His Daoist robe’s long sleeves billowed, three bright moons hanging high overhead, their hazy light enveloping Gu Xiechen, rendering his rapidly moving form nearly translucent. A light touch of his toe on a treetop sent him gliding effortlessly over a hundred meters further. This inconceivable movement stunned Shen Hua and Daoist Zhang.

Shen Hua moved along the ground with earnest exertion. His formidable physical power unleashed, transforming the soft forest floor into craters a meter deep with every bound. The massive recoil propelled Shen Hua forward like a cannonball, tearing through the air with a muffled roar. Shen Hua occasionally looked up, his gaze a mixture of envy and profound confusion directed at Gu Xiechen. Gu Xiechen’s movement technique was too bizarre; he simply could not fathom how Gu Xiechen could traverse the treetops with near-flight capability—even a Xiantian-level fighter shouldn't possess such ability!

Daoist Zhang followed Gu Xiechen along the canopy for about twenty kilometers. After that distance, Daoist Zhang was panting heavily, his true energy nearly depleted. The towering trees of Paradise Star were indeed vast, enormous, magnificent, and grand, yet the foliage at their very tips was as tender as that of ordinary saplings. These delicate branches offered no purchase; every step on the treetop demanded the cultivation of deep inner strength just to propel his body forward in flight.

Having practiced diligently since childhood for over twenty years, the true energy in Daoist Zhang’s Dantian was close to forming a Qi Dan. Furious and exasperated, he shot a glare at Gu Xiechen’s retreating back. Muttering curses, he lifted the front of his Daoist robe and retrieved two pieces of emerald bamboo leaf. After chanting a few short incantations, Daoist Zhang spat a mouthful of saliva onto the two leaves, using the trace of Yuan Qi clinging to the moisture to activate the talisman affixed to them. Two vibrant, tadpole-like green symbols flickered across the leaves. Daoist Zhang forcefully pressed the bamboo leaves against his calves.

With a 'swish,' Daoist Zhang tapped the treetop with his toes and shot forward over three hundred meters, swift as an arrow loosed from a bowstring—this speed, this movement technique, was terrifyingly fast. Arrogantly, hands clasped behind his back, Daoist Zhang strode past Gu Xiechen with his head held high and chin jutted out.

Gu Xiechen smiled faintly. He continuously fed his true energy into the cloud boots beneath his feet. A faint shimmer of cloud-light enveloped his feet, and Gu Xiechen equally accelerated, managing to keep pace exactly shoulder-to-shoulder with Daoist Zhang. Gu Xiechen, without drawing a single heavy breath, chuckled to Daoist Zhang, "Daoist Master, everything in that valley belongs to me. If you happen upon anything valuable, you must not try to swindle me!"

Daoist Zhang knitted his brows. While gliding forward with seemingly ethereal grace, he inwardly cursed, "What valuable things could possibly remain in that valley besides the Golden Crow Heavenly Fire? If there were anything truly valuable, wouldn't you have already stripped it bare?" Realizing that Gu Xiechen likely left nothing of worth behind, and considering their current partnership, Daoist Zhang quickly acquiesced.

"To the eighteenth generation ancestors of you two stinking nostrils!"

Shen Hua, straining as he ran on the ground, was so enraged that bloodshot veins bulged in his eyes. His leg muscles convulsed violently, and he stomped down onto the earth with tremendous force. With booming 'bangs,' deep, five-meter-wide chasms continuously erupted on the forest floor as Shen Hua also sped up his frenzied run to catch up. However, Shen Hua’s power was so immense that his passage left behind a terrifying commotion.

Suddenly, Shen Hua misjudged his strength and slammed headlong into a massive tree several meters thick ahead of him. With a loud 'crack,' wood shards flew everywhere. Shen Hua blasted a two-meter-wide hole straight through the trunk, relentlessly charging forward like a maddened wild boar to finally catch up with Gu Xiechen.

Several kilometers away, a strong man running behind Xin Jia suddenly looked up in surprise. He muttered softly to himself, "Azure Bamboo Soaring Cloud Talisman? This Talisman art, it feels profoundly familiar."

Shaking his head, the strong man sighed quietly. "My Nascent Soul is damaged; I have forgotten the origin of this Azure Bamboo Soaring Cloud Talisman."

After nearly three hours of fast travel, Gu Xiechen brought Shen Hua and Daoist Zhang to the entrance of the valley where he had previously obtained treasures. The valley entrance was merely a narrow crevice in the rock, further concealed by massive trees overhead. Inside, the valley was just as lush and verdant, its existence hidden even from high-precision reconnaissance satellites. Standing at the entrance, Daoist Zhang let out a long sigh. "If Mr. Gu Xiechen hadn't led us here, we probably wouldn't have found this trove in less than several years."

Gu Xiechen smiled with reserved dignity, hands behind his back, and nodded. "Enough pleasantries. Let’s hurry into the valley to look. If there’s anything else that interests you, we can start estimating its worth immediately!"

The phrase 'estimating its worth' made both Daoist Zhang and Shen Hua roll their eyes simultaneously. Even Siren and Aredia, who had followed in a small transport skiff, couldn't help but shake their heads.

Daoist Zhang sighed again and lifted the front of his Daoist robe once more. With a flip of his hand, a bronze compass appeared in his grip. Daoist Zhang walked in measured steps, murmuring incantations as he paced around, before suddenly slapping his forehead hard.

A sharp, startling 'smack' echoed. Gu Xiechen looked at Daoist Zhang in astonishment. "Daoist Master Zhang, what is it?"

Daoist Zhang pointed at the valley entrance and exclaimed in awe, "A feng shui treasure spot! Truly a treasure spot! I never realized—this is actually a confluence of Nine Yang energies! Nine Dragons lurk beneath the earth, gathering the wind and consolidating the qi; purple energy surges upward. It inherently possesses the spiritual efficacy to dispel inner demons. This is a supreme cultivation ground for us Daoists!"

Gu Xiechen chuckled a few times, adopting the air of the owner as he invited Daoist Zhang and Shen Hua into the valley. Gu Xiechen said with unconcealed pride, "Since it is a supreme location, this valley must also command a proper price. Hmm, I wonder if this valley can be exchanged for two experts in high-energy physics?" Gu Xiechen was determined this time to extract a hefty sum from the Asian Daoist Alliance. He had faintly heard rumors that the Asian Daoist Alliance was secretly involved behind several of the most advanced laboratories in the Asian region—this was a golden opportunity for extortion.

Daoist Zhang’s face turned dark. He swiftly tucked the compass under his robe, stammering incoherently, "Perhaps, perhaps not? This valley, maybe, it isn't actually suitable for us cultivators. Heh heh, we can discuss this later, definitely later!"

"Very well, we'll discuss it later."

Gu Xiechen was equally decisive. He parted the trailing vines covering the valley entrance and led the group inside. They rounded the rugged, difficult passage and passed the Torreya grandis forest outside the crevice, and the sight of the vibrant, wildly flourishing peach grove immediately burst into view. Gu Xiechen had already experienced a visual shock, but Siren and Aredia were instantly captivated by the exquisite peach blossoms.

Under the moonlight, countless peach petals drifted down, the moonlight bathing them in a gentle halo. Siren gently wrapped his arms around Aredia’s waist, gazing tenderly at the now slightly fragile and weak Aredia. Siren’s lips, faintly silver-tinged, parted, and he spoke with soft affection, "My dear Aredia, on such a beautiful night, don't you think..."

"Hmm?"

Aredia hummed softly.

"Don't you think on such a marvelous evening, you ought to permit me to use my true energy to restore my appearance?"

Siren made a comical face toward Aredia with a wink. The mottled, purplish-blue bruises on his face gave him the look of a clown.

The newly softened Aredia responded with a simple, brutal punch directly to Siren's jaw. Gu Xiechen even saw faint flickers of fire flashing between Aredia’s fingers. Gu Xiechen instinctively crossed himself over his chest, then brought his hands together in prayer: "Boundless Heavenly Venerable above, how terrifying! So pitiful!"

Shen Hua watched the vast expanse of the peach grove with disgust, inhaling deeply, his muscles trembling uncontrollably. This was a Nine Yang location, inherently antagonistic to the gloomy, evil qi that permeated Shen Hua. Peach wood also possessed the unique ability to repel evil spirits. These peach trees must be thousands of years old, and the power to ward off evil was frighteningly potent. The moment Shen Hua entered the valley, he felt deeply uncomfortable; seeing the peach grove made him feel as if he were being burned by fire.

With a cold snort, a vast cloud of dense black qi erupted from within Shen Hua, the corpse aura insulating him from the external pure Yang essence. Shen Hua nodded with satisfaction.

Gu Xiechen glanced at Shen Hua in surprise. The corpse aura Shen Hua was emitting was at least twice as pure as when he had seen him in London. The sinister evil within the qi was terrifyingly strong, wave after wave of malevolence surging toward Gu Xiechen, seemingly alive, attempting to penetrate his very pores. This was clearly another transformation brought about by the essence blood of the Hanba. Gu Xiechen pursed his lips, his heart pounding hard a few times.

Daoist Zhang’s reaction, however, was completely unexpected. When the grove of thousand-year-old peach trees appeared before everyone, Daoist Zhang’s eyes instantly flashed a wolfish emerald green. He howled like an aged lecher who had just taken a powerful aphrodisiac upon seeing a delicate young beauty, launching himself toward the peach grove.

Daoist Zhang’s hands trembled, his body shook, and his mouth twitched as he shrieked incoherently, "Heavens, ten-thousand-year-old peach wood! Ten-thousand-year-old peach wood! Heavens, three years ago, True Monarch Xiaoye of Maoshan stole a thousand-year-old peach branch from his master to auction in the black market—a piece the size of an arm fetched over forty million! This is premium material for forging the 'Nine Thunder Demon Slaying Sword'!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Gu Xiechen’s eyes lit up. He rushed forward and grabbed Daoist Zhang’s shoulder. Gu Xiechen asked with a pleasant smile, "Daoist Master, what did you just say? A thousand-year-old peach branch the size of an arm sold for over forty million in the black market? Then, how much are all these ten-thousand-year-old peach trees here worth?"

Shen Hua stood stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach. Peach wood was naturally opposed to people from the Nine Nether Dao; none of the Nine Nether sect members held any affection for it. But Daoists like Daoist Zhang, who practiced orthodox Daoist arts, were different. The value of ten-thousand-year-old peach wood to them was incalculable. Gu Xiechen’s next strike would surely leave the major Daoist sects represented by Daoist Zhang bleeding profusely!

"How spectacular!" Shen Hua counted on his fingers. "Just one of these ten-thousand-year trees is worth at least a hundred thousand arm-sized pieces. Tsk tsk, what a price tag, sigh!"

Daoist Zhang’s face turned ashen, and he furiously slapped himself across the face. His eyes darted around rapidly. Gu Xiechen immediately laughed. "Don't even think about killing me to silence me. I am now an Earth Federation Army Colonel. If the Three Witch Sect has a personal grudge against me, fine, but if you dare lay a hand on me, think about how many Federal troops are stationed on Paradise Star?"

Before the words had completely faded, a loud, solemn voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire valley.

"The Lord is merciful. Before the Lord, all you lost lambs, cast down the butcher’s knife from your hearts!"

A gentle, fragrant mist drifted in, and His Eminence Cardinal Andre, clad in a red robe, entered the valley accompanied by no fewer than five hundred elite heavy cavalrymen.

From a great distance, Andre nodded courteously toward Gu Xiechen in greeting.

Gu Xiechen smiled smugly, scattering a handful of fragrant bait. The first fish had taken the hook.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× Utterly speechless, I managed to blister my toes while out shopping... Pig Head is diligently typing... Comrades, please work hard to smash those votes and recommendations... Continuing to strive...

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