Compared to Lu Yang, Li Haoran had always been grateful for having a reliable master. Even though he tossed him into lava, it was all for him to better understand the mysteries of the Fire Spirit Root.

However, he never expected his good master to have enemies within the Five Elements Sect.

And it was an entire Fire Vein faction.

Bai Ming patted Li Haoran’s shoulder: "Don’t worry, this is just an exception. I heard that Elder Zhou Xin is quite popular in the Refining circle and has excellent connections."

This was true, Elder Zhou Xin’s refining skills were unmatched in the Cultivation World, and he had a great reputation.

Master refiners often judged their prowess by the number of patents they had registered, and Elder Zhou Xin had the most patents.

These patents also brought him enormous wealth, more than even the Seventh Elder, despite being a master refiner himself.

Of course, Zhou Xin’s wealth was still less than that of Daoist Buyu.

Not that Daoist Buyu was particularly wealthy now, but his bounty on the black market was quite valuable.

"What are those people doing?"

Lu Yang saw a few nearly-naked Senior Brothers, regardless of the blazing earth, lying on the ground, eyes closed, as if smeared with a layer of liquid, reflecting the sunlight.

They also had a branch inserted next to them.

Last time he saw this pose was in his previous life during sunbathing.

"You’re talking about them? Can’t understand, huh? They are comprehending the Essence of the Sun. After research by the Fire Vein Elders, it was discovered that the larger the area exposed to sunlight, the greater the opportunity to gain insight."

"That branch was brought back by our master from the Wild State, it’s said to be a battle trophy obtained by defeating an ancient cultivator. It is a branch of the Fusang tree and is beneficial for comprehending the Essence of the Sun."

"The liquid they have smeared on themselves is a specially made ointment."

"Is that an ointment that increases sense of the Essence of the Sun?"

"No, it’s sunscreen."

Lu Yang silently panned his gaze, the Five Element Sect’s cultivation method was distinctive indeed.

"Let’s go, I will show you the cultivation site of Water Vein."

Before they could move, several cultivators with fire symbols on their foreheads approached, walking towards them with a sense of grandeur and vigor.

"Which one of you is Li Haoran?"

"What are you trying to do?" Meng Jingzhou frowned, standing at the front.

"Are you Li Haoran?" The cultivators with fire symbols looked at Meng Jingzhou.

Bai Ming stood in between the two groups, his tone somewhat displeased: "Senior Brother Yuan Gang, and the rest of the Senior Brothers, what are you trying to do?"

These people were Senior Brothers of the Fire Vein.

"Nothing in particular, just heard that Elder Zhou Xin’s prized disciple is here, wanted to see what he looks like."

"They are our guests."

Yuan Gang spoke lazily: "I know, I am not planning to fight."

"I am Li Haoran." By this point, Li Haoran didn’t want anyone else to deal with the situation, so he stepped forward.

"So, you are Li Haoran with the Fire Spirit Root. People are not always as they appear, eh? I heard that you are Zhou Xin’s true disciple and a formidable refiner. Is that true?"

"What if it’s true, and what if it’s not?"

A glint flashed across Yuan Gang’s eyes: "No matter what, my cultivation level is higher than yours, it wouldn’t be interesting to defeat you in a duel. In that case, why don’t we have a competition in refining, how about it?"

"Senior Brother Yuan Gang, Li Haoran is our guest." Bai Ming reminded Yuan Gang again.

Yuan Gang laughed: "Just a refining exchange. Let him learn our Five Elements Sect’s refining methods, what’s the problem?"

"A refining competition? Sure." Li Haoran had never been afraid of anyone when it came to refining.

"See, Li Haoran himself said it’s okay."

"When will it take place?"

"Why wait for another day when we can do it now? It will provide an opportunity for everyone to witness."

As the disagreement ramped up between the two groups, more and more disciples of the Five Elements Sect were attracted to the scene, even those sunbathing came over.

"What’s going on? What happened?"

"It’s probably Yuan Gang stepping up, wanting to regain face for the Fire Vein Elder by having a refining competition."

"Did the other party agree?"

"They agreed."

"There will be a good show then. Senior Brother Yuan Gang’s refining technique is even praised by the Elders. They say he is a future master refiner."

"Indeed."

Yuan Gang laughed and looked around. His gaze fell on Li Haoran: "So, do you want to compete now, or do you need some time to prepare?"

"I don’t need any preparation, we can compete right now. So, what’s the bet?"

Yuan Gang thought for a moment, then said seriously: "Ultimately, the magic artifacts we refine are used by cultivators, and they value power above everything else. So, let’s see who can forge a magic artifact with more power, how about that?"

"What is the standard for greater power?"

Yuan Gang pointed to a few large red rocks standing in the distance: "Those are Magma Fine Stones, formed by the volcanic lava ejected by a Great Divine Skill practitioner condensed with great power. They are extremely durable, so the one who causes more damage to the Magma Fine Stone wins. The maximum charging time for a magic artifact should not exceed a hundred breaths."

The longer a magic artifact charges, the greater its power. If the charging time was unlimited, then it would be a competition on who could charge their magic artifact for longer.

"Agreed."

"Um, can the two of us also participate?"

Laughter echoed, Yuan Gang saw Lu Yang raise his hand with a smile, with Meng Jingzhou standing next to him.

"Do you two also know how to refine?" Yuan Gang looked at the two of them suspiciously. Of course, he knew Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, but he never heard that they were proficient in refining.

"Just about, it should be no problem to win against you." Meng Jingzhou said with a chuckle.

Yuan Gang was so amused that he laughed: "Brave! It’s the first time I’ve heard someone say they can beat me in refining! Well then, why don’t you participate in the competition so I can see your skills!"

Bai Ming was a bit puzzled, he secretly sent a message to Man Gu and Tao Yaoye: "Can those two really refine?"

Man Gu shook his head in confusion, while Tao Yaoye remained silent, recalling the entrance examination two years ago.

Their responses only deepened Bai Ming’s doubts.

Yuan Gang signaled his follower, who pulled out a large amount of refining materials from his Identity Jade: fine steel, iron wood, agate, pure Yin water…

"These are refining materials, which can be freely used during the competition. Common refining materials are unlimited, rarer materials are limited in quantity. During the competition, you will have to compete for who can grab them first."

Lu Yang teased: "I’ve never seen such a fair competition before. The competition was proposed by you, the competition content was determined by you, and now even the refining materials are insufficient and need to be fought over."

Yuan Gang pretended like he didn’t hear Lu Yang’s taunt and casually asked: "So, are you still competing, or not?"

Lu Yang’s smile didn’t fade: "Of course we will compete. Otherwise, how can we let you know the power of our refining skills? But, if it’s a competition, there must be a bet, right? Surely our faces can’t be the stakes."

"If I lose, you can each choose a Flame of True Fire from this Fire Vein cultivation site."

"If you lose, you won’t cultivate in my Fire Vein territory during your time in the Five Elements Sect!"