Asking Po Yuan about certain things is futile. Granny Qi holds a prominent position here at Divine Mountain. Bai's people only need to notify before going up and down the mountain; there is no need to report to anyone. If Bai's people don't disclose their intentions, Po Yuan has no authority to interrogate.

Qiu Ben can only harbor a bellyful of suspicions and speculations here.

As dawn broke, Dazhi City fully awoke. Various characters appeared on the streets, making it increasingly noisy, with occasional calls from vendors rising and falling.

Chao Yue Hall opened its doors as the newly hired cleaning woman lowered the door panels.

The third Miss, Dongliang Ying, walked behind the counter and dusted the countertop. She was quite satisfied with the quick-handed cleaning woman, whom she had previously spoken with and found to be an honest person with a hard life.

Neighbors mentioned that Wang Ping was very competent. The cleaning woman specifically inquired about Wang Ping's daily routine here, aiming to perform just as well.

Of course, the most crucial aspect was the lack of fuss over wages—being provided with food and lodging was sufficient.

The gate near the alley at Bai's Rice Shop opened. As three carts piled high with spirit rice drove out, Bai Qiru, smoking a pipe and seeing them off, gradually disappeared behind the concealed gate.

Her eyes bore a hint of confusion, as there were some things she couldn't understand either...

The moment the three carts left the gate, they were being surveilled by Yin Tianlu from a nearby building.

This led to back-and-forth communications between Dazhi City and Divine Mountain.

Soon, as the carts ambled down the main street, people brushing past them began tactfully probing the cargo with spells.

The cart's overseer, seated atop piled rice bags, suddenly sensed something and leaned sideways to look beneath.

But so what? With people bustling on the street, someone touching your cart is quite normal, isn't it?

The spellcasters left indifferently, while the overseer coldly stared at their backs.

The carts didn't tarry due to this and continued forward.

Where Yin Tianlu was monitoring, someone quickly ascended the building and reported, "Senior Brother, there are people hidden in each cart—human, not demon cultivators, but three living humans."

Yin Tianlu was startled, as they already understood the makeup of personnel at Bai's Rice Shop, primarily demon cultivators, especially after the three targets showed unusual activities entering the shop. Experts stationed here had already set up measures to prevent escape around Bai's Rice Shop.

Even if someone digs a tunnel underground, it wouldn't escape their ears.

Thus, identifying those three living humans is self-explanatory.

It is now 100% certain they have been exposed, so Yin Tianlu swiftly took out the Mother-child Talisman to report.

The message quickly reached Qiu Ben's hands, making his heart sink. He immediately pointed at Huang Lang's nose, "Tell them, catch them! Once captured, pry their mouths open; I need to know whether Shi Chun and his group are already aware!"

Exposure comes in two forms: knowing the identity of the monitors or not knowing.

If Shi Chun is confirmed to know of their existence, there's no need for further observation. Shi Chun and his group will certainly try to escape; that rascal is too cunning. He will not grant Shi Chun a reprieve and will rely on strength and power to confront them, forcibly!

"Understood." Huang Lang acknowledged and immediately picked up the Mother-child Talisman to communicate.

Within Dazhi City, several experts from the Martial Hall of the Extreme Fire Sect quickly rushed out, heading straight towards the path where Bai's Rice Shop carts departed.

On a hillside several miles from Shelter Slope's intersection, Shi Chun stood gazing far away, his face grave.

He and Wu Jinliang had arrived for support.

The arrangement with Bai Qiru to deliver people to Shelter Slope after dawn was made to allow time to come for support.

He dared not directly rush to Dazhi City to pick them up.

Nor did he dare let Chu Jingtang's trio leave on their own.

And he didn't dare allow Chu Jingtang's trio to linger long at Bai's Rice Shop.

People from the Extreme Fire Sect dared to set traps for Huang Yingying within Divine Mountain, regardless of relationships, suggesting they could handle troubles. Moreover, Dazhi City is a subordinate territory of Divine Mountain. If Chu Jingtang's trio hide in the Rice Shop without leaving, would Extreme Fire Sect not dare fabricate an excuse to storm in under the pretense of catching thieves?

He was acutely aware that whether Chu Jingtang's trio could smoothly escape depended on the road post-exit from the city.

This road would determine whether Extreme Fire Sect's people would take action.

If Extreme Fire Sect did strike, he had no knowledge of whether Bai's power could withstand Extreme Fire Sect's assault.

Nevertheless, he repeatedly emphasized to Bai Qiru that Chu Jingtang's trio were crucial for rescuing Huang Yingying and directly informed them their opponent was Extreme Fire Sect, allowing Bai's to make ample preparations.

At this time, Wu Jinliang was also busy in Shelter Slope's mountain range, digging tunnels using Earth Escape Technique to create a long tunnel for additional escape routes.

This was the best preparatory effort Shi Chun could make in a short period.

As long as Bai's could successfully deliver them here, with Bai's people to cover the retreat, escaping should be feasible.

If Bai's couldn't bring them over, he would have to temporarily avoid confrontation and contemplate a long-term plan.

Yet reality is somewhat nerve-wracking. He held the Mother-child Talisman for direct contact with Chu Jingtang and had received their message about sensing roadside spell probes while hiding in the cart.

Whether Extreme Fire Sect did it no longer mattered. The grass was rustled, and the snakes have been startled; there's no time to turn back now. It's all down to Bai's ability now!

Three horse carriages rushed out of the city, accelerating along the ribbon-like road under the early sun, kicking up dust.

Suddenly, the carriage guards turned around to look, only to see two people riding thin Qilin pursuing from behind.

At first it was unclear whether they were just passing by or following, but soon it became obvious—they sped up when the carriages sped up, and slowed down when the carriages slowed down.

The two guards were the Earth Immortal level experts newly brought to Bai's Rice Shop by Bai Qiru.

Seeing something was amiss, one took out the Mother-child Talisman, seemingly contacting someone.

After making contact, the person shouted, and the three rapidly moving carriages suddenly changed formation from a linear long snake line to side-by-side parallel, rushing forward regardless if there were pedestrians ahead.

Soon, startled pedestrians leapt into the roadside grass, cursing loudly.

Just as an oncoming carriage was about to collide, the two guards suddenly raised their arms to cast spells, flinging the three coachmen from their seats, and the bags of rice piled on the carriages burst open and tumbled.

The same tumbling Chu Jingtang and his two companions didn't quite understand what was happening when they were scooped up by the two experts, carrying them in a rapid flight across the sky.

The two people who had leaped off their thin Qilin as they pursued also flew high into the air, letting out a long howl toward the sky as they chased.

Four black dots appeared from the rear, quickly coming in pursuit.

One among them moved with remarkable speed, swiftly surpassing the two howl-makers, racing straight at the front fugitives, rapidly closing the gap.

Looking back, Chu Jingtang and his companions were terrified, yet the experts carrying them onward, aside from the occasional glance backward, showed no signs of fear.

Suddenly, in the grass ahead, a streak of twilight spread its wings.

Chu Jingtang and the others looked down as they flew overhead, then turned back, only to see a dazzling phoenix silhouette rising, seemingly with a human figure within it, flaring its wings at the pursuers behind them.

The lead pursuer behind was caught off guard, quickly flipping his palm back, producing a dazzling golden ring that rapidly expanded, rolling around in circles, protecting the person at its center.

At the moment of impact between the magnificent phoenix silhouette and the golden ring, instead of a thunderous explosion, a humming reverberation shook everyone's eardrums.

In an instant, the phoenix silhouette dissipated like smoke from its head down to its tail, and the dazzling golden ring became dull, while the person within the ring turned to flying ash in a heartbeat.

The remaining pursuers were like moths drawn to the flame, many too late to retreat and too dispelled, turning to ash in mid-air.

A group of experts vanished in an instant, along with innocent bystanders on the road.

Below, the vibrant green prairie was instantly shaken into a green dust cloud, leaving only a bold, colorful line pointing in the direction Chu Jingtang and his companions were escaping.

Because the person within the phoenix silhouette was forced to reveal themselves, with a flip of the hand, it was as if they struck out a tail of virtual flames, providing protection and dispersing the powerful disintegration force.

The range affected by the disintegration force was remarkably wide, like it washed over anything within sight, mixing the floating green dust and soil dust into one.

Such a massive disintegration force surprisingly produced little sound, allowing Chu Jingtang and his companions to understand what 'great sound scarce voice' truly meant.

Their faces were full of disbelief, speculation, and doubt—had a Heavenly Immortal Realm expert really intervened on their behalf?

Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine such an expert would take action because of them.

Could the Master truly compel such an expert to rescue them?

In Dazhi City, everyone looked up to see a virtual wave enveloping the entire city, the City Defense Array activated, and everyone felt the tremors beneath them, their eardrums also shook in buzzing motion. Dust clouds rising higher than the city walls collided with the activated defense array, casting temporary darkness like black clouds overhead.

From the pavilion, Yin Tianlu pushed open a window to look out.

Countless people rushed out of their houses.

On the City Lord Mansion's rooftop, Li Xianghong flew up to the temple roof to observe, looking serious.

On Shelter Slope, Shi Chun felt the buzzing in his eardrums and the shaking beneath his feet was like a sieve, the green prairie shook like threshing, and he saw a huge curtain slowly rising from the ground into the sky in the distance.

Wu Jinliang suddenly flew in hurriedly from afar, looking dusty, landed beside Shi Chun, cursing repeatedly, "What's going on? If it wasn't for my Earth Escape Technique, I would have nearly been buried alive deep underground, all the tunnels I dug collapsed entirely."

Shi Chun gazed in the direction of the incident, murmuring, "It should be someone fighting."

Wu Jinliang looked toward the distant waves, suspiciously, "Could it be..."

Prompted by the reminder, Shi Chun quickly picked up the Mother-child Talisman to send a query to Chu Jingtang: Are you all right?

Chu Jingtang quickly replied: Experts were chasing us, then experts saved us.

Wu Jinliang also leaned in to look and the two exchanged glances.

The corresponding level of power was needed to clash and produce such force.

Could the Extreme Fire Sect have dispatched experts of such power just to catch Chu Jingtang and his companions?

After a long while, Wu Jinliang muttered, "Is the fight over yet? Should we hide for a bit?"

Shi Chun was about to ask again, but saw silhouettes hurriedly flying across the sky from afar; the two quickly squatted down to observe, and soon vaguely saw the arrivals landing at the entrance of Shelter Slope.

Anxious and finally grounded, Chu Jingtang and his companions were unsure what to say to their rescuers when suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them as if in instantaneous teleportation. It was an elderly woman leaning on a phoenix-headed cane, clad in white with silver hair, her face kind and benevolent, albeit slightly hunched-backed.

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