It has been countless years since anyone dared to come here uninvited, just as the woman who looked exactly like Zhener once predicted.

That's why they have always said: whoever would risk coming here to propose marriage to Zhener is either someone capable of dealing with them or truly Zhener's destined one.

If they don't truly have affection for Zhener, who would dare to propose here?

But the situation now seems rather chaotic. Master Nine sensed it—someone isn't just coming; it seems quite a lot of people are coming. Why?

For a moment, he truly couldn't wrap his head around it. What to do?

Shi Chun, who had already called for reinforcements, finally brought his questions to Master Nine, shamelessly asking Zhener, "Zhener, who is this?"

It was an obvious feigned ignorance. How could a strange-looking young man appear here? Either he's terrifying himself, or he's connected to someone terrifying.

Zhener replied, "This is Master Nine."

"Ah…" Shi Chun was taken aback, wearing an expression of guilt and horror.

Just as he was about to start flattering Nine in a frenzy, everyone's gaze shifted to the skies. Without a doubt, Li Hongjiu arrived, chasing with Wind Scale.

Li Hongjiu wasn't blind; with so many people gathered below, he naturally saw them.

Is this Lake Heart Island? Li Hongjiu had heard legends of this place from the elders—it is supposedly the core location of the Forbidden Land, the most terrifying place within it. According to hearsay, many legendary top experts of the Cultivation World had perished here.

While his heart trembled in secret, he also felt an inexplicable excitement and slight nervousness. He spotted the bizarrely dressed young man among the crowd, with Shi Chun bowing and scraping before the young man and clearly hiding behind him as though he were a shield.

The once frantic and panicked Shi Chun, who had fled from him earlier, now wore a mocking and provocative expression, reveling in his schadenfreude.

This petty villainous demeanor, ironically, explained quite a bit.

As for the young man, he clearly didn't regard Li Hongjiu with much importance. After briefly glancing at him, his gaze shifted back to the direction Li Hongjiu had come from.

Master Nine indeed paid him no heed; someone still relying on Wind Scale as a crutch to move around—what was he even worth?

Zhener, on the other hand, had spoken highly of Shi Chun in front of Master Nine, exaggeratedly lavishing praise on him. Based on Zhener's evaluation, Nine didn't think this person before him could be Shi Chun's match; the opponent was likely still behind.

It didn't take long—the forces from various sects quickly gathered. Though the numbers had dwindled from the initial rush, to Nine this was still an unprecedented scene.

The sight of over a thousand individuals confronting them—something he had never witnessed before—from the earlier groups that recklessly charged into the Divine Fire Domain attempting to open it, to the present unity of sects trapped here. Truly, it opened his eyes.

Sweeping his suspicious gaze over the floating forces in the sky, all cowering within Wind Scale, he failed to discern which among them could be considered experts.

Zuo Zisheng and others clung tightly behind Li Hongjiu, eyeing the young man on the island. At the very least, their observational skills were adequate—they, too, noticed the odd scene of Shi Chun's crew hiding behind the young man, feeling something amiss given the environment. No one dared to breathe heavily in such a situation.

A place where even sect elders wouldn't dare venture—why had they come here?

At this point, regret began to creep in. Why had they blindly followed Li Hongjiu?

Regret is forever tied to moments of reflection—its onset varies from one point in time to another.

The skies and the island fell silent. Apart from the roaring whir of Wind Scale spinning through the air, no other sound could be heard.

A tense standoff ensued.

And this persisted endlessly for what felt like an eternity.

Master Nine genuinely had no idea what he should do; he had already used a communication technique to transmit a message to the individuals in the tower below, asking for guidance.

The people in the tower below were equally conflicted. Initially, prioritizing the greater good, they hadn't intended to assist Shi Chun. But now, those pursuing Shi Chun seemed to have gone insane, actively assaulting their very doorstep.

Should they still prioritize the greater good?

"Old Nine, are you sure there isn't a single expert among them?"

The elder at the base of the tower asked seriously.

Old Nine's voice buzzed among the tower's depths, "This isn't a matter of whether there are experts—they're all far too weak. Every single one of them is of mortal flesh; clear at a single glance. Not a single Immortal Body among them—so how am I supposed to discern whether there are experts? Fight them to test their strength? Or perhaps handle each one individually to inspect them?"

A murmuring voice among the men interjected, "All of them are mere mortals… and yet, they dare to come here in swarms exceeding a thousand. These sects in the Artifact Refining World—do they still understand rules? Do they think we're dead?"

This seemed to spark a reminder in the elder's mind, and he immediately asked, "Are you certain that the arrivals are all individuals from the world of Artifact Refining?"

Finally, Master Nine on Lake Heart Island spoke up, tilting his head to ask, "Are these people all from the Artifact Refining World?"

This method of questioning, in turn, affirmed certain suspicions Li Hongjiu and the others harbored, leaving them secretly alarmed.

Zhener nodded enthusiastically, "They are."

Master Nine's gaze turned aside, "You know nothing. Think carefully first, will you?"

No need to specify who this comment was directed at; Shi Chun couldn't be so oblivious. He quickly interjected, "Master Nine, yes, they're all from the Artifact Refining World—they've been chasing after me."

Master Nine's voice echoed once more toward the depths of the tower, "You've all heard that now—not a doubt, they're all from the Artifact Refining World."

The silence in the tower deepened.

Waiting all these years, only to encounter such circumstances, completely unforeseen and baffling—none of them could make sense of how this situation had come to pass. It truly left them perplexed.

Seeing Master Nine hesitating and slightly uncertain, Shi Chun's nerves flared in agitation. Was Nine dissatisfied with this? He had already explained the pursuers were targeting him—so why hadn't Nine taken action against them yet?

He began to understand why Nine hadn't gotten involved previously, despite the commotion during his earlier confrontation with Li Hongjiu. Glancing toward Zhener, he wondered—had this woman failed to communicate everything? Or had something significant been omitted in their exchanges?

Meanwhile, Li Hongjiu, floating above, also realized that prolonging this standoff was unproductive. He broke the silence with power-infused speech, calling out loudly, "May I know who you are, esteemed one?"

This was also the question on the minds of the disciples from various sects.

After a brief pause, Master Nine asked slowly, "Since you belong to the Artifact Refining World, do you know what place this is?"

Naturally, Li Hongjiu knew. He chose his words carefully before responding, "Outsiders call this the Wuming Forbidden Land."

Master Nine: "If you know it's the Forbidden Land, then is your intrusion an intentional act or a mistake?"

Even Shi Chun grew anxious hearing this—it sounded far too courteous.

Li Hongjiu pointed to Wu Shanshan, "It's out of necessity—she has captured one of our people."

Master Nine glanced toward the unconscious Wu Shanshan, eliciting discomfort from Youu Mu, who held her protected with an "Ice Sheep" barrier.

Shi Chun immediately jumped to retaliate, shouting, "Since when did the Forget Love Valley start walking hand in hand with the Yanbao Sect? Li Hongjiu, cut the nonsense—she has nothing to do with you! She chased me and failed, winding up in our hands instead."

Li Hongjiu calmly replied, "Frankly speaking, Wu Shanshan is my fiancée."

"Hmm?" Shi Chun's eyes widened, stunned. He had seen shameless individuals before but never someone who truly treated their reputation so casually.

And yet, you really couldn't argue against this claim—it was perfect to advance or retreat tactically.

If the man had come here to rescue his wife, it wasn't unreasonable, was it?

And if he didn't succeed, he could abandon even his supposed wife, demonstrating due respect for the ancient monsters here.

The issue was—how could anyone prove Wu Shanshan wasn't Li Hongjiu's fiancée? Wake Wu Shanshan and have her testify?

Even Wu Jinliang felt the same, staring dumbfounded at Li Hongjiu. This didn't match the typical reputation of disciples from famous sects, did it?

Disciples from famous sects usually cared deeply about their reputations, no?

Not just Wu Jinliang—the other floating disciples from various sects collectively turned their gazes toward Li Hongjiu, many sporting expressions of admiration. Able to fight and willing to yield—he was truly a talent.

What they didn't know, however, was that only the disciples from Yanbao Sect understood this man. Within their sect, this particular elder was frequently punished and reprimanded. Unreliable behavior was his norm; reputation had long ceased to matter to him.

Among all present, the greatest reaction came from the Qianyan Sect. Li Hongjiu's statement immediately alarmed them.

They feared that if Li Hongjiu reclaimed Wu Shanshan, the confrontation's truth would unravel. And once exposed, those who tried to harm Wu Shanshan would never leave the Divine Fire Domain alive—there was no way past the final exit checkpoint.

Master Nine then turned to look at Shi Chun, a slight furrow forming on his brow.

Seeing this response, Shi Chun internally panicked—what was going on? Was Nine implying that he had done wrong?

Quickly, he rushed to defend himself, exclaiming, "Master Nine, don't listen to his lies! This man may look eloquent and composed, but his words are full of deceit. He's trying to fool you! Master Nine, think about it—he dared to intrude here and cause trouble. Even if the hostage were returned to him, he wouldn't retreat peacefully."

Looking at the situation carefully, the peace-seeking Master Nine pondered—could it be that Shi Chun had a point? With this thought, he turned his gaze back to Li Hongjiu.

But before Nine could respond, Li Hongjiu proactively offered his terms, saying, "Master Nine, as long as he returns my fiancée to me, I will immediately withdraw with my people."

With no clear understanding of Shi Chun's apparent alliance with this "Master Nine," Li Hongjiu couldn't deduce the nature of their cooperation. Seeing Shi Chun boldly prowling the Forbidden Land raised questions—but at the very least, retrieving Wu Shanshan must take priority.

First, he could uncover the culprit behind the murders of Yanbao Sect disciples.

Second, Wu Shanshan's tracking technique would make chasing Shi Chun much easier, unless he could hide in the Forbidden Land indefinitely.

Third, if Nine agreed to return Shanshan peacefully, then this place would become even more intriguing—likely holding deeper mysteries worth exploring.

These thoughts did not escape Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang—they immediately picked up on the implications of Li Hongjiu's reasoning, growing increasingly alarmed upon noticing Nine's apparent willingness to relent.

Shi Chun wasn't one to remain silent—he promptly rebutted with a strategic shout, "Li Hongjiu, are you suggesting that if Master Nine doesn't return Wu Shanshan to you, you'll dare to attack him?"

Upon hearing those words, Gong Shixi couldn't help but silently applaud.

But Li Hongjiu wasn't fazed. Ignoring Shi Chun entirely, he raised his voice to ask Nine directly, "Master Nine, my wife has been forcefully detained, suffering untold humiliation. May I ask—what does Master Nine think is the right response to this?"

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