Speaking in a roundabout way, expressing concern for your wellbeing, yet leaving no room for refusal.

Mulan Jin's breath slightly tightened; how could the Emperor already know about what just happened?

His gaze first flickered toward the man who had come to report earlier, then he clasped his hands in a certain direction and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xuansu walked past him, craning his neck to peek at the night sky outside the window. His fan fluttered cheerfully, and he whistled, "The rules of the Artifact Refining World are really falling apart. Oh, how I wish I could see what kind of chaos this is going to stir up. Unfortunately, I'm just destined to be a mere errand boy."

Straightening his posture, he turned and covered his mouth with the fan, smiling mischievously, "I'm off."

Mulan Jin nodded and smiled, without saying farewell or moving to escort him, simply watching as that flamboyant figure disappeared beyond the doorway. Then, turning to the man standing to the side, he said, "Go handle your matter."

"Understood." The man who had come to report responded and left, showing no unusual reaction on his face.

Mulan Jin also turned back to the window and gazed at the whirlpool forming in the sky, his hand retrieving a 'Xuanji Token,' which he handed to a trusted subordinate nearby...

As the whirlpool solidified, atop the summit of Qi Yun Valley, a figure shot skyward, heading straight into the whirlpool.

The first to take the lead was none other than the world's foremost Artifact Refining expert, Elder Situ Gu of the Refining Heaven Sect.

The other members of the Refining Heaven Sect immediately followed, soaring upward.

The representatives from various sects were equally unwilling to lag behind, rising one after the other and flying toward the whirlpool.

"Go!" Young Master Nan gritted his teeth and called out, waving his hand as he led his group toward the whirlpool in the sky.

He had participated in many gambles like this, but never imagined he'd one day gamble with his own life.

The scene incited chaos among the crowd watching from the sandy shore. Initially, everyone was speculating whether the Divine Fire Spirit Gate had reopened.

Now, seeing more people rushing into the Divine Fire Spirit Gate, they confirmed it—the gate had indeed reopened. But what did it mean?

"Isn't the gate only supposed to open once per era? Why has it been reopened repeatedly?"

"No, what's with this new batch of people running inside? So many interference factors—how can the final competition still be fair?"

"Kid, you're too naive. In matters of profit like these, where would you find fairness?"

"But I placed bets! I bet a significant amount—they're adding more people on a whim. What's the point of using the Lifebound Lantern for calculations earlier? Isn't this just enabling cheat tactics?"

"Exactly! I also bet; this reeks of rule violations and manipulation of the gambling stakes!"

"Ha! Are you fools? The betting pools have nothing to do with the Artifact Refining World rules. They're playing their Divine Fire Covenant game—that outsiders gamble on it is irrelevant to them!"

On the balcony, Lan Qiaoyan and her mother stared solemnly upward, while Gong Shaoci, who accompanied them, occasionally glanced at the pair. A faint sense of unease crept into his heart.

He hadn't felt this way before. After all, what's the point of making a splash at the Sky Rain Meteor Conference? But to see an outsider barging into the Artifact Refining World and vying for dominance—the brilliance felt too excessive, sowing subtle changes in his mentality...

In the Divine Fire Domain, as the newly revealed whirlpool solidified, the sect representatives gathered under the massive metal hammer exchanged puzzled glances. They saw the passage had reopened to the outside world. What was happening?

Staring, waiting, and eager to uncover who might emerge.

Li Hongjiu instinctively scanned his surroundings with guarded alertness, his eyes harboring deep suspicion.

Previously, he hadn't thought Shi Chun's external communications would prove useful, but now that the impossible was unfolding, his suspicions were instantly triggered.

"Ah, is that Situ Gu?"

A cry of surprise caught Li Hongjiu's attention. Looking up, he saw a figure clad in deep blue emerging from the whirlpool.

"Indeed, it's him!"

"Ah, Elder Situ has arrived!"

"Look, Elder Ye is also here!"

A slew of Refining Heaven Sect members followed, appearing in the sky and moving toward the gathering below.

Soon after, individuals from other sects began materializing one after another, descending onto the mountainside amidst a commotion of delighted cheers and shouts. Seeing their arrival, earlier concerns vanished, as everyone realized the inter-realm passage hadn't malfunctioned—there was no longer any worry about returning.

When Young Master Nan also landed with his group, those who recognized him were astonished. What in the world? Why had this guy shown up?

Even fools could deduce that he must have come to fish someone out.

Elder Li Qianqiu promptly pulled Situ Gu aside to question him, "What's going on? How did that lone wanderer make his way in here?"

He gestured subtly toward Young Master Nan with his chin as he spoke.

What was happening naturally required an explanation.

Likewise, representatives from other sects hurriedly pulled their own members aside to inquire.

Meanwhile, Young Master Nan was busy appraising his surroundings. This boundless expanse of heaven and earth... he couldn't help but wonder where Shi Chun might be hiding. It puzzled him that the letter didn't specify any way to make contact.

Of course, he understood the rationale—should there be any mishap during the delivery, the hiding place wouldn't be exposed.

However, this left him clueless about where to start searching. Should he resort to slow trial-and-error? Time was not on his side.

As Young Master Nan scrutinized the environment, Shi Chun's group in the distance also observed the newcomers.

"They're here—someone entered," Wu Jinliang said with excitement.

Shi Chun turned back and addressed An Wuzhi, who held two egg-shaped dirt spheres in his hands. "Deliver the Divine Fire to Brother Feng and the others."

Upon hearing this, Feng Zuoyi's group of three immediately showed expressions of awe and anticipation.

An Wuzhi, bearing no affinity for the Divine Fire's attributes, regarded them as burdens. Without hesitation, he handed them over.

The instant they acquired the Divine Fire, Feng Zuoyi's group was overcome with ecstatic joy.

"Brother Feng, you all settle yourselves somewhere else; we won't be accompanying you," Shi Chun said casually before issuing orders to his group. Pointing to the exit, he added, "Everyone, grab your gear and follow me. Zhener, stick close—let's move!"

Swift and decisive, there was no room for dithering; this moment had been long anticipated.

"Ah!" someone exclaimed in shock. Were they truly diving straight in?

Shi Chun provided no further explanation, having already leapt into the valley below.

The group had no choice but to follow suit, bounding down the ravine after him.

Feng Zuoyi's group, still on the mountainside, snapped out of their exuberance only to realize their amazement was misplaced. The transaction was already complete?

Now, they understood their earlier concerns had been unwarranted—Shi Chun's straightforwardness had thoroughly exceeded their expectations. He handed over the Divine Fire without even confirming if their sect had achieved their goal of entering.

If such boldness didn't signify trustworthiness, then what did?

Feng Zuoyi couldn't help but shout in admiration, "A true man indeed!"

Nonetheless, he dared not linger, realizing time was limited. He had to quickly absorb the Divine Fire and hide in a place unreachable to outsiders.

Having hurried away, Shi Chun's group, now coordinated, ascended skyward.

The Mingshan Sect forwent using Wind Scale; Wu Jinliang brought out his three mat-shaped Magic Artifacts, which carried the party toward the exit.

Meanwhile, Shi Chun's Three Corpses Mirror emitted a dark light shaped like a fan, expanding outward to blanket the vicinity of the exit.

As the Magical Treasure took effect, Shi Chun shouted, "Don't charge directly—arc your way through!"

"Got it!" Wu Jinliang piloted the Magic Artifact, trailing the team along an arc in midair.

Shi Chun adjusted the mirror's light beam, ensuring the area around the exit remained shrouded in darkness...

On Shudao Mountain, the newly arrived elders relayed the Sect Leader's orders to Jin Guiqi and others, instructing them to watch Young Master Nan's movements for clues.

Young Master Nan, meanwhile, pondered which direction to head first. He believed Shi Chun wouldn't leave zero hints behind.

As everyone familiarized themselves with the internal and external situations, a wave of utter darkness suddenly rolled in. It was as though the sky had fallen—not merely dark, but an overwhelming blackness that engulfed the whole world. Most were utterly disoriented.

"What's going on?"

"What's the matter?"

Cries and queries arose, but no one could answer. Everything had fallen into an eerie stillness, save for the occasional scuff of feet repositioning or the faint buzz of one's own voice. All other sounds had disappeared.

The darkness was absolute, the ground beneath seemed like an abyss, and many found themselves paralyzed, afraid to even take a large step.

Such oppressive blackness exerted immense psychological pressure; most felt as if immobilized by an immobilization charm, unable to act recklessly. Even those capable of flight refrained, fearing collisions and shouting to locate others.

Some experienced individuals recognized the darkness and quickly grasped the situation. Li Hongjiu tilted his head and muttered to the elders near him, "Shi Chun has arrived!"

Yet as soon as he spoke, he realized it was pointless—his companions couldn't hear him.

Frustration mounted, leaving him certain Shi Chun had set them up. Otherwise, how could everything align so conveniently? The outsiders had just arrived, and Shi Chun sprang into action.

Li Hongjiu directed the flow of wind from his fingertips, letting it thread through the surroundings, connecting with the world.

Not far off, someone instinctively reacted to the enveloping blackness, perceiving it as an attack. Convinced the sudden darkness was hostile, a fighter unleashed a powerful strike toward its source.

A distant rumble shattered the stillness—a cascade of collapsing mountains and erupting dust. The ground beneath everyone trembled violently.

What's going on? Young Master Nan grew agitated, regretting his reckless decision. This kind of dangerous confrontation wasn't his forte.

Flicking his fingers ahead cautiously, Li Hongjiu suddenly looked up. Just as sparks of electricity danced at his fingertips, a sharp light blinded everyone, compelling them to blink against the glare.

The darkness abruptly vanished, restoring daylight to the realm, and sound returned to normal, snapping everyone from the nightmare-like stupor in which they'd been trapped.

Many raised their heads to find Shi Chun's group descending from the sky, with their Magical Treasure retracted.

Young Master Nan immediately recognized them and couldn't help but smirk. What was the need for contact? Forget finding them—Shi Chun had come straight to them without delay.

Most, too, recognized Shi Chun, including the newly arrived elders of various sects. After all, on their way to the Divine Fire Domain, Shi Chun's party had been deliberately stopped atop Qi Yun Valley's peak, making their identities well-known.

Scheming parties now found themselves bewildered—what now?

They hadn't even finalized plans or arranged preparations, yet Shi Chun's abrupt appearance rendered their deliberations moot.

Sighting Young Master Nan, Shi Chun was visibly surprised, clearly not expecting him to personally enter. Without hesitation, he led his group down to join Young Master Nan, noting his wearied appearance. Dispensing with formalities, Shi Chun signaled straightforwardly, inviting Young Master Nan to his side as they headed toward the Refining Heaven Sect contingent.

Upon reaching Situ Gu, Shi Chun addressed Zhener, "Zhener, come; follow me to pay respects to Elder Situ."

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