A moment later, the Netherfire Refining Furnace trembled slightly, then suddenly shot out a yellow halo. Light and shadow flickered in the void, directly reflecting phantom images of three mountain peaks.
"Th-this... it actually triggered an anomalous resonance? That's far too rare, isn't it?" Elder Fu could not help saying.
Although it was only a small-scale anomalous resonance and did not yet count as resonating with heaven and earth, it was still far superior to the sharp aura that had leaked out when Hou Shan's short cone had been completed.
"Fellow Daoist Che, judging from this phenomenon alone, isn't the superiority already obvious? Is there even any need to compete?" Elder Wuming asked with raised brows and renewed pride.
Che Qingtian's expression darkened. He glanced at Hou Shan, his eyes clearly filled with reproach.
"Compete. Of course we'll compete," Hou Shan said through gritted teeth, still unwilling to give up.
Elder Man Bo was all smiles and naturally showed no fear whatsoever. He clapped his hands and laughed. "Haha, then let's do it."
With that, the two moved away from the refining platform and took their positions.
"You will each infuse your Puppet Armor with Magic Power. No spells are permitted; you will simply compete in strength and determine the victor," Elder Wuming said.
"No problem." Elder Man Bo was brimming with confidence and immediately agreed.
Hou Shan merely nodded, then said to Elder Man Bo, "Take this."
As soon as the words fell, his aura surged dramatically. Waves of visible Magic Power radiated from his body before pouring into the short cone in his hand.
The Golden Short Cone immediately shone brightly. Streams of incomparably sharp aura began circling around it, refracting diamond-shaped crystalline gleams through the air.
"To refine Puppet Armor of this caliber in merely two hours—he