Chapter 302: Cooperation

Seeing Gu Lianni leave suggested there was no immediate need to examine the secrets within the stone.

So, Elder Jin smiled and waved, saying, "Go on, go on, attend to your affairs."

Gu Lianni retracted the divine flame she held, then, mounted on her Wind Scale, ascended with the masked figure beside her. She scanned the surroundings, ensuring no ambushes were present before soaring into the distance.

In truth, she harbored no fear of ambushes and felt quite confident when dealing with ordinary sects.

Elder Jin, watching her depart, continued to ponder the identity of the masked individual. He hadn't managed to ask at the moment, but a second thought dismissed the concern; it mattered little, so long as they were a disciple of the Summer Dao Mountain sect.

He held the peculiar stone in his hand, examined it, and then casually placed it into his Qiankun bag.

As the stone entered the Qiankun bag, it detached from its base, and a jade slip fell out.

Elder Jin sat cross-legged, meditating with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Though seemingly still, he had secretly taken the opportunity to retrieve the jade slip, holding it concealed in his sleeve while subtly casting a spell to view its contents.

“It’s quite clear now, Summer Dao Mountain possesses at least two divine flames. Jin Guiqi, shouldn't we congratulate you?”

“Gu Yanduo’s daughter is truly impressive, no less capable than those lads.”

“What a shame that inter-sect marriages are improbable for us, otherwise I would certainly help one of my sect’s young men seek her hand in marriage.”

“Oh, come on, this time the Divine Flame Domain has truly yielded remarkable results. She might even be groomed to become the next sect leader of Summer Dao Mountain. How could she possibly be married off so easily?”

The group of elders either offered sarcastic congratulations, expressed envy, or simply teased.

Elder Jin Guiqi, however, paid them no heed. His eyes wide and unfocused, he was stunned by the contents of the jade slip.

Summer Dao Mountain had actually initiated cooperation with the Bright Mountain Sect—the two sects had truly joined forces!

He subconsciously chided Gu Lianni for her foolishness, wondering if the lessons from the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference had been for naught, if the tales of the deceived sects had been forgotten. Wasn't this truly dancing with wolves?

He couldn't comprehend what had influenced Gu Lianni, even harboring a slight concern that Shi Chun might have manipulated her romantically.

He suddenly snapped back to reality. He had just been wondering how prominent disciples like Gu Lianni could employ such wild methods, but now he understood: this was likely not their usual approach, but rather Shi Chun’s strategy.

After thoroughly reviewing the letter’s contents, he became even more convinced that this was not a plan conceived by Gu Lianni and her group, as it even began to assign tasks to him, an elder.

It was precisely because he had finished reviewing the letter’s contents that many of his initial concerns were significantly alleviated.

The letter did not detail how the two sides were cooperating; it merely stated at the outset that they had joined forces, then listed the matters for which his assistance was desired. There was no other superfluous content, leaving everything to his own judgment.

The concrete information in the letter, coupled with the divine flame Gu Lianni had displayed, was undeniable. The tangible acquisition of a divine flame was far more convincing than any number of explanations.

Ultimately, he arrived at his own conclusion.

Despite lingering concerns, after careful deliberation, he silently returned the jade slip to his Qiankun bag.

A moment later, he suddenly spoke up: “Everyone, have you ever heard of these various sects rushing toward the exit from time to time?”

An elder chuckled, “Your Summer Dao Mountain has been doing this itself, and you still have the audacity to ask? Don’t tell me you intend to make an example of your own sect first.”

Jin Guiqi interjected, “Let’s discuss serious matters; stop bickering at every turn.”

Another elder commented, “At any rate, I haven’t heard of such a thing. Wasn’t the Bright Mountain Sect leading the charge? That Shi Chun is certainly no good; why did we even let him in?”

Someone retorted, “Do you think we wanted to let them in? Aren't you aware of how desperate the situation was? I didn’t see your sect being particularly resolute back then either, so what’s the point of being sarcastic now?”

Sensing an argument brewing, Jin Guiqi interrupted, “Everyone, are we truly just going to stand idly by?”

Another elder chuckled, “What else can we do but stand by? Are we expected to intervene? There’s no rule prohibiting people from lingering near this exit, and your own Summer Dao Mountain disciples have done the same. If we can’t control our own, how can we control others?”

Jin Guiqi replied, “I didn’t suggest intervening. I’m simply pondering a question: are we truly content to sit here and do nothing at all?”

Isn't that a ridiculous question? Aren't we just sitting here doing nothing?

However, the nine elders, upon hearing this, did not object; they all sensed he likely had something else in mind.

Someone immediately said impatiently, “Speak your mind quickly, out with it. What exactly do you want to say?”

Jin Guiqi began, “I just remembered something. Do the disciples from past participating sects have a custom of recording the locations where divine flames are found for future reference? The reason, as everyone here knows, is that where divine flames appear, there must be a specific catalyst for their formation. Therefore, searching those same locations again in the future significantly increases the chances of finding more.

We are all well aware of the deception those sects, lured away by the 'lure the tiger out of its mountain' tactic, fell victim to. Those sects employing underhanded methods are genuinely concerning, and isn't it perhaps inappropriate for us, who are stationed here, to remain completely indifferent?

It’s not that we wish to intervene, but rather that taking preventative measures is also crucial. When the deceived sects arrive, we can call them over, ask for the precise locations where incidents occurred, and record them. This would allow us to gather information, so that if anything unforeseen happens, we will be better prepared to respond. What do you all think?”

The elders exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with understanding. Connecting his earlier statements with his recent ones, they all grasped his underlying meaning.

Suddenly, someone spoke up in agreement, “This method is feasible.”

Another elder mumbled, “Well, sitting here and watching the show is still just watching the show. We haven’t interfered with anything, so it won’t be considered a violation.”

The other elders either nodded in agreement or chimed in, one after another. In short, not a single one objected; all expressed their approval.

Not only was it not a violation, but in truth, as long as they were in unanimous agreement, there could be no violation here.

Seeing this unfold, Elder Jin Guiqi secretly sighed. When advantages, profits, and the chance to benefit without effort are presented, such is the outcome. This, he realized, was the power of incentives.

In all the Divine Flame Alliances throughout history, he had never before heard of anyone daring to scheme against the very elders stationed there. He was now absolutely certain and convinced that this was no plan conceived by disciples like Gu Lianni; those well-behaved disciples lacked such audacious courage and would never pursue such a wild course of action. This was undoubtedly a suggestion from Shi Chun’s group.

What a group of naive disciples; they were clearly being used as pawns.

In truth, it wasn't just those disciples; he himself was just as willing to be used as a pawn. Because the outcome was favorable to them, they were enticed by the benefits and thus willingly complied.

On another mountain peak, Lao Changtai, peering out from a crevice, asked, “The boss’s letter instructed us to move as soon as we hear any commotion. Why is it still quiet over there?”

Wu Jinliang replied, “Just wait, what’s the hurry?”

As he spoke, he again pulled out an ice-sheep, holding it to his mouth and nose to breathe.

Fang Zicheng said, “The boss’s letter was rather vague. Does that imply that an elder from the main peak will assist us?”

Lao Changtai glanced back. “Is there any need to ask? It’s almost certainly an elder from Summer Dao Mountain. Didn’t Chu Jingting and Chen Wuji mention that they’re cooperating with Summer Dao Mountain again?”

Chu Jingting and Chen Wuji had already departed, having returned with Gu Lianni and her group.

Fang Zicheng asked, puzzled, “We’re perfectly fine here, so why would we move closer to them?”

Wu Jinliang, observing from another crevice, slowly explained, “Do you imagine the boss enjoys stirring up such trouble? The boss is doing this for our safety. Among the sects lured away by the Thousand Rock Sect’s 'lure the tiger out of its mountain' tactic, some have hidden informants. If we continue to intercept those lured sects, the Thousand Rock Sect will eventually receive intelligence and will certainly become vigilant. Let me tell you, the Thousand Rock Sect is not to be trifled with.”

Lao Changtai and Fang Zicheng seemed to grasp the implication.

Nevertheless, Lao Changtai still expressed some concern: “If we get too close to those elders, won’t we be discovered?”

Wu Jinliang replied, “That’s not our concern. Whether we get discovered, and what methods might best prevent that, are matters for that elder to consider. We simply need to follow the arrangements they provide. How to escort us safely is their responsibility; you needn’t worry about it unnecessarily.”

“That’s true enough,” Fang Zicheng muttered.

From a molten lake deep within an abyss, a crimson flame emerged, cradled by a Summer Dao Mountain disciple. He ascended, scaling the cliff face in several steps before landing on the high bank next to Shi Chun and Yuan Yao, who held a compass.

Immediately afterwards, twelve more individuals ascended, each bearing an iron tower.

Another divine flame had been found, and everyone was thrilled.

The previous one had been taken by Pang Hou as part of the 'lure the tiger out of its mountain' strategy.

An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin from the Bright Mountain Sect were also eagerly watching the freshly acquired divine flame, especially An Wuzhi, who, seeing two now, presumed they would surely receive one.

They were not yet aware of the distribution method Shi Chun had later negotiated with Gu Lianni.

The group collected their belongings and assembled, then waited—not only for Gu Lianni’s return, but also for Tong Mingshan and the others.

They didn't wait long before Gu Lianni arrived, carried by her Wind Scale along with several others. As she searched from the air, she was hailed down by the group.

As soon as she landed and retracted her Wind Scale, she nodded to Shi Chun and declared, “It’s done.”

It was to be expected that no mishaps would occur. Shi Chun nodded and smiled, “Miss Gu, you’ve worked hard.”

Gu Lianni shot him a quick glare. He had inexplicably changed her form of address to something rather odd, but she didn’t dwell on it much, as Shi Chun had explained that “Miss Gu” was somewhat awkward to pronounce for him.

Yuan Yao then took the divine flame from his fellow junior disciple, saying, “Uncle-master, we just found another Crimson Flame.”

No reminder was necessary; Gu Lianni had already seen it, her eyes gleaming as she exclaimed, “That quickly!”

Yuan Yao explained, “Pang Hou took one with him for the ‘lure the tiger out of its mountain’ tactic. Didn’t you encounter him on your way here?”

“No, perhaps we were too far apart, I didn’t see them,” Gu Lianni replied, shaking her head. She then turned to Shi Chun and asked, “Why did you send my people again? Aren’t you afraid that divine flame might be lost?”

Shi Chun chuckled, “The more capable one is, the more work they do. It doesn’t matter if it’s lost; if it’s lost while with Summer Dao Mountain, it will certainly be counted as part of your sect’s share.”

In reality, it was meant to demonstrate Summer Dao Mountain’s accomplishments to Elder Jin, thereby solidifying his commitment to cooperation. Sufficient incentives, after all, are necessary to achieve sufficient goals.

Previously, her hair had been disheveled. Now, as Gu Lianni gathered her hair with both hands, she coldly snorted, “You truly are shrewd, unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss.”

Her physique, combined with this action, particularly accentuated her figure: firm where it should be, and truly slender where it needed to be.

Shi Chun couldn’t help but steal a few more appreciative glances. His mind subconsciously flashed back to the moment he had touched her in the darkness, and the smile that crept onto his lips became somewhat ambiguous.

To his surprise, Gu Lianni, with just a casual glance, actually understood, and then shot him a fierce glare.

Alright, this ‘telepathy’ truly does happen sometimes. Shi Chun, surprisingly, also understood, and cleared his throat before saying, “I’m not joking. Our agreed share can be postponed. The divine flame Pang Hou took can genuinely go to you first. I am a man of my word; I never lie, and I never go back on a promise.”

As soon as these words were uttered, Gu Lianni, who was still pinning her hair behind her head, froze. Not just her, but Yuan Yao and the other Summer Dao Mountain disciples all reacted similarly.

The Bright Mountain Sect’s disciples, however, reacted differently. Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi appeared somewhat tormented, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

For them, all they could do was fret. There was currently no possibility of challenging Shi Chun’s decision; words spoken by him in public were not for them to retract.

Snapping back to reality, Gu Lianni immediately seized the opportunity, “You said this yourself! I didn’t force you, so no backing out now.”

Shi Chun replied, “There’s nothing to regret. It’s not as if I’m giving it to outsiders; giving it to you also proves my sincerity in this cooperation. Besides, I haven’t suffered any loss; I’ve merely postponed what was due to us. Of course, giving you the divine flame is also because I want to discuss something with you.”

Gu Lianni, having finished tying her hair, lowered her hands. Curious as to what matter could prompt him to delay taking the divine flame, she immediately asked, “What is it?”

Shi Chun subtly gestured with his chin towards her fellow disciples nearby, then instructed those from the Bright Mountain Sect, “You all, please step aside.”

Gu Lianni naturally understood and waved for all disciples, save Yuan Yao, to withdraw.

With no one else present, Shi Chun pointed to the divine flame in Yuan Yao’s hand and mused, “If possible, I’d like to give this divine flame away as well. Miss Gu, do you recall the other sect I mentioned during the Thousand Rock Sect incident? Their situation is similar to the Thousand Rock Sect’s, yet they haven’t taken any ‘lure the tiger out of its mountain’ action to this day. I’m wondering if they lack a divine flame to use as bait.”

Yuan Yao asked, both surprised and suspicious, “Are you implying you want to give them a divine flame to use as bait?”

Shi Chun nodded. “Precisely.”

At his words, both Gu Lianni and Yuan Yao reacted with astonishment.

Gu Lianni exclaimed, “Are you out of your mind? Giving away a divine flame? Do you genuinely not understand its value, or what? What if they take your divine flame and then refuse to execute the ‘lure the tiger out of its mountain’ strategy?”

Shi Chun explained, “Firstly, it won’t be a free gift. It can be ‘loaned’ to them; we can negotiate terms for them to return a divine flame later. Secondly, given our efficiency in finding divine flames, incurring a small risk to acquire more clues is entirely worthwhile.”

Yuan Yao stated, “This Crimson Flame belongs to your Bright Mountain Sect. If you wish to give it away, we cannot interfere.”

Shi Chun raised an eyebrow. “That’s an unhelpful way to put it. If that were truly the case, why would I even consult with you? I bear the cost here, yet you would still share in the future benefits. Do you think that’s fair? I know you artifact refiners deeply value divine flames, but given our current circumstances, we must consider the long-term. You must give to gain; the necessary investment must be made, so don’t be reluctant. Furthermore, I merely suspect they don’t yet have bait; whether that’s true still requires on-site confirmation.”

From Yuan Yao’s perspective, and Summer Dao Mountain’s standpoint, they should indeed strive for the benefits they deserved.

Of course, he had already stated his case. He then looked back at Gu Lianni; the final decision rested with this Junior Uncle-Master.

In truth, it wasn't a difficult decision. Any reluctance merely stemmed from the artifact refiners’ desire for divine flames. Logically, discerning the correct course of action was not difficult.

Ultimately, Gu Lianni assented to the plan.

Her agreement, of course, was also influenced by the promising results they were currently demonstrating. If finding even a single divine flame had been difficult, such a decision to part with one would have been utterly impossible.

Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi watched wide-eyed from a distance as Gu Lianni took the Crimson Flame divine flame and departed with a few individuals to find a secluded spot for cultivation and absorption.

Then they eagerly watched Shi Chun approach. An Wuzhi stepped forward and asked, “Boss, were both divine flames given to them?”

Shi Chun offered a reassuring word, “Don’t worry. From the current situation, Crimson Flames are the least scarce type of divine flame. Don’t be anxious; there will be more opportunities later.”

If they understood, good; if not, he had no inclination to elaborate.

The reasoning was exactly as he stated: he sensed that Crimson Flames were relatively abundant and realized there likely wouldn’t be a shortage later. Thus, he chose to part with a Crimson Flame first, postponing their own acquisition of divine flames, hoping to secure some preferential choice in types later on.

Two more figures, each carrying a divine flame, quickly descended before the main peak at the exit. It was Pang Hou and another fellow disciple, both of whom had also changed out of their Summer Dao Mountain attire.

The reason remained the same: they feared that Summer Dao Mountain's prestige would deter ordinary sects from relentless pursuit.

The group of pursuing sect members in the air, upon realizing something was amiss, all abruptly halted mid-flight. The area below was not a place for brawling.

The ten elders sitting cross-legged atop the mountain stared at the two figures who had landed below. They all gazed intently, each feeling the two looked somewhat familiar.

For Elder Jin Guiqi, it wasn't a matter of familiarity; he recognized them all. They were all participating disciples of Summer Dao Mountain—how could he not know them?

Seeing his sect’s disciples having changed their clothes again, and noting a divine flame in Pang Hou’s hand once more, a relieved smile touched the corner of his mouth. He was certain this was not the masked individual who had previously carried a divine flame, as their physiques were vastly different.

In other words, Summer Dao Mountain had acquired yet another divine flame.

This rapid succession of arrivals was simply too efficient. If not for the others watching, he would have burst into hearty laughter.

As the other elders, seeing the floating sect members, grew restless and prepared to execute their previous agreement, Jin Guiqi suddenly leaned left and right, apologizing softly, “My apologies, these are again disciples from my sect. I will certainly discipline them thoroughly later!”

The elders were momentarily taken aback, finally understanding why these two figures seemed familiar. They also grasped Elder Jin’s implicit message: this time, it would be overlooked.

Following this, the lead elder’s expression shifted significantly, with a hint of danger seeping into his gaze. There was nothing for it; Summer Dao Mountain’s rate of acquisition had genuinely astonished them.

It was at this moment that Jin Guiqi, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly rose. With a single stride, he floated down before Pang Hou and the other disciple, circled them twice, and as he reached behind them, he suddenly stomped heavily on the ground.

BOOM! Instantly, the ground shook, and the entire mountain peak trembled as if on the verge of collapse. Shockwaves rippled outwards, and the backside of the mountain rumbled continuously, sounding like a massive landslide.

The nine elders meditating on the mountaintop all simultaneously turned to look, only to see earth and rocks erupting from the mountainside.

An entire mountain had actually been diagonally pierced by Elder Jin’s single stomp.

The group in the air watched in horror. Jin Guiqi suddenly turned back and glared coldly at them, instantly striking fear into their hearts. They dared not linger and fled in panicked haste.

Amidst the strong winds, Pang Hou desperately cast spells to protect the divine flame in his hand.

Wu Jinliang and the others, who had been peeking from crevices in another mountain peak, quickly turned their heads and bodies to avoid the oncoming debris and dust kicked up by the impact.