Seeing this scene unfold, the faces of the other sects revealed a few hints of schadenfreude—not for any other reason, simply because it was satisfying.

Previously, Zuo Zisheng had flaunted his status as a member of the Refining Heaven Sect, disregarding all other sects with his arrogant demeanor. That feeling of being slighted—whether by the major sects or the minor ones—was hard for anyone to swallow.

None of them expected Zuo Zisheng's comeuppance to arrive so quickly.

Of course, it remained uncertain whether Li Hongjiu was truly as capable as he made himself out to be.

Regardless of whether he had the skills or not, at least he had called Zuo Zisheng out in public—something that none of them had dared to do before.

Zuo Zisheng's face darkened as someone confronted him directly. He really wanted to ask Li Hongjiu whether they weren't being obvious enough, or whether he was blind, failing to see that he and Shudao Mountain were allies.

But he held back his anger. No matter how much background someone had, their temperament often varied depending on the individual.

He stiffly reminded, "Mr. Li, we are allied with Shudao Mountain. Gu Lianni and I are on the same side."

Did I target the wrong person? Li Hongjiu froze slightly, then turned his gaze toward Gu Lianni with a questioning look: "Is what he said true?"

Gu Lianni blinked. She also wanted to know where Li Hongjiu got his confidence from, so she was eager to see whether Refining Heaven Sect or Yanbao Sect had the stronger hand. Forget any romantic admiration for strength—in situations like this, her priority was survival. Teaming up with the strong didn't seem wrong, did it?

She didn't believe that these people, who resorted to coercion to bend her to their will, deserved any talk of principle or integrity.

Cooperation? What nonsense. Who negotiates cooperation with a blade to their throat?

Her true ally was Shi Chun. A genuine partner would be someone like Shi Chun, approaching with clear benefits to propose collaboration. Those who relied on force—was that cooperation? No, it was sheer necessity.

Still, for the sake of her sect's reputation, she couldn't blatantly betray one side too quickly. It wasn't just about being despised by others—Refining Heaven Sect's display of power was undeniably stronger.

So, she nodded in acknowledgment. "That's right."

But deep inside, she was secretly yearning: Let's see who's capable of beating Refining Heaven for a chance to woo me. After all, women quite enjoy the feeling of being fought over by men.

Did I really mess this up? Li Hongjiu glanced discreetly at his disciples, breaking out in a cold sweat. Just as he was getting into the groove of handling serious matters, he realized he'd made a mistake—what a blunder.

As expected, he again saw traces of helplessness etched across the faces of his disciples.

"Ahem." Li Hongjiu coughed dryly, then picked up his wine bottle, uncorked it, and took a swig to cover his embarrassment. Exhaling the smell of alcohol, he then asked, "Miss Gu, weren't you collaborating with Shi Chun? Since when did you start working with the Refining Heaven Sect?"

Gu Lianni: "Because I want to. Is that a problem?"

Li Hongjiu let out a hearty laugh, then set down his wine gourd. "Then I won't be an outsider anymore. If we add my Yanbao Sect into the mix—which ranks top three in the Artifact Refining World—it would be perfect. A triple alliance with clear paths and no worries, don't you think?"

Gu Lianni crossed her arms, then gestured toward the Refining Heaven Sect with a tilted head. "I'm just a woman; I'm easy to talk to. But you'd better ask them first whether they agree or not."

Of course he had to ask. Li Hongjiu, who generally appeared agreeable, turned to Zuo Zisheng and said, "As I mentioned earlier, I don't want much. My disciples each take one portion, and the rest can go to you. How's that sound?"

Zuo Zisheng wanted to curse him out, to question what right he had to distribute anything.

But seeing Li Hongjiu's confident attitude, he hesitated—rejecting outright could very well lead to a fight.

He scanned the surrounding sects, all watching intently, and realized that whether they won, lost, or tied, this wasn't the place to start a fight.

As the disciple entrusted with high expectations by his sect, he couldn't act impulsively. Quickly weighing the pros and cons, he replied, "Mr. Li, this isn't the place to discuss such matters. Too many eyes are watching. How about the three of us find a more private location to talk things over?"

If the other party didn't agree, he'd resort to provocation by questioning their courage.

But alas, the other sects hoped they'd settle everything here—a chance for them to capitalize on the situation.

In the end, Li Hongjiu readily agreed. He glanced at the surrounding groups, strapped his wine gourd to his waist, and laughed heartily, saying, "Alright, follow me. I saw a good spot not far ahead. Let's go."

And so, the top three sects in artifact refining left together, flying away amidst the disappointed stares of the crowd, who dared not act.

No one wanted to resort to violence unless absolutely necessary, or unless victory was assured. Lives were their own, and they only had one.

Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu were also forced to leave by Refining Heaven Sect. Regardless of whether Gu Lianni truly killed Shi Chun, Zuo Zisheng decided to keep the two with him for now.

Meanwhile, Xu and Youu were deeply puzzled and eager to ask Gu Lianni whether her words were true.

Standing below, Yin Tianlu watched their departure with a heavy heart, unmoving for a long time. It was the same reality as always—until now, he had believed that his Extreme Fire Sect was in the same league as theirs, but today proved otherwise.

After a long silence, he exhaled deeply, pulled out his Ice Sheep artifact, and used it to regulate his breath. His eyes, however, grew visibly resolute.

In that fleeting moment, he set an ambitious goal for himself—determined to elevate Extreme Fire Sect to the top of the Artifact Refining World and erase today's humiliation.

The Divine Fire Domain now served as his golden opportunity!

"Brother Yin."

Golden Appearance Hall's leader Mi Liangmeng approached with his group to greet him. As always, his expression remained blank, a lifeless demeanor devoid of any visible emotion.

Following suit were East Cloud Island's leader Yan Chunlai, accompanied by his disciples. True to his name, his personality was spring-like, but his appearance was far from appealing—his sharp eyes resembled that of a monkey.

Lastly, arriving from Fall Flame Mountain was their leader Du Da, whose dark complexion and straightforward demeanor exuded a warm, simple charm.

Seeing Golden Appearance Hall's movements, the other two groups came forward as well to exchange greetings.

Several other sects mimicked their behavior—most were mid-to-high tier sects who believed themselves qualified to step forward.

Under the glittering night sky, the collective greed and ambitions of mankind shone vividly, uncountable and unfathomable.

Most sects remained hesitant, watching from afar, uncertain of their next move.

Though the scene appeared crowded, only about thirty percent of the sects were present. Reasons for absence varied—ignorance was one factor, while cautious decision-making played a larger role. Among the latter group, many believed their caution paid off.

Those who showed up, however, included higher-ranking sects willing to take risks, though none had encountered an actual trace of the Divine Fire Ghost so far.

Returning his gaze to the gathering crowd, Yin Tianlu casually remarked, "They've taken the Divine Fire Secret Technique; you lot sure are calm."

Mi Liangmeng from Golden Appearance Hall replied, "If it's something that can't be kept, then let them have it."

Yan Chunlai of East Cloud Island asked, "Why stay here? Let's go together."

Du Da of Fall Flame Mountain agreed, "Sounds good."

Yin Tianlu declared calmly, "I just made a vow earlier, stating that I'm withdrawing from this contest. Feel free to do as you please—we'll no longer participate."

He had no intention of teaming up with them and was eager to reunite with Wu Shanshan's group. Although Shudao Mountain was gone, he could still hunt down Shi Chun. That task would be far simpler—their sect could deal with it alone.

He turned and signaled to his peers, summoning the Extreme Fire Sect to take flight.

Mi Liangmeng squinted slightly as he watched them go.

Yan Chunlai and Du Da exchanged glances instinctively.

Yan questioned, "They invited everyone out for this, yet now they retreat instead of advancing. Where are they heading?"

Du Da grinned significantly, saying, "What gave the Extreme Fire Sect such nerve to wander the Forbidden Land alone?"

From his wooden demeanor, Mi Liangmeng unexpectedly suggested, "They won't get far. We can still catch up."

The three leaders then exchanged knowing looks.

United in purpose, all three sects launched into the sky to pursue Extreme Fire Sect.

Onlookers from other sects followed suit, swarming like bees chasing a queen.

Most didn't know what was happening, lacked clarity, or failed to piece together coherent reasoning. They simply followed instinct, believing it was safer to stick with the crowd.

In an environment of prolonged uncertainty and isolation, retreating alone felt aimless and unsettling. Joining the flow seemed the only choice, as their fate drifted out of their control.

Soon enough, as Mi Liangmeng had said, they caught sight of Extreme Fire Sect's group.

Mi Liangmeng, Yan Chunlai, and Du Da exchanged knowing glances from the distance, confirming their earlier suspicions: Extreme Fire Sect wasn't moving without a plan.

The sects didn't approach directly; they simply shadowed them. If they stopped, so would the pursuers.

Extreme Fire Sect clearly noticed they were being tailed, and Yin Tianlu burned with silent rage, unable to vent his frustrations.

Yet there was nothing he could do. He couldn't simply barrel forward at full speed in clear skies. With Wu Shanshan leading her faction's retreat, he had to rely on their markings to navigate—a process that inevitably slowed him down.

The wind—a tremendous, twisted wind—howled through the chaotic maze of narrow and broad valleys like wailing specters. Over the undulating mountain ridges, massive wind columns danced like towering gods and demons, sweeping across the stars above and dimming their brilliance.

In the gorges, cold and warm currents clashed wildly—a chaotic blend absent of clouds, seemingly confined to swirling columns of muted gray mist. Occasionally, flashes of lightning roared within, the electric brilliance extending intimidating limbs to clash with neighboring bursts.

As if titanic gods and demons wielding jagged blades engaged in an epic battle, their thunderous clashes echoed across the heavens.

The terrain below was bizarre, barren of dirt or rubble—true boulders were smoothed into round curves, making it nearly impossible to stand upright. One could simply relax the body and float into the air.

Amid fluttering garments, those scattered in search regrouped at the signal, converging near Wu Shanshan, who stood alone atop a ridge surveying the scene—a faction from Forget Love Valley and Extreme Fire Sect tracking Shi Chun's group.

Black Tiger surveyed the landscape before asking, "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Wu Shanshan shook her head but gestured subtly with her chin. "I believe they're inside."

Black Tiger hesitated briefly, then asked with some suspicion, "We rushed here without rest. Does this mean Shi Chun's group and Shudao Mountain separately came across this place en route, or were they heading straight here? If it's the latter... we have a major issue."

The difference between the two scenarios was massive and warranted careful thought.

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