Chapter 326: Out of One’s Word

Wu Jinliang was not foolish. He could discern the disdain in everyone's eyes, and he couldn't help but grumble inwardly about Shi Chun, harboring a slight resentment. Yet, he clearly understood that until Shi Chun obtained those demonic energies, he had to bear this blame without explanation. Any attempt to clarify would arouse suspicion about Shi Chun's interest in the five women from Wangqing Valley.

Everyone values their reputation, even those from the Land of Exile. If a good name is attainable, why opt for a bad one? Naturally, if the situation demanded it, he wouldn't mind a tarnished reputation, as those from the Land of Exile already bear a poor one. He would always step forward, especially when Shi Chun needed him, for losing one's reputation was far better than losing one's life. He profoundly understood that his own well-being depended on his leader's success. Otherwise, he might not be able to retain his current advantages and could even be forced to relinquish them with interest.

Though "flawed beauty" was merely a pretext, Shi Chun held his ground. "Brother Yin," he stated, "these are our conditions: bring those five individuals to us, and we will allow you to verify our secret method. It's a fair and reasonable transaction, a direct exchange."

Yin Tianlu pondered, maintaining his characteristic composure. He neither accepted nor refused, replying, "This is not a decision I can make lightly on my own. Please allow me to return and consult with my fellow disciples first." He needed to ascertain the situation from Black Tiger before making any decision.

Shi Chun gestured for them to leave, not pressing the matter. Yin Tianlu cupped his hands in greeting to everyone, then promptly flew away with Black Tiger.

As soon as they departed, Gu Lianni glanced at Wu Jinliang and then asked Shi Chun, "Are you truly willing to hand over the secret method for locating divine fire, all for this large man's 'flawed beauty'?" Yuan Yao and Pang Hou's faces showed confusion, evidently sharing the same query.

Shi Chun's calm demeanor instantly vanished, his expression turning grim. "The Extreme Fire Sect never had any intention of cooperating with us. They merely wanted to ascertain whether we posed a threat to their victory. Once they confirm the existence of a secret method, they will move against us, regardless of whether we surrender it."

At his words, the three from Shudaoshan appeared somewhat surprised. Yuan Yao inquired, "Brother Chun, what makes you so certain?" Shi Chun retorted, "As you are all experts, may I ask what level of treasure the 'Broken Desolation Blade' is considered within the Extreme Fire Sect?"

Pang Hou replied without hesitation, "That is unquestionably the Extreme Fire Sect's ultimate treasure, their most guarded possession. Though damaged, its sharpness persists, rendering it incomparably keen. Throughout the entire cultivation world, it is a truly indestructible artifact."

Shi Chun pressed on, "Is that reason not sufficient? How could the Extreme Fire Sect so readily relinquish their most prized possession?" The three exchanged glances, some pondering, others frowning. They all found his reasoning somewhat strained. For artifact refiners, while the 'Broken Desolation Blade' was valuable, it couldn't surpass divine fire. It seemed most advantageous to acquire as much divine fire as possible. If cooperation offered a path to obtain it, why risk conflict?

Wu Jinliang, too, shared this sentiment but knew Shi Chun's words had a deeper basis. There was indeed a reason, but Shi Chun chose not to disclose it to Gu Lianni and the others. Within a team, retaining a degree of "foresight" was not detrimental; it was crucial for his decisions to be proven wiser than others by the facts.

Truth be told, had his right eye's unique ability not allowed him to perceive the Extreme Fire Sect's true intentions—that this fourth-ranked artifact refining sect was determined to overpower the third-ranked Yanbao Sect at any cost, arriving with absolute confidence—and had he not learned that the Extreme Fire Sect also possessed a secret method for locating divine fire, he would likely have shared the same opinion as the others.

The Extreme Fire Sect possesses a secret method for finding divine fire. Instead of quietly pursuing their own, they hastily converged here. Was Shudaoshan so easily intimidated? This implied that the Extreme Fire Sect was desperate not to lose, unwilling to part with their ultimate treasure. The critical point was that the momentum was not on their side, allowing the Extreme Fire Sect to leverage the situation to their advantage and gain confidence.

Gu Lianni asked, "You just stated that more cooperation was better. Are you now retracting that?"

Shi Chun replied, "Shudaoshan's formidable reputation is well-established. Despite our casualties, the Extreme Fire Sect will still hesitate to act, unwilling to engage in a mutually destructive conflict that benefits others. They will undoubtedly incite other sects. Let's leave immediately, before the Extreme Fire Sect is prepared!" In truth, he couldn't genuinely cooperate with other sects because he could not, under any circumstances short of absolute necessity, surrender his secret method for finding divine fire; the repercussions would be too great for him to bear. His so-called cooperation with other sects was purely a tactic to string along and deceive various factions, much like his current collaboration with Shudaoshan. He might have been able to deceive other sects into sharing divine fire, as he did with Shudaoshan, but this approach would not work against the Extreme Fire Sect.

At Wangqing Valley, Wu Shanshan and the others observed Yin Tianlu and Black Tiger returning to the Extreme Fire Sect's encampment. They felt a sense of hesitation, unsure what had been discussed with Shudaoshan. At the Four Cauldrons Sect, Xu Anchang and his group, having altered their attire, were also secretly observing. As a backup force for Shi Chun, they were prepared to charge forward the moment they received his signal.

The moment Yin Tianlu and Black Tiger returned, Wu Xiao immediately approached them and asked, "Well?" Yin Tianlu also turned his gaze to Black Tiger.

Black Tiger's gaze shifted towards Shi Chun's group, and he could no longer conceal the astonishment and doubt on his face. "That woman must be a materialized divine fire." The two beside him were startled. Yin Tianlu asked, "Which woman?" He already had a suspicion; there were only two women in that group. It couldn't be Gu Lianni, nor could it be the women from Wangqing Valley.

Black Tiger exhaled softly, then took a deep breath from his ice pipe. "The one beside Shi Chun, the one previously mentioned as having kissed him, she shouldn't be an outsider. She's likely a localized divine fire that has materialized."

"How is that possible?" Yin Tianlu asked, stunned.

Wu Xiao retorted, "For us to materialize into human form, we must align with the heavenly will and observe the human realm. Without a thorough understanding of the human body, how could we assume human likeness? You've seen some of the fire spirits here; they transform into monstrous shapes that are neither quite snake, nor quite wolf, nor quite lizard. These fire spirits lack a complete concept of animals; they simply transform according to their own needs when the time is right."

Yin Tianlu added, "That woman's attire indeed appeared somewhat atypical for a normal woman, but her ability to speak human language certainly implies she was taught. Furthermore, unlike other fire spirits, even our spiritual eyes could not detect any fire spirit traces on her. This indicates she hasn't merely awakened but has entered the Path and mastered cultivation techniques to achieve such a state. These are not things that can be comprehended quickly, and outsiders spend only a brief time entering and exiting the divine fire domain, making it difficult to enlighten a fire spirit in such a short period."

Wu Xiao nodded. "Even if someone from a previous Divine Fire Alliance remained here and didn't leave, how long could they survive in this environment? There wouldn't be enough time for that."

Black Tiger's eyes glinted as he slowly and hesitantly offered, "What if a Heavenly Immortal realm expert remained here?"

Wu Xiao responded, "Heavenly Immortal realm experts would not risk venturing inside. All those of the Heavenly Immortal realm rumored to have entered before have vanished, and no one has seen them since the divine fire domain reopened. If any were still alive, with the exit now open, it would be impossible for them not to leave."

Yin Tianlu suddenly raised a hand, signaling him to stop. His eyes flickered, as if contemplating a possibility. "Brother Hei implies that this environment would struggle to kill a Heavenly Immortal realm expert. At that level of cultivation, the physical body no longer solely relies on a single breath for survival. Their transformative abilities would be more than sufficient to resolve such issues. This breathable poison cannot kill them, at least not quickly."

He then looked up at Black Tiger again. "The reason those Heavenly Immortal realm experts no longer enter is precisely because their predecessors suffered losses and disappeared, making them hesitant to risk it again. Are you suggesting that the woman materialized from divine fire is connected to those Heavenly Immortal experts who vanished in the past?"

Black Tiger stated firmly, "Aside from this, there can be no other possibility. If my senses haven't deceived me, and if she is indeed a fire spirit materialized into human form, then someone must have enlightened her and transmitted a cultivation method. This is far more challenging than doing so for a flesh-and-blood creature, and it's not something an ordinary cultivator could achieve. At the very least, the one who imparted the knowledge must be extraordinary, and their method exceptional."

After hearing this and pondering for a moment, Wu Xiao turned his head to look in that direction. "If that's true, once this woman is refined into an artifact spirit and integrated into a magic treasure, she would be a fire spirit artifact spirit capable of cultivation! With meticulous design, this could forge a supreme treasure!"

Black Tiger reminded him, "Her understanding of this place might, in fact, be her greatest value. Here, she is a supreme treasure in herself." The implication of his words was profoundly enticing.

Yin Tianlu nodded slightly in thought. "If that's truly the case... you mentioned Shi Chun kissing her. Was it because he knew her true nature and was employing a honey trap? After all, what limits are there to someone from the Land of Exile?"

Wu Xiao replied, "He is indeed from the Land of Exile, but is he even considered handsome?"

Black Tiger interjected in defense, "Whether he is handsome or not, the fact that Shi Chun immediately claimed this woman upon meeting her is highly unusual and certainly indicative of something. Brother Yin is correct; he must have already discerned her true nature. To immediately use a romantic relationship to bind her shows Shi Chun's utter shamelessness and his truly extraordinary ability to achieve what others cannot."

"So what do we do now?" Wu Xiao asked, looking from side to side.

Black Tiger stated, "The divine fire they absorbed—from what I could detect on them at the scene—was close to thirty flares. I don't know if there are any others yet unrevealed. While perhaps not a full hundred flares, it's certainly far more than what we possess." The other two understood his implication: their path to ultimate victory was indeed obstructed.

Yin Tianlu, with pursed lips, made his decision. "Let us join forces with Wangqing Valley!"

No sooner had he spoken than a clamor erupted around them. The three looked over to see the Shudaoshan group suddenly ascend into the air, flying directly towards the depths of the forbidden area without acknowledging them. What was happening? The three were somewhat bewildered. Weren't they just in the midst of cooperation talks? How could they flee before an agreement was reached? This sudden reversal of commitment greatly surprised them. Fortunately, many of the persistent sects continued to follow them, still clinging to their pursuit.

From Wangqing Valley, Wu Shanshan swiftly flew over again, calling out loudly across the vigilant personnel, "Brother Yin, what's happening?" Regardless of whether they intended to ally with these women or offer them to Shi Chun as a condition for cooperation, they needed to bring them along. Yin Tianlu gestured with a sweeping hand and declared in a deep voice, "Pursue!"

Had they agreed to cooperate? Wu Shanshan's eyes brightened. Specific details could be discussed later; the priority was to pursue them. She quickly turned back and rallied her people to set off with the Extreme Fire Sect's contingent.