Senju Yukika was the first to arrive at the Jufeng Mountain Range. Not far behind him, Tanaka Koguma and Shangguan Koguma curiously glanced around in all directions.
They knew the legendary treasure had emerged, but as they scanned with their eyes, they found nothing unusual—no glowing light, no visible signs.
Where exactly was the treasure?
A hint of doubt crept into both of their hearts. After all, Shangguan Ning's primary goal had been to hunt down the Demon Clan—not to seek treasure.
But then again, if the treasure was truly as valuable as rumored, could anyone really stay indifferent?
At that moment, Senju Yukika was still expanding his spiritual pressure, trying to enter the mysterious cavern.
But no matter how he tried, he couldn't get in. He then attempted several other caverns of varying size, only to be met with the same resistance.
Something about it was strange. His spiritual pressure came from the Shinigami Realm, not chakra. And yet, these caverns were powerful enough to block even that?
Then he noticed something unusual: beneath the entire surface of the mountain range, a potent, vibrant life force seemed to be brewing—surging, rich, as if nurturing something about to awaken...
At the same time, Senju Yukika looked toward the skies above the Jufeng Mountains. Clouds were gradually gathering, creating a foreboding atmosphere that filled him with unease.
Whoosh—
A massive flying vessel slowly descended. Lord Stone and the others had finally arrived.
As they stepped off the ship, the Tyrant City Lord and Sun City Lord looked at Senju Yukika very differently than before. Gone were the casual, dismissive glances. Now, their eyes held caution and even a trace of reverence.
Still, deep down, the Sun City Lord harbored doubts. The whole situation was just too surreal for him to accept.
How could such a young, unknown figure defeat the White Light Sect Leader with a single movement technique?
Just how powerful was Senju Yukika? Had he reached a legendary tier?
Unless he witnessed Yukika's strength firsthand, the Sun City Lord's doubts would not easily be erased.
Just then, a burst of laughter echoed from the distance.
A group slowly approached, riding on various ferocious beasts. These creatures weren't particularly strong, but their appearances were terrifying.
Seeing the new arrivals, Lord Stone's heart tensed. He cautiously muttered, "Members of the Beast King Palace..."
The Beast King Palace was an arrogant faction located on the border of the Rashomon Nation. They believed in taming fierce beasts to fight in their place.
The palace bred countless beasts—small and large alike. Some were acquired by force from other regions. Their practitioners would erase the beasts' intelligence, turning them into mindless servants.
Though technically within Rashomon's borders, the palace sat on the fringe, refusing to follow the nation's orders.
They rarely associated with other sects or clans. Viewed as rogue and morally ambiguous, most people avoided them.
The leader of the arriving group was a cold-faced youth with a haughty demeanor. He rode atop a towering, silver-white snow wolf.
The wolf was terrifying in appearance—over two meters tall and several meters long. Its body was covered in steel-like fur, and its icy blue eyes gleamed with a sinister glow.
The youth gave the group a sweeping glance and sneered, "So it's just the city lords of Rashomon. I thought someone important had arrived in that flying ship."
His eyes openly revealed greed as he looked toward the massive vessel in the distance.
Still, he knew his limits. That airship represented the Rashomon Nation. Trying to seize it would incur the wrath of the royal family, who could easily mobilize the entire nation against the Beast King Palace.
Though powerful, the palace had no interest in going to war with the kingdom.
The youth continued to sneer, and the Beast King disciples behind him laughed wildly—arrogant and unruly, showing no respect to the gathered city lords.
The Sun City Lord snorted coldly. "Your Beast King Palace dwells in some barren, beast-filled backwater. Without those animals, how would you even reach the Jufeng Mountains?"
The Sun City Lord had long disapproved of the Beast King Palace, due to past grievances. Now, he used the topic of flying vessels to mock them, implying they were too poor to afford such tools and had to rely on wild beasts for transport.
His words clearly enraged the Beast King group. An elder—over sixty years old—standing behind the young leader, flew into a rage. He punched a black bear aside and landed directly in front of the Sun City Lord.
With a voice as cold as ice, he said, "Since you look down on our palace so much, why don't we exchange a few moves?"
As the strongest among the three city lords, the Sun City Lord would never back down from such provocation.
He stepped forward. "Fine. Let's see what you've got. But I hope you won't be begging for mercy afterward."
Seeing the two about to clash, both Lord Stone and the Tyrant City Lord became anxious and tried to intervene.
After all, they had come to the Jufeng Mountains in search of a legendary treasure—not to start a power struggle.
What would victory accomplish? It would only draw unwanted attention from other forces, making things more complicated.
Besides, the elder from the Beast King Palace was no weakling. He wasn't someone they could afford to provoke easily.
Just as the two combatants prepared to strike, another burst of laughter rang out.
From the distance came a group of elegant young men. The one leading them carried a folding fan and fanned himself with relaxed grace.
His companions were equally impressive, brimming with spirit and strength.
Seeing them, Lord Stone sighed deeply. "Even the men from the Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace are here..."
Indeed, they had arrived—the number one sect of Rashomon Nation: Xiaoyao Heavenly Palace.