The geniuses of Cyan Moon City watched, their expressions incredibly complex.

They never imagined that the Spirit Cultivation Wasted Body they once mocked had become so powerful he could rescue them from a horde of Spirit Beasts with such ease.

However, no one had forgotten that Jiang Jichen was a public enemy of the Sects.

No one could survive being hunted by all the Sects. Especially not Jiang Jichen, who wasn’t even a Spirit Cultivator of the Innate Realm. Any Elder from one of those Sects could easily annihilate him.

’Jiang Jichen, you can have your moment of glory. But when the Sect Elders make their move, you’re a dead man for sure.’

Hex Yao thought, gritting her teeth.

Jiang Jichen had targeted her Hex Family and bled them dry. Just the four of them had been forced to hand over one hundred and twenty Second-Grade Condensing Spirit Pills—all the Spirit Pills they had.

Hex Feng was on his last breath, a pathetic sight to behold. However, these Noble Family Descendants truly had no shortage of Healing Elixirs, so he was recovering quickly.

At this moment, all eyes were on Jiang Jichen, waiting to see how he would repel the Spirit Beasts and lead them out of this perilous situation.

Feeling their gazes upon him, Jiang Jichen spoke with a hint of sheepishness. "Thank you all for your generous support! It’s because of you that we can finally join forces against these despicable beasts. Let us cheer for our profound friendship! Now, everyone should be more or less rested, right? Let’s attack together and carve a bloody path to safety!"

’Cheer for our profound friendship?’

’Has Jiang Jichen lost his mind? Friendship? We’re lucky we aren’t sworn enemies at this point! Profound friendship? Profound my ass!’

’And what was that about carving a bloody path out together?’

’Did we hear him right? Wasn’t this joker Jiang Jichen supposed to be saving us?’

’Does this mean that after paying twenty Second-Grade Condensing Spirit Pills, we still have to fight for our own lives and carve our own bloody path out?’

’Damn it! That little bastard Jiang Jichen actually scammed us!’

The young geniuses of Cyan Moon City were stunned for a moment before it dawned on them. Their gazes, now fixed on Jiang Jichen, were filled with Killing Intent.

"Jiang Jichen, if you can’t repel the Spirit Beasts and get us out of here, then give us back our Condensing Spirit Pills!"

"We already paid the Spirit Pills, and you still expect us to fight to the death? Do you take us for idiots?"

"Damn you, you black-hearted bastard Jiang Jichen!"

...

If looks could kill, Jiang Jichen would have been dead a thousand times over. But he was incredibly thick-skinned, and he spoke calmly, "Since you’ve all paid with your Spirit Pills, I will naturally guarantee that you all leave this place alive. You can rest assured on that point. But if you’re expecting a free ride without lifting a finger, then I’ll just return your Second-Grade Condensing Spirit Pills, and you can step outside my Ground-Circle Prison."

At this, everyone fell silent.

Jiang Jichen was right. If he hadn’t intervened with his Ground-Circle Prison, they would probably all be dead by now.

That alone was worth far more than twenty Second-Grade Condensing Spirit Pills. After all, compared to their lives, what were a few Spirit Pills?

When they thought about it that way, Jiang Jichen’s price hadn’t been so outrageous. It was still within reason.

"The time limit on the Ground-Circle Prison is almost up. Have you all made your decision?"

"Will you fight for your lives alongside me, or will you leave?"

By now, Jiang Jichen’s expression had turned grim, and his aura pressed down on them like the weight of mountains, making it difficult for some to even breathe.

Seeing Jiang Jichen, who had already entered a battle-ready state, the group from Cyan Moon City felt a fire ignite in their hearts. The blood in their veins began to boil for a fight.

"Fight!"

Several voices cried out as they stepped forward to stand behind Jiang Jichen.

They were young, after all, full of vigor and passion.

"Fight!"

Lü Yinghao, Murong Hee, and Shen Yuqing also let out a great roar and fell in behind Jiang Jichen.

They were already young men, yet now, following a mere boy, their fighting spirit erupted like a volcano, seething and inextinguishable.

In that moment, many of them forgot their animosity toward Jiang Jichen. It had never been an irreconcilable conflict to begin with—just a petty squabble born of youthful pride—and now, as they prepared to fight side-by-side, it was cast aside completely.

Of course, some remained disdainful. They went along with the group but had no intention of actually contributing.

CRACK!

The golden light shattered. The effect of the Ground-Circle Prison had vanished. With Jiang Jichen leading the way, he strode forward.

The Spirit Beasts had been watching them like tigers stalking their prey. Now that the barrier was gone, they let out a great roar and charged with feral abandon.

PFFT!

Jiang Jichen swung his sword. A flash of golden light tore through the air. An Earth Profound Serpent was sliced in two, a grey wolf was blinded in one eye, and a Stone Fury Bear had its paw lopped off.

A single, brutal strike!

The group of Noble Family Descendants from Cyan Moon City watched from behind, shaken by the display. Their will to fight soared even higher.

They had assumed Jiang Jichen was relying solely on his Body Technique to weave through the horde, never imagining his combat prowess was so immense.

"Form a circle! Heavily wounded in the center! Maintain the formation! I’ll clear the path ahead!"

Gone was Jiang Jichen’s previous joking demeanor. His expression was utterly serious, and his voice carried an authority that inspired an involuntary sense of trust.

In that moment, everyone was completely awed by Jiang Jichen. They obeyed his command. Hex Feng and the other seriously injured members were surrounded and protected in the center, while the rest only needed to fend off any Spirit Beasts that tried a sneak attack.

For them, there was little danger; it could hardly be called a battle. The real danger, the true battle, was at the forefront—and Jiang Jichen shouldered it all by himself.

The Spirit Beasts, enraged, charged at Jiang Jichen relentlessly. Yet the sword in his hand was like a Spiritual Snake Emerges from the Cave, its movements ghostly and its trajectory impossible to predict. With every strike, a Spirit Beast was either wounded or killed.

When faced with the attacks of some Spirit Beasts, Jiang Jichen did not retreat in the slightest, meeting them head-on. His powerful physical body was even tougher than that of a Stone Fury Bear.

He unleashed his Soul Destruction Finger again and again, and his Seven Stars Sky-Breaking Fist constantly boomed out. Spirit Beast after Spirit Beast fell. Jiang Jichen’s green robes were soaked in blood, and wounds began to appear all over his body.

But his figure never wavered, never retreated a single step. His gait remained firm, his expression unchanging, and the hand that wielded his sword was steady and strong...

It was as if everything had entered a mystical Dao rhythm as they followed in Jiang Jichen’s footsteps.

Blood stained the earth red and clung to their shoes. They advanced by stepping over the corpses of Spirit Beasts.

Ahead of them, the boy was like a king, a War God. He was their hope...

Lü Yinghao, Murong Qingshu, Shen Yuqing, and the others also held nothing back, cutting down one Spirit Beast after another.

Before, they would have been mauled by the Spirit Beasts. How could they possibly be doing this now—slaying Spirit Beasts in the midst of a horde?

This change was all because of one person: Jiang Jichen!

Mun Xia’s expression was complex. Her beautiful eyes watched the boy’s back, and in that moment, he seemed impossibly tall and imposing. A sliver of regret began to form in her heart.

’If I hadn’t broken off the engagement back then, that figure standing at the front would be the one shielding me from the storm. But now, instead, I’ve paid a price of twenty Second-Grade Condensing Spirit Pills!’

Mun Xia sighed to herself, a feeling of loss and sorrow welling up inside her.

Hex Yao felt the same. She had never imagined Jiang Jichen had grown so powerful. The sight of his back as he forged ahead left her in a state of profound shock.