Chapter 355: Doing It Yourself

The Shudao Mountain disciples nearby couldn't avoid hearing what was said by the person squatting on the ground. At first, they didn't know who the masked person Yuan Yao had asked them to cooperate with was. But the moment they heard his voice, they were all startled, wondering if they had misheard.

What dispelled their doubts wasn't just the voice, but also the content of his words. They realized it truly was *that guy*, and then they took in the current circumstances. What kind of environment and place was this? So many sects had gathered here, discussing how to capture him. Yet, this fellow... they were at a loss for words, feeling it was simply too audacious.

Some were secretly amazed, wondering, "Can you even pull off something like this?" Some felt they had learned a lesson: the person appeared to be squatting, but was actually acting so high and mighty. They wondered if they could find an opportunity to try something similar themselves.

Gu Lianni had also been wondering previously: they had clearly shaken off their pursuers by using the strange bat tunnel, so how had the Extreme Fire Sect managed to catch up? Upon hearing these words, she finally understood where the problem lay.

In response, Gu Lianni glanced at Wu Shanshan and said, "Understood. I won't let that woman go. If I find an opportunity, I'll definitely take her out."

Shi Chun immediately objected. "They've tracked us all the way here; their fingers are practically up my nose! And you're still waiting for an opportunity? No need to look for one; just go straight for her when she's unprepared and strike a lethal blow. Be simple and decisive; it'll save trouble."

After hearing this, some disciples secretly shook their heads, while others were startled.

Gu Lianni raised an eyebrow slightly, lowering her gaze to look at him. "Are you dreaming?" she asked. "Is this someone you can just kill whenever you want?"

Shi Chun let out a sound of surprise. "You're the esteemed Shudao Mountain, ranked second in the Artifact Forging World," he said. "Are you really afraid of a mere Forgetfulness Valley?"

Yuan Yao interjected from the side. "It's not about being afraid or not; you're thinking about this too simply. So many sects are gathered here, watching, and their stance isn't on our side. Without reason or an excuse, how can we kill her? We also have to consider the consequences once we leave. Unlike you, you're not genuinely part of the Artifact Forging World."

Shi Chun retorted, "Once she's dead, she can't refute anything. As for finding an excuse, isn't that up to you to decide?"

Gu Lianni countered, "Why don't you understand? All the sects gathered here are on their side, and Wu Shanshan is currently allied with Yin Tianlu. If we make a move, will the Extreme Fire Sect just stand by? Not to mention what happens after we leave, how can my Shudao Mountain, by itself, deal with so many people from all these sects right now?"

Shi Chun said, "They wouldn't dare. Aren't you already allied with the Heaven Refining Sect and the Treasure Deriving Sect? Once Wu Shanshan is dead, they won't be able to find me, and before they get the secret technique, they'll be even less likely to rashly move against you."

He had learned all this information by listening to people's discussions in the crowd earlier.

Gu Lianni retorted, "What alliance? If they find my actions problematic, they could team up with the Extreme Fire Sect to deal with me at any moment. If they suspect I haven't been truthful, they might not be as courteous as they are now. In short, no. I can't risk the lives of so many disciples from our sect before I've made proper preparations. Don't worry, if I find an opportunity when she's alone, I will make a move."

Regardless of whether the Shudao Mountain disciples nearby were moved by these words, from an official operational standpoint, she bore the responsibility for so many people. She couldn't act as unrestrainedly as Shi Chun, who always seemed to operate as a lone wolf.

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun felt as if he'd been hit by a blunt object and was a bit stunned. "No, can't you see your current situation?" he asked. "They're clearly surrounding and monitoring you; how could they possibly give you an opportunity to catch her alone? I'm telling you, Miss Gu, if they track me down here, my Bright Mountain Sect people won't be able to escape. Do you think you'll be fine?"

Gu Lianni said, "You know they're currently monitoring us. Then you should know that it's truly inconvenient for me to make a move right now. They are currently discussing profit distribution. If I suddenly make a move now, it would seem to them as if I'm trying to prevent them from finding you. They would immediately turn their blades on my Shudao Mountain."

Alright, Shi Chun understood. Talking more was pointless. The truth was simple: the other side had a numerical advantage, and Shudao Mountain was a bit afraid. And now was not the time for endless arguments. He was also worried about arousing others' suspicions. After a brief silence and careful consideration, he had no choice but to make a second-best decision: what Shudao Mountain dared not do, he would do!

Without a sigh, after making his decision, he immediately and decisively said, "Fine, I'll do it myself."

The Shudao Mountain group was startled by his words. Gu Lianni asked in surprise, "How will you make your move? Now?"

Shi Chun replied, "Am I supposed to wait for her to keep tracking, wait for her to discover from my trail that I've infiltrated this place? Once she uses my trail to discover that I've been here, she'll become alert. When she's out searching, there aren't this many people to provide cover. I can't guarantee that I can avoid her special abilities and get close to her, not to mention the masters from various allied sects around her. Now is when she's least prepared, and it's my best opportunity to act. Once I miss this chance, I'll lose the opportunity to strike and will only be chased everywhere."

Yuan Yao hesitated, saying, "If you could keep running, it might not be a bad solution."

Shi Chun retorted, "With that woman around, while running, how can I determine how far away they are tracking me? Can I stop to rest? Do I dare to stop?"

The Shudao Mountain group fell silent, realizing that Wu Shanshan's presence posed too great a threat to the Bright Mountain Sect. No wonder this person risked infiltrating just to eliminate her.

However, everyone had their own stance. Gu Lianni pondered and reminded him, "With your cultivation level, setting aside whether you can succeed, even if you manage to do it, with so many masters from major sects and numerous magical artifacts present, you'll have no way to escape. Once you make a move, you'll be throwing yourself into a trap."

Shi Chun said, "That's why I came to you. I assume you don't want me to fall into their hands, do you? It's fine if you don't want to act. Once I make my move, you just need to find a way to intervene, hinder them a bit, and help me escape."

Gu Lianni, Yuan Yao, and Pang Hou exchanged glances, a hint of difficulty appearing on all their faces. Gu Lianni finally revealed the inconvenience. "If we interfere with them, they'll immediately know something is up with us. How is that any different from us directly killing Wu Shanshan?"

Shi Chun said, "There's a difference, it's completely different. Methods of interference can be varied; you don't have to overtly pull or block them. It's the same if you just rush forward and chase *me*. Do you understand what I mean? For example, make the formation and power grander, so others can't intervene. In short, just find a way to create an opportunity for me to escape."

Alright, Gu Lianni and the other two exchanged glances. All showed a slight expression of tacit approval. "This could work, but..."

Pang Hou suddenly spoke up. "Wu Shanshan's cultivation is higher than yours, right? With your cultivation, wouldn't making a move like this be too risky? I don't mean anything else; I'm just worried about your safety. Even if Wu Shanshan only makes a dying struggle, I'm afraid you might not be able to handle it."

From everyone's gaze, it was clear that this was also their point of hesitation. Especially for Gu Lianni and the others, they hadn't yet obtained the secret technique for finding divine fire that Shi Chun possessed. If Shi Chun died, Shudao Mountain's loss would truly be immense. To some extent, they had already regarded Shi Chun's secret technique for finding divine fire as something already in Shudao Mountain's possession.

But Shi Chun replied indifferently, "I'm not as fortunate as you. Everything I want, I have to fight for myself. That's how it is in the land of exile; if you want to live a little better, you have to risk your life to fight for it. I'm already used to it." While true, these words were also meant for those present. In reality, he had a backup plan: if it truly came down to it, he would tear off his mask and reveal his true face. He feared that at that point, it would be these very people from Shudao Mountain who would want to kill him. Then he could also call Gong Shixi and the others for help. But these words brought considerable shock to the Shudao Mountain group.

So, the matter was settled. Soon, Shudao Mountain created another conflict with the disciples of the Heaven Refining Sect. The excuse for the conflict was readily available: Shudao Mountain disciples felt the Heaven Refining Sect disciples were staring at them like thieves, and they couldn't swallow that insult. Shi Chun then took advantage of the chaos to blend into another crowd.

Neither side of the conflict wanted to escalate the matter, so Zuo Zisheng and Gu Lianni both stepped forward to control the situation. Meanwhile, Shi Chun seized this opportunity to avoid the conflict and again approached Wu Shanshan. He was only about three zhang (approx. 10 meters) away from her, with a few people in between.

Shortly after the commotion subsided, several major sects secretly agreed on matters they couldn't settle openly. The agreement was that once the secret technique for finding divine fire was obtained, the Heaven Refining Sect, Shudao Mountain, Treasure Deriving Sect, and Extreme Fire Sect would share it. Any divine fire found later would also be divided among these four. As for their respective allied sects, what kind of explanation they wanted to give or how much divine fire they wanted to distribute as a gesture was each sect's own business.

These four sects were quite ruthless; they even misled major sects like Jinmao Hall and Dongxiao Island, having no intention of giving them even a single share. Because after these four sects, each with their own ulterior motives, "allied," they no longer needed to show face to the other major sects.

The profits were basically equally distributed among the four sects. There was no way around it; discussing rankings was useless, as no one would accept a smaller share. Each had their own leverage: the Treasure Deriving Sect had Li Hongjiu's powerful presence, Yin Tianlu had crucial clues, the Heaven Refining Sect had a large number of people, and Shudao Mountain dared to abandon the project and leave. Of course, the Treasure Deriving Sect's prerequisite, set by Li Hongjiu, remained: no matter how much divine fire was found, they would each get one piece first.

Seeing the four major sects secretly negotiating, avoiding them, the leaders of Jinmao Hall, Dongxiao Island, and other major sects stood together watching, their expressions anything but pleasant.

Following the unified agreement, each sect dispatched a small contingent of people to accompany and assist Wu Shanshan. Originally, they intended to escort Wu Shanshan en masse, but she refused, saying too many people close to her would affect her searching techniques. The real reason was that the phenomena caused by her 'Demonic Eye' spell were inconvenient for others to see. In this regard, everyone naturally prioritized her opinion, and the majority of the forces followed behind.

As soon as the personnel moved out, Shi Chun didn't stand idle. Acting on impulse, he actually darted out with the people dispatched by the four sects to assist Wu Shanshan. Gu Lianni and her group were just assuming Shi Chun might have lost his chance to strike. Suddenly, they saw the masked person darting out, and all the Shudao Mountain disciples were dumbfounded. While others might not immediately know which of the four sects sent the masked person, how could they not?