Wu Jinliang carefully looked behind him and chuckled, "They really came, and quite fast too. I thought they might rest for a few days. It seems they are in blue clothing, so that must be from Qianyan Sect."

Fang Zicheng asked, "The two sects we were asked to keep an eye on during our tracking?"

Wu Jinliang grinned, "Exactly, having you track them was for today. Just wait and see, follow and learn. If you learn well, it will help in dealing with them, as I can't always be here every day."

Lao Changtai said, "Those chasing after us, I don't know which sect they belong to."

"Doesn't matter which sect they're from, let's go ask and find out. Come with me." Wu Jinliang patted Lao Changtai on the back and then turned and jumped down in front of the hollowed-out cave.

Therefore, Lao Changtai also followed.

On a mountain peak, among the large rocks, Pang Hou of Shudao Mountain suddenly perked up, softly calling out repeatedly, "They have come, they have indeed come."

The three people who came with him also strained to look outside.

The same technique, one they had experienced before. Due to the distance, they couldn't see clearly the faces of the two bringing the Divine Fire, but they were certain these were people from Mingshan Sect.

On the highest peak, beneath the giant iron mallet, ten elders, watching the two figures holding the Divine Fire and bowing in salute, tried to discern any signs of Mingshan Sect in these two blue-clothed figures. They had seen members of the Mingshan Sect at the peak of Qi Yun Valley, but these two strangers here left no particular impression, prompting them to exchange inquiring glances.

The result was the same, none recognized them.

Jin Guiqi asked, "Which sect do you belong to?"

The one without Divine Fire, but holding a Wind Scale, respectfully replied, "We are disciples of 'Qianyan Sect.'"

Jin Guiqi responded with an "Oh" and said nothing more.

The other elders did the same, glancing toward the group in the sky who were chasing but dared not disturb the scene. This scenario was too familiar, identical to the technique used by Mingshan Sect.

Not knowing if it was an original or learned from Mingshan Sect, they adhered to the principle of non-interference in the competition. They hadn't interfered with Mingshan Sect, and it wouldn't be right to meddle with this Qianyan Sect either.

Seeing that they weren't interfering, the two Qianyan Sect disciples also secretly sighed in relief. It was their first time orchestrating such an event, and claiming they weren't nervous would be untrue.

The group hastily chasing through the sky, upon seeing the two blue-clothed individuals seated cross-legged right under the noses of the ten elders, clearly intending a prolonged confrontation, were infuriated yet helpless, and finally, the leader had no choice but to shout, "Let's go," leading his fellow sect members and turning away.

Pang Hou, peering through the crevice, hummed in acknowledgment as he spotted two figures emerging from behind the mountain, pursuing those who were leaving.

A fellow sect member murmured, "Carrying the Big Gourd, that one is that one..."

For a moment, he couldn't recall the name.

Someone beside him added, "Wu Jinliang."

"Right, Elder Brother, that's Shi Chun's accomplice Wu Jinliang."

Pang Hou murmured, "What is Wu Jinliang chasing those people for? Let's go, if we follow Wu Jinliang, we'll definitely find Shi Chun."

He then lifted a stone and led his group out.

"Everyone, slow down, wait a moment…"

Wu Jinliang, having chased after them for a while, suddenly cast a spell and urgently called to the group ahead.

The sect members departing, not having many Wind Scales, shared just a few among twenty individuals, which made them relatively slow. Wu Jinliang was gradually catching up.

Actually, even if he hadn't called out, the group had noticed him. Hearing his shout, seeing only two people chasing them, they stopped mid-air.

As Wu Jinliang approached, they scrutinized him, and someone recognized him and called out, "Is it Wu Jinliang from Mingshan Sect?"

Lao Changtai, accompanying him, sized up the big fellow and inwardly clicked his tongue, marveling at his fame, being recognized by every random stranger they encountered.

Wu Jinliang responded loudly, "Indeed, it is I. Speaking is inconvenient with the Wind Scales whirring about, may I borrow a moment to talk?"

He pointed to a mountain top below.

They looked at each other, and finally nodded in agreement, then both parties descended toward the ground.

After they stowed away the Wind Scales, the man leading the other side asked, "Brother Wu, why did you stop us?"

Wu Jinliang said, "May I ask which sect do these distinguished experts belong to?"

The leader replied, "We can hardly claim to be experts. I am Qi Yuanong, and we are disciples of the Arrogant Flame Sect. Brother Wu, if you're harboring any schemes against us, I advise you to dismiss those thoughts. We have nothing to offer that could be taken advantage of."

What was he thinking? Wu Jinliang thought to himself sarcastically, but said aloud, "So it's Brother Qi, esteemed disciples of the 'Arrogant Flame Sect.' Do not misunderstand; I have no malicious intentions. I am here to inquire about the whereabouts of a group of people."

Qi Yuanong looked skeptical, wanting to avoid any karma, and also wary of Mingshan Sect, mainly because Shi Chun had gained a notorious reputation at the Sky Rain Meteor Conference for deceiving others, necessitating caution. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people recognizing members of Mingshan Sect. He flatly refused, saying, "Arrogant Flame Sect has always kept to itself and isn't interested in other sects' affairs. Brother Wu, you've approached the wrong person. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

He was about to bow and leave.

Wu Jinliang chuckled and said, "Brother Qi, that's a bit unfair of you to say. You might not recognize people from other sects, but surely you recognize the Qianyan Sect, who just stole your Divine Fire?"

The members of Arrogant Flame Sect were taken aback.

Qi Yuanong suddenly felt as if he had slapped his own face. Although he had said he would leave, he now didn't want to go and couldn't help but ask proactively, "Qianyan Sect? Are you talking about those two people just now?"

Wu Jinliang replied, "Exactly. Not only were you robbed, but we were too. It's one thing to rob, but these villains not only stole from us but also killed our people—that grievance is hard to swallow.

Our Mingshan Sect came here to broaden our horizons. We have no interest in competing for first place; we have time to waste!

We dare anyone to kill our people. For these forty-nine days, we'll do nothing else, not even search for Divine Fire, but focus solely on seeking revenge and settling scores!

We've been looking everywhere for them. Just now, I spotted some of their people; they were hiding among the ten elders, and we couldn't do much, so I thought to ask you all if you might know the whereabouts of others. I hope you can offer some honest guidance considering we've all suffered at the hands of Qianyan Sect."

That's how it was, and most of the Arrogant Flame Sect members sighed in relief.

Only one person's gaze flickered—he was an undercover agent from Qianyan Sect placed in Arrogant Flame Sect, unaware that Qianyan Sect had also robbed Mingshan Sect.

Lao Changtai blinked rapidly, observing the reactions of the Arrogant Flame Sect members and the nonsense spouted by Wu Jinliang, having to act aggrieved and incensed in solidarity.

Proximity to red makes you red, proximity to black makes you black—he estimated that if he stayed long with this big fellow, he would surely turn into a bad person who lies as easily as breathing.

Qi Yuanong: "It turns out that Mingshan Sect also fell victim to these thieves, and I understand Brother Wu's feelings. We also wish to eliminate these thieves completely, but we can't deceive Brother Wu. Aside from those two who escaped near the exit, we really have no idea about the whereabouts of the other members of Qianyan Sect."

Wu Jinliang: "Can you provide any clues so we can investigate further?"

Qi Yuanong grimaced and shook his head, "We truly have no clues."

Wu Jinliang: "It can't be that just these two dared to steal your belongings?"

Qi Yuanong thought for a moment and said, "When it happened, we weren't sure how many people there were, but we indeed only saw those two. We saw them take the Divine Fire right under our noses, so we chased after them."

Wu Jinliang reflected and said, "It's impossible that there were only two; such few wouldn't be bold enough, and if they were really capable, they wouldn't need to flee. That means, there must have been others at the scene. We should go back and search, perhaps we'll find them."

Qi Yuanong looked back at his fellow disciples and said, "Brother Wu, they got away with the Divine Fire; how could they possibly still be waiting there for us to find them? Besides, we are after the Divine Fire, and wasting time chasing those who don't have it is meaningless for us. If we happen to encounter them, we can take our revenge then. Going back and wasting more time is truly unnecessary."

Wu Jinliang uttered a sound of understanding, bowed apologetically and said, "I assumed too much, indeed. You are different from us; your main purpose here was for the Divine Fire, not to mess around like us. However, we are determined to take revenge, and we won't rest until we find them. Could Brother Qi tell us the exact location of the incident, so we can investigate, perhaps we could still find clues to those people if they are still around?"

Arrogant Flame Sect, in fact, hoped that Mingshan Sect could encounter the Qianyan Sect people and fight them to vent their frustration.

Qi Yuanong looked around and then pointed direction, and explained in detail, "I can't remember the exact location, as it was Arrogant Flame Sect's first time entering the Divine Fire Domain. We can only describe the route. We came from that direction, flew straight without changing direction for about an hour. Along the way, you'll see several landmarks. If you follow them, you should not stray off course. From the exit guarded by the tenth elder, fly straight towards that mountain. Soon after, you'll see a huge palm-print-shaped crater on the ground, continue flying straight and you'll see a mountain that appears to have been cleaved from one side, then there will be a place with cracked ground everywhere, followed by an area that seems fused into one. When you see a patch of uneven yellow earth with many oddly shaped soil columns, you've arrived at the center of the incident. If you fly a bit higher on this route, it should not be hard to locate."

Wu Jinliang memorized it, then bowed and thanked, "Thank you, Brother Qi, for the guidance. If we manage to find and avenge ourselves on those thieves, we'll be grateful to you in the future."

"Eh," Qi Yuanong waved his hand, "It's just a few words. If Brother Wu can find and avenge upon those thieves, it would also give us satisfaction. Rather, we should thank you."

Wu Jinliang grimaced, "Misery loves company. Let's not be overly courteous with each other. Everyone's time is precious, please feel free to go on your way."

Both parties bowed to each other and then went their separate ways.

After the Arrogant Flame Sect soared into the sky and left, Qi Yuanong, seeing Wu Jinliang still bowing from a distance on the mountaintop, remarked to his companions, "A man of integrity and grandeur. At the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, they only despised us for winning first place, which really seems unfair."

After everyone had left, Wu Jinliang finally dropped his hands and said to the side to Lao Changtai, "Did you see that? If I'm not around later, you handle it like I did. Helping people take revenge when there's an advantage—how could we not seize it? I'll definitely tell you the location clearly. Also, notify Fang Zicheng so he's ready in case we need more manpower."

Lao Changtai, who also bowed and was courteous, dropped his hands and sighed, "I know. You deceive them, and yet they thank you politely; now I understand why we were so thoroughly deceived at the Sky Rain Meteor Conference by the likes of you."

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