"Hand it over, and we might just let you live!"
The men blocking the path glared viciously, their eyes burning with greed for the treasure. They quickly clashed with Xiao Heyun.
Before long, more cultivators caught up. They surrounded Xiao Heyun, striking from every direction.
"Give up the treasure!"
"Hurry!"
Everyone feared the approaching beast tide but also lusted for the treasure, so their attacks were all the more ruthless.
In just a few breaths, Xiao Heyun was overwhelmed. Injuries sent him crashing to the ground. But he didn't dare pause, scrambling to his feet and fleeing at top speed.
The others chased without hesitation. The beast tide was closing in, and none of them wanted to be torn apart.
Among them, Song Wanníng's clone moved at the rear. Soon she saw Xiao Heyun being forced to stop again, and her heart filled with satisfaction.
She let out a soft sound of surprise, as if she had just recognized him.
"Aren't you Xiao Heyun of the Eastern Region's Qingyun Sect? What are you doing here?"
Her eyes brimmed with astonishment, and her words left the surrounding cultivators equally shocked.
This was the Southern Region's secret realm. What business did the Eastern Region have here?
And he had actually slipped in unnoticed!
Xiao Heyun's heart sank when he heard her. Only now did he notice Song Wanníng among the crowd.
"Damn it, how did I run into this woman! Now my identity is blown. This just got even more dangerous!"
Hatred filled Xiao Heyun's eyes. At this point, every woman he met seemed to be nothing but trouble.
"So, you're from the Eastern Region. You dare to sneak into our Southern Region's secret realm? You must be tired of living!"
"Everyone, get him! We can't let him succeed!"
The cultivators quickly guessed that Xiao Heyun must have stolen someone's identity to sneak in. In their eyes, it was an unforgivable crime.
Old grudges and new hatred flared together, and they charged like madmen.
Though they claimed they were defending the Southern Region's honor, Song Wanníng knew they were mostly after his treasure.
But the brief delay had allowed the beast tide to catch up.
Countless beasts surged toward them.
There was nowhere to run. They could only face it head-on.
Everyone drew their magic treasures, fighting Xiao Heyun while fending off the beasts.
Soon, Xiao Heyun was struck down again, too battered to even stand. He swallowed one pill after another, frantically calling out to the system. But the system ignored him completely.
Now panic truly set in. Without the system, his confidence was gone.
While he was still desperately calling for help, Song Wanníng's clone "accidentally" led several beasts straight toward him.
Several powerful beasts roared and lunged. Xiao Heyun bared his teeth in fury, hastily detonating a magic treasure to barely survive the onslaught.
But more beasts charged in without pause.
Even the cultivators who had been attacking him were startled by the sheer numbers.
The beasts seemed obsessed with Xiao Heyun alone, swiping at him with claws sharp enough to tear through steel.
A wet tearing sound rang out.
Half the flesh on his shoulder was ripped away, blood gushing. The sight made several people's brows twitch.
"Ahhh!"
Xiao Heyun screamed. Forgetting the pain, he threw out every treasure he had. He even released his contracted spirit beasts, though they were like ants trying to stop a carriage.
One spirit beast cub in particular gave him pause.
The fact that so many beasts were chasing him proved the cub's extraordinary value. He couldn't bear to give it up. Because of it, his identity had been exposed, and both beasts and cultivators had hunted him without rest. If he gave up now, all he had suffered would be for nothing.
No, he would never allow that.
He gritted his teeth. As long as he could protect the cub, it would all be worth it.
But ideals were beautiful, and reality was cruel.
The beasts kept coming. Even after detonating several treasures in succession, he couldn't drive them back. If anything, it only made them wilder.
Like a rag doll, he was battered around until the beasts were fighting over who could tear at him first.
The surrounding cultivators sucked in sharp breaths and backed away, unwilling to get too close.
"Hmph, what did he steal that so many beasts would only target him?"
"Even killing their leader wouldn't cause this kind of frenzy!"
"Tell me, how did a Qingyun Sect disciple sneak into our secret realm? Did the elders not notice?"
"Exactly. Which sect did he follow to get in?"
The crowd's eyes stayed fixed on Xiao Heyun. For now, the beasts' madness made approaching him dangerous. But they were all waiting for one thing: the moment he lost all strength to resist. That would be their time to strike.
Song Wanníng's clone stood among them, the corners of her lips curling as she watched Xiao Heyun's miserable state.
He was battered black and blue, his body twisted at awkward angles, almost comically pitiful.
Yet even now, he refused to hand over the cub. Truly…
While she was enjoying his misfortune, something even more amusing happened.
Yun Yunzou appeared silently, taking a spot right beside her.
Recognizing Xiao Heyun's familiar robes, Yun Yunzou quickly identified him.
"Ding. Strategy target Yun Yunzou's favorability -20. Current favorability: -60."
The voice rang in both Song Wanníng's and Xiao Heyun's ears.
"Pfft—"
Song Wanníng couldn't hold back her laughter. Starlight shimmered in her eyes, making her look impossibly vivid.
Yun Yunzou glanced at her, a flicker of thought passing through his mind.
Meanwhile, Xiao Heyun also spat blood with a loud "pfft."
He was furious.
Already tortured half to death by beasts, now he had to hear that Yun Yunzou's favorability toward him had dropped again. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
In his panicked escape, he spotted Yun Yunzou standing beside Song Wanníng and almost wanted to dive underground.
For Yun Yunzou to see him this wretched—of course the favorability would drop.
"Ahhh!"
Caught off guard, he was slammed aside by another beast, screaming in pain.
Cursing the system again only made it sulk further, refusing to help. Clearly, the punishment wasn't over. Xiao Heyun kept getting beaten, but somehow, he just wouldn't die.
Song Wanníng was long used to this. She gave a light laugh.
"This man is clearly a Qingyun Sect disciple. To sneak into the Southern Region… his intentions are vile. I wonder which sect he came in with?"
Her words sounded like idle musing, but Yun Yunzou caught them.
"This Daoyou, don't you think he looks just like our Guhan Sect's Elder Liu? In both looks and personality, he's like a cheap imitation."
The moment she finished, Yun Yunzou's killing intent surged.
"Him? As if!"