Chapter 402: I Am Really Afraid

"Use divine fire to find the killer?" Li Hongjiu asked, looking for an answer.

Shi Chun still didn't give him an answer. Instead, he kindly advised, "The exit will open in just a few days, and I'll be absorbing those seven divine fires. Brother Jiu, you should also take this time to heal. Recover as much as you can, so you'll be strong enough to get revenge when the killer is found."

Li Hongjiu could only agree. What else could he do but use this time to heal, rather than just waste it here?

Afterward, Shi Chun found Zhen'er, who was both eager and apprehensive, to speak with her privately. Once out of earshot, he asked, "Why is there no sign of Su's body?"

Zhen'er shook her head. "Su didn't leave a body. As we passed through the Domain of Annihilation, she realized she couldn't go on. She said she didn't want her physical body to be desecrated, so she self-destructed in front of us, turning to ash."

Shi Chun was speechless. He hadn't expected the woman to be so ruthless.

Zhen'er then leaned closer to him, her voice tinged with apprehension. "Can I really leave now?"

The outcome she had longed for had come so easily that she hardly dared to believe it.

Shi Chun smiled reassuringly. "Yes, you can."

He muttered to himself, *Why are you asking me?*

Afterward, Li Hongjiu's healing process was somewhat distracted. Whenever he noticed Shi Chun heading into the tower, he couldn't help but stop his cultivation and follow. With that mindset, how could he possibly focus on healing?

Shi Chun was still leading them around the Earth Core Tower, inside and out, because he had many lingering questions and wanted to find more answers. Li Hongjiu, however, was overly concerned; blindly following meant he didn't see what he wanted and only slowed his own recovery.

Meanwhile, Tong Mingshan temporarily assisted An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin, helping them manage the excess divine fire so they could concentrate on absorbing it.

An Wuzhi and Zhu Xiangxin entered a competitive state. With only seven divine fires left, whoever finished first might get to absorb an extra one.

This was not a process to be rushed, and women seemed to have a slight advantage in meticulousness. Ultimately, Zhu Xiangxin absorbed one more divine fire.

In total, Zhu Xiangxin absorbed fifteen divine fires, while An Wuzhi absorbed thirteen. For various reasons, An Wuzhi ended up with two fewer than Zhu Xiangxin.

Despite the difference, neither felt any disappointment; both were delighted with the outcome. Previously, they couldn't have dreamed of absorbing even one divine fire, let alone a dozen. It truly felt like a dream.

What puzzled them was that neither felt the pre-fusion state of the 'Three-Flavor True Fire' that Tong Mingshan had described. While they did experience some minor internal disorder, it seemed linked to their cultivation level, and they found no opportunity for fusion.

After discussing and comparing notes with Tong Mingshan, they generally understood the problem: for the 'Two-Flavor True Fire' Tong Mingshan had fused, they simply hadn't gathered all the required types of divine fire for fusion.

Shi Chun didn't concern himself with their potential regrets. He had already granted them the greatest opportunity and assistance by waiting this long. Once he confirmed their divine fire absorption was complete, he immediately gave the order to depart.

The group then took to the sky, leaving the lake island where they had stayed for days.

As they flew, Shi Chun still looked back several times. The Earth Core Tower was a treasure, but unfortunately, it was too massive to take with them despite all their efforts. He could only turn his gaze forward.

After they had completely disappeared from view, various colored bursts of fire flashed out from the island's cave, each landing and transforming into human form.

The figures who emerged were none other than the elders previously subdued and absorbed by Shi Chun and his group. All nine of them reappeared, not one missing, standing in a line and gazing in the direction Shi Chun's group had departed.

In fact, Shi Chun's group had only been destroying these individuals' divine fire surrogates.

They, too, were at a loss. They couldn't quite understand what was going on with these people: sometimes one pursued another, then that one captured this one, and this one even claimed the other had killed his fiancée, only for them to become good friends and show up together. They weren't even sure if anyone had explained how they got injured.

In short, the relationships among these people were so complicated they were completely baffled. They truly couldn't make sense of it. Eventually, they simply gave up, deciding, "Let's stop trying to understand; we'll just hide and let you do whatever you want, okay?"

And so, the subsequent series of events unfolded.

At any rate, their goal had finally been achieved, and their anxious hearts could finally rest.

The handsome old man with a sword on his back, dressed in snow-white robes, sighed, "That girl is ruthless; she shows no pity at all. She knew that once the Earth Core Tower's formation was broken, we would all die, yet she didn't hesitate for a moment."

The elder with horns on his head slowly said, "Didn't we abuse her in her early years and drive her out precisely to make her this determined? This was also Su's instruction before her death."

The woman in red suddenly exclaimed, "Zhen'er has found true love and left. I'm so envious!"

Old Ninth shook his head. "I hope that boy can successfully take her out."

The man, entirely enveloped in a black cloak, muttered in a hushed tone, "Since Su arranged it this way, it should be possible."

A black-clad figure with long, flowing hair said coldly, "Su's plan was that only someone willing to risk proposing to us for Zhen'er truly loved her. Such a person wouldn't reveal her identity as a divine fire spirit to the artifact refiners and would fully protect her departure. However, Su likely didn't anticipate that this person, who genuinely loves Zhen'er, would be hunted by so many factions."

After a moment of silence, the woman in red blurted out, "What do we do now? It's already come to this."

The black-clad figure with long, flowing hair still spoke coldly, "Who could have imagined that among the countless people who have entered and exited from the outside world over so many generations, this would be the first time we've seen someone hunted collectively by various factions, and that this person also happens to be Zhen'er's fated one?"

Several helpless sighs and exclamations followed.

The handsome old man with a sword on his back, dressed in snow-white robes, voiced a different concern. "My worry is, after Zhen'er leaves, will the tower's restrictions truly release us?"

The others all turned to him. Old Ninth, who looked like a young man, asked, "Do you think Su would deceive us?"

The old man with the sword on his back said, "Chen and the others didn't seem to think Su would live for so many years after their deaths. Before they died, Chen and the others told us to wait for a fated person, saying they had carved their last words for this person in the hall. They said the fated one would naturally know what to do to grant us freedom. But Su later erased those last words. Is the method she told us to follow to find the fated one truly the last words carved by Chen and the others? If so, why would she erase them?"

The man enveloped in the black cloak rambled, "She taught us cultivation methods to become human and control our own powers, and she gave us all of Chen's and their belongings. If she were truly deceiving us, she wouldn't have gone to all that trouble. She knew she was going to die, yet she still went to great lengths to plan how to get Zhen'er out. What could a dying person gain from that?"

The alluring woman in red also nodded. "She said Zhen'er is the core of the formation. Only when Zhen'er leaves the Divine Fire Domain can the Earth Core Tower's imprisonment be lifted, and we can be free. It must be true."

Although she said this, anyone with discerning ears could tell it was an attempt to boost their own morale, a self-consolation born out of having no other choice.

The others remained silent.

After a long silence, the elder slowly said, "Soon. Once the exit opens and closes again, we will have our answer."

In the peripheral area of the forbidden zone's core, within the boundary Zhen'er dared not cross, an invisible deterrent still held her back. Her inner fear prevented her from crossing.

At this moment, only Shi Chun was beside her. Everyone else had gone ahead, or rather, Shi Chun had sent them away, so that no one would witness this scene.

Her toes repeatedly extended and retracted. After a long hesitation, Zhen'er's voice trembled, "Chun Tian, I'm scared."

Her gaze at Shi Chun held a pitiable look, bordering on despair.

Shi Chun had repeatedly comforted her, but it was useless; her fear remained, and it even made him a little apprehensive.

In truth, Shi Chun didn't care much about her fate. If he could take her out, she would be useful and assist him in leaving the Divine Fire Domain. If not, it didn't matter; he had other means of escape.

Seeing that she still couldn't bring herself to take that step, and knowing that further delay was uncertain and inappropriate given Li Hongjiu's cunning nature, Shi Chun immediately decided to take a forceful approach.

He stepped back across the boundary, opened his arms, and said, "It's alright, I'll carry you across."

Without waiting for a refusal, he bent down and scooped her into his arms, carrying her horizontally.

Zhen'er nervously clung to his neck, her voice urgent. "Chun Tian, I'm really scared."

Shi Chun urged, "Close your eyes."

Zhen'er gazed into his eyes, ultimately deciding to trust him completely. She nodded vigorously, then buried her head in his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut. Her tense body trembled slightly, and the cold wind made her shiver with nervousness.

The wind ruffled her skirt, made her long hair flutter, and partially obscured Shi Chun's face and vision.

Under the starry sky, Shi Chun carried her forward, step by step.

Shi Chun wasn't sure how powerful the explosion would be if this fire spirit crossed the boundary. Even with his protective robe, he wasn't at ease, so he also activated the Demon Bathing Art for defense.

Step by step, he continued, taking over a dozen paces. The person in his arms still showed no reaction, and he suddenly stopped.

Just as Zhen'er secretly lifted her head on his shoulder and peeked open her eyes, Shi Chun suddenly darted forward, leaping out with her in his arms.

"Ah!" Zhen'er shrieked in fright, closing her eyes and burying her face.

After landing and realizing they were safe, Shi Chun continued to leap and fly, rapidly moving away from the boundary. He finally landed on a hilltop with Zhen'er before letting her go.

Zhen'er, still clutching his neck after landing, had opened her eyes, which were sparkling with brilliant joy.

This joy was inexpressible in words. Suddenly, she tilted her head and, finding her mark, gave him an intensely passionate kiss.

Shi Chun, however, freed one hand, took out the Wind Scales, and released them. Soon, countless swirling scales slowly carried them into the air...