Chapter 380: Pointing Out and Stopping

Gong Shixi informed everyone that Wu Shanshan and her companions had been dealt with by the terrifying entities in this place. Now that Wu Shanshan was in Shi Chun's hands, Gong Shixi was at a loss. Would hitting himself solve the problem?

He now felt like he had lost his mind. He could have led the groups anywhere, but why did he have to bring them directly to where Shi Chun and his people were staying? He was just creating problems for himself.

Furthermore, he wondered if Shi Chun's group was out of their minds. He had explicitly told them he would bring people, giving them an early warning to flee. Could they possibly have taken that as a joke?

It wasn't just him; all the disciples of the Qianyan Sect were utterly bewildered, their minds numb. How were these people still here?

Their initial reaction was that Shi Chun and his group had tricked them.

However, seeing the formation Shi Chun's group had set up and their composed demeanor, they subtly realized that things might not be as straightforward as they seemed.

A sudden thought struck Gong Shixi: No, these people wouldn't deliberately stay put just to trap his Qianyan Sect.

He vaguely sensed that Shi Chun's group had some kind of leverage. Was it just a few magical artifacts, or something else entirely?

Recalling the formidable reputation of the "Number One" at the Heavenfall Meteor Shower Assembly, and how that individual had outwitted so many sects there, he instinctively glanced around. He immediately sensed a dangerous aura and instinctively wanted to signal his fellow disciples to retreat.

But could he really flee now? He dared not. If he ran, it would be impossible to explain, and the other sects would likely turn on him first. Could the disciples of the Four Great Sects have died in vain?

Boss Shi was no longer interested in Gong Shixi; his eyes immediately fixed on Li Hongjiu, who stood at the front of the crowd.

Li Hongjiu's appearance left him somewhat stunned and genuinely unnerved. This fellow hadn't died; he was acting as if nothing had happened and had even come to confront him again?

He suddenly felt like hitting himself on the head. Why hadn't he asked Gong Shixi about Li Hongjiu's condition earlier? How could he forget something so important?

Upon seeing Li Hongjiu, his prior confidence evaporated, and the magical artifacts he had displayed suddenly seemed much less impressive.

The Black Lotus artifact had been disabled by him previously. Although he didn't know why it had revived unlike other damaged artifacts, if they could disable it once, they could certainly do it again.

He had been quite certain earlier that Li Hongjiu was injured by his attack, just more resilient than others. Yet, he had been tricked into fleeing. In hindsight, he was convinced that everything Li Hongjiu said was merely a bluff.

He believed he still possessed some basic judgment skills.

He was well aware of the power of his Demonic Hand and had therefore largely concluded that even if Li Hongjiu hadn't died, he would have fallen.

Yet, here he was, alive and well, seemingly descending from the sky. It would be strange if he wasn't unnerved.

He isn't afraid of my Demonic Hand. Could this fellow truly also practice the Demonic Bathing Technique?

He subconsciously glanced at the sky. There was no lightning or whirlwinds to control here, so his magical artifacts should finally be useful this time, right?

It wasn't just him; Xu Anchang and You Mu were also unnerved by Li Hongjiu's appearance and had lost confidence in the magical artifacts they had arrayed. They kept stealing glances at Shi Chun, silently questioning, "Didn't you say he was severely wounded by you?"

Both of them wanted to ask Shi Chun how Li Hongjiu looked even remotely wounded.

It was also because of them that Wu Jinliang felt unnerved, and the Ming Mountain Sect group, too, lost confidence in their own magical artifacts.

This was because they had previously heard Xu and You recount how Li Hongjiu had controlled divine lightning to suppress various magical artifacts, an act that seemed nothing short of divine.

However, recalling that the terrifying entities of this place were about to act, Shi Chun and the others regained their confidence. As long as the battle began, they merely needed to hold on for a moment or two.

Shi Chun, who had previously fought Li Hongjiu, was confident that even if he couldn't win, he could at least hold out for a moment or two.

Alternatively, those terrifying entities might already be watching from the darkness, rendering their direct intervention unnecessary.

Shi Chun trusted that Zhen'er would not lie to him.

This time, Li Hongjiu's gaze at Shi Chun was different; the smile was gone, replaced by a cold intensity. He swept his eyes over Wu Shanshan, who was in the other party's hands, and was the first to speak, "Shi Chun, did you kill my disciple from the Yanbao Sect?"

Zuo Zisheng and his group, facing Shi Chun directly for the first time, couldn't help but scrutinize him thoroughly.

From the moment they saw the Black Lotus Avatar, they were certain that the masked assailant who had previously attacked Wu Shanshan was indeed Shi Chun. Recalling the masked figure's valiant assassination, they gained a new appreciation for the "Number One" of the Heavenfall Meteor Shower Assembly, elevating their perception of him significantly.

Previously, they had looked down upon events involving cultivators of such a low level.

Now, Zuo Zisheng and his group were fully convinced that Shi Chun was a figure of their caliber!

This acknowledgment should not be underestimated, as elite disciples from top artifact-forging sects like Zuo Zisheng had every reason to be proud.

After this encounter, if Shi Chun managed to leave the Divine Fire Domain alive, he would be—if not top-tier—then certainly a renowned first-class or frontline figure in the high martial realm, and would naturally enjoy similar status in the cultivation world thereafter.

Of course, this recognition was something Shi Chun had earned through sheer determination.

Meanwhile, Li Hongjiu also gave the Black Lotus Avatar a couple of extra glances. He had personally witnessed it being disabled by his borrowed lightning, and he hadn't expected it to recover so quickly.

He wasn't entirely surprised by this. The fact that Shi Chun possessed a fifth-grade Spirit Venerable artifact was no secret among the high-level disciples of their sects; Wu Shanshan had informed them of it long ago.

A fifth-grade Spirit Venerable artifact possesses the self-operating consciousness of its artifact spirit's cultivation technique from its past life. In short, it has functions like self-healing through internal cultivation.

Now that Wu Shanshan was again in Shi Chun's hands, the individual capable of exploiting the flaws of this Spirit Venerable artifact was gone. Consequently, seeing the Black Lotus Avatar again unnerved Zuo Zisheng and the others. They wondered about the true caliber of the cultivation technique the artifact spirit had practiced in its lifetime, and whether the few remaining items they possessed could withstand the artifact's full power once unleashed.

They blamed the destructive heavenly lightning.

As outsiders, they were aware of the Black Lotus artifact's formidable power. Yet, ironically, Shi Chun, its actual wielder, was utterly clueless about its full capabilities, consistently using it as if it were just an ordinary fifth-grade artifact.

Facing Li Hongjiu's accusation, Shi Chun appeared composed and replied, "Don't talk nonsense to me. Among the entire Yanbao Sect, you are the only one I've ever fought. Don't just throw accusations around. Of course, if they died from fright because of me, then I'll admit it."

Even if he hadn't killed anyone, given his personality, if he sensed he couldn't defeat Li Hongjiu, he wouldn't admit to killing Yanbao Sect disciples even if he had.

Wu Jinliang maintained his composure, chuckling in agreement; it was better to lose a battle than to lose face.

While Shi Chun feigned ease, Gong Shixi and his group on the other side were utterly terrified, worried that Shi Chun, that scoundrel, would betray them.

In truth, there was no need to worry; betraying them would only implicate Shi Chun himself.

However, there's a saying, "a guilty conscience needs no accuser." Shi Chun had previously pointed fingers at them, suspecting they were behind the escalating situation.

They were genuinely concerned that Shi Chun might have learned something, and truly feared he would act recklessly.

"You didn't kill them?" Li Hongjiu was slightly surprised but not easily convinced. He subtly raised his chin, gesturing toward Wu Shanshan across from him. "Then how did she end up in your hands?"

Shi Chun spread his hands, displaying the two magical artifacts, and smiled, "If I told you someone gifted them to me, would you believe it?"

The moment he spoke, Li Hongjiu subconsciously glanced towards Gong Shixi's group, immediately suspecting them.

Not only him, but Zuo Zisheng and the others had similar reactions.

From that moment on, it would be difficult for the Qianyan Sect to escape, even if they tried. The major sects were already secretly observing and guarding against them, leaving no opportunity for a sudden retreat.

Meanwhile, Gong Shixi and his group, who remained composed and feigned indifference, were silently cursing Shi Chun's ancestors.

Zuo Zisheng spoke up, "Gifted? By whom?"

Shi Chun chuckled, "Why should I tell you?"

He simply refused to answer, intent on keeping Gong Shixi and his group on edge, restrained by the other sects, and unable to escape. He wanted them to lose the trust of all factions, preventing them from stirring up trouble in secret.

If Li Hongjiu hadn't appeared again, he wouldn't have acted this way. But with the arrival of that extraordinary individual, Li Hongjiu, he instinctively became risk-averse and immediately began making contingency plans, first by putting a leash around Gong Shixi and his group.

Besides, he was speaking the truth. The current situation couldn't be resolved simply by him revealing the facts. If he exposed the culprit, would the various sects simply cease their pursuit and let him go? No, those who risked their lives to chase them here were clearly unhinged; neither side would give up until absolute defeat was inevitable.

He also couldn't reveal the truth, because if Gong Shixi had no escape, he would surely drag Shi Chun down with him.

Faced with the current situation, Xu and You grew suspicious once more, recalling a past event. Shi Chun had initially revealed his demonic identity to Gong Shixi precisely because he was unaware of the full implications, which had led to the situation escalating to this point and earned them a furious reprimand. If Shi Chun was truly another secret weapon dispatched by a higher authority, how could he know less than they did?

However, dwelling on such thoughts was useless now. Regardless of their immediate predicament, Shi Chun was at least on their side, and helping his group win would serve the same purpose.

Zuo Zisheng waved his hand, gesturing to those beside him. "Are you going to oppose all of us?"

Shi Chun suddenly smiled, tilting his head slightly as he addressed Wu Jinliang, "Jinliang, they claim to be united. Do you believe them?"

His ability to maintain his standing in the Eastern Nine Regions for so long relied not solely on his martial prowess. When facing a potentially insurmountable opponent, he knew how to adapt, seeking ways to weaken them to improve his chances of victory.

However, neither Xu and You nor the Ming Mountain Sect understood the meaning of his words.

Wu Jinliang, however, was different. As an old partner, they had dealt with similar situations countless times. He immediately understood, his wide mouth splitting into a grin that stretched to his ears, revealing his white teeth as he chuckled, "I heard many artifacts from various sects were destroyed by lightning. You wouldn't still be unaware of where that strange heavenly lightning came from, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongjiu's casual, transcendent demeanor instantly vanished. His expression froze, and he mentally swore, having already guessed what the large man was about to say.

He had come to address the matter straightforwardly, to fight if necessary. He hadn't expected the other party to suddenly bring up something so unrelated.

Crucially, trying to stop him now would be futile. The moment he tried, everyone, being far from foolish, would immediately guess it was his doing.

The members of the various sects exchanged surprised, questioning glances, wondering what the large man's words implied.

However, it was clear that everyone was bewildered.

Wu Jinliang, pausing briefly, then loudly and meaningfully declared, "Someone among you is stabbing you in the back! And that person is..."

"Hey!" Shi Chun quickly raised a hand to stop him. "That's enough. It's their magical artifacts that were destroyed, not ours. Why should we get involved? Besides, don't you like having someone backstabbing them?"

In the past, he would certainly have let Wu Jinliang name that person.

But this time was genuinely different; leaving things unsaid held greater deterrent power.

He also didn't know if Li Hongjiu could still conjure lightning in this place, devoid of whirlwinds, clouds, or thunder. It would be ideal if Li Hongjiu were too apprehensive to use it, allowing them to freely employ their own magical artifacts.

If the other party could still conjure lightning bolts and dared to use that move, letting Wu Jinliang speak to this extent was already sufficient. Everyone would naturally understand with a glance: "So, our magical artifacts were deliberately destroyed by you, Li Hongjiu. Is there really any need to explicitly state it now?"

Therefore, a hint was sufficient.