Wu Jinliang wasn't stupid either; he could sense the disdain in everyone's eyes and couldn't help but mutter complaints about Shi Chun in his heart, harboring a bit of resentment.

Yet, he was well aware that before Shi Chun got his hands on those Demon Essences, he had to bear this blame, and what's more, he couldn't explain himself. Otherwise, Shi Chun's matter with the five women from Forget Love Valley would arouse suspicion.

Reputation, after all, is something everyone cares about, even those coming from the Land of Exile. Why settle for a bad reputation if a good one is within reach?

Of course, if necessary, he didn't care about such reputation; coming from the Land of Exile, he was never meant to have a good name in the first place.

Especially when it was needed by Shi Chun, he had to step up, losing reputation was always better than losing one's life.

One thing he knew for sure: only if the Master was well, could he be well. Otherwise, he might not be able to hold onto the current benefits at all and could likely end up spitting out even more than he had gained.

Although the imperfection beauty was merely an excuse, Shi Chun clung to it, "Brother Yin, on these terms, you capture those five and bring them to us, we verify the Secret Technique for you, fair and square—money exchanged hand to hand."

Yin Tianlu pondered with his usual composure, neither agreeing nor refusing. He replied, "This isn't something I can agree to lightly on my own. Allow me to discuss it with my sect mates first."

He needed to get a clear understanding of the situation from Black Tiger's mouth before making a decision.

Shi Chun gestured for him to do as he pleased, without pressing the issue.

Yin Tianlu cupped his fists at everyone and then swiftly left with Black Tiger.

Once they were gone, Gu Lianni glanced at Wu Jinliang, then asked Shi Chun, "Do you really intend to exchange the secret to finding Divine Fire for that big man's supposed beauty of imperfection?"

Yuan Yao and Pang Hou looked puzzled, clearly sharing the same question.

The calm expression on Shi Chun's face suddenly tightened, and his complexion grew dark, "Extreme Fire Sect had no intention of cooperating with us from the start, they only wanted to confirm whether we pose a threat to their supremacy. Once they're certain that the Secret Technique exists, whether we give it to them or not, they'll take action against us."

This revelation left the trio from Shudao Mountain slightly surprised. Yuan Yao asked, "Brother Chun, why make such a definitive assertion?"

Shi Chun retorted, "Gentlemen, as experts, may I ask what rank would the 'Desolate Blade' hold within the Extreme Fire Sect?"

Unhesitatingly, Pang Hou replied, "It is definitely treasured dearly by the Extreme Fire Sect. Although it is broken, its edge remains unmatched, and within the entire Cultivation World, it is a weapon that nothing can withstand."

Shi Chun further inquired, "Isn't this reason enough? How could the Extreme Fire Sect possibly give away such a treasured artifact so easily?"

The three exchanged glances, some deep in thought, others frowning. They found the reasoning somewhat far-fetched; to an Artifact Refiner, the 'Desolate Blade' might be valuable, but not more so than Divine Fire. Seeking more Divine Fire would be the most economical action. Was cooperation not preferable to the risks involved?

In fact, Wu Jinliang shared the same sentiment, but he knew that if Chun Tian said so, there must be a reason behind it.

Indeed, there was a reason, but Shi Chun wouldn't share it with Gu Lianni and the others. Being part of a team, maintaining a bit of "foresight" wasn't a bad thing, letting facts prove that his decision was wiser than the others' was necessary.

To be honest, if it weren't for his superpowered right eye that had seen through the ins and outs of Extreme Fire Sect, discerning their determination to destroy even the Yanbao Sect—the third major Refining Sect—at all costs, if he didn't know that Extreme Fire Sect also had the secret technique to find Divine Fire, he might have thought like everyone else.

Extreme Fire Sect possessing their own method to seek Divine Fire, yet hastily rushing to join this commotion instead of calmly searching—was Shudao Mountain so easy to bully? What did this imply? Extreme Fire Sect seemed unable to afford a loss, reluctant to give up their treasured artifact.

The crux of the problem was that the situation did not favor them. The Extreme Fire Sect could act with the current momentum, bolstering its courage.

Gu Lianni asked, "Didn't you just say that the more people we cooperate with, the better? Are you going back on that now?"

Shi Chun responded, "With the reputation of Shudao Mountain established, despite some losses among our ranks, the Extreme Fire Sect would still have to think thrice before acting, not willing to mutually destroy and leave the spoils for others. They will surely encourage other sects to take part. Let's go, before the Extreme Fire Sect is fully prepared, we must leave immediately!"

The truth was that he couldn't afford to really cooperate with other sects; unless it was absolutely necessary, he would not part with his secret technique for finding Divine Fire, unable to bear the consequences.

The so-called cooperation with other sects was purely for the sake of blurring lines and confusing the sects, just like temporarily roping in Shudao Mountain for cooperation.

It might be possible to fool other sects just like Shudao Mountain, by holding a share of Divine Fire, but definitely not the Extreme Fire Sect.

Meanwhile, in Forget Love Valley, Wu Shanshan and the others, upon seeing Yin Tianlu and his companion return to the Extreme Fire Sect, felt hesitant, unsure of what the others had discussed with Shudao Mountain.

Over at Four Cauldron Sect, Xu Anzhang and his group, who had changed their attire, were secretly watching the unfolding events, ready to back up Shi Chun's side. Once they received a signal from Shi Chun, they would charge in.

Upon Yin and Black's return, Wu Xiao immediately stepped forward to greet them, asking, "How did it go?"

Yin Tianlu also looked toward Black Tiger.

Black Tiger's gaze shifted to Shi Chun, and at this moment, he could no longer control the astonishment on his face, "That woman must be a manifestation of the Divine Fire."

The two beside him were taken aback, and Yin Tianlu asked with confusion, "Which woman?"

In fact, he already had his suspicions; there were only two women over there. Gu Lianni was out of the question, and it wasn't likely to be about the women from Forget Love Valley, was it?

Black Tiger let out a sigh and took another puff of the Ice Sheep Deeply, "The one next to Shi Chun, the one who said she kissed Shi Chun earlier, she isn't likely an outsider. She must be a local manifestation of the Divine Fire."

"How could that be possible?" Yin Tianlu exclaimed in shock.

Wu Xiao also questioned, "For us to take on human form, we still need to ascend to the Heavenly Heart and observe the human path. Without a certain understanding of the human body, how can we imitate humans?

You've seen some of the Fire Spirits here; their transformations are all odd creatures that resemble snakes but are not, wolves but are not, lizards but are not. Those Fire Spirits don't have a clear concept of animals, they transform when the timing is right, based on their needs."

Yin Tianlu added, "That woman's attire indeed doesn't quite resemble that of a normal woman, but her ability to speak our language must mean someone has taught her.

Furthermore, unlike the other Fire Spirits, even our Dharma Eyes cannot detect any signs of a Fire Spirit on her. This indicates that she is not simply evolved, but has entered the path of cultivation and mastered the ways of cultivation. This is not something that can be grasped in a short amount of time. The time outsiders spend in the Divine Fire Domain is very brief; it's very hard to enlighten a Fire Spirit in such a short span."

Wu Xiao nodded agreement, "Even if someone from a previous Divine Fire Covenant stayed here and didn't leave, how long could they survive in this environment? There's not enough time."

Black Tiger's eyes flickered hesitantly as he slowly said, "What if a Heavenly Immortal Realm master had stayed here?"

Wu Xiao replied, "A Heavenly Immortal Realm master wouldn't risk coming here. Those masters of the Heavenly Immortal Realm from legends who entered here all disappeared, and no one saw them after the Divine Fire Domain was opened again. If they are still alive, when the exit opens, it's impossible they wouldn't leave."

Yin Tianlu suddenly raised his hand, signaling him to stop, his eyes flickering as if contemplating a possibility, "What Black Junior Brother means is, this environment is unlikely to kill a master of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Once their cultivation reaches that level, the physical body no longer strictly needs that breath to survive, their creative powers are more than capable of resolving such issues. This poison in the air can't kill them, at least not quickly."

He then looked back at Black Tiger, "The reason those masters of the Heavenly Immortal Realm no longer come is because of the loss and disappearance of their predecessors, making them hesitate to take risks lightly. Are you suggesting that the woman who's a manifestation of the Divine Fire might be related to those missing Heavenly Immortal masters?"

Black Tiger spoke firmly, "Besides this, there shouldn't be a second possibility. As long as I haven't smelled incorrectly, if she is a person formed from a Fire Spirit, there must be someone who has enlightened her and passed on the teachings. That's much harder than dealing with animals of flesh and blood. It's not something ordinary monks can achieve; the one who taught her must be extraordinary, and their techniques are nothing common."

After reflecting on Wu Xiao's words for a moment, he turned to look over there, "If that's true, once this woman is refined into an Artifact Spirit and merged into a Magical Treasure, that would be a Fire Spirit Artifact Spirit that knows cultivation techniques. If designed carefully, it could create an exceptional treasure!"

Black Tiger warned, "Her level of understanding of this place may be the greatest value. To this land, she is a supreme treasure."

The meaning in the words was enough to quicken the heart.

Yin Tianlu nodded thoughtfully, "If that's true... You mentioned Shi Chun kissed her, could it be because he knew her background and was employing a 'beauty trap'? After all, those who come from the Land of Exile are capable of anything, aren't they?"

Wu Xiao laughed, "It's true that he comes from the Land of Exile, but is he considered handsome?"

Black Tiger came to his defense, "Regardless of whether he's handsome, the moment Shi Chun encountered this woman, he dominated her presence, which is very abnormal, and there must be some issue. Brother Yin is right, he probably knows her background. To bind her with a romantic relationship from the get-go, Shi Chun really is shameless, but certainly out of the ordinary, doing what others cannot."

"What should we do now?" Wu Xiao looked around and asked.

Black Tiger said, "The Divine Fire that they are absorbing – at the scene, from what I can smell on their persons – is roughly about thirty blossoms; I don't know if there are some that haven't shown themselves yet. A hundred Divine Fire blossoms might not be possible, but they definitely surpass us by far."

The other two understood his meaning; their bid for victory was indeed facing resistance.

Yin Tianlu pursed his lips and made a decision, "Let's join forces with Forget Love Valley!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose all around. The three of them looked toward the source and saw the followers of Shudao Mountain suddenly take to the sky, flying toward the depths of the Forbidden Land, without any intention to greet them.

What was the situation? The three of them were a bit stunned. Weren't they just talking about cooperation? They hadn't even finished the discussion, and now they had taken off?

This sort of reneging was far beyond their expectations.

Fortunately, many of the other sects that were entangled with them continued to pursue and flew off after them.

From Forget Love Valley, Wu Shanshan suddenly flew over, calling out across the guards, "Brother Yin, what's going on?"

Whether they were to join hands with these women or offer them to Shi Chun as a bargaining chip, they had to bring these women along. Yin Tianlu waved his hand grandly and ordered in a deep voice, "Follow them!"

Was that an agreement to cooperate? Wu Shanshan's eyes lighted up, the specifics could be discussed later; chasing after them was the priority. She quickly turned back to signal her people to set out with the followers of the Extreme Fire Sect.

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