"It's closed already?"

"Didn't it close and reopen before? Could it be that this time…"

"The Divine Fire Spirit Gate has flown away."

"What about the people inside?"

When the two-world passage closed, a chaotic discussion erupted among the crowd on the beach, as dozens of floating Lifebound Lotus Lamps remained in the sky.

This indicated that several people were still inside, and with the passage now sealed, it meant those individuals could no longer escape.

No one knew what had happened to those who hadn't perished, or why they had failed to leave in time.

Many sighed. Some lamented the ruthlessness of the contest rules, while others argued that rules are rules—those who couldn't leave on time must bear the consequences.

From the terrace, Lan Qiaoyan gazed at the Lifebound Lamps that could no longer emerge and let out a soft sigh. "Alas!"

Suddenly, a faint light seemed to flicker in the night sky, attracting the attention of everyone below. As they looked up, a massive light screen appeared above.

Within the light screen, faint imagery could be seen: scenes from the mountain summit of Qi Yun Valley, with high-ranking members of the Ten Great Sects staring up in astonishment, as if making eye contact with the spectators on the beach.

However, since it was nighttime, the images were unclear; had it not been for the illumination of the screen, even those on the mountain summit wouldn't have been able to see anything.

Inside Qi Yun Valley, much like the other sects, the Mingshan Sect group also stepped outside to observe the closure of the two-world passage.

Having endured numerous perils within the Divine Fire Domain, many members of the Mingshan Sect sighed wistfully—it was finally over.

But the sudden appearance of the light screen startled them all over again. Shi Chun exclaimed in surprise, "What's that?"

Beside him, Young Master Nan marveled, "What do you mean, 'What's that?' Don't tell me you've forgotten—the Heavenly Mirror, duh…"

He paused, glancing at the group of bewildered Mingshan Sect members nearby. "Ah, that's right," he remembered, "These people used to be mirror reflections—they know of the Heavenly Mirror but have never seen its imagery." With a faint chuckle, he explained, "This is the Heavenly Mirror's projection."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang visibly reacted. They'd heard about it after the Sky Rain Meteor Conference, where their images had once been prominently displayed in the mirror.

Shi Chun turned and asked, "This too—was this your doing again?"

Young Master Nan didn't deny it. "Everything outside has been arranged. As soon as the two-world passage closes and the projection can transmit normally, the contest results must be shared immediately. Not just here, but the imagery is synchronized across the Four Great Continents, with the scenes controlled uniformly from outside the valley."

He added a comforting remark, "This time, don't worry—you won't be targeted. I've instructed them to avoid showing images of your group as much as possible, especially considering how many people you've offended recently."

"Sigh." Shi Chun let out a deep breath, saying no more. Everyone was just trying to make a living; there was no point in hindering others' fortunes. Business was more pressing. After a pause, he asked to confirm, "The Mother-child Talisman can now be used normally, right?"

Young Master Nan replied, "It should be functional now."

Meanwhile, the high-ranking members of the Ten Great Sects atop the mountain were discussing the postponement of the contest. Shi Chun's reasonable and justified protest carried some weight, publicly pointing out the unfairness that the prestigious sects had to face, at least in appearance.

The decision was simple: let everyone rest for now and resume the contest at dawn.

As the decision was made, the group of leaders suddenly realized they were being watched by the enormous mirror. What on earth? Could they not have any privacy?

One look at the projection, and they immediately knew who was behind it. In the history of the Divine Fire Covenant, this was likely the first time anyone had used the Heavenly Mirror in such a blatant manner. When had even a treasure of the mirror's caliber become so casually dispensed?

Many couldn't help but curse Young Master Nan for this indignity, though they refrained from interfering too much—for behind the betting syndicate, it wasn't just Young Master Nan; there were others involved.

Still, it was intolerable—being this openly watched felt deeply uncomfortable.

After some brief discussion, the Sect Master of Refining Heaven Sect, Luo Yan, issued an instruction: "Send someone to summon Namo Yu."

Naturally, someone accepted the order and went.

By the time the messenger found Young Master Nan, Shi Chun had already returned to the courtyard of their temporary lodgings.

He was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, clutching a Mother-child Talisman as he mulled something over. Finally, he stopped, and after careful consideration, he sent a message to the matching talisman: Mulan, I've left the Divine Fire Domain, and the Mother-child Talisman is working again. The first thing I want to know is—are you alright?

On the beach, having briefly stepped away from the crowd earlier, Mulan Qingqing now stood on the outskirts of the gathering, fixated on the reflected imagery from the projection, trying to discern if a certain someone was among them.

Suddenly, the reaction of her Mother-child Talisman startled her. While she did possess the necessary status, the number of people who could directly contact her through the talisman was exceedingly rare.

Moreover, due to this world's boundary-crossing effects, talismans capable of directly linking to her here should have been rendered temporarily inactive, except for…

She immediately realized who might be trying to communicate with her. Reaching for the talisman, she didn't even bother to check the identifying inscription. One glance at the text written on it confirmed her suspicion—nobody else would dare send such outrageously shameless and blunt words to her.

There was no need to worry whether the talisman had fallen into someone else's hands; one look and she knew it came from the man himself, despite this being only the second time he had contacted her.

She felt both embarrassed and annoyed, quickly clutching the talisman tightly in her palm to conceal it. Out of instinct, she glanced around to ensure no one had seen her reaction. Even if he shamelessly lacked decorum, she still cared about preserving her own dignity.

Clearly, the person sending the message was alive and well. She felt no urge to linger at the scene any longer. Her snowy-white clothing fluttered as she turned and walked away briskly.

She returned to the inn, went back to her room, and closed the door tightly.

Pacing back and forth inside her room, she repeatedly picked up and set down the Mother-child Talisman. After a long while, she finally stopped, took a deep breath, and replied to the message: Are you okay? You still owe me a contest!

Back in his courtyard, Shi Chun was pacing anxiously with his talisman, occasionally glancing at it and muttering under his breath. His mind raced like a mantra: Why hasn't she replied yet? Why hasn't she replied yet?

Suddenly, a response came in. He picked it up at once, chuckled to himself, and muttered gleefully, "She cares about me after all. I guess my charming looks didn't go to waste—there's hope yet."

Shi Chun was highly confident in his appearance, and even in the Land of Exile, many people praised his distinguished features.

Especially now, after consistently applying pearl powder, his complexion had noticeably brightened.

Of course, Wu Jinliang also believed he was good-looking.

Shi Chun quickly replied with another message: Mulan, I thought about you many times every day while I was in the Divine Fire Domain.

Here we go again? Alone in her room without needing to manage her expressions, Mulan Qingqing stared at the talisman in disbelief. Suddenly, she smacked her palm against the wall, her nails scraping audibly. Her face alternated between embarrassment and an itch to gnash her teeth in frustration.

Lies! Her rational mind told her these were all lies.

Yet she couldn't suppress the turbulent emotions surging within her as she quickly replied: Thinking about how to kill me? Don't forget—back then you were eager to strike me down with a single blow.

She would never forget his savage, menacing demeanor when he wounded her badly during the Sky Rain Meteor Conference—a man who had once been determined to kill her, claiming to like her? Absurd!

Such accusations posed no challenge for Shi Chun. He replied without hesitation: Mulan, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You're the first woman I've given a Mother-child Talisman to. Even while fighting for my life in the Divine Fire Domain, I kept recalling the moment I hurt you—it filled me with regret so deep I wanted to die. I even stopped defending myself, letting the other person beat me to the brink of death. Many people witnessed that scene.

Mulan Qingqing froze upon reading the message. That man had been seriously injured?

Though she doubted he'd suffered those injuries due to remorse over her, the claim of grave harm couldn't be entirely dismissed—after all, he asserted there were multiple witnesses.

Testing his account, she replied: You're still spouting nonsense, so it seems your wounds must have healed considerably.

Shi Chun responded: I shouldn't have survived—it's not that I'm tough, but right before I died, thoughts of you kept me clinging to life. Miraculously, I held on. Everyone says my survival was a miracle. Through this ordeal, I learned that I could die for a woman—and also live for one.

Writing each word of this message with precision, Shi Chun showed no hesitation. In his mind, all other obstacles were manageable—his most critical challenge remained with the Stargazing Pavilion and Mulan Jin. If the secrets of the Demon Path were exposed, he'd face ruin.

What mattered more than pride when survival was at stake? In the Land of Exile, the only rule was to live at all costs!

If meaningful words could resolve a life-threatening predicament, what a bargain that would be.

Reading the message, Mulan Qingqing suddenly turned to face the wall, resting her forehead against it lightly. The words only agitated her further; she needed time to calm down.

After a lengthy pause, she maintained her stance, holding up the talisman, and asked: Who injured you?

Shi Chun didn't hesitate: Disciple Li Hongjiu of the Yanbao Sect. When he drove me to desperation, I shouted loudly, "Mulan, let's meet in the next life." He heard it—you can ask him if you don't believe me.

This response was sent without qualms—Shi Chun doubted Mulan Qingqing would actually seek verification from Li Hongjiu. Anyway, the details of the latter pursuing him would likely become common knowledge.

Still leaning against the wall, Mulan Qingqing squeezed her eyes shut, feeling utterly exasperated. After taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she firmly replied: I don't believe a word you say. Heal up and prepare for our upcoming contest.

Shi Chun wasn't about to let the conversation end there. He deftly replied: This might be our last time speaking. I know you look down on someone like me because of my background. But they say the words of the dying carry a measure of truth. Let me bare my heart—I think you're truly beautiful, and I really like you. In our next life, I swear I'll keep my promise—we'll complete our match together.

Staring at the talisman's message, Mulan Qingqing was struck with confusion. She turned from the wall and stared at the text, watching it fade away into nothing. Hastily, she replied: Are your injuries that severe?

Shi Chun: Are you worried about me? If serious wounds could earn your concern, I'd be willing to suffer every day. But my injuries aren't the real issue—we likely won't meet again. I've caught the attention of the Stargazing Pavilion's people this time, and I'm afraid my fate is sealed. I just couldn't let go of you and wanted to know you're safe.

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