Even today, the Sanqing Immortal Sect has declined. Yet a starving camel is still larger than a horse. It remains a colossus, standing atop Nanzhou, governing countless beings, with Saints among the living and an ancient Immortal Dao lineage! The Peeping Sky Pavilion cannot withstand such fury. Even with the Liuyao Blessed Land joining them, would the two ancient forces be enough?

Mo Wuwei adjusted her glasses, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "Junior Brother, you suspect there are other forces behind them?"

Wang Xiu nodded. In the past, the best approach would have been for him to kill Shi Ming and use the Ming Emperor's Soul-Reading Technique to capture the information in his mind. Wang Xiu was accustomed to this method and could execute it smoothly. But back then, he had the Sanqing Immortal Sect backing him. Even when he faced an enemy beyond his ability to handle, the Immortal Sect could intervene, allowing him to act with confidence.

Now, the situation was different. If, as he suspected, a more terrifying force was pulling the strings behind Shi Ming, then his opponents this time were far more dreadful than any from the Demonic Path he had faced before. They dared to risk the Sanqing Immortal Sect's wrath to make a move on him; they were clearly no ordinary members of the Demonic Path.

Killing Shi Ming now would tip them off, potentially leading to unpredictable consequences, and Wang Xiu didn't want things to spiral out of his control. Furthermore, his reputation was not what it once was. Previously, he was a nobody, and his disappearance for any length of time would go unnoticed. He could use the Ten Thousand Demonic Transformations Art to disguise himself as a Demon Cultivator and infiltrate the enemy camp for months without anyone noticing anything amiss.

But in the world of the Holy Academy, countless eyes were on him. If he were to disappear and assume Shi Ming's identity to gather intelligence, the commotion it would cause might be even greater than if Shi Ming himself had died. It was better to stabilize the situation for now.

"I've left some measures on him! If he makes any strange moves, I'll know immediately," Wang Xiu stated calmly.

Everyone exchanged glances. Xiang Tiange nodded. "Junior Brother Wang Xiu is thorough and meticulous. That puts our minds at ease!"

Wang Xiu gave a faint smile. "Let's put these matters aside for now. We need to focus on the real business at hand!"

The real business? Everyone's eyes lit up as they recalled their recent rampage through the Ancient Forest, reaping a great harvest of priceless natural treasures. Their gazes burned with enthusiasm. In this Ancient Forest, everything else was secondary; gathering treasure was what truly mattered!

***

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The Ancient Forest had not been quiet for long before it began to stir again. The ground trembled as countless Fierce Beasts roared and howled, creating a heart-stopping cacophony.

Somewhere in the forest, three youths were pursuing a Fierce Beast. It was surrounded by runes and emitted a golden glow, its aura extraordinary. The leader was a tall man with a faint golden light in his pupils, indicating a transcendent bloodline. He was enveloped in a terrifying, majestic aura.

BOOM!

A great golden hawk lunged through the air, its wings spreading like hundred-foot-long blades, tearing whirlwinds into existence that threatened to destroy everything in their path. Several small hills were directly shredded by these gales. The tall man roared, wielding a trident as he burst with intimidating golden light and soared into the sky. He plunged the trident into the great hawk's back, the terrifying force punching through half of its wing. The massive golden bird crashed to the ground, gouging out an enormous crater.

"Why struggle?" The tall man twisted his neck and walked toward the hawk, planting a foot on its massive head. "You were destined to die today. You could have had a quick death!"

"ROAR—"

The hawk screeched, the sound like rolling thunder, causing the surrounding ancient trees to crack and splinter. To the three men, however, it was nothing more than a futile, last-ditch effort. The tall man sneered, raising his trident to pierce the hawk's head and take its demon core.

Just then...

WHOOSH!

A sound of tearing air suddenly erupted. A silver spear shot through the sky with unimaginable momentum, piercing through everything, seemingly invincible.

The tall man trembled, seized by a terrible premonition. His scalp tingled and a chill ran down his spine. He twisted his head to dodge, crossing his arms in front of him and channeling all his mana to defend himself.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

His body erupted in a radiant golden glow, which coalesced into the form of an ancient giant tiger. It roared at the heavens, its defensive power astounding. Yet, before the silver spear, the ancient giant tiger instantly disintegrated. An overwhelming murderous aura condensed the air into ice and snow, and the temperature plummeted. Before the tall man could make another move, the silver spear was already pressed against his throat.

"This Golden Dragon Hawk belongs to us now!" a detached voice said, utterly devoid of emotion.

A bone-chilling cold enveloped the tall man. Ice formed around his knees, freezing him to the ground and rendering him immobile. He could only strain his eyes to look at the owner of the silver spear. Clad in a silver robe, the man's entire body glowed with the faint light of runes. His skin was a sickly pale, and his gaze was as cold and emotionless as a winter wind.

Frost Snow Divine Spear! Fourteenth on the Golden Core Ranking, Sima Yulong! Fear and resentment flashed in the tall man's eyes.

Within his Immortal Sect, he was a leader among his peers, a true prodigy. He had fought his way through countless cultivators in battle after battle, proving his extraordinary strength. Yet under Sima Yulong's spear, he couldn't even last a single round. The gap between them was so vast it was despairing. Indeed, even among geniuses, there are impassable chasms.

Sima Yulong. One of the top three true inheritors of the Southern Extreme Heavenly Cave. He possessed the Proud Cold War Body, his spear arts were unrivaled, and he was a disciple of the Cave Mysterious Spear Sage. He had reached the extreme realm of the Ninth Heaven Golden Core at a young age, earning him the fourteenth rank on the Golden Core Ranking. His reputation was well-deserved.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

A few crisp sounds rang out, followed by screams. Without looking, the tall man knew his two sect brothers had been taken down by the other prodigies from the Southern Extreme Heavenly Cave.

"We clearly found it first!" he said, his voice laced with resentment.

Sima Yulong glanced at him, his eyes empty of emotion. "The rule of the Ancient Forest: only what's in your belly is truly yours."

Hearing this, the tall man and his companions, no matter how unwilling, could say nothing more. Their skills were inferior; what face did they have to continue fighting for it? Gritting his teeth, he backed away from the spear and led his two companions away.

Just then, the Golden Dragon Hawk, which had been injured on the ground, suddenly let out a sharp cry, flapped its wings, and rose into the air again. It still had the strength to move; it hadn't been completely exhausted after all.

Sima Yulong watched the escaping Golden Dragon Hawk, his expression indifferent. Having a sliver of Dragon Clan blood in its bones really does make a difference. It even knows how to think… Too bad it's just a desperate struggle before death!

"Senior Brother, we'll go after it!" The three prodigies from the Southern Extreme Heavenly Cave gathered around him.

Sima Yulong waved a hand to stop them. "No need. I can go alone. You all continue ahead; I'll catch up shortly!"

The three prodigies exchanged worried glances.

Sima Yulong shot them a look. "Even if Li Xuanqi, Zhang Yuge, or Zhuge Changsheng himself showed up, I could still retreat unharmed. As for the rest… what is there to fear?"

With those words, he shot into the sky, holding his spear in one hand. He moved with the dashing grace of a white dragon incarnate—the very picture of elegant power.

The other prodigies sighed in admiration. "Senior Brother Sima's style is something we could likely never hope to match in this lifetime!"

"Let's go. We'll wait for Senior Brother up ahead!"

SCREECH...

Just then, a sky-shattering cry echoed from behind them.

"Isn't that the Golden Dragon Hawk? Why is it back? And it's even faster than when it fled!" one of them exclaimed, utterly confused.

Another speculated, "Could it be that Senior Brother Sima used some incredible technique to force it back?"

The last one's eyes filled with worship. "As expected of Senior Brother Sima!"

Before his voice had faded, the Golden Dragon Hawk had already streaked over their heads and continued into the distance, tearing through endless trees and shattering countless small hills as it tumbled and scrambled away. A moment later, another figure sped past, flying directly over their heads. Clad in white and holding a silver spear, who else could it be but Sima Yulong?

However, Sima Yulong's face was no longer calm. He wore an expression as if he had seen a ghost, fleeing for his life in a desperate panic. Even as he raced into the distance, he didn't forget to turn back and shout, "Run! Damn it, I've seen a ghost!"

The prodigies stood dumbfounded, not understanding what had happened.

But in the next moment, they did.

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