"Hurry up, move faster! If we're late, there won't even be any scraps left, never mind a share!" The one-eyed man leading the group urged loudly.

  Behind the one-eyed man were seven cultivators—four men and three women. Leo was startled to see that the lowest among them was at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Two of them possessed a spiritual pressure that far exceeded his own; they must have been late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

  "Why is Fellow Daoist Maven so anxious? That Crystal Toad is a fourth-grade demon beast, equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator in terms of strength. And it's holed up in that small lake. Even if others discover it, there's not much they can do. We'll probably have to wait for some Foundation Establishment seniors from Moonwatch Immortal City to come and take charge." A young man carrying a short saber, at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, spoke as he hurried along.

  "What do you know? Too many ants can kill an elephant. A few hundred Qi Refining cultivators might not be able to handle that beast on their own, but there are at least a thousand people gathered near that lake, and plenty of them are late-stage experts. If they really put their minds to it, taking down that Crystal Toad wouldn't be impossible. And I heard that Cold Glimmer Stones have appeared in that lake! Spiritual objects in these Moonwatch Mountains are always guarded by demon beasts. If we delay, some other desperate cultivators might snatch them up before we get there!" The burly bearded man retorted.

  The group of eight hurried past.

  "A small lake? Cold Glimmer Stones? A Crystal Toad?" After they had gone, Leo stepped out from behind a tree, murmuring to himself. Obtaining either a Cold Glimmer Stone or the Crystal Toad itself would allow one to join the Ice Profound Sect. No wonder those cultivators were so agitated. But that Crystal Toad was a fourth-grade demon beast—far beyond his ability to covet.

  Then he reconsidered. Since nearly a thousand loose cultivators had already gathered near the lake, it would surely be a chaotic mix of all types. He needn't worry about anyone specifically targeting him. With so many late-stage and even Great Perfection experts around, it would be a rare opportunity to witness the power of a fourth-grade demon beast. It would be a pity to miss such a spectacle. Moreover, spiritual treasures were limited. Once they appeared, chaos and fights would surely erupt. If he could blend in and fish in troubled waters, he might even pick up some scraps.

  With this thought, Leo set off in the same direction as the previous cultivator squad.

  Along the way, Leo encountered several more groups. Each time, he gripped his spirit sword tightly, ready to flee at a moment's notice. A few teams glanced at him with suspicion, but their eyes merely swept over him. There was no sign of an impending attack; they were all rushing in the same direction. Leo breathed a sigh of relief. In this kind of chaotic, mixed crowd, being alone certainly felt precarious.

  After traveling roughly a hundred and fifty miles, passing through a forest of towering trees and a small mountain valley, the view suddenly opened up. A moist breeze, carrying a rich surge of water-attributed spiritual energy, caressed his face. Leo's spirits lifted.

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  Cultivators were everywhere, densely packed, far more than the one-eyed man had mentioned. He estimated there were nearly three thousand people.

  Screech! A sharp, piercing bird cry rang out.

  "Old Man Flying Roc!"

  Exclamations of shock rippled through the cultivators below.

  Leo looked up. A massive yellow roc, with a wingspan of over ten meters, was circling overhead. Even from a distance of several dozen meters, he could feel the wind stirred by its passage. The spiritual pressure emanating from above was faintly unsettling—not only from the cultivator called Old Man Flying Roc but also from the yellow roc beneath him. That bird was likely a peak third-grade spirit beast.

  " Old Man Flying Roc, you rarely leave your home. What brings you here to compete with us for spiritual treasures now?" A young man in blue robes shouted from below.

  "Who's that reckless kid, daring to challenge Old Man Flying Roc? Is he asking for death?" a middle-aged man nearby muttered quietly.

  "What do you know? That's the young master of the Lais family. In Moonwatch Immortal City, he throws his weight around. Old Man Flying Roc might be formidable, but he's far from invincible among Qi Refining cultivators. There are plenty of Great Perfection experts here, they just don't make as flashy an entrance as him. Looks like this fight for treasures just got even more unpredictable." A short, stout man retorted.

  "Everyone knows Old Man Flying Roc has a notoriously strange temper. He couldn't care less about families or clans." The middle-aged man snorted skeptically.

  "Looking for death? I come and go as I please in these Moonwatch Mountains. Do I need your permission?" As if to confirm the middle-aged man's words, Old Man Flying Roc, still atop his roc, flicked his sleeve. A tremendous whirlwind swept down from the sky.

  Leo's luck was less than ideal; he happened to be standing not far from the young man in blue. As the whirlwind descended, his footing became unsteady. The young man, bearing the brunt of the attack, hastily activated a spirit talisman and raised a protective shield. But the shield shattered instantly under the whirlwind's force. The young man's face turned ashen, his forehead taking on a bluish tinge—a clear sign he was about to vomit blood.

  Leo was shocked. Old Man Flying Roc was incredibly powerful. The young man was a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, yet a single strike from Old Man Flying Roc had brought him to the brink of spitting blood. It was a stark reminder of the gap. Leo had thought himself somewhat capable after killing several opponents, but witnessing this, he realized how naive he had been. He was like a frog at the bottom of a well. The gap between him and these Great Perfection experts was significant. He would probably need to reach at least the late stage himself before he could contend with such masters.

  As the middle-aged man had predicted, this reckless young man was about to suffer.

  "Bullying a junior like this, do you think it makes you look impressive?" Behind the young man, a commanding, deep voice rang out. A broad-browed middle-aged man strode forward. With a wide sweep of his sleeve, he dispelled the whirlwind.

  A crackling explosion echoed in the air, like rolling thunder.

  "So, it's the Patriarch of the Lais family. No wonder these brats are so insolent. But I'm not here to pick a fight with you today. If you have the skill, after this business is settled, we can measure ourselves against each other!" Old Man Flying Roc cackled strangely. His roc banked in a wide arc and came to rest a few meters above a large boulder by the lake shore. Old Man Flying Roc leaped down.

  Leo surveyed the area around the lake. A massive crowd of cultivators had already gathered. There were dozens of Great Perfection experts like Old Man Flying Roc. Many had been watching the exchange with keen interest, hoping to see a fight break out between Old Man Flying Roc and the Lais family. Their disappointment was palpable when the confrontation fizzled out.

  Almost every Great Perfection expert had dozens of cultivators backing them. Some powerful families, like the wealthy ones, could muster over a hundred. The Lais family, a prominent artifact-forging family in Moonwatch Immortal City, was usually strong, but their luck was poor this time; they had only been able to bring a few people. Among the leaders, Leo spotted a familiar face: the Long-Browed Old Freak. People around him seemed to give him a wide berth, suggesting he was quite formidable.

  In the Moonwatch Mountain Range, it wasn't uncommon to encounter powerful families "clearing the area." Though angered, the scattered loose cultivators were powerless. However, with so many experts present and an even greater number of chaotic, mixed-origin cultivators, no single faction, or even two factions combined, could dominate the situation. Leo mused that there might indeed be a chance to fish in troubled waters.