Still the same words, no choice.

Also, still the same words—the allure of the Divine Fire to those involved in Artifact Refining is strong enough.

Thus, with no objections from his junior sect brothers, Feng Zuoyi agreed to let the matter be decided by the Sect, which in essence was him agreeing as well.

Now, for the three of them, the hardest decision was who would stay and who would leave. Staying meant the opportunity to absorb the Divine Fire—how many could resist such temptation?

Besides, everyone was facing the threshold to break through to the Human Immortal Realm. This threshold required a complete transformation, unlike anything before, and not everyone could step across it. The power of the Divine Fire, however, had miraculous effects—it could effortlessly help one cross that threshold.

Since ancient times, anyone who has absorbed the Divine Fire has never been hindered when breaking through to the Human Immortal Realm—it is invariably smooth and easy!

It is said that the more Divine Fire absorbed, the greater the assistance in breaking through subsequent realm thresholds.

In the end, Feng Zuoyi made a decision—whether it would be deemed selfish or not, he didn't know. He decided to leave two people with him and let his two junior sect brothers take the other disciples away, delivering a message as they left.

Xie Wanti and Chi Anlan did not outright defy him, though their agreement seemed somewhat reluctant.

Perhaps sensing their emotions, Feng Zuoyi pulled both of them aside to have a private conversation.

Seizing this opportunity, Wu Jinliang leaned close to Shi Chun's ear and whispered a reminder: "Tell them to also send a message to Xiang Laner's side while they're at it. The more allies we have pulling for us, the better our chances of getting out of here."

He was referring to the strength of the Demon Path's forces, suggesting they were worthy of leveraging.

Shi Chun responded in a low voice, "Do we even need to send word there? As soon as a large number of people leave, they'll naturally learn what's happening inside. If they have the capability, they won't need us to say anything—they'll use their full strength to pull us out. They'll handle it on their own; there's no need for us to entangle ourselves further."

"Hmm..." Wu Jinliang mused, pausing to think. That made sense—if that side stirred up any trouble, it wouldn't be linked back here, which would avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Still, he couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Hey, are we even considered part of that side or not?"

They had previously been deemed part of the Demon Path, but now it always felt like something was slightly off—sometimes it felt like they belonged; other times, it was clear they didn't.

He glanced back at Gong Shixi and the other three being covertly monitored from afar, knowing what Chun Tian planned to do next.

He also understood that their leader probably couldn't bear to leave the Demon Path. But given Chun Tian's peculiar tendencies, staying in the Demon Path—was it really good for the path itself? A Demon Path member like him felt a bit... off.

Shi Chun couldn't make sense of it either, mumbling, "Whichever path works, that's the path we'll take."

Alright then, Wu Jinliang sighed, gazing into the distance. He couldn't see clearly, but with that statement, he seriously felt like the future seemed a little bleak.

Not long after, Feng Zuoyi seemed to have resolved the matter. He prepared two copies of the message and handed them to Xie Wanti and Chi Anlan, who then led the majority of their fellow sect members away.

Feng Zuoyi stayed behind with two sect members, essentially joining Shi Chun's side.

Shi Chun, in turn, led everyone to yet another location. Even if Xie Wanti and the others wanted to find them again, they wouldn't be able to.

Once the group settled down in a new spot, Shi Chun had someone dig him a hole. At this point, only Wu Jinliang understood what he intended to do.

Out of Feng Zuoyi's sight, the incapacitated Gong Shixi and the other two were thrown into the hole. Shi Chun then brought in the group from the Mingshan Sect.

No one understood what their leader planned next. In this environment, it was rare for so many to gather in one cramped space. Outside, apart from Zhener, there wasn't even anyone properly keeping watch—just Wu Hehe occasionally peeking out while lounging by the cave entrance.

Zhener had been coaxed out by Shi Chun, told she was entrusted with the important task of keeping watch outside. She diligently and enthusiastically agreed, leaving with such solemn excitement that it was almost tear-jerking.

Shi Chun pulled out a piece of Sandalwood Gold, wedged it into the wall for lighting, and gestured toward the crowd, calling Tong Mingshan, An Wuzhi, and Zhu Xiangxin to come forward.

The three exchanged perplexed glances, unsure of what was happening.

The cave wasn't widthy enough, so everyone else either squeezed together or leaned against one another, all curious, watching on. Only Wu Jinliang occasionally glanced back; even he was clueless about their leader's intentions.

Behind Shi Chun as he paced with his hands behind his back lay the broken remains of Gong Shixi and his two companions. Without preamble, Shi Chun began, "You three cultivate Fire Attribute Skills. Once you leave the Divine Fire Domain, your sects will surely come looking for you..."

The abrupt statement caused Tong Mingshan to pause in surprise. Hadn't he already made his stance clear? He promptly explained once more, "Leader, I—"

Shi Chun immediately raised his hand, signaling for him to stop—his gesture and glance together cutting off Tong Mingshan mid-sentence.

"..." Tong Mingshan froze, swallowing what he was about to say.

An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin's gazes wavered nervously; both knew there was no need to wait for the moment of departure. Their sects had already sought them out before they even entered.

Meanwhile, Chu Jingtang and the others had a sudden realization and exchanged uneasy glances. Right! How had they overlooked this? These three had absorbed so much Divine Fire—of course their sects wouldn't hesitate to vie for their return.

Once they left, their futures would surely be bright, filled with fame and fortune.

By contrast, the others felt a pang of bitterness. For them, there would certainly be no such treatment—they were expendable in the eyes of their sects, easily discarded, unlikely to be welcomed back.

It stung to think about—the Divine Fire they had all risked their lives to acquire would ultimately benefit only these three.

Their frustration was natural: why should it be this way?

But it remained a mere thought—survival was their priority. With what they carried now, their lives outside would already be far better than in the sect. Their sects would never provide such generous resources.

If they could make it out alive, the wealth they possessed would already afford an entirely different lifestyle—free from the constraints imposed by sect hierarchy. Many of them frankly felt their sects were no longer worth returning to.

Shi Chun continued: "I've never treated my brothers unfairly. Ask yourselves, have I ever wronged you before? You can rest assured—I won't force you to make a statement or compel you to decide. Even if your sects come seeking you out, it's undoubtedly a good thing. I'll sincerely wish you well.

Moreover, I support you returning to your original sects. After all, the Fire Attribute Skills you're cultivating are incomplete—the higher-level techniques still reside in your sects.

Beyond that, we've worked together for a time. If you succeed after returning, wouldn't it mean more allies for all of us in the future? If we ever encountered trouble and sought your help, I trust you wouldn't utterly ignore us, right? Hahaha..."

Chu Jingtang and the others couldn't muster a laugh; Shi Chun's solitary chuckling echoed hollowly in the cave.

Tong Mingshan frowned thoughtfully, while An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin's eyes flickered with restrained joy. Shi Chun's attitude had quietly eased their tension.

Of course, they didn't openly express any eagerness to leave or give away their thoughts.

Nevertheless, their subtle reactions didn't escape Shi Chun's careful observation.

An Wuzhi sighed, "Leader, your words have left me a bit at a loss. In our sects, disciples aren't expelled or reinstated capriciously—it would seem like child's play.

Zhu Xiangxin, her own nervousness even more pronounced, chimed in: "To be driven out one moment and invited back the next—it shouldn't be that simple."

Neither dared to speak too definitively; they had witnessed enough of Shi Chun's methods. For all his loyalty and kindness, he could also be terrifyingly ruthless when it came time to act, willing to go to extremes.

One man infiltrating the gatherings of various sects to carry out assassinations—how many people had the audacity to attempt such a thing?

Tong Mingshan tried to speak as well but was interrupted by Shi Chun's smiling glance that swiftly cut him off again. "Forget what's child's play or not. If you can return, do return—I'm hoping for the best for you. But let me warn you of one thing using my personal experience as an example:

Back in the Land of Exile, I served under the Master of East Nine Plain, fighting and risking my life countless times for him. At first, he treated me well, but as my achievements grew and the number of people supporting me increased, he began to fear that I would threaten his position as Master. In the end, well—it became a complicated matter."

I just want to remind you: the amount of Divine Fire you've absorbed might strike some as excessive. If it exceeds what certain people can leverage to their advantage, it could become a liability in the future."

Of course, maybe I'm just overthinking it. But one should always be prepared. So, before you leave, I want to give you something that might save your lives—consider it a token of gratitude for our shared journey."

Hearing this last sentence, Wu Jinliang turned back again to look—this line sounded awfully familiar. He had to admit: Chun Tian was reading up more and more. Maybe he should start reading too.

For now, though, he was curious about what Chun Tian planned to give them—his kindness seemed almost excessive.

The others widened their eyes at Shi Chun's actions, wanting to see what he would take from his sleeve.

It turned out to be nothing fancy—just three sticks of incense.

They looked like regular incense sticks, but the crowd couldn't help feeling their hearts race. These were unmistakable—they all had seen Shi Chun use them multiple times. How could they not recognize what these incense sticks were?

They were none other than the key to finding the Divine Fire: Fire God Incense!

Looking at the three sticks of incense, Shi Chun said with a sigh, "Fire God Incense. I obtained it from an elder in the Land of Exile who had passed away. At the time, I thought it wouldn't mean much to me—I planned to sell it to some Artifact Refining Sect to make a fortune. But outside, there was no way to verify its authenticity. Now you should understand why I wanted to enter the Divine Fire Domain, right?"

Unaware, Wu Jinliang chuckled at the cave entrance.

The people in the cave had grown used to his laughter and automatically ignored it, their expressions becoming one of realization—it all made sense now.

"Anyway, I certainly won't be entering the Divine Fire Domain again. When it opens next, the Artifact Refining World would sooner kill me than let me back in. This stuff is limited in quantity; I've always been careful not to waste it—I had to save what I could, thinking you three might one day be able to use it. Sadly, I already used quite a bit. But I stuck to my bottom line—I managed to save the last three sticks. Here, it's not much, but take one each!"

Shi Chun distributed the Fire God Incense among them as he spoke.

Neither An Wuzhi, Zhu Xiangxin, nor even Tong Mingshan could resist reaching out instinctively to take the incense—its allure was just too strong. This was the key to finding the Divine Fire. For cultivators of Fire Attribute Skills, how could they refuse?

The leader's offer was so tempting that refusal was simply not an option.

Chu Jingtang and the others almost gasped in shock—was he really giving away something so precious? And the last three sticks, no less!

They wanted to protest: was this not valuable enough to keep for themselves? They weren't stopping the three from leaving—but why give away such treasures? Wouldn't it be better to keep them for their own use?

However, Shi Chun had claimed it was for the three individuals to protect their lives. Given this reasoning, no one dared openly object.

Tong Mingshan, holding his Fire God Incense, looked toward the leader with deep emotion in his eyes.

An Wuzhi, similarly stunned, found himself moved by the cunning leader's unexpected loyalty.

Zhu Xiangxin, being more sentimental, had teary eyes, genuinely touched.

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