Inside the branch hall of the Li Huo Sect within Qi Yun Valley, the Sect Master looked at the inventory list brought by Elder Wei of the Golden Appearance Hall. After glancing briefly, he couldn't help but grimace.

The grey-bearded Elder Wei observed his reaction and said, "What's the matter? Is it that I, Elder Wei, lack the qualifications, or are you worried that our Golden Appearance Hall won't return what we borrow?"

The Sect Master of Li Huo Sect quickly waved his hand and forced a bitter smile, "Elder Wei, I truly don't have these materials on hand. If you really need them, you'll have to wait while I send someone back to the sect to procure them."

Since it was still on this island and just a short walk away, Elder Wei comfortably leaned back in his chair and gestured with his hand, "Make it quick, I need them urgently."

"Alright, please wait a moment while I arrange this." The Sect Master of Li Huo Sect uttered a polite response and then excused himself to leave.

Once outside, he handed the inventory list to a disciple nearby to handle. Another disciple approached him in haste and reported, "Sect Master, Elder Hu from the Extreme Fire Sect seeks an audience."

The Sect Master of Li Huo Sect paused, turned around, and exchanged puzzled looks with the elder beside him, both showing signs of amazement. The elder chuckled, "No need to guess, they're probably here to borrow materials again."

The Sect Master furrowed his brows in confusion, "How odd, why are so many coming to borrow from our Li Huo Sect?"

The elder speculated, "Could it have something to do with Shi Chun? According to reports from the disciples, Shi Chun recently visited these particular sects."

The Sect Master pondered for a while before shaking his head slightly, "Whether related or not, it's the business of the major sects, and we can't interfere. But the real question is why they've all singled us out for borrowing materials!" Then he gestured towards the direction of the main hall, "Shudao Mountain and Yanbao Sect already took a large lot, and now Golden Appearance Hall is asking for more. We're barely managing to scrape together the resources they're demanding, let alone meeting the Extreme Fire Sect's needs."

Regardless of his complaints, what could be done? He couldn't afford to appear dismissive, so he had no choice but to personally go to the entrance to greet them.

No need for ambiguity here—he truly didn't have the resources. When the representatives from Golden Appearance Hall hinted at their request, the Sect Master of Li Huo Sect immediately raised three fingers decisively, declaring that it's all gone; three sects had already borrowed from him. He didn't know what schemes they were up to, but his resources were depleted.

The elder from Golden Appearance Hall was momentarily taken aback before quickly piecing together the situation. Without causing a fuss, he simply asked which three sects borrowed materials and left promptly to approach other sects, seeming somewhat in a hurry.

He was worried that if he delayed too long, other sects might clear out the resources completely.

While near all of the major artifact refining sects were gathered here, what if someone was playing tricks? What if by the end, Golden Appearance Hall found themselves the only ones left out of Shi Chun's information? Then the joke would surely be on them.

He was acutely aware of each sect's nature. Expecting them to share precious information freely was wishful thinking. Forget information paid for, even free tidbits wouldn't be casually disclosed—if you're not qualified enough, they'll trample you without hesitation.

The elder entrusted with this task couldn't afford such mistakes to surface. Failing to handle even a minor matter would make reporting back to his sect impossible.

Over at the Extreme Fire Sect, after spending some time, they finally gathered all the items on their list. They then dispatched someone to fetch Shi Chun, who was temporarily resting.

Following an all-too-familiar script, their first request was to confirm the authenticity of the information.

For Shi Chun, this process posed no difficulty—mainly because the other party urgently needed him.

By the time Shi Chun exited the Extreme Fire Sect's resting area, dawn had broken, and the sunlight bathed the rotating 'Divine Fire Spirit Gate' in the sky with a layer of mysterious golden brilliance.

Young Master Nan and others who had already collected their inventory items were waiting outside.

Wu Jinliang grinned broadly and approached with a greeting, "Golden Appearance Hall has received the inventory."

Shi Chun then took out the remaining inventory lists and handed them to him, "You may as well deliver the rest to each sect yourself."

"No problem." Wu Jinliang waved his hand and brought Chu Jingtang along as he headed off.

Shi Chun, on the other hand, led Young Master Nan and Tong Mingshan to the resting area of Golden Appearance Hall.

At the next sect, the requested inventory items were already prepared, which naturally saved a significant amount of time in the subsequent process—they could get straight to the point.

As expected, there were no surprises in the dealings. Shi Chun maintained a respectful attitude with most sects, except for a somewhat firmer stance when dealing with the Extreme Fire Sect. There was no need to alienate the others—after all, tossing the so-called Divine Fire Secret out there was essentially a way to end grievances with the sects involved, sparing him from future entanglements. It was all about tying up loose ends.

To put it mildly, at the very least, he intended to make them feel satisfied with their expenditures. So, his demeanor was exceedingly humble, filled with smiles and bows, allowing those paying to assume an air of superiority over him.

From one sect to another, until finally, Shi Chun managed to extract payment from nine of the ten great artifact-refining sects.

Going from one success to another, Shi Chun couldn't help but feel a bit smug about his completed plan. By now, dusk was approaching.

Returning triumphantly to the Mingshan Sect resting area, Sect Leaders from various sects that had spent money began leaving their premises and venturing out, seeking conversations with sects that Shi Chun had visited.

The sects Shi Chun hadn't visited were ignored entirely; after all, those who remained ignorant of the secret weren't qualified to delve into it.

The purpose behind probing one another was to foster alliances.

The target, Situ Gu, hailed from the Refining Heaven Sect—the number one artifact-refining sect in the world. With their powerful status, extracting secrets directly from Situ Gu was no easy task for any single sect.

Among those aware of the secret, there was no concern about leaking the information. Naturally, they could unite to deliberate together.

Thus, eight sects from the ten great sects began meeting with one another, gradually converging at Shudao Mountain—ranked second in strength within the refining world. After all, sometimes status alone becomes an invisible form of authority.

Leaders from nine major sects gathered to engage in a secret meeting.

The unusual gathering inevitably caught the attention of outsiders.

On a recently cleared mountaintop within the Li Huo Sect, amidst a graceful small courtyard, Mulan Jin lay reclining on a lounge chair in a loft, basking in the glow of the setting sun, her eyes half-closed in feigned rest.

A man dressed in black ascended the loft briskly. His pale face was adorned with three ink-like strands of long mustache, conveying an aura of rustic solidity through both his appearance and build. Yet his sharp eyes carried a trustworthy shrewdness.

This was Lu Mi, one of Mulan Jin's trusted confidants and her right-hand man.

Standing beside Mulan Jin's lounge chair, he presented a classified document. "Master, it appears to be linked to Shi Chun's dealings with the various sects. Reports suggest Shi Chun has sold the method for locating Divine Fire to nine sects."

"Selling methods?" Mulan Jin's eyes snapped open, a flicker of surprise flashing across them. The idea sounded absurd. His long fingers pinched the document as he lazily unfolded it to read.

The document contained nothing else but the reasons behind Shi Chun's actions and details of the sales process, painting a clear picture that only eyewitnesses might know.

The source of the leak remained unclear, but one thing was certain—there must have been Stargazing Pavilion agents within the high ranks of those nine sects.

"Fire God Incense..." Mulan Jin murmured as she searched her memory for references to it.

Lu Mi remarked, "It is rather unusual. There's no evidence of any prior connection between Shi Chun and Situ Gu. Why would Situ Gu entrust his self-developed Fire God Incense to Shi Chun for testing in the Divine Fire Domain? Refining Heaven Sect doesn't lack personnel."

Slowly setting down the document, Mulan Jin mused aloud, "Selling to nine sects... interesting. And borrowing Situ Gu's involvement in artifact-refining disputes to escape the storm? That man never misses an opportunity to profit, even while retreating."

"Escape?" Lu Mi pondered for a moment before agreeing, adding, "Another peculiarity worth noting, Master, is that most of what Shi Chun accepted in this trade were artifact-refining materials."

Mulan Jin replied indifferently, "Artifact-refining materials are meant for artifact refiners, and Shi Chun only has Tong Mingshan for refining, correct?"

Lu Mi confirmed, "That seems to be the case."

Mulan Jin speculated, "If there's no one else involved, he might be banking entirely on Tong Mingshan. If that's true, Tong Mingshan must be extraordinary—otherwise, Shi Chun wouldn't invest so heavily in him."

Lu Mi nodded, "Absorbing four strands of Divine Fire is certainly remarkable."

"Four strands?" Mulan Jin lightly questioned, her tone hinting at dry amusement. She returned the classified document to Lu Mi and added, "Knowing full well that the adjusted competition rules target him, knowing full well that the sects aim to prevent him from winning, knowing full well that entering the competition means the four strands of Divine Fire will achieve nothing, yet he still insists on Tong Mingshan participating. Would he really waste effort on something so futile?"

Lu Mi stroked his mustache pensively, "If that's the case, it certainly warrants further consideration."

Mulan Jin continued, "That lad came from the Land of Exile—a highly pragmatic individual who doesn't waste effort. For the refining world to set a baseline of ten strands of Divine Fire, clearly it wasn't a casual decision. It was designed to exclude him, indicating sects had initially estimated Tong Mingshan's Divine Fire count. Then it suddenly dropped, surprising everyone.

Why the sudden reduction? The refining world modified competition rules against him, and he responded by dramatically lowering the count—aligning himself perfectly with the rules. His adversaries simultaneously adjusted accordingly. Was it truly a coincidence? For people in our line of work, coincidences naturally raise suspicions."

Lu Mi's eyes gleamed slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Master, are you saying Shi Chun not only resisted the pressure from the ten great sects, but also planted a trap of his own?"

Mulan Jin replied, "Just conjecture. But I do recall the Sky Rain Meteor Conference vividly. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shi Chun's true colors weren't revealed until the very end. Whether he has a trap or not, one thing is certain—he has audacity, and plenty of it. He has even dared to leverage our Stargazing Pavilion for his schemes. It wouldn't be right to let him off without some punishment."

Lu Mi seemed momentarily startled before asking, "How should we handle it?"

Mulan Jin responded impassively, "I've already informed the refining world that we won't disrupt their competition process. I want to see what tricks Shi Chun has up his sleeve. Once the competition ends, have all involved captured and sent to a 'nice spot'—let them live there for fifty years."

Lu Mi looked somewhat stunned. Truthfully, killing them outright wouldn't surprise him, nor would lifelong imprisonment. But fifty years? The duration seemed oddly moderate, neither especially long nor short.

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