Wang Zhan nodded, then waved towards the crowd. When the crowd saw Wang Zhan, they quickly gathered around him, and a noisy discussion immediately ensued.

"Mr. Wang, do you have a clear understanding of everything here? What is going on? Why are there so many demon cores?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Exactly. Should we continue to look for these things here tomorrow? Even though we've been collecting increasingly more demon cores over the past few days, we're starting to worry. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If there's so much here, it means there must be some big guy involved."

"We've already gotten more than enough. We might as well leave."

Wang Zhan shook his head at the crowd. Seeing their reactions, he almost burst out laughing. His own thoughts had been the same initially, but after encountering the Azure Dragon Venerable, everything became clear. It was all a setup by the Azure Dragon Venerable. However, he didn't want to explain it to them. The fewer people who knew about the Azure Dragon Venerable, the better. If word spread, it would not only disturb the Azure Dragon Venerable's quiet cultivation but also Hu Xianfeng.

"Alright, after a day's consideration, I've figured out why we found ourselves in such a situation. The explanation is a bit complicated, but you can all rest assured that staying here won't cause any problems. All we need to do is continuously collect these demon cores. We'll leave once we've completely cleared out the Summit of Thousand Peaks."

The crowd exchanged glances, then their expressions turned to excitement.

After all, they had been worried about these very things for some time. But now, Wang Zhan's words were like a calming pill for them.

Han Junxiong, who was standing nearby, also excitedly walked over to Wang Zhan's side. He quickly grabbed Wang Zhan's arm and said, "Brother Wang, you're not joking with us, are you?"

Wang Zhan glared at Han Junxiong and then dismissively grumbled, "Where do you come up with so much nonsense?"

"Out of everyone here, you're the one who's wanted to back out the most. You weren't like this before. I really don't know why, but the older and stronger you get, the more cowardly you become."

Han Junxiong grinned, then said awkwardly, "Well, isn't it because my strength has increased and my equipment has become even more powerful? Of course, I don't want to just die in some random place. After all, the Star War Battlefield is so vast, and there are still many places I haven't explored. How could I possibly leave so easily?"

Wang Zhan shook his head helplessly, too lazy to waste any more words on him. He still needed to continue studying the cultivation technique the Azure Dragon Venerable had given him.

After all, relying solely on the Nine Heavens Mysterious Fire Formation still wouldn't be enough for him to reach the peak. Moreover, his Fatal One Slash had already reached a bottleneck, so he naturally needed to learn new cultivation techniques now.

Perhaps this was a blessing from the heavens, to encounter the Azure Dragon Venerable at such a time.

Wang Zhan didn't hesitate any longer. He found a spot and sat down in meditation.

「Little did they know, his meditation lasted for more than a month.」

While Wang Zhan sat there, Han Junxiong and the others had already finished collecting all the demon cores on the entire Summit of Thousand Peaks. They were now standing guard by Wang Zhan's side. They all possessed cultivation, so they naturally knew what Wang Zhan was doing—attempting to break through to a higher rank, or so they thought. But this time, they had actually misunderstood. Wang Zhan was merely cultivating an advanced cultivation technique.

With a loud RUMBLE, Wang Zhan, who had kept his eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them and soared into the sky.

What astonished everyone was that, following Wang Zhan's powerful shout, waves of dragon's chants echoed from the mountain forest! The surrounding trees even began to tremble. That kind of power was truly terrifying.

Han Junxiong's eyes widened. He looked at Wang Zhan in mid-air and quickly said, "Has Brother Wang's cultivation improved again?"

Everyone else shook their heads. After all, the most powerful person here was Wang Zhan. So how could they possibly discern any specific details of his progress?

Han Junxiong clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with a smile. "Excellent! Brother Wang's strength has definitely improved. This means our group has an even greater guarantee of safety!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. They all understood the benefits of staying with Wang Zhan. Over this period, not only had their cultivation levels improved, but their strength and equipment had also seen significant enhancements. Of course, all of this was thanks to Wang Zhan. If they hadn't been following him, achieving their current state would have been as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

After hovering in mid-air for a good while, Wang Zhan descended like a meteor, landing sharply in front of the crowd.

Han Junxiong, who had the best rapport with Wang Zhan, quickly approached him and eagerly asked, "Brother Wang, it looks like your strength has improved significantly again! Have you broken through to the Human Peak of cultivation?"

Before Wang Zhan could speak, a man standing to one side exclaimed, "Doesn't that mean he's stepped into the realm of a Tribal Patriarch? I remember that in all of Kui City, there isn't anyone that formidable! If that's the case, doesn't it mean Mr. Wang can now compare to the legendary Hu Lao?"

In their eyes, Hu Lao was a god-like existence.

After all, for so many years, although Kui City had its share of experts, Hu Xianfeng was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them, always standing at the very pinnacle.

That level of strength had long surpassed their imagination. They had never even dreamed that they themselves could reach the realm of a Tribal Patriarch. After all, reaching that stage meant far exceeding the average level of the current plane. One might even be able to break through this plane and ascend to a higher one—that was where the true battlefield awaited them.

Wang Zhan waved his hand and explained, "My strength has indeed improved to a certain extent, but I haven't reached the level of a Tribal Patriarch yet. However, if I were to encounter a Tribal Patriarch, I might still possess the strength for a battle."

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. It wasn't that they didn't believe Wang Zhan; after all, they were very familiar with his fighting style. He always fought like a desperate madman, constantly clashing head-on with his opponents.

But could someone really fight across cultivation levels?

Wang Zhan himself was very clear on this point. The cultivation technique he now mastered far surpassed what his current cultivation level should allow. If he utilized this technique with his current cultivation, contending with a Tribal Patriarch wouldn't be an overly troublesome affair. Perhaps he would need to reveal more of his trump cards, but he still had elixirs on him. These could perfectly compensate for the insufficient mental energy that resulted from fighting across cultivation levels.

It had to be said, this cultivation technique and the elixirs he possessed formed a mutually reinforcing combination.

Perhaps this truly was a gift from the heavens.

However, the image of Xiang Tian once again surfaced in Wang Zhan's mind. Initially, the three of them had come to the Star War Battlefield together, but they had since been separated. His two companions' cultivation levels were extremely weak. If they encountered any unexpected situations, it would be very difficult for them to handle. Wang Zhan was naturally somewhat worried about them.

With this thought, Wang Zhan shook his head, his gaze falling upon the few people before him. He then said, "Since we've already collected everything from the Summit of Thousand Peaks, there's no need to waste any more time here. Let's return to Kui City now. My subsequent plan is to give each of you a batch of elixirs.

"Of course, afterwards, whether you wish to continue staying by my side or choose to leave, I will not force you.

"After all, these are the fruits of your labor, the rewards you've earned. I will naturally keep my word. However, after this, I have more important matters to attend to. Before that, I hope you can all help me gather some information as quickly as possible."

The few people around him exchanged glances, and then one said, "Mr. Wang, you don't need to worry about that. Just tell us what information you need."

"That's right. We've been in this plane for years. We don't just know everything about Kui City; we also have a certain understanding of other matters. Plus, we have friends in various places. Gathering intelligence is a piece of cake for us."

Wang Zhan smiled with satisfaction. He glanced at Han Junxiong beside him and then said, "Look at them, then look at yourself."

Han Junxiong sighed helplessly. "Isn't that because I've been constantly focused on improving my own strength and haven't had time for other things?"

Wang Zhan paid him no mind; those were just excuses, after all.

Then, Wang Zhan's gaze fell upon everyone present, and he said calmly, "To be honest, when I first arrived on the Star War Battlefield, I had two companions with me. However, due to certain reasons, we are now separated.

"So I hope you can help me find them. Just getting some news about them will be enough. As for other matters, you don't need to worry. Perhaps then, if you still wish to stay by my side, I won't turn you away. After all, having fought side-by-side for so long, I've long since considered you all my teammates."

Everyone nodded, saying in unison, "Rest assured, Mr. Wang! Your concerns are our concerns. We will definitely do our utmost!"