At that moment, the vertical eye showed signs of unease; it could feel something terrifying approaching and consequently erupted in an almost hysterical display of power.

That kind of feigned power gave off an almost tangible feeling.

An and Zhu were directly blasted off the pedestal, one to the left and the other to the right, and Shi Chun's situation wasn't much better; his whole body was sent spinning into the air as molten copper and iron rain exploded upon contact with him.

However, that palm strike with its unpredictable, reversing patterns ultimately penetrated the vertical eye.

The stronger the power unleashed, the greater the resistance met, and it seemed that the more intricate and abundant the patterns derived from that palm strike became as they were forced into the core.

The vertical eye initially showed panic, then its pupil lost shape, and the entire eye suddenly swelled before shrinking and, finally, collapsing and abruptly disintegrating in a twisted manner.

Boom! It exploded into countless glimmering fragments like scattered starlight.

The formidable flames that had filled the space lost their expansive force in an instant, retracting rapidly from every corner as if inhaling, retreating like the tide, and all converging into the white flame at the core on top of the pedestal.

At this moment, these countless glittering fragments fell throughout the space like a shower of flowers, beautifully captivating.

An and Zhu, propelled away, clung to the melting walls, observing the scene, reaching out to touch the flickering fragments but feeling nothing as they passed through their bodies—an intermediary state between illusion and reality.

It seemed to be the energy from within the white flame that was released; the white flame itself quickly shrank to about a foot tall, flickering unsteadily, attempting to escape through an opening in the wall.

Though it had lost its eye, its intelligence was clearly still intact.

Shi Chun, who had once again plunged down from the air, would not let it escape and rushed after it immediately.

An and Zhu, catching on, did not hesitate—dashing and blocking swiftly.

A flame, having lost its power, could not outpace three monks; even before An and Zhu could intervene, it was caught in midair by Shi Chun who had given chase.

An and Zhu looked on in amazement. Could the Master be skilled in Fire Control Skill as well?

Little did they know, it was just an unseen misty green haze that had trapped the white Divine Fire.

Shi Chun stepped off the melting wall and once again leapt up, carrying the desperately struggling Divine Fire back to the top of the pedestal.

An and Zhu hurried up after him, their eyes filled with both a longing for the Divine Fire and respect for Shi Chun. They had witnessed the Master defeating Mulan Qingqing with their own eyes, and seeing his display of ability today commanded their utmost respect.

Even in their own familiar domain, the Master was not inferior to them!

However, Shi Chun looked at them with anger in his eyes. He had nearly been killed because of this pair of worthless scoundrels. He rebuked them on the spot, "Who assured me that they could capture it? Greedy and incompetent, do you have any idea that Chu Jingtang and the others nearly died because of you?"

He could say this because his right eye's superpower had determined Chu Jingtang and the others were still alive.

The two were mortified by his words, bowing their heads and mumbling indistinctly, unsure of what to say.

However, the allure of the Divine Fire was still great; they couldn't help but glance at it from time to time. Eventually, An Wuzhi tentatively asked, "Master, how should we deal with this Divine Fire?"

Shi Chun replied with a question, "What is the name of this Divine Fire?"

An Wuzhi explained, "Seeing it absorb those fragmented starlights in this metallic space, and since it is white, this Divine Fire is very likely Golden Flame."

Shi Chun was puzzled, "Golden Flame? The gold that is the color gold?"

Listening to his confusion, Zhu Xiangxin hurriedly clarified, "Yes, the color gold, Golden Flame. The Master might find it strange because it is not gold-colored, but in fact, it's one of the five elemental fires among Divine Fires, pertaining to metal amongst metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Its color is indeed white, just like the elemental fire Tong Mingshan absorbed previously."

With this explanation, Shi Chun understood and, holding the flame in his palm, asked, "There's only one Divine Fire, but there are two of you. It can only be given to one; so whom should it be given to?"

Both wanted to say, "Give it to me," but neither could easily speak up.

Shi Chun then asked, "Whose word counts, yours or mine?"

"The Master's word counts."

"We'll listen to the Master."

They both rushed to express their stance, though in their hearts, they still hoped it would be given to themselves.

Shi Chun, unwilling to waste words on these two scoundrels, extended the flame in his palm towards Zhu Xiangxin, "Take it then."

Zhu Xiangxin was overjoyed, almost ready to kneel down and thank him on the spot. She'd be willing to give her all to him now.

Of course, even without this gesture, she would have been willing to dedicate herself to him; she had set her sights on Shi Chun long ago, ever since she got out of prison. Though she knew she was plain in appearance and Xiang Laner was so beautiful, she surmised that such a man was out of her league, so she kept her feelings hidden.

Now truly excited, she stuttered, "Thank you for this favor, Master. Xiangxin will obey your every command."

Then, she reached out to receive it.

The disappointment in An Wuzhi's eyes was apparent, but he couldn't really say anything; he had just agreed to follow arrangements moments ago. However, his eyes soon lit up again.

Because the Divine Fire that Shi Chun was handing out was withdrawn once more.

Zhu Xiangxin's hands caught empty air, her heart skipping a beat.

Shi Chun spoke with a dark expression, "Before that, we need to get a few things straight. Zhu Xiangxin, if you dare to deceive me again, I'll kill you! Tell me, are you sure that with the Cultivation Method you possess, you can absorb this Divine Fire? If not, don't waste it. This isn't something to be squandered lightly; it cost nearly the lives of several people to obtain. Don't be greedily thoughtless toward me."

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