Chapter 250: God Fire Spirit Gate

A huge, magnificent, and dazzling ship, luxurious inside like a moving palace, appeared on the sea. The ship had traveled a long distance to arrive, its timing uncertain, though it did manage to reach its destination just before the Divine Flame Domain was set to open.

Gong Shaoci, who had just returned Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter, was on this ship, socializing with friends. People were scattered in twos and threes throughout the vessel: some sat drinking tea, others gathered to chat, and a few strolled on the deck. Young Master Nan was also present, sharing fine wine and delicious food with friends at a table. Nearby, a chef was butchering live fish to prepare sashimi.

A woman was dragged onto the deck by her hair, like a dead dog. She tried to struggle to her feet but was kicked back down, whimpering and crying. Among those at the table, some casually glanced at the scene before returning to their meals, while others watched with curiosity, unsure of what was unfolding.

The man who had dragged the woman, the proprietor of the Divine Flame Palace, approached a man chewing at the dining table. Pointing at the battered woman on the ground, he stated, "Sir, we've confirmed it. She was the one who leaked the information about Shi Chun and the others staying at the Divine Flame Palace."

The man then looked up at Young Master Nan and said, "Young Master Nan, here is the accountability you sought."

Young Master Nan chuckled lightly, "She's no use to me. I merely informed you that someone in your Divine Flame Palace was leaking guest information. Handle your own affairs; I don't require any accountability."

The man then turned his head slightly and said indifferently, "Drag her away and feed her to the fish."

The battered woman immediately let out whimpering wails as she was dragged away again, to the waterline platform at the stern of the ship. Someone forcefully pushed her head into the sea, drew a knife underwater, and slit her throat. They didn't let go until she stopped struggling. The blood spread into the dark night sea, quickly attracting bloodthirsty creatures. Suddenly, something broke the waves with a splash and dragged the body into the water in one gulp.

In the brightly lit dining room, the chef preparing sashimi chopped off the fish's head with a single swift cut.

Young Master Nan, passing by, reached the ship's railing outside the hall, where a man quietly reported to him about Tong Mingshan, An Wuzhi, and Zhu Xiangxin. More precisely, the report concerned the sect members who had been in contact with the trio. Young Master Nan smiled slightly upon hearing this. "So, their original sects really did come looking for them."

The man asked, "Should we..."

Young Master Nan waved his hand. "There's no need to do anything. Just keep an eye on them so I can find them whenever I need to. Don't worry about the rest; I'll handle it myself."

The man was surprised. "What matter requires your personal attention?"

Young Master Nan replied, "Nothing major. Shi Chun asked me for a small favor. By the way, is Shi Chun alright at Instrument Cloud Valley?"

The man replied, "He's fine. He came out earlier and had a meal with Mulan Qingqing. It seemed she was treating him..."

"Eating with whom?" Young Master Nan turned around, surprised, and asked.

The man replied, "Mulan Qingqing from the Primordial Sect, Mulan Jin's daughter."

"It's a miracle they didn't kill each other when they met. What kind of meal did they have together?" Young Master Nan looked utterly bewildered.

The man replied, "I don't know. Midway through the meal, Gong Shaoci intervened and invited Shi Chun and Lan Qiaoyan's mother and daughter to join them. Mulan Qingqing then left."

"Gong Shaoci..." Young Master Nan mumbled to himself, then immediately asked, "What about the people from Jieyun Mountain? Have they settled down?"

Someone else had been inquiring about Shi Chun's whereabouts at the Divine Flame Palace Inn, and investigations revealed they were from Jieyun Mountain. Young Master Nan was aware of the feud between Jieyun Mountain and Shi Chun, and worried they might cause trouble, perhaps resorting to assassination. He therefore sent someone to warn them: if anything happened to Shi Chun and his group on Li Fire Island, someone would inform the Divine Flame Alliance, forcing Jieyun Mountain to weigh the consequences of opposing all the instrument crafting sects in the world.

The man replied, "I don't know if the warning had any effect. After learning that Shi Chun was staying at Instrument Cloud Valley, the people from Jieyun Mountain arranged to meet with representatives of the instrument crafting sects from Shengzhou who are attending the conference. We don't know what they discussed, but based on past situations, we estimate they plan to harm Shi Chun within the Divine Flame Domain."

Young Master Nan snorted upon hearing this, almost losing his temper. He found the Jieyun Mountain group quite 'interesting' — they were too afraid to act on Li Fire Island, so they planned to do it inside the Divine Flame Domain instead. If Jieyun Mountain hadn't indeed produced capable disciples who served in the Shengshen Continent Royal Court, he would have outright killed these audacious fools right then and there.

After some thought, he took out a parent-child talisman and directly messaged Shi Chun: "The people from Jieyun Mountain are coming for you. They've contacted the Shengzhou instrument crafting sects within Instrument Cloud Valley. They might be planning something against you; be careful."

Shi Chun quickly replied, "Which instrument crafting sect?"

Young Master Nan immediately asked the man next to him, "Which instrument crafting sect did Jieyun Mountain meet with?"

The man thought for a moment and replied, "Not just one, but four. The sect masters of the four participating instrument crafting sects from Shengzhou all met: Heavenly Furnace Sect, Fengluo Cult, Spirit Refining Fortress, and Seven Stars Island."

Young Master Nan immediately forwarded the message: "They are Heavenly Furnace Sect, Fengluo Cult, Spirit Refining Fortress, and Seven Stars Island. Be careful on your end; I'll also have someone warn those four sects."

Shi Chun replied a little later: "I appreciate your kindness. No need to warn them; let them be."

"No need? Bring trouble into the Divine Flame Domain?" Young Master Nan was surprised and messaged back, "Are you sure?"

Shi Chun: "I have my own plans."

Since he said that, Young Master Nan had no doubt and replied, "Alright, be careful."

Meanwhile, Shi Chun immediately found Tong Mingshan and the others, instructing them to individually inquire about where those four sects were staying, primarily to identify their members...

Late at night, on the terrace of Instrument Cloud Valley's highest peak, seven men and one woman formed a formation under the stars. Among the three elders, one was a woman, while the other five men appeared to be middle-aged. Suddenly, various colored flame auras appeared on the eight people in the formation. They all turned their heads to look at a part of the starry sky, and someone spoke, "They're here. We can prepare now."

The tranquility within Instrument Cloud Valley was suddenly broken as someone cast a spell and shouted loudly, "Those entering the Divine Flame Domain, assemble and prepare!" With repeated shouts, members of various sects emerged. Most of those peering out were surprised, wondering why it was happening so late at night. According to the rules distributed beforehand, no one else was allowed to leave their lodgings; only participants could gather in the valley. In other buildings, people were still peeking out of windows and doorways, but the Bright Mountain Sect's building was truly empty.

In a short while, all three thousand or so people gathered in the valley. Someone began distributing metal magical artifacts resembling lotus lanterns. Everyone who had read the alliance's participation rules knew that this meant it was time to officially enter the Divine Flame Domain. The precise entry time was not determined by people; they could only estimate the general timing, as the exact moment depended on divine will. In an instant, the nerves of all participants tightened.

Standing in the crowd, Shi Chun held the lotus lantern, his right eye activating its special ability as he scanned his surroundings, intending to find the demonic cultivators Feng Chi had mentioned. The demonic side had not previously disclosed which sect's participants were their allies. According to Feng Chi, the demonic path had also not revealed to the other side that Shi Chun's Bright Mountain Sect was their ally. Only after entering the Divine Flame Domain and exchanging signals would the two sides meet and formally introduce themselves. Shi Chun's right eye scanned around with its special ability, but there were too many people; with bodies blocking his view, he couldn't immediately discern who had demonic flames within them. Or perhaps the demonic cultivators participating in the conference didn't necessarily possess demonic flames.

At the same time, a buzzing roar came from the distant sky. A huge shadow flew from the direction of Li Fire Sect, and as it flew over the valley's peak, illuminated by the moonlight, a giant metal ring, shimmering with a metallic luster, became visible—so large it could encompass an entire mountain. People in the valley looked up in unison. That such a massive metal object could float in the air was truly astonishing to Shi Chun and others who were not from instrument crafting backgrounds.

Wu Jinliang, with a gourd on his back, clicked his tongue. "What in the world is that?"

Tong Mingshan explained, "That's the Divine Flame Spirit Gate, the grand gate to the Divine Flame Domain. It was jointly forged by several grand masters of instrument crafting a long time ago, and is normally stored at the Li Fire Sect."

No sooner had he spoken than the group's gaze collectively shifted to the highest peak. On the terrace of the highest peak, seven men and one woman erupted with towering ethereal flames of various colors. Three of these ethereal flames were composed of three colors each, while the other five were composed of two colors each. People at the foot of the mountain couldn't see those on the peak due to the angle, but all the instrument cultivators within Instrument Cloud Valley gazed with envy.

Wu Jinliang, curious again, asked, "Sect Master, what's that now?" He was also the quickest among the group to adapt to calling Tong Mingshan by his new title; while others were still getting used to it, his address was already smooth and natural.

Tong Mingshan, his face full of envy, explained, "Those are seniors who have entered the Divine Flame Domain and absorbed Divine Flames. Eight ethereal flames mean eight people have absorbed Divine Flames, displaying nineteen different colors in total. Three of them absorbed three types of Divine Flames each, while the other five absorbed two types each."

Zhu Xiangxin exclaimed in awe, "If I could absorb even one type, I would have no regrets in this life!"

An Wuzhi said, "Easier said than done. It depends on each person's fortune and destiny."

Shi Chun withdrew his gaze from above and glanced at the two of them.

On the highest peak's terrace, the eight people waved their arms, forming casting gestures. Their towering ethereal flames instantly became like pillars of light, striking the gigantic floating, rotating metal ring in unison. In an instant, as the ring rotated, the ancient runes on it seemed like pythons emerging from holes of light and swimming back into the darkness. The entire giant ring exuded a mysterious and oppressive aura, and as its rotation speed increased, it became dazzling to behold.

Meanwhile, a whistling wind had begun to stir in the valley, its force like a hurricane. A strange buzzing roar became uncomfortable to the eardrums, as if some ancient fierce beast was growling deeply.

"Rise!" The leading elder shouted as a signal, and the other seven quickly guided their ethereal flames, following his gestures. A hum. The giant ring immediately seemed to be thrown into the air, and under the guidance of the eight ethereal flames, it continuously moved and shifted in the air, as if it were locating and searching for something.

The commotion was truly immense; it was difficult for visitors on the island not to be alarmed. Xiang Lan'er, Feng Chi, Duan Xiangmei, Bai Shuchuan's group, Mulan Qingqing, and others all emerged from their inns. Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter were no exception. People from inns of all sizes on the island rushed out to look up at the sky. In their eyes, the pillar of light came from the top of a steep cliff face. On the luxurious, palace-like ship on the sea, people also walked out onto the deck to watch. Gong Shaoci flew out, hurrying to find Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter, as he too hadn't expected the opening time to be moved up to evening.