Among the bounty hunters who had come, even the weakest had reached the Life Aperture Realm, and the strongest were at the Life Map Realm, with some possessing combat strength that made them top-tier powerhouses among their peers. These were not pampered cultivators who achieved strength through secluded cultivation, but veterans who had crawled out of blood-soaked battlefields again and again. One was a delicate greenhouse flower; the other, an unyielding pine tree that had weathered countless storms.
The difference was obvious.
And this was not even the real army of the Great Yi Dynasty—just a group of bounty hunters pursuing rewards. To put it bluntly, they were mercenaries. Yet even they displayed such terrifying strength. One could only imagine how powerful the true military forces of Great Yi must be.
"It seems joining the Great Yi Dynasty truly is a golden opportunity for my Golden Scale Clan, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise,"thought Huan Lin, secretly thankful that he hadn't made any foolish moves earlier. Had he acted rashly and missed this opportunity, who knew what the outcome would have been? At the very least, things wouldn't be as good as they were now.
Clinging to the golden thigh of Great Yi—he must never let go.
A large number of bounty hunters completed their disguises and appeared near the Skyhawk Court.
It didn't take long for them to be discovered by the surrounding grassland tribes, especially since they made no effort to conceal their presence. Upon realizing they were Human refugees, the tribes rejoiced and quickly captured the bounty hunters, escorting them back to their camps.
Of course, during the process, the Hu people did not act violently. On the contrary, they treated the captives with exceptional care—offering food and water as if they were priceless treasures.
Indeed, in the eyes of these tribes, the Human captives were not people—they were currency. The slave trade had brought massive profits and allowed tribes to purchase a wide variety of goods from the Wanyu Commerce Alliance—luxuries, cultivation treasures, fine weapons, and more. These riches made them increasingly dependent on the trade.
And so, the value of a living slave far outweighed that of a dead one.
The Hu cavalry, driven by bottomless greed, launched raid after raid from the Skyhawk Plains, capturing more and more Human refugees. With virtually no resistance, the number of Human slaves in the Skyhawk Court surged again. In some tribes, Humans even outnumbered the Hu.
But the jubilant tribes, immersed in their greed, failed to realize the truth:
These seemingly helpless captives were, in fact, hidden monsters—flood dragons sheathed in human skin.
The bounty hunters maintained secret communication through their transmitters, coordinating covertly. Once the order came, with their strength and numbers—plus the element of surprise—they could launch devastating attacks from within. Overthrowing entire tribes would not be difficult.
"An ambush beats brute force. These bounty hunters may not be formally trained soldiers, but their individual combat prowess surpasses even the elite of the Skyhawk Court. A single command, and they'll upend the entire region—setting the grasslands ablaze."Jia Xu chuckled.
In Golden Scale City, the strategic infiltration by bounty hunters continued to unfold, each operative falling perfectly into place. This quiet dismantling of a royal court was a revelation—an exercise in pure, unfiltered wisdom.
A baptism of strategy.
Inside a secluded chamber in Golden Scale City, the petite figure of Tong Emperor stood before Yi Tianxing, speaking softly:
"Your Majesty, we have news of Lady Gongsun."
Naturally, the Hall of Calamity was deployed for this operation. Once the foundation had been laid, their elite agents, the Calamity Guards, infiltrated the Skyhawk Island and began gathering intelligence. Their top priority: locating Gongsun Da Niang.
Previously, Yi Tianxing and Gongsun Da Niang had exchanged spiritual imprints while in the Dragon Palace, allowing them to sense each other's presence across great distances. However, once he arrived on Skyhawk Island, the link was mysteriously blocked, as though a formless force severed their connection.
Yi Tianxing knew: this could only mean something had happened to her.
He was certain Gongsun Da Niang wouldn't cut the connection of her own volition.
But the specifics remained unclear. The island was unfamiliar, so he had to rely on the Temple of Calamity to investigate further.
Now, finally, came the first hint of news.
"What exactly did you learn?"Yi Tianxing asked, taking a deep breath.
"According to our findings," Tong Emperor explained, "Gongsun Da Niang's sword cultivation is incredibly powerful. While the Skyhawk Court and the various alien tribes were wreaking havoc, she was constantly rescuing Human civilians. She's saved countless lives and has earned widespread admiration across Human settlements."
"Moreover, she gathered a number of Human women and formed a sect called the Sword Pavilion (剑阁). She teaches them swordsmanship and cultivation techniques. Over the years, the disciples of the Sword Pavilion have traveled extensively—solving problems, slaying beasts, resisting invaders, and even assassinating officers of the Skyhawk Court. Their reputation is legendary."
This information, once disseminated through local Human settlements, was easy to verify. Even the Tong Emperor had to admire her. Gongsun Da Niang was truly a remarkable woman. Some said that the Skyhawk Court had postponed its expansion plans entirely due to her. Without her, the majority of Skyhawk Island's Humans would've long since been enslaved.
"And now?" Yi Tianxing pressed. "What's her current status?"
"According to our embedded Calamity Guard within the Sword Pavilion, not long ago, Lady Gongsun discovered that the Skyhawk Court was massing troops to unify the island. In an attempt to stop them, she set out alone—to assassinate the Skyhawk King, Tuoba Tao."
The report was shocking. Yi Tianxing's brow twitched.
"She actually went to assassinate the Skyhawk King? That's suicide. A ruler of a Destiny Dynasty isn't someone you can just sneak up on. In all of history, how many emperors have died by an assassin's hand? Only when a kingdom's fate is exhausted does such an opening exist. Otherwise, trying to assassinate a monarch is suicide."
As the ruler of his own dynasty, Yi Tianxing understood this better than anyone. Within the bounds of his national fate, any assassin who neared him would instantly be suppressed by the power of the dynasty itself. Their strength would be halved at best.
This was king versus king, general versus general. Unless the difference in strength was truly heaven-shaking, an assassination attempt was doomed to fail.
Clearly, Gongsun Da Niang had not reached that level.
"Has there been any news from the Skyhawk Court? Did the bounty hunters on the plains spot her?"
Yi Tianxing asked again, hopeful that she hadn't acted yet.
"No," Tong Emperor replied, "we began investigations the moment we learned she left. But none of the bounty hunters have seen her. That means only two possibilities: either she hasn't entered the Skyhawk Plains, or… she has already infiltrated Skyhawk Royal City—an area we've yet to penetrate."
Yi Tianxing felt some relief. He could still sense her imprint, which meant she was alive—for now.
"Continue the investigation. Report immediately if anything changes."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Tong Emperor replied, her gaze a mix of respect and undisguised admiration.
Though small in stature and possessing a youthful appearance, she was a rare beauty—radiant and sharp. Wherever she went, eyes followed. But what kind of ordinary man could ever move her heart?
"Gongsun Da Niang… what happened to you? Why is our connection blocked?"Yi Tianxing wondered aloud, worry gripping him."It seems I'll have to see for myself."
With that, he announced to the outside world that he was entering closed-door cultivation.
Secretly, however, he slipped away from Golden Scale City—so quietly that even Jia Xu and Zhuge Liang were unaware.
On a mountaintop, Yi Tianxing stood at the summit, gazing across the endless wilderness. Clouds drifted below him, ancient trees towered around, and he could sense countless hidden beasts and monsters nearby. Scattered throughout were alien tribes and Human settlements—each locked in their own struggles.
Every moment, somewhere, battles were being waged.
This was the true face of the Wilds.