The Rise of David

-Book 12-

Chapter 551: Undetectable

Viola was stunned when she saw David bringing Yuven into his room. Why is King Yuven in Emerald Cauldron Sect all of a sudden? Besides, it seems like he knows David very well!

Upon hearing Ghaylen’s explanation, Viola was flabbergasted. Who would’ve known a rebellion could happen in a place like Imperial Beast City? I thought only a minor sect like Emerald Cauldron Sect would have their people rebelling!

At that moment, David was examining Yuven’s body.

As wave after wave of spiritual energy entered Yuven’s body, David still couldn’t find what was wrong with Yuven.

“This is odd! Although you’ve been poisoned and had your ability suppressed, I still can’t detect anything,” David uttered with a frown.

“This is a special poison from Norwal City that I heard is undetectable as it has no taste or smell. Hence, it can suppress one’s ability without them knowing it! Furthermore, this poison also has another characteristic, which is that it cannot be detected by anyone else. The only cure for it is a unique antidote made in Norwal City,” Yuven explained.

“I didn’t know Norwal City had such an incredible poison. I refuse to believe that I can’t get to the bottom of this!” David gently pressed his fingers on Yuven’s wrist and continued his examination.

While David was doing that, Faiyar’s voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

“Mr. Chance, I know about this poison from Norwal City. You won’t be able to find the poison in the

person’s body as it attacks one’s consciousness field. You might want to enter his consciousness field to check it out,” Faiyar revealed.

Upon hearing that, David retracted his spiritual energy and unleashed his spiritual sense to envelop Yuven.

As David’s spiritual sense entered Yuven’s consciousness field, David discovered that it had been infiltrated, as Faiyar said.

Although Yuven was conscious and retained his logic, he still needed his spiritual sense to unleash his spiritual energy and beast race aura.

In other words, he needed a clear mind to unleash his power.

“How did you know about this poison from Norwal City?” David asked curiously.

“To be frank, Mr. Chance, King Lucian killed a lot of my fellow demon spirits back then. Among them were some of the more powerful and older spirits. They, too, suffered from this poison! Back then, King Lucian lied to us. He claimed he would provide us with safe locations to help us escape the pursuit of the human race. A lot of us joined King Lucian when we found out about that. To everyone’s surprise, King Lucian poisoned and killed them all!” Faiyar was clearly infuriated when he told David the story.

“Why did he do that?” David was confused. If King Lucian wanted to kill Demonic Cultivators, why didn’t he do what the other sects did? He could’ve just hunted them down. Why did he need to lie to them?

“Well, King Lucian wanted to learn the ultimate techniques of the demon spirit race. I don’t even know how many Demonic Cultivators he killed, nor do I know if he succeeded in learning any of my race’s

ultimate techniques!” Faiyar explained.

Upon hearing that, David couldn’t help but find Lucian’s actions despicable.

The conversation with Faiyar had happened in David’s consciousness field, so Yuven couldn’t hear a thing. Seeing that David had gone silent and idle, Yuven said, “Mr. Chance, if you can’t find out what’s wrong with me, it’s all right...”

“I’ve already found the poison. It has invaded your consciousness field. It’s so precise that it doesn’t even affect your consciousness and thought process. Hence, no one would suspect that the poison is harming their consciousness field!” David answered.

Yuven was thrilled when he heard that. “Since you’ve already found it, Mr. Chance, are you able to cure me?”

—

David furrowed his brows and shook his head. “I’ve never seen a poison like this, so I don’t know how to get rid of it. I need to gather some medicinal herbs and do some experiments.”

Although David had found the poison, he didn’t know how to create the antidote.

In order to make the antidote, David needed to conduct experiments to see what medicinal herbs he could use to achieve results.

Yuven appeared desolate when he realized not even David could cure him.

Seeing that, David patted Yuven’s shoulder and urged, “Don’t despair. Give me some time, and I’ll surely cure you.”

Yuven nodded. “I believe in you, My Lord.”

“Since you’re here, get some rest. I’ll go and prepare the herbs. Let’s see if I can make some pills for you to try out!”

With that, David left, letting Yuven rest in his room.

“How’s everything, David?” Viola asked hurriedly the moment she saw David walking out of the room.

“The poison in King Yuven’s body is unique, and I don’t have a method to cure him yet. I’ll make a list of herbs that I need Mr. Samoll to gather for me because I would like to make some pills for King Yuven,” David said. With that, he got ready to write a list for Ghaylen.

However, a troubled look flashed across Ghaylen’s face before he said, “Mr. Chance, Emerald Cauldron Sect doesn’t have many resources left. I’m afraid we can’t provide you with the herbs you need.”

Those words had embarrassment flooding David. I forgot I’ve already used up most of Emerald Cauldron Sect’s resources!

“Mr. Samoll, please do whatever you can to get David what he needs. No matter how hefty the price is, you must get it for David,” Viola instructed Ghaylen.

“Ms. Warwick, you should know there are some medicinal herbs we can’t get our hands on, no matter how many spirit coins we have,” Ghaylen replied helplessly.

“You—”

Viola wanted to convince Ghaylen further, but David interrupted her by saying, “Viola, don’t force Mr. Samoll. He’s right. Some of the herbs I need can’t be bought with spirit coins.”

Viola was taken aback. When she turned to look at David in disbelief, her gaze was filled with deep admiration.

David noticed the look in her eyes and felt uneasy.

“What’s the matter? Did I make a mistake?” David asked when he saw Viola staring at him fixedly.

“What did you call me, David?” Viola uttered excitedly.

David froze momentarily before realizing he had just called Viola by her first name. Instead of addressing her as Ms. Warwick, I called her by her first name! I made it sound as though we were close!

With that in mind, David explained, “I... I didn’t even realize it. If you don’t like it, I can—”

“I like it! In fact, I love it!” Viola exclaimed. “From now on, you should just address me that way because that sounds more intimate! What herbs do you need? Tell me what you need, and I’ll do whatever it takes to purchase them!”

“Um...” David was at a loss for words.

“Ms. Warwick, if Mr. Chance isn’t in a rush to get those herbs, we can wait for the Alchemist Fair to be held and buy the herbs there. At that time, not only can we find all sorts of herbs in Jipsdale, but they would also be reasonably priced!” Ghaylen said to Viola.

Hearing that, Viola thought it was a good idea, so she turned to David. “David, if there’s no hurry, I’ll bring you to the Alchemist Fair. We can find everything we need there.”

“There’s no rush. When will the fair be held?” David questioned.

“In three days’ time! However, it’s too far away, so we need to leave in advance. We’ll head there tomorrow.”

—

“Do we need to leave so early? If it’s that far, why don’t we just use a Teleportation Array?” David knew Teleportation Arrays existed in Ethereal Realm.

As soon as those words fell, Viola and Ghaylen both looked at David in bafflement.

“Mr. Chance, don’t you know a Teleportation Array doesn’t teleport you to wherever you want to go? Even if we can use a Teleportation Array to get to Jipsdale, we’ll need a terrifyingly high amount of resources to activate it just once. People only use Teleportation Arrays when they really need to,” Ghaylen clarified.

David chuckled awkwardly when he heard that. “So, are we going to walk there?”

David and the others were more than capable of flying there, but they would burn too much spiritual energy in the process. If they were to fly just to get to somewhere faster, it wouldn’t be worthwhile.

As one’s cultivation level increased, cultivating would become harder because more resources were needed. If they were to fly for two thousand kilometers, they would most probably use up all their energy.

“There’s no need for that. Stellaris Sect isn’t far away from Emerald Cauldron Sect, and it has quite a few airships available. We can go there by flying in an airship,” Viola revealed.

“An airship?” David was bewildered. There’s such a thing in Ethereal Realm? Aren’t airships from the mundane world? Well, the people in the mundane world don’t even use airships anymore. They have airplanes!

Viola went on, “That’s right. Stellaris Sect makes its money by providing airship transport. Once we pay several spirit coins each, we can get on an airship. However, building an airship costs a lot of money, so they don’t fly to nearby places. As a matter of fact, they don’t usually fly to Jipsdale, which is only two thousand kilometers away. Having said that, Stellaris Sect will provide two airships to Jipsdale every time the Alchemist Fair is held.”

“I see. It’s just like an airplane, right?” Understanding finally dawned on David. An airship is just like an airplane in the mundane world! Obviously, airplanes don’t fly to nearby places either because they can’t possibly land within minutes of taking off.

“An airplane? What’s that?” Confusion was written all over Viola’s face.

“Oh! It’s nothing. I get it now. Let me get ready for our trip tomorrow!”

With that, David returned to the room to tell Yuven to pack up and join them on the trip. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find a way to cure Yuven once we arrive in Jipsdale!

While David was preparing for his trip to the Alchemist Fair, Ivasha, under the protection of two of her subordinates, was fleeing from Tigerus’ men.

“Princess Ivasha, let’s run in another direction. I think we’ve exposed our location,” one of the subordinates said.

“I can’t do that. I need to go to Emerald Cauldron Sect to find David! Even if I die, I want to die in his arms!” Ivasha replied firmly.

As soon as Ivasha finished talking, several auras appeared behind them.

When the trio sensed that, their expressions immediately fell.

“Princess Ivasha, run! We’ll buy you some time!”

The two subordinates didn’t expect their enemies to catch up to them so quickly, so they told Ivasha to sprint away.

In response, Ivasha glanced at her subordinates, her reluctance evident. I don’t want to leave them, but I don’t think I have a choice! Neither of them is going to survive this!

Gritting her teeth, Ivasha ran forward as fast as she could. Yet, she was rather slow because her ability had been suppressed.

Not long after she started running, she heard the sound of weapons colliding, followed by agonized screams.

However, Ivasha knew she couldn’t afford to stop, so she just kept running without looking back.

—

David, Yuven, Viola, and Ghaylen got ready to set out for Stellaris Sect the following day.

“Sigurd, take good care of Emerald Cauldron Sect while I’m gone and make sure nothing goes wrong,” Viola instructed Sigurd.

Sigurd nodded. “Don’t worry, Ms. Warwick. I’ll look after Emerald Cauldron Sect.”

Viola smiled in satisfaction when she heard that. Following that, the four left for Stellaris Sect.

After half a day of running, they finally arrived at Stellaris Sect.

David was in disbelief when he saw the thick city walls and the enormous city before him. Is this really a sect? This looks more like a city! Is this really Stellaris Sect?

However, there was a sign at the entrance that assured David they were in the right place. Well, it seems like we’ve actually arrived at Stellaris Sect!

“Mr. Chance, Stellaris Sect doesn’t only provide airship services. They also sell various items here, especially during this period. Since the Alchemist Fair is about to start, many people will come here for the airship services. Hence, this city is the liveliest during this period, with more items for sale. Perhaps you can even find all the medicinal herbs you need from the sellers here!” Ghaylen uttered.

“All right. Let’s go in!” With a wave, Viola led everyone into Stellaris Sect.

After they entered the city, they saw all sorts of stalls inside. In the center of it all, an airship more than a hundred meters in length was parked there.

David’s curiosity was piqued because he had never seen an airship before. When he got closer, he saw three humongous wyverns tied to the airship by thick iron chains. At the same time, there were markings on the wyverns, so it was obvious they were under the control of an arcane array.

Yuven was also stunned when he saw the wyverns. He had heard about the airships the human race had, but he didn’t know wyverns drew those airships.

At that moment, the wyverns were sprawled flat on the ground and resting as humans walked past them. Evidently, they were used to the crowd.

When David approached the resting wyverns, however, they suddenly opened their eyes. Lifting their heads, they glanced at David before resuming their previous position.

“This airship moves because of these three wyverns pulling it?” David asked Viola.

“Well, of course! We can’t possibly rely on humans to pull the airship, can we? However, the airship has an arcane array on it, so even if it’s packed with people, it’ll still be as light as a feather and fly as fast as lightning!” Viola explained.

David kept mum after he heard that. Well, this is Ethereal Realm. Unlike here, airplanes in the mundane world rely on engines and fuel. I should’ve known there’s no such thing as an engine in Ethereal Realm, but it’s still strange to see an airship drawn by three wyverns!

“Yuven, which of the archons of the beast race do these three wyverns belong to?” David wanted to know who the wyverns were subservient to.

“Mr. Chance, although these wyverns are considered a part of the beast race, they aren’t under the control of the three kings and four archons. They actually belong to the Draconians. These wyverns aren’t pure Draconians, but they’re still the descendants of the Draconians. Thus, we don’t have the right to control them. Judging by the state of these wyverns, I think they were most probably captured by other archons of the beast race and sold to Stellaris Sect. It’s normal to see the archons capturing and selling demon beasts that aren’t under their jurisdiction to humans,” Yuven whispered to David.

—

David’s brows furrowed slightly at the words. It seems that humans and the beast race are the same. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals and gain benefits for themselves. Unity is something that’s clearly far from their minds.

Nonetheless, David couldn’t bring himself to watch the three wyverns suffer. Even though he had never seen his father before, he knew the blood of Draconians flowed within himself.

The wyverns might not be purebred Draconians, but they were still considered a kind of Draconian. That was a fact that compelled David to take action.

“All right, since there’s some time before we leave, let’s shop around,” Viola suggested.

Shopping was the favorite activity of all women, be it in Ethereal Realm or the mundane world. Viola might be the lord of Emerald Cauldron Sect, but she was no exception to it.

With that, David and his companions strolled through Stellaris Sect, which was filled with stalls selling pills, beast cores, herbs, and even runes.

As most cultivators didn’t know how to use charm spells, they could buy communication devices, fire charms, and water charms there. After all, such simple charm spells could be easily drawn by any charm master.

“David, go ahead and buy any herbs you fancy. I’ll take care of the bill,” Viola offered.

As the lord of Emerald Cauldron Sect, Viola was filthy rich. On top of that, the sect would also receive part of the spirit coins earned by the sect’s disciples through medical fees.

“Are you trying to turn me into a kept man?” David teased.

“What? Isn’t it nice to be a kept man? Do you not want to?” Viola replied with her eyes narrowed.

With a cheeky smile, David answered, “I do, but there’s still a lot I have to do, so I can’t afford to be one yet.”

“Mr. Chance, I still have some spirit coins with me. If you need anything, there’s no need to hesitate,” Yuven whispered.

As king of Imperial Beast City, Yuven possessed immeasurable wealth. He might have fled the city but still had plenty of spirit coins in his pouch.

“I’m just browsing. Nothing has caught my eye anyway.”

After sweeping his gaze across the stalls, David didn’t find anything interesting.

However, the same couldn’t be said of Viola, who was intrigued by everything she saw. One couldn’t blame her, as her exposure was limited by the years she spent unconscious in the secret cave.

As a result, Viola bought a lot of stuff that she had David carry for her.

At the same time, in order to give David and Viola some privacy, Ghaylen made an excuse to draw Yuven away.

Meanwhile, Viola’s indiscriminate spending had caught the attention of three men, who began to follow

David and her discreetly.

Even though Viola was oblivious to them, David was already aware of what they were doing.

“Are you done yet? We’re here to attend the Alchemist Fair, not sightsee. Why did you buy so many things?”

David was dumbfounded by Viola’s relentless shopping.

If it weren’t for his Storage Ring, he wouldn’t even know where to put everything she had purchased.

“You men are all the same. You can’t stop nagging during shopping trips,” Viola complained with a pout, just like an ordinary woman.

Abruptly mesmerized by Viola’s submissive reaction, David gave his head a quick shake to jolt himself back to his senses.

“We had better go and not waste any more time here.”

Truth be told, David was thinking of how he could rescue the wyverns before leaving.

Despite his intention, he knew that openly saving them wasn’t going to work. The fact that Stellaris Sect had left the wyverns and airship in the middle of the plaza showed that they weren’t worried about theft at all.

“Fine, let’s go.”

Viola could only leave reluctantly with David.

Chapter 552: The Three Bandits

Once the two of them arrived in a secluded area, the three figures cornered them.

Jolted by their presence, Viola whipped out her weapon in reflex.

At the same time, the three masked men blocked David and her way.

“I own this street. If you want to leave in one piece, leave behind everything you have,” one of the masked men shouted.

“A robbery?” David remarked with a relaxed expression.

After a moment of staring at the three men, Viola knitted her brows as she asked, “The Three Bandits?”

No sooner had the words escaped her lips than the three masked men were briefly stunned. Nonetheless, they soon burst into hearty laughter. “I didn’t expect anyone to recognize us. We must be famous now!”

“That’s right. We’re the Three Bandits. If you don’t want any trouble, give us all your money!”

“Weren’t the three of you supposed to have been arrested?” Viola wondered out loud.

“Hmph, no one in this world is capable of capturing us! There’s no prison or lock that can ever keep us restrained,” Crixus, eldest of the Three Bandits, refuted her.

Nevertheless, he wasn’t bragging, for the three of them were pretty competent. Neither enchanted chains nor cages with arcane arrays were too difficult for them to escape from.

“We’re busy. Get out of our way if you still value your lives,” David warned the eloquent trio.

“Wow, this kid is a feisty one!” Salazar, youngest of the Three Bandits, scrutinized David quickly. “Kid, what you said is going to cost you at least one hundred and fifty spirit coins. If you give us a single coin less, the three of us will beat you to a pulp, do you understand? After that, we’ll have some fun with your girlfriend. We have never seen such a pretty lady in our lives before!”

“Insolence! Do you know who I am?” Viola lashed out at the Three Bandits’ disrespect.

“I don’t care who you are. Just leave your money behind if you want to live,” Crixus asserted.

“The three of you do have a death wish. We’re on Stellaris Sect’s territory. Aren’t you worried that you’ll be arrested by them?” Viola questioned.

“Hahaha, Stellaris Sect did manage to arrest us a few times, but we have always escaped easily. No dungeon of theirs is capable of holding the three of us. Now, quit stalling and hand over your money!”

Crixus had begun to grow impatient.

“Hmph, come and get it if you can!”

Viola let out a scoff before charging at the three with her sword in hand.

“Hmph, you deluded fool!”

Crixus, too, snorted in response as the three of them vanished into thin air.

Just as Viola was shocked by their disappearance, the trio reappeared behind her and grabbed her.

“How dare the three of you ignore me!”

Reacting to the trio’s attack, David shot out rays of blistering light that enveloped them with a wave of his hand.

Within the light, countless runes began to swirl and glow, forming a cage that imprisoned the three men inside.

By then, Viola had turned around. The sight of the Three Bandits behind her caused cold sweat to break out on her.

It never crossed her mind that the trio could move at such speeds.

“Kid, I can’t believe you actually think this arcane array can hold us. This is nothing but a joke! Have you forgotten what the Three Bandits are famous for? In this world, there are no arcane arrays that can restrain us, no spiritual energy chains that we can’t break!”

Just as Crixus spoke, the trio waved their palms, which began to glow with a purple hue. They then directed the light upon the cage David had set up with his arcane array.

As the cage trembled in response, the trio’s bodies gradually grew transparent until they vanished completely.

—

The very next second, the three of them reappeared again outside the cage, which was still intact and showed no signs of damage.

The sudden turn of events caught David by surprise. He couldn’t figure out how the trio could escape the cage he conjured without breaking it and was inadvertently astonished.

“Hahaha! Did you think we would dare to commit robbery if we weren’t capable enough?” Crixus sneered amidst his hearty laughter.

Staring at the trio, David began to be intrigued by them. He was curious as to how they had escaped his arcane array without damaging it.

With a flip of his palm, the ground beneath the trio trembled as rays of light broke out from below, quickly forming a cage that enveloped the three of them within.

Thereafter, David filled the arcane array with spiritual energy.

“Hahaha... The same technique again?”

Crixus guffawed when he saw David trying to imprison them with yet another arcane array.

Nonetheless, David ignored the former’s snigger as a dancing flame ignited on the tip of his finger. He then hurled it into the arcane array.

Boom!

The arcane array tremored before a fiery inferno exploded on top of it, surrounding the Three Bandits with raging flames.

“Trying to burn us to death? What a naive plan...” Juan, the second eldest of the Three Bandits, scoffed disdainfully.

Right after that, he gathered spiritual energy in his palm and unleashed a hurricane, hoping to extinguish the inferno with it.

However, the result was not what he expected, as the hurricane ended up increasing the fire’s intensity.

Seized by panic, the Three Bandits began to scream in fear.

Despite their frantic attempts with magecraft, nothing they did helped them escape from the arcane array.

“What sort of inferno is this? Why is it so intense?” Crixus exclaimed as his face lost all color.

“It turns out that you guys aren’t that big of a deal, after all. You don’t even recognize demonic fire.”

David smirked as he watched the trio screaming in agony.

“Demonic fire?”

The three of them exclaimed in unison, “Are you a Demonic Cultivator?”

“Do you actually think that only Demonic Cultivators can use demonic fire? I can’t believe how f*cking little exposure you have,” David retorted.

The three of them didn’t dare talk back after being cowed by the raging fire that was roasting them alive.

“Mercy... Have mercy on us, sir. We’re willing to do anything you want as long as you spare us!”

“The three of us only take a little money from others and have never killed anyone.”

At last, the Three Bandits dropped to their knees and begged.

Now that the arcane array was surrounded by demonic fire, they could not escape. They had no intention of being burned to death by it.

“Are you sincere in your offer to work for me?” David asked.

“Yes, we are... We are...” the trio frantically promised.

“Fine, I’ll take your word for it. If I find out that you have lied to me, I’ll definitely make you suffer a fate worse than death!”

David proceeded to extinguish the inferno with a gentle wave of his hand.

The moment the fire was snuffed out, the Three Bandits unleashed a purple beam of light on the arcane array. Their bodies subsequently disappeared from within and reappeared outside.

Their heads were covered in sweat while shock remained plastered across their faces.

“Thank you for showing us mercy, sir!”

When Crixus dropped to his knees to express his gratitude, the other two bandits quickly followed.

“I’ve spared you because you might be of use to me one day. However, if you don’t prove your worth when the time comes... I’m sure you know what happens to those who are useless,” David asserted coldly.

“Yes, we understand. The three of us will definitely serve you to the best of our abilities,” the Three Bandits swiftly promised.

—

After chatting with them, David learned that they had started their career as robbers after learning how to teleport in an ancient ruin by accident.

However, that particular teleportation technique had a limited range of tens of meters, which was how they escaped David’s arcane array earlier. They started by using their energy to open a small hole in the arcane array. Once the space inside and outside of it were connected, they could then escape via teleportation.

David had an epiphany upon hearing their story. He had thought that the Three Bandits were formidable opponents, not expecting them to be using teleportation instead.

Nevertheless, he admitted that it was a good technique, albeit with limited range. The technique was similar to Skylar’s Necro Ring, which was a magical item that allowed its user to teleport hundreds of meters away. Unfortunately, it had broken after several uses after it was damaged.

“Since you agreed to obey me, hand over your bodily spirit to prove your loyalty!” David ordered the trio.

“Um...”

The mere mention of handing over their bodily spirits triggered a sense of hesitation among the three brothers. After all, doing so was the equivalent of handing their lives over to David.

However, their pause triggered a snort from David. “If you refuse to do so, I’ll take your lives instead. But don’t you worry, I’ll only kill you and not destroy your soul remnants. Who knows, you might get lucky and be resurrected sometime in the future.”

Just as he was about to take action, the Three Bandits were cowed into submission by his words.

“Sir, spare us... We’ll do as you say... We’ll hand them over.”

With that, the trio forced out their bodily spirits from within their bodies.

After storing their bodily spirits, David tore off the trio’s masks with another wave of his hand.

“Now that you’re serving me, you have to stop committing petty crimes. Just let me know if there’s anything you need,” David said to them.

“All right. You’re the boss going forward. We’ll listen to everything you say,” Crixus answered quickly.

No sooner had he spoken than a rumbling sound echoed from their stomachs. It was obvious that the three of them hadn’t eaten yet.

Therefore, David took them to a luxurious hotel and treated them to a feast.

Upon further interaction, the Three Bandits learned of Viola’s identity. Emerald Cauldron Sect was famous in the area, and they were surprised that she was actually the lord of the sect. The trio immediately felt as if they had struck the lottery in being able to secure such a powerful patron.

After the meal, David and his companions walked toward the square where the airship was parked, as it was time for it to leave.

Now that the Three Bandits were serving David, they naturally joined him on his journey to Jipsdale. After all, getting a few more tickets for them didn’t cost much at all.

In fact, it was peanuts to someone as rich as Viola.

Ghaylen and Yuven were already waiting on the airship. When they came forward to greet David and Viola, they were stunned by the sight of the Three Bandits.

After David introduced everyone, Ghaylen got three more tickets for the trio before all of them boarded the airship.

The airship was massive and measured over a hundred meters in length. It also had an expansive cabin with a comfortable interior.

Furthermore, the airship was filled with members of Stellaris Sect working as service staff. As the sect depended on airships for their income, they naturally tried to provide the best experience possible.

The Three Bandits were visibly excited as this was their first time flying in an airship. In contrast to them, David wore a grim look on his face as he formulated a plan to rescue the three wyverns.

Taking in David’s expression and cognizant of what was on his mind, Yuven suggested, “Mr. Chance, now that we’re within Stellaris Sect, it would be extremely difficult to save the three wyverns. A better option would be to rescue them halfway through the journey. However, there’s a risk that the airship’s passengers might object to your actions and potentially attack you.”

—

Yuven analyzed. After all, those who could ride the airship to Jipsdale were no ordinary people.

“David, you want to save the wyverns that are pulling the airship?”

Although Yuven had spoken in a low voice, Viola still heard him.

David nodded. He saw no reason to hide anything from Viola.

“Don’t be ridiculous. These wyverns are extremely important to Stellaris Sect. It’s impossible for you to save them here. If you save them, we might not be able to get out of Stellaris Sect. Although Stellaris Sect mainly focuses on business, they have numerous elite fighters in their ranks. Otherwise, outsiders would have schemed to attain Stellaris Sect’s assets a long time ago,” Viola warned David.

“If we can’t make a move here, then let’s do it on our way. I have to save these wyverns!” David insisted.

Viola gazed at his determined expression for a moment. Although she did not know why David insisted on saving the wyverns, she decided to show him her support since he was adamant about it.

After all, a wife would go along with what the husband said. Now that Viola saw herself as David’s woman, she was certainly going to support him in anything he wanted to do.

“In that case, we’ll find a way to save them midway. We mustn’t let these passengers find out about our plan to release the wyverns, or else they’ll target us,” Viola said.

“Are these people all heading toward Jipsdale to attend the Alchemist Fair? They’re not all alchemists, are they?”

David was perplexed. He thought that sects that focused on alchemy were a rare sight here, and yet, there were so many from this region heading toward Jipsdale.

“Not all of them are alchemists. Many are only heading there for entertainment and to find out if they can get their hands on some divine pills and miracle medicine. Some will even discuss collaborations with certain alchemical sects at the Alchemist Fair,” Viola explained.

David finally realized that not only was the Alchemist Fair a chance for alchemists to compare against each other, but it was also a way for the alchemists to market their products.

“Then do you know how many wyverns Stellaris Sect has?” David asked.

“I don’t.”

Viola shook her head. After all, she had been in a coma for years, and there were many things she was not aware of.

“Sir, Stellaris Sect only has these three wyverns. It’s hard to capture this kind of wyvern, so the tickets to ride an airship drawn by wyverns are sold at an exorbitant price. But they’ll only let the wyverns pull an airship when it’s a short course. After all, the wyverns won’t be able to withstand pulling the airship on long-distance trips. Many airships use arcane arrays powered by crystals. The tall mountain at the southwest of Stellaris Sect has crystals, and the people from Stellaris Sect have been mining it,” Crixus, the eldest of the Three Bandits, explained.

When David learned that Stellaris Sect only had three wyverns, he felt much more relieved. All he needed to do was save these three wyverns.

If there were more, David might not have the capability to save them all.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. The airship is about to take off,” said one of Stellaris Sect’s staff.

Soon, the airship started moving. David could see one of Stellaris Sect’s members whipping the wyverns with much force.

The second the whip struck the three resting wyverns, they let out howls of agony. Then, they slowly rose and flapped their wings.

The three wyverns flapped their wings as vigorously as they could, and the airship of over a hundred meters in length started moving.

It was apparent that the three wyverns were having a hard time lifting the airship, but the members of Stellaris Sect did not care at all. They continued whipping the wyverns.

David could not stop the murderous look creeping into his eyes. He desperately wished to dart over to the man and kill him.

After a few minutes of struggling, the wyverns finally lifted the airship off the ground and slowly brought it into the sky.

—

As the airship flew toward Jipsdale, many people began flocking to the sides to look outside, for it was their first time on board an airship.

Even David and the Three Bandits were constantly looking out through the windows.

In no time, the airship was out of Stellaris Sect’s territory. By then, David could no longer sit still. As he watched the wyverns struggle to pull the airships, the anger in him intensified.

Just as he was about to rise to his feet, Viola stopped him. She gave him a look, signaling him to stay put.

“The three of you will sneak into the front cabin to release the wyverns,” she said to the Three Bandits.

The Three Bandits froze. They did not know why Viola had tasked them with this, but David had their bodily spirit, so they had no choice but to heed her words.

The trio stood up and ambled toward the front section. Many passengers had their eyes close, either cultivating or resting. None were paying attention to where the Three Bandits were heading to.

At that moment, the airship was moving steadily, and a few of Stellaris Sect’s members had gathered to chat.

Quietly, the Three Bandits sneaked to the front of the airship. While no one was paying attention to them, they teleported to the front cabin.

There were three Stellaris Sect members who were watching the three wyverns fly. Any time either of

the wyverns slowed down, the Stellaris Sect members would whip it.

The Three Bandits did not alert the Stellaris Sect members to their presence, however. While the Stellaris Sect members were engrossed in their work, the Three Bandits had sneaked up on them.

In one swift motion, the trio killed the three Stellaris Sect members. They were ruthless individuals, showing no hesitation when they took the other three men’s lives.

Once those three Stellaris Sect members were dealt with, the Three Bandits stepped forward and saw the arm-thick iron chains restraining the three wyverns.

“We’ll have to break these chains to release the wyverns,” Juan said to Crixus.

“Then that’s our plan.”

Crixus took out his sword and start hacking the chains.

Clang!

The moment steel met steel, sparks flew, and Crixus was sent flying back.

The chains remained intact.

Then, ripples began manifesting on the surface of the chains.

“What the heck? They even cast an arcane array on the chains! What are we going to do now?” Salazar cursed after briefly studying the chains.

The trio was stumped, their eyes fixed on their source of trouble.

Crixus stood up, glanced at the glimmering chains, and said, “I think we’ll have to ask Mr. Chance about this. Neither of us can break this.”

The three of them quickly left the front cabin, but their movement still went unnoticed by the others.

However, there were two elderly individuals, a man and a woman, as still as statues in the corner of the airship. Their eyes were closed, but the looks on their faces were stiff.

“Do we do it now?” the elderly woman asked the elderly man.

The elderly man shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s see what they’re up to next. They wouldn’t dare attempt to hijack the airship with their current abilities.”

There were over a hundred people onboard. Given the skills of the Three Bandits, of course, they wouldn’t dare to hijack the airship.

The elderly woman fell silent. Her eyes were still closed, but she continued spying on the Three Bandits with her spiritual sense.

Once the Three Bandits approached David, Crixus whispered, “Mr. Chance, the wyverns are chained up with an arcane array cast on the chains. We can’t break it.”

David stood up, wanting to head to the front cabin with the Three Bandits.

However, right as he got up, he furrowed his brows and snapped his head in the direction of the two elderly individuals.

“Mr. Chance, what’s the matter?” Crixus asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” David said, then had the Three Bandits lead the way.

Chapter 553: Melt The Chains

Right as David and the trio came to the door of the front cabin, the Stellaris Sect members who were chatting stopped them.

“What are you doing? Head back to your seats!” one of them said sternly.

“We’d like to have a tour of the front cabin. Is that all right?” David asked, smiling.

“No. Passengers aren’t allowed in the front cabin, so go back to your seats,” the Stellaris Sect member said with a shake of his head.

“Well, let’s head back, then...” David mumbled as he cast a discreet look at the Three Bandits.

The moment the trio saw that, they swiftly made their moves and knocked out the few Stellaris Sect members.

As they made no sound, they did not alert the other passengers to what they had done, except for the two elderly individuals, of course.

“Do we stop them?” the elderly woman asked.

“Not yet. Let’s see what these people are up to. Our sect’s airship has never been robbed since the sect’s establishment centuries ago. It looks like we’ve hit the jackpot today. If we resolve this flawlessly, we’ll surely be rewarded well upon our return,” the elderly man said.

As it turned out, these two people were the elders of Stellaris Sect, and both were cultivators at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm.

They were disguised as normal passengers to keep an eye on the movement within the airship.

Meanwhile, after the members of Stellaris Sect were incapacitated, David went forward and placed his hand gently on the door, then opened it with a slight push.

Once they were inside, David spotted the bodies of the dead Stellaris Sect members and furrowed his brows.

He had never thought that the Three Bandits would kill the members of Stellaris Sect. He simply wanted to release the wyverns; he did not want to take lives and make Stellaris Sect bear a grudge against him.

Nevertheless, it was too late to regret it. There was nothing David could say about it either, for he was the one who had sent the Three Bandits to the front cabin.

Now that he was inside, he could see how the wyverns were pulling the airship with much effort.

The wounds on them were apparent.

Then, he saw the thick iron chains tying the wyverns and the airship together.

When the scene registered in his head, David leaped up and walked down one of the chains to a wyvern.

When the wyvern sensed David’s presence, it shuddered and started roaring.

David quickly unleashed his Power of Dragons and consoled the wyvern, “Don’t be scared. I’m here to save you.”

Sensing David’s Power of Dragons and hearing his consolation made the wyvern calm down instantaneously.

David began studying the glimmering chain as he stood on the wyvern’s broad back. He was in a bit of a bind.

If he wanted to break the chains, he would have to use a sharp weapon like Dragonslayer Sword. However, he might accidentally hurt the wyverns with his Dragonslayer Sword.

But if he did not use the sword, he would have to resort to breaking the arcane array slowly. That would be too time-consuming.

Just as David was at a loss for ideas, Faiyar, who was in his mind, said, Mr. Chance, you can use demonic fire to melt the chains.

His words were a revelation that dawned upon David. He had the demonic fire in his body, but it was simply something he could never recall using.

In the next instance, David crouched down before summoning a ball of flame in his right palm.

The steel chain glowed red in no time as David gripped the chain, and the ripples on the surface had grown more intense.

Soon, the ripples were gone, and the thick chain was melting.

The second the chain broke, the wyvern was free. It soared away but was quick to return. Clearly, it was excited.

—

The gratitude was evident in its eyes. David made swift moves to rescue the other two wyverns in the same manner.

Upon regaining their freedom, the wyverns flapped their wings, surrounding David. They howled as though they were thanking him.

“Hurry up and get out of here,” David urged, waving his hand.

Understanding what David was telling them, the wyverns nodded and soared into the clouds.

A smile appeared on David’s face.

He did not know that his actions of that day would allow him to gain the assistance of the wyvern monarch in the future.

Still, that was a story for later. After rescuing the wyverns, David returned to the front cabin.

The airship had begun descending when the wyverns escaped, and it was shaking terribly too.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“What’s the matter?”

Many passengers were startled by the vigorous shaking.

Even the two elders from Stellaris Sect were dumbfounded. They could not tell what David’s group had done after they entered the front cabin.

They quickly jumped to their feet and rushed toward the cabin.

Upon entering the room, they were stunned.

The disciples of Stellaris Sect in the front cabin had been slaughtered, and the three wyverns that should have been pulling the airship were gone.

Without the wyverns, the airship was falling steadily.

“How dare you release the wyverns?” the elderly men bellowed.

They had never expected David’s group to enter the front cabin to release the wyverns instead of hijacking the airship.

If they had known that, they would have stopped them.

“Who are you?” David questioned the two elderly people.

“Hmph! We’re the elders of Stellaris Sect, assigned to this airship to guard it. I can’t believe you fearless fools would dare to release our wyverns!”

The elderly man’s face was purple from rage. He had thought himself wise earlier when he stopped the elderly woman from intercepting David’s group.

If news of this incident were to travel back to Stellaris Sect, not only would he lose his title as an elder, but he might even lose his life.

David finally realized why those two had been discreetly watching the Three Bandits earlier.

Still, it was too late. David knew that he could not hide this forever, so he chose to come clean. “How could you abuse the wyverns for your personal gains? You must be seeking death!”

“You’re the one courting death!” The elderly man prepared to strike David down.

Right then, there was a rumbling sound.

Another wave of tremors shook the airship. The airship had crashed against a mountain, and the entire aircraft was about to be dismantled.

“Run!” David shouted as a ball of light burst out of his body and shot upward, piercing the ceiling of the airship.

The Three Bandits quickly fled to the outside of the airship through that hole as well.

The two elderly individuals no longer dared to fight against David as escape became their priority.

In the blink of an eye, chaos ensued as people frantically escaped the airship.

Just as everyone fled the airship, it crashed into the valley and exploded.

Fortunately, the passengers were all high-level cultivators, so they escaped mostly unscathed. Nevertheless, some had just experienced the fright of their lives.

Once Viola escaped with the others and found David, she quickly asked, “David, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” David said.

“What’s going on? Where are the Stellaris Sect members?”

“What in the world are the people of Stellaris Sect doing? How did this airship fall from the sky?”

“I have something urgent to attend to! If I’m held up by this, there’s no way I’m going to spare Stellaris Sect!”

Everyone was cursing at Stellaris Sect, unaware that David was the source of the crash.

—

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Tyrone Stone, an elder of Stellaris Sect. I’m responsible for ensuring the safety of the airship in secret for the duration of the flight this time. The airship only plummeted and crashed because someone furtively freed the three wyverns. On behalf of Stellaris Sect, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused.”

Tyrone Stone tried his best to minimize the aftermath of the incident this time.

After all, this happened because of him. He would be doomed if someone from among the crowd were to take it up with Stellaris Sect.

“Someone furtively freed the wyverns? Who was the ballsy culprit?”

“Exactly! Is the culprit looking down on us to free the wyverns during the flight?”

“Who exactly was it, Mr. Stone? Point him out!”

As soon as the crowd heard that, they clamored for the man to single the culprit out.

Pointing at David, Tyrone declared, “He was the one who sneaked into the front cabin and freed the three wyverns. But rest assured that I’ll give you all an explanation for this.”

He stalked toward David with a dark look on his face.

In his eyes, the latter’s cultivation level was merely that of Second Level Body Fusion Realm and could never be his match.

The same went for those around David, with the exception of Ghaylen, who had attained Third Level Body Fusion Realm. Even if they were to join hands against him, they would be no match for him.

Unbeknownst to him, it would be a piece of cake if David wanted to kill him despite his cultivation level.

After all, David was already capable of killing a cultivator at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm back when he was at the first level. Tyrone, who had reached Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm, was merely courting death to go over to take the man’s life when he had already broken through to the second level then.

“We’ve got to be careful, Mr. Chance,” Yuven whispered into David’s ear.

“There’s nothing to fear about a cultivator at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm.”

David was not afraid of Tyrone.

“That’s not what I meant, Mr. Chance. I checked earlier, and we’re currently in Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory. There’s a possibility that all of us might not be able to get out of here alive,” Yuven clarified in a low voice.

David knitted his brows. It had never crossed his mind that the time he had chosen to save the wyverns would coincide with them crash-landing in Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory.

However, it seemed that everyone else was still unaware of the danger.

When Tyrone noticed the furrow of David’s brows, he thought that the latter was afraid of him. He snorted coldly and stated, “It won’t do you any good even if you regret it now, kid. Since you dared to free Stellaris Sect’s wyverns, be prepared to head to your death!”

He shot his hand out at David. The blow carried an infinite shockwave, blasting forward like a tsunami.

His attack was swift and precise. On top of that, his aura carried a faint fragrance.

David’s eyes narrowed a fraction. He knew the man was not only attacking him but had also tossed some poison out while at that.

Fortunately, he was impervious to poison. He was unafraid.

He casually swung his hand out, and it collided with Tyrone’s forcefully.

Bang!

The instant their palms collided, a ball of red powder scattered into the air following the tremendous fluctuation of aura.

On the heels of that blow, Tyrone uncontrollably reeled, stumbling several steps back before he regained his balance.

Contrarily, David remained motionless, his expression unchanged. It was as though he did not use the entirety of his strength earlier.

The crowd was wholly surprised since Tyrone was a cultivator at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm, and they also had a rough idea of David’s cultivation.

The gap in the two men’s capabilities was significant, yet the blow earlier had defied everyone’s beliefs.

Despite being at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm, Tyrone was sent staggering back effortlessly with a single strike from David.

—

Tyrone gaped at David in shock. Incredulity was etched across his features. He had been of the opinion that it would be child’s play for him to deal with someone like the latter since he was at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm. Unexpectedly, he was sent stumbling back with a single strike from David.

Right then, his stupefaction was overshadowed by shame. A crowd had bore witness to him, an elder of Stellaris Sect, being repelled by an obscure junior. That was a downright humiliation to Stellaris Sect.

The expression of the old woman beside him changed as well. She shot daggers at David and snarled, “How dare you conceal your capabilities and play us for a fool here, kid!”

She was convinced that David’s cultivation level was definitely not as it seemed on the surface, and he must have concealed his capabilities. Otherwise, he could never have sent Tyrone staggering back with a single blow.

The Three Bandits behind David were the most shocked among everyone there, for they knew Tyrone’s capabilities. The average person could never defeat a cultivator like him easily.

Anyway, they were not Tyrone’s match. If it were not because they had teleportation abilities and were exceedingly crafty as they made a living by stealing all year round, they would have long since died at the hands of Stellaris Sect.

Seeing David effortlessly repelling Tyrone then, they were inwardly relieved that they had chosen to follow the man at that time.

“I’m not concealing my capabilities. The cultivation level you see is my true capability right now. Besides, I don’t need to play the lot of you as fools. Considering your capabilities, there’s no need for

me to do so!” David retorted with disdain written all over his face.

“You’re gutsy indeed that you dare go against Stellaris Sect, kid. No matter your cultivation level, we will never allow the matter of you freeing our wyverns to slide today!” After saying that, the old woman turned to Tyrone. “Let’s attack together, Tyrone. I don’t believe that we’re still not his match even if we team up.”

Tyrone nodded. Subsequently, a terrifying aura burst forth from them both and swept toward David to engulf him.

That had Viola’s and Ghaylen’s expressions turn chilly. They immediately made to step forward to lend David a hand.

Before they could do so, the Three Bandits leaped to David’s front.

“Do you two have no shame, Tyrone? Never mind that you pick on the weak as an elder of Stellaris Sect, but you even want to gang up on someone now? Is this the way things are done in Stellaris Sect?” Crixus bellowed at Tyrone contemptuously.

“Exactly! Is Stellaris Sect without shame? You two elders have an affair at the sect and now you’re secretly protecting the airship together. I think you’re not protecting the airship, but you’re doing it so that you two can spend more time together,” Juan chimed in loudly.

When the allegation of Tyrone and the old woman having an affair rang out, the people in question flushed bright red.

It made it obvious that the claim was true, as evidenced by their reaction.

“Listen, Tyrone. We’ve got photographic proof of you carrying on with this old biddy. Don’t think that no one knows just because you two have been keeping it on the sly. The three of us have spied on you both several times. Shall I play the video for you in front of everyone now?” Salazar added.

Tyrone’s fury blazed into an inferno.

“You trio deserve to die! Today, I’m going to do the public a service and kill the Three Bandits!”

With rage blazing in his eyes, he attacked the Three Bandits.

David knew that the Three Bandits were not Tyrone’s match. He wanted to put a halt to it, but Crixus stopped him from doing so, asserting, “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Chance. We’ve got our own way to deal with him. Otherwise, we would never have dared to steal in Stellaris Sect.”

Right after he said that, his body started flickering before disappearing into thin air.

When he vanished, the same happened to the other two members of the Three Bandits.

Tyrone was not surprised at their disappearance. He had long since known of their methods.

—

When the Three Bandits disappeared, Tyrone abruptly whirled around from his initial forward charge and shot his hand out.

There was a sudden shift in the void, and the Three Bandits reappeared. Among them, Crixus took a hit from Tyrone on the shoulder, his face as dark as thunder.

“Haha... I’ve seen through those petty tricks of you three ages ago. It’s impossible for you to toy with me with your teleportation abilities!” Tyrone scoffed upon seeing that he had scored a hit.

“It looks like you’ll really regard us as easy prey if we don’t teach you a lesson, huh?” Salazar gestured with his hand. In the next heartbeat, faint light started flickering in mid-air.

A light curtain materialized, followed by a video of Tyrone and the old woman having a roll in the hay playing on it.

It made for an appalling sight, and the crowd could not help bursting into laughter.

Seeing that, the old woman flushed bright red in mortification and sprinted away.

Tyrone, on the other hand, grew all the more livid. His eyes blazed scarlet. “Stop it! I’m going to rip you into a thousand pieces!”

Just as he went ballistic and was about to attack again, the sky suddenly darkened before the earth shook.

Everyone hastily unleashed their spiritual senses, sending them out in all directions to see what was

happening. Immediately after, their expressions turned grave.

“Oh no, this is Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory, and we’ve been discovered!”

“There’s a great number of demon beasts, and they’re all heading here.”

“This is bad. Quick, let’s flee! Just why did we crash-land here?”

Everyone exclaimed in panic, and some started rushing away in an attempt to beat a hasty retreat.

“Let’s leave quickly, Mr. Chance. Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks are incredibly ruthless, and they dislike the human race. Generally speaking, all humans who trespass on their territory end up getting killed,” Yuven said to David with a frown marring his countenance.

“Okay, let’s go!”

David nodded, then called out to the Three Bandits, and they all fled swiftly.

By then, Tyrone could no longer be bothered to pursue the Three Bandits either. He bolted with the old woman instead.

Although over a hundred cultivators were on the airship, and their capabilities were all relatively high, they were divided. Consequently, they took to their heels in all directions in the face of danger.

If they could unite and stand together in resistance, there would be no need to fear the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks.

Alas, no one was organizing and leading them. In the blink of an eye, all the cultivators sprinted off and disappeared from sight.

“Yuven, I remember you saying there’s a heavenly thunder tree in Hawk King Cave, and it bears heavenly thunder fruit?” David asked Yuven.

“Yes, that’s indeed true. That aside, heavenly thunder fruit is priceless, a great resource for cultivation!” Yuven replied, bobbing his head. No sooner had he said that than he sensed something amiss. “Why are you asking about that, Mr. Chance? Don’t tell me you want to go and pick heavenly thunder fruit?”

“Since I’m here, I want to try my luck,” David admitted.

“Don’t take the risk, Mr. Chance! The capabilities of the king of the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks aren’t to be underestimated. Thunderhawk has already attained the cultivation level of Tribulator, and he’s planning to pull through his tribulation with heavenly thunder fruit. If we go and pick them, he’ll undoubtedly go all out to protect them. If I weren’t poisoned and my strength wasn’t suppressed, I could make an attempt at it. But now, even if we all join hands, we likely can’t withstand a single blow from him,” Yuven dissuaded the man from his course of action.

“Never mind, I’m just going to give it a try. If I fail, I’ll make a break for it. You all leave this place first and find somewhere to hide. When the time comes, we’ll get in touch again,” David insisted.

“You’d better not go, David. Alchemist Fair is just around the corner now. Why would you take such a risk?”

Viola regarded David with worry lining her face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” David assured with a smile.

Chapter 554: Mask Their Auras

Seeing that David had made up his mind, Viola did not bother dissuading him further, knowing he never wavered from something he had decided upon.

“We’ll go with you, Mr. Chance. If anything happens, we can back you up,” Crixus offered at once.

Their bodily spirit was with David. If the man were to perish, the Three Bandits would have no hope of survival. At that time, they would all die together.

It was far better for them to go with him so they could help if he were in danger.

David swept his gaze over Crixus. Aware of their motivation, he nodded smilingly. “Sure. The three of you can tag along with me.”

He then exchanged a few more words with Viola before parting ways with her.

Bringing Yuven with them, Viola and Ghaylen headed out of Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory according to the direction given by the man.

David ventured deeper into Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory with the Three Bandits.

Demon beasts were exceedingly sensitive to auras. David took out some charms and attached them to the Three Bandits to help the trio mask their auras.

His goal was to pick heavenly thunder fruit, so it was best to avoid battle. Throughout the journey, they all masked their auras and advanced toward Hawk King Cave continuously.

Every time they traveled a certain distance, David would stop and set up an arcane array.

The Three Bandits had no idea what arcane array he set up. While they were curious, they did not dare ask him about it.

Along the journey, they also bumped into countless cultivators.

Some were dead with only their bones left after having been ravaged by demon beasts, while others were injured and lying under the trees weakly.

At the sight of the injured cultivators, David could only offer a soundless prayer for them. He was incapable of saving them.

After all, men are selfish. If they were not selfish and could unite, they would not be hunted down by demon beasts.

As David led the Three Bandits nearer to Hawk King Cave, another group of men entered Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory on the other side, and they were not the cultivators on the airship.

They consisted of a dozen men, all dressed in gray shirts with the word “Nesser” embroidered on the chest.

In front of these men was a young man in a white shirt. It was none other than Chev, whom David had met previously. Behind him was his father, Cameron.

This time, Cameron had led a team to Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory in person to pick heavenly

thunder fruit.

Eamon might have resurrected, but his capabilities had yet to recover to the Top Level as they were in the past.

At Yael’s suggestion, Cameron had come to pick heavenly thunder fruit so the man could recover his capabilities.

If Eamon’s capabilities were restored, the Nesser family’s status in Ethereal Realm would also rise notably.

“Dad, I heard that Thunderhawk is a Tribulator warrior. We aren’t his match at all. That aside, I find things strange after Elder Nesser woke up. His capabilities aren’t much higher than mine. Furthermore, that woman known as Lynette claimed that he was some Inferno Devil’s Form a few days ago. Has she lost her mind? She looks like a Demonic Cultivator to me,” Chev rambled incessantly.

Cameron frowned and shot his son a glare. “Shut up. I’ll cut your tongue off if I hear you speaking ill of Elder Nesser again. Right now, he’s the hope of the Nesser family prospering and making a name for itself in Ethereal Realm. Also, you’re not allowed to tell anyone about that woman seeking him out!”

Seeing that his father was truly enraged, Chev could only zip his mouth and cease talking.

Looking at Chev, Cameron added, “I received news that Thunderhawk has probably gone to Jipsdale to attend the Alchemist Fair. This is the perfect time to steal his heavenly thunder fruit!”

With that, he rapidly moved toward Hawk King Cave with his men.

—

Right then, David was already approaching Hawk King Cave with the Three Bandits.

He could even sense the immense force of lightning power in the cave that probably came from the heavenly thunder tree.

Such force was far more terrifying than the lightning tribulation he had once experienced.

At that moment, his heart was already lodged in his throat. He was merely at Second Level Body Fusion Realm presently. He might not have a chance of survival even if he were to unleash every trick in his arsenal if he were to encounter someone of the cultivation level of Tribulator.

The Three Bandits had also broken into a cold sweat, for they had likewise perceived Thunderhawk’s might. It was already difficult for them to deal with the average Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk, so they would likely be dead in the blink of an eye if they were to face Thunderhawk.

Inhaling deeply, David again utilized a few charms and concealed their auras before slowly drawing near Hawk King Cave.

He had no idea that Thunderhawk was not in the cave. Even if Thunderhawk was in the cave, masking his aura would be of no use.

A Tribulator cultivator was entirely different from the average cultivator. When it was time to experience tribulation, each step of advancement was arduous and required a great deal of resources in preparation for the final sprint during the process.

There were hardly any cultivators who could pull through during tribulation. Many aspired for it their

whole lives yet failed when the time came.

Nonetheless, all cultivators would return to their initial state after the tribulation period and sense their initial strength. Only those who pulled through could be considered true half-immortals.

They merely needed to improve their capabilities bit by bit while awaiting the day of ascension. Then, they would be no different from the average person.

As David approached Hawk King Cave with the Three Bandits, Cameron was similarly leading the Nessers toward the same place.

In another direction, a number of cultivators were also slowly drawing close to the cave.

After all, the heavenly thunder fruit was too great a temptation. It was only natural that some were willing to risk their lives for it.

All of them were closing in on Hawk King Cave in concert. Everyone held their breaths and concealed their auras as much as possible.

The instant they arrived at the mouth of the cave, however, they were all stunned.

Bumping into each other, they stared at one another.

David swept his gaze over everyone, only to find that many were cultivators from the airship. Among them were Tyrone and the old woman.

When Tyrone saw that David had dared to come to Hawk King Cave with the Three Bandits, fury promptly showed on his face.

David swung his gaze in another direction. He was greeted by the sight of a group of strangers, but judging from their clothes, they were probably from a family or sect.

Nonathalass, all cultivators would raturn to thair initial stata aftar tha tribulation pariod and sansa thair initial strangth. Only thosa who pullad through could ba considarad trua half-immortals.

But in the next heartbeat, he fixed his eyes on Chev with a slight frown. He could not shake off the feeling that the man was familiar. He seemed to have seen him somewhere but could not recall it right then.

Chev had also spotted David, and he likewise froze for a moment. He studied the latter for a long while. Still, he could not remember the man’s identity.

David had blended in with the villagers back then, so Chev had not paid much attention to him.

“Those people are from the Nesser family, Mr. Chance. How unexpected that they’ve also come to Hawk King Cave,” Crixus whispered to David.

Having no recollection of the Nesser family and never having heard of them, David paid them little mind.

He was more concerned about Tyrone and the old woman, afraid that Tyrone would snap and attack them. If so, their auras would be completely exposed, and they would be discovered in no time.

“Mr. Stone.”

While everyone was still dazed after bumping into each other, Cameron slowly walked toward Tyrone and greeted him.

It was clear as day that the man recognized Tyrone.

“I never thought you’d also come to Hawk King Cave with your men, Mr. Nesser. Are you here for the heavenly thunder fruit as well?” Tyrone asked.

Flashing him a smile, Cameron drawled airily, “Aren’t you also here with so many people for the heavenly thunder fruit, Mr. Stone?”

—

“No, you’re wrong, Mr. Nesser. We’re not here by choice.”

Tyrone proceeded to tell Cameron about the matter of the airship crashing in detail.

When Cameron heard that David was the one who freed the three wyverns, leading to the airship crashing, he couldn’t help scrutinizing the man.

“This kid’s cultivation level doesn’t seem that high, Mr. Stone. Wouldn’t it be a piece of cake for you to kill him?”

Wyverns were incredibly precious to Stellaris Sect. As such, it made no sense that Tyrone would let David off the hook when the man freed the wyverns.

“I do have plans to kill him. Regretfully, this is Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks’ territory. We bumped into a legion of demon beasts, so we got separated. I never expected him to have such guts to come to Hawk King Cave as well.”

While speaking, Tyrone shot a glare at David.

“Don’t make a move here, Mr. Stone. If Thunderhawk were alerted to our presence, we’d all be doomed,” Cameron hastily advised.

Naturally, Tyrone knew that as well. Otherwise, he would have made a move as soon as he caught sight of David.

David merely watched the two men without doing anything. Many people were presently there, and

they all had their sights set on the heavenly thunder fruit.

He needed to figure out a way to conserve his strength so he could get his hands on the heavenly thunder fruit at the right time. “No, you’re wrong, Mr. Nesser. We’re not here by choice.”

“Since you came here specifically for the heavenly thunder fruit, Mr. Nesser, you must have made all the preparations. How about you bring your men in to check things out first?” Tyrone proposed to Cameron.

He was aware that the men he had brought with him were cultivators from the airship, and some were merely new acquaintances. Despite their number, they would not be effective in combat.

However, the same could not be said of Cameron. The men he had brought with him were all elites of the Nesser family. Although there were only a dozen of them, they could act together and obey his orders to the tee.

That was the reason Tyrone asked Cameron to take the lead. If there were any danger, it would fall on the latter first.

“Sure!” Cameron agreed readily because he knew that Thunderhawk was likely not in the cave.

At that time, the person to enter the cave first would undoubtedly have a great advantage.

Tyrone was visibly surprised by Cameron’s brisk agreement.

Subsequently, Cameron led those of the Nesser family into the cave slowly.

Tyrone and his men stood guard outside. If there were any signs of danger, they would flee immediately. After all, no one wanted to face Thunderhawk, a Tribulator warrior.

They remained motionless, but David led the Three Bandits into the cave with the Nesser family.

Frowning slightly, Cameron cast him a look but paid him no mind.

In his opinion, David was merely a cultivator at Second Level Body Fusion Realm and posed no threat to them.

As Cameron led them all deeper, David sensed the might of the lightning power more intensely.

Soon, a ray of light flashed past, and everyone was greeted by a sight that sent their hearts racing.

In the center of Hawk King Cave stood a massive heavenly thunder tree. It had lush leaves and thriving branches. Around it zipped infinite bolts of lightning, just like tentacles of jellyfish dancing.

On the tree were ten fist-sized heavenly thunder fruits that shimmered with the glow of lightning.

“Heavenly thunder fruit!” Cameron exclaimed in excitement at the sight of the fruits.

At the loud cry, David instantly jumped in fright, afraid that it might draw Thunderhawk out.

Fortunately, there was no movement in Hawk King Cave. Relief suffused him.

Phew! If he lured Thunderhawk out, none of us would be able to leave this place alive!

“Thunderhawk is indeed not here. Lady luck is simply smiling on me!” Cameron gushed joyfully.

It was only after hearing that did David understand why the man dared to enter the cave first.

“I’ll go and pick the heavenly thunder fruit, Dad!” Chev offered excitedly with his eyes fixed on the rounded fruits.

—

“No, don’t go.” Cameron shook his head, then pointed to a servant of the Nesser family. “You go and pick a heavenly thunder fruit.”

“Understood.”

That servant of the Nesser family did not dare defy that order. Despite his fear, he still bit the bullet and approached the heavenly thunder tree slowly.

“What should we do, Mr. Chance? How about the three of us utilize our teleportation ability to pick a few heavenly thunder fruits ahead of them?” Crixus asked David.

“Don’t do anything rash first. The heavenly thunder fruit is probably not that easy to pick.”

David stopped the Three Bandits from proceeding with their course of action.

No sooner had he finished saying that than the servant of the Nesser family leaped up and headed straight for a heavenly thunder fruit.

Boom!

Just as that servant of the Nesser family drew close to the heavenly thunder fruit, a sudden bolt of lightning struck him hard.

A resounding bang split the air, and his body promptly combusted at the massive lightning strike, leaving no trace of him behind.

Following that sight, Cameron frowned at once. Surprise also showed on the faces of the others present.

Such terror struck the Three Bandits that they gulped.

If David hadn’t stopped us, we might have been decimated as well!

“Thunderhawk is really cautious. It seems that it wouldn’t be easy to obtain the heavenly thunder fruit,” Cameron remarked, his brows creased.

“What should we do, Dad?” Chev asked.

“Don’t worry. I reckoned that such would be the case, so I came prepared!” As Cameron spoke, he took out a bronze mirror from his pocket. One side was smooth, while the other was carved with a few ferocious beasts. “This is the Nesser family’s magical item. It’s known as Beast Mirror. With it, the lightning will be refracted and won’t be able to inflict any harm.” He handed Beast Mirror to a servant of the Nesser family. “Go and pick a heavenly thunder fruit with this.”

Although that servant of the Nesser family was afraid, he still headed toward the heavenly thunder tree with Beast Mirror in his hand obediently.

Seeing that his colleague had melted into thin air after being struck by a bolt of lightning earlier, he was still afraid inwardly despite having Beast Mirror in his hand. His legs trembled as he approached the tree.

David eyed Cameron. Well, well, well... It turns out that he’s made all the preparations, even having a weapon to deal with lightning at the ready.

After that servant of the Nesser family drew near to the heavenly thunder tree with Beast Mirror in his hand, he exerted force and leaped up. Then, he shot his hand out at a heavenly thunder fruit.

Rumble!

In a flash, a bolt of lightning manifested above the heavenly thunder tree and zapped toward his outstretched hand.

At that, he swiftly held up Beast Mirror. The bolt of lightning landed on it and was refracted to the side.

When the bolt of lightning was refracted, a tremendous force hit the cave, causing the entire place to shake even as rocks fell.

Over the moon to see that Beast Mirror was effective, Cameron ordered loudly, “Quick! Lightning can’t hurt you anymore. Hurry up and pick the heavenly thunder fruit!”

That turn of events also had that servant of the Nesser family rejoice inwardly. He reached out to grab the heavenly thunder fruit.

Just when he was about to succeed, there was a sudden strong gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, he was sent plummeting to the ground.

On the heels of that, a massive Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk appeared before them all. Its broad wings generated immense energy each time they flapped.

“I-Is this Thunderhawk?” the Three Bandits exclaimed with surprise written all over their faces.

They had never seen Thunderhawk. For that reason, they thought the latter had appeared when they saw such a gigantic Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk.

“This is probably not Thunderhawk. This Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk’s capabilities fall short of the level of Tribulator. At most, it’s at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm,” David answered placidly, his gaze pinned on the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk before him.

Studying the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk that had appeared, Cameron furtively breathed a sigh of relief because he had also perceived that it was not Thunderhawk. Thus, he did not need to fear too much.

—

It was clear that Thunderhawk had left this Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk to guard the cave before he left.

It only appeared when someone had attempted to steal the heavenly thunder fruit.

The Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk let out a loud shriek, and the Hawk King Cave trembled violently. At the other end of Hawk King Cave, countless Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks swarmed out.

“Damn it!” David cursed under his breath before turning to flee the scene.

Fighting against the sheer number of Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks in the Hawk King Cave was clearly a bad decision as he couldn’t unleash his strength to the maximum.

When the Three Bandits saw David making his escape, they quickly teleported out of the cave.

Cameron was shocked to see so many Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks in front of his eyes.

He only regained his composure and led the rest to flee the scene when Chev screamed out loud.

Thunderhawk might not be around, but he had obviously made arrangements for the valuable items to be guarded.

Shriek!

The piercing shrieks resonated in the sky, and a violent aura burst forth from Hawk King Cave.

The Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks flew out of Hawk King Cave.

Tyrone and the others who were waiting outside the cave were dumbfounded at the sight of the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks.

They quickly regained their composure and grabbed their weapons to kill the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks. Some arcane array masters even started setting up arcane arrays to get rid of the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks.

Seeing that, David stopped escaping and directed a demonic fire into the arcane array. The flame soared into the sky.

With the help of the demonic fire, the arcane array managed to kill the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks.

Thunderhawk wasn’t around, but David knew that they had to kill all the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks in order to get the heavenly thunder fruit.

The Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm didn’t step out of Hawk King Cave and stood guard beside the heavenly thunder tree.

Bloodthirsty Thunderhawks kept flying out of the cave, and other demon beasts also made their way to the scene from different directions.

In this instant, a cacophony of roars from the beasts and cries from human cultivators echoed ceaselessly throughout the area.

Tyrone might hold a grudge against David, but at this moment, they focused on killing the demon beasts and didn’t find fault with each other.

Everyone knew that if they couldn’t kill these demon beasts, it would be hard for them to leave this place alive.

The carcasses of demon beasts were scattered all over the ground.

The demon beasts stood guard at the entrance of the cave to stop David and the rest from entering.

However, the demon beasts were clearly weaker. As the fight continued, the number of demon beasts declined.

Suddenly, the earth shook, and the massive Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk emerged from the cave. An intense aura radiated from its form.

Fury danced in the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk’s eyes. Its feathers gradually took on a reddish hue.

After letting out an ear-splitting shriek, the creature headed straight for the crowd. Its terrifying aura sent some cultivators with low cultivation levels flying backward.

If David hadn’t protected the Three Bandits, they would’ve been sent flying by the terrifying aura as well.

Tyrone’s expression turned grim. “A Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm? Is this Thunderhawk?”

He was no match for a Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk this strong. As a cultivator at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm, he was merely courting death if he were to go against the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk.

“This isn’t Thunderhawk. Thunderhawk isn’t this weak,” Cameron said.

Tyrone’s face paled when he learned that Thunderhawk was way stronger than this creature.

“Retreat!”

Tyrone and the elderly woman retreated immediately as they knew they were no match for this demon beast.

Chapter 555: More Important

Seeing Tyrone take the lead in retreating, everyone else did the same.

They had no idea that Thunderhawk wasn’t in the cave.

This Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk wasn’t Thunderhawk but was already at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm. It could only mean that Thunderhawk was at least a Tribulator.

The cultivators retreated even more swiftly.

Cameron was dumbfounded to see Tyrone retreating with the cultivators. He was just about to tell Tyrone that Thunderhawk wasn’t in the cave.

Before Cameron could explain everything, Tyrone had already spun on his heels and fled.

After Tyrone departed, the Nesser family was left behind to face the demon beasts alone.

Cameron did not care about David and the other three as their cultivation levels were too low.

“Dad, what should we do?” Chev asked.

“Let’s retreat for now,” Cameron answered.

He wasn’t confident in defeating the demon beasts with his family members as they were outnumbered.

If the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk didn’t exist, Cameron could try to get rid of the other demon beasts,

but now, they didn’t have the courage to give it a try.

Cameron also began to retreat with the Nesser family.

Seeing them leave, David and the Three Bandits retreated as well.

The heavenly thunder fruit was valuable, but their lives were even more important.

The colossal Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk extended its wings and ascended into the sky. As it flapped its wings, several feathers came off and shot like sharp blades at the retreating cultivators.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

The feathers pierced through a few cultivators’ chests, and they collapsed to the ground.

Tyrone frowned at the sight of the cultivators dropping to the ground.

They were too slow to escape from the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk’s clutches.

“Everyone, stop running. The Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk is too quick. If we continue running, we’ll all be killed!” Tyrone quickly stopped everyone from escaping after realizing that escaping was futile.

Tyrone and the rest stopped running. Cameron and his family quickly caught up to them.

“Mr. Stone, Stellaris Sect is quick at escaping, huh?” Cameron snapped unhappily.

Tyrone retorted, “Mr. Nesser, what are you talking about? This Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk is at Eighth

Level Body Fusion Realm, and it’s already hard for us to go against it. If Thunderhawk shows up, we’ll all be eaten up by the demon beasts!”

“Who told you that Thunderhawk is in that cave? He’s in Jipsdale. I only came to Hawk King Cave after receiving the news. If he was around, I wouldn’t have dared to come here!” Cameron said.

Displeased, Tyrone said, “Why didn’t you inform us from the start that Thunderhawk wasn’t here? Were you intending to venture into Hawk King Cave on your own to seize the heavenly thunder fruit?”

Tyrone had been afraid that Thunderhawk was around, so he had told Cameron to head into Hawk King Cave first.

If he had known Thunderhawk wasn’t around, he would’ve been the first to enter Hawk King Cave with his men. After all, the first ones to enter Hawk King Cave would definitely have an edge over the rest.

Cameron felt embarrassed. Tyrone was right, for he had intended to get all the heavenly thunder fruits for himself.

“Mr. Stone, now isn’t the time to fight. We need to work together to defeat this Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk at Eight Level Body Fusion Realm. As long as we eliminate it, we won’t have to worry about anything else,” he quickly said.

“Mr. Nesser, you’re the sole cultivator among us at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm capable of facing the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk. The others are, at most, at the seventh level. If we managed to slay the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk and secure the heavenly thunder fruits, would you be willing to share some with us?” Tyrone asked, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

—

“Of course. What kind of person do you think I am? Besides, the heavenly thunder tree is full of heavenly thunder fruits. I believe there are hundreds of them. You can each get one,” Cameron said confidently as he patted his chest.

Cameron knew that Tyrone and the like didn’t get to enter Hawk King Cave and had no idea how many heavenly thunder fruits were there on the tree.

He mentioned this strategically, aiming for Tyrone and the others to believe there was an abundance of heavenly thunder fruits, hoping they would agree to assist him without hesitation.

As expected, Tyrone relaxed upon hearing that there was an abundance of heavenly thunder fruit available. “All right, then. We’ll work hard to kill all those demon beasts and head in to get the heavenly thunder fruits.”

After striking a deal, both parties combined forces and charged toward the demon beasts.

Cameron chose to fight against the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm.

“Mr. Chance, what about us?” the Three Bandits asked.

“Find a way to get near the entrance of the cave. If the demon beasts are all killed, the Nesser family will never share the heavenly thunder fruits,” David replied.

David planned to sneak into Hawk King Cave amidst the chaos and get the heavenly thunder fruits for himself.

When Cameron told Tyrone there were hundreds of heavenly thunder fruits, he immediately knew that Cameron wasn’t going to share the fruits with anyone.

In reality, there were only ten heavenly thunder fruits available, making it impossible for everyone to acquire a share.

Holding Dragonslayer Sword, David led the Three Bandits toward the cave, slaying everything that stood in their path.

No one paid attention to David and the Three Bandits.

Another fight ensued within the forest. However, this time, the human cultivators obviously had the upper hand.

Taking on the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk at Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm might pose a challenge for Cameron, but he wouldn’t succumb easily.

Once they managed to eliminate the other demon beasts, they could then unite their strengths to take down the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk. This strategy would undoubtedly prove more feasible.

David kept swinging his sword and successfully killed a few demon beasts.

After reaching the entrance of the cave, David and the Three Bandits immediately charged inside.

They had been inside previously, so they instantly made their way to the heavenly thunder tree.

To their surprise, they found two figures inside.

David hid himself before taking a good look at the figures, who turned out to be Tyrone and the old woman.

They had also sneaked into Hawk King Cave amidst the chaos.

It was clear Tyrone didn’t trust Cameron and had chosen to enter the cave himself.

“D*mn it! Cameron really lied to me. There are only ten heavenly thunder fruits on the heavenly thunder tree!” Tyrone said with a frown as he gazed at the fruits on the tree.

“Tyrone, we should take the chance to pick the heavenly thunder fruits and sneak away since they are busy fighting outside. If our sect leader finds out we’ve successfully stolen the heavenly thunder fruits, we won’t be blamed for losing the wyverns!” the old woman said.

“Okay. Let me pick the heavenly thunder fruits now,” Tyrone agreed with a nod.

Without hesitation, he leaped into the air.

Rumble!

Just as Tyrone was about to make contact with the heavenly thunder fruit, the heavenly thunder tree abruptly discharged a bolt of lightning that struck his body.

His body was sent crashing to the ground.

“Tyrone!”

The old woman quickly went over to check on him.

Tyrone’s face was grim as blood trickled down the corner of his lips. It was clear that the lightning bolt had struck him heavily.

Tyrone got to his feet and coughed violently. Surprised filled his eyes as he asked, “Is there an arcane array on this heavenly thunder tree? Why is there lightning?

“This heavenly thunder tree was formed after being struck by lightning and absorbing its energy. Therefore, it possesses lightning power. There’s no requirement for any arcane array!” David said, stepping forward with the Three Bandits.

“It’s you?” Tyrone was filled with fury when he saw David and the Three Bandits.

—

Tyrone was hurt, and David knew the old woman wasn’t his match. He sneered, “Yes, it’s me. I had no idea you’d sneak into the cave. If the Nesser family finds out you want the heavenly thunder fruits for yourself, what will they think?”

David knew Cameron would definitely fly into a rage if he were to find out that Tyrone had lied to him. Cameron could easily slap Tyrone to death.

“Ha! You sneaked into the cave too, didn’t you? Cameron had no intention of sharing the fruits equally among us. He deceived me. There are only ten fruits, not a hundred. Even if we manage to defeat the Bloodthirsty Hawk, he won’t distribute the fruits fairly. It’s in your best interest to step away from my affairs and leave. In return, I won’t pursue the matter of you releasing my three wyverns. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if I take action,” Tyrone threatened.

“You?” David let out an icy snort. “Even when you weren’t injured, you weren’t a match for me. Now that you’re hurt, do you genuinely believe you can overpower me? Even if I walk away, you won’t be able to attain that heavenly thunder fruit. You got struck by the lightning, didn’t you?”

“That isn’t your business. If you refuse to leave, we’ll join forces to kill you,” the old woman piped up right then.

Despite Tyrone’s injuries, he remained a cultivator at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm. The elderly woman was also at the same level. She couldn’t accept the idea that they weren’t a match for David, who was merely a cultivator at Second Level Body Fusion Realm.

As for the Three Bandits, they were merely sneaky thieves with no real abilities.

Tyrone and the old woman didn’t think they posed a threat.

“Even if you both join forces, I am confident of making you grovel at my feet within three moves,” David declared confidently.

“Young man, are you sure you don’t want to leave? Do you want to make yourself an enemy of Stellaris Sect?” Tyrone knitted his brows as he glared at David.

“I have no intention of becoming an enemy of Stellaris Sect. My sole interest lies in the heavenly thunder fruits. If you both leave now, I can spare your lives,” David replied calmly.

“Young man, you’re asking for it!”

The old woman was entirely furious. She turned to Tyrone and said, “Tyrone, let’s not waste time with him. Let’s take him out.”

With that, she leaped into the air with a long sword in her hands.

Lights shot toward David.

David remained unusually calm when the old woman came at him with a sword.

“You’re not my match in a sword fight,” he said.

David swung his right hand, summoning Dragonslayer Sword.

He infused the sword with the Power of Dragons, and it emitted a resounding dragon roar accompanied

by a golden glow.

Crack!

The old woman blanched in horror. She quickly retreated at least a dozen meters before halting in her tracks.

She glanced at her sword to realize that it had already cracked, leaving only the hilt in her hands.

There was a long wound on her chest, and blood was oozing out.

The old woman’s expression turned as dark as thunder.

She knew that David had held back. If he had unleashed his full power, she would’ve been killed by his attack.

Tyrone could barely hide his surprise. After all, the old woman was known for her swordsmanship in Stellaris Sect.

However, David had merely used one move to defeat her.

They had no idea that David had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

—

Had the sword spirit of David’s Dragonslayer Sword not been damaged, he wouldn’t even have to do anything. Zelda could have easily knocked the old woman back on her own.

After all, Zelda’s strength increased proportionately with Dragonslayer Sword’s. As David continued to get stronger, the Power of Dragons helped strengthen Dragonslayer Sword as well.

However, Zelda was wounded and could not leave Dragonslayer Sword, so David had to head over to Divine Smithing Sect and treat Dragonslayer Sword at the sword-cleansing lake to heal Zelda.

Zelda’s power would increase tremendously if she were to leave Dragonslayer Sword after that.

“Leave now, and I will spare your lives!” David said while glaring at Tyrone and the old woman.

He didn’t want to make Stellaris Sect his enemy because he already had plenty of enemies in Ethereal Realm, and he simply couldn’t afford to give himself even more problems.

If David wanted to kill Tyrone, he would have done so the moment he delivered the first blow. He was also perfectly capable of killing the old woman in a single slash earlier.

“I may not know who you are, but you were able to defeat our cultivators at Fifth Level Body Fusion Realm despite only reaching Second Level Body Fusion Realm. This shows the techniques you’ve learned are extraordinary, which means you must come from an extraordinary family. As such, I will refrain from asking about your identity. There are ten heavenly thunder fruits on this heavenly thunder tree. How about we each take half? The heavenly thunder tree is protected by lightning, so you won’t be able to get the heavenly thunder fruits on your own anyway. If we work together, however, we might just be able to get these heavenly thunder fruits! If you agree to these terms, then I’ll call it even

between us, and Stellaris Sect will also owe you a favor. We will definitely lend you a hand if you ever need our help in the future!”

Tyrone knew he couldn’t defeat David in a fight, so he had no choice but to call for a truce instead.

That way, they would be able to make up for losing the wyverns by bringing a few heavenly thunder fruits back.

“The people of Stellaris Sect are liars, Mr. Chance! They will not honor their word, so you mustn’t believe them so easily!” Crixus whispered into David’s ear.

Of course, David knew that Tyrone was a liar. After all, he had lied to Cameron and come here secretly.

However, David didn’t really care if Tyrone was a liar. He decided to go with the flow and turn Tyrone’s lie against him to stall Cameron.

David was well aware that those from the Nesser family posed the biggest threat to him. Although the heavenly thunder tree had ten heavenly thunder fruits, it was also protected by lightning. David would surely get struck if he tried to pluck the heavenly thunder fruits.

Thankfully, David’s body was different from that of others. Having endured lightning tribulations every time he made a breakthrough, he should have no issues enduring the lightning strikes from the heavenly thunder tree.

Even so, it would still take quite some time to pluck all ten heavenly thunder fruits in one go, and the Nesser family would not give him that much time.

Cameron will surely enter the cave after killing the Bloodthirsty Thunderhawk, and he’ll definitely make a move once he sees me plucking the heavenly thunder fruits! I may have reached Second Level Body Fusion Realm, but I’m still not confident enough to go against Cameron, who has achieved Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm, while enduring the lightning strikes from the heavenly thunder tree!

David said, “All right, I’ll agree to share the heavenly thunder fruits with you. In return, you’ll need to do something for me as well.”

“What is it?” Tyrone asked.

“You will step outside of the cave and try your best to stall those from the Nesser family. Do not let them get into the cave. The longer you can stall them, the more heavenly thunder fruits I can pluck,” David replied.

“What? You’re going to pluck the heavenly thunder fruits yourself? Did you not see the lightning? Aren’t you afraid of getting struck?” the old woman exclaimed in disbelief when she heard David’s plan.

—

David ignored her and simply glanced at the heavenly thunder tree before jumping straight at a heavenly thunder fruit. He activated Golem Body in mid-air and covered his entire body with shiny, golden scales.

Tyrone and the old woman gasped in shock when they saw David don his golden armor. Even Salazar’s jaw dropped when he saw that.

It was their first time witnessing David’s Golem Body in action.

With his entire body covered in golden armor, David reached out and grabbed the first heavenly thunder fruit. A huge lightning bolt then came from the tree and struck David square on his body. Golem Body emitted waves of golden light as it resisted the lightning attack.

Boom!

The lightning bolt struck David back down and left a charred spot on his body. Quite a number of Golem Body’s scales had. disappeared as well.

“Hmph! So much for all that big talk he made! He still got struck down by lightning anyway!” the old woman said with a disdainful snort.

Tyrone, too, had disappointment written all over his face when he saw that. He had truly thought that Sonya would be able to withstand the lightning bolts and pluck the heavenly thunder fruits.

Salazar gulped nervously when he saw Sonya get struck down by the lightning bolt.

Our bodily spirits are still in Sonya’s hands!

If he dies, then