Everyone froze solid.

What in the blazes just happened! The sudden fusion of energy stunned everyone into silence.

Thump! The ZUMA Cult Master, falling from mid-air, stared dumbly at the spot where the white light had flashed moments before. For the first time, sheer astonishment filled his blood-red eyes, rendering him vacant and oblivious even to Long Yuan Canghai and the others.

But this fleeting bewilderment lasted only two seconds.

“Go, quickly!” Among the group, Long Yuan Canghai was the steadiest. The instant that figure vanished, he knew disaster loomed.

“Ah!” Hu Xiao Changfeng and the others snapped back to reality. Now was no time to dwell on the identity of that blue figure; escaping was paramount. In a flash, four afterimages streaked toward the exit. The elders and experts left guarding the door had already rushed out the moment Long Yuan Canghai shouted the alarm.

“Roar! Roar! Roar!” The ZUMA Cult Master suddenly roared continuously, charging wildly at Long Yuan Canghai and his group. It seemed the rage from losing the ZUMA Totem had fixed its target squarely on the few standing before him.

“Hurry!” Everyone realized that lingering meant certain death. Without the ZUMA Totem, the Cult Master was in a berserk state, that terrifying form appearing like myriad illusory remnants of the void. All felt the scythe of Death resting against their necks, the keen edge already slicing skin and drawing faint trails of blood.

What did two seconds mean? For top-tier masters, two seconds could accomplish a great deal, especially when fleeing. Two seconds was more than enough.

By the time the ZUMA Cult Master regained his senses, Long Yuan Canghai and the others were already at the doorway.

The instant countless massive fireballs slammed down, they burst through the doors of the Cult Master’s residence.

Whoosh! A dizzying sensation struck, followed by a sudden burst of light. All around them were woods and grasslands, and in the distance, faint outlines of city walls could be seen. Where was this? Was this Bai Ri Tian Men? Recalling the immediate past, they had been inside the ZUMA Cult Master’s residence. As the binding tape of the return scroll was torn open, they were enveloped in a dazzling white light, then felt a strange weightlessness. Everything was a blinding white void, a state that lasted only two seconds. When the light dispersed, the scene before them had completely changed.

Evidently, I had succeeded. A wave of immense joy washed over me—this was truly hard-won. With no one around, I hastily raised the ZUMA Totem in my hand to examine it closely.

It was roughly the size of a football, oblong, and barely recognizable as a human face. However, the mouth was disproportionately large and gaped open in a perfect circle, while the eyes were huge and elongated, giving it a grotesque, terrifying appearance. The nose was pitifully small, reminding me of alien visages from modern science fiction films. Its pitch-black color exuded a strange, sinister grimness, instantly conjuring up negative concepts like wickedness, terror, and death.

This was the ZUMA Totem, the treasure key that the ZUMA Cult Master had guarded for over two millennia, the object that the Four Great Sects and the lords of Shabak had desperately sought. Now, I could vividly imagine the spectacular expressions on their faces as they watched me snatch the treasure right from under their noses.

I held no particular affection or disdain for the Four Great Sects, but borrowing this incident to curb the arrogance of Shabak was something I relished, especially since they were always causing trouble for me.

I allowed myself a moment of secret self-satisfaction. After all, I had managed to snatch this treasure from under the noses of the top masters of the Four Great Sects and Shabak, all while being pursued by the ZUMA Cult Master himself. That alone was enough reason to feel proud.

However, the priority now was to quickly find an inn and secure the item. With that thought, I tucked the ZUMA Totem back into my spatial pouch, then pulled out a set of light armor to wear. Inside the ZUMA Cult Master’s residence, to lighten my load, I had shed my heavy plate armor, the skull helmet, the Frost Condensation Sword, and all my jewelry. I had been wearing nothing but simple blue coarse cloth garments. Now, those coarse clothes were scorched beyond recognition by the Cult Master’s flames, reduced to tatters with only a few threads hanging askew. I was lucky I hadn't been forced to streak naked—thankfully, no one was around, I congratulated myself silently.

After a quick tidying up and re-equipping, I regained my proper appearance, feeling much more secure. The next step was to figure out exactly where I was. If Yan Luo was correct, this should be Bai Ri Tian Men.

I immediately set off toward the direction where the city walls were visible.

It appeared I was in the wilderness bordering a village. Clear wagon tracks marred the road surface, flanked on both sides by endless, vibrant green forests that were a pleasure to behold.

Before long, I saw several middle-aged men dressed as farmers approaching, driving carts laden with goods. A faint, unique fragrance of medicinal herbs drifted on the air. I hurried forward to greet them.

“Greetings, Uncle!”

“Heh heh, hello there.” The farmers smiled warmly and stopped their carts. They seemed to be in good spirits, perhaps anticipating another bumper harvest this year.

“Pardon me, but which territory is this?” I scratched my scalp awkwardly. “Heh heh, it’s my first time traveling so far from home, and I seem to have gotten completely lost.”

“Hahahaha.” The farmers exchanged knowing smiles. “Youngsters these days…”

“Always running off to wander the continent, playing at being adventurers, and now you can’t even figure out directions,” one of them chuckled, sizing up my adventurer attire.

“Well, heh heh, that’s…” I could only offer a wry smile.

“Young man, being an adventurer isn’t easy,” a bearded farmer said, pointing toward the city walls in the distance. “That there is Bai Ri Tian Men. Once you get there, there are carriages heading everywhere. You should just head back to wherever you came from.”

“That’s right, go on home,” another added.

“Thank you.” I fled the scene. They were genuinely kind souls, just a little too talkative.

Bai Ri Tian Men, since ancient times, has held the reputation of the City of the Forest, as it is situated right in the heart of the Crimson Moon Great Forest. To the east lies the continent-famous Crimson Moon Gorge, while the western primeval forest is rumored to lead to the Woma Great Forest, beyond which stretches the boundless Misty Sea. To the rear lies the trade route leading to Bizi and Mengzhong, the core of the continent, though these lands too are blanketed in dense forest.

Following the main road straight ahead, I soon arrived at the city gate.

The towering city walls were constructed from large blocks of an unfamiliar blue marble, reaching about fifteen meters high. They were fortified with arrow towers and catapults, and I occasionally spotted patrols of brightly armored warriors marching back and forth. On the main gate’s plaque were inscribed four characters in wild, flowing cursive: Bai Ri Tian Men.

Legend has it that Bai Ri Tian Men is the domain of the Heavenly Venerate, one of the Three Dragon Guards of continental mythology. Consequently, Taoists are the most favored and numerous adventurer class here. Nearly half the continent’s Taoists hail from Bai Ri Tian Men, much like how Bizi is famed for Mages and Mengzhong for Warriors. In Bai Ri Tian Men, Taoists clad in robes are ubiquitous.

I stepped through the wide city gates while recalling the records about Bai Ri Tian Men from the Adventurer’s Manual.

This city was unlike any other I had seen. There was none of the usual clamor or bustling prosperity. Along the neatly laid avenues, rows of green trees stood, the grass was lush, and flowers bloomed brilliantly. It bore some resemblance to Silver Ginkgo Town, only vastly larger. Though there were many people on the streets, loud noises and vendors’ cries were rarely heard.

Everyone here seemed possessed of an unhurried composure, an air of leisurely contentment. Even their voices were mild and gentle. Truly a gentle city. For now, ‘gentle’ seemed the only word to describe Bai Ri Tian Men.

From a vendor, I managed to inquire about the location of the Blessing Dragon Inn.

The innkeeper was a tall, striking woman in her thirties, with blue hair and blue eyes, rather reminiscent of Qing Niang at the Earth City Inn. Seeing someone my apparent age venturing out alone, the proprietress seemed surprised and treated me with extra care. By this time, I had washed off all the camouflage paint. My face had reverted to my baby-faced appearance, though the hair color had shifted from the previous azure to brown, and my overall look was quite different. My age, however, remained immutable.

Once settled, I deposited the ZUMA Totem into the inn's warehouse. Finally, I could rest easy. The next step was waiting for Yan Luo and the others to meet me here.

While I waited idly at the Blessing Dragon Inn for Yan Luo's arrival, worlds away in Mengzhong, utter chaos reigned.

ZUMA Hall!

“Roar! Roar! Roar!” Even from a distance, everyone could hear the ZUMA Cult Master’s furious, unwilling bellows. All feared the rampaging Cult Master might burst out of his residence at any moment. However, centuries of experience dictated that the ZUMA Cult Master could not leave his domain; the reason remained unknown. Some theorized he was bound by ancient magic, unable to exit—a popular belief on the continent. True or not, once they retreated to ZUMA Hall, they were safe; at least the Cult Master had not pursued them yet.

Gazing upon the crestfallen, disheveled figures of the leaders of the Four Great Sects and the Lord of Shabak, everyone knew the demon-slaying operation had failed. Spirits were low; their initial grand ambitions had long since evaporated into thin air.

In the Wooden Shack!

“Roar! This infuriates me!” Xiong Ba Cangmang, known for his fiery temper, punched a large hole straight through the shack’s wall.

Mo Zhan Ting, Long Yuan Canghai, and the others were equally grim-faced. None had expected that after expending vast fortunes, mobilizing over five thousand personnel, suffering near-universal injuries, and even losing over a hundred lives—including more than thirty top-tier elders—their efforts, forged through life-and-death struggles, would turn to dust because of that mysterious blue figure who appeared from nowhere.

“Damn him! Who is that guy! I’ll kill him!” Xiong Ba Cangmang roared like a wounded brown bear, as if only venting his rage this way could ease the burning anger in his chest.

“I couldn't discern anything about his skills or origins,” Ying Zhen Qiuyun was the most dejected. He had been the linchpin of this operation, and everyone had high hopes pinned on his speed. Indeed, Ying Zhen Qiuyun had lived up to his reputation as the unparalleled King of Speed, but the ultimate failure left him with a crushing sense of responsibility.

“In this world, who could withstand the ZUMA Cult Master’s Thunder and Lightning Shield head-on without taking any damage, escape calmly from close range, and then emerge unscathed from the Cult Master’s Blazing Fire Bomb? I truly cannot imagine who possesses such capabilities,” Hu Xiao Changfeng muttered grimly.

“This person is absolutely no nobody,” Long Yuan Canghai stated gravely. “I saw it clearly at the time. He wore no defensive jewelry, not even armor. He took the ZUMA Cult Master’s Thunder and Lightning Shield and Blazing Fire Bomb relying purely on his physical body. His cultivation level is astonishingly high.”

“And his speed is undeniably top-tier,” Ying Zhen Qiuyun murmured. “To be honest, even I might not be able to best him in speed.”

“Besides us, the only other possibility is the Sword God of Dragon Shadow Villa,” Mo Zhan Ting suggested. “But the Sword God is currently deep within an illusionary realm investigating the whereabouts of the Crimson Blood Demon Sword, with no time to spare. Furthermore, we’ve never heard of anyone in Dragon Shadow Villa possessing such skill.”

“Could it be Scarlet Moon Villa or Flowing Cloud Villa?” Ying Zhen Qiuyun pondered. “But neither the Flowing Cloud Sword Emperor nor the Scarlet Moon Sword Saint could possibly withstand the ZUMA Cult Master purely with their physical bodies.”

“That leaves only the Sword Queen, Shuang Fei,” Long Yuan Canghai murmured. “But she has been missing for over a decade. I doubt even her strength could achieve this level.”

“No matter who he is, he stole the ZUMA Totem, which means he’s after the treasure. As long as we guard the entrance to the underground palace, he will eventually deliver himself to us,” Xiong Ba Cangmang ground out. “When that happens, I will make him wish he had never been born.”

“I suggest we proceed with caution,” Long Yuan Canghai advised. “This man’s skill level is far beyond what we can handle. To resist the ZUMA Cult Master in mere cloth and withstand a Blazing Fire Bomb—if this powerhouse truly confronts us, we might not be his match. Moreover, when he vanished in mid-air, he must have used the Return Scroll, a spatial magic lost for a thousand years. Possessing such an item suggests connections to royalty or a few reclusive, ancient noble families. If that is the case, we are in serious trouble!”

“You mean he might be someone sent by the Royal Family?” Xiong Ba Cangmang asked, horrified.

“Even if he’s not directly from the Royal Family, he is surely connected. Besides the royalty and a few princes, no one else should possess a Return Scroll. I simply cannot fathom which family, other than a royal one, could field such an expert,” Long Yuan Canghai’s expression grew heavy. “So everyone, be careful. If he seeks us out, do not act rashly.”

“Are we just going to let this go?” Xiong Ba Cangmang roared, unwilling to accept it.

“Could he be an expert dispatched from another continent?” Ying Zhen Qiuyun mused after long thought.

“Another continent?” Long Yuan Canghai paused slightly. “That possibility cannot be dismissed. Immediately investigate the registered origins of everyone who participated in this operation. All individuals from other continents are to be analyzed by the Pigeon Group. And we must not overlook any foreign adventurer who entered or left ZUMA Hall in the preceding month.”

“Yes, sir.”

“City Lord!” At this moment, Li Xie hesitated, clearly struggling to speak. “I think I remember someone.”

“Who!” Over a dozen sharp gazes seemed ready to pierce Li Xie’s body.

“This person is the rising star in the Adventurer World—Blue Lightning,” Li Xie revealed. “Based on past records, Blue Lightning possesses incredibly swift speed; I’ve experienced that firsthand when we clashed before.” Li Xie glanced nervously toward Mo Zhan Ting as he spoke, remembering that it was during that previous encounter that Blue Lightning had killed the Young City Lord, Hua Yu, an incident for which Li Xie nearly lost his head.

“Continue,” Mo Zhan Ting’s expression changed, as if a realization had dawned on him.

“More importantly, Blue Lightning seems immune to magical attacks. This was confirmed by the members of the Raging Dragon Gang who survived the Kun Long Mountain strongholds, and Sha Jiao and Sha Wang also witnessed it firsthand: Blue Lightning and the madwoman Yan Luo killed the Young City Lord using a dual assault of magic and physical force. From all angles, Blue Lightning is the most suspicious individual.”

“Go on. Tell us everything you know.” Mo Zhan Ting’s knuckles cracked audibly, as if he wished to instantly pulverize Blue Lightning.

“Y-yes.” Li Xie was sweating profusely, not only from the City Lord Mo Zhan Ting’s fury, which seemed ready to erupt like a volcano at any moment, but also from the cold, grim stares of the leaders of the other four great sects. No one doubted that the rage emanating from those four men was capable of incinerating everything, especially Xiong Ba Cangmang, whose fury seemed to be hovering right on the verge of explosion. If Li Xie was telling the truth, then the dignified City Lord, the leaders of the Four Great Sects, and their elite disciples and elders had all been toyed with by a mere junior. If this rumor got out, where would their honor stand? It was a miracle they hadn't erupted right there and then.

“Blue Lightning, origin unknown, name unknown. However, I heard Yan Luo call him ‘Xing.’ Male, height approximately 1.68 meters, age between sixteen and twenty-five. He favors a longsword and a strangely styled long saber, known in the Adventurer World as the Lightning Sword and Lightning Saber. Both his swordplay and sabre techniques are characterized by ferocity, sharpness, and extreme speed. His current ranking on the Marfa Masters List is eighty-ninth. He earned the moniker Blue Lightning because he wore blue clothing during his first recorded kill of a Raging Dragon Gang master, Chi Jiao. Furthermore, I have fought him before; that silhouette is definitely Blue Lightning.”

“Blue Lightning! Hahahaha!” Long Yuan Canghai couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh wildly. “So, after we exhausted countless resources and sacrificed so many brothers, we ended up enriching this brat.”

“Hmph! Ranked eighty-ninth?” Ying Zhen Qiuyun said darkly. “This ranking is clearly undeserved. Are you telling me that we old fellows were played for fools by a junior?”

“As long as he isn’t connected to the Royal Family, everything is manageable,” Long Yuan Canghai said grimly. “It’s truly hard to believe that our esteemed Four Great Sects and Shabak were manipulated by this kid like monkeys.”

“Good. Very good!” Xiong Ba Cangmang roared. “You four, you must capture that boy for me.”

“Ah!” Nearby, Long Yuan Feixue, Ying Zhen Kuangren, Xiong Ba Tianxia, and Hu Xiao Shanye broke out in cold sweat. From the start, the four young disciples hadn't dared to utter a word in the face of their elders’ blazing anger. Now, spurred on by Xiong Ba Cangmang, they threw caution to the wind.

“Disciples swear to present Blue Lightning’s head with our own hands,” Ying Zhen Kuangren declared.

“Who wants his head? I want him alive,” Ying Zhen Qiuyun snapped sharply.

“Yes, Disciple understands.”

“The four of you must bring Blue Lightning back, no matter the method, no matter the cost.”

“Yes.” The four young disciples ground their teeth in assent.

“But relying only on this scant information, capturing Blue Lightning seems impossible,” Long Yuan Canghai seemed to be the only one maintaining a shred of calm. “We don't even know what he looks like.”

“This old man has something to add,” it was Hu Xiao Changyuan who spoke up.

“Senior Brother, do you know something?” Hu Xiao Changfeng’s expression sharpened respectfully.

“I only just thought of it,” Hu Xiao Changyuan stroked his long beard gently. “A few days ago, before you all began your operation, I encountered three young people. Two of them addressed each other as brother and sister—the elder sister named Lan Yue, the younger brother named Lan Xing. There was also a young girl named Qian Yue.”

“Lan Yue, Lan Xing, Qian Yue.” Long Yuan Canghai was initially confused, but realization dawned quickly. “Lan Xing! Isn't Blue Lightning’s name Xing?”

“Precisely,” Hu Xiao Changyuan said with emotion. “The moment I first saw him, I felt he was one of the few individuals I couldn't read in my entire life. Thinking back now, I didn't misjudge him. I just never imagined this fellow would be so audacious.”

“Martial Uncle, you mean that boy?” Hu Xiao Shanlin’s expression shifted dramatically. “I recall they introduced themselves as members of the Lan Family of Cangyue Liusu.”

“Yes. Not only I, but Shan Lin and that girl Feiyan also saw them,” he finished, glancing instinctively toward Ying Zhen Feiyan of the Ying Zhen Sect.

“Yes, we did indeed meet those three and even shared a meal with them,” Ying Zhen Feiyan replied respectfully.

“Members of the Lan Family of Cangyue Liusu,” Long Yuan Canghai murmured. “Could it be that Yan Luo and Blue Lightning are collateral descendants of the Lan Family of Cangyue Liusu?”

"Hahahaha, who cares if it was them or not," Xiong Ba Cangmang roared with uncontrollable laughter. "Since you've seen them, that simplifies things. Girl, your drawing skills are quite good; can you sketch out the likenesses of those three?" "Yes!"

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