allowed to interfere!”

His stern, righteous words were directed at the Shudao Mountain disciples present.

The disciples either sighed or wore expressions of discomfort.

Pang Hou even tugged Yuan Yao’s arm, gesturing, 'What do we do?'

Yuan Yao softly shook his head, also wearing a helpless expression.

Reality was indeed cruel. Some gaps simply couldn’t be bridged by anyone. No matter how desperately Gu Lianni tried, it was futile. Sometimes, talent is destiny!

Ultimately, Mi Liangmeng finished forging his aperture before she did.

Mi Liangmeng, his artifact shimmering with radiant light, swept his gaze across the competition arena. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; he knew that even if he pushed himself further, he couldn't possibly forge a second aperture in the remaining short time.

His judgment was accurate, and his decision was swift. After assessing the situation, he immediately cast a spell with both hands, swiftly assembling the nine components into one.

What kind of 'Exquisite Heart' would it be if he turned in a fragmented piece? Regardless of the effort put into the forging process, the final submission had to be a complete artifact. This was considered a standard in the artifact forging world.

The nine-in-one assembly was simple: the previously fully separated pieces just needed to fit perfectly. After a brief forging and bonding with divine fire, and the swift dissipation of high temperatures and cooling using his fire-element cultivation method, he walked towards the judges' stand.

He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until he took a step. It was as if all the air had left him; an intense wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to stumble. His legs felt stiff and unresponsive, and he nearly fell in front of everyone.

This scene startled the people from Jinmao Hall.

Fortunately, he managed to regain his balance. After taking a deep breath to regulate himself, Mi Liangmeng cast a spell to steady his body and continued walking towards the judges' stand.

Meanwhile, Gu Lianni was indeed pushing herself desperately right behind him. Amidst gasps of admiration, the brilliant glow from her hands also confirmed that she had completed the forging of one True Heart aperture. The dripping blood from her nostrils had already stained a patch on her chest red.

Elder Jin Guiqi, though his expression was solemn, sighed with relief: “She has suffered, endured hardship, but it was worth it. Enduring this trial means she has taken a significant step forward, entering the inner sanctum. It surpasses twenty years of arduous cultivation; some may even meditate for twenty years and still not achieve clarity. Therefore...”

He turned to face the disciples, saying earnestly, “Do not complain about hardship or fatigue. Sometimes, certain achievements are forced out of you!”

The group of disciples naturally nodded in agreement, subserviently.

However, Gu Lianni’s first reaction upon opening her eyes was to check on Mi Liangmeng’s forging progress. She found his spot empty and then saw him leaving the arena after successfully submitting his work.

This sight instantly filled her with profound despair and anxiety about facing others. Shame and indignation surged, combined with extreme exhaustion, causing her to suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood in front of everyone.

“Ah!” A collective gasp erupted throughout the arena.

Hearing the commotion, the exhausted Mi Liangmeng looked back as he walked off. He didn’t see her spitting blood, but he saw Gu Lianni staring intently at him.

At the same time, her father’s voice transmission, thundering like a clap of thunder, echoed in Gu Lianni’s ear: “Hold steady! You’ve walked ninety-nine steps, just one more to a hundred. How can you give up? Hold steady!”

This sharp reprimand, like a sudden blow, was indeed effective.

Gu Lianni had no choice but to compose herself. She cast a spell to gather the scattered components on the ground and then fused them together with divine fire.

After finishing, she took a step, intending to submit her work. However, just like Mi Liangmeng before her, her legs and consciousness lost coordination. She stumbled repeatedly, nearly falling, but eventually managed to steady herself with great effort.

She was clearly more exhausted than Mi Liangmeng. Her final steps towards the judges’ area felt like shuffling, and her nosebleed was still dripping.

Only she knew that after moving, a wave of fatigue washed over her like a tide. She felt completely drained, and everything in her vision was blurry and doubled.

The entire Shudao Mountain contingent was silent. No one had ever seen Gu Lianni in such a disheveled state.

Gu Yanduo’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his heart aching.

The Shudao Mountain elders standing at the judges’ stand, participating in the adjudication, truly wanted to step forward and assist. However, the competition rules were clear: no one was allowed to interfere before a competitor submitted their artifact, and touching them was strictly forbidden.

Who could know if you were helping the competitor finish their work while touching them? And how could you prove you weren't?

Trembling and barely holding herself up, Gu Lianni reached the judges, offering her completed artifact with shaking hands. She murmured weakly, “Gu Lianni of Shudao Mountain has completed her forging. I respectfully request the elders to adjudicate…”

The moment the object was taken from her hands, she instantly felt a wave of relief. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and utterly exhausted, she closed her eyes and collapsed in front of everyone.

“Ah!” Countless gasps filled the air.

The Shudao Mountain side erupted like a disturbed hive, yet their teachers and elders sternly ordered them not to act impulsively, as competition rules forbade unauthorized entry onto the field.

Mi Liangmeng, being helped to rest by his fellow disciples, witnessed this scene and felt a pang of sympathy; he understood the exhaustion involved.

The competition organizers were not mere decorations; someone quickly carried Gu Lianni off the stage and handed her over to the Shudao Mountain contingent for their own recovery efforts.

This scene made Shi Chun’s group’s hearts pound. They had previously thought it was just an artifact forging competition, but they never imagined it could be so intense, stirring such deep anxiety.

They were also very worried about Tong Mingshan; his hair had clearly changed color.

The only three remaining in the arena—Luo Shengsheng, Li Hongjiu, and Tong Mingshan—were completely oblivious to the commotion outside, each absorbed in their own world.

Especially Tong Mingshan, whose eyes had not reopened since he closed them. He remained completely unaware of everything external, having entered a state of self-oblivion.

“The sixth aperture is complete! He’s now tackling the seventh!”

An excited voice shouted. Even without looking, everyone knew it referred to Li Hongjiu.

But they still had to look. All eyes turned to Li Hongjiu, and indeed, it was true.

His rapid progression to the seventh aperture excited the spectators and drew secret admiration from the high-ranking officials of various sects.

Everyone could see that Li Hongjiu’s forging speed had increased significantly.

Previously, when Luo Shengsheng was forging the third aperture, Li Hongjiu was only on the fourth. Now, while Luo Shengsheng was on the fourth, Li Hongjiu was already working on the seventh.

It was clear how formidable a fully unleashed, dedicated, and desperate Li Hongjiu could be.

Even Qu Wuming couldn't help but grit his teeth, finding that, as he had always judged, this disciple was often unreliable, but if he were truly reliable, he would be absolutely unparalleled.

After completing another aperture, Li Hongjiu quickly glanced at the burning incense stick used for timing, then at Tong Mingshan's situation. He noticed that Tong Mingshan’s luminous aura had almost reached the very tip of the ‘heart’ structure. He no longer had the energy even to curse inwardly. He quickly closed his eyes and poured all his remaining effort into the task, his breathing somewhat erratic.

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

Meanwhile, the excited shouts from outside the arena still managed to pierce through the nooks and crannies, stirring Luo Shengsheng’s mind.

This was mainly because he had just completed the fourth aperture, and his mind had just loosened, making the sounds clearly audible.

He naturally knew who they were talking about.

Already at the seventh aperture?

Having just completed the fourth aperture, just regaining his senses, and just about to confirm whether his best efforts had narrowed the gap, he was instead hit with a bucket of cold water. He realized the gap had not only failed to shrink but had actually widened.

The anxiety of that moment, amplified by his inherent pride, escalated to an unbearable level.

Shock, urgency, and anxiety, combined with a body weakened by multitasking, couldn’t bear this stifling pressure. The pent-up energy and blood had nowhere to go and finally erupted with a gasp. Like Gu Lianni, though less violently, he coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood in front of everyone.

His legs gave out immediately, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

He almost collapsed.

His eyes wide with fury, in that critical moment, he braced himself with one hand on the ground and desperately cast a spell with the other to prevent the nearly fallen forging components from dropping.

“Ah, what’s going on?”

The scene erupted in another wave of gasps.

This was the first time countless people, watching through the Overlooking Heaven Mirror, had witnessed a forging competition where participants coughed up blood so readily.

Everyone in the Grand Ming Pavilion looked visibly shaken. Even the aged Pavilion Master Xiao Youhong almost couldn't maintain his composure, watching with a face full of worry.

Removing the hand he used to brace himself from the ground, Luo Shengsheng did not stand up. After glancing at Li Hongjiu’s and Tong Mingshan’s forging progress, he actually remained kneeling, spreading his arms again to cast a spell, levitating all nine components and fusing them with divine fire.

He continued forging while kneeling in place.

Upon seeing this, a wave of sighs rose from outside the arena, especially from the Grand Ming Pavilion.

It was clear that Luo Shengsheng had abandoned forging the fifth aperture; he was now moving to fuse and finish.

Soon after, Luo Shengsheng, officially completing his work, used one hand to brace himself on the ground and the other to support his finished artifact. He shakily stood up. Known for walking with his head held high and chest out, he now slightly lowered his head, walking somberly towards the judges’ area.

He, with ten divine fires, had lost to those with four and three. He felt deeply ashamed.

One person surpassing him might have been acceptable, but for two to emerge at once, it was no longer a coincidence for him.

With traces of blood at the corner of his mouth, all his pride was utterly shattered in that moment.

Yet, the younger generation of artifact forgers around him looked at him with profound reverence, and even the older generation’s eyes held undisguised admiration.

After successfully submitting his work, Luo Shengsheng quietly turned and solemnly exited the arena, a place for competitions held only once every few centuries.

Returning to the Grand Ming Pavilion’s side, after bowing to his teachers and elders, he heard a buzzing sound in his ears, but he didn’t register a single word they said. He quietly rejoined the group.

It wasn’t until someone shouted, “The seventh aperture is complete!” that he was startled awake. He suddenly looked up at the arena and saw the full display of the seventh radiant aura from Li Hongjiu’s hands.

Just then, someone else exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, “Tong Mingshan has opened his eyes!”

Everyone’s gaze shifted. Indeed, Tong Mingshan, who had not opened his eyes since the nine components were first combined, now opened them. His weary but intelligent gaze met directly with Li Hongjiu, who had looked over upon hearing the commotion.

The heart-shaped object in his hand radiated a perfect, complete seven-colored glow; the artifact was truly luminous throughout.

Suddenly, the black and white flames supporting the artifact vanished.

Without the internal refraction of the firelight, the forged heart-shaped object abruptly lost its seven-colored aura, rapidly fading and cooling.

Once the firelight was gone, and without the enchantment of its glow, everyone was startled to realize that Tong Mingshan’s hair had turned as white as snow.

His raven-black hair had actually transformed into a full head of silver.

His eyebrows were also white, not entirely, but half-white from the roots, as if a layer of black had been wiped over his white brows.

The entire arena stared at him in silence.

They had heard of hair turning white overnight, but this was the first time anyone had witnessed black hair turning completely white in less than half an hour.

He still needed to finalize his forging. Seeing only a sliver of incense left in the burner, he immediately refocused and continued.

The moment the cooled heart-shaped artifact truly settled in his palm, numerous cracks suddenly appeared. It then clattered and peeled away, creating a clinking, clanking sound as pieces fell to the ground like iron fragments, their sound clear and sharp.

Finally, an object with clearly visible surface textures, shimmering with an iridescent metallic luster of deep blue and violet, lay in his palm. It sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight, firmly captivating the eyes of countless onlookers.

The Overlooking Heaven Mirror’s reflection projected every close-up detail of this moment onto him.