In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

"Tsk, you came pretty fast." Shi Geng raised his hand to brush away the eagle feather that drifted in front of him. The feather had a metallic sheen and sharp edges like knives.

A low growl rolled from Little White's throat, its front hooves digging deep holes in the ground, its back arching into a poised, ready-to-strike curve.

Its amber eyes were fixed on the giant eagle in the middle, its nose sniffing the bloody smell in the air—the eagle's claws were still stained with undried blood, clearly indicating that it had just torn apart living creatures.

The middle-aged man flipped and leaped off the eagle's back, landing without kicking up a speck of dust.

"Boy," the middle-aged man at the head of the group said, his voice as cold as ice, "you think you can just walk away after killing someone from my Yu Manor?"

Before he finished speaking, the giant eagle behind him suddenly flapped its wings, its iron claws creating a gale that snapped a pine tree as thick as a bowl in half by the roadside.

Shi Geng's lips curled into a mocking smile, while behind him the moon spun like a jade millstone. The gnarled branches of the laurel tree intertwined to form a cage, and when the phantom of an ancient demonic bird flapped its wings, it stirred the moonlight throughout the mountain pass, like a flowing celestial blade.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group had a cold and sharp gaze. He said in a deep voice, "So you possess some kind of magical skill. No wonder you were able to kill Yu Tian. But daring to offend the Yu family, you won't leave here alive today!"

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself: "At such a young age, he has already mastered this precious technique. He will surely become a major threat in the future. This child must not be allowed to live."

Once the thought was made up, he said no more. His blood and qi surged, and a silver wolf phantom, several times more solid than Yutian's, rose from behind him. Its wolf eyes gleamed with ferocity, and a chilling aura swept over him.

The moonlight that Shi Gen was twirling between his fingers suddenly condensed into a celestial blade, and the moonlight throughout the mountain pass emitted a series of cracking sounds.

The bluestone slab beneath the middle-aged man's feet exploded with a thud, and divine runes bursting from his pores condensed into a three-zhang-long column of smoke above his head. The phantom of the Silver Sky Wolf appeared, stepping on the scarlet smoke column—every hair of this ferocious beast flowed with a mercury-like luster, and its sharp claws even brought out fine black cracks when they sliced ​​through the air.

"Compared to those useless trash from before, they are indeed a bit better."

Shi Geng commented calmly, the bright moon behind him shining brightly, the condensed moonlight transforming into a light blade that stretched across the sky.

"kill!"

The middle-aged man roared, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. The phantom of the silver wolf behind him suddenly exploded, transforming into countless gleaming silver needles that rained down on Shi Geng, their sharpness piercing to the bone. The countless silver needles pierced the air, their cold light flashing, sealing off all of Shi Geng's escape routes.

Shi Geng's expression remained unchanged. Behind him, the bright moonlight shimmered, forming a thick protective shield around him. A series of clanging sounds rang out as countless silver needles struck the moonlight barrier, shattering completely without harming him in the slightest.

The middle-aged man's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled. Using the momentum of the recoil, he swiftly moved, conjuring a new phantom of a silver wolf, its claws, imbued with violent blood energy, fiercely grabbing at the light barrier.

Shi Geng stood firmly, his blood and qi surging violently, unleashing the full power of the Blood Refining Realm. He raised his hand and threw a punch, the force of which merged with the moonlight, directly striking the wolf's claw.

With a deafening roar, the illusory silver wolf disintegrated. The middle-aged man, as if struck by a heavy blow, coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground. He struggled several times but could not get up.

Shi Geng pointed his fingers and made another stroke. The bright moonlight above his head shone brightly, condensing the moonlight into a sharp blade of light, which slashed down from the sky.

A fierce wind howled, and the blade's momentum was domineering and unparalleled. The remaining few Blood Refining Realm cultivators from the Rain Mansion were terrified and hurriedly activated their magical techniques to defend themselves. However, the Moonlit Blade's momentum was unstoppable, and several illusory magical techniques were instantly shattered into pieces.

The crowd stumbled backward, their blood surging, and their eyes filled with nothing but utter terror as they looked at Shi Geng, devoid of any will to fight.

The men were terrified and hastily abandoned their attack, kneeling down and kowtowing.

"Spare us! We were just following orders, it wasn't our own intention!"

"Please, have mercy! We'll never dare to provoke you again!"

Shi Geng's expression was cold and indifferent, his eyes devoid of any emotion. With a slight tremor of his fingertips, the moonlight shifted once more, and several slender blades of light shot out in an instant. The pleas for mercy ceased abruptly, and all the Rain Palace cultivators collapsed to the ground.

Little White slowly walked to his side and hissed softly. Shi Geng withdrew the strange phenomenon of the bright moon behind him, then turned around, and the two of them calmly left.

In the main hall of the Yu Mansion deep within Chongyun Town, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost frozen.

"A bunch of useless idiots! Investigate immediately! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find the culprit!"

The middle-aged steward's face turned ashen, and his angry shouts shook the roof beams. He slammed his hand down on the table, and the hard diamond table shattered, with fragments scattering everywhere.

This person is the manager of the Rain Clan's branch stationed in Chongyun Town. He is in charge of a number of industries in the area, including mining, raising and supplying rare birds and animals, and wields considerable power in the town.

This morning, when he went out to inspect the mine, he returned to hear devastating news: his son, Yutian, had been murdered in the street, and all the men sent by the family to pursue him had been wiped out, with no survivors.

His offspring were not few, and the loss of one son would not have caused such a loss of composure. However, Yu Tian died in public, and all his men were also lost. Clearly, someone had openly challenged the authority of the Yu family.

If this matter is left unresolved, he will have no face to stand in Chongyun Town, and if the news spreads back to his clan, he will only become a laughing stock among his fellow clansmen.

The steward clenched his fists, a fierce killing intent surging in his eyes: "Dare to commit violence on my turf? I will grind that murderer to dust as a warning to the entire town!"

The servants and guards in the manor fell silent, none daring to utter a word. The steward glared at them and said in a deep voice, "Mobilize all the elite troops in the manor to apprehend the murderer. Anyone even slightly suspicious is to be arrested!"

The crowd accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew, soon followed by a flurry of footsteps and commands echoing through the courtyard.

The steward stood alone amidst the rubble, his aura chilling. His son was used to running rampant in town and had many enemies. He could probably kill all the skilled fighters the steward sent out in one night, and he dared to act openly. He was no ordinary rogue cultivator.

Not long after, a group of experts from the Yu Clan rushed out of Chongyun Town. Many townspeople discussed among themselves, knowing that the matter of Yu Tian's murder had blown up. They all wondered who this person was who dared to provoke the Yu Clan.

The mountains and forests are lush and verdant, with ancient trees blocking out the sky.

Thousands of miles away, on a mountain road in the wilderness, Shi Gen leaned against Xiao Bai's broad back, looking relaxed.

The unicorn moved forward with steady steps, its hooves clattering silently on the decaying leaves. A mountain breeze, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, swept away the dust along its path.

The hustle and bustle of Chongyun Town and the manhunt behind them were now separated by countless mountains.

Human settlements resemble islands in the sea, with tribes of all sizes dwelling in the boundless mountains. Towering cities stand apart from the vast wilderness and continuous mountain ranges, facing each other across great distances.

Shi Geng rode Little White across tens of thousands of miles of wilderness, finally arriving at the foot of a giant city.

Deep in the dense forest, a six- or seven-year-old boy emerged slowly, accompanied by a magnificent unicorn. He was covered in blood-stained animal skin and looked travel-worn; he was none other than Shi Gen and Xiao Bai, who had been trekking for a long time.

On this solo journey of thousands of miles, he encountered ferocious beasts blocking his path and pursuers from the Rain Mansion, but he killed them all.