Unlike before, finding Shi Chun now was easy. Li Hongjiu knew where Shi Chun and his group were hiding—it wasn't far. He just waited at the spot where they parted ways earlier.

However, he didn't head there directly, worried that Shi Chun might be discovered by others. He wasn't planning on sharing Shi Chun with the other sects just yet. Like a thief, he circled around a few times before finally sneaking into Shi Chun's hiding place.

Shi Chun, his face masked, wasn't hiding at all. He sat openly on the mountaintop, waiting for Li. People had passed by earlier and seen him, but he hadn't bothered to conceal himself.

Li Hongjiu, in contrast, wasn't willing to climb up and stand out on the mountaintop. He hid in the valley below, whistled a few times, picked up stones to throw them, and kept gesturing for Shi Chun to come down.

Recognizing Li, Shi Chun leapt down into the valley and asked, "Brother Jiu, what's the situation?"

Li Hongjiu replied, "I followed your instructions. Fengluo Sect's people have gone to the Ice Field, and Gong Shixi's group headed toward the Iron Forest."

"How many people did Gong Shixi take with him?" Shi Chun pressed for details.

Li Hongjiu answered him one by one.

After confirming the situation, Shi Chun immediately gathered his men and set off urgently toward the area around the Iron Forest.

They raced ahead, and as they approached the Iron Forest, Shi Chun called for a halt. He pointed up and down at Li Hongjiu, who stuck close to him, and said, "Brother Jiu, dress like us—cover everything, head to toe."

Li Hongjiu chuckled, "I'm not someone who can't be seen; there's no need to dress like some masked bandit."

Shi Chun shot him a glare. "Good brother, if you show up openly like this, don't expect Gong Shixi's group to tell the truth."

Li Hongjiu paused, understanding Shi Chun's implication. Apparently, Shi Chun intended for Li to brazenly appear in Gong Shixi's group—a wild strategy indeed.

Li had been thinking of hiding and spying from the shadows. Clearly, his cheap brother's methods were far more blunt and direct.

Still, he had some concerns. "We've met face-to-face multiple times. If I show up in front of them, won't they recognize me?"

Shi Chun responded, "You're overthinking it. We're all masked. Even with you added, our group is still short of two people compared to before. Stand further back, and no one will scrutinize you closely."

What nonsense! Li Hongjiu really wasn't accustomed to this crude and unrefined style that lacked any tactical finesse. He'd thought himself casual, but now he realized Shi Chun operated on an entirely different level of nonchalance. The guy did whatever worked, no matter how rough—like the time he'd casually infiltrated the enemy's ranks under disguise and carried out an assassination.

It wasn't about courage or daring.

Ultimately, even Li Hongjiu had to admit this crude method worked. He went along with it and donned a black outfit, mask, and gear to blend in.

Shi Chun rallied his group to move forward, but instead of heading straight for their destination, they circled halfway around the Iron Forest to enter covertly from another direction.

Just as expected, they spotted members of the Qianyan Sect sneaking around, searching for something.

With a hand gesture from Shi Chun, everyone hid in place.

When two Qianyan Sect disciples crept closer, Shi Chun shouted, "Attack!" His crew sprang out, surrounding the pair.

The two Qianyan Sect disciples pressed their backs together in fear. One let out a sharp whistle to call for reinforcements.

Upon hearing the distress call, other Qianyan Sect members quickly converged, including Gong Shixi himself.

The groups were evenly matched in numbers, and they immediately fell into a tense standoff. Shi Chun counted their people—yes, everyone was here. Good, that made things easier.

With a raspy voice, he barked, "Who dares sneak around here?"

Gong Shixi scanned the group, his gaze pausing first on the hulking figure of Wu Jinliang, then assessing the masked Shi Chun's build. After a moment's comparison, he smirked bitterly and pointed at Wu Jinliang. "Brother Chun, with his size, do you really think anyone's blind enough to not know who you are? Is there any point in the disguise?"

He had intended to sneak around and investigate but didn't expect things to escalate like this. He hoped Shi Chun wouldn't play dumb and instigate a fight since he knew Shi Chun had several powerful Magical Treasures.

Being discovered wasn't a big deal; Gong Shixi figured he could still lure people to wipe out Shi Chun's group later.

Shi Chun wasn't surprised to be recognized. He tore off his mask, placed a hand behind his back, and said, "Why are you here? Planning to ambush us?"

As he spoke, the hand behind his back gestured discreetly.

Wu Jinliang let out an eerie chuckle from beneath his mask and pulled out three Magical Treasures shaped like meditation mats. He activated them, summoning a Divine Demon Dharma Form holding a knife, spear, and sword.

"It's a misunderstanding!" Gong Shixi hastily waved his hands, trying to explain. "You have valuable treasures; we wouldn't dare to ambush you. We're just passing through. The unique terrain here made us wonder if we could find some Divine Fire. But Brother Chun, why are you dressed like this?"

Shi Chun casually waved the knife in his hand. "What we do is none of your business. Let me ask you, why has Li Hongjiu been relentlessly hunting us, claiming we killed Yanbao Sect disciples? What's the meaning of that?"

Shi Chun had expected some back-and-forth, but Gong Shixi was surprisingly straightforward. "There's nothing I can do. You want Wu Shanshan, but those sects are aligned with her. If I don't eliminate them, how could I deliver Wu Shanshan to you? Besides, Li Hongjiu's accusation was just an excuse. Do you think Yanbao Sect disciples staying alive would make Li Hongjiu spare you?"

As these words rang out, Li Hongjiu, half-hidden behind Shen Moming, fixed Gong Shixi with a cold, piercing glare. His earlier suspicion turned into grim certainty—so it was true!

Having heard enough, Shi Chun hesitated no longer. The hand behind his back gave a decisive signal.

Wu Jinliang grinned viciously. His three Divine Demon Dharma Forms instantly teleported above the enemy group, unleashing a powerful suppression that immobilized everyone beneath—a force equivalent to three Earth Immortal-level entities wielding fifth-grade Magical Treasures. The resulting pressure worked like an immobilization charm, rendering anyone caught within unable to move.

Due to the indiscriminate nature of the suppression, four disciples from Mingshan Sect on Shi Chun's side were also caught and unable to move.

"You scum! Don't think I don't know who has been inciting the sects to target me!" Shi Chun snarled as he gave another signal, mimicking an eye-stabbing gesture.

The terrified Gong Shixi widened his eyes, attempting to protest or explain.

But the weapons of the three Divine Demon Dharma Forms—a knife, spear, and sword—had already struck, brutally injuring Gong Shixi, Xun Lishan, and Zhou Wudao, leaving them unconscious and bleeding. What followed was a whirlwind of blades and crimson carnage as fragments of bodies flew through the air amidst Wu Jinliang's sinister laughter.

Shi Chun's intentions were clear: he spared those he needed and slaughtered everyone else from the Qianyan Sect.

This scene left even Li Hongjiu a bit stunned.

As the Divine Demon Dharma Form's pressure was lifted, the immobilized Mingshan Sect disciples quickly escaped the bloodbath and rallied to Shi Chun's side.

Shi Chun turned to face Li Hongjiu, grinning amidst the stench of blood. "Brother Jiu, what do you think? I said I'd deliver, didn't I?"

Li Hongjiu pulled off his mask and coldly approached the unconscious Gong Shixi and his companions. What he intended was unclear, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Shi Chun promptly extended an arm to block him. "Those three can't be killed yet."

Li Hongjiu raised an eyebrow, a silent but clear demand for an explanation.

Shi Chun feigned exaggerated surprise. "Brother Jiu, did you think I'd let them off the hook? Jinliang!" He turned and signaled Wu Jinliang.

Wu Jinliang grabbed two swords from the ground and began slashing Gong Shixi and his companions mercilessly, severing their limbs.

Li Hongjiu watched with a twitching eyelid, as did the group from Mingshan Sect—not out of shock at the brutality, but at Wu Jinliang's chilling indifference to human life.

Shi Chun spread his palms, as if to say, "Are you satisfied now?" He then explained, "Brother Jiu, nothing personal. Wu Shanshan confessed that these guys were the ones secretly orchestrating the sects against me. They've done me so much harm—I won't give them a quick death. I'll make sure they can't live or die peacefully!"

As he spoke, Wu Jinliang crouched beside the mutilated, unconscious three, planting restrictive spells on their bodies. At the same time, he touched their throats and used magic to destroy their ability to speak.

Shi Chun pointed toward Wu Jinliang. "You know how people say they want revenge so badly they'd eat their enemies alive? My brother Jinliang has some excellent culinary skills from the Land of Exile. Trust me, he knows the best cuts of meat, and he'll prepare it in a way that'll leave you completely satisfied, Brother Jiu. It's guaranteed to be delicious and cathartic."

Li Hongjiu froze, staring at Shi Chun before turning his gaze toward Wu Jinliang's disturbing grin. Wu Jinliang was tasting his bloodied hand with relish and gave Li a goofy smile before starting to carve meat.

The crowd from Mingshan Sect was aghast, suddenly recalling grim tales from the Land of Exile, including ones about eating human flesh. Wu Jinliang's behavior almost made them retch.

To top it off, Zhener curiously blurted out, "I want to try too."

The group's collective gaze snapped toward her.

Li Hongjiu usually had a casual demeanor, but this time he couldn't hold it together. Unable to look directly, he realized his tolerance had reached its limit. He averted his gaze and faced Shi Chun instead, coughing dryly, "Brother, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you enjoy it without me. I still need to figure out how to get you all out. By the way, what about Fengluo Sect?"

Eager to change the subject, Li Hongjiu shifted the focus.

Shi Chun complied. "No problem. I'll head there later to deliver them a Divine Fire. Brother Jiu, Jinliang's cooking skills are unmatched—you really should…"

Li Hongjiu interrupted him, "Once I confirm an exit plan, I'll notify you. Let's meet at the usual spot."

"Alright." Shi Chun expressed his gratitude profusely.

And then came the unmistakable sounds of chewing and gulping. Li Hongjiu pursed his lips—he couldn't bear staying another moment. He vanished with a flicker.

Shi Chun watched him leave with a chuckle and shook his head. "What a peculiar guy. Despite being an Artifact Refiner, he genuinely has no interest in Divine Fire."

Turning back, he muttered to himself about the two Divine Fires he held. He'd thought Li Hongjiu would have shown some curiosity, but surprisingly, he hadn't even brought it up.

"Bleh." Wu Jinliang, now standing, spat out the flesh he'd chewed. He was used to finer food now.

As Shi Chun glanced at the horrified expressions of Mingshan Sect's group as they watched Wu Jinliang, he immediately understood their aversion to certain things. With a laugh, he explained, "Don't overthink it. He never eats that kind of stuff. It's just that Li Hongjiu—he's too cunning. If I don't disgust him into leaving, he'd definitely interrogate these three for answers."

Actions speak louder than words.

Even as Shi Chun spoke, the group saw Wu Jinliang instinctively lick the blood on his lips. His throat bobbed unmistakably—he had swallowed it.

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