Even Dali and the others felt it; Mo Han noticed it too, though his cultivation level was higher than everyone else’s, making the influence almost negligible to him.

The common folk on the street turned pale upon hearing the sounds, unsure of what was happening, instinctively fleeing toward their homes. In an instant, the bustling main street dissolved into chaos. Mo Han and his group frowned, watching the scene, and were about to return to their lodging when, from the East—the direction the sound originated from—a surge of intensely powerful magical energy erupted. By Mo Han’s estimation, this output required at least the level of a Saint Magus, and even Dali and the others keenly felt that immense wave, let alone Mo Han.

But hadn’t Saint Magus practitioners vanished entirely after the Holy War five centuries ago? Since then, no one on the human continent had been rumored to reach the realm of a Saint Magus. Yet, someone of this caliber was appearing now. This realization astonished Mo Han, piquing a keen curiosity about the individual emitting such potent magical fluctuations. This intense curiosity solidified his decision: he had to go investigate what was transpiring there.

After all, the cultivation of a Saint Magus was absolutely unparalleled on the current human continent. With this thought, Mo Han quickly instructed Dali and the others to return to their inn and wait while he intended to scout ahead.

Dali and the others knew Mo Han’s temperament and offered no obstruction, only insisting that Mo Han must bring Xiao Mo along. After all, Xiao Mo was a Rank Nine magical beast; in a pinch, he could at least assist Mo Han if danger arose. Yielding to their insistence, Mo Han reluctantly scooped up Xiao Mo, cast a Flight Spell upon himself, and sped toward the origin of the magical waves.

After a brief flight, Mo Han neared the source of the energy—a small valley. Fearing that approaching too closely might alert those inside, Mo Han landed at a distance, channeled his fighting aura, and rapidly swept toward the valley floor.

He soon arrived within the valley. Sensing the powerful auras he had detected were just ahead, Mo Han slowed his pace, cautiously advancing along a dense thicket toward the valley center.

Meanwhile, deep within the valley, four figures stood facing each other across an open clearing, divided into two factions. On one side stood a breathtakingly beautiful young woman clad in white—her skin like fine jade, features exquisitely drawn, with bright, sparkling eyes. An aura of inviolability radiated from her entire being. Behind her stood two middle-aged men in yellow robes, following with impassive faces, clearly her subordinates. Yet, the sheer imposing presence they exuded made it difficult for others to meet their gaze.

Their cultivation was obviously profound.

Opposite the young woman stood an elder clad in green, his expression grim, staring coldly at the white-robed party.

The green-robed elder spoke first, his voice cold: "Rou Xue, I refrain from escalating this out of respect for our shared Dragon lineage, but do not mistake my restraint for fear. You must step aside now, or do not blame me for showing no mercy."

The white-robed young woman, Rou Xue, merely responded in a level tone, "Lü Feng, as long as you agree to return with me to face the Council's judgment, I will not make things difficult for you. Return willingly, and spare us the need for conflict."

Lü Feng scoffed at Rou Xue’s words and replied coldly, "Do you think I’m ignorant? If I return with you, will I have a life left? Are the old men of the Council truly so reasonable? Stop trying to trick me. I have done nothing wrong."

Hearing Lü Feng, the white-robed young woman named Rou Xue shook her head. "Lü Feng, I cannot believe you still fail to recognize your error. You colluded with the Demonic Dragon Clan, attempting to steal our Dragon Clan's divine artifact, the Dragon Armor. Once your scheme was exposed, you fled. I have been sent by the Elder Council to bring you back. And you still claim you did nothing wrong? It is truly incurable."

Lü Feng began his defense, "You people are too conservative, spending all your time huddled on Dragon Island. You possess immense ability but refuse to utilize it. If you had listened to me, the Dragon Teng Continent would be under Dragon Clan dominion now, not those lowly humans! My alliance with the Demonic Dragon Clan was merely to harness their strength to help us control the continent. Once the entire continent is under our control, among the humans' countless artifacts, surely we could find one capable of countering the Dragon Armor? This is just paying a small interest now for the immense benefits we’d reap later. Where is the fault in what I did?"

Rou Xue, hearing Lü Feng's justification, shook her head again. "Our Dragon Clan must remain on Dragon Island unless absolutely necessary. This is the rule that has sustained our lineage for thousands of years. Are you unaware of this? Our ancestors established this with sound reasoning; it is not something you can overturn with a few empty words. Cease this pointless talk and come back with me obediently."

Lü Feng gave a cold laugh upon hearing this. "I see you have no intention of letting me go. Since that is the case, there is no point in further discussion. Let us fight. I wish to see what capabilities you possess that could possibly drag me back."

Hearing Lü Feng’s words, Rou Xue spoke calmly, "Since you remain so stubbornly deluded, then do not blame us."

With that, she turned to the two men behind her and commanded, "Act. Bring him back."

Upon hearing Rou Xue’s order, the two yellow-robed men needed no further instruction. They launched themselves toward Lü Feng with lightning speed, appearing before him in an instant. Mo Han, who had just arrived, witnessed the skill of the two yellow-robed men and gasped inwardly. Their prowess was certainly no less than his own, and quite possibly surpassed it. Unless he obtained the Holy Sword of Light, he would stand no chance against either of them.

Lü Feng, watching the two figures hurtling toward him, remained unfazed. Instead, he let out a sharp shout, thrusting both hands toward the two yellow-robed men. Though his attack seemed to carry no overt power, the faces of the two men changed dramatically. They swiftly dodged the incoming strikes and changed trajectory, continuing their assault. The two sides were quickly locked in a fierce melee. Instantly, the entire valley was filled with flying sand and rolling stones, punctuated by continuous, deafening roars—the result of their clashing auras.

Furthermore, both sides seemed to possess inexhaustible fighting energy. They fought on for a long time without any visible slowdown, as if the expenditure of this power was utterly trivial to them.

Leaping toward...