As Shi Chun had anticipated, Wu Shanshan indeed followed their trail with her group in pursuit.

Upon returning to the Sky Pit, the sects' followers burst into chatter, saying all sorts of things—some cursing Shi Chun for his craftiness, while others dismissing it as expected. They reasoned that Shi Chun wasn't familiar with the Forbidden Land, so naturally, he would stick to familiar routes.

The bigger question for many was: who on earth had the time and energy to fill such an enormous Sky Pit?

The person responsible didn't seem to hear any of this, and simply kept drinking from his wine gourd.

The Yanbao Sect remained quiet as well. Occasionally, they glanced at the drinker. The group had now understood that their junior uncle's usual low profile approach was correct—being discreet really did prevent a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Gu Lianni took the opportunity to motion Yuan Yao aside for a private conversation.

"Uncle, what's the matter?" Yuan Yao asked, puzzled.

Gu Lianni whispered, "We didn't follow through on our original agreement with Shi Chun, meaning we've broken our word. He's bound to resent us. Do we still stand a chance of obtaining his Secret Technique for locating the Divine Fire?"

Yuan Yao thought for a moment before replying in a low voice, "The Secret Technique for finding the Divine Fire is extraordinary. If it's revealed, even the ten elders guarding the entrance would be startled. At that point, who would still care about rules? I'm sure Shi Chun knows this himself. If he wants Shudao Mountain to help him get out, he'll have to rely on us.

We've set the stage, and the rest isn't up to us. With Elder Jin involved, this will ultimately be handled by the Sect. If things turn out well, we'll naturally gain merit. If things go poorly, we won't bear the blame."

Though this rationale made sense, Gu Lianni wanted to handle the matter properly. However, given the current situation, she had to defer to Yuan Yao's plan.

It surprised her that despite being the Sect Leader's daughter, she found herself doing something that prioritized avoiding mistakes over achieving success—something she had always looked down upon in other disciples. Now, she realized she was no different.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Situ Gu from the Extreme Fire Sect was quietly observing their interaction.

Ever since the Black Tiger incident, the information brought back by his sectmates had stuck with Situ Gu. Shi Chun had claimed to have given the Secret Technique for locating the Divine Fire to Shudao Mountain. Situ Gu hadn't forgotten this and couldn't afford to. He had been carefully calculating his move.

Based on his sectmates' recounts, when the Black Tiger's group initially attacked, Shi Chun had no intention to retaliate—it was the Black Tiger followers who struck first, which led to the unforeseen outcome.

This meant Shi Chun's claim about handing over the Secret Technique could very well be true given the circumstances at the time.

Though uncertain of its authenticity, Situ Gu needed to verify it.

Without the Black Tiger to count on for victory, and with most of his sect's magical treasures destroyed, along with the sect's prized relic—the Desolate Broken Blade—already gambled away, Situ Gu had no way to face his Sect upon returning empty-handed.

Acquiring the Secret Technique had become his last hope to redeem himself. If he could bring it back, it would outweigh his failures and secure his position.

Whether it was exclusive to him or accessible to all sects would dictate the extent of his achievement.

Therefore, he dare not reveal his intentions to others. Verification had to be done discreetly. If he tried to involve other sects, they might demand a share, compromising his sole gain.

If worst came to worst, he could still join forces with the other sects to pressure Shudao Mountain—but not until he had no other choice.

Unfortunately, Shudao Mountain's people were constantly under Refining Heaven Sect's close watch, leaving Situ Gu no chance to intervene privately. Thus, he continued to observe, waiting for the right opportunity to act.

At the edge of the crowd, Gong Shixi was also keeping an eye on a particular group. Standing outside the main situation, he scrutinized reactions and behaviors among the sects, paying close attention to the big sects outside the Four Great Sects. He noted that Golden Appearance Hall, East Cloud Island, and Fall Flame Mountain had distinctly joined forces.

His junior sectmates, Zhou Wudao and Xun Lishan, exchanged whispers before walking up to him.

After signaling their other sectmates to disperse nearby onlookers, Zhou Wudao spoke quietly, "Senior Brother, I don't think there's anything for us to worry about anymore. With the situation escalating this far, the elders guarding the exit won't let them out easily."

Gong Shixi glanced at him and said in a low voice, "What if he exchanges the Secret Technique? Or reveals the method for finding the Divine Fire to everyone? They don't care about the Secret Technique itself—they only care about securing victory. As long as they can obtain the artifact, they'll discard the Secret Technique without hesitation."

He leaned closer and added ominously, "We must ensure there are no mistakes this time. The Mingshan Sect's people must die—ideally, every single one of them. At the very least, we cannot allow key figures essential to their success to leave alive!"

Both Zhou Wudao and Xun Lishan straightened their expressions upon hearing this.

Gong Shixi continued instructing, "We cannot act directly. We must keep communication open with Refining Heaven Sect's informants. At critical moments, they'll need to intervene on our behalf."

The two nodded subtly.

As this conversation ended, another commotion arose in the crowd. Wu Shanshan had again mobilized several major sects to set off.

Naturally, the rest of the sects followed suit.

The group ran for a while before realizing something was off. Shi Chun's previous route had suggested he intended to exit the Forbidden Land, but now he was diverting elsewhere—toward the Forbidden Land's center.

The terrifying nature of the center meant there couldn't possibly be any room for luck there. Should they continue chasing?

A few sects found this prospect overwhelming; feeling it was too much, they gritted their teeth and withdrew.

Their leaders had wanted to keep going, but those among them who believed they wouldn't benefit regardless had protested vehemently. With dissent from their peers, even the sect leaders had to abandon the pursuit.

Once one sect withdrew, others quickly followed suit.

After much commotion, over ten smaller sects departed, nearly a hundred individuals leaving. They decided to escape the Forbidden Land within the limited time left to try their luck outside instead.

Under the starry sky scattered with radiant points, the eerie silhouette of the terrain remained still, like a lifeless canvas. A group descended from above—it was Shi Chun and his followers.

Shi Chun pulled Zhener aside for a private moment. After embracing, the two parted ways.

Shi Chun waved goodbye as Zhener rose into the air.

Beyond the mountains Zhener headed toward lay the Earth Heart Tower.

Shi Chun had never seen the Earth Heart Tower and didn't know its true nature, but Zhener had described it to him. As its name suggested, it was a tower situated underground, forged in ancient times by the Fire God and his followers.

Watching the mysterious duo, Wu Jinliang couldn't hold back any longer. He came over and asked bluntly, "What's she up to? Everyone's asking what we're doing."

Shi Chun took a moment to catch his breath before answering casually, "Arranging a marriage proposal."

Others might not understand his words, but Wu Jinliang did. He had been present when Zhener initially mentioned the proposal and had even questioned it in detail. Naturally, he grasped the meaning at once.

His eyes widened in shock. "Spring… You're kidding, right? This isn't funny—this is far too dangerous!"

He couldn't believe Shi Chun would marry someone like Zhener—a being neither human nor ghost.

Shi Chun knew Wu Jinliang wouldn't believe him, so he didn't bother hiding it, replying straightforwardly, "I know it's dangerous, which is why I asked Zhener to negotiate first. If the talks succeed, under the guise of a 'marriage proposal,' we'll be able to approach the Earth Heart Tower—just approach, not enter—and wait for the others to catch up."

He glanced at Wu Jinliang meaningfully and added, "Those granted permission to approach should be safe."

Wu Jinliang instantly understood: in contrast, their pursuers would meet a grim fate.

This was a devious plan to use the Earth Heart Tower's old monsters to deal with their relentless pursuers.

Still, Wu Jinliang couldn't help but worry. "Those monsters are capable of attacking from a distance. How can we be certain we'll escape unscathed afterwards?"

Shi Chun replied, "Zhener will pacify the old monsters for us. If we can leave directly, we'll do so. If not, we'll stall by claiming we need external items for the marriage proposal. Isn't one of the elders interested in seeing a proper external proposal? They've never witnessed such a thing before. If necessary, we'll have Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu represent the groom's side and stay behind to liaise with the bride's side."

Wu Jinliang smirked, realizing that the so-called 'liaison' was merely the excuse to leave Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu as hostages to reassure the monsters.

Shi Chun clearly didn't care about their fate, and Wu Jinliang cared even less.

He saw the plan had already been carefully considered and felt reassured. However, curiosity prompted him to ask, "What happens next?"

Shi Chun replied, "What else? We run out of the Forbidden Land as quickly as possible. The monsters can't leave the Forbidden Land, so once we're out, they won't be able to do anything to us. After that, we only need to hide near the Divine Fire Domain's exit until it opens. With Wu Shanshan and her group out of the picture, no one will know our location."

Wu Jinliang chuckled mischievously, "I wasn't asking about the plan. I was asking about that silly girl who keeps drooling over you. She's stupidly devoted, unusually pure, and exceptionally beautiful. You don't find people like her outside. Losing her seems like a pity. She can't cross the boundary of the Forbidden Land, and if she breaks through by force, she'll likely explode before she even reaches the exit. No… actually, those old monsters would kill her once they know she's been deceived."

Shi Chun shot him a glance, his face expressionless. "We won't meet her again after parting. Whatever happens to her isn't our concern. To her, we're just fleeting passersby. Even if we don't deceive her, she has no way out. If she learns not to cling to unrealistic hopes, she might live better in the future."

Perhaps everyone has compassion in their hearts. Wu Jinliang sighed and shook his head slightly, "If she really helps us through this calamity, I hope she survives the monsters. I hope she can live as you described. She's truly unlucky—to be tricked by Situ Gu, and then by us… You've made the most of it, haven't you? Holding her, kissing her, and everything else between—though I guess you didn't have the time or chance for anything beyond that."

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