Facing Shu Han's icy gaze, any normal person wouldn't miss the murderous intent within. However, Gu Panchun seemed indifferent. She chuckled and said, "Since I've shared this information with you, it means I won't reveal your secret. You can rest assured, I have no interest in the reward offered by the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect."

Shu Han snorted coldly, dark patterns swirling on his palm.

Indeed, as Gu Panchun stated, if she truly wanted to expose him to earn a fortune, there was no need to confront him about his identity now. It would be more logical to pretend she didn't know, then expose him quietly and reap the benefits.

However, Shu Han didn't like the feeling of someone having leverage over him, and the urge to kill still lingered in his heart.

Seeing Shu Han's unchanged cold gaze, Gu Panchun laughed, "It seems you truly want to kill me."

Whoosh!

In a swift move, Shu Han reached out, his hand covered in dark patterns, and grabbed Gu Panchun's throat. With just a slight squeeze, her delicate neck could snap.

At such close range, even a Core Formation cultivator would need to be cautious of Shu Han, let alone Gu Panchun.

Shu Han sighed, "Miss Gu, given the high reward that the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect is offering for me, for my own safety, my true identity cannot be known by anyone else. Even if you don't plan to reveal it now, there's no guarantee you won't in the future. It's all for survival, please understand!"

Gu Panchun managed to smile through her difficulty, seemingly fearless of death. She said, "But why is your hand shaking, sir? If you were truly determined, I would have been dead by now."

Shu Han took a deep breath, still finding it hard to go through with it.

After all, this woman showed no malice towards him and even kindly informed him of his current situation.

It was hard for him to just silence someone based on mere suspicion. His heart wasn't that cruel yet.

Gu Panchun's watery eyes gazed at Shu Han, saying, "You're actually quite kind-hearted."

"I was just about to kill you, and you're saying I'm kind-hearted?"

"Well, you haven't done it yet, have you?"

Shu Han released her and coldly said, "For now, I won't kill you. But you have to give me a reason not to. Otherwise, I can't let someone who knows my identity walk free."

Gu Panchun smiled, "Your reason not to kill me is simple. If you kill me, you'll also die here."

"What?!"

Shu Han snapped, "Explain!"

She continued, "Do you know where we are?"

Shu Han looked around. They were in an underground tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, a roaring heavenly flame rose, drawn from the main vein to supply the Fiery Cloud Onsen. That was where he and Gu Panchun had fallen earlier.

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Shu Han then looked to the other end of the tunnel, which was pitch-black, seemingly endless.

Turning his attention to the tunnel itself, illuminated by the heavenly fire, he noticed that the walls were crystal clear, as if made of a special ore that had been forged by the heavenly fire over many years to form a glassy surface. The top of the tunnel was adorned with wooden patterns. Shu Han recognized it immediately – it was the sacred wood of the Forest Tribe!

Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "Where are we now?"

Gu Panchun replied, "We are in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's Heavenly Fire Protective Formation!"

Heavenly Fire Protective Formation!

Shu Han was shocked. He had heard of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's protective formation. Once activated, the heavenly fire would envelop the entire Fiery Cloud Peak. Its power was so immense that even Nascent Soul cultivators might not be able to breach it.

And now, he was right in the middle of this legendary formation.

Shu Han questioned, "What did you mean when you said that if I killed you, I wouldn't live long?"

Gu Panchun explained, "Without me, you won't be able to escape this Heavenly Fire Protective Formation. Sooner or later, you will be burned to death by the heavenly fire within."

Hearing this, Shu Han frowned deeply.

The passage to the Pure Ice Formation was now occupied by the raging heavenly fires.

These fires, erupting directly from the source, were not comparable to the heavenly fire that had been converted by the Pure Ice Formation.

Without the Pure Ice Formation, the primal heavenly fire erupting directly from the main vein would indeed be too much for him. And his companion, Wang Cai, was trapped in the Pure Ice Formation, unable to assist him.

It seemed impossible to return the way they came.

Shu Han retorted, "We're just beneath the Fiery Cloud Mountain. Can't I just burrow my way out?"

Gu Panchun chuckled, "I'd strongly advise against such an idea, or you'll be seeking your own death. This specially crafted tunnel is a part of the Heavenly Fire Protective Formation. Not only is it extremely hard, but it's also connected to the entire formation. If any part of the array pattern is damaged, the main vein of the heavenly fire will rush through all channels, burning everything in its path."

Shu Han's frown deepened with every word she spoke.

"How do you know so much? Are you making this up to deceive me?"

Gu Panchun just smiled without answering.

Shu Han eyed her suspiciously and said, "Judging by your wet appearance earlier, you must have traveled upstream from the Onsen. How did you know the Onsen directly connects to the transformation array below?"

Gu Panchun laughed and countered, "Oh! So you also know about entering the Onsen through the array? Are you the infamous peeping tom that the sisters have been gossiping about?"

Shu Han was taken aback. That was Wei Haolongg, the lecher!

"Is it your turn to question me or mine to question you?"

Shu Han pondered for a moment, "As soon as the heavenly fire in the transformation array extinguished, you came from the Onsen. Miss Gu, you timed it perfectly! Can you tell me why the heavenly fire supplying the Fiery Cloud Onsen suddenly went out?"

Gu Panchun explained, "It's not really a secret. It's an old habit of the main vein of the heavenly fire. Every year at this time, it rests and recuperates for over a day. During this period, all fire veins supplying Fiery Cloud Peak are interrupted. However, this year is peculiar; after only a short break, it resumed."

Is that so?

Having often used the heavenly fire from his cave dwelling, Shu Han spent most of his time outside. In his three years, he never noticed this annual interruption.

Continuing his line of questioning, Shu Han asked, "I heard you just joined Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. How are you so familiar with its inner workings? From knowing the exact timing of the fire's interruption, understanding the reverse flow of Fiery Cloud Onsen, to your knowledge of the Heavenly Fire Protective Formation? It doesn't sound like you're a novice disciple."

Gu Panchun's smile was tinged with a touch of melancholy. She said, "Consider me an old acquaintance of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect."

"An old acquaintance?"

Intrigued, Shu Han inquired, "Why would an old acquaintance rejoin? And what are you planning to achieve by timing your entry into this Heavenly Fire Protective Formation?"

Gu Panchun replied, "That's all I can share with you. I'd also like to offer a piece of advice: sometimes, the more you know, the more dangerous your situation becomes. I'm saying this for your own good."