The wind ceased, the earth quieted, and the resplendent starry sky reemerged.

Emerging from their trance, the disciples all rushed over to Li Hongjiu without needing a summons. The term "Master" poured forth sincerely from their hearts, no longer carrying the feeling of helplessness it once did when called out.

Respect now mixed with clear excitement, and the night could not hide the brilliance shining in their eyes.

Well, Li Hongjiu felt helpless, too, having yet again earned his disciples' respect in a way he didn't like because he didn't want to take on responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn't be hiding in the back mountains, drowning himself in liquor.

And often, ability also meant responsibility. Would they all turn to Li Hongjiu when problems arose? How troublesome would that be?

His nature was not to entangle himself in such matters. A person's energy is always limited, and one can't look after everything.

He feared that the others might think too much of it, so he deliberately reminded everyone, "The dangers of this Forbidden Land are real. My strength is only enough to deal with those strange bats. I would not be able to protect you from the older monsters of the Forbidden Land."

"Understood, Uncle-Master," Guang Haoyou responded for the group.

That wasn't what Li Hongjiu meant. He clarified, "What I'm saying is, it's very dangerous inside, so you shouldn't follow me. Just wait for me outside the Forbidden Land. Did you understand?"

The disciples exchanged glances, and their looks toward him revealed a trace of amusement.

This Uncle-Master demonstrated his strength indeed, but his inherent issues seemed hard to change. Leaving him to go alone? He'd hardly get serious about the Divine Fire. They couldn't trust him to put in the effort. Even with the Divine Fire before him, he wouldn't absorb it unless begged, pleaded, and knelt to. They really didn't believe he'd be spirited enough to handle serious matters.

If he ends up alone, he's bound to shirk his duties and just go play.

With reluctance on his face, Guang Haoyou argued, "Uncle-Master, let us accompany you. Even if we don't find anything, we can at least witness the effort. If you go alone and return empty-handed, the Sect Master will surely say you've been playing around. It might be routine for you to be punished, but we couldn't handle it."

It wasn't just this reasoning. If they hadn't known about their Uncle-Master's strength, it would have been fine. But now that they knew, they naturally hoped that he would do his utmost. Should he manage to grab the secret techniques harbored by Shi Chun and his group, they too might get a chance at the Divine Fire.

Rumors had it that Shi Chun and his group had found hundreds of Divine Fire flowers. They weren't looking to find hundreds now; even fifty would suffice, distributing one to each person would be enough.

In short, they were even less likely to allow their Uncle-Master to go off and enjoy himself alone. He needed to do some proper work.

Li Hongjiu was at a loss. He was no fool and instantly realized the issue at hand. Unsure of what to say, he eventually accepted the trouble he brought upon himself and, waving his hand, said, "Let's go."

"Yes," Guang Haoyou took command and then loudly ordered, "Raise the Wind Scales, and let's continue."

"Yes," all the disciples replied in unison.

Several Wind Scales enveloped the group and ascended skyward, continuing their search. The courage of Yanbao Sect disciples was clearly bolstered, with such a powerful small Uncle-Master with them, their confidence was real.

Everyone finally understood why the Sect Master, when initially sending the small Uncle-Master out, was as cautious as if entrusting them with a treasure.

Indeed, he was a treasure. At the High Martial Great Success Realm, he could lift a majestic mountain with one arm. Could a Human Immortal do the same? A typical Human Immortal might be able to break through the mountain, but lifting it and flying with it? At least a Human Immortal Great Success would be required, wouldn't it?

With such strength at the High Martial Realm, what would happen once his cultivation increased?

Already having absorbed three Divine Fire flowers, it was no problem for his cultivation to break through to the Human Immortal Realm once he got out.

Combined with his exceptional talent in Artifact Refining and the status as the Sect Leader's Closed-door Disciple, he had strength, talent, and background. If he got serious, the possibility for him to eventually reach the top of Yanbao Sect was extremely high.

Many dreamt of such favorable conditions all concentrated in one person, yet he chose to be an unreliable lazy drunkard. The disciples found it lamentable, considering it such a waste of great potential.

Regardless of the future, just looking at the present, they too lacked confidence in finding Shi Chun and his group. Within the vast expanse of the Forbidden Land, it was like looking for a needle in the ocean.

Extreme Fire Sect was also blindly searching, grateful that they had partners to cooperate with.

To be precise, they had someone waiting for them along the way.

"Is Brother Yin from the Yin Tianlu here?"

Suddenly, two graceful figures sprang into the air, blocking the way of Extreme Fire Sect's searching team. The one calling out was Jin Hao, her face marked with a scar.

She was ordered to wait here for the arrival of the Extreme Fire Sect.

Wu Shanshan was right in her assumption. When they emerged from underground and heard the earth-shattering noises, she guessed Extreme Fire Sect must have forcefully broken free. She anticipated that once they escaped, they'd eventually find another exit, disperse, and continue their search.

Therefore, three disciples were positioned to wait here, with only two showing themselves and one hidden, in case they needed to send word back in the event of any unexpected developments.

This waiting spot was carefully chosen, precisely where Shi Chun and his group had changed their direction.

The Extreme Fire Sect group didn't include Yin Tianlu, but they had seen him with other disciples from Forget Love Valley, so the leading disciple promptly responded, "Brother Yin isn't here. What do you want?"

Jin Hao answered loudly, "I know where Shi Chun and his group are headed. Call for Brother Yin to meet us quickly."

Hearing this, the team from the Extreme Fire Sect didn't dare to delay and quickly assigned people to search, utilizing their own methods of contact.

The people from both sects who were present also landed and waited.

Before long, Yin Tianlu hurried over with his group. After landing, he was surprised to see only two people and asked, "Where is Wu Shanshan?"

Jin Hao replied, "She is leading a team to track down Shi Chun."

Yin Tianlu was taken aback, having thought that Wu Shanshan and her team had died in that cave. He didn't expect them to still be alive. He then asked, "How many of you are left?"

Speaking of this, Jin Hao also felt somewhat somber and sighed, "Seven."

Yin Tianlu narrowed his eyes. His Extreme Fire Sect had lost over fifty people to escape. Forget Love Valley only lost thirteen, and what's more, they not only escaped but also managed to find the whereabouts of Shi Chun and his group before them.

He and Black Tiger exchanged glances, both realizing they might have underestimated Forget Love Valley. The fact that Forget Love Valley dared to act so boldly might not be so simple.

Setting that aside for now, Yin Tianlu returned to the matter at hand, "Let's go, lead the way!"

Jin Hao replied, "No rush. My sister is keeping an eye on them, they won't get away. My sister told me to stay here and ask the Extreme Fire Sect a question: how will the profits be divided after we get our hands on the item, and what will we do if the Extreme Fire Sect uses its power to deceive us or becomes our enemy?"

The Extreme Fire Sect understood that without settling the issue of profit sharing, they probably wouldn't get the two women to lead the way.

Yin Tianlu pondered for a moment, then said, "We won't take advantage of you, we'll split it evenly!"

Splitting it evenly was one thing, but whether they could actually find the Divine Fire was another matter. It was most important to eliminate their powerful competitors first.

Jin Hao wasn't looking to calculate any detailed accounts either. It was still the same old saying; she did not believe they could take first place. After all, she wasn't able to absorb the Divine Fire herself. The main point was to give an explanation to her superiors and prove that she did her best.

She immediately nodded and said, "Good. My sister said that when she sees Brother Yin, she will swear a poisonous oath in the name of Forget Love Valley, to avoid breaking the agreement between us. For now, I also ask Brother Yin to swear a poisonous oath in the name of the Extreme Fire Sect."

Issuing a poisonous oath was a method Shi Chun used before when exchanging with them, and it was something they had learned on the spot.

A poisonous oath might not be binding for those hidden within the Demon Path, but it had its use for disciples of famous sects like the Extreme Fire Sect.

Yin Tianlu's gaze flickered, and he looked left and right at Wu Xiao and Black Tiger. Seeing that neither had any intention of stopping him, he immediately said sternly, "I, Yin Tianlu, as the leader of the Extreme Fire Sect on this expedition, swear on behalf of the Extreme Fire Sect that for the matter at hand, we will cooperate fully with Forget Love Valley. Should either party break the agreement and destroy fairness, we will be cursed and our sect annihilated!"

The oath was simple, but the words "cursed and our sect annihilated" made the disciples of the Extreme Fire Sect sweat a little.

Jin Hao laughed, pointed decisively to one side, and said, "Let's go, this way!"

She was the first to dash off, and Yin Tianlu immediately waved his hand for his people to follow...

At this time, Shi Chun and his group had stopped for a rest in a valley, not far from the so-called safe line of Shudao Mountain.

How did they know they were close? Zhener could feel the line she couldn't cross, fear gripping her as she clung to Shi Chun, too scared to go any further.

She wanted to guide Shi Chun to the Earth Heart Tower at the heart of the Forbidden Land. She hoped Shi Chun would help her break the forbidden enchantments, free her to leave this place, and venture into the colorful world outside, where she could smell the fragrance of flowers and grass.

But how could Shi Chun dare to approach the Earth Heart Tower and provoke those old monsters? That would be a death wish. Not to mention that his Mingshan Sect combined with the Shudao Mountain troops wouldn't make a dent, even if all the attendees joined together and headed over, it would be a death sentence.

So, Shi Chun never intended to help Zhener escape her predicament. Kissing her randomly to confirm their relationship and expecting him to risk his life? That was impossible. There was no one so spineless among those who came from the Land of Exile.

From the beginning, he had been deceiving Zhener, exploiting her familiarity with the area to help avoid trouble and entanglements.

As for how to explain to Zhener later—did he need to explain? The woman was simple-minded and easily deceived. He could just make up any excuse later, run off, and not see her again.

He felt he had already compromised somewhat. Originally, he had considered killing Zhener and letting Tong Mingshan and the others absorb the Divine Fire. Later, he thought it wouldn't hurt to spare her, given she'd been a lot of help along the way.

Of course, for now, he continued to pretend to be intimate with Zhener, kissing and touching as expected—after all, she was a beauty. Since she liked to cling to him in public, he also showed no restraint in public.

Wu Jinliang kept chuckling. He knew Shi Chun's intentions and was envious. It was all about taking advantage without taking responsibility, not like with Miao Yilan, where it wasn't easy to mess around.

Among the onlookers, there were those who felt contempt, like Gu Lianni, whose nose seemed blocked as she snorted coldly from time to time. For instance, right now, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows when she saw Shi Chun pulling out a pile of women's clothing from somewhere for Zhener to change into, letting her choose what she liked.

Zhener was indeed excited and joyful, her eyes shining with delight.

The clothes were from Wu Kang Mountain Elders Xia Fuli's Qiankun Bag, and the advantage of coming out from the Land of Exile was that nothing was wasted—these items had found their use.

To outsiders, it seemed like Shi Chun was caring for Zhener, helping to cover the spring light that was showing.

In reality, during his intimate moments with Zhener, Shi Chun discovered that her clothes and shoes were treasures. Impressive, but also understandable, having lasted numerous months; they probably wouldn't have survived until now if they weren't Treasure Robes.

With treasure so easily at hand, it couldn't be wasted. And since Zhener was easy to deceive, Shi Chun definitely planned to take the Treasure Robe and Treasure Boots before ditching her.

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