The sunset sinks, and night falls again.

The heads of the nine major sects gathered at the Shudao Mountain lodging, discussing matters over and over, yet failing to come up with a solid plan to deal with Situ Gu. The reason was simple: not only did Situ Gu have the formidable Refining Heaven Sect backing him, but he also wielded significant personal influence. A single call from him would summon plenty of supporters.

Ask yourself this: which of the cultivation world's elites wouldn't want to befriend the greatest artifact refining master in the world?

The key issue was that it wouldn't be appropriate to drag Shi Chun directly to confront Situ Gu. Even if Situ Gu admitted the matter, what could they do about it? If the Refining Heaven Sect were creating methods to locate the Divine Fire for their own purposes, why should others interfere? What did it have to do with them? Were they planning to snatch it?

Against a regular sect, one might indeed attempt robbery, but going up against the number-one faction in the artifact refining world—a feat few dared to attempt.

Thus, this issue was truly troublesome.

Debating endlessly, someone finally raised a suspicion, "Could it be that Shi Chun knows Situ Gu is a tough nut to crack, so he deliberately redirected the matter toward him?"

Immediately, someone refuted, "If he dares to deceive us and smear Refining Heaven Sect in the process, then he's making himself an enemy of the entire artifact refining world. I suggest he finds a place to bury himself afterward and never shows his face again. He's a smart man; he should understand this much."

Another person agreed, "The reason we believe this is because Situ Gu and Shi Chun do indeed have some dubious interactions. Logically speaking, someone as aloof as Situ Gu wouldn't associate with a trivial figure like Shi Chun. You must have noticed—Situ Gu, with his nature, is unusually invested in the Divine Fire Domain. When the entrance reopened for the second time, he personally led a team inside. This clearly suggests a motive to silence witnesses. No matter how you see it, his intentions are suspicious."

"Shi Chun revealing this to protect himself seems plausible. At the very least, Sect Leader Gu has confirmed one thing: his Shudao Mountain disciple personally witnessed the existence of the 'Fire God Incense.' A treasure like this—how could anyone create it without an in-depth understanding of the Divine Fire? Only those with significant knowledge of the Divine Fire could produce it. For instance, someone from the artifact refining world. Shi Chun, on the other hand, couldn't create the 'Fire God Incense' even if you killed him. And among those in the artifact refining world, only Situ Gu is the top expert on the Divine Fire!" Sect Master Su Qiao of the Extreme Fire Sect delivered these words with conviction.

His statement made perfect sense, and many present slightly nodded their heads in agreement.

But this endless rhetorical cycle brought no real solutions to their immediate dilemma.

The same reasoning came up repeatedly: Could the Refining Heaven Sect have developed this magical treasure? And if they did, why should they share it with outsiders?

Possessing a treasure invites disaster, but the Refining Heaven Sect wasn't an ordinary "possessor"; it was an entity everyone had to look up to.

Sect Leader Gu Yanduo of Shudao Mountain, who typically remained silent, noticed that the discussion wasn't yielding anything novel. Aware that too many people were present for scheming effective conspiracies, he realized they needed to narrow the circle further—or ideally, find a way to act alone.

He had grown tired of hosting this crowd. Moreover, he felt his own sect had the potential to seize victory, and he didn't want anything to jeopardize that. Slowly, he spoke up, "Since no effective plan can be agreed upon for now, with the grand competition imminent, I suggest we revisit this after the competition. What do you all think?"

Everyone exchanged glances, observing each other's reactions.

The perpetually drowsy, elderly Pavilion Master Xiao Youhong of Daming Pavilion unexpectedly opened his eyes and spoke slowly, "Sect Leader Gu makes a valid point. With the competition drawing so much attention from the cultivation world, any misstep now would bring shame to all of us. Refining Heaven Sect isn't a soft target either. Waiting until after the competition would indeed be more suitable."

Several others expressed agreement. Some hesitated, while others sighed.

Seeing this support, Gu Yanduo immediately stood up and said, "All right, then. With that settled—gentlemen, forgive me for not escorting you further." He cupped his hands courteously, then gestured. "Open the door!"

A Shudao Mountain elder quickly stepped forward to open the door.

As everyone rose one after another to bid farewell, a disciple arrived hurriedly from outside, announcing, "Sect Leader, Sect Master Luo of Refining Heaven Sect has come to visit!"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their expressions complex. Gu Yanduo had no choice but to invite him in.

Sect Master Luo Yan's visit was no coincidence. A sect as vast as Refining Heaven Sect had its own network of spies, and they were well aware of the nine major sects' leaders gathering together—it was bound to raise suspicions.

Having waited a long while without receiving an invitation, Luo Yan eventually lost patience and humbled himself to visit personally.

However, he had arrived too late—the gathering was already dispersing.

No one revealed the truth to him. They certainly couldn't admit they were plotting against Refining Heaven Sect. Instead, they responded with polite pleasantries, letting the group dissolve right under his nose.

After leaving Shudao Mountain, Sect Master Su Qiao of the Extreme Fire Sect halted mid-journey, turning back to gaze at the dimly lit courtyard from which they had just exited, his expression deep and contemplative.

Beside him, an elder asked in a low voice, "Sect Master, why didn't you probe about the woman Situ Gu took away?"

Su Qiao cast a sidelong glance and said, "Since it's a deliberately hidden secret, do you believe Luo Yan would share the truth with us? I didn't even question Shi Chun because I don't want to alert them prematurely. Acting as though we know nothing allows them to assume we're clueless—only then will we have a chance to act. Otherwise, even the greatest truths have a way of vanishing. Let's go. We'll discuss it further upon returning."

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