Our eldest brother never hides good things from us.

The disciples' eyes lit up again, and they began to discuss it.

"Is there any possibility that Chang Wen and Junior Brother Xinghe might actually survive?"

"Hiss... Is that even possible?"

"If that's impossible, then where does the energy fluctuation come from? Although we can't understand it, we know that... there are energy fluctuations where there are people. Since there are energy fluctuations, it means there must be people there."

"Could it be Nangong Chi? As the host of the different flame, she should be able to survive. That's the most likely possibility."

"Hmm, what you said makes sense. But... what if it's not her?"

"If it's not her, things could get interesting."

"If Chang Wen and the other one really survive, it means they have the strength to stop a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. Whether it's Chu Xinghe or Chang Wen who stops them, it will be a pleasant surprise for our Haoran Immortal Sect."

"Hmm...that's true. If Junior Brother Xinghe, at the peak of the Golden Core stage, could withstand a fire wave comparable to the peak of the Integration stage, he would probably be directly elevated to godhood. As for Chang Wen..."

"As a Nascent Soul Stage 1 cultivator, he is still two major realms away from the peak of the Integration Realm. If he were the one to block the fire wave, he would also be recorded in the annals of history."

"Whom do you believe more?"

"I don't trust anyone. Whether it's Junior Brother Xinghe at the peak of the Golden Core stage or Chang Wen at the first level of the Nascent Soul stage, they are far inferior to those at the peak of the Integration stage. There's no comparison between them. Without special means, the only outcome is death."

"But then again, they're different from us. Even if they're down on their luck, they're still direct disciples of Haoran Peak. Who knows, Peak Master Biyou might give them some ways to save their lives."

"That's quite a possibility. In that case, Chang Wen and Junior Brother Xinghe might actually survive."

The disciples were discussing it amongst themselves.

The higher-ups of the Haoran Immortal Sect were also communicating telepathically. Their magical power was profound, and their divine sense could penetrate to some extent, allowing them to see things that the disciples could not.

"It seems... someone is absorbing the fire's energy?"

"Could it be that the fire seed has refining abilities? It directly refined Chang Wen and Chu Xinghe, and then poured them into Nangong Chi's body?"

"Junior Brother Ouyang, can't you think of something positive? Is it possible that Chang Wen and Chu Xinghe are refining Nangong Chi?"

"..."

"It is Chang Wen who is absorbing the energy of the fire seed."

While everyone was arguing, Lin Baoding spoke calmly. The barrier was one he had created, so naturally it wouldn't obstruct his divine sense.

Even though the Sacred Flame of Reincarnation could greatly weaken divine sense, he could still vaguely capture the scene with his extraordinary abilities.

Within the range of his divine sense, Chang Wen stood in front of Chu Xinghe, like a black hole, absorbing all the waves of fire that rushed towards them.

And the more he absorbed, the stronger it became. Now... there was a massive vortex hundreds of feet in front of Chang Wen, forcefully pulling all the fire waves in the space towards it.

Therefore, the calming of the fire energy within the barrier was not due to the energy dissipating automatically, but rather because it was all absorbed by Chang Wen.

That's not all. After Chang Wen absorbed the fire seed's energy, his cultivation level actually showed signs of improvement, and the improvement was very rapid.

When he first saw this scene, his instinct was to help Chang Wen. But after seeing that Chang Wen was unharmed, he calmed down and observed him secretly.

"When he bribed me a few months ago, he was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. How come he's reached the Nascent Soul stage in just a few months?"

"Furthermore, how did he manage to withstand such violent energy comparable to that of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator with only a first-level Nascent Soul cultivation?"

Although Chang Wen was absorbing the fire seed's energy, according to Lin Baoding's observation, the fire seed's energy was not staying in place waiting for Chang Wen to absorb it, but was absorbed only after Chang Wen blocked it completely!

This means that Chang Wen has the means to withstand the attack of a peak-level Fusion Realm cultivator!

"Could it have been left to him by Junior Sister Biyou? If so, that's not surprising."

"Also, how did he convert the fire seed energy into his own cultivation?"

"Logically speaking, completing this process would take at least several years, or even decades, yet he accomplished it in just a few days?"

"Could he also be a peerless genius?"

"hiss……"

He became more and more excited as he thought about it.

Because he discovered that the seemingly ordinary Chang Wen was likely a gem, no weaker than Chu Xinghe! Perhaps even stronger!

This put him in a great mood.

They secretly reinforced the barrier, preventing anyone from peeking into the scene, thus buying time for Chang Wen.

"That old bastard Kong Jian went to great lengths to kill Chu Xinghe. But he backfired. Not only did he fail to kill Chu Xinghe, but Chang Wen also managed to steal the Sacred Flame Seed of Reincarnation. He deserves it."

Lin Baoding thought to himself, but his expression remained unchanged. He even seemed anxiously awaiting the outcome, though he didn't know who he was putting on an act for.

The other peak masters all looked at Lin Baoding and asked him in a telepathic message why he had said that.

After learning the whole story, the peak masters also put on an act, all showing anxious expressions to buy Chang Wen time to absorb the information.

Peak Master Ouyang Feng delivered a superb performance, directly berating Kong Jian. His act was half-serious, tinged with personal emotion.

What nonsense about the Void Sword Old Dog! You just wait and see. If anything happens to Chang Wen and Chu Xinghe, I'll tear down your Taixu Sword Sect.

Kong Jian's mental state was indeed stable, but he couldn't remain unmoved by the insults. He began to confront Ouyang Feng.

After the two had finished their tirade, the higher-ups of the Haoran Immortal Sect joined in, and the higher-ups of the Taixu Sword Sect naturally did not want to be left behind.

People no longer paid attention to what was happening in the barrier space; their attention was drawn to the conflict between the two factions, which greatly interested them.

Only Su Xiaoman, Lin Yuan, and Shen Nianqing were preoccupied, constantly monitoring the energy fluctuations within the barrier. They were filled with worry.

If something happens to their eldest brother, the three of them will lose their pillars of support, and even their cultivation of immortality will feel empty.

However, their strength was too weak to help, so they could only wait for the outcome.

Several more days passed.

The conference had lasted for eighty-five days, and the atmosphere had returned to calm.

But anyone could see that this was just the calm before the storm.

The outcome within the barrier space will directly affect the future direction of the two sects and may even influence the overall situation in the Northern Wilderness.

After days of mutual mudslinging, the high-ranking officials of both sides were exhausted from their insults. They stopped in their tracks, remaining silent, waiting for the scene within the barrier space to appear.

As the flames within the barrier gradually subsided, the melting rate of the barrier's surface also slowed considerably. Lin Baoding and the others no longer needed to exert all their strength to maintain the barrier, allowing them to conserve their energy.

They have a god-like perspective; they know what will happen next. They must be in peak condition to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

"Look! There's someone there!"

"It's Chang Wen and Chu Xinghe! They're still alive!"

A disciple who had been intently watching the barrier space shouted from the crowd. This instantly invigorated everyone; was a result finally on the horizon?

As time passed, the raging fire that had obstructed people's view gradually dissipated.

Chang Wen, Chu Xinghe, and Nangong Chi slowly appeared in the public eye.