Chapter 258: Who is Willing to Go

The two groups officially merged into one. They didn't linger and didn't need to choose a specific direction, as no one knew where the Divine Flame was. They simply picked a direction and proceeded straight ahead.

As for the immediate area, there wasn't much worth exploring. Tens of thousands of people had just dispersed from this region, so if a Divine Flame existed there, it would have already been discovered, and certainly not by them. Nevertheless, they didn't give up easily. They spread out and meticulously searched the area as they moved.

The two merged teams didn't get along particularly well, yet there were no significant conflicts. Their lack of harmony stemmed from mutual unfamiliarity. The absence of conflict was because the demonic cultivators constituted the majority of the merged group, outnumbering the Four-Cauldron Sect. Shi Chun's faction could also keep the Bright Mountain Sect group in check. Moreover, the biggest potential conflict had been temporarily suppressed: Feng Yaoyang, having been proven inferior, could no longer maintain his arrogance.

Xu Anchun and Shi Chun naturally fell to the back of the group, whispering to each other. As soon as they had a moment alone, Shi Chun immediately pressed for details. "What happened? Why are you so late?"

"Sigh," Xu Anchun lamented. "What else could it be? It's that Senior Brother Feng. It's already an achievement that I convinced him to come to the rendezvous point. By the way, is that sect master on your side really as formidable as you say?"

Shi Chun replied, "What do you mean, 'as powerful as we say'? Can words make someone powerful? He was an elite disciple of the Hundred Forging Sect. I don't understand artifact forging, but I know his talent in it is exceptional."

Xu Anchun asked doubtfully, "How could the Hundred Forging Sect bear to expel an elite disciple with such exceptional talent?"

Shi Chun pointed to the people ahead. "Those eleven individuals, each from a different sect, were all elite disciples of their respective factions, weren't they? They were once leading figures representing their sects at the conference. Later, every single one of them was expelled. How could Tong Mingshan be an exception? The circumstances were unusual, dictated by the situation; there was simply no alternative."

Xu Anchun teased, "I've heard a little about that; it seems you were the cause of their misfortune, weren't you? You're quite something. At the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference, you tricked them into doing your bidding, and then you had the audacity to bring them along with you again."

Shi Chun replied, "I later heard that because of my involvement, they were not only expelled from their sects but also imprisoned. I couldn't bear it, so I got them out."

Xu Anchun couldn't help but shake his head and sigh regretfully. "What a pity, such talented disciples. If I were the Hundred Forging Sect, I would certainly feel remorse."

Shi Chun responded, "Exactly. To be honest, just before we entered, the Hundred Forging Sect Master and other high-ranking officials sought him out, trying to persuade him to return. They hoped he would use the Bright Mountain Sect's forces to assist them in the Divine Flame Domain."

Xu Anchun chuckled, "That's quite normal. If I were the Hundred Forging Sect, I'd do the same. He didn't agree?"

Shi Chun affirmed, "Of course not. If he had, would he still be with us? Do you know how he refused the Hundred Forging Sect Master? He said, 'I am the Bright Mountain Sect Master; how could a sect master betray his own sect!'"

Xu Anchun clicked his tongue in admiration, looking towards Tong Mingshan ahead with evident appreciation.

Shi Chun continued, "Listen to that. A good horse doesn't eat 'return grass'—talented people are just that arrogant. It's not just your Feng Yaoyang; our sect master is the same. What's showing off one's talent? He even dares to be arrogant towards his former sect master. He's far more arrogant than your Senior Brother Feng. And naturally, his artifact forging talent is certainly superior to your senior brother's."

Xu Anchun nodded in agreement. "You're right, people with true ability are like that; they dislike empty talk. Let me confirm something: are you calling the shots for the Bright Mountain Sect, or is he?"

Shi Chun replied, "Don't worry about that. Even if he wanted to call the shots, it would be useless. As long as they don't know our true background, they will still listen to me."

Xu Anchun felt much relieved upon hearing this. "That's good. Now, let's talk business. Finding the Divine Flame is our primary objective. If you have any good plans, please speak frankly. Before I came, my superiors instructed me to pay close attention to your opinions, and after meeting you, I understand why. I assume they also gave you instructions when they sent you here, right?"

Shi Chun replied, "They did instruct me to assist you and offer strategies. However, I know almost nothing about this place; I don't even know the current situation. If you ask me for suggestions now, I wouldn't know where to begin. By the way, you're from an artifact-forging sect, so you should be more experienced than I am. Do you have any insights regarding how to find the Divine Flame?"

Xu Anchun responded, "What experience could I possibly have? The Four-Cauldron Sect was established only about two hundred years ago, and no one from our sect has ever entered the Divine Flame Domain; we are the first. Other sects that have entered the Divine Flame Domain guard their experiences closely, never divulging them. Our superiors knew we lacked experience in this area and tried to find a solution. However, their impromptu efforts were too hasty and time was too short to acquire much. They didn't really obtain anything substantial, just a single sentence, which is supposedly a quite useful piece of advice."

Shi Chun was skeptical. "'Potentially useful'? Isn't that a bit of a joke? What was the sentence?"

Xu Anchun replied, "'Seek in the mundane, take from the extreme.' That's it, just those six characters."

"'Seek in the mundane, take from the extreme?'" Shi Chun mumbled for a moment, then asked, "What does that mean?"

Xu Anchun replied, "I'd like to know what it means too. Our superiors don't know, and when asked where they got it, they wouldn't say, so it was difficult to press for more details."

After pondering it repeatedly, Shi Chun said, "'Take from the extreme.' Brother Xu just mentioned 'extreme.' Considering the environment here, could 'take from the extreme' refer to finding things in extreme environments?"

Xu Anchun hesitated. "I've thought that too. But then there's 'seek in the mundane.' What does that mean? I can't figure it out!"

Shi Chun retorted, "When do you think you'll figure it out?"

"Uh..." Xu Anchun was startled. "How would I know?"

Shi Chun said, "Let's put aside what we can't figure out for now; don't let it trip us up. Let's first go verify if the second half is as we suspect."

Xu Anchun asked, "You mean, we should try looking in extreme environments first?"

Shi Chun replied, "The entrance, that vast expanse of molten lava. Does that count?"

Xu Anchun mused, "It probably counts, but so many people have already searched that area and found nothing. Going back..."

Shi Chun interjected, "Brother Xu, I don't think you're calculating this correctly. My view is that if a Divine Flame had already been discovered there, there would be no need to look. If nothing was found, however, it's worth searching. The issue is that at the time, it seems no one conducted a thorough search there. Of course, whether anyone searched afterward is unknown."

Whether his reasoning held water was debatable, and he actually felt there was no need to return there. However, some matters needed to be addressed sooner rather than later, so he opted for the nearest available solution. Seeing Shi Chun's insistence, the somewhat hesitant Xu Anchun decided to respect his opinion this time. What if it was a profound insight? Moreover, his superiors had instructed him to listen more to Shi Chun, so it seemed inappropriate to reject his very first suggestion.

"Alright," he said, nodding in agreement.

The remaining task was for each of them to convince their respective groups. For Shi Chun, it was simple; just a command was enough.

As soon soon as Xu Anchun approached Feng Yaoyang, he was immediately met with the latter's mockery. "Junior Brother Xu, you're getting quite close to that Shi Chun. Be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot."

Xu Anchun didn't argue with him. Instead, he whispered, "Senior Brother Feng, I've uncovered crucial information about finding the Divine Flame from the Bright Mountain Sect's side."

At this, Feng Yaoyang immediately swallowed his previous words and, looking very serious, asked, "What crucial information?"

Xu Anchun explained, "The Hundred Forging Sect previously entered the Divine Flame Domain and summarized their experience into six characters: 'Seek in the mundane, take from the extreme'..."

After Xu Anchun's lengthy explanation, Feng Yaoyang immediately issued a command, ordering the Four-Cauldron Sect to gather. The two teams reunited. This time, there was no need for continuous searching along the way. They all immediately activated their Wind Scale artifacts, carrying their respective groups back towards the entrance area.

Soon, the group returned to the molten lava region at the entrance. Even before landing, they felt the intense heat. Everywhere they looked, there were either bubbling, fiery red molten lava flows or scorched, dry landmasses resembling islands of varying sizes in a lake. In some areas, black, white, or gray smoke occasionally billowed.

With no other options, the group immediately commenced their search. Chu Jingting, repeatedly landing and taking off to search the lava islands, sighed frequently. Lao Changtai, who was in his group, understood his thoughts and felt this was pointless, a waste of effort and suffering.

"Alright, it's only forty-nine days," Lao Changtai said, taking the opportunity to advise him. "It'll pass quickly if we just idle. I heard that inside the Divine Flame Domain, as long as you don't fight or try to snatch anything, it's quite safe."

Chu Jingting gave a wry smile. "It seems you still don't quite understand our boss. If he really just wanted to idle through this, I wouldn't say anything. Just you wait. He came all the way here and so quickly started cooperating with others; it would be strange if he were just idling. What happened at Moon Sea is still vivid in my mind. Every time he forms a group, trouble follows. I have a feeling we're not far from it now."

Lao Changtai was deep in thought when a figure suddenly landed in front of them. It was Wu Jinliang, who pointed to a larger island in the distance and called to them, "Meet over there, the boss is waiting for you. Sigh, it's so troublesome not being able to use the mother-child talismans."

Wu Jinliang, who had grown accustomed to a good life, was already a bit unaccustomed to returning to the harsh conditions. After taking a deep breath from his ice sheep, he flew off with his large gourd on his back, continuing to call out to others.

"His gourd seems lighter, as if it's no longer burdened," Chu Jingting muttered, staring at the departing figure. Then he and Lao Changtai headed to the designated spot.

When they asked Shi Chun what was happening, he didn't elaborate, telling them to wait. They didn't wait long before the thirteen members of the Bright Mountain Sect gradually arrived and gathered.

Shi Chun swept his gaze across everyone and said bluntly, "Everyone, I intend to take Feng Yaoyang's life. Who among you is willing to risk it for me?"

As soon as he said this, everyone but Wu Jinliang, who merely chuckled, was startled and exchanged uneasy glances. Lao Changtai, in particular, cast a meaningful glance at Chu Jingting, whose recent words were still fresh in their minds. Sure enough, events were unfolding just as he had predicted.

Shen Momo asked, "Boss, why is this? Is it merely because of his insolent remarks?"

Shi Chun replied, "It's one reason, but not the main one. Don't delve into the details. I have my own plans, and you will understand in time."

Chu Jingting was truly resigned to him, sighing, "It's truly 'what you fear is what comes to pass.' Boss, it's not that we're afraid to die, but rather that we cannot accomplish this. I've inquired, and Feng Yaoyang is at the Grand Completion stage of High Martial Arts. Someone at that stage is a true High Martial artist, capable of harming people from a distance. He is beyond our capabilities, and they might even possess magic artifacts."

Lao Changtai also added, "Exactly. We can't kill him even if we wanted to. We are no match for someone like Mu Lanqing. In terms of strength here, only you, Boss, could accomplish this."

The implication was clear: Did the boss have the confidence to kill Feng Yaoyang?

Shi Chun stated, "I cannot make a move in this matter; I need to be present to handle the aftermath. Wu Jinliang's stature is too distinctive, and Zhu Xiangxin, being a woman, is also unsuitable. Only you are left. Who among you is willing to take the risk?"

As everyone exchanged glances, Tong Mingshan spoke up, "Since the boss insists on doing this, and I am, after all, a sect master, I will do it."

Inwardly, he felt helpless. He didn't want to take the risk; what sect would let its leader be the first to face danger? However, the boss had approached him beforehand and insisted that he take the lead in this endeavor.

Shi Chun immediately clapped his hands in praise. "As expected of the Bright Mountain Sect Master, truly worthy!"