Meanwhile, Gong Shaoci also appeared at the exit of Qi Yun Valley, standing beside Qian She.

Previously, because of Qian She's meddling, although he had no choice but to help, he had been avoiding appearing too much, fearing getting dragged too deep into the matter.

Now, however, he came forward to praise Qian She's might and dominance. Of course, he also took the opportunity to mention how much effort he spent pressuring the relevant Artifact Refining sects.

The usual calm and elegant demeanor Gong Shaoci displayed before others completely disappeared in front of Qian She. In Qian She's presence, he acted no differently than an average person.

It wasn't just Gong Shaoci who arrived; even the other prominent associates from the palatial ship earlier had joined in.

When the outcome was uncertain, and Qian She was left hanging outside Qi Yun Valley waiting for news, none of these individuals had shown up. Now, watching them gather, Young Master Nan found it quite amusing...

On the beach, the Green-clothed Man, who came and went like a shadow, reappeared—this time beside Feng Chi.

Feng Chi's body trembled slightly. She turned her head, astonished to see him, as he had just removed the restriction placed on her.

"Whether he succeeds in the end or not, you no longer need to follow me," the Green-clothed Man stated curtly before turning to leave.

Feng Chi and Xiang Laner exchanged stunned glances. They put aside their stakeout of the Divine Fire Spirit Gate and quietly began trailing the Green-clothed Man in the night.

The Green-clothed Man seemed to sense he was being followed. He stopped behind a rock at the seashore. When the two caught up, he turned to face them.

Xiang Laner surveyed the surroundings briefly before asking in a low voice, "Did my master show mercy?"

"This is unrelated," the Green-clothed Man replied with a slight shake of his head, then gestured toward Feng Chi with his chin. "Her judgments have been proven highly accurate. The higher-ups believe that despite all the variables, her foresight has indeed been extraordinary. Thus, they feel she should not be punished for certain unexpected outcomes. Regardless of whether Shi Chun ultimately emerges as the victor, the matter she staked her life on is now past. The higher-ups recognize her vision with appreciation."

Once more, Xiang Laner exchanged glances with Feng Chi.

Without delay, Xiang Laner pressed further, "What does this mean?"

The Green-clothed Man thought for a moment, then chose not to hide anything, speaking plainly: "Shi Chun and his group indeed have a chance to win the competition."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the two women immediately brightened. Xiang Laner asked again, "Is there news from within the Divine Fire Domain?"

The Green-clothed Man nodded slightly. "Within the Divine Fire Domain, the number of Divine Fires located by Shi Chun and the Mingshan Sect should overwhelmingly surpass all other factions..."

Before he could finish, Feng Chi's expression already filled with visible excitement.

She finally understood why the higher-ups chose to spare her—because her gamble had paid off. Shi Chun had not let her down. The glimmer of hope she saw in the oppressive darkness burned brighter, more intense, and dazzling than ever.

She believed that one day, this light would rise like the sun, banishing the endless darkness in her life. One day, she would stand in a high place, arms spread wide, basking in its warmth, embracing it. That day's warmth would be incomparable.

After explaining the details of the situation, the Green-clothed Man noticed their lingering worries and offered reassurance: "Based on the information we currently have, Young Master Nan is already aware of the situation. He has mobilized every available resource to recover the participants, even involving members of the Qian Family from Zhanbu Continent. They are now stationed outside the exit of Qi Yun Valley, pressuring all factions in the Artifact Refining World.

"Rest assured, since Shi Chun now has such a promising prospect, the higher-ups won't sit idly by. They've already begun mobilizing our forces in secret to assist Young Master Nan. As for whether the Artifact Refining World will ultimately relent, there are no guarantees. All we can do is our best."

The underlying implication was to mentally prepare them for potential unforeseen circumstances.

To their surprise, Feng Chi resolutely declared, "There won't be any accidents! He will definitely come out!"

Her tone was firm and proud, causing both Xiang Laner and the Green-clothed Man to look at her in unison. They were astonished to see tears glinting in her eyes, accompanied by a face full of pride.

Xiang Laner, having heard Feng Chi's heartfelt sentiments before, could somewhat understand. The Green-clothed Man, however, looked confused, his thoughts vaguely drifting toward suspicions of a romantic entanglement.

Well, with no evidence, he didn't dwell on it. Changing the subject, he said, "It's good if he can make it out. However, if the other two factions fail to secure first place, they may act as we suspected previously—they might resort to force. The higher-ups are already preparing contingencies to ensure a smooth handover of the prize."

Having said all he needed to, he made no further small talk or formalities and turned to leave.

Feng Chi, however, showed no intention of leaving, her emotions surging wildly.

The bright moon rose over the sea, casting its light on her profound feelings.

She walked to the shore, letting the waves soak her shoes and hems as she gazed intently at the luminous moon in the night sky.

Xiang Laner did not disturb her. She stayed alongside her, silently gazing as well.

To their surprise, the Green-clothed Man returned shortly thereafter.

His first words upon return were, "I knew you'd still be here."

The two women quickly approached him, and he explained, "Good news—the Qian Family's pressure worked. The Artifact Refining World has agreed to reverse its stance on the Divine Fire Spirit Gate. Qian She will send representatives into the Divine Fire Domain to oversee the proceedings, so Shi Chun should be able to leave safely. You both need to prepare for his arrival."

Upon hearing this, the two women were overjoyed and responded in unison, "Understood."

The Green-clothed Man turned abruptly, his sleeves billowing as he departed.

Very few people had insider knowledge like them. Most of the spectators outside Qi Yun Valley were still unaware of everything happening behind the scenes.

Even Qian She, stationed outside Qi Yun Valley, only learned the secret message—and its infuriating contents—right before Young Master Nan was about to lead his group into the valley.

Though the message was secretly relayed, it had already become common knowledge within Qi Yun Valley. Most of the sect leaders or representatives had participated in the decision to amend the competition rules.

The moment the message was passed along, it left Young Master Nan utterly stunned. It was a catastrophic blow, leaving him disoriented amidst the winds at the valley's entrance, his small mustache seemingly on the verge of falling off.

Qian She then realized he had been played by members of the Artifact Refining World. "You want rules, right? Fine!" They had directly amended the competition rules, cutting off Mingshan Sect's remaining chances of victory. "What now? Keep playing?"

Qian She clenched his teeth, nearly shattering them in his fury. At the valley's entrance, his fiery eyes glared menacingly at the waiting Sect Master of the Li Huo Sect within.

However, all his anger and accusations remained suppressed. He had personally advocated for adherence to the rules, and the Artifact Refining World simply followed through—applying them equally to everyone. Violators would be penalized and stripped of the right to compete for the final prize.

Regarding punishment for rulebreakers—especially with equal treatment for all—could he openly stand up for Mingshan Sect?

Making an exception solely for Mingshan Sect—would the entire Artifact Refining World tolerate it?

Even if he dragged out the Qian Family's Princess, what could she say against the Artifact Refining World? At most, they could resort to retaliation later.

It was only now that he realized how naïve he had been compared to these old foxes. He likened himself to a naïve chick trespassing into an eagle's nest, only to have its neck firmly clutched—unable to resist or cry out.

The Sect Master of Li Huo Sect, waiting in the valley to receive the overseeing members, had also understood the situation. Watching Qian She's visible fury, he silently lamented, "Why are you glaring at me? Do you think I'm in charge of this? I'm just a lackey, running errands here. Don't vent on me."

Qian She's frustration was utterly suffocating. He felt like coughing blood. He knew this would eventually become a notorious joke. People would laugh until their teeth fell out, and the Qian Family's reputation would suffer as well. Back home, he was sure to face severe consequences.

In the end, his smoldering gaze shifted suddenly to the dazed and disheartened Young Master Nan.

Without saying a word, he walked up to Young Master Nan and forcefully jabbed his chest with a finger. "Did you promise it was foolproof? And this is your foolproof plan? Fix it yourself!"

Though he hadn't uttered a single word, his silence expressed everything. With that, he decisively turned and left without looking back.

Originally, he was supposed to be among the overseeing members entering the valley. Although he wouldn't enter the Divine Fire Domain, he was supposed to coordinate and support Young Master Nan from outside.

Now, what was there left to supervise? Why bother going in? Why stick around and risk further humiliation by becoming a laughingstock?

He even took the two expert helpers assigned to assist Young Master Nan with him.

Li Huo Island had become a place he loathed; he didn't even care about witnessing the final outcomes. No amount of competition excitement could alleviate his foul mood, and thus he departed the island without hesitation.

The other distinguished guests who came along earlier, once friendly and jovial with Young Master Nan, now shot him icy glances. Some sneered, some snorted coldly, others showed no expression, and some offered ominously meaningful looks, then gradually turned and left.

Most didn't even bother with farewells. Take Gong Shaoci, for example—he planned to escort Qian She away before immediately running to relay the unfortunate news to Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter.

In truth, this outcome didn't upset him at all; on the contrary, he even felt a faint, inexplicable sense of glee. Learning that Shi Chun might win again and show his brilliance in front of Miao Yilan had made Gong Shaoci uncomfortable earlier.

Of course, there were still a few who stepped forward to pat Young Master Nan on the shoulder before leaving, signaling him to pull himself together and deal with the aftermath. The situation was grave, and he would have to figure out the cleanup on his own.

The disheartened Young Master Nan stood frozen in place, unable to believe he had fallen into such a deep trap, as if he'd been struck dumb by a heavy blow.

Finally, one of his trusted confidants approached cautiously and asked, "Sir, should we go inside to supervise?"

"Sigh..." Young Master Nan finally came back to his senses and let out a long sigh. Often walking by the river, how could one avoid getting their shoes wet? He had always understood this principle, but at this moment, it felt like he had aged decades. His back even began to hunch slightly. He knew that trouble awaited him down the line. He'd have to sell everything to cover the losses, but relying on Qian She and the others to share the burden? That would be courting death.

Previously, to demonstrate his confidence in Shi Chun, he had even wagered his own money, betting publicly on Mingshan Sect's victory. Naturally, he couldn't appear stingy in front of those people, and he had staked a significant amount.

"Go—why not? Shi Chun hasn't let me down. Let's get him out first."

With newfound resolve, Young Master Nan gathered strength and led his entourage toward the valley entrance.

The Li Huo Sect Master greeted them with a smile, gesturing for the guards at the valley entrance to let them pass.

There was no need for body checks or searches; someone accompanied them at every step.

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