For a moment, the three individuals who had received such extraordinary blessings were left speechless. Faced with the artifact, refusal was neither polite nor feasible, but mere gratitude felt far too inadequate. Anyone observing the envious gazes around them would understand.

"This incense is incredibly precious. Unless absolutely necessary, I recommend not taking it out lightly. Whether you hand it over to your sect now, or in two to three hundred years when the next Divine Fire Domain opens, the benefits to your sect won't change much.

The key difference lies in your own position. If, by chance, someone in your sect grows resentful of your prominence and decides to harm you, but you're unable to counteract their schemes, this item might provide a chance to turn the situation around. If you exhaust your resources now, I fear…"

At this point, everyone understood the Master's meaning—it was essentially a warning that, once they lost their utility, they might face betrayal and dismissal.

"Of course, it's possible I'm overthinking this. Nonetheless, I urge prudence. Even if you can't bring yourselves to conceal the truth from your sect, consider testing the waters first. Once you leave here, if your sect does seek you out to reintegrate you, perhaps claim that you didn't absorb the Divine Fire at all. Observe their attitude cautiously.

Don't worry. Any sect disciples who know you absorbed the Divine Fire have either already been dealt with by me or are keeping the knowledge close to their chests due to ulterior motives. For now, the secrecy is guaranteed, buying you enough time to handle your sect's approach.

But just in case—let me emphasize, in a worst-case scenario—if they decide against letting you return to the sect upon learning that you didn't absorb the Divine Fire, whether to relinquish the Divine Fire Incense immediately becomes a choice you must weigh carefully."

At the entrance, Wu Jinliang raised his head to gaze at the stars, his grin stretching to his ears. This time, however, he refrained from laughing aloud. He had always understood certain things but only now grasped the significance behind this move—the Master was undeniably still the Master.

Upon hearing this, Tong Mingshan appeared unaffected, as he had already severed ties with his sect before arriving. But An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin found themselves rattled by the words.

An Wuzhi quickly collected his thoughts and declared firmly, "Master, you exaggerate. We've been discarded like worn-out shoes; how could we possibly return?"

Although the Master seemed sincere about allowing them to return, An Wuzhi dared not express any desire to part ways. He wasn't reckless—not when they hadn't even left the place safely yet.

As a former leading participant at the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, An Wuzhi still possessed a degree of wisdom and composure.

Zhu Xiangxin, now understanding, nodded hurriedly in agreement. "Brother An is right, Master…"

"Enough!" Shi Chun raised his hand to interrupt. "I'm not feeding you falsehoods, nor do I play games with my brothers. If you can return, then return. A more advanced cultivation method benefits not only you but us all in the long run—should you achieve fame and power, it would still reflect positively on us.

There's no need to worry about the secret of your Divine Fire Incense leaking out. Once the secret techniques for seeking Divine Fire are made public, rest assured, I'll manage the narrative to satisfy the sects. It won't involve you.

Alright, that settles it. Once you're out, you can handle it however you see fit. I won't force your hand. Stop dithering like old women—it's dull and pointless."

His tone was resolute, leaving no room for rebuttal as he ushered them out the door.

It was at this moment that An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin truly understood—the Master genuinely intended to let them leave. Even Tong Mingshan realized that despite Shi Chun's origins in the Land of Exile, his character radiated magnanimity. Ruthless to enemies yet fiercely loyal to comrades.

After exiting the cave, the three thoughtful individuals unconsciously clustered together.

Standing in a corner and exchanging glances briefly, An Wuzhi let out a sudden sigh. "Say what you will, but for the Master's actions today alone, our time spent calling him 'Master' has not been wasted. These months of camaraderie—worth every moment."

Moved, Zhu Xiangxin nodded in agreement, holding the incense in his hand as he remarked, "He not only helped us mount our steeds but escorted us on the way. No wonder the old saying goes, 'Honor among thieves is more often found, while treachery favors the literati.' If someday I achieve success, I will never forget his kindness…"

Realizing his words hinted at a possible return to his sect, Zhu Xiangxin abruptly changed his tone and asked the other two, "If our sect does seek us out eventually, what should we do?"

An Wuzhi shook his head and repeated his response to Shi Chun, "Discarded like worn-out shoes—we can't just waltz back like that."

Though said dismissively, he left his words open-ended.

Tong Mingshan, however, spoke differently. In a grave tone, he said, "Before entering here, the Hundred Refinement Sect tried to convince me to return. I have already made my stance clear and severed all ties. They shouldn't approach me again."

These words stunned An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin, rendering them speechless as they grasped the nature of these sects—all cut from the same cloth.

Meanwhile, inside the cave, Chu Jingtang and others couldn't let go of the matter even after dismissing Tong Mingshan and the others. They returned to Shi Chun, pressing with questions they had hesitated to ask before.

Beard Chu was the first to grumble, "Master, they've already left, and we've treated them well enough—with our sweat and blood, we handed them the Divine Fire; it's a heaven-sent treasure. As brothers, we accept that, but stripping down to our last shred for them—isn't that overkill?"

Lao Changtai eagerly chimed in, "Exactly, Master. This Fire God Incense could fetch a sky-high price."

Chen Wuji added, "Indeed, Master. It could sustain all of us with cultivation resources for over a century."

Fang Zicheng rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. "Master, sure, we've gained some treasures after entering here, but we haven't even left yet—haven't begun enjoying our good fortune—and we're already squandering it recklessly. Isn't that a bit much?"

Privately, Fang Zicheng thought to himself: you people from the Land of Exile haven't even had a few prosperous days before you start behaving like spendthrifts.

Others muttered similar complaints under their breath about wasteful behavior, drawing analogies to sudden wealth changing attitudes.

Ultimately, the group voiced their dissatisfaction, noting that while the trio had prospects of returning to their sects for fame and fortune, they themselves were left behind, unable to regroup with a sect. As far as they were concerned, the best choice for survival was sticking together.

If they didn't stick together, what options did they have? Already expelled from their sects, having offended numerous sects within the Divine Fire Domain at Shi Chun's command, and possessing no remarkable talents to lure sanctuary—they feared they'd be hunted down separately.

They had already boarded the ship of thieves, committed the crimes openly, and showcased their faces, with no masks to obscure their identities—how could they possibly disembark now?

For these individuals, they had transformed into the staunchest defenders of maintaining the Mingshan Sect, no matter its status as an Artifact Refining Sect. What did it matter if they lacked artifact refining skills?

Disputes were inevitable when contemplating separation.

At this moment, Tong Mingshan's voice echoed from the cave entrance, "I've already severed ties with the Hundred Refinement Sect—I won't go back."

The group turned to see Tong Mingshan striding into the cave. Wu Jinliang, who had been stationed happily at the entrance, hadn't raised any alarm, meaning Tong Mingshan had overheard their prior complaints, which left them awkwardly humbled.

They quickly shuffled aside to make room.

Tong Mingshan walked directly to Shi Chun, holding out the Fire God Incense. "I won't return to the Hundred Refinement Sect—this is of no use to me."

Given the secret techniques of seeking Divine Fire, Tong Mingshan knew that without absorbing copious amounts of Divine Fire himself, he wouldn't have been able to bring himself to return the incense.

Shi Chun didn't accept the item but responded with a calm smile, "It's fine—hold on to it. Once you're out, if the Hundred Refinement Sect happens to seek you out again, you can decide then."

The others, observing this exchange, glanced nervously at one another. Watching such high ideals and mutual respect, they couldn't help but feel like small-minded individuals in comparison.

Tong Mingshan insisted, "Master, you know I already severed all ties with them."

Shi Chun replied, "Keep it. If the Hundred Refinement Sect doesn't reach out to you, then consider it a treasure to secure Mingshan Sect's foundation."

With such words and determination, Tong Mingshan had little recourse. After hesitating briefly, he quietly placed the incense away.

Shi Chun then turned to the rest of the group and spoke boldly, "We are all brothers who've fought life-and-death battles together. Let's drop the nonsense about drawing divisions. Not just those three—even if any of you want to leave, I won't stop you once we're out. As brothers, I won't begrudge sharing riches."

Having said this, he once again raised his hand to dismiss the group, urging them all out.

Whether impressed or dissatisfied, the group left in subdued silence.

Once everyone had left and peace returned, Wu Jinliang quietly slipped further into the cave, whispering conspiratorially, "So, are we really letting them leave—or not?"

Shi Chun pressed his lips together before murmuring thoughtfully, "It wasn't easy to bring together such clean, capable members. After investing so much into them... Honestly, when I first realized their sects might come for them, I hoped they wouldn't leave. Back then, I didn't expect them to absorb so much Divine Fire.

Things are different now. Whether the group scatters or not doesn't matter anymore. If they stay, I'll be pleased; if they return to their sects, so be it.

You can't force someone to stay. Take the brothers in East Nine Plain—they scattered once the benefits dried up. It's all the same whether you're upfront like in the Land of Exile or discreet like beyond Life Prison—ultimately, people first revere gains before allegiance. If we're empty-handed, words won't matter. But when they see our strength as we leave, together with earlier preparations, they'll naturally weigh their choices carefully."

Wu Jinliang seemed skeptical. "Then why give them the Fire God Incense?"

Shi Chun shot him a sidelong glance. "Can't you figure it out? They've taken the item—so what if they leave? Even outside, they won't dare speak loosely. Destroying their sect is merely a matter of our word. By granting it to them, their sects will raise them up—why not give it?"

Wu Jinliang gestured vaguely. "I get that—but what about the fact that next time the Divine Fire Domain opens, the artifact won't hold up under scrutiny? It'll surely be exposed."

Shi Chun scoffed, "You're thinking too far ahead—what are you worrying about? By then, if the item proves useless, it'll simply be due to 'age.' And if they don't believe that, then the problem isn't the artifact but us—If we fail to thrive in two to three hundred years, then we deserve the consequences."

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