Chapter 414: Reporting the News

Shi Chun understood everyone's anxiety about whether they could leave. He scanned the reactions of the crowd, his gaze finally settling on Zhen'er's face. Zhen'er's reaction was perhaps the most direct and genuine.

Upon hearing that the distant anomaly signified the opening of an exit, Zhen'er's reaction was predictable. Her eyes were fixed on the spot, unable to move, her face alight with longing and desire.

She had been trapped here for far too long and had yearned for the outside world for just as long. Yet, she was obedient, or rather, she trusted Shi Chun.

Since Shi Chun hadn't said they could leave now, she patiently waited.

What Shi Chun valued most about her was not her obedience, nor her unique beauty, but her relationship with Situ Gu.

He believed Situ Gu wouldn't be able to maintain his composure upon hearing this woman's name.

He was certain of one thing: Situ Gu had absolutely not revealed Zhen'er's existence as an elf to his sect. Otherwise, the Refining Heaven Sect would not have remained indifferent during the subsequent opening of the Divine Flame Domain. With a convenient method to find divine flames, and a way to create a second Situ Gu, how could the Refining Heaven Sect possibly remain unmoved?

Conversely, the fact that Refining Heaven Sect disciples pursued Shi Chun deep into the forbidden zone also confirmed his judgment in a way.

Although he didn't know if Situ Gu concealed Zhen'er's existence to protect her or for his own selfish reasons, he was certain that Situ Gu would absolutely not want his secret of hiding the method for finding divine flames to be exposed, especially not to his own sect.

Therefore, even if he couldn't break the Earth Core Pagoda's confinement of Zhen'er, and even if he couldn't bring Zhen'er out of the forbidden zone, he would still write a letter of similar content to Situ Gu.

"Wait."

He softly uttered a single word, a reply to An Wuzhi and also for Zhen'er.

However, those at the exit could no longer wait. The path to leave had opened, and it wouldn't wait for anyone.

The magical artifact at the summit of the exit mountain was called the 'Sky Measuring Staff'. As the rings on its multiple ears settled, a presiding elder cast a spell and shouted, "The exit is open! To prevent chaos and conflict, all sects must obey orders, queue up to ascend the peak in order, and leave in an orderly fashion. Reckless intruders will be severely punished!"

At the scene, the Ten Great Sects had already organized some disciples to form a path leading up the mountain. On the mountain, Refining Heaven Sect disciples held a basin-sized mirror, waiting, while the other nine great sects also sent disciples to guard this 'Mirror of Rebirth'.

The formation clearly showed that anyone leaving had to pass through this path up the mountain and undergo individual scrutiny by the Ten Great Sects' disciples. Anyone with eyes could see that this was aimed at Shi Chun's group.

This meant that even if someone from one of the Ten Great Sects wanted to let someone pass illicitly, it would be difficult to slip through unnoticed.

With elders from the Ten Great Sects, wielding powerful treasures, personally guarding the exit, the possibility of forcing one's way out was almost non-existent.

Apart from these additional measures, there was no delay in other aspects; this was not a place for procrastination.

A group of disciples from the Ten Great Sects first demonstrated by passing through the path to the summit, then flying towards the vortex in the void, their figures rapidly disappearing into it.

On the surface, it appeared to be a demonstration by the Ten Great Sects' disciples, but only the sects themselves knew that this was to send personnel ahead to inform their respective sects outside, so that their decision-makers could learn what had happened as soon as possible.

Gaining the upper hand often meant priority in controlling the situation, and those with this advantage naturally made good use of it.

Not all disciples from the Ten Great Sects were eager to leave; each sect certainly needed to keep some personnel behind to assist, for example, with identification and recognition.

Gu Lianni, the leader from Summer Dao Mountain, was not in a hurry to leave. She stood at the hilltop, looking around. The sky was fully bright, and the wilderness and mountain peaks stretched out vast and boundless.

Elder Jin Guiqi had originally arranged for her to leave first to report, and leaving first also meant early safety. Elder Jin believed the sect master would understand his consideration. However, Gu Lianni herself decided to stay, entrusting the task of reporting outside to Yuan Yao.

She wanted to wait, to see if Shi Chun would come, and what he would do.

Yin Tianlu of the Extreme Fire Sect also remained, his face clouded. Unable to capture Shi Chun, he didn't know how he would explain himself to the sect once he left.

Even the elders of their Extreme Fire Sect wore grim expressions, naturally affected by the poor performance and immense losses of their participating disciples.

Li Hongjiu was also scanning the hilltop, unsettled by an inexplicable unease. Something was clearly wrong. The Fengluo Sect had sought him out again, demanding an explanation, saying that the person sent to notify Feng Zhuoyi had not found him at the location Li Hongjiu specified.

The Fengluo Sect was easy enough to deal with; it had to be admitted that wielding influence could indeed intimidate people and solve many problems.

The key was that he now didn't know if something had happened to Shi Chun or if Shi Chun was up to something. He suspected the former more, his suspicion of the latter stemming purely from his belief that the scoundrel was cunning and needed to be guarded against.

But the reality was undeniable: the exit was guarded by the Ten Great Sects. To leave, one had to pass through their scrutiny. He felt any trickery would be useless.

In the mountains further away, a cloaked figure wore a look of profound sadness. It was none other than Yan Ketao, the traitor from Summer Dao Mountain and an infiltrator within it.

Originally, the Refining Heaven Sect had vowed to get him out. Now, Zuo Zisheng, the sect's leader, had personally spoken to him, regretfully informing him that he would have to wait for a chance to leave on his own. If there was truly no opportunity, the sect needed him to prioritize the greater good and make a sacrifice for the sect this time.

Simply put, the Refining Heaven Sect had abandoned him, and Yan Ketao was very likely trapped here permanently this time.

Of course, Zuo Zisheng also expressed the sect's utmost goodwill towards him, stating that while the safest course of action would have been to eliminate him, the sect would not do so.

Some matters are just like that: all sorts of dishonorable means can be employed behind the scenes, but they must never be brought into the open.

There was nothing they could do. The Refining Heaven Sect hadn't anticipated Shi Chun causing such a mess. Now, with the Ten Great Sects strictly scrutinizing everyone leaving, the Refining Heaven Sect couldn't get Yan Ketao out, just as the Myriad Treasures Sect had secretly tried to smuggle Shi Chun out but ultimately had to abandon the attempt.

In fact, if the Refining Heaven Sect hadn't produced the 'Mirror of Rebirth', Yan Ketao would still have had a chance to leave.

But it was clear that the elders of the Refining Heaven Sect stationed there deemed capturing Shi Chun more important than saving Yan Ketao's life.

The light from the 'Sky Measuring Staff' reflecting on the void vortex was very stable, indicating that the passage to the other realm remained consistently open.

As waves of people entered, at the other end, figures began to fly out of the inverted vortex above Lihuo Island, descending into the newly fallen night towards the brightly lit summit of Qi Yun Valley.

"Good, they're back!"

"Look quickly, they're coming out, they're coming out!"

Personnel from various sects on and below the mountain, as well as countless people gathered on the beach, all cheered.

Gamblers with huge investments watched with wide eyes.

For example, Young Master Nan, one of them, looked haggard and couldn't stay on the boat any longer, personally rushing closer to the exit to observe.

From the moment the 'Divine Flame Spirit Gate' reopened the passage, his gambling operation officially stopped taking bets.

On one hand, he still held unrealistic expectations for Shi Chun, while on the other, he regretted having such unrealistic expectations. His mood was extremely conflicted. This was perhaps the thrill of 'gambling'; for someone like him, merely betting for moderate sums no longer held any meaning.

Among the crowd, there were others with equally unrealistic expectations, such as the Myriad Herbs Hall and Vermilion Bird Pavilion's hopes for Zhu Xiangxin and An Wuzhi.

And there were those like Duan Xiangmei, anxiously looking around out of concern.

Of course, there were also casual onlookers like Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter. To them, the outcome was obvious: the life-bound lotus lamp proved that Shi Chun's group was safe and sound, so they just needed to wait for them to emerge. What could possibly go wrong?

To some extent, Lan Qiaoyan still had confidence in Shi Chun. Earlier, when her daughter was slightly worried, she had smilingly reassured her: "The Divine Flame Domain sounds dangerous, but its actual difficulties might not even compare to the Living Prison. That fellow is extremely cunning and knows best how to survive. He wasn't relying on luck to be the boss of Eastern Jiuyuan for so long. Is an ordinary person truly worth our mother-daughter attention?"

"Sect Master, this disciple has an urgent matter to report."

Yuan Yao, who had landed on the mountain peak, didn't bother with pleasantries with other sect elders. He went straight to Sect Master Gu Yanduo, saluted, and spoke while giving a meaningful glance.

For a junior disciple to dare wink at the Sect Master, the higher-ups of Summer Dao Mountain exchanged glances, naturally understanding that something significant was afoot.

Gu Yanduo, seeing that his daughter had not yet emerged, nodded slightly. After assigning someone to oversee things, he turned and led Yuan Yao's group down into the valley below the mountain.

It wasn't just Summer Dao Mountain; as disciples from the Ten Great Sects emerged one after another with reports, the Sect Masters of the Ten Great Sects also departed, one by one.

Those with sharp eyes and clear minds had already realized that something might have gone wrong with this Divine Flame Alliance.

Beneath the 'Sky Measuring Staff', Xie Wantian and Chi Anlan passed through the human wall formed by the Ten Great Sects' disciples and ascended the mountaintop. Their gazes met Li Hongjiu's again. Both were a little nervous, worried that Li Hongjiu might see through something.

Fortunately, Li Hongjiu didn't perceive their nervousness. Instead, he casually shifted his gaze away, avoiding eye contact with them. He, too, felt guilty, unsure how these Fengluo Sect members would speak of him to their sect once they were out. This matter would undoubtedly require his sect to provide an explanation to the Fengluo Sect, and he was sure to be reprimanded again.

The Fengluo Sect group flew away, thus disappearing into the shimmering void passage.

When their surroundings brightened again, they were met with the familiar scenery of Qi Yun Valley. The group retracted their wind scales and gently descended onto the mountaintop.

Their sect elders were not permitted on this mountain, so upon landing, they were immediately ushered down, prevented from obstructing others there.

Before descending, Xie Wantian and Chi Anlan scanned the scene. They found it somewhat strange not to see the Sect Masters of the major sects, as those important figures had been present in person when they departed.

In fact, they were subconsciously looking for Situ Gu because they had also seen the letter, but they didn't know that Situ Gu had already been led away by Zuo Zisheng and his group, who had just returned.

Bearing a heavy responsibility, they dared not delay. They swiftly descended the mountain. As soon as they reached the base, they saw Tang Qianjin, the leader of the Fengluo Sect, personally leading his disciples to greet them, his expectant expression too obvious.

"Hey, Fengluo Sect youngsters, how many divine flames did you absorb?"

People from other sects shouted out teasingly, genuinely wanting to inquire.

They didn't know what Xie Wantian whispered to Tang Qianjin, but they saw Sect Master Tang quickly lead the disciples who had just emerged from the Divine Flame Domain away.

They didn't go anywhere else, just to the temporary lodging assigned to the Fengluo Sect within the valley.

As the group hastily returned, an elder instructed some disciples to guard outside. Among the participating disciples, only Xie Wantian and Chi Anlan followed the Sect Master into the main hall.

After the creaking door closed, Xie and Chi each produced two sealed letters, handing them to the Sect Master, and thoroughly reported on the relevant circumstances within the Divine Flame Domain.