Those wavering sects, seeing the reaction of the Extreme Fire Sect, felt a surge of enthusiasm and immediately followed.

They followed all along precisely for this opportunity when big sects contend, as it provided them a chance; otherwise, on their own, they would never find the Divine Fire—a fact known by everyone through prior experiences.

Although they knew it was dangerous, the temptation of the Divine Fire was far too great for these Artifact Refiners.

Of course, heading deeper into the Forbidden Land, groups of them felt tense and uneasy. But seeing that the Extreme Fire Sect wasn't afraid, they felt as if even if the sky fell there would be someone tall enough to support it, fantasy overwhelming their senses like devilish eyes looking down from the star-strewn night sky, glinting mockingly.

Following behind and controlling the Wind Scale, Youu Mu turned his head to Xu Anzhang on one side and expressed his concern, "The dangers of the Forbidden Land aren't just rumors. Heading straight deeper like this will sooner or later lead to danger."

Xu Anzhang looked back at his fellow disciples and responded, "Do we have a choice?"

Youu Mu understood his meaning; now that Tong Mingshan had hopes of winning, if they didn't help, they wouldn't be able to answer to the higher-ups, unless they silenced their companions and also took care of Shi Chun and the others; otherwise, the punishments of the Demon Path would undoubtedly be worse than the Forbidden Land, surely making them regret their rebirths.

The key issue was, it was impossible to silence everyone; now, too many knew of Shi Chun and their hope to claim victory. Various sect members were skulking around, drawn by the rumors. Could they really silence everyone?

So, they had no choice.

Those from the Extreme Fire Sect pursuing closely were also worried. Glancing at the flickering sky and then at the shadowy ground below, Wu Xiao couldn't help but anxiously remind, "Brother Yin, they're heading towards the deeper parts of the Forbidden Land. The sect warned us, the deeper we go, the more dangerous it gets."

Black Tiger interjected, "We fear danger, but do Shi Chun and his group not fear it? Why aren't they afraid? It can only mean that my judgment was correct—that woman must know the situation here, and they are confident. As long as we keep close to them, there shouldn't be a problem."

Despite this reasoning, Wu Xiao's mouth twitched slightly, half agreeing, half doubting. Who said that just because that woman knows the place and sticking close to her would keep them safe? They could entirely use the dangers of this place against us.

He glanced at Yin Tianlu, who showed no reaction, then reiterated, "If that woman is a Fire Spirit, perhaps she is one of the formidable beings here. We don't know her cultivation; wouldn't charging headlong be suicidal?"

Yin Tianlu responded, "This woman's cultivation shouldn't be high."

Wu Xiao, surprised, asked, "What makes you say that?"

Yin Tianlu replied, "Anyone who can cuddle and kiss Shi Chun can't be that strong. The Magical Treasures we possess should be sufficient to deal with her."

Could this perspective even make sense? Wu Xiao was stunned, but upon further reflection, it seemed somewhat reasonable.

Meanwhile, Pang Hou, who was controlling the Wind Scale, frequently looked back at Shi Chun and Zhener, and so did Gu Lianni and Wu Jinliang.

"Go that way, veer a bit, yes, straight ahead."

Shi Chun and Zhener hand in hand, Zhener directed the flight path, clearly very familiar with the area.

Gu Lianni and the others' understanding in this regard differed from the leading members of the Extreme Fire Sect; they did not know Zhener's background and still thought she was a disciple from another sect who had entered the Forbidden Land and survived by chance.

Having made it through once and knowing a bit about the place was understandable, but it seemed evident that the woman had issues, and Shi Chun actually let everyone follow her directions; if they hadn't known Shi Chun wasn't someone who acted without reason, one would really wonder whether the woman's mind was off or Shi Chun's.

Of course, when they started out, Shi Chun had said he had a way, which was why everyone had followed him at the beginning.

Looking at it now, this was the plan? Frightening indeed.

Looking behind, they could vaguely see the group from the Extreme Fire Sect also rapidly catching up, not sure if they really couldn't let go as Shi Chun had said or what.

In any case, Shi Chun's sudden involvement after a quiet journey up Shudao Mountain had somehow made things go awry, confusing everyone, and it was unsettling how they could follow so blindly.

This feeling wasn't good; it made it easy for others to exploit their trust.

Before Gu Lianni and her group could turn their unrest into action, Zhener again pointed slantingly beside Pang Hou towards a pitch-dark underground, "There's a tunnel; go through it."

Pang Hou instinctively dived down with the Wind Scale, with Mingshan Sect and other followers swiftly plunging after him.

Soon, a large, pitch-dark Sky Pit began to clearly emerge in everyone's view; rocks around the edge appeared ferocious like mangled teeth, resembling an entrance to a demonic lair.

The aura inside seemed perilous, particularly in a place like the Forbidden Land. Gu Lianni had to be cautious, unable to ignore the safety of her fellow disciples, and called out immediately, "Stop!"

Pang Hou naturally listened to her, quickly landing everyone near the edge of the Sky Pit and securing the Wind Scale, with other sect members following.

This halt allowed the entangling groups to catch up, primarily the group from the Extreme Fire Sect quickly approaching.

Shi Chun looked back somewhat anxiously; the slight distance they had managed to gain on the Extreme Fire Sect, unexpectedly disrupted, had now gone to waste.

Still, he knew he couldn't blame Gu Lianni; if anything, he should blame himself for not making things clear to them.

But then again, once he started to explain, Gu Lianni and the others would inevitably have various questions and doubts, which couldn't be resolved in a few words. And he had also discerned the intentions of the Extreme Fire Sect to make a move, leaving no time to explain—he needed to find some place nearby to shake off these entanglements.

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