After the Lord of Stone City finished speaking, he felt a bit embarrassed. Even with his thick skin, he understood one thing clearly:
He had originally intended to keep the secret hidden and didn't want Senju Yukika to find out. But now that he had been exposed, he still wanted to go with him to Mount Jufeng.
The reason was obvious to everyone present: they wanted to use Senju Yukika's formidable presence to compete for the treasure.
But Senju Yukika didn't care about their motives. He figured that since Mount Jufeng belonged to this planet and he wasn't familiar with the place, having the Stone City Lord as a guide might not be a bad idea—especially since Shangguan Wan'er had looked like she hadn't been out much herself.
So, he nodded and said, "Alright, you can come with us."
Hearing Senju Yukika agree, the Lord of Stone City and the two sect leaders beside him were overjoyed!
From their perspective, the chances of securing the treasure and entering the Sixteen Nations were slim due to the many powers rushing there. But if Master Senju Yukika joined them, that would change everything!
They had already seen Senju Yukika fight twice—a power so overwhelming it left them breathless.
It's worth noting that the Lord of Stone City was already a powerful elite of the highest class. While he might not be the strongest among the competing factions, he was certainly a formidable contender.
Senju Yukika's strength far surpassed his. In his eyes, Senju Yukika was undoubtedly the most powerful figure among those vying for the treasure.
So they immediately set off for Mount Jufeng, heading north from Stone City, passing through Overlord City.
A hundred miles further north of Overlord City was Rising Sun City.
Before long, the group arrived at Rising Sun City and reunited with the two city lords—the Lords of Overlord City and Rising Sun City.
They had been waiting for a while. Upon receiving the news, they also learned that the Stone City Lord was traveling with a formidable cultivator.
But the Lord of Stone City hadn't told them exactly how powerful this monk-like figure was.
Now, as they saw the Stone City Lord arriving with Senju Yukika, both the Lords of Overlord and Rising Sun City were visibly shaken.
They were sharp individuals. Even from a distance, they could see that the Lord of Stone City was showing extreme respect to this mysterious man—walking humbly by his side and even stepping slightly behind him.
The Lord of Stone City wasn't the type to lower himself unless the other party was so powerful that he felt inwardly pressured and oppressed.
But as they looked closely at Senju Yukika, their faces revealed disbelief.
He looked far too young, inexperienced, and had been completely unknown before. How powerful could he possibly be?
Naturally, they couldn't help but feel a bit of contempt for Senju Yukika.
To them, the Stone City Lord was an old, established powerhouse. His glory days were behind him, and he had become a reckless old lion.
They saw no trace of the past fire in him. As for the mysterious youth, they were clearly uneasy with how someone so young had earned such a prestigious place at the table.
Every master of a main city in the Rakshasa Kingdom had climbed from the bottom through blood and fire, fighting their way to the top.
Seeing someone like Senju Yukika rise to prominence at such a young age stirred envy and resentment.
But Senju Yukika ignored their looks entirely, not giving them the slightest bit of attention.
In Rising Sun City, the Lord of the city personally arranged a feast to welcome the Stone City Lord.
At the banquet, the Rising Sun City Lord smiled and said, "Mount Jufeng is nearby. The treasure may be about to emerge, but there's no rush."
Everyone knew Mount Jufeng was very close to Rising Sun City.
If necessary, the city lord could even dispatch a flying vessel to reach it quickly.
Although the Stone City group was anxious, they didn't dismiss the Rising Sun City Lord's hospitality.
During the banquet, all three city lords were present and exchanged toasts. However, the Lords of Overlord City and Rising Sun City deliberately ignored Senju Yukika.
They only acknowledged the Stone City Lord and paid no attention to Senju Yukika.
Eventually, the Stone City Lord realized something was wrong. The two city lords seemed to have some misunderstanding about Master Senju Yukika.
He couldn't help but think: These two are usually so astute. Can't they see how powerful this young master truly is?
Still, praising Senju Yukika in front of colleagues wasn't easy, and he grew increasingly frustrated. These two really were something else.
When the feast ended, the Stone City Lord found an excuse to bring the two other lords to a side hall.
Before he could explain, the Lord of Overlord City blurted out, "What's going on? Why are you acting like his lackey?"
Both he and the Rising Sun City Lord stared at the Stone City Lord in confusion.
The Stone City Lord gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "With your sharp eyes, can't you see how terrifying this young man is?"
"Terrifying? How terrifying could he be?" the Rising Sun City Lord scoffed.
Among the three city lords, he was the strongest and felt the most entitled to look down on others.
But the Stone City Lord pressed on. "This man killed the daughter of the Lord of Langya Tower. Do you really think he did that without any backing?"
That statement shocked the other two. They hadn't realized that this young man was behind the recent major scandal.
The Overlord City Lord said, "Didn't expect that kid to be so bold—to kill the daughter of Langya Tower's master!"
The Rising Sun City Lord fell into thought and slowly said, "That only proves he's reckless and impulsive. It doesn't mean he has deep cultivation."
Then he added, "Since he's made such a powerful enemy, you should keep your distance to avoid trouble."
Seeing the two still dismissing Senju Yukika, the Lord of Stone City grew even more anxious.
As part of this alliance, he didn't want his two allies to provoke Senju Yukika and bring disaster upon themselves.