Chapter 427: Direct Appearance

He spoke with a gentle, roundabout manner, expressing good intentions while leaving no room for refusal.

Mulan Jin's breath caught slightly. How had His Majesty already known what had just transpired?

He first glanced at the man who had delivered the report earlier, then cupped his hands in a certain direction and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xuan Su walked past him, craning his neck to peer at the night sky outside the window. His fan waved excitedly as he muttered, "The artifact forging world has truly broken its rules. Ah, I really want to see what comes of this. What a pity, I'm just fated to run errands."

He straightened up, turned, and with his fan covering his mouth, gave a wry smile. "I'm off."

Mulan Jin smiled and nodded. He neither offered to see him off nor moved from his spot, simply watching the effeminate figure disappear through the doorway. Then he turned to the man standing by his side and said, "Go do your work."

"Understood," the reporting man replied, then left, his face betraying no unusual reaction.

Mulan Jin then turned back to the window, gazing intently at the aerial vortex that was gradually opening and taking shape. He produced a 'Xuanji Token' and handed it to a trusted subordinate standing nearby...

Once the vortex stabilized, a figure was the first to shoot skyward from the peak of Qi Yun Valley, heading straight into the swirling portal.

The one leading the charge was none other than Situ Gu, the world's foremost artifact forging master and an Elder of the Lian Tian Sect.

Other Lian Tian Sect members immediately sprang up and followed close behind.

Entrants from other factions were equally quick, rising and flying towards the vortex.

"Go!" Young Master Nan gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and barked, leading his people to charge towards the aerial vortex.

He had played in countless similar wagers, but he had never imagined that one day he would put himself in the game.

This sight caused an uproar among the spectators on the beach. Initially, everyone had been wondering if the Divine Fire Spirit Gate had been reopened.

Now, seeing more people rushing into the Divine Fire Spirit Gate, it was confirmed: it had indeed been reopened. What was happening?

"Isn't it only supposed to open once per session? Why is it opening repeatedly?"

"No, what's with another group of people going in? With so many individuals interfering, how can the fairness of the final competition be guaranteed?"

"Young man, you're too naive. When profit is involved, fairness goes out the window."

"I placed a bet, and a substantial amount of money! If they can just add people whenever they want, then what was the point of us basing our bets on the life lamps? Doesn't this mean they can cheat however they please?"

"Exactly, I also placed a bet. They're suspected of cheating and manipulating the wagers."

"Hey, have you lost your minds? What does that betting pool have to do with the artifact forging world? They're holding their Divine Fire Covenant; if outsiders choose to gamble on it, what concern is that of theirs?"

On the terrace, Lan Qiaoyan and her mother gazed upwards with solemn expressions. Beside them, Gong Shaoci occasionally glanced at the pair, feeling a slight unease within him.

He had never felt this way before. What did it matter if someone made a name for themselves at the Sky Rain Meteorite Convention? But to intrude into the artifact forging world as an outsider and still fiercely contend for victory was simply too exceptional. His mindset was gradually shifting...

Within the Divine Fire Domain, after the sky's newly opened vortex stabilized, the faction members gathered beneath the large metal pestle exchanged bewildered glances. The passage had inexplicably reopened from the outside again! What was happening?

They watched and waited, eager to see who would enter.

Li Hongjiu, meanwhile, instinctively scanned his surroundings with alert, his eyes already filled with surprise and suspicion.

While he had previously dismissed the idea that Shi Chun reporting outside would be of any use, the current impossible turn of events instantly triggered his suspicion.

"Ah, is that Situ Gu?"

A startled cry drew Li Hongjiu's gaze upwards, where he saw a dark green figure emerging from the vortex, drifting towards their location.

"Indeed, it's him."

"Ah, Elder Situ has arrived!"

"Look, Elder Ye is here too."

A group of Lian Tian Sect members then appeared, flying swiftly towards their position.

Closely following, contingents from various related factions began to appear and descend from the sky, filling the mountain with joyous cheers. Upon seeing these new arrivals, everyone's previous worries instantly evaporated; they now knew there was no issue with the inter-realm passage and no need to worry about being unable to exit.

When Young Master Nan descended with his group, everyone who recognized him was stunned. What on earth? How did this fellow get in here?

Any fool could tell he had come in to retrieve someone.

Elder Li Qianqiu immediately pulled Situ Gu aside and questioned him. "What's going on? How did that wanderer get in here?"

As he spoke, he gestured towards Young Master Nan with a lift of his chin.

Naturally, he was promptly informed of the situation.

Other sects engaged in similar actions, immediately pulling aside their newly arrived fellow disciples to understand the situation.

Young Master Nan, meanwhile, immediately surveyed his surroundings, taking in the vast environment. This world was boundless, and he truly had no idea where Shi Chun was hiding. He was somewhat puzzled: since a letter had been sent, why hadn't a contact method been arranged within it?

Of course, he could also understand the reasoning: if something went wrong during the letter's delivery, it wouldn't reveal their hiding place.

The downside was that he couldn't find an immediate starting point. Should he resort to a clumsy approach? Time might be too short.

While he observed, Shi Chun's group, hidden in the distance, also noticed the arrival of people from the outside.

"They're here! Someone's come in!" Wu Jinliang exclaimed excitedly.

Shi Chun turned back to An Wuzhi, who was holding two egg-shaped earthen spheres, and instructed, "Give the Divine Fire to Brother Feng and the others."

Upon hearing this, the three on Feng Zhuoyi's side instantly showed a mix of surprise and eager anticipation in their eyes.

An Wuzhi had no interest in these two balls of Divine Fire; their properties matched what he already absorbed, making them useless to him and merely a burden to carry. He handed them over readily.

Feng Zhuoyi and the others, having received the Divine Fire, were beyond excited.

"Brother Feng, you and your group find another place to settle down; we won't be staying," Shi Chun said, then issued an order to his companions, pointing towards the exit. "Everyone, grab your gear and stick close to me! Zhen'er, stay with me! Let's go!"

His command was simple and decisive, devoid of any of the messiness others might have expected. They had simply been waiting for this very moment.

"Ah!" someone gasped, "Are we just going to charge straight through?"

Shi Chun offered no further explanation, having already leaped and flown into the valley.

The others had no choice but to follow, leaping down and pursuing him along the mountain gully.

Feng Zhuoyi and the others, left on the mountain to watch them depart, were still dazed as they snapped out of their excitement. Was the transaction truly complete already?

Only at this moment did they realize their previous concerns had been somewhat superfluous. Shi Chun's straightforwardness far exceeded their expectations; he had handed over the Divine Fire even before confirming who had entered or whether their sect had fulfilled its part of the agreement.

If this wasn't straightforwardness, if this wasn't trustworthiness, then what was?

Feng Zhuoyi couldn't help but exclaim in praise, "What a true man!"

He dared not linger either. Time was truly limited; he needed to quickly absorb the Divine Fire and find a place to hide where no outsider could find him.

No sooner had they fled than Shi Chun's group, having moved along the mountain gully and coordinated their actions, shot skyward.

The Mingshan Sect group did not use wind scales. Wu Jinliang deployed his three cushion-like magical artifacts, carrying the group towards the exit.

Simultaneously, the 'Three Corpse Mirror' in Shi Chun's hand unleashed a black light that expanded in a fan shape. Due to its range, it instantly enveloped a large area around the exit.

The moment the magical treasure took effect, Shi Chun immediately yelled, "Don't charge straight through; arc around!"

"Understood," Wu Jinliang replied, immediately maneuvering the artifact to guide the group in an arc through the air.

Meanwhile, the mirror light in Shi Chun's hand continuously adjusted its direction, maintaining the black light's coverage over the exit area...

The newly arrived elder from Shudao Mountain was relaying the Sect Master's instructions to Jin Guiqi and others, signaling them to use Young Master Nan's trail to find someone.

Young Master Nan, meanwhile, was contemplating which direction to head first, convinced that Shi Chun couldn't have left absolutely no clues.

Just as everyone was familiarizing themselves with the internal and external situations, a black light suddenly struck. It was as if the sky had instantly turned dark—no, as if the entire world had abruptly plunged into darkness. Most people were left bewildered.

"What's happening?"

"What is this?"

Some called out, others questioned, but found no one responded. The entire world had suddenly fallen silent, save for the faint sounds of their own footfalls as they shifted, and the muffled buzz of their own voices. All other sounds had vanished.

It was pitch black; they couldn't see their own hands, and the ground beneath their feet felt like an abyss, causing them to shrink from taking large steps.

Absolute darkness exerted a powerful psychological deterrent. Many people's first reaction was as if they had been immobilized by a binding spell; they dared not make a move. Even those who could fly refrained from doing so erratically, fearing collision, and instead kept shouting out in all directions.

Others, who had experienced this black light's embrace before, instantly understood what was happening. Li Hongjiu turned his head to warn the elders, "Shi Chun is here!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he realized how futile they were; those beside him couldn't hear his voice at all.

He was now quite annoyed, almost certain that Shi Chun had played a trick on him. Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence that Shi Chun appeared just as the outsiders arrived.

He splayed his fingers before his chest, and a subtle current of wind swirled between them, permeating the surroundings and connecting with heaven and earth.

There were also ruthless individuals who, having caught a fleeting glimpse, felt the source of the black light when it enveloped them. They subconsciously believed they were under some kind of attack; in any case, this sudden black light was clearly no benevolent act.

A palm strike exploded through the air towards the source of the black light. In the distance, landslides and ground fissures immediately erupted, sending up clouds of dust and causing the ground beneath everyone's feet to tremble.

What on earth? Young Master Nan, in the darkness, felt a surge of panic. Encountering such an unexpected event immediately after entering made him instantly regret his decision. Why had he run in and taken this risk? He wasn't good at such adventurous endeavors and struggled to adapt to similar situations.

Li Hongjiu, splaying his fingers before him, suddenly looked up. The electric arcs between his fingers had just flickered a few times when a blinding light erupted, causing everyone to instinctively close their eyes.

The black light had vanished instantly, and daylight abruptly returned. The sounds around them also resumed their normal volume, and everyone felt as if they had just escaped from a nightmare.

Many people looked up, only to see Shi Chun's group, who had put away their magical treasure, descending from the sky.

Young Master Nan recognized them at a glance and couldn't help but grin. He had been worrying about how to make contact; instead, they had come directly to him, wasting no time at all.

Most people present also recognized Shi Chun, including the elders from various sects who had just entered. After all, Shi Chun's group had been stopped and specifically met right after climbing to the peak of Qi Yun Valley, just before entering the Divine Fire Domain.

So, the ill-intentioned group was somewhat taken aback. What should they do now?

They had only just begun to discuss, without even having secretly finalized their arrangements, when the group suddenly appeared. They were caught off guard, unsure whether to make a move or hold back.

Shi Chun was also surprised to see Young Master Nan, not expecting him to come in person. He immediately led his people and drifted directly to Young Master Nan's side. Noticing that the latter looked somewhat haggard, Shi Chun didn't waste time on pleasantries. With a gesture and a glance, he brought Young Master Nan along as they headed towards the Lian Tian Sect's position.

As soon as they reached Situ Gu, Shi Chun beckoned to Zhen'er. "Zhen'er, come, follow me to greet Elder Situ."