Zuo Zisheng thought about it and indeed saw the possibility. He said with suspicion, "So what? Now that we've brought down Jin Guiqi, and rendered the competition between Shudao Mountain and Mingshan Sect null and void, how does that benefit us? Having leverage in our hands is what gives us deterrent power. Once it's out in the open, what reason do they have to cooperate with us? Our goal isn't to be at odds with Shudao Mountain nor with Mingshan Sect, we want the Divine Fire, it's the Divine Fire we're after!"

He jabbed his finger into the other person's chest, "I know what you're worried about, rest assured, Shudao Mountain won't compromise the interests of the entire sect over you. As long as we find Shudao Mountain's group, ensuring your safety will definitely be a part of the negotiation conditions, as long as the situation is true, they have no choice but to agree!"

For Yan Ketao, he had no choice either, he had to agree even if he didn't want to.

For Zuo Zisheng, the current top priority was to find the people from Shudao Mountain.

Not giving up at the exit, he had arranged for ten people to watch in secret, while the rest weren't just waiting idly. On one hand, they spread out to search, and on the other, Yan Ketao took some people to places where Shudao Mountain might go to prevent the situation of "not seeing the wood for the trees."

It had to be said, Wu Jinliang's decision to move the people of Four Cauldron Sect in time was correct. Due to distance and various other reasons, the first place Yan Ketao and his team rushed to was the Iron Forest, and naturally they found nothing.

At this time, Wu Jinliang had already brought people back to the main group, and met with Shi Chun.

After hearing the situation, Shi Chun called for Gu Lianni and two others, and had Wu Jinliang explain the situation to them again.

By now, Gu Lianni had absorbed the newly acquired sixth petal of Divine Fire and was radiating a resplendent aura, giving the illusion of a faint halo around her.

Upon learning that Yan Ketao was a spy and an undercover informant, Gu Lianni and the others were visibly shocked.

But what they were most concerned about was not this matter. Initially somewhat skeptical about Yan Ketao being an informant, the three were utterly horrified when they heard that Wu Jinliang had betrayed Jin Guiqi as well.

Gu Lianni exclaimed, interrupting, "Big guy, if you knew Yan Ketao was an outsider's implant, an undercover traitor, why would you still reveal the matter involving Elder Jin to Yan Ketao? Don't you realize that if anything happens to Elder Jin, it's very possible none of us will be able to leave alive!"

Pang Hou also scolded, "Wu Jinliang, have you lost your mind?"

Wu Jinliang chuckled and spread his hands helplessly toward Shi Chun, as if resigned in the face of these people's reactions.

Shi Chun raised a hand to stop them and explained on his behalf, "What he did was not wrong. Betraying Elder Jin was actually protecting Elder Jin. Since the issue has already spread to the exit, the matter of the Divine Fire clue would eventually be uncovered by the forces behind Yan Ketao. The key is how to prove that Elder Jin was not directly involved.

We cannot prove this by ourselves; we can't help Elder Jin, and he can't clear his own name.

Fortunately, the nine elders are right next to Elder Jin, they're not blind. They are eyewitnesses. Once the matter comes to light, our only option is to let the opponents stand out and talk nonsense about things Elder Jin never did, to prove that the opponent is slandering, is talking nonsense, only then can no one touch Elder Jin."

With this explanation, the three, including Gu Lianni, suddenly saw the light. Looking at Wu Jinliang again, their eyes held a different respect. They hadn't expected that, under such circumstances, the big guy could think of a way to keep Elder Jin safe.

A High Martial Small Success Realm monk actually trying to save a master of the Earth Immortal Realm seemed amusing to the three of them, yet they felt genuinely relieved. If it weren't for this big fellow holding the fort at the exit, they really didn't know how to handle the situation properly.

Now, they began to understand why Shi Chun insisted on having Wu Jinliang stationed at the exit.

Wu Jinliang, with a helpless shrug, said, "Folks, I didn't want to do this either, but who could have expected that there would be a traitor within Shudao Mountain."

As for whether Yan Ketao was really a traitor, Gu Lianni and the others still harbored some doubts.

So Shi Chun gestured to Wu Jinliang to stop being frivolous and asked him to finish recounting the events.

Having heard the entire account, Gu Lianni and the others were truly distressed. They hadn't anticipated that Wu Jinliang would actually sever the layout of the exit area so completely. Wouldn't this ruin the excellent opportunity to harvest Divine Fire?

The thought of their steady supply of Divine Fire being cut off was unbearable for any Artifact Refiner, and Gu Lianni's discomfort was somewhat mitigated since she had already absorbed an amount of Divine Fire comparable to that of Situ Gu, the top Artifact Refiner in the Cultivation World. Yuan Yao and Pang Hou, on the other hand, had managed to absorb only one or two flames so far.

Such a perfect opportunity had been destroyed, and their heartache was indescribable, their faces turning pale with distress, barely even breathing out.

Yet, they knew Wu Jinliang couldn't truly be blamed for his actions, as it had likely averted a total loss.

But, was it necessary to make such a rash decision? Could he have returned to discuss it before making up his mind? After all, everything was still speculation, and Yan Ketao's role as a traitor had not been confirmed. What if it was all just a misunderstanding?

Even if there was truly a problem, could they have discussed solutions? To cut ties so abruptly was such a pity.

Even Shi Chun felt that Wu Jinliang had acted too hastily. No matter which sect Yan Ketao was betraying them for, they all ultimately wanted the Divine Fire, and it might have been worth discussing. They could have tried to reach an agreement—either a three-way or two-way split of the Fire. Smashing the pot and leaving everyone without a meal seemed somewhat over the top.

However, he wouldn't blame Wu Jinliang. Since he had given Wu Jinliang the responsibility to make decisions on the spot, Wu Jinliang had the right to make a judgement call in the moment. If he didn't manage it perfectly, it wasn't Wu Jinliang's fault but his own for not providing better guidance. Moreover, Wu Jinliang had done quite well to get this far.

After a while, Gu Lianni asked with a strained voice, "If Yan Ketao truly is a traitor, which sect might have sent him?"

Shi Chun replied, "I reckon it's one of the top ten families around the exit. Yan Ketao daring to return to the exit means it's not just any sect that would dare to mess with you from Shudao Mountain; it must be one with confidence."

In his heart, he had already ruled out the Demon Path.

Everyone else agreed. Gu Lianni said, "Still, it doesn't add up. If Yan Ketao is a traitor, why only reveal himself now? What has he been doing all this time?"

Shi Chun was also puzzled, "We would have to ask him that."

Gu Lianni questioned Wu Jinliang, "If you think he is a traitor, why didn't you kill him on the spot? Don't even try to tell me you didn't have the power to do it."

She knew he was capable of taking out two of her Shudao Mountain peers in a single encounter, and there was no point pretending otherwise in front of her.

Wu Jinliang tilted his chin towards Shi Chun, "Didn't our Master say so? With likely a powerful force lurking behind Yan Ketao, I thought the same.

Killing him is easy, but who will help us draw away the powerful force watching us in the shadows, and how will we get away ourselves?

At least he could draw most of the attention, making it easier for us to escape if there were any leftovers. Plus, whatever he was meant to leak, he surely has by now—killing him wouldn't silence it."

That made sense, and Yuan Yao sighed, "Such a shame to lose such a promising source for Divine Fire clues. Moreover, if Yan Ketao is really a traitor, he must have realized the exceptional effectiveness we found in the Divine Fire. Few Artifact Refining Sects could resist this temptation. His backers will surely try everything they can to find us. Our troubles are probably still ahead."

Shi Chun said nonchalantly, "It's of no consequence. We'll deal with it when they manage to find us. Let's wait and see. If they haven't flipped the table over at the exit and everyone understands what's at stake, it means there's still room for negotiation. Even if they find us, that's not an issue. We can reestablish the channel, and then it's just a matter of how the Divine Fire is shared. In the meantime, we carry on as usual, continuing our search for Divine Fire."

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