A woman, prettier than Zhu Xiangxin, first stepped aside to let Wu Jinliang and Duan Xiangmei pass, then briskly walked toward Zhu Xiangxin.

Zhu Xiangxin was surprised to see this woman, her fellow sect sister, but they shared the same master, a woman named Man Yunjiao.

Zhu Xiangxin exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here?"

With a smile, Man Yunjiao looked around at the people looking their way and said, "Sister, it has been a long time, let's find a place to sit."

After a moment of hesitation and nodding slightly to her companions as a gesture, Zhu Xiangxin turned to follow her.

Unconcerned, Wu Jinliang then turned and motionlessly watched, then continued forward, pulling Duan Xiangmei with him.

The group subsequently returned to their own rooms.

Wu Jinliang, entering and closing the door, stopped it from shutting completely, sharply turned his gaze, and made a shushing gesture to Duan Xiangmei, tilting his head to listen intently.

A door opened and Feng Chi came out of the room, quickly following in the direction Zhu Xiangxin had disappeared.

As soon as her figure vanished at the stair corner, Wu Jinliang emerged from the room, still looking unconcerned, and swaggered over to Shi Chun's door. He glanced left and right in the hallway, not bothering to knock, and used a technique to open the door and entered.

Shi Chun, standing by the window, turned to look at him, wondering what he was up to, since he was not supposed to be bustling about like this.

Approaching Shi Chun, Wu Jinliang whispered, "When we went out just now, we ran into a woman in the hallway. She was quite pretty, dressed in the attire of the Ten Thousand Grass Hall, greeted Zhu Xiangxin as 'Sister,' and took her away. I don't know where they went."

Shi Chun turned his gaze toward the window, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, Wu Jinliang reminded him, "This was no coincidence. That woman was looking for Zhu Xiangxin room by room in the hallway, obviously here on purpose. It might be related to the Divine Fire Domain, we need to be cautious."

Shi Chun was still silent, eventually grunting, "I understand."

Wu Jinliang, trusting that he had enough wisdom to handle the situation, swaggered off.

After leaving the Divine Fire Palace Inn, Zhu Xiangxin noticed that Man Yunjiao was hurrying her along without showing any sign of wanting to talk. Feeling suspicious, Zhu Xiangxin couldn't help but stop and call out, "Yunjiao, where are we going?"

Turning back, Man Yunjiao quickly stepped closer and whispered, "Sister, our master has arrived looking for you."

Zhu Xiangxin was startled and her emotions became disordered as she was led away by Man Yunjiao.

In Bihai Inn, the two entered and knocked on a room.

Three people were inside, two elderly men and a stern-faced woman.

Seeing these three, Zhu Xiangxin's heart trembled. The woman was her master, Bai Tingfang, the dignified man with flecks of gray in his hair was Ao Hongyou, the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Grass Hall, and the other man was Elder Lian Hu from her sect.

She hadn't expected these three to be waiting for her.

Their gazes examined her, some stern, some kind but smiling.

Man Yunjiao stayed outside and closed the door behind her.

"Master," Zhu Xiangxin called instinctively, then hesitated on how to address the others since she had been expelled from the Sect, but still tried to greet them respectfully, "I see the Sect Leader, I see Elder Lian."

The amiable-looking Sect Leader Ao Hongyou made a dismissing gesture, "No need for formalities."

He then turned to the smiling Elder Lian Hu, "Elder Lian, it was you who rashly expelled her without consulting the Sect or her master. Surely, you owe her an explanation."

Bai Tingfang, the stern-faced woman, replied, "Sect Leader, you exaggerate. If a mistake has been made, it was made. Elder Lian judged fairly, no explanation is needed; it's my fault for not teaching my disciple properly."

Zhu Xiangxin bowed slightly, remaining silent. The authority of her master still troubled her momentarily.

Elder Lian Hu said, "It's not exactly how it's been said. At that time, all ten sects did the same, expelling their leading disciples. I just followed suit. Looking back, I realize I was hasty. She should have been brought back to the Sect, and at the very least, discussed with you, her master, who was kept in the dark, as well as the Sect, before making such a unilateral decision to expel her. It was indeed my mistake.

Zhu Xiangxin, you were deceived at the time, and I was too rash. You were wrong, and so was I. I should not have expelled you from the Sect so lightly."

Zhu Xiangxin, taken aback, looked up. What was happening? The respected Elder of the Ten Thousand Grass Hall admitting a fault to such a junior disciple?

Having been a team leader for the Ten Thousand Grass Hall, she quickly analyzed the situation based on what was being said, and realized why these senior Sect leaders had come.

Not knowing what to say, she remained silent, but a question weighed on her heart: if there was true remorse, why come only now? When I suffered unbearable treatment in prison, where were you?

Seeing her silent, Sect Leader Ao Hongyou and Elder Lian exchanged glances, then both looked at Bai Tingfang.

With that, Bai Tingfang broke the silence, "Xiangxin, I heard you are now ranked among the Divine Fire Covenant and will enter the Divine Fire Domain tomorrow. Is it true?"

They had come precisely for this matter, and it indeed shocked the entire sect when they heard that a discarded disciple was about to enter the Divine Fire Domain.

Divine Fire was as crucial for Alchemy Refiners as it was for Artifact Refiners; however, the Divine Fire Domain had been monopolized by the interest group of Artifact Refiners, rendering the Alchemy Refiners envious yet powerless, only able to sigh in longing.

To enter the Divine Fire Domain in search of Divine Fire was something Alchemy Refiners could only dream of, and now a discarded disciple from their own sect had managed to do it, sparking uproar within the sect; even the sect's upper echelons could not remain seated. The Sect Leader himself had personally rushed over, indicating the extreme importance of the matter.

There was no choice; once one absorbed and integrated with Divine Fire, not to mention other benefits, just the ability to control the fire was something that Alchemy Refiners longed for in their dreams, making the possibility of becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster not just a dream.

What is an Alchemy Grandmaster? Naturally, it is someone with exceptional skills who can achieve what others cannot, capable of crafting high-grade Pills.

However, when they arrived here and tried every means to inquire at Qi Yun Valley, the information they received was that the people from the Mingshan Sect had not arrived yet.

This threw them into a panic — what was going on? The event was to start tomorrow; why had they not arrived yet? Arriving last minute would not be convenient for meeting.

Eventually, it was from the Divine Fire Palace Inn that they heard Shi Chun and others were staying there, prompting them to send someone to look for them.

In short, the matter of the thirteen discarded disciples forming the Mingshan Sect was getting bigger and bigger, and people at the Divine Fire Palace Inn, bragging and exposing the information of their guests, otherwise passersby, even if they saw Shi Chun and the others, would have difficulty recognizing them.

Zhu Xiangxin knew it was because of this matter, but facing her master, regardless of whether there was resentment in her heart for being expelled from the sect, there was after all the grace of teaching and imparting skills. In the end, she honestly replied, "Yes."

Having received her personal confirmation, Sect Leader Ao Hongyou no longer held back and asked slowly, "Zhu Xiangxin, do you wish to return to the sect?"

Hearing that she could return to the sect she had grown up in, Zhu Xiangxin would be lying if she said she wasn't emotional, but she wasn't that emotional because she had anticipated this and was not at all surprised. She mumbled with her lips and didn't speak for a long time.

Bai Tingfang, seeing this, reprimanded angrily, "Presumptuous! The Sect Leader is giving you a chance; why don't you cherish it?"

Zhu Xiangxin was indeed startled by the reprimand, but having left the sect, there was indeed resentment in her heart. Furthermore, Shi Chun had treated her fairly well, and with Shi Chun exhibiting a rather strong background, she ultimately gritted her teeth and said, "Master, your disciple is now a person of the Mingshan Sect. I dare not betray the sect."

"Unfilial disciple, you..." Bai Tingfang was furious.

"Tingfang," Sect Leader Ao Hongyou intervened to stop her from continuing and personally said gently, "Zhu Xiangxin, the Sky Rain Meteor Conference allowing you to lead the team shows you are not a fool. You must also know why we have come.

Being expelled from the sect is not without your faults, and the sect casually expelling you is not without faults of the sect. However, looking at the bigger picture, fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. If the sect had not expelled you, how could you have had this opportunity?

The past, while being a mistake, was also an opportunity for both you and the sect. It is nothing but the impermanence of life.

This time entering the Divine Fire Domain is an opportunity for you and for the Ten Thousand Grass Hall.

Even if you could obtain the Divine Fire, you would still need the sect's support; your Fire Attribute Skill cultivation is still at a low level and not yet high-level, and your Alchemy skills have also not reached a high level.

As an Alchemy Refiner, having chosen this path, you must have long planted an obsession in your heart that you cannot let go of.

Being an Alchemy Refiner and becoming a member of an Artifact Refining Sect, how would you emphasize strengths and avoid weaknesses?

While the Ten Thousand Grass Hall is not a top-level famous institution, its ability to aid you is certainly not something that the fledgling Mingshan Sect can offer.

If you merge with the Divine Fire and return to the sect, the sect's Fire Attribute Skill will exceptionally be fully open to you, including stages your master hasn't qualified for, all taught to you.

All of the sect's high-level Alchemy skills will also be fully open to you, including everything mastered by everyone including myself, all will be fully shared with you.

All of the sect's resources will be unreservedly and fully supportive of you!

The purpose is none other than to succeed you, to let you become a Grandmaster of Pill Paths. Once you become a grandmaster, it also succeeds our Ten Thousand Grass Hall.

Zhu Xiangxin, I'll repeat myself; this is a mutual benefit between you and the sect.

And you were originally a disciple of our Ten Thousand Grass Hall, your origin cannot be changed no matter where you go, no matter how you change paths, the traces of the Ten Thousand Grass Hall cannot be erased!"

A series of promises made Zhu Xiangxin's heart thump tremendously, the temptation was undeniable.

Some words indeed hit her weakness; she hadn't reached the high-level stages in her cultivation of Fire Attribute Skills, and her Alchemy skills hadn't explored high-level stages either. She was not some naturally gifted genius who could realize it on her own; she still needed someone to teach her.

But Shi Chun had indeed treated her well, and she was very conflicted.

Bai Tingfang waited and tolerated, but finally still rebuked, "With such a great opportunity, what are you still hesitating for?"

Zhu Xiangxin ultimately succumbed, "Having left the Mingshan Sect, how can I have the face to enter the Divine Fire Domain with them?"

At those words, the three peoples' eyes lit up.

Elder Lian Hu immediately whispered softly, "You silly child, an appropriate strategy is indispensable. For now, do not let them know that you intend to return to the sect.

It must be admitted that Shi Chun has some ability. Just managing to make an exception in the Divine Fire Covenant this time is incredible. With his power in searching for the Divine Fire, your chances of success will greatly increase.

Do not carry any psychological burden; this is called 'repaying what has been given.' If Shi Chun could deceive and use you before, why can't you use his own methods against him?"

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