Chapter 241

Xiang Lan'er understood, and the two of them found Shi Chun that night to explain the situation.

Shi Chun, who was meditating cross-legged, shook his head after hearing them, regretting, "You should have said this earlier. It's too late now. Young Master Nan isn't my subordinate, and I don't have the standing to ask him to go through all that trouble again."

Feng Chi grew a little anxious. "How could we have said it earlier? We didn't even know if Young Master Nan would agree. Who knew you'd establish a sect of thirteen people, or that you'd get approval from the Divine Fire Alliance so quickly? Young Master Nan agreed to help you, so why didn't you inform us beforehand?"

Shi Chun had his reasons: "He didn't explicitly agree; he only said he'd try. Who knew it would actually work? I was surprised too. You said it would be very troublesome, but he finished it so quickly."

Xiang Lan'er urged, "Go and ask him again. Perhaps he'll help you one more time."

Shi Chun replied, "Lan'er, do you think I don't want to? Seven more people would be a considerable help to me, but this matter truly isn't that simple. When Young Master Nan approached me earlier, he mentioned that those artifact refiners absolutely do not want outsiders entering. An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin barely passed, requiring immense effort. He genuinely doesn't want to go through that a second time.

"Moreover, all thirteen of us were expelled from our sects, and Young Master Nan knows our past. If you bring in seven new people, wouldn't it be too sudden? Not to mention the Divine Fire Alliance, I doubt Young Master Nan himself would even approve. Do you really take Young Master Nan for a fool, someone who will accept just anyone and take on any responsibility? When he came earlier, he already stated that getting An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin in was him doing his utmost this time.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? He's already done his best. If you insist on squeezing in seven more people, Young Master Nan will be the first to suspect their background. Sister Feng, Lan'er, I'm not trying to criticize, but is this how casually you usually handle matters in the Demonic Path? Working with you, I feel quite uneasy."

If he truly didn't want to agree, he could find any number of excuses. He simply didn't want the newly established 'Mingshan Sect' to be associated with the Demonic Path, at least not openly. If he were willing to be associated, he wouldn't have bothered to create the 'Mingshan Sect'; he could have easily agreed to the Demonic Path's request to join an artifact refining sect in Julu Continent.

Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er fell silent. It was evident that this was impossible, so what more could they say?

As the two departed, Shi Chun spoke up again, instructing, "Those eleven people don't yet know that a sect has been founded and they've joined it, nor do they know about participating in the Divine Fire Alliance. Don't let them know for now; I'll inform them only just before we enter."

Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er were both speechless. So this was his method; no wonder they were being treated so well with food and drink. They both wanted to ask, "When the time comes, how will you break the news? Won't that be awkward?"

Whether it would be awkward was a matter for later. For now, they were indeed being treated to good food and drink. Shi Chun often had Wu Jinliang take them out to sightsee, and he also ensured they acquired all necessary cultivation resources promptly.

The eleven, including Chu Jingting, spent their days eating, drinking, having fun, and cultivating in seclusion, with no other duties. Their lives were incredibly leisurely. They certainly wouldn't have enjoyed such relaxed days in their former sects, where routine tasks always had to be managed. It was a rare stretch of good days in their lives. The only drawback was that it felt somewhat unreal. Receiving food, drink, and provisions without having to do anything made them increasingly uneasy as the days passed. Anyone with a normal mind would know such days couldn't last. They weren't great beauties; why would someone continue to support them indefinitely?

Later, after discussing among themselves, the eleven proactively approached Shi Chun, seeking tasks and asking if there was anything they could do to help. Shi Chun told them to focus on secluded cultivation and diligently improve their cultivation. He assured them he wouldn't squander their resources; once he found a good way to make a fortune, he would naturally invite them to join him, so they needn't worry about having nothing to do. With that explanation, the group finally felt at ease.

And so, days passed, and in the blink of an eye, two months had gone by. The peaceful days for the eleven were thus broken when Shi Chun invited them to go on a long trip for leisure. Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er naturally had to accompany them, as Shi Chun still needed them to coordinate with the Demonic Path. Hearing they were going to Jambudvipa for leisure, Duan Xiangmei privately expressed her wish to Wu Jinliang, who then spoke to Shi Chun and brought her along. Duan Xiangmei was ecstatic. Aside from coming to the imperial capital for work, she had never properly traveled far, especially not across the four great continents, simply because she couldn't afford it. Her income back then was only a few hundred gold coins a month. After covering basic living expenses and purchasing some cultivation resources, she couldn't possibly afford the thousands of gold coins typically spent on Xunmen travel.

Although it was termed a pleasure trip, Shi Chun didn't actually dare to travel extensively throughout Jambudvipa. He knew his own capabilities and that he had offended many, so he had to be cautious. In fact, he timed his departure precisely. The group's travel route was as follows: first, they reached the Xunmen formation in the imperial capital of Shengzhen Continent, then proceeded directly via Xunmen to the Xunmen formation in the imperial capital of Jambudvipa, from there to Yanzhou Prefecture under Jambudvipa via Xunmen, and finally, through the prefecture's Xunmen, arrived at a place called "Lihuo Island," which was their ultimate destination. They didn't stop to sightsee anywhere along the way, not even pausing to observe the bustling prosperity of Jambudvipa's imperial capital. The cost for the group of sixteen to pass through a single Xunmen was sixteen thousand gold coins. After three such passages, it was clear that people with ordinary incomes truly could not afford such travel.

Lihuo Island is a very large island, originally situated deep in the ocean far from the mainland. It is picturesque, boasting endless blue waves, clear water, white sands, swaying coconut palms, and seabirds taking flight and landing. During inclement weather, however, it was often ravaged by fierce winds and torrential rains. Lihuo Island has an owner; it belongs to the Lihuo Sect, a prominent artifact refining school. Normally, there were no outsiders here, nor even a Xunmen. However, at present, a temporary Xunmen had been erected, providing access to the outside world and managed by the Yanzhou Prefecture. Visitors emerging from it could see many people coming and going. Many people had arrived much earlier, unlike Shi Chun, who timed his arrival close to the deadline.

"Lihuo Island is typically very quiet, a place that only becomes bustling once every two or three hundred years," Tong Mingshan explained. "Its activity is related to the opening of the Divine Fire Realm. Whenever the Divine Fire Realm mysteriously passes through, Lihuo Island is the closest point and the optimal location to open it. Each opening disrupts the island's tranquility and the Lihuo Sect's normal routine. However, the disturbance isn't without purpose. Look at all these new buildings and the businesses of various trades; they're all set up temporarily. The Lihuo Sect takes a share, and every time this happens, they make a considerable profit."

Having just emerged from the Xunmen and confirmed their arrival at Lihuo Island, and learning that the Divine Fire Realm was about to open and they were there to witness the grand event, Tong Mingshan became excited. He pointed in all directions, seemingly intimately familiar with the island's affairs, explaining everything logically and eloquently. Although it was clearly his first time visiting this place, he had a radiant demeanor, and his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. As everyone listened to his explanation, they gained insight and realized he was truly worthy of his professional background.

Shi Chun chuckled, "Brother Tong, you don't seem like a first-timer here; you sound very familiar with this place."

Tong Mingshan quickly waved his hand, replying, "Chief, you jest. It truly is my first time here. However, the 'Divine Fire Realm' is a sacred place in the eyes of us artifact refiners, and everyone yearns for it, so I've naturally heard a great deal about it from my elders."

Every time Xiang Lan'er heard them call him "Chief" again, her expression grew a little odd. Hadn't the Meteor Shower Assembly been enough of a pitfall for them with this Chief? Hadn't it left any scars? Yet, they still kept addressing him as "Chief."

Zhu Xiangxin remarked, "It's not just a sacred place for you artifact refiners, is it? We alchemists also yearn for it; it's just controlled by artifact refiners."

An Wuzhi also chuckled, "Everyone who cultivates fire-attribute techniques appreciates it; they just don't get the opportunity to enter."

Tong Mingshan chuckled, much like Wu Jinliang, as he naturally understood the underlying reason.

Shi Chun asked him, "Brother Tong, the Hundred Refinements Sect should have an opportunity to enter, shouldn't it?"

Tong Mingshan nodded. "Yes, the Hundred Refinements Sect is part of the Divine Fire Alliance. Since its founding, the Hundred Refinements Sect has only entered once, but unfortunately, none of the disciples who entered had the fortune to find and fuse with divine fire."

Shi Chun asked, "If you were still with the Hundred Refinements Sect, given your qualifications, you should have had a chance to enter, right?"

At this, Tong Mingshan thought carefully, then shook his head slightly. "Not necessarily," he said. "The opportunity should primarily go to disciples at the Great Accomplishment stage of High Martial Arts, or those with superior artifact refining talent. If a quota could also be given to those at the Upper Accomplishment stage of High Martial Arts, then perhaps..." He looked up into the distance, sighing softly, with a hint of sorrow and despondency. Everyone understood that if there were entry quotas for those at the Upper Accomplishment stage of High Martial Arts, Tong Mingshan, having been chosen by the Hundred Refinements Sect to lead their team in the Meteor Shower Assembly, would have had a very high chance of entering the Divine Fire Realm.

Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er looked at Tong Mingshan with exceedingly strange expressions, wondering why he was feeling so despondent. Wu Jinliang twiddled the large gourd strapped to his back, chuckling beside them.

Shi Chun tentatively asked, "So, Brother Tong, you wish to enter the Divine Fire Realm?"

Tong Mingshan sighed, "Who from an artifact refining background wouldn't want to? There are thirty-six types of divine fire; even fusing with just one would grant an innate divine ability! One's fire-attribute cultivation techniques would advance by leaps and bounds, and the fire essence within their body would dramatically increase, meaning their cultivation would also rapidly progress to a realm matching their internal fire essence within a certain period." Both Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi nodded in agreement with his statement.

Shi Chun clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Since you wish to enter, I'll find someone to devise a plan and see if we can get in for some fun."

Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er simultaneously looked at him, inwardly thinking, "Here it comes, here it comes!" Wu Jinliang chuckled again.

His words were clearly a joke, not just to Tong Mingshan and the two others who cultivated fire-attribute techniques, but even to Chu Jingting and the rest. Was the Divine Fire Realm truly a place where outsiders could simply enter for fun? If so, what would it become?

Chu Jingting kindly reminded him, "Chief, that's not a place for us to just go and play. We really can't get in." His intention was to save them from futile effort.

Shi Chun replied nonchalantly, "Let's just try. We're already here, and trying won't cost much effort." The eleven exchanged glances, many smiling faintly. Tong Mingshan also smiled and shook his head slightly, but found it difficult to say much to the Chief. Wu Jinliang continued to chuckle.

Only Feng Chi and Xiang Lan'er kept their gazes down, striving to maintain poker faces. As individuals privy to the truth, they found that sometimes pretending ignorance was quite exhausting, especially when he continuously prattled on. It was particularly frustrating to watch a group of people so effortlessly walk into Shi Chun's trap, especially since it wasn't the first time they had been ensnared by him. Hadn't they learned to be more cautious?