In the distance, as far as the eye could see, lay an endless ocean of tents. Even for He Yiming, witnessing this spectacular sight for the first time, he could guess the origin of these encampments. Only where the Western armies were stationed would there be a sea of tents on this scale. The swift approach of the three of them had immediately drawn the attention of the experts within the tents. Countless whistles erupted at that moment, and amidst the flickering shadows, it seemed this sea was about to stir into a terrifying, massive wave.

Jin Zhanyi’s eyes lit up. He suddenly let out a long roar, lightly patted his waist, and the hidden Dragon Spear materialized silently in his hand. Then, he took a single step forward…

The distance beneath his feet seemed to shrink drastically in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Jin Zhanyi vanished before He Yiming’s eyes. The distance of several dozen zhang was covered in a single stride. When he firmly planted that step, he had even overtaken the Western fugitive who was fleeing desperately, appearing abruptly right before him.

The Western fugitive only saw a blur before his eyes and was instantly stunned by the mysterious appearance of Jin Zhanyi nearby. His heart hammered at an unprecedented speed. He pointed his fingers at Jin Zhanyi, his eyes revealing an indescribable shock and disbelief. At this critical, life-threatening juncture, he finally recognized it. This unpredictable movement technique displayed by Jin Zhanyi was absolutely not something achievable by anyone below the Venerable realm. For a moment, his mind buzzed, with only one thought persistently circling. Jin Zhanyi—he was already a true Venerable… His heart instantly turned ice-cold, and even his limbs felt powerless. Just at that instant, when his will and resolve to resist plummeted to their lowest ebb, he saw a flash of light before his eyes. This light shot out from Jin Zhanyi’s hand, resembling a meteor falling from the sky, or a bolt of intense lightning in a sudden downpour. It seemed that from the moment it was thrust, it had already traversed the distance between them, piercing his heart.

The Western fugitive looked down, staring blankly at the gaping hole in his chest, a look of confusion in his eyes. Then he collapsed heavily to the ground, convulsed twice, and never managed to rise again.

When Jin Zhanyi executed the Wanli Xianting (Leisurely Stroll of Ten Thousand Miles), He Yiming had already stopped. However, the moment Jin Zhanyi drew the Dragon Spear, He Yiming understood that this Western guest who had come to provoke them had absolutely no chance of survival. In truth, given this man's strength, if he hadn't lost his confidence, if he hadn't lost his fighting spirit, perhaps if he had simply held on for a moment longer upon returning here, the outcome could have been entirely different. But in this world, there are no such "what ifs." And now, standing beside that corpse, gripping the Dragon Spear and standing tall, Jin Zhanyi was the true protagonist of this moment.

In the sea of tents, there seemed to be a sudden pause. Although the vast majority did not understand what had transpired, both He Yiming and Jin Zhanyi possessed Eastern features, while the man lying on the ground, bleeding profusely with shallow breaths, was distinctly Western. Regardless of the reason, pursuing a Westerner to this location and killing him just before reaching the camp—this act of supreme arrogance instantly ignited the frenzied blood in every Westerner present.

Several long roars sounded from various places, met in response by echoes from experts of the same caliber. He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. These continuous roars were actually being issued by different individuals. In this entire Western sea of tents, so many Innate experts were hidden. At this moment, He Yiming even began to wonder if all the Innate experts from every single Western nation had gathered here. However, the only source of comfort was that among these roars, there were no voices belonging to experts of the Venerable realm. Otherwise, He Yiming would have turned and fled without a second thought.

His gaze swept around, and a sliver of doubt arose in his mind. Whether it was that unfortunate Western guest or Jin Zhanyi, both were exceedingly audacious, daring to charge directly into the enemy's lair. Such recklessness suggested they weren't concerned in the slightest about the potential presence of Venerable-level experts in the opposing ranks. There must be some unspoken pact they were aware of; otherwise, why would they commit such a suicidal act?

Shadows flickered in succession, and in just a moment, dozens of figures flew out from that sea of tents. Judging by their movement techniques, even the weakest among them had reached the Innate realm, while the leaders at the front radiated overwhelming auras. However, as they advanced, they maintained a certain distance; no one rashly charged forward alone. This was the effect of Jin Zhanyi’s astounding spear strike—one shot, one kill, leaving the victim with no power to retaliate. This demonstration of overwhelming strength instilled a chilling sense of dread in all the powerful masters.

Jin Zhanyi suddenly let out a long roar. His sound carried far. Facing such a large number of experts that could make one’s scalp tingle, he showed no fear whatsoever. He shook his Dragon Spear, instantly hooking the Western guest on the ground and flinging the corpse high toward the approaching group.

Thud…

When the corpse landed heavily on the ground, Jin Zhanyi shouted loudly, "Courtesy demands reciprocity. I return this man’s body to you. Who else dares to step forward and fight me?"

The figures halted, their gazes fixed upon the corpse lying on the earth. Most eyes held expressions of horror and disbelief. It was evident they recognized the origin of the deceased. A person memorable to so many Innate experts must surely be an outstanding figure of the highest caliber.

An old man quickly stepped forward, rushed to the corpse, and cradled it, seemingly oblivious to the residual blood staining his body from the chest wound. He shouted fiercely, seemingly interrogating someone. Behind him, several people were explaining things with expressions of apprehension. Although He Yiming understood none of what they were saying, Jin Zhanyi was familiar with their language. A cold, scornful smile touched the corner of his lips.

He Yiming asked curiously, "Brother Jin, what are they saying?"

Jin Zhanyi raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "This dead Western guest is named Thomas. He was a top expert from a major Western nation. He came to challenge under Zhenjin City as a result of a bet. That old man is Thomas’s senior brother and knows nothing of the matter, which is why he's so furious right now."

Indeed, the old man suddenly leaped up and unleashed a flurry of kicks in mid-air, sending three of the men flying violently backward. Since those three were deemed worthy of stepping out with the others, they were at least Innate masters, yet they did not dare to resist the old man’s attack.

He Yiming shook his head inwardly. For the sake of a mere wager, such a master perished. If he were that old man, he might have felt the urge to kill them all. The old man slowly turned around, radiating an extremely intense, savage killing intent. This elder possessed yellow hair, which now stood slightly on end from his rage and agitation, making him appear especially grim and terrifying. Even those within his own ranks looked upon him with apprehension.

"Who are you…" he growled. He was speaking the official language of the Great Eastern Shen Dynasty. Although not perfectly fluent, He Yiming and the others could understand him.

Jin Zhanyi roared with laughter, "Elder, before asking someone's name, you should introduce yourself first. Don't you even know that basic courtesy?" The man's eyes instantly flooded with fierce, blood-red intent, and his body shifted slightly, looking ready to pounce immediately. But at that precise moment, a strong hand pressed down on his shoulder. Another elder, who appeared to be of similar age, whispered a few words into his ear. After a few sharp breaths, his feet settled firmly on the ground.

The newly arrived elder stepped forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and bowed slightly toward them. Even in this hostile confrontation, he maintained proper etiquette. Then, he spoke slowly, "My name is Tatamu. This is Danny. The one you killed is Thomas. What is your name?" Tatamu spoke very slowly, stitching his words together almost syllable by syllable. Although He Yiming found the delivery awkward, he was secretly startled. Of the three Western experts he had encountered so far, all understood the language of the Great Eastern Shen Dynasty. While their speech was slow, it proved they had invested considerable effort before the Eastern Expedition.

Only then did Jin Zhanyi smile broadly and nod. "Tatamu, is it? I am Jin Zhanyi. Whoever wishes to avenge Thomas, step forward." His Dragon Spear flickered slightly, and a massive aura erupted from him, surging outward. Tatamu’s gaze sharpened instantly, and a deep, powerful voice suddenly rang out from his throat: "Jin Zhanyi…" "Jin Zhanyi…"

Not just him, but most of the dozens of figures echoed similar sounds. Of course, not everyone present understood the Shen language, but the name Jin Zhanyi was familiar to all. He Yiming’s heart tensed slightly. There seemed to be a trace of unexpected pleasant surprise in their voices—an attitude truly astonishing to witness. Then, the gazes of all present began to subtly gleam.

Tatamu suddenly gave a low command, and immediately, the sounds of clashing weapons echoed. Dozens of men simultaneously drew their arms. In the West, there were only a few popular weapon types. One was the two-handed greatsword, another was the soft, pliable rapier made of special materials that could bend, while some used a combination weapon of sword and shield. Several others held long spears. Furthermore, the weapons drawn by two individuals were actually longbows nearly as tall as a man. After drawing their bows, those two did not advance but instead stepped back several paces, creating distance from the main group.