At these words, Zhou Tong furrowed his brow and glanced sideways at the noble young master from the Gao Clan, clearly displeased.
"Hah, isn’t this something. One moment he’s talking about someone else’s backer, and the next he’s bringing up his own Ancestor. What a hypocrite."
"Chen Zhi, why didn’t you just take him down and knock that arrogant attitude of his down a peg?"
"Before he even got here, he used a top-grade Spiritual Object raised by his clan to seize the Leader position for the Horse Riding Skill event. He’s not like us; he’s incredibly arrogant."
"And to think I originally wanted to win him over, to see if he could be an ally in the Prefecture Examination. In the end, he didn’t even give us the time of day..."
Chen Zhi grimaced, his face a mask of frustration.
’Every last one of them has their eyes on my spot for the Climbing Martial Arts Tower. Even if I could beat this guy, could I possibly defeat that Ji Xiu?’
But then again...
When a Realm Gate opened within the prefecture’s borders, the rules stated that everyone with a spot in the Prefecture Examination, as well as the Prefecture Officials from the Mansion Courtyard, had to be present.
So where was this Ji Leader now?
Just as these leaders from the Mansion Courtyard were pondering this...
Dean Pei Daoran had already met up with Garrison Commander Luo Daocheng. The two of them, leading several Prefecture Officials and armored Government Soldiers, were just about to enter Anning County.
They saw a group of local business owners and Martial Arts Hall Masters arriving in a great hurry.
People like Lu Chengfeng and the old man, Liao Yuanhua of the Whale-Slaying Saber, had all spent time in the Prefecture City.
One look at the newcomers’ faces and attire was all it took for them to recognize who they were dealing with.
They were instantly awestruck, and in their panicked haste, they bowed deeply, their faces filled with reverence and trepidation.
But the two Dragon Tiger Realm masters simply waved their hands, exchanged a glance, and saw a hint of doubt in each other’s eyes.
’Something isn’t right!’
The Realm Gate had opened. They had been on high alert, first reporting it to their superiors, then mustering their forces and rushing over without a moment’s rest. They feared that if they arrived too late, it wouldn’t just be the Earth Dragon Cave; the leaking Spiritual Mechanism might allow the Outer Dao to seize control of half of Anning County.
But looking at these powerful landlords of Anning County...
Why did they all look so clueless, as if they knew nothing at all?
And so, Dean Pei Daoran and Luo Daocheng voiced their questions.
"Ah?"
"Your Excellencies, are you here because of the white mist from the Earth Dragon Cave?"
Lu Chengfeng and the others exchanged astonished glances.
After a moment’s hesitation, they first furtively took out a Communication Talisman to send a report. It was one that Ji Xiu had brought to Anning County—swiped from the Flying Immortal Temple—and could transmit messages over hundreds of miles.
Then, they led the imposing procession from Jiangyin Prefecture to the County Yamen.
There!
They were met with the sight of rows upon rows of corpses belonging to the Outer Dao’s Wild Deities, all neatly arranged!
"Your Excellencies, are these Wild Deity Mountain Deities that came out of the Earth Dragon Cave the Outer Dao you were looking for?"
Because Zhao Jiu had lost his post and the new County Magistrate had not yet arrived.
The Three Great Halls and the Wind and Cloud Association were the temporary leaders of Anning County.
As one of the leaders of the Three Great Halls, the highly respected old man Liao Yuanhua faced the group of Qi Cultivation Grandmasters from the prefecture, shouldering a mountain of pressure as sweat poured down his face like rain.
"They... a few days ago, Boss Ji swept through the Eighteen Mountain Towns and Hunting Manors from east to west and... annihilated every last one of them!"
Boss Ji... annihilated them!?
Ji Xiu?
There wasn’t a single person present who didn’t recognize the name.
But how could that name be connected to this incident?
The atmosphere fell into a strange silence.
And once everyone had finally, with great difficulty, accepted this fact...
Garrison Commander Luo Daocheng frowned.
"A Realm Gate opens, and the first probing wave consists of only a few Wild Deities? Not a single Dharma Guardian General?"
"Could this calamity really be so simple..."
Before he could finish speaking—
Suddenly—
A commotion erupted outside the County Yamen.
Everyone turned to look.
They saw that an entire street was packed with hunters in their gear and residents from the mountain towns.
On each of their shoulders...
...they carried the corpse of an Armored Grass Deity, each one valuable enough to be an Immortal Robe!
A quick count revealed there were hundreds of them!
For a moment, the Prefecture Officials, Prefecture Students, and the Government Soldiers from the Military Intelligence Camp who had come along could only stare at each other in utter confusion.
’What is going on?’
’We traveled all this way, crossing mountains and seas, thinking we were embarking on a perilous journey of no return.’
’But now, looking at all these divine corpses...’
’Is it... already over!?’
At the head of the group of hunters,
Ji Xiu stepped across the threshold of the County Yamen. Taking in the grand spectacle before him, he raised an eyebrow.
"Have you all come because of the Realm Gate?"
"As it happens, my Master and I arrived one step ahead of you!"