Amid the eerie atmosphere of the forest, the scene suddenly stilled. It was the group of about a dozen figures at the rear—those with pale, gloomy faces—who first began to move slowly forward. The fierce aura radiating from their bodies revealed that these were indeed hard-nosed individuals, willing to become mere meat in the pursuit of profit and gain. As these dozen figures stepped out unexpectedly, the large crowd of followers who had previously trailed behind the old eagle-sage halted in their tracks, gazing at the figures with expressions of growing unease. Once a single person was affected, this already tenuous sense of rationality among the followers—burned by greed—would be completely extinguished. These十余道面色阴沉的人影，看似组成一个小团队，然而成员实力皆不俗。领头的那位发色略显苍白的男子，气息凝练，显然已是斗王境强者；其余众人亦非等闲之辈。在黑角域这样纷乱之地，虽凡事皆需警觉，但一旦利益至为丰厚，性命乃至其他一切，皆可轻易舍弃——而这，正是黑角域动荡不宁的根本所在。尽管许多人清楚，他们追随的那位老者，实为真正的斗宗强者，然而内心的贪婪仍驱使着他们紧随其后，甚至已有部分胆识更胜者，因无法承受贪婪的煎熬，已率先开始异动。 These fifteen men, radiating fierce intensity, were among them. As up-and-coming figures who had only recently gained experience within the Black Angle Region, they were not deeply familiar with the elder's past exploits—stories that had long since become antiquated. What they did know was that if they could seize the Bodhi-Body Saliva from Elder Yingshan, they would stand a strong chance of becoming the supreme masters of this world. At that point, not only would the Black Angle Region tremble, but even the entire Qi Continent might quake in awe. Though notably ambitious, these fifteen clearly possessed considerable skill. After separating from the main group, they swiftly moved, their forms mysteriously blending into the shadows of the forest, then forming an intricate formation that encircled Elder Yingshan. Many forces within the forest halted at this very moment, gazing with pity upon the group of mere jesters huddled in the shade—truly, they had no idea how to write the word "death." Though their treasures were precious, they had to have lives to carry them. Under the watchful eyes of so many, both in the open and in the shadows, those十余 figures swiftly emerged around the old eagle mountain elder, blending seamlessly into the dim light. Then, with a subtle gesture, they surged forth from the shadows—silent as a breeze—yet their sharp weapons, glowing with a cold sheen, radiated an intense aura of menace, forming a sweeping blade of light that encircled every vital point of the elder's body. "Shh!" The blade descended, yet strangely passed through the elder's body as if only touching the air. The十余 figures then gently settled to the ground, their bodies stiff with stillness. The old man from Ege Mountain paused slightly, then, without turning his head once, lifted his foot again and slowly advanced into the forest. As his steps moved away, the dozen figures ahead suddenly collapsed, their vitality swiftly fading. Several capable individuals perished in an instant, without a clear cause, and among the larger group behind, a series of gasps of astonishment echoed—now clearly understanding the old man's formidable strength. A strange, heavy, oppressive atmosphere settled over the forest. Greed surged, and at once, sharp gusts of wind erupted throughout the forest. Then, from the shadowed corners, countless arrows brimming with astonishing power burst forth in a sweeping wave! The arrows rained down in dense, relentless streams. Yet, just as they reached a few paces short of the old eagle-sage, they suddenly froze—then, under the influence of an odd force, slowly turned and, in a thunderous chorus of "whizz-whizz," shot back precisely as they came. Instantly, the forest resounded with piercing cries of terror. "Kill him!" "Kill him and claim the Bodhi-Body Saliva!" "With the Bodhi-Body Saliva, we can find the Bodhi-Mind—then become a Supreme Combatant. Once that happens, the Black-Corner Domain will be mine!" The piercing cries of anguish did not cause the crowd, consumed by greed, to retreat; rather, amid the crimson blood, they stirred even fiercer instincts within many hearts. Instantly, a cascade of roaring shouts erupted, and the entire forest soon plunged into complete chaos. Countless people, wielding weapons, charged wildly at the Eyu Mountain elder, their eyes blazing with red fury—exactly like wild beasts driven mad. Faced with this disorganized onslaught, the Eyu Mountain elder showed not the slightest sign of panic. With a simple gesture, waves of astonishing aura streams surged forth, striking anyone in their path. Unless they were strong at the Dou Huang level, all others were instantly struck down, spewing blood and falling dead. Even Dou Zong-level warriors, who were exceptionally resilient, could not withstand such force. On the hilltop, Xiao Yan gazed indifferently at the chaos unfolding in the forest below. The scene was far from dramatic—indeed, it was a one-sided slaughter. Many truly capable forces had remained inactive, while the ones who had taken action were mostly scattered troops and wandering soldiers. In the hands of the Elder of Yingshan, such men were no different from ants—only distinguished by whether it was a single ant or a group of ants. Yet Xiao Yan's gaze remained unshaken throughout, fixed steadily upon the Elder of Yingshan, even as the skies bled crimson. Though he did not know why, a subtle sense of unease always lingered within him. Hearing Xiao Li's words, even Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. The old man from Ying Mountain today indeed seemed unusually strange—yet his aura clearly matched what he had observed during the auction. That meant the younger man below was not a specially summoned stand-in. "Something's off. If you pay close attention, his aura doesn't seem as pure as that of a Cultivator of the Cultivator Realm." Nearby, Xiao Yixian hesitated, then suddenly said. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was first taken aback, then his expression grew serious, his eyes sharpening as his spiritual perception surged out from his forehead like a tidal wave, instantly encompassing the entire forest. With the enveloping power of the soul, the scenery before Xiao Yan suddenly transformed entirely—no longer taking the form of human bodies, but instead each body filled with energy of varying colors. These energies radiated with the intense heat of fire and the crisp cold of ice, clearly manifesting the Qi within the human figures below in the forest. Through the scanning power of his soul perception, Xiao Yan detected the traces of several hidden, powerful figures surrounding him—among whom were precisely the people from the Mo Yan Valley. However, before Xiao Yan could carefully investigate further, a sharp, cold snort suddenly echoed through the crowd, followed immediately by a profound, icy surge of soul energy that rapidly expanded and fiercely collided with Xiao Yan's own soul perception. "Boom!" The intangible soul waves rippled through the air, stirring an unseen gale. On the hill, Xiao Yan suddenly emitted a low hum, then stared coldly toward a concealed spot not far away—where the members of the Magic Flame Valley were hiding. The cold hum and the chilling ripple of soul energy were clearly emanating from the enigmatic gray-robed figure. "What's wrong?" Hearing Xiao Yan's hum, the others by his side quickly asked. "Nothing," Xiao Yan waved his hand, his gaze shifting back to the forest below. This time, his soul perception was particularly focused on the Elder of Eyer Mountain. His soul perception was tightly locked onto the Elder, yet perhaps due to the gray robe on the Elder's body being shielded by energy, Xiao Yan could only perceive a hazy, grayish presence during the scan. Even Xiao Yan himself could not discern what exactly lay hidden within that haze. In this state, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed, and then he gritted his teeth, his spiritual perception suddenly surging powerfully! As Xiao Yan's internal spiritual energy surged violently, a sharp pain gradually began to radiate through his head. Yet he did not falter—his spiritual perception, like an invisible spike, relentlessly pierced through the layer of energy enveloping Elder Yingshan's body. This piercing continued for about two minutes. Just as Xiao Yan was about to give up due to the mounting pain in his head, a faint hissing sound was heard, and the previously blocked spiritual energy suddenly surged forth, swiftly breaking through the invisible energy layer surrounding Elder Yingshan. As the invisible energy layer dissolved, Xiao Yan's spiritual perception swiftly swept across it, and then his face suddenly darkened. "This old man... indeed clever!"