After watching Youu Mu leave, Xu Anzhang glanced around and once again found himself wracked with uncertainty.

Firstly, he was worried that Youu Mu might fail. If Youu Mu failed, the consequences were obvious — he would be cornered with no escape. Honestly, it would be safer if the two of them acted together, but someone had to remain here.

Secondly, he wondered if he was being too impulsive. After all, there was still no confirmation that anything extraordinary was actually inside this place. What if it all turned out to be for nothing?

Regret would be useless now. In truth, when he made his decision earlier, he already knew it was an impulsive one.

Yet, knowing how easily the people here could be defeated stirred an irresistible thrill in him — that kind of feeling was incomprehensible to outsiders. So many legends ended at this very place.

A lifetime of living under the control of others, or risking everything to rise above them — this was a rare, heart-stopping opportunity that made it all worth it, even if it meant enduring some hardship. Living under others' control for extended periods was no less a form of suffering; otherwise, why would he have taken this risk to come to the Divine Fire Domain?

He had no idea how long he stewed in this state of doubt, but when Shi Chun emerged, he failed to notice until footsteps approached him, jolting him back to his senses.

Looking around at the cave entrance, Shi Chun noticed one person missing and asked with some surprise, "Where did Youu Mu go?"

Xu Anzhang was equally surprised that Shi Chun came out alone, but quickly explained, "I was worried that Li Hongjiu and his crew might show up again, so I sent Youu Mu to scout the surroundings."

His proactive attitude caught Shi Chun slightly off guard, as Xu Anzhang had never shown such enthusiasm before. For instance, he had always opposed Shi Chun venturing into the Divine Fire Domain from the Iron Forest in the past.

Especially sending Youu Mu off without consulting anyone — if something went wrong, there wouldn't even be anyone left to report back.

Shi Chun, known for his alertness, would always become suspicious at the slightest abnormality.

However, what Shi Chun didn't know was that Li Hongjiu had already been taught a lesson by an intimidating presence. Making allowances, he could understand Xu Anzhang's behavior — after all, Li Hongjiu was indeed fierce. Previously, he had shown he didn't fear this place. If Shi Chun wanted to find him here again, it was entirely possible. Xu Anzhang's cautious approach to ensure his own safety was only natural.

Still, something about the situation felt off. Could it be that this guy hadn't yet guessed the nature of the people in this tower? With individuals like these present, what was there to fear about Li Hongjiu?

Regardless, the sense of unease lingered in Shi Chun's mind.

For now, though, Shi Chun decided to set it aside. His purpose in bringing Xu Anzhang and Youu Mu here wasn't for enjoyment; there were tasks he needed them to accomplish. Although one person had left, one remained, which would suffice for now.

Tilting his head slightly to signal Xu Anzhang, Shi Chun moved further from the cave entrance and whispered, "Later on, I'll arrange a sparring match. You need to act appropriately."

"Sparring?" Xu Anzhang asked blankly, "Sparring with whom?"

Shi Chun replied, "This tower has nine levels, each guarded by someone ranging from the Master on the first level to Master Nine on the ninth. Whoever you encounter, just match up with them. You'll act accordingly."

Xu Anzhang's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Why are we sparring with them?"

Shi Chun clicked his tongue. "Just follow orders."

The real purpose of bringing the two of them here was precisely for this — to test why these individuals refrained from acting against Li Hongjiu. Naturally, the primary aspect Shi Chun wanted to check was their strength. For dangerous tasks like this, it was logical to send subordinates whose lives weren't deemed valuable. Did they expect someone like him, the Master, to take the risk personally?

When Shi Chun led the two of them down before, he had intended to seize an opportunity for testing. However, the Master on the first level had suddenly lost his temper upon seeing them and drove them out immediately, leaving Shi Chun with no chance for conversation.

Undeterred, he still wanted to test the waters. Using another excuse, he ventured out again to find the two of them, only to discover that one had already left. With one remaining, he had no choice but to proceed with that one.

Still, Xu Anzhang was understandably reluctant to accept this arrangement. Mentally, he cursed Shi Chun's ancestors.

On the Demon Path, however, things didn't operate on a simple voluntary basis. Sacrifices had to be made, and if a subordinate couldn't find a valid reason to convince the leader, refusal often wasn't an option.

If Xu Anzhang rejected this order now and the situation went awry, he would struggle to provide explanations upon returning. The consequences would be beyond ordinary imagination.

After all, the Demon Path wielded fearsome methods to control subordinates.

With a deeply conflicted expression, Xu Anzhang said hesitantly, "Spring Brother, if I don't know the reason for the sparring session, how will I know the boundaries to maintain?"

Shi Chun dismissed the concern. "I'll handle the boundaries. It's none of your concern. Just fight boldly with all your might."

Forcing a smile, Xu Anzhang tried to object, "Spring Brother, there's no need for sparring. I certainly can't match their strength. Clearly, you're stronger than me — wouldn't it be more fitting for you, Spring Brother, to take this on instead?"

Shi Chun retorted, "I have my plans. If you provoke displeasure during sparring, I can smooth things over for you. If I end up offending them, what can you do to fix it? To these people, you're insignificant."

"..."

The blunt truth shut Xu Anzhang up entirely.

At this point, Xu Anzhang fully understood Shi Chun's real intent behind the so-called 'sparring' — Shi Chun had likely deduced some issues with the strength of the individuals here as well. Otherwise, he wouldn't have concocted a sparring scenario seemingly out of nowhere.

Yet, that didn't mean Xu Anzhang was inclined to personally test the waters. Even knowing the rumored dynamics at play, opposing individuals from a place like this was still nerve-wracking.

His original plan had been for Youu Mu to retrieve the artifact and undertake the testing. Never in his wildest dreams had he anticipated that such an undesirable task would fall to him. Had he known, he would've insisted on keeping Youu Mu here.

Faced with reality, he couldn't escape now. Hearing the insider knowledge made him somewhat willing to proceed, but he still tried to decline discreetly. "Spring Brother, why not let people from the Mingshan Sect spar instead?"

The underlying message was that they were truly expendable, so losing a few wouldn't matter.

Xu Anzhang hoped to stall for time until Youu Mu returned.

However, Shi Chun was having none of that. This wasn't some kind of noble negotiation; the discussion had already reached its limit. Dragging things further wasn't feasible, like prolonging a betrothal gift arrangement unnecessarily. Rapid decisions were necessary — whether to proceed or leave — to avoid complications. Otherwise, why bring these two along? Weren't they here for efficient, decisive action?

Shi Chun adamantly dismissed the idea. "I already told you it's just sparring. They won't harm you. Just go along with it."

Xu Anzhang found himself cornered, unable to refuse outright. Spreading his hands slightly, he said, "With no rhyme or reason, and considering they don't even value me, why would they agree to spar with me?"

Shi Chun explained impatiently, "There are countless excuses — for instance, Youu Mu is missing, and you suspect it has something to do with them, so you lose your temper. Or why were you allowed inside while we weren't? That's another excuse for anger. Do I have to spell this out for you?"

Xu Anzhang gaped at him, incredulously asking, "Spring Brother, are you asking me to spar, or stir up trouble? Aren't you afraid they might kill me?"

Shi Chun replied firmly, "With me here, you don't need to be afraid. I'll ensure they don't cross the line. Trust me."

Shi Chun didn't allow further objections. Placing a hand on Xu Anzhang's shoulder, he whispered in his ear, "Act immediately after I go down. No hesitation is allowed. If you disobey me, don't worry about whether they'll kill you — first, worry if I will kill you."

With a pat on Xu Anzhang's shoulder, Shi Chun briskly moved past him and disappeared into the cavern below.

Confronted with Shi Chun's unmistakably coercive orders, Xu Anzhang's expression darkened, alternating between anger and helplessness, while inwardly cursing him.

Moments after Shi Chun reached the base of the tower and met Master and the others, the faint sound of heavy thudding echoed through the structure. Interspersed were Xu Anzhang's furious shouts, commanding, "Come out! Come out!"

Master, Master Nine, and Zhener all looked surprised, their gazes collectively falling on Shi Chun.

Feigning total innocence, Shi Chun spread his hands as if he were as clueless about the situation as they were. Then, hastily, he turned back to check what was going on.

Master Nine and Zhener couldn't remain idle either and quickly headed outside. The Master, however, remained composed, continuing to sit in place.

Once alone, a woman's voice with an air of detachment resounded in the hollow space, "Well, that didn't take long — he couldn't hold back after all. Nine, be cautious."

Rushing upstairs, the group finally reached the top-level exit, only to find Xu Anzhang furiously smashing against the metallic walls. As he struck, bursts of radiant light rippled across the surface.

Shi Chun promptly intervened, shoving Xu Anzhang aside and yelling, "What are you doing? What's with all this noise?"

With rage in his eyes, Xu Anzhang retorted, "Why can you go in, but not me? Why are we being excluded from inside? What exactly is this place? What secrets are you hiding from us?"

As he spoke, his finger pointed accusingly at Master Nine, demanding, "Who exactly are these people?"

Zhener stared at him incredulously, stunned, before quickly glancing toward Master Nine, worried about the possibility of upsetting him.

Shi Chun raised a hand, signaling Xu Anzhang to step outside and calm down.

"If you won't explain, I'll handle things myself!" Xu Anzhang angrily brushed Shi Chun's hand away and launched himself toward Master Nine.

Master Nine's lips twitched slightly before smoothly sidestepping the attack.

Xu Anzhang wasn't deterred—pushing on, he attacked again.

The two began a tense game of dodging and pursuit. Master Nine focused solely on avoidance, refusing to engage. As Xu Anzhang grew increasingly emboldened by Master Nine's lack of counterattacks, his moves became more aggressive. His strikes caused thunderous impacts within the metallic ring road, putting Master Nine in precarious positions that he narrowly escaped.

While Master Nine skillfully managed to evade each attack, the situation revealed undeniable nimbleness in his movements. Seizing an opportunity, he fled through the exit.

Chasing him outside, Xu Anzhang scanned the area and looked up. Hovering elegantly above was Master Nine, suspended in midair.

Although the sight appeared formidable, Xu Anzhang rationalized that the floating ability wasn't unusual for a Fire Spirit Monster.

Preparing to spring upward, Shi Chun stepped out and swiftly brandished the Immortal Strangling Silk, issuing a stern warning, "Behave yourself! If not, don't blame me for acting mercilessly!"

Simultaneously, Shi Chun shot a meaningful glance toward Xu Anzhang, urging him to let it go.

With no way to take advantage of his surroundings to fight a floating opponent, the attempt seemed futile now. Seeing the artifact in Shi Chun's hand discouraged him further, prompting him to relent, throwing up his sleeves in frustration as he stomped off.

"Master Nine," Shi Chun said apologetically, bowing with clasped hands.

Finally descending from the void, Master Nine seemed unbothered by Xu Anzhang's petulance. Addressing Shi Chun with a single cautionary remark, he said, "Given you've come for marriage, I'll let this slide to maintain harmony. But if he dares act out again, these talks are off."

With a cold snort, Master Nine left.

As he passed Zhener upon reentering the cavern, his good-natured response clearly stunned her. She stared at him with an expression of disbelief that he would tolerate such disrespect.

After watching him enter, Shi Chun gestured for Zhener to follow and offer reassurance.

Once Zhener departed, Shi Chun immediately hurried back to Xu Anzhang's side.

Xu Anzhang glanced around quickly before murmuring, "His movements were too agile; this is the best I could do."

"It'll suffice. Now, head back to where we first set up camp. Wu Jinliang should've left markers at the top level; follow the markers to find him and have him bring reinforcements immediately." Shi Chun instructed, crushing a stone in his hand. Using the powder, he traced the shape of the markers into his palm and taught Xu Anzhang how to identify directions.

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