Chapter 350: Same Obstacles

“They got away?” Wu Shanshan was very surprised. She looked again at the swarming contingents from various factions in the sky. How could they have escaped, with all those people around?

She could only conclude that Shudao Mountain, the second-ranked artifact refining sect, truly lived up to its reputation. But what she couldn’t understand was, if Yin Tianlu wasn't so confident, why had he spoken so boastfully?

Jin Hao, mindful of the Extreme Fire Sect’s reputation, quietly reported the true situation to Wu Shanshan. After hearing this, Wu Shanshan was speechless. She knew it was over; the matter was essentially closed. Shi Chun’s side had a hidden master, making it impossible to proceed further, and Shudao Mountain was now held by the Sky Refining Sect and the Treasure Derivation Sect. Even the Extreme Fire Sect had to step aside obediently. How could they possibly continue? However, her speechlessness and helplessness were only superficial. In a way, she felt a quiet sense of relief. It was for the best; the situation was truly untenable, and she would have a justifiable explanation if higher-ups questioned her.

Yin Tianlu and his group, who had also just heard their sect-mates’ report, were stunned, or rather, felt like the sky had fallen. Black Tiger was dead? What about the Extreme Fire Sect winning the championship? What about the Extreme Fire Sect’s ultimate treasure, the Desolate Breaking Severance Blade? Especially Yin Tianlu; he truly didn’t know how he would explain this to the sect upon his return. He regretted sending Black Tiger to track them, but wasn't it because he thought Black Tiger’s keen sense of smell would be useful? Originally, in the worst-case scenario, Black Tiger could have left with the absorbed divine flames, which would still have been a significant gain. Now what? He even felt a bit resentful towards Black Tiger. Shi Chun’s side had already explained the secret method for finding divine flames and stated that they didn't possess the secret method themselves, so why was he so eager to attack? Couldn’t he have waited longer to confirm? Couldn’t he have been more cautious, or waited for the main force to arrive before acting? He truly couldn't fathom what Black Tiger had been thinking.

Wu Shanshan walked up to him and comforted him, saying, “No one expected that Wu Jinliang would be so hidden. His cultivation and background probably have some deeper secret.”

Yin Tianlu emphatically retorted, “Impossible. Someone whose cultivation has broken through to the Human Immortal realm couldn’t have avoided detection and gotten in.”

Wu Shanshan had considered that point but still reminded him, “I know it seems impossible, but the facts are staring us in the face. Black Tiger’s artifact attack, before it even touched Shi Chun, made Shi Chun vomit blood from the shock, showing its immense power. Yet, Wu Jinliang was able to charge against that force and cut down Black Tiger with a single blow. Other things might be fake, but could Black Tiger being utterly defenseless and slain also be fake? Black Tiger wouldn’t sacrifice his life to fake it, would he?” A recently returned Extreme Fire Sect disciple nearby also added, “That’s right, Senior Brother. Just looking at the greatsword Wu Jinliang used, it was abnormally large; it didn’t look like a normal person’s weapon at all.”

Yin Tianlu frowned, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Fearing that Yin Tianlu’s stubbornness would drag her in too, Wu Shanshan added, “Wu Jinliang himself said that he had killed several Earth Immortals and many Human Immortals…”

Yin Tianlu had already heard this from his sect-mates – something about “eating meat” too. He raised a hand to stop her, saying, “Precisely because he said all that, I find it even more suspicious. If he truly had that power, would he need to boast about it to you? If he truly had that power, how could you have escaped? How could he have let you return safely and without incident to report back? Wasn't he afraid of guarding the exit to prevent himself from getting out? He should have silenced you!”

In truth, Wu Shanshan herself felt somewhat suspicious, but having witnessed the opponent’s terrifying display of strength, she asked, “Then where do you think the problem lies? Do you still want to go there personally to confirm?” Yin Tianlu’s cheeks were taut. Doubting was one thing, but that didn’t mean he would personally put himself in danger. One was his own speculation, the other was an undeniable fact. How could he easily challenge it? If it turned out to be true, wouldn't he be walking straight to his death? If he hadn't been this cautious, he would have directly attacked when they surrounded Shudao Mountain earlier.

He even thought about Wu Kang Mountain, where Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang originated, wondering if they used some sort of immobilizing talisman. However, according to the description of the scene by his junior sect-mates, no such talisman was seen being used. Furthermore, for an immobilizing talisman to restrain an artifact like the ‘Heaven, Earth, and Man,’ it would have to be at least a fifth-grade talisman. Even one fifth-grade talisman might not be effective, considering Black Tiger’s artifact was equivalent to three fifth-grade artifacts. Fifth-grade immobilizing talismans were virtually legendary; whether Wu Kang Mountain even possessed one was questionable. The crucial point was that all his junior sect-mates had witnessed it firsthand and genuinely saw no immobilizing talisman being deployed. It was a direct charge, ending with a single strike, indicating an extremely vast disparity in strength. And crucially, Black Tiger had initiated a surprise attack; the other party was merely reacting defensively.

Facing Wu Shanshan’s questions, his mind was momentarily in turmoil. What flashed through his mind was the lofty ambitions of the sect elders before their departure. In the eyes of the sect masters, the Extreme Fire Sect’s victory in this competition was supposed to be a sure thing. Indeed, if Shi Chun and his group hadn't unexpectedly appeared, things would have unfolded just as the sect masters predicted. Victory would have been firmly in their grasp. By the halfway point, Black Tiger had already absorbed eight divine flames. By the end, absorbing over a dozen would have been certain. At that point, during the refining competition, who could have possibly competed with them? But the absurd truth was, that unexpected incident involving the Bright Mountain Sect did occur, leading to an unexpected turn of events on their side as well.

After striving to calm himself, he laid out his options for solving the problem: either seek revenge, swallow his pride and admit defeat, or continue pursuing the path to victory. Given the current situation, these were the only three possibilities. He dismissed the second option almost immediately. Swallowing his pride and admitting defeat would lead to consequences he couldn't bear upon returning to the sect; not only would his future be jeopardized, but he would also lose face. As for the first option, revenge, he naturally desired it, but he truly couldn't ascertain the enemy's strength. They had already paid a bloody price; charging forward recklessly again would mean the sect had chosen a pig to be their leader. After much deliberation, and without needing to consult other sect-mates – with Black Tiger dead, he was now making decisions unilaterally – he asked Wu Shanshan, “Can you find them again?”

“This…” Wu Shanshan hesitated, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt. She wanted to ask, “Are we going back to our deaths?”

Seeing her attitude, Yin Tianlu knew the answer. He commanded in an unquestionable tone, “Turn back immediately and follow them again.”

Wu Shanshan was instantly displeased. “If you want to follow them, you go,” she said. “My Valley of Forgetfulness only has these few sisters left; we don’t believe we have the strength for that.” Yin Tianlu tilted his head, gesturing towards the people from various factions in the sky. “I’m not asking you to act,” he said. “Just find Shi Chun’s location. We’ll know if there’s anything unusual about Wu Jinliang by letting those persistent fellows try their luck.” Wu Shanshan understood his meaning immediately. Thinking it over, she realized it made sense. She was reluctant to abandon that fifth-grade Venerable Spirit artifact, and indeed, she felt there was something off about their previous defeat. She immediately nodded in agreement. After a detailed whispered discussion and conspiracy with Yin Tianlu, they turned around and set off once more.

This time, Wu Shanshan was not sent ahead to take risks. To reassure her, Yin Tianlu led his group and proceeded alongside her. The contingents from various factions behind them once again followed. Yin Tianlu looked back and gave a cold sneer.

On the ground, the Thousand Crags Sect, who had been observing from a distance, did not rush to follow. Gong Shixi gestured with a wave, instructing a few scouts to go ahead first. He needed to confirm each step of the way, and only upon receiving definite replies would he proceed himself. It was still the same idea: he could scheme against Shi Chun from behind, but he absolutely could not step into the foreground. If Shi Chun discovered him, a desperate struggle would ensue, and he feared there would be no way for him to avoid being implicated.

However, obstacles always exist, and following old paths often leads to encountering the same pitfalls. Suddenly, a group of people rapidly flew in from the sky behind them. Originally, hidden in the dark underground, they were difficult to discover, but a few scouts who had just emerged were coincidentally spotted. What a coincidence. Moreover, this approaching group was quite large, and they casually sent a detachment down to investigate, to see if it might be connected to Shi Chun’s group. What if it was Shi Chun and his people? Because the arrivals were none other than Gu Lianni and her group from Shudao Mountain, a large contingent from the Sky Refining Sect, and Li Hongjiu and her group from the Treasure Derivation Sect, who were also traveling together.

Gu Lianni had claimed the secret method for finding divine flames was in Shi Chun’s hands, so they had to come and verify it. “Here!” shouted someone searching below, using a spell. The three groups in the sky exchanged glances, then swiftly dove down, surrounding the Thousand Crags Sect, who were hiding in a remote corner. Several grains of sandalwood gold shot out, illuminating the Thousand Crags Sect group clearly.

Gong Shixi, leading the group, felt very uncomfortable after being suddenly exposed, as if he had been discovered naked. He glanced around, saw it was Zuo Zisheng’s group, and immediately froze, thinking, “How did I run into this guy again?” Being previously dragged into the spotlight by them had already made him very uneasy.

Zuo Zisheng, leader of the Sky Refining Sect, saw them and exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this an old acquaintance?” He couldn’t help but frown and demand, “What are you doing ambushing here?” Their encounter here was no coincidence; they had allied sects leaving markers for them along the way. “Ambush? Ambush whom?” Gong Shixi didn’t want to take the blame. He hastily explained, “Brother Zuo, you misunderstand. We’ve been traveling for a long time and are a bit tired. We’re just stopping to rest.”

Xu Anchang and You Mu, who were accompanying the Sky Refining Sect group, stared intently at Gong Shixi. They already knew about his demonic cultivation and, moreover, that he was the one instigating these events from behind the scenes. Only a fool would believe he was merely tired and resting along this route. Yet, the two found it hard to speak up, as they didn’t want to be too obvious and let Gong Shixi realize that they, too, practiced demonic arts.

“Resting?” Zuo Zisheng also noticed something peculiar about the Thousand Crags Sect group. They seemed unenthusiastic about pursuing Shi Chun, yet they were on this very route. What were they up to? After a brief ponder, he tilted his head and signaled, “I think you’ve rested enough. Come on, let’s go together. This forbidden area is quite dangerous, and we can look out for each other.” The offer of “looking out for each other” was merely a pretense. He sensed these people were troublesome, and if they encountered any untoward situations, they could be used as cannon fodder. They just felt odd.

Gong Shixi quickly declined, “Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Zuo, but if we go any further, we really have no confidence. We don’t plan to proceed further; we’re preparing to return.”

Li Hongjiu, who had initially found Zuo Zisheng’s fussy involvement a waste of time, couldn’t help but blink upon hearing this. Instead, she took a serious look at Gong Shixi.

Zuo Zisheng raised an eyebrow. “Brother Gong, do you take me for a fool? Preparing to return, yet you’re still sending scouts ahead?”