Yin Tianlu scanned the surrounding crowd. To have this many people gathered here was partly due to his own efforts—wasn't he trying to cajole people from other sects to test the waters? Who could've expected that the Refining Heaven Sect group would show up at this moment?

Always playing the part of the subordinate in front of the Refining Heaven Sect in public was embarrassing for him. While he didn't care about saving face, his Extreme Fire Sect certainly did.

Still, the other party's words hadn't crossed the line too much. He maintained a calm and composed demeanor as he replied, "Brother Zuo, you're being too serious. At the very least, I haven't gone back on my word. I withdrew in the last round as promised. If the benefits are sufficient, making the disciples of my Extreme Fire Sect follow orders isn't out of the question."

The conversation reached a natural pause at this point. Yin Tianlu's gaze shifted to Gu Lianni. "Brother Zuo, why aren't you seeking the Godfire? Instead of taking the main road, you've come to squeeze through the narrow paths with us. What's your intention?"

His underlying meaning was clear: "Don't you already have this woman in your possession?"

Zuo Zisheng retorted directly, "Let's cut to the chase; where is Shi Chun and his group?"

Yin Tianlu was tempted to ask him outright, "Why should I tell you? Do you really think your Refining Heaven Sect can act like it's above everyone else?"

Now that the Black Tiger was dead, Yin Tianlu no longer had as many qualms. He also had no idea how he was going to report back to his sect.

However, the rationality befitting someone chosen to lead by his sect prevailed. His gaze shifted, and he softened his tone slightly as he replied, "If we knew where Shi Chun was, we wouldn't be wasting time here."

Zuo Zisheng frowned slightly. "You came all the way here without stopping—don't tell me you people just enjoy aimlessly running around in the Forbidden Land."

While speaking, he turned to look at Gu Lianni and asked, "Is the person who tracked Shi Chun and the others here?"

Gu Lianni didn't take Wu Shanshan seriously at all. She raised her hand and directly pointed to Wu Shanshan standing beside Yin Tianlu.

This gesture caused the masked Shi Chun to ponder deeply. The lingering, sinister undertones were indeed present in this witch, further solidifying his determination to silence her for good.

Zuo Zisheng's gaze immediately locked onto Wu Shanshan. Earlier, Gu Lianni had already explained to them that when she was surrounded by Extreme Fire Sect forces, Wu Shanshan and Black Tiger had led a group off in pursuit of Shi Chun's whereabouts.

Now that the Extreme Fire Sect group had appeared here, and Wu Shanshan was with them, the connection was easy enough to make.

So Zuo Zisheng tilted his chin at Wu Shanshan, speaking in a threatening tone, "Speak!"

Li Hongjiu, observing from the side, curled his lips into a smirk. He wasn't about to get involved in their bickering.

Unlike most Artifact Refining sects, Wu Shanshan wasn't particularly intimidated by the Refining Heaven Sect. However, the current circumstances truly placed her in a somewhat helpless position. She glanced at Yin Tianlu, gauging his reaction, and carefully deliberated her words, intending to subtly remind him.

Yin Tianlu had already come to the same conclusion as her. He extended his hand in front of Wu Shanshan, gesturing for her to step back behind him.

His stance made it clear he was protecting Wu Shanshan, which immediately caused Zuo Zisheng's group to look displeased. However, the Extreme Fire Sect wasn't just some small, insignificant sect. If things came to blows, they definitely wouldn't be easy to deal with.

Yin Tianlu shifted the topic back to Gu Lianni. "Miss Gu, aren't you supposed to know the Secret Technique for locating the Godfire? Yet you've come here looking for Shi Chun. Brother Zuo, could it be that you intend to block both the main road and the narrow path, leaving us without any options?"

Before Zuo Zisheng could respond, Gu Lianni quickly interjected, tossing the blame. "You're overthinking it. The Secret Technique for locating the Godfire isn't with me; it's with Shi Chun."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun, hidden among the crowd nearby, frowned and thought to himself, "This damned woman really exposed my Secret Technique for locating the Godfire?"

He knew his Fire God Incense trick couldn't withstand scrutiny in the Divine Fire Domain. If caught, his deception with the Fire God Incense would immediately be debunked, and the consequences of refusing to spill the truth would be unimaginable.

Even if exposed, he planned to stall until he got out of the Forbidden Land. Once outside, with no way to verify the truth, he could fabricate some incense and pass it off. The truth wouldn't emerge for at least two or three centuries.

As for matters two or three centuries down the road, his thoughts extended into the far future. He wasn't someone who could be manipulated easily, and once he was out of the domain, no one could simply detain him at will. At the very least, relevant parties would have to guarantee his survival until then. And if conflicts flared with Jieyun Mountain again, wouldn't those major Artifact Refining sects owe him a favor and offer assistance?

In the worst-case scenario, even if his secret was exposed sooner, he could stall until the current assembly ended.

By then, Shi Chun could lie low if he didn't feel like leaving. Given the various sects' obsession with the Godfire, they'd likely beg him to step outside.

In short, he had plenty of ways to escape. He could casually enumerate three or four methods by just counting on his fingers. Anyone worrying about his inability to leave through the exit was simply wasting their concern.

Gu Lianni's remarks, however, made Yin Tianlu want to laugh. He trusted Shi Chun's narrative more—that if the Secret Technique for locating the Godfire were truly in Shi Chun's possession, there was no way the Shudao Mountain group would let Shi Chun leave so easily.

Yin Tianlu and Wu Shanshan exchanged a quick glance instinctively. He then turned to Zuo Zisheng's group and asked, "Does Mr. Li and Brother Zuo believe this claim?"

Gu Lianni immediately placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, shouting, "What do you mean by that?"

Yin Tianlu responded with a smile yet said nothing.

Li Hongjiu also remained silent, content to let them bicker. It made no difference to him when their arguments concluded; all he cared about was the result.

If it weren't for his obligation to give his junior disciples an explanation, he wouldn't bother involving himself at all.

Zuo Zisheng remarked, "This is simple. Locate Shi Chun, and we can cross-check face-to-face to confirm."

Yin Tianlu nodded in agreement with this logic. However, he turned to Gu Lianni again, seeking confirmation, "Surely you've seen the kind of Secret Technique Shi Chun uses? Could you describe it?"

Gu Lianni maintained her deflection. "I truly don't know. When he performed the Secret Technique, he deliberately avoided others. I was curious too, but refrained from interfering at the time for the sake of smooth cooperation. Once you catch him, you'll naturally learn what it entails."

She wasn't about to easily betray Shi Chun. Over by the exit, it was clear Shi Chun was well aware of Jin Guiqi's elder violating the rules and involving himself. Unless absolutely necessary, she couldn't take that step.

Moreover, as a disciple of Shudao Mountain and the sect leader's daughter, she had to prioritize the sect's interests. Ideally, such a powerful Secret Technique could be kept under their control within their own sect.

So, she simply shifted all the blame onto Shi Chun. As for whether they could catch him or not, she now had inexplicable confidence in Shi Chun.

With the recent example still fresh in her mind, even small gusts of wind would see him slipping away in an instant. He was truly slippery—just like a mudfish. How could anyone catch him?

Combined with Shi Chun's previous displays of exceptional skill, she believed that even if they could seize Shudao Mountain itself, they wouldn't be able to seize that man.

She even began pondering whether, upon returning to Shudao Mountain, she should suggest recruiting people from the Land of Exile as disciples. Concerns over personal morality could be set aside for now, considering how some polished individuals hardly proved much more virtuous themselves.

Thus, she boldly and confidently passed the burden onto Shi Chun. After all, there was no way they'd be able to catch him to validate her claims.

She was perfectly content watching these people waste time and flounder about pointlessly—meanwhile, she'd already secured the Godfire and could rest easy with the advantage at hand. With food in her figurative belly, there was no reason to panic or recklessly start fights.

Until the truth came out, in any emergencies inside the Forbidden Land, these people would still have to protect them as best they could. If you faced reality with an open mind, you'd realize the treatment she was receiving wasn't half bad.

With the wind blowing fiercely, Shi Chun—who had been listening attentively—finally let out a mild breath of relief. There! That's what he'd been waiting for—how could she possibly betray him with so much leverage in his hands?

He also caught on that Gu Lianni was employing a stalling tactic.

Just confirming this alone was enough to make him feel the journey had been worth it.

Shi Chun knew he could continue collaborating with Gu Lianni. Encouraging her to take the initiative in dealing with Wu Shanshan was far more reliable than attempting an assassination himself. The difficulty of personally acting lay in escaping unscathed.

Gu Lianni, on the other hand, had no such complications. She could easily get close to Wu Shanshan; if she was bold enough, she could eliminate her openly, then fabricate an excuse afterward. At least, Shi Chun believed she dared take such action.

If worst came to worst, with cooperation from Shudao Mountain, her actions would at least hinder others sects and provide Shi Chun an opportunity to escape.

Having realized this simple solution, his thoughts turned eagerly toward ways to approach the Shudao Mountain group. Unfortunately, their members had been surrounded by Refining Heaven Sect and Yanbao Sect forces.

Left with few alternatives and no one to stir up trouble alongside him, Shi Chun knew that acting alone would be a challenge.

Looking at the howling wind, which almost seemed capable of blowing people away, a flash of inspiration crossed his gaze—he had an idea now...

During the standoff, Yin Tianlu looked at Gu Lianni with a deep, contemplative expression. The smirk at the corner of his mouth carried a trace of imperceptible mockery. Her earlier words made him realize she wasn't being entirely truthful with Zuo Zisheng's group. It further convinced him that Shi Chun's account was closer to the truth.

Of course, he didn't find this surprising. After all, why would the prestigious Shudao Mountain willingly comply with their demands?

However, he didn't expose the lie, nor did he reveal that he had already encountered Shi Chun or any related losses they'd suffered.

Instead of exposing anything, Yin Tianlu nodded slightly and cooperated, saying, "If that's the case, we should indeed confirm it. To be upfront, I've managed to uncover some clues. I'm willing to collaborate with everyone, but surely you won't expect us to work for nothing?"

Wu Shanshan understood that his willingness to compromise stemmed from a plan to let others test the waters. Coincidentally, that aligned with her own intentions.

It wasn't as if she had any other choice anyway. What was she supposed to do? Turncoat at the last moment and join the other side, forcing the Extreme Fire Sect members to take the lead in testing the waters? That wasn't realistic.

The Extreme Fire Sect wasn't some inconsequential minor sect either, much less a mere ornament. Asking them to work without offering any benefits would be unreasonable. Since negotiations had begun, Zuo Zisheng and his group would naturally start discussing terms with the other party.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted within the crowd.

"What is that?"

"Hey, what just happened?"

"Wait, it flew away! It escaped!"

A few streaks of blue light darted out from the crowd without warning.

In the face of the unknown, especially given the dangers of the Forbidden Land, the sudden blue streaks initially caused nearby individuals to panic and scatter in all directions. The chaos sent people bumping and jostling against one another; some even took flight to dodge.

By the time the blue streaks transformed into trails of glowing light and shot into the sky, those observing closely saw them rapidly retreating. They moved almost like stars returning to the firmament.

These streaks had originally been stored inside a small black cloth pouch. As the wind carried the pouch aloft and released its bindings, the contents inside immediately exposed themselves to light and flew away. The pouch itself was also whisked away in the wind, leaving no chance to stay grounded amidst the gale.

While everyone focused on the glowing streaks, the small black cloth pouch disappeared unnoticed into the night. Even when it blew past someone, it was mistaken for some torn scrap or piece of cloth. No one paid it much attention, even casually swatting it aside.

In the chaos, Yuan Yao—among the crowd—felt something carried by the wind smack against his face. Turning his head instinctively, his gaze landed upon a conspicuous figure who stood out if only for one reason: they were masked.

This masked individual had intended to wave at Yuan Yao to catch his attention, but seeing Yuan Yao had already noticed him, decided there was no need. After glancing left and right, the figure quickly pulled down his mask to reveal his real face, then re-covered it deftly. In the brief span of moments, Yuan Yao stared at him in astonishment before watching him refasten the mask snugly. Using a finger, the man made a shushing gesture against his lips.

Yuan Yao wasn't a fool. He understood that the gesture meant they needed to talk privately. While that was minor in itself, it was overshadowed by a more pressing question—this man wasn't supposed to be here! Wasn't he supposed to have fled?

More importantly, why was this guy masquerading among the crowd, openly listening to their plans to capture him? And the audacity—it wasn't like his masked appearance went unnoticed! Absolutely preposterous!

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