He had joined the team not too long ago, and hadn't even gotten familiar with everyone, but he had been observing along the way. If he wasn't mistaken, those who were clamoring for him to risk going to the Moon Sea were mostly leaders of the various sects.

So they liked to play games and were keen on kicking a man when he's down, huh? Fine, let's all go together then, and inflict harm upon each other.

The leaders immediately fell silent at that; crucially, their fellow sect members were all eerily quiet, with not a single one speaking up for them.

Chu Jingtang looked at Shi Chun with a hint of grievance in his eyes. I didn't kick you when you were down, why did you have to drag me into this?

But there was nothing he could do about it; Shi Chun couldn't single anyone out, so he could only inflict indiscriminate damage.

Wu Jinliang, grinning, hee-heed in agreement, "That's right, that's right. Your words make sense."

To Guan Wen, however, much of what Shi Chun had rambled on about was nonsense. What truly moved him was the notion that other forces might have seen the earlier meteor shower and the hundreds of Insect Extreme Crystals might not end up in their hands, especially as their arrangements around the Moon Sea were yet to be finished.

He had indeed been hoping for more people to enter and search for the Insect Extreme Crystal meteor shower that had just fallen, but as no one was willing, he had reluctantly only tasked two newcomers who had not fully integrated yet.

Now, seeing Shi Chun's reasonable speech actually pacifying a group, it came as a pleasant surprise to him. The stage was already set for the climb, and he decisively said, "Good, it's decided then. The leaders of the sects will go with Brother Wang and Mr. Gao, while I and the other disciples will provide support."

The sect leaders were lost for words, some already cursing inwardly. We agreed with your decision, spoke up for you, and Guan, you've actually switched sides, even standing there speaking for him; utterly disgraceful.

Seeing Guan Wen make such a decision, Shi Chun raised his eyebrows slightly, a trace of coldness tugging at the corner of his mouth as he glanced at the pouch hanging at Guan Wen's waist, voicing his approval, "Brother Guan is wise, we shall not disappoint!"

He didn't wait for others to agree or disagree; he went ahead and agreed on everyone's behalf.

Wu Jinliang also started ranting with a wide grin, "Brother Guan is so wise, who knows, perhaps we might even find a thousand Insect Extreme Crystals this trip."

That flattery was truly well done, right on the mark.

Guan Wen was amused by him, casting an approving look his way, actually hoping that this tall fellow's auspicious words would come true, turning up a thousand crystals all at once, giving his Senior Sister a big surprise later on.

Acting independently from the main force was exactly the moment to show his true abilities, and he was very willing to make a mark.

The leaders of the sects submitted in a silence so deafening it was ear-piercing.

Who could blame them? They had insisted on going repeatedly, and now it turned back on them, with no turns to be made. Shi Chun had publicly confirmed their intentions multiple times, effectively cutting off their escape and even the opportunity to find fellow sect members to take their place.

In Shi Chun's mind, a bunch of bastards, daring to trap me!

Of course, if someone was shameless enough to refuse, not even wanting to maintain the slightest dignity, that would be another matter.

In the end, the leaders of eleven sects stood at the edge of the basin amid the blessings of all, facing the boundless and mysterious land.

"Stay close to me later," Shi Chun instructed Wu Jinliang as he scratched the itch on his right eyelid.

Wu Jinliang nodded and grunted in acknowledgment, aware of the superpower in the man's right eye, which might prove useful at a critical moment.

And that was precisely why Shi Chun dared to accept the challenge, hoping to rely on his right eye to avoid danger at key moments.

While the eleven sect leaders were still dispirited, Shi Chun glanced at them, smiled faintly, and without hesitation took up the leader's mantle, shouting "Everyone, follow me. Let's go!"

He was the first to leap up, diving into the foggy forest of the basin ahead with fearless determination, very much embodying the demeanor of a leader among leaders.

"Brother Chu," Wu Jinliang patted Chu Jingtang on the shoulder and, carrying his large saber, also leapt into action.

The eleven leaders exchanged glances. With things having come to this, they had no choice but to comply, and one after another they soared into the mystery of the basin.

Guan Wen led the forty or so people briskly forward to the spot where they had been standing moments ago, watching the silhouettes disappear into the dark night, seemingly having forgotten their original intentions of coming here.

Shi Chun, breaking through the faint mist, didn't land directly on the ground but first perched on a large tree, looking up and whistling softly.

Wu Jinliang swiftly grabbed a tree branch as he descended beside him, swinging lightly like a monkey to land next to him.

The two hid in the dark tree branches, staying silent and still, blending in with the tree as they watched people constantly land on the ground below.

Their advanced scouting without touching ground had lured the others to descend first.

During this brief period, Shi Chun stimulated his vitality to trigger an unusual phenomenon in his right eye, surveying around without spotting anything out of the ordinary, while the eleven figures below were clearly visible.

Within his range of vision, he did not detect any Insect Extreme Crystal reaction.

He had considered using his right eye superpower to search for Insect Extreme Crystals during the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, but it was purely because this method was unreliable. The West Pole region was too vast, and the Insect Extreme Crystals too scarce. If he continued to use this method, he might not find many crystals before exhausting his vitality and perishing.

His right eye's superpower wasn't sustainable; his body couldn't withstand the strain.

It was uncertain how densely the Insect Extreme Crystals were distributed within the Moon Sea.

After ensuring there was nothing unusual around and that the people below were fine, Shi Chun nudged Wu Jinliang with his elbow, and the two finally jumped down.

The eleven on the ground were on high alert, wanting but not daring to use Sandal Gold Illumination, fearing it would attract danger. Hearing movements above, they looked up to see Shi Chun and his companion landing, and their faces weren't exactly welcoming.

Even Chu Jingtang couldn't help but quietly complain, "Brother Wang, I have not offended you, right? Is there really a need to capsize the entire boat with one pole?"

Shi Chun didn't pick up on that and instead shouted, "Everyone, come here, I have something to say."

Although they were displeased with him, and didn't consider him qualified to be their leader, nor had they ever acknowledged him as such, they still instinctively gathered around to hear what he had to say.

Wu Jinliang then guarded Shi Chun's side, vigilantly watching a group of people. They had often ambushed others in the past, so they were highly alert in this respect.

Everyone gathered around, and only then did Shi Chun say to Chu Jingtang, "Brother Chu, you've seen our strength, not to brag... let me ask you a question, do you think your eleven people all together could beat the two of us?"

"..."

Chu Jingtang was a bit dumbfounded, not understanding what this guy meant by bringing this up at this time. Was he looking for a fight? Wanting to do a two-on-eleven just because they had all ganged up on someone before?

The other ten people also became alert very quickly.

In fact, Shi Chun had no other intention. He was just boasting about their strength, just reminding them, and also warning them, don't think we're afraid of you just because you have more people.

After throwing that out there, Shi Chun didn't wait for a reply and quickly changed the subject, "Got sidetracked there, haha, to get to the point, does everyone feel safe venturing into the Moon Sea with just a dozen or so of us?"

Isn't that obvious? Some people kept silent with a cold and stern look, while others unsatisfied spoke up, "Now you're worried about safety, but who was it that insisted on dragging us down here?"

Shi Chun ignored his snide tone and continued, "Does everyone feel that having more people would be safer?"

People looked at each other, not understanding.

Chu Jingtang said, "Brother Wang, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Shi Chun changed his way of explaining, "If you encounter danger and call for help, will your fellow sect members come to your rescue?"

Would they come? Everyone looked at one another, no one quite sure.

Shi Chun went on, "Your own brothers are reliable, but I'm afraid that Guan Wen might not be upright. How about we give it a test? If they do come, it would be safer for us all to search for the Insect Extreme Crystal together. More helpers mean we can locate and extract that batch of crystals faster and get out of here sooner. A long night is full of dreams; better to act quickly than to delay."

This sounded somewhat reasonable—more people naturally meant more safety, and this indeed was a concern. What if Guan Wen's side didn't come to their aid in an emergency?

But no one spoke up.

While everyone was mulling it over, Shi Chun turned his head and said, "Gao Qiang, you have a loud voice."

"Right on." Wu Jinliang chuckled and then, employing a spell, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Help, help, save us, come quickly..."

His voice was indeed loud enough, the sound echoing and buzzing through the forest.

The eleven leaders panicked, hands and feet in turmoil, hearts in disarray, not sure whether it was better to stop him or to remain silent, fearing that instead of calling for help, they might attract the dangers of the Moon Sea.

But they adapted quickly too—it wasn't them who were shouting, and if asked later, it wouldn't be their problem.

After the initial chaos, everyone perked up their ears, listening to see if help would come; they were indeed very concerned about the answer.

Above the basin, on the edge of the cliff, a group of people's faces changed drastically. In the silent night, the buzzing cries for help were very clear.

Had they encountered danger just after leaving? Even the normally unflappable Guan Wen was shocked. Was the Moon Sea this treacherous?

"Brother Guan!"

Someone called out, urging him to give the order to assist.

But Guan Wen, frowning, remained silent. If they encountered danger without even a hint of combat, what kind of peril could it be? Unknown dangers were the most terrifying. As the leader, how could he recklessly risk the lives of everyone?

"Help, come quick, help..."

The mournful cries for help continued.

"Let's go, we're going," someone unable to hold back called out to his sect members and directly leaped towards the source of the cries for help.

"We're going too," another person followed suit.

Soon, everyone had run off.

There was no choice; those who could be appointed as team leaders by their sects all held a certain status and position. If they didn't save their fellows, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves upon returning.

"You all…" Guan Wen started to speak but then hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to tell them to let others die, so he could only watch helplessly as they ran off.

Looking around, in the blink of an eye there was no one left except for him, the single pole of a team leader.

This was something that had never happened since they had entered the West Pole venue. Suddenly, the authority of a Su Yuan Sect disciple seemed to have failed—an uncontrolled situation had developed so rapidly.

The cries for help stopped, and there was no sound of combat. What on earth had happened? Was the Moon Sea in the West Pole so terrifying?

The problem was, now left on his own, he didn't even know what had happened to everyone else. How could he explain this upon returning? He could make up some excuse, sure, but what if someone survived and returned?

After a lot of hesitation, he took out a metal pinecone from his pocket...

In the Deceitful Land Forest, the eleven leaders had already been reunited with their fellow sect members. There was no joy to speak of, only uncertainty and suspicion.

Shi Chun stood there with a sardonic smile, "Gentlemen, did you see that? Did you? The Su Yuan Sect is really low, that guy Guan is truly despicable. If we were truly in danger, don't expect him to save us. In his eyes, we are as disposable as chess pieces that can be thrown away at any time."

Wu Jinliang cursed, "Animal!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than a whooshing sound came from the sky. Everyone looked up, and Shi Chun laughed again, "Hey, look, they dared to come! Good that they have come!"

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