The moment the treasures appeared, the greed in the eyes of the surrounding factions burned openly. None of them bothered to hide their hunger or the murderous intent simmering beneath it.
Rowan paid no attention to those covetous stares. He knew exactly what occupied their minds. He simply did not care.
If anything, he hoped someone would try to rob him. He lacked realm ore, and opponents delivering themselves to him were gifts from the heavens.
Even after exchanging for seven pieces of treasure, he had only seventy thousand units of realm ore left. With so much time remaining before the round ended, he needed more ore to exchange for the treasures he had yet to acquire.
Rowan deliberately feigned unease, tightening his fist as if he were hiding something precious. Then he stepped onto the Skyshuttle and streaked away in a flash of light.
To outside eyes, it looked exactly like he had redeemed an invaluable artifact and was terrified of being hunted down.
As expected, four squads took the bait almost instantly. Each squad had roughly a hundred people, totaling four hundred pursuers who quietly followed the path Rowan had taken.
"Captain, Rowan fled. North Dragon City, the Imperial Martial Regiment, Black Cloud Mountain, and Hundred Tiger Tower all sent squads after him. He is in danger."
Within the Tri-Axe Mountain faction, someone quickly noticed the pursuit.
However, the number of people dispatched was small. Only four hundred. That meant they did not actually believe Rowan possessed something truly valuable. If they had confirmation, they would have sent several thousand at minimum.
Reyta observed this and decided not to intervene. Even so, he sent a squad to shadow Rowan, just in case.
…
Elsewhere, Brolin's forces were still in the midst of their campaign of raids. After multiple successful ambushes, the amount of realm ore they carried had reached a staggering fifteen million six hundred thousand.
More than enough to purchase the first layer of the inheritance crystal.
Brolin immediately split off a third of his ten-thousand-man force, keeping nearly three thousand with him to escort him back to the castle.
The inheritance crystal was too important. She would obtain it at all costs.
Yet just as the squads separated and prepared to depart, an unexpected crisis erupted.
Three warships were approaching at incredible speed. Among them was a powerful aura unmistakably belonging to a Universe Rank warrior. The arrival put Brolin's forces on full alert.
Three sharpshooters lifted C2-grade laser rifles capable of killing Universe Rank combatants and aimed at the incoming ships.
But as the ships drew close, they finally noticed the insignia. These ships belonged to the Imperial Martial Regiment.
The ships landed abruptly. The hatch opened, and seventeen battered, blood-soaked soldiers stumbled out. One of them was Universe Rank.
Brolin's initial relief vanished when she saw their condition. None of them bore the pride or joy of someone who had just broken through. They looked like survivors crawling out of hell.
"Greetings, Ninth Princess."
The soldiers knelt as one.
"Not bad. You reached Universe Rank. Hand over your realm ore."
Brolin extended her hand, expecting him to comply.
However, the Universe Rank warrior hesitated and bowed his head.
"Forgive us, Ninth Princess. We were ambushed."
"What? Your name is Carlos. I assigned your team a C2-grade laser rifle. Who dared to attack you?"
Brolin's voice turned dark and heavy.
"A squad of six. Each one carried Demonvine. Three of them wielded Demonvine at Universe Rank level two. Another one must have killed one of our members and taken the C2-grade rifle. We were no match for them. Our four-hundred-man unit, together with over a thousand from Hundred Tiger Tower, were all annihilated. Only seventeen of us survived."
Carlos spoke bitterly, his expression carved with humiliation.
He projected the recorded battle footage.
The moment the Ninth Princess saw the image, her eyes locked onto Rowan.
Rowan floated calmly in midair. Dense vines of Demonvine erupted around him like a living sea. The tendrils filled the sky, weaving an overwhelming net of death.
A flick of a vine shattered a Ninth Rank Star-level warrior. A single slap demolished another. They fell like paper figurines crushed under a storm.
Even laser cannons and particle beams had little effect on the monstrous vines.
The massacre was absolute.
"Again. It is him again."
Brolin's voice quivered with rage. Her teeth clenched so hard they almost cracked.
"Your Highness, we gathered hundreds of thousands of realm ore, but it was all stolen. Please punish us."
All seventeen survivors knelt.
But Brolin only waved her hand, expression twisting. She was already drowning in fury.
"You do not deserve punishment. He does. I want this squad erased from existence."
She immediately broadcasted the order. Rowan's image and those of his companions were sent to every Imperial Martial Regiment unit.
Within moments, one of the squads already pursuing Rowan received the alert.
"It is him!"
Their squad leader recognized Rowan instantly and forwarded the message to Brolin.
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"Good. He dares kill my people on my territory. Then he will die without a grave. Assemble every unit. We strike now. He is alone. This is the perfect moment to kill him."
Her killing intent surged.
The Imperial Martial Regiment began mobilizing. Even if each squad only dispatched a small portion of their members, the total force gathered soared to eighty thousand high-level Star Rank soldiers.
Eighty thousand.
The Ninth Princess, Brolin, led this overwhelming tide straight toward Rowan.
The roar of warship engines filled the sky. Energy tails streaked behind them like glowing comets cutting through the world.
…
Within the Tri-Axe Mountain command center, screens flickered with incoming reports.
A burly general frowned deeply.
"What is the Ninth Princess planning? Mobilizing eighty thousand soldiers? Is she insane?"
A robed strategist studied the map and muttered, "Whoever she is chasing must not be ordinary."
…
Hundred Tiger Tower held an emergency meeting.
Their leader tapped the table rhythmically.
"Whatever this is, avoid the Imperial Martial Regiment. Do not provoke them."
North Dragon City and Black Cloud Society made similar decisions. They had suffered too many casualties to fight without anti-Universe Rank weaponry. The Imperial Martial Regiment fielded sixty thousand in total, capable of casually assembling squad after squad.
Compared to them, North Dragon City and Black Cloud Society were outmatched.
…
Meanwhile, Rowan rode the Skyshuttle through a breathtaking canyon. Multicolored stone walls glittered like a natural cathedral. Above floated drifting rainbow clouds shaped like galloping horses or winding dragons.
Rowan ignored the scenery. He needed to reunite with Hong and Thor. The problem was the tailing squads behind him.
He wondered whether he should kill them.
He reconsidered. These people likely had little realm ore left. Their entire worth was not enough to feed his Demonvine for ten seconds.
Suddenly, his communicator blared.
Babata's face popped up with urgency.
"Rowan, Rowan, a force of more than eighty thousand is coming your way. They are thirty kilometers out. At their speed, they will reach you in one minute."
Rowan's expression sharpened. He immediately opened the scanner.
Tens of thousands of red dots filled the map.
A massive army.
Almost certainly the Ninth Princess's fleet.
The survivors from earlier had clearly reported him.
"So fast."
Rowan whispered, though there was no fear on his face.
He was immortal. If his body was destroyed, he would simply regenerate. Even if the outside world discovered his ability, it would eventually happen during the upcoming trials of the Genius Battle. His Shadow Clan clone would be exposed sooner or later.
Besides, his true body was still human. The Shadow Clan form was only a divided manifestation of his cultivation method.
He had nothing to fear.
He steered the Skyshuttle sharply downward, plunging into a dense dust cloud. The thick, muddy clouds offered almost no visibility. But the chaotic terrain made an excellent natural shield.
Moments later, Brolin's fleet arrived.
She stood in the flagship's command chamber. The screens displayed the region Rowan had entered. Their scanners lacked Babata's precision. Rowan was hidden too deep in the cloud.
"Surround this area. Not even a fly escapes."
Her voice was ice.
Eighty thousand warriors moved instantly, forming a vast encirclement. Cannons charged, humming with lethal energy. Warships aimed into the swirling dust cloud, ready to unleash destruction.
The trap had been sprung.
And Rowan was waiting within.