"Don't think that the crowd clinging to us dares not to act now, once their numbers reach a certain point, the emboldenment of the many could very well occur."

As for Gu Lianni's decision, the group from Shudao Mountain was naturally firmly in favor.

But Shi Chun would never agree, the same considerations as before. Going to the exit now would be tantamount to delivering oneself into the tiger's den; that is Shudao Mountain's last resort, but not his. In weighing the pros and cons of this matter, he had already calculated very clearly.

Only, he had not expected to face this issue so soon.

He immediately voiced his opposition, "We can't return to the exit now!"

Everyone turned to look at him in unison, and Gu Lianni pressed, "Why not?"

It wasn't easy to speak with two layers of rotating Wind Scale scales separating them in the air, so Shi Chun led the way down to the ground, and the others had no choice but to follow, retracting their Wind Scales and descending.

The various factions entangling them also landed one after another, watching from a distance, still not daring to approach, since Shudao Mountain had said they would kill anyone who followed further.

The people from Shudao Mountain stood in front of Shi Chun, all eyes fixed on him, demanding an explanation.

Shi Chun's gaze swept over their faces several times, and after brewing his argument, he said in a deep voice, "If we go back to the exit now, can we truly obtain shelter?"

Gu Lianni's mouth curled into a smile, "Do you think our elders would not shelter us?"

Shi Chun's words were startling, "If they don't shelter us, at worst it's our bad luck, but if they do shelter us, the first one to die would be him!"

As soon as these words were uttered, Gu Lianni's smile froze on her face and everyone else was also shocked.

However, following Shi Chun's logic and pondering over it, some began to vaguely grasp the meaning of his words.

Yuan Yao hesitated, "Are you implying that the other elders would harm Elder Jin?"

Shi Chun countered, "Would they not? Don't talk to me about rules. Even Elder Jin himself knows whether he has broken any rules, you and I are well aware of it. Whether to break a rule simply depends on necessity. There's still about twenty days left, and rumors are spreading that we have a fast way to find the Divine Fire. Can you guarantee those elders can resist the temptation? Especially when they can certainly take down Elder Jin if they join forces. Have you ever considered that asking Elder Jin to shelter us might be forcing him to his death?"

The crowd fell silent at once, with Gu Lianni looking particularly somber. They could imagine, in such a situation, that kind of accident could indeed occur.

Shi Chun continued, "Once something happens to Elder Jin, do you think those elders will let anyone from Shudao Mountain get out alive? Of course, I wish I could return to the exit now, I wish Elder Jin could shelter us, but the problem is that going back now is very dangerous.

"If we have to go back, we should wait until the competition is almost over. By then they will understand that even if they succeed in seizing it, they won't have the chance to find the Divine Fire, naturally, there would be no need to take the risk."

Most of the Shudao Mountain personnel were hearing about the fast way to find the Divine Fire for the first time. After all, they had always been under tight control, particularly since the betrayal of Yan Ketao, the control on Shudao Mountain's side had become even stricter, with hardly any chance to contact outsiders.

Of course, whatever Yan Ketao had sensed, they had sensed as well, and had also guessed that there was a fast way to find the Divine Fire here.

If something were to happen to Elder Jin, Shudao Mountain would have to be silenced. The mood of Gu Lianni and the three team leaders was very heavy, naturally because they believed what Shi Chun had said was right.

Although it wasn't certain that it would happen, indeed, there was a very high possibility. Whether for their own sake or for Elder Jin's, they couldn't risk going to the exit.

Wu Jinliang, who had overheard Shi Chun's conversation with Xu Anzhang, naturally understood why the Master was reluctant to return to the exit now. His laughter carried a bit of helplessness; he knew that the Master was forced into this position.

In dealing with the problem of Gong Shixi before, the Master had made a mistake, which led to the current situation.

But he also understood; the Master wasn't infallible and it was normal to have some errors.

Chu Jingtang and others were unclear about the situation, but they also felt that what Shi Chun was saying made sense at the moment. They had been subjected to the Artifact Refiners' craziness for the Divine Fire over and over, and now they dare not easily venture to the exit to take chances.

Just as elders who had followed from the Sky Rain Meteor Conference all this way, they always felt a sense of déjà vu, as if, in the process of handling things, they had again escalated the issue.

Now, looking at the Shudao Mountain group, it was like seeing the shadow of their former selves at the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, having boarded a thief's ship.

After much deliberation, Gu Lianni did not make a decision on her own, turning to the other two beside her to ask, "What do you think?"

What else could Yuan and Pang think? While Shi Chun could assume the worst about Jin Guiqi, they would not think so. The elders were still revered and held high aspirations in their eyes; when looking up, they could see the light of hope. The idea of the elders caving to pressure and betraying their fellow Shi Chun was not something they had experienced, and they had not considered such an extremity.

Pang Hou said, "Brother Chun's words are a precaution we cannot ignore."

Yuan Yao nodded as well, "We indeed need to be cautious."

Gu Lianni immediately asked Shi Chun, "If we don't go to the exit, where can we go?"

Speaking of this, Shi Chun could only bitterly smile, "With them following us, going anywhere is useless. We have to figure out a way to shake them off first. As long as we can lose them, we can hide anywhere; if it comes to it, we can just hide until it's time to go to the exit."

Everyone looked around and saw that those who were relentlessly pursuing them seemed to have green light radiating from their eyes. Even from a distance, one could sense a desperate hunger, suggesting that it wouldn't be easy to scare them away or shake them off.

Suddenly, Wu Jinliang glanced at Shi Chun and muttered, "When night falls, if we are lucky enough to have a sky without stars or moonlight, they won't be able to see us, and perhaps we can slip away from their tracking."

Shi Chun's brows twitched slightly as he instantly understood the implication – others wouldn't be able to see the road or people in the dark, but his right eye's superpower allowed him to see without the need for light, which could be used to help everyone escape their pursuers.

The problem was, who knew what the night would bring.

Pang Hou looked at the sky and expressed the same doubt, "With no clouds or rain, and the Divine Fire Domain rarely cloaked in them, the sky typically dazzles with stars at night, which won't affect a monk's vision too much."

Wu Jinliang suggested a location, "The Ice Field we passed earlier seemed to be perpetually shrouded in clouds."

Pang Hou nodded, "The Ice Field might be worth a try, but with so many people, its boundaries are a bit small. Breaking through that layer of clouds with Magical Treasures isn't hard, and I'm unsure if we'd be able to escape successfully using that place."

Yuan Yao frowned and said, "The biggest problem isn't that, but rather the elders from the various sects that Brother Chun mentioned."

Shi Chun was startled by his statement and asked, "What do you mean?"

Yuan Yao explained, "The Ice Field is too close to the exit. If we can't successfully extricate ourselves after causing a commotion there, I fear that the elders, upon hearing the news, will be unable to resist intervening because of the proximity. With their cultivation and strength, if they wanted to capture us, we would have virtually no chance to escape. In my opinion…"

Shi Chun hadn't considered this before and was weighing his thoughts when he heard Yuan Yao had more to say. He immediately waited quietly.

Not only him, but everyone else also waited for Yuan Yao to continue, while some took out ice goat meat to replenish their energy.

After a moment of hesitation, Yuan Yao slowly said, "Brother Jinliang's reminder made me think of a place we might try."

Gu Lianni immediately asked, "Where?"

Yuan Yao's gaze swept over everyone as he stated, word by word, "The Land of Wuming!"

Many were stunned, and many others surprised. Wu Jinliang exclaimed in amazement, "That place in the Divine Fire Domain where sunlight never reaches, the dead angle untouched by the sun, known as the Land of Eternal Night?"

Their understanding of the Divine Fire Domain was indeed not very thorough, but they weren't completely ignorant either. Before entering, they had done some last-minute research, with a primary focus on identifying dangerous areas.

Yuan Yao confirmed, "That's right."

Wu Jinliang was puzzled, "Isn't that a very dangerous Forbidden Land?"

Yuan Yao answered, "It is a Forbidden Land, and it is indeed dangerous. But the experience passed down to me from my predecessors at Shudao Mountain indicates that the most dangerous area is at the center—that is the real Forbidden Land. And it is precisely because of the danger that it deters the various sects. Don't you think that might be the best way to escape our current predicament?"

Go to that dangerous Forbidden Land? Whether from Shudao Mountain or Mingshan Sect, everyone's expressions tightened.

Wu Jinliang also looked at Shi Chun, feeling unsure about making any hasty decisions. After all, who wouldn't fear death? He was scared, too.

No one wanted to seek death, and Shi Chun was no exception. Hearing that even Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivators had been defeated by that Forbidden Land, they could imagine how easily they'd be overwhelmed by danger, probably no better off than ants—probably any strange wind would blow them to their demise. And now someone was reassuringly claiming it was safe, leaving him skeptical.

He looked at Tong Mingshan, seeking his opinion. Tong Mingshan shook his head slightly, indicating he was also unaware of the situation Yuan Yao had described.

Shi Chun, on guard, said, "There's a difference between the inner and outer parts of the Forbidden Land? Is that true or false? We from Mingshan Sect are inexperienced; Brother Yuan, please don't joke with us. I've heard that the 'Wuming Forbidden Land' is the only place in the entire Divine Fire Domain that has living creatures besides the Divine Fire beasts, and it's said that those creatures like attacking people." As he spoke, he also looked at Gu Lianni for confirmation.

Gu Lianni nodded, "The common understanding may not be correct. The distinction between the inner and outer periphery was deduced by our ancestors. Yuan Yao is right; the real danger lies in the center of the Forbidden Land. The dangers in the outer periphery are sporadic, and with a bit of caution, we can avoid them. With our strength, we should be able to handle it. This is the accumulated experience of our sect's ancestors, and they wouldn't deceive their own people. Of course, it's still best not to venture there, but given the current situation, it's an excellent spot to shake off this bunch of pests. It also prevents the elders from interfering. I think what Yuan Yao suggested is viable."

Shi Chun had an innate caution about danger and felt uneasy about the idea of the Forbidden Land. Its notorious dangers seemed too potent. However, based on his current knowledge of Gu Lianni and the others, there seemed no need for them to deceive him, nor would they rashly endanger the safety of their people from Shudao Mountain.

Since everyone thought it was doable, there probably wouldn't be a problem. He slowly nodded and said, "Alright, then we'll do as you suggest. Let's see if we can shake them off."

Once they reached a consensus, the group identified their direction and set out again, heading straight for their target location.

Along the way, Gu Lianni looked at Shi Chun with a hint of gratitude in her eyes, thankful for his timely reminder that had kept them from heading directly towards the exit, which could have led to an irreversible mistake by her as the leader. The thought left her shuddering.

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