Chapter 378: You Lead the Way

The pain was so intense it could rouse a person from a coma, its severity truly unimaginable.

With his magic suppressed, he had to endure the pain directly. In the dim light, he couldn't even use a spell to sharpen his vision and clearly see the people around him, only dimly discerning figures circling him.

Wu Shanshan clearly remembered who had injured her before she lost consciousness. She tried to utter a few muffled sounds, attempting to furiously scold Gong Shixi, only to realize as she spoke that her jaw was dislocated, rendering her unable to speak properly.

Fortunately, Shi Chun had no fear of attracting anything by creating light here. He was utterly emboldened, practically on the verge of roaring with laughter. So, he even produced a piece of Sandalwood Gold and shone it on Wu Shanshan's blood-streaked face, ensuring she could clearly see who he was.

He clearly intended to give her a "surprise"; that wretched woman had made his journey miserable enough.

Wu Shanshan's pupils constricted as she clearly saw the person before her; she was both shocked and enraged. She couldn't understand why she had fallen into this scoundrel's hands, though given the preceding events, she at least surmised that Gong Shixi was in cahoots with them.

She simply couldn't comprehend why Gong Shixi would be entangled with this fellow. Didn't he understand which side held the greater power, the pursued or the pursuers?

There was only one possible answer: both sides had been colluding for a long time.

The pain in her body made her realize what had been done to her; someone had crippled her. In her grief and indignation, she let out a series of muffled roars at Shi Chun.

Shi Chun reached out a finger and brushed aside the disheveled hair on her face, revealing her original, beautiful features. He then asked her with a pained expression, "Wu Shanshan, we had no grievances against each other, and we signed a contract beforehand. Why did you breach it? Not only did you violate our agreement by consuming my divine flame, but you also relentlessly pursued and hunted me all this way. Where is the justice in that? Where is the fairness?"

Hearing him say this, Wu Shanshan knew she had been in the wrong. She understood that what she had done was improper, and she now felt some regret. Had she known this would be the outcome, she certainly wouldn't have acted that way.

Yet she also knew that if, without knowing the final outcome, she were given another chance, she would still act the same way. Many times, people truly have no choice.

Wu Jinliang chuckled beside them. He understood the boss's methods too well: first establish the moral high ground and make the opponent realize their fault. This was merely to facilitate getting information from them later, offering them an easier way to speak up when they could no longer endure the suffering. Otherwise, there would be no need for such a complicated approach.

Sure enough, Shi Chun immediately stood up, turned his head, and said to Wu Jinliang, "I want to know how this woman managed to track us all this way. Before the others arrive, you and the two of them take her and interrogate her."

The 'two of them' naturally referred to Xu and You.

Wu Jinliang understood that they needed to use any means necessary to make Wu Shanshan speak. Since the matter involved the Demonic Path, some details couldn't be revealed in front of Chu Jingting and his group, as they hadn't yet been fully committed to their cause.

He also understood Shi Chun's lack of urgency and gradual approach concerning Chu Jingting and his group.

Since he was willing to take a slow, steady approach with these people, gradually integrating them and investing such time and effort, the boss clearly had long-term plans, hoping for them to become his own.

As for Zhu Xiangxin and others secretly colluding with their former sects, for those who had come from the land of exile, this was absolutely nothing of concern; they were completely open-minded about such matters.

Since the boss wasn't concerned, he surely had a way to handle it.

Xu and You also discerned from this that most members of the Mingshan Sect still kept their distance from the Demonic Path.

The three of them immediately took Wu Shanshan away.

Shi Chun walked to the large carved stone and examined it, but he couldn't discern Wu Jinliang's creative inclinations...

On the frozen island in the middle of the lake, the young man leaned against a rock, legs crossed, hands behind his head, gazing at the stars, appearing as if this leisurely state was not to his liking.

Zhen'er lingered by his side.

Zhen'er was growing impatient and wanted to go look for Shi Chun's group, but the young man stopped her. He even offered a reasonable explanation, remarking that one shouldn't simply show up before a marriage proposal.

Since Lord Jiu forbade it, Zhen'er didn't dare. She could only pace, hoping her lover would arrive soon...

Gong Shixi and his group had also returned to the rear, where the various sects were gathered. They brought back news of Shi Chun's group, but also a piece of grim news.

They claimed to have discovered Shi Chun's group's whereabouts. However, when they rushed back to rendezvous with Wu Shanshan's group, they found Wu Shanshan missing. There were mutilated corpses at the scene, and they had no idea what had happened or whether Wu Shanshan was dead or alive.

This news secretly startled everyone, making them suspect it might be related to the perils of this place.

This was precisely what Gong Shixi wanted. He did not claim Shi Chun's group was the culprit, as Shi Chun had suggested, but instead led the various sects to associate the incident with terrifying monsters. His hope was to scare these people away, or else he himself would be the one to suffer.

What kind of place was this? Without Wu Shanshan's tracking ability, letting them continue to randomly scout ahead would be nothing short of digging his own grave.

Furthermore, even if he discovered Shi Chun's whereabouts, he couldn't let this group capture Shi Chun right now. Shi Chun's recent threat was no idle talk, and besides, they had just killed people from the four major sects. Even if they were given a hundred times more courage, they wouldn't dare openly assist in capturing Shi Chun's group.

It was better to retreat first and then think of other solutions.

The unpredictability of life is often so frustrating.

As everyone was filled with doubt and speculation, Li Hongjiu suddenly asked, "Where is Shi Chun's group now?"

Gong Shixi was momentarily startled, then replied, "By a frozen lakeside."

Li Hongjiu asked, "They didn't discover you, did they?"

"No," Gong Shixi replied curtly.

Li Hongjiu immediately turned back and instructed, "Wait here; I'll go take a look with him." Having said that, he turned back to Gong Shixi and gestured, "Lead the way."

"..." Gong Shixi was dumbfounded and speechless. The terrifying beings of this place had already made their move; did Li Hongjiu still want to go?

He didn't immediately obey. There were still many people here, and the Yanbao Sect wasn't even the most prominent. He looked at the others, especially at Zuo Zisheng.

The Yanbao Sect disciples were naturally concerned about their Uncle-Master. Guang Haoyou quickly spoke up to stop him, "Uncle-Master, since Shi Chun's group has gone in to seek death, just let them be."

In truth, they desperately wanted their Uncle-Master to demonstrate his power and help them seize the divine flame. But reality was harsh; they had witnessed Shi Chun's extraordinary strength firsthand, feats beyond what ordinary people could achieve. He had previously injured their Uncle-Master, so sending him forward again would surely be courting death.

Li Hongjiu said, "Since Shi Chun is fine, I should be fine going there too. All of you wait here; I'll just go take a look and come back."

He had indeed suffered a loss at Shi Chun's hands before, but that didn't mean he would suffer a loss now. There was a reason for his silent, contemplative state throughout the journey, during which he hadn't even taken a sip of wine: he yearned for a test.

He wasn't testing Shi Chun; Shi Chun was no longer a concern to him. The difference between them was, in fact, just a matter of a single thought.

Naturally, he also wanted to seize the opportunity to provide an explanation to his fellow disciples.

Obtaining Shi Chun's secret method for finding the divine flame would be an even greater explanation to the sect.

Although he didn't care for such things, the sect needed them.

He had been raised by the sect and personally mentored by the Sect Master, enjoying cultivation resources and treatment unavailable to ordinary disciples. Therefore, no matter how much he disliked or was unwilling to do certain things, he would always provide an explanation if the opportunity arose.

Perhaps only after truly repaying them would he be qualified to shed some burdens and truly be himself.

Since others didn't dare to go, for him, it might indeed be a good opportunity to secure everything for his sect.

Guang Haoyou naturally disagreed. "Uncle-Master, if you go, we go together!"

Li Hongjiu, uncharacteristically, put on a stern face and stared at them, saying, "If you don't obey, I'll restrain you and make you wait here obediently!"

"..." The Yanbao Sect disciples were instantly speechless. They had witnessed their Uncle-Master's methods and knew that once he resorted to force, they had no say in the matter.

At the same time, they sensed their Uncle-Master's unprecedented seriousness and assertiveness.

"Be careful of them, and just protect yourselves," Li Hongjiu instructed again, openly warning his disciples to be wary of the others, clearly not considering them trustworthy. Then he urged Gong Shixi again, "Lead the way!"

Gong Shixi was utterly speechless; he wanted to ask if Li Hongjiu was out of his mind, but couldn't bring himself to. He could only turn to Zuo Zisheng for help, asking, "Brother Zuo, are we going?"

Li Hongjiu directly interrupted, "What he says is useless. If I say we go, we go. Anyone who dares to stop us, I will cripple them right now; those who don't believe can try. If you procrastinate any longer, I guarantee you'll regret it!"

A smile played on his face, yet harsh words came from his mouth.

The people from the various sects exchanged bewildered glances, filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Faced with such a threat, a hint of coldness flashed in Gong Shixi's eyes. If it truly came to a fight, with his demonic cultivation, he genuinely wasn't afraid of this so-called genius from the Yanbao Sect; it was merely inconvenient to display his powers openly.

But he could use them in secret!

Since the other party was so pushy, he might as well grant their wish. Once they were away from others, he would let them follow in Wu Shanshan's footsteps.

With this thought, he immediately put on a wry smile and said, "Alright, it seems we're just destined to be errand boys."

He subtly nodded, signaling his fellow disciples, who immediately produced and activated their Wind Scales, sweeping up their comrades and Li Hongjiu as they ascended into the sky.

Zuo Zisheng, who had been watching intently, seemed to suddenly make up his mind. He declared loudly, "Mr. Li has great courage! My Liantian Sect is willing to accompany you on this journey."

With a wave of his hand, the Liantian Sect disciples immediately activated their Wind Scales, rose into the air, and followed.

The reason was simple: they feared Li Hongjiu would monopolize everything.

It wasn't just the Liantian Sect; after Gu Lianni and Yuan Yao exchanged nods, they also led their people and flew after them.

Yin Tianlu of the Jihuo Sect had been closely watching the Shudao Mountain group. Seeing this, he also gestured, gathering his people to rise into the air and follow.

Then, one by one, other sects followed suit.

If no one dared to go, that would be one thing. But with Li Hongjiu taking the lead, one major sect after another refused to be outdone, all hardening their resolve.

Since the major sects were going, the other smaller sects, emboldened by the sheer numbers, swarmed after them. If something went wrong, they could always flee first. What would they gain by staying behind? They wouldn't be able to account for themselves, nor could they account to their sects upon returning.

Only the Yanbao Sect group remained at the scene.

Li Hongjiu, looking back, was a little surprised to see everyone following. He then cast a spell and shouted aloud, "Wait for me to return!"

His implication was for his fellow disciples not to follow the trend, and he once again urged them to stay put.

Gong Shixi, looking back, was also speechless and secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he had already warned Shi Chun's group and told them to retreat first, or he truly wouldn't have known how to manage the situation.