Wu Jinliang was still being quite amicable with them, even grinning at them. Despite the night concealing many unsavory impressions, they still felt as though they saw Wu Jinliang flashing a mouth full of bloody teeth in their direction.

They were affected by this sense of foreboding, but Shi Chun remained entirely unaffected. He didn't even notice and signaled for Wu Jinliang to clean up the scene quickly so that they could hurry on to the next location.

Zhener, being a caring individual, approached Wu Jinliang and asked with concern, "Jinliang, was it tasty?"

Wu Jinliang didn't give her a direct answer but casually replied while working, "When there's nothing else to eat, anything edible will taste good."

Before long, from their peculiar reactions, he caught on to what was happening and thought to himself, Are they disgusted by me?

He felt rather wronged. As Shi Chun aptly said earlier, a grinning tiger is calculative by nature. Considering the current situation, too many questions could arise. What if someone insisted on interrogating Gong Shixi's group or sought answers from them? Silencing them wouldn't help since communication would still be possible. Blocking inquiries or resorting to emergency measures would only arouse the tiger's suspicion.

If revolting someone like the grinning tiger would keep him moving, Wu Jinliang reckoned he'd eat a pile of manure without hesitation. Whatever brings results, he'd cooperate. Since Shi Chun already suggested drinking blood and eating flesh, he naturally needed to play along. Survival takes precedence, doesn't it?

Before long, his feelings of grievance dissipated. Thinking of the magical treasures likely stashed in Gong Shixi's pockets, he suddenly gained a surge of excitement. With those, he wouldn't even need Young Master Nan to treat him to entertainment; he'd enjoy himself perfectly well.

Once the mess was cleaned up, the group swiftly relocated.

Midway, Li Hongjiu suddenly hovered above ground on Wind Scale and paused. Frowning in contemplation, he realized he might have overlooked something. How had Gong Shixi ended up working alongside Shi Chun? He should've woken Gong Shixi and questioned him!

Moreover, wasn't avenging fellow disciples something that had to be done personally, by one's own blade? How could it be let go so easily?

At the very least, he should witness Gong Shixi's group breathe their last.

When Li Hongjiu took matters seriously, such a basic oversight didn't usually occur to him. He couldn't figure out where his thoughts had wandered earlier.

He turned his gaze backward.

Should he return now? By the time he went back, they'd likely have left.

Given the state of things, upon reconsideration, he reckoned Shi Chun probably wouldn't spare those three anyway, especially after they'd been treated like that. With that thought, he resumed his flight on Wind Scale…

Upon entering the Ice Field, Shi Chun's group immediately dove beneath the overcast skies and landed in an ice valley far away from their target destination.

A figure darted into view—it was Wu Hong hiding here.

Seeing his companions arrive, Wu Hong promptly emerged to greet them. "Master," he addressed.

Shi Chun asked, "How are things?"

Wu Hong replied, "There's indeed a group of fifteen people on the mountain above, but I can't tell which sect they're from. Right now, Chu Jingtang and the others are watching them closely, and there's been no report of them leaving yet."

Good. At least they were still there. Shi Chun waved his hand and led his group forward without delay.

Before long, they reached the ice peak piercing through the overcast skies, where they rendezvoused with Chu Jingtang and Lao Changtai. Confirming the group on the mountain remained in place, they pressed on toward them immediately…

The starlit sea of clouds was a stunning view, and the ice peak below shimmered brightly amidst its brilliance. Beyond the context of their mission, it was undeniably a rare and breathtaking spectacle.

Meanwhile, Fengluo Sect's Feng Zuoyi and others scanned their surroundings with wary suspicion. Li Hongjiu had given them some instructions, arranging this meeting with Yanbao Sect's disciples. However, the counterparts hadn't shown up yet, and there was no telling when they would arrive.

Regardless, the matter is straightforward: no matter how influential Li Hongjiu was, his prestige couldn't possibly justify us delaying our departure.

The group had already agreed; they'd wait here for up to a day. After that, no matter what, they'd leave. It wasn't worth risking their window of exit by lingering until the last moment.

Even now, Feng Zuoyi began to regret waiting so long. Reflecting calmly on the situation, he questioned himself. Was agreeing to this really reckless? Li Hongjiu's request had always seemed abrupt—could there be a deeper issue? As influential as Li Hongjiu was, shouldn't we be reconsidering the risks?

Could acquiring Divine Fire truly be as simple as doing someone a favor? Was it realistic to expect something so rare to drop like a boon from the heavens? Even for major sects, it wasn't as if they could produce Divine Fire on demand.

Thoughts like this often roused regret within him. Ultimately, it wasn't Li Hongjiu's prestige that swayed him—it was his inability to resist the allure of Divine Fire.

Suddenly, the sea of clouds billowed as figures burst through, speeding toward their mountaintop location. Alarmed, the Fengluo Sect group took up their arms defensively.

Their initial assumption was that the long-awaited Yanbao Sect team had finally arrived.

However, upon closer inspection, they realized the group consisted of masked figures in black. This discovery startled them, heightening their vigilance.

Still, they held onto the possibility that these masked individuals might indeed be representatives of Yanbao Sect.

The masked group landed and appraised the Fengluo Sect team briefly.

After confirming their identities, Shi Chun removed his mask, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled. "Brother Feng Zuoyi, it's an honor to finally meet the renowned members of Fengluo Sect."

As it turned out, Shi Chun genuinely recognized these individuals. Upon receiving Young Master Nan's intelligence, he had been keeping an eye on the appearance of the Four Sects' representatives ever since entering the Divine Fire Domain. In essence, it was a precaution.

Shi Chun revealing himself startled the Fengluo Sect group. Most of them knew him—and among those exploring the Divine Fire Domain, strangers to Mingshan Sect's Shi Chun were few and far between.

The others were merely surprised, unaware of any secret orders passed down by their sect. But Feng Zuoyi's mind buzzed as he silently cursed his stupidity.

Li Hongjiu had even mentioned Jieyun Mountain at the time, which made Shi Chun's appearance here anything but coincidental. It became clear that Shi Chun was here to settle scores.

In an instant, Feng Zuoyi regretted his actions profoundly, convinced that Li Hongjiu had orchestrated this scheme alongside Shi Chun to trap him and his team!

What he couldn't fathom was how Li Hongjiu, who had apparently been pursuing Shi Chun, could end up colluding with him. If not for this betrayal, he'd never have fallen for it.

Attempting to steady himself, Feng Zuoyi said, "Shi Chun, this area isn't secluded; plenty of other sects are searching for Divine Fire nearby. If you wish to leave, make it quick. We bear you no ill will—consider it as though we haven't seen you."

Even if the sect had ordered him to eliminate Shi Chun, Feng Zuoyi didn't dare act rashly. It was undeniable that the first-ranked figure in the Sky Rain Meteor Conference was formidable beyond measure. Provoking him would be unwise.

Shi Chun countered wryly, "Li Hongjiu instructed me to deliver Divine Fire to you. Are you sure you don't want it?"

He gestured for An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin to display the goods.

An and Zhu, though uncertain about Shi Chun's motives, followed his lead, stepping forward to reveal two egg-shaped objects roughly a foot long each. Opening a fragment of the 'shell,' one egg exposed a brilliant blue glow of Divine Fire, while the other revealed an exquisite green flame, both radiating the imposing aura of Divine Fire.

Every member of Fengluo Sect fixated immediately on the flames, their gazes betraying unmistakable longing and awe.

To put it lightly, they had never seen Divine Fire before—neither here nor in their lifetimes.

Several among them subconsciously swallowed, their throats bobbing with repeated motions.

An and Zhu exchanged a knowing glance. They empathized with these individuals deeply. They themselves wouldn't have believed it was possible to handle Divine Fire so casually. The sight before them felt like facing a mirror—recalling their own disbelief and wonder in earlier times, as if reliving an illusion.

Each step of their journey to this point owed much to Shi Chun's leadership. Were it not for Shi Chun, they wouldn't have had the slightest chance of acquiring Divine Fire, let alone absorbing as many as they had—a terrifying count exceeding ten.

With such gains, returning to their former sect after being expelled promised nothing but bright prospects and unparalleled honor.

Yet despite their excitement, they carried silent apprehension. Turning back on Shi Chun to rejoin their sect would undoubtedly disgrace him after all he had done for them. No matter how dangerous following Shi Chun might be, they couldn't deny his generosity.

At Shi Chun's signal, the two resealed the eggs, causing the Divine Fire's radiance to vanish instantly.

The Fengluo Sect team snapped back to reality, with Feng Zuoyi absentmindedly swallowing as he stared at Shi Chun. Realizing his misjudgment, he deduced that they hadn't come looking for trouble. Otherwise, they wouldn't have flaunted Divine Fire before them.

Shi Chun claimed Li Hongjiu had sent him to deliver Divine Fire—so should they accept it or not?

Of course, accepting it wasn't simple. Surely achieving this would require something in return.

After a long pause, Feng Zuoyi asked, "What do you need us to do?"

Shi Chun cupped his hands and said respectfully, "Brothers, this isn't the place for such discussions. Shall we relocate?"

He didn't dare linger here, worried that Li Hongjiu might figure out their meeting location and head this way. Knowing that Li Hongjiu was aware of their location, shifting bases was vital.

Where to move? Feng Zuoyi remained unsure but acknowledged their apparent transparency and need for trust. He hesitated before remarking, "If there's Divine Fire, why haven't you absorbed it yourselves? Can it really be ours?"

Shi Chun chuckled lightly and replied with a teasing tone, "If I say we've simply got too much Divine Fire to use, would Brother Feng believe me?"

Then, he turned to Tong Mingshan and his companions. "Three of you, let's give them proof, shall we?"

Though unclear of Shi Chun's exact intent, Tong Mingshan and his fellows complied by channeling blue and green Divine Fire Flame Energy across their bodies.

This display awed Fengluo Sect, who had no choice but to admit the truth—they were witnessing the surplus flames that Shi Chun's comrades no longer needed because of their previous absorption.

Heavens! How many Divine Flames had they encountered thus far to warrant such abundance? Were the rumors of a hundred flames discovered actually true?

After Shi Chun gestured for his group to suppress the Flame Energy, he scanned the surroundings and said, "That display might draw attention. If someone caught sight, these two flames may never reach you. Brother Feng, let's relocate, shall we?"

Confronted with tangible temptation, Feng Zuoyi glanced at his peers before giving a reserved grunt of acknowledgment. "Mm."

The group promptly shifted locations.

After leaving the Ice Field, they descended into a remote valley.

Upon landing, Wu Jinliang immediately directed his team to survey the area thoroughly.

Without wasting time, Shi Chun beckoned Feng Zuoyi aside. "Brother Feng, could we talk privately?"

After relocating, why step aside again? Feng Zuoyi felt anxious. Though Shi Chun's actions seemed divorced from the Jieyun Mountain incident, he couldn't shake his doubts entirely.

Observing Feng Zuoyi's hesitance, Shi Chun offered reassurance in a different tone: "Brother Feng, you've likely guessed that I arranged for Li Hongjiu to bring you here."

With that, he retrieved four prepared sheets of paper and handed them over, suggesting Feng Zuoyi review their contents.

Curious yet confused, Feng Zuoyi unfolded the papers under the starlight. The writing wasn't chaotic but clearly lacked refinement, exhibiting the handwriting of someone unaccustomed to writing.

Nonetheless, the characters were legible.

The first sheet read: Zhener is in my custody. I ask the esteemed elder to enter the Divine Fire Domain and assist me in leaving.

What did it mean? Feng Zuoyi grew increasingly perplexed. Judging by this text, was it meant to be sent outside the domain?

Yet that seemed implausible—the Divine Fire Domain's portal wasn't two-way. It was a one-way entrance where the external portal served as an exit only, preventing outsiders from entering.

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