The people from the three major forces finally relented. Li Chonglou was right; their strength was beyond their combined ability to resist, even if they attacked together.
Thus, for everyone, the opportunity to act was essentially only once!
Although this was based on the assumption that their guess was correct, when it came to matters of life and death, who dared to gamble otherwise?
Just as everyone thought Li Chonglou would leave after getting what he wanted, they heard him speak again.
"Oh, right, Chen, brother Chen is currently teamed up with me. We're leaving together."
Li Chonglou pointed at Chen Pingfan. Everyone present, including Chen Pingfan himself, froze on the spot.
After a long moment, Chen Pingfan, who had finally reacted, saw his expression drastically change. His statement had effectively cut off his retreat! Unless he refuted it immediately, once they left this building, no one present would dare to team up with him again!
However, he had just agreed to Li Chonglou's terms. To go back on his word now would mean completely severing ties with Li Chonglou, which went against his original intentions.
"This guy is definitely doing this on purpose!"
Chen Pingfan cursed internally, but the gazes of everyone else had already fallen upon him.
And Li Chonglou's gaze was no exception.
"Come on, make a decision. Being my subordinate isn't just about saying a few nice words."
Li Chonglou smiled at Chen Pingfan. He had already made up his mind when he decided to bring him along. Otherwise, he would have been foolish to just take him along based on his words alone; his previous losses would have been in vain.
The scene fell silent for a while. Wu Di's brows were almost knitted together. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Pingfan finally made the difficult decision.
"Yes, Brother Li and I have decided to team up. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him and won't let him act recklessly."
This reason was so far-fetched it elicited a wave of eye-rolls.
We're not at ease with him, but that doesn't mean we're at ease with you! Do we know you that well? Who knows what you're scheming!
Liu Tixing spoke coldly, "Chen Pingfan, is it? I've heard of you. Although your strength isn't outstanding, you have remarkable courage and a certain vision. It's a shame."
Chen Pingfan's expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Brother Liu is too kind. I'm just a lone cultivator. How could I enter your esteemed eyes?"
The faces of the three were not happy. After all, they had just said that the privilege of leaving was only for Li Chonglou alone, and he had to pay a corresponding price. Now, another person wanted to leave?
If this continued, wouldn't anyone who wanted to leave now be able to go?
Liu Tianzhi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, "Chen Pingfan, do you know the consequences of leaving together? You'll face the same environment as the people you're with. Don't blame us for not reminding you."
The eyes of the other two lit up. That's right, as long as the two of them, or even anyone who made this decision, shared the same responsibility as Li Chonglou, it would naturally extinguish the selfish thoughts of others.
For the three of them, Li Chonglou alone was someone they had plenty of opportunities to get revenge on. The most crucial thing now was to win over people's hearts and complete the mission!
Li Chonglou breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
He wasn't afraid of the three pressuring Chen Pingfan. To him, the more they pressured Chen Pingfan, the more they were helping him test him. If he couldn't even withstand this pressure, then there would be no need to cooperate or team up.
So, as long as the three didn't adopt a hardline stance that prevented others from leaving, it would be a good thing for him.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Liu. I'll be careful."
Chen Pingfan smiled calmly and clasped his hands towards the three, his attitude very clear.
Seeing this, the three couldn't stop him further. Liu Tianzhi's words had indeed dispelled the thoughts of a few others who had wanted to take the opportunity to leave with them. In the end, Li Chonglou and Chen Pingfan walked to a corner alone.
The three gave their final conditions: the two could act alone, but only after them. In other words, only after Wu Di and his group had all broken out could Li Chonglou and his companion make their move.
However, "all suddenly" didn't mean waiting for all of them to successfully escape, but rather not to leave before them. They could follow closely behind or leave at the same time.
This was considered somewhat humane. After all, there were so many people around. Li Chonglou looked at the figures of the crowd with a pensive expression.
Chen Pingfan couldn't help but complain, "I say, Brother Li, you didn't have to do this to me. Now I really have to go into the tiger's den or the dragon's lair."
Seeing his wronged expression, Li Chonglou rolled his eyes slightly and said, "If you don't pay a price, how can you prove your worth? Don't worry, I won't mistreat you. Besides, if you chose me, you must have believed in me to make that decision. Stop talking about tiger's dens and dragon's lairs; it makes you sound shortsighted."
Chen Pingfan was rendered speechless. He never expected Li Chonglou to lecture him in return!
"So what do we do now? If we can really leave here, where do we go?"
Li Chonglou pondered, "Let's leave here first. But most likely, it'll be the same as them – find the location of the mine first."
Only by finding the destination could they conduct investigations around it. Otherwise, everything would be in vain.
The two waited for only a few minutes before Wu Di and his group had made their decision and preparations. They dispersed to tidy up, and after five minutes, they would reassemble in the hall and charge out with one concerted effort.
The three forces divided into three groups, avoiding the main entrance. The lone cultivators, along with Li Chonglou and his companion, could choose freely. The difference was that the lone cultivators would have to cooperate with their chosen teams after exiting, while Li Chonglou and his companion would act independently.
Although it seemed like they had the freedom to act, in such a situation, the advantage of numbers would be paramount. Whether encountering enemies or conducting investigations after exiting, having more people provided a significant advantage.
Conversely, Li Chonglou and his companion's actions would be much more difficult.
The five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Li Chonglou and Chen Pingfan had also finished packing and were waiting in the hall.
The others were the same. Wu Di and the other two took this opportunity to recount the numbers, likely also testing their resolve.
When everyone was ready, at Wu Di's command, over twenty experts dispersed into three groups in an organized manner, heading towards the three different directions.
"Brother Li, which way do we choose?"
Chen Pingfan looked at Li Chonglou doubtfully. He noticed that until now, Li Chonglou had not made any move to depart!
After all, the opportunity was practically a one-time thing. If they didn't seize it, they might even lose their lives!