Chapter 293: Ultimately, They're All One Group

Initially, he even suspected whether the other components of the complete set of magical artifacts had fallen into the hands of Shi Chun and his group. However, he then reconsidered: when the formation collapsed, those magical treasures had exploded in all directions during the furious blast and were buried under ice chunks of various sizes, making it impossible to easily recover them all.

He had also wondered if Shi Chun truly possessed a quick method to locate the divine flames. Yet, he had just witnessed two more divine flames. How could so many appear purely by coincidence?

He dismissed all his other suspicions, focusing only on this one suspicious point before interjecting with a question.

Shi Chun said, "If you break your word, I can at least destroy your magical artifacts and cause you significant losses. Of course, you could also use something else as collateral. I believe your value is no less than that of the magical treasure. So, whether you offer yourself or a magical treasure as collateral is entirely up to you."

Yuan Yao replied, "If that's the case, then shouldn't one of you also be offered as collateral?"

Shi Chun readily agreed, "Certainly. If you're willing to be a hostage, I'll provide two people from my side as well."

He glanced at Xu Anchang's group, quickly counting them. There were still six, so giving up two wouldn't pose a significant problem.

Yuan Yao's lips tightened in thought, but Gu Lianni abruptly tossed an object to Shi Chun, effectively ending the negotiation.

It was none other than the activation compass for the Primordial Lock Formation.

For Gu Lianni, this was a simple decision; the last remaining compass was useless and nowhere near as important as Yuan Yao's safety. She would never risk Yuan Yao's well-being.

She then directly swore, "I swear that as long as you provide the quick method for locating the divine flames as agreed, I guarantee to give you the complete Primordial Lock Formation and ensure that we will not trouble you further because of this. If I break this oath, may I, the sect leader of Shudao Mountain, meet a terrible end!"

Immediately, she put her hands on her hips and changed her tone. "Shi Chun, my sincerity is clear. You had better not try any more tricks, or I guarantee you will suffer a miserable death!"

Many members of the Shudao Mountain group wore varied expressions. They found it peculiar that a daughter would repeatedly make such a dire oath involving her father's safety.

Wu Jinliang's lips twitched involuntarily. He realized that the simplest principle of making a deal was to make the other party feel there was profit to be gained, which would make failure unlikely.

Shi Chun inspected the compass in his hand. Although he couldn't verify its authenticity, he had seen it previously in the ice plains and was confident it couldn't be easily counterfeited.

Gu Lianni asked, "What's wrong? Do you think the item is flawed?"

Shi Chun asked suspiciously, "I feel you agreed a bit too readily. Is there some trap waiting for me?"

Gu Lianni replied coldly, "If you find it too easy, we can always choose a more difficult path—provided you can fight your way out!"

Shi Chun immediately dropped the subject. He turned his head and subtly signaled Wu Jinliang, "Jinliang, you know where they took the magical artifacts. Lead the way."

Wu Jinliang understood, murmured in acknowledgment, and pulled out the Wind Scale.

Yuan Yao's gaze settled on Wu Jinliang, a flicker of vigilance in his eyes. His fellow disciples had reported seeing Wu Jinliang kill two Shudao Mountain disciples with a single, instantaneous strike. Multiple witnesses confirmed this, so it was undeniably true.

Those were two disciples at the peak of the High Martial Arts realm. To kill them so easily without using magical artifacts was beyond even his junior martial uncle's capability, let alone his own.

It was only after receiving the report that he discovered Wu Jinliang was a hidden master, likely even stronger than Shi Chun. He had kept such a low profile during the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference that his true abilities were completely concealed.

Such individuals were the most terrifying!

A thought flashed in his mind, and he suddenly interjected, "All thirteen of you will ride on a single Wind Scale!"

Shi Chun, who had just put away the compass, gestured to his group, instructing, "Do as he says."

Both Xu Anchang's group and the Mingshan Sect members quietly complied with Shi Chun's decision, seemingly confirming his absolute authority among them.

None of them were fools; they all knew Shi Chun was up to something. They understood there was no such thing as a magical artifact that could quickly locate divine flames, nor was there "another group" using artifacts. It was clearly a deception targeting the Shudao Mountain members.

They didn't know how he planned to trick them, and since they didn't understand, they could only quietly and obediently cooperate.

However, the Mingshan Sect group, having witnessed the Primordial Lock Formation in the ice plains, knew that the entire set of Primordial Lock Formation artifacts brought in by Shudao Mountain had now fallen into their leader's hands.

The Wind Scale enveloped the thirteen individuals and lifted them into the air.

Around them, the Shudao Mountain contingent also divided into ten groups, surrounding Shi Chun and his companions from all sides, accompanying their flight and diligently monitoring their every action.

Shi Chun remained silent, allowing himself to be monitored.

Before leaving the Iron Forest, Gu Lianni looked back at the terrain, discreetly memorizing the route. She intended to return here immediately after obtaining the artifact for finding divine flames to locate them first.

Along the way, Xu Anchang repeatedly wanted to ask about this mysterious "other group of people with artifacts" and how Shi Chun intended to conclude this charade.

However, seeing the Shudao Mountain members vigilantly watching from nearby, he could only clench his jaw and remain silent.

The group initially flew towards the exit. As they neared it, Wu Jinliang altered their course, flying in the direction indicated by Qi Yuannong, the leader of the Proud Flame Sect. They ascended higher and higher to gain a broader vantage point for observation.

Moments later, they indeed spotted a large handprint-like geographical feature on the ground. Feeling they had flown slightly off course, they made necessary adjustments.

They continued flying. After passing several landforms indicated by Qi Yuannong, a vast loess wilderness finally appeared in their high-altitude view. They flew into the area, circled for a while, and then precisely headed towards the central region Qi Yuannong had described.

After circling overhead, Wu Jinliang lowered their altitude and turned his head to Shi Chun, saying, "This is the spot. My memory is a bit hazy, so you can confirm it." Shi Chun understood, having already activated his right eye's special ability to scrutinize the environment below.

He was genuinely concerned that the Qianyan Sect members might have already located the divine flames and departed.

After careful discernment, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his judgment was correct: the divine flames were indeed not so easily found.

He pointed towards the area where people were more concentrated, indicating the landing spot.

Shi Chun immediately guided the Wind Scale down towards that spot, eventually landing on the edge of a dirt pit.

Yuan Yao gestured, and his personnel rapidly descended, once again encircling Shi Chun's group.

Gu Lianni, who had been hovering and observing, saw no one. Upon landing, she questioned Shi Chun, "Where are these people you mentioned?"

Shi Chun pondered, "Miss Gu, you have the manpower, and I have the method. It would be mutually beneficial if we cooperated. I hope you'll reconsider. I truly possess two divine flames, which I am willing to offer you as a gesture of sincerity."

At his words, Gu Lianni instantly became highly vigilant. Pointing at Shi Chun, she warned, "Stop with this nonsense. Don't try any more tricks. Where are they? Where are the people you spoke of?"

Not only Gu Lianni, but all the Shudao Mountain members also became highly vigilant.

Shi Chun was speechless, baffled by their reasoning. They readily believed his indirect claims, yet stubbornly refused to believe him when he spoke of the divine flames.

He wanted to make one final attempt, but seeing that communication was impossible, he gave up. He suddenly cast a spell and shouted loudly, "Gong Shixi, Brother Gong, stop hiding! We're on the same side; come out and show yourself!"

He knew the Qianyan Sect leader's name because he had sent Wu Jinliang and his men to inquire about it shortly after entering the Divine Fire Domain.

His clear voice resonated across the wilderness, but there was no response.

Hidden in an underground tunnel, Gong Shixi was listening with an ear pressed against a head-sized light-transmitting hole. Upon hearing the call, he looked at his companions with a puzzled expression, his eyes seeking clarification.

Why were they hiding? Naturally, because they had spotted strangers descending from the sky.

They initially thought the newcomers were just passing by, but being called by name stunned him. "What's going on? On the same side? Do you know them?"

His companions nearby all shook their heads slightly, indicating they didn't recognize them.

One person whispered faintly, "Judging by their clothing color and the number of people, they seem to be from Shudao Mountain."

"Shudao Mountain..." Gong Shixi mumbled, growing increasingly perplexed. What did it mean for people from Shudao Mountain to call them "their own"? Did they take him for a fool?

Shi Chun's right eye ability showed him a group of people cowering underground, motionless with fear. He immediately told Gu Lianni, "They're probably frightened and confused by the number of people."

He raised his hand and pointed to the group's hiding place, saying, "They should be hidden underground there. You'll see if you collapse the ground."

Gu Lianni immediately tilted her head and gestured.

Yuan Yao flicked his hand, and a dark beam of light shot out, striking the spot Shi Chun had indicated. With a loud bang, yellow earth erupted, and the ground collapsed.

From the exploding dust, a rapidly spinning, fist-sized metallic sphere flew back and was collected into Yuan Yao's sleeve with a wave of his hand.

Shi Chun and the others watched with twitching eyelids, witnessing yet another glowing magical artifact.

The collapsed ground then cracked further, and five figures burst forth from it: Gong Shixi and his companions.

Shi Chun's choice of location proved quite accurate. Among the twenty scattered individuals, areas with a higher concentration of people were more likely to contain leaders, especially given the clear presence of demonic energy.

As expected, there were people. Gu Lianni and the others immediately swept their sleeves to cast spells, clearing away the swirling yellow dust.

Gong Shixi and his companions, who had landed a short distance away, gloomily observed the group before them. Upon closer inspection, they confirmed it: it was indeed the Shudao Mountain contingent.

With no past feuds or recent grievances, they were bewildered as to why their path was being blocked.

Naturally, they also spotted Shi Chun's group, who were encircled by the Shudao Mountain contingent. After a quick assessment, they recognized them; Wu Jinliang's large build and his gourd were unmistakable.

The Qianyan Sect group was utterly bewildered by this display.

Shi Chun spoke first, "Brother Gong, no matter how well your outward identities are concealed, it's futile. Since we've found you, there's no point in hiding. Have your people come out. If we don't resolve this matter clearly today, I doubt any of us will leave the Divine Fire Domain alive, as the exit is controlled by the elders of Shudao Mountain.

"Ultimately, we are on the same side. Now that we are in their hands, you must decide: either let them take us, or you help us resolve this situation together."

Hearing this, Gong Shixi's expression shifted, and his mind was a maelstrom of thoughts. The phrase, "no matter how well your outward identities are concealed, it's futile," immediately hit home, and he instantly realized that his group's true identity had been exposed.

Consequently, the statement, "ultimately, we are on the same side," made him realize that the concerns from higher up were not baseless. Shi Chun was indeed a practitioner of the demonic path, though he did not know which lineage.

With this understanding, the layered meaning behind Shi Chun's words became clear: would they let themselves be captured and risk revealing secrets, or would Gong Shixi help them escape? The choice was theirs.