A sharp cry echoed through the skies as the Nine Nether Thunder Eagle descended, its wings slicing the air with deafening force.
The pressure of its landing stirred violent gales, forcing countless cultivators to shield their eyes. Not a single one dared to voice a complaint.
Such was the might of a transcendent power.
From the eagle's back, the Third Elder, Wei Yi, and their companions dismounted gracefully. Though their number was small—only a dozen or so—the aura they exuded was impossible to ignore.
Unlike previous appearances, the Nine Nether Thunder Eagle didn't fly off this time. Instead, it transformed mid-air into a man garbed in black, his expression as cold as ice.
Wei Yi leaned in slightly and whispered, "Teacher, their gazes… they feel off."
"You're right," someone else echoed in a low voice. "They look like they're waiting for something... watching a show."
"It does feel like that…"
The conversation was hushed, but tension crackled in the air.
The Third Elder's brow furrowed. Something was amiss.
Suddenly, a chill spread across the valley. Those present stiffened as a terrifying pressure erupted from the Third Elder, his aura at the peak of Pathseeker Realm manifesting into a colossal, spectral palm.
The hand snatched a random young man from the crowd, hoisting him into the air like a helpless leaf.
"I ask. You answer," the Third Elder's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
"Y-Yes! I will, Senior!" the young cultivator stammered, visibly trembling.
Even just the Elder's spiritual pressure made resistance unthinkable. His face turned pale, and though rage flickered in his heart, he dared not express it.
Why me… out of all these people?!
The Elder narrowed his eyes. "What were you all discussing just now?"
The young man swallowed hard and answered with the utmost respect.
"Before you arrived, a senior whose cultivation I couldn't fathom appeared here."
The next words shocked everyone.
"The Black Tiger King of the monster beast royal clan... actually became his mount!"
A beat of silence fell.
Then gasps of disbelief rippled through the group. Even the Third Elder and Wei Yi exchanged stunned glances.
The Black Tiger King—Hu Kuang.
A monster beast of the royal clan. A seventh-rank powerhouse.
But his true infamy came not from power alone.
It was his personality—stubborn, arrogant, and above all, a notorious menace. His favorite pastime? Robbing cultivators. Ruthlessly.
Backed by the royal clan and his own strength, he had terrorized countless forces across the Azure Continent. He didn't kill unless necessary—but he never spared wealth. If he couldn't win a fight, he ran. No one had ever truly punished him.
Until now.
And now... this scourge of cultivators had become someone's mount?
Wei Yi frowned deeply. "Hu Kuang? A mount? That's absurd."
"I wouldn't dare lie!" the youth nearly wept. "Everyone saw it—ask them!"
He pointed with a trembling finger, and the other cultivators hastily nodded in agreement.
"…Continue," the Third Elder said coolly, folding his hands behind his back.
The young man sighed in relief and resumed his tale.
"After that senior arrived, the Heavenly Star Emperor and the Black Spear God came not long after."
Ji Wuhui and Elder Bai?
The Third Elder's eyes narrowed. So fast to respond… they must have been nearby, or perhaps even tracking this individual.
"And the two of them," the youth continued, "seemed very familiar with the senior. Their attitude was… extremely respectful."
This sent another ripple of shock through the group.
Ji Wuhui, the Heavenly Star Emperor.
Elder Bai, the Black Spear God.
Both were revered figures—powerhouses among Pathseeker—and they were treating this unknown senior with respect?
Just who was he?
"But…" the young man hesitated, "this senior behaved strangely. He said… he was a shopkeeper."
Wei Yi furrowed his brows. "A shopkeeper?"
The term felt completely out of place amidst such titanic power.
"…Why does that sound so familiar?" Wei muttered under his breath.
Then suddenly—
"Wait."
The Third Elder's expression shifted subtly. A thought surfaced in his mind.
He looked the youth directly in the eye. "This shop the senior spoke of… was it the Origin Mall?"