With a flick of his sleeve, Jin Yangzi turned and departed the field, his arrogance writ large.

It wasn’t until he had left the central courtyard entirely that the male concubines, their voices hushed, finally erupted in a confused murmur.

“That Jin Yangzi… too arrogant!”

“Hmph, a demon cultivator after all. Truly barbaric. We shouldn’t have expected better.”

“Ai, we of the esteemed human race are constantly suppressed by these demon cultivators. It’s truly humiliating.”

“Can we be blamed? This fellow is a true disciple of the Seven Feathers Alliance. Rumor has it he possesses a fragment of the Three-legged Golden Crow’s bloodline. His presence in the Yin Tide Black Marsh Wetland this time is a direct exchange of favor between the White-headed Dragon Monarch and the Seven Feathers Alliance. We, being ordinary, how can we possibly contend with such a character?”

“Hidden Sun Separate Manor indulges him too much! We need to report at least three times before we’re permitted to leave, yet he simply says a word to the gate guard and strides out every single time!”

Sun Lingtong, listening to the hushed exchange, felt his heart stir slightly.

The Seven Feathers Alliance was a super force, akin to the Soul-devouring Sect and the Non-empty Gate, yet primarily composed of demon cultivators. Its foundation, laid in ancient times, was built upon the legacy of the seven great spirit birds.

And the White-headed Dragon Monarch was a celebrated Hua Shen stage powerhouse within the Flying Cloud Country!

Glancing back at the list tablet, Sun Lingtong realized it detailed the ranking of contributions made by all the male concubines within Hidden Sun Separate Manor. However, it only listed the top fifty names, and Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo), naturally, was not among them.

*So, this Jin Yangzi has long occupied the top spot on the list. His strength is formidable, his background even more so. More crucially, his bloodline is exceptional, promising immense potential!*

*No wonder he’s so arrogant; no one dares provoke him.*

Sun Lingtong left the central courtyard and made his way to the gate guard’s post. Just as he arrived, he caught sight of Jin Yangzi’s retreating figure.

*He’s leaving too?* Sun Lingtong’s heart fluttered.

*Jin Yangzi is laden with treasures. If I were to act against him, how much could I gain?*

Sun Lingtong licked his lips, a surge of eager anticipation rising within him.

*Jin Yangzi is a true disciple of the Seven Feathers Alliance, a super force. A true disciple of such standing, regardless of cultivation level, would be at least Golden Core, perhaps even Nascent Soul.*

*Jin Yangzi must only be Golden Core!*

Sun Lingtong felt quite certain of his own deduction.

White Paper Immortal City, fraught with internal strife and external threats, would never permit a Nascent Soul level existence from another force to enter the city.

If Jin Yangzi were truly a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, he would certainly not be residing within Hidden Sun Separate Manor.

*This fellow is ripe for the taking!* Sun Lingtong’s origins in the Non-empty Gate meant that Jin Yangzi’s background did not deter him. Instead, it only fueled his eagerness to try.

Sun Lingtong, having obtained the bone marrow of the Void Evil God in the Thousand Peaks Forest, had seen his stealing techniques greatly improve, bolstering his confidence a hundredfold!

With this thought in mind, Sun Lingtong quietly followed behind Jin Yangzi, employing his theft technique to silently gather several strands of his qi.

At a fork in the road, Sun Lingtong and Jin Yangzi chose different paths.

He was not in a hurry to strike.

One reason was the need for long-term observation and intelligence gathering. The other was a pressing matter that needed to be handled first. Otherwise, Sun Lingtong would have difficulty explaining himself to Ning Zhuo upon his return.

Newly arrived and unfamiliar with White Paper Immortal City, Sun Lingtong wandered several circles before finding a relatively reliable source. The other party secretly peddled various secret messages to the outside world.

Sun Lingtong followed the route into a small alley. As he gradually approached, his heart suddenly stirred, sensing Jin Yangzi’s aura.

*He’s also nearby?*

Since they were on the same path, Sun Lingtong decisively concealed his presence, quietly drawing closer.

In the small alley, Jin Yangzi, his hands behind his back, pacing slowly, suddenly stopped and whirled around. “Hmph! Petty thief, you’ve followed me all this way. Still not showing yourself?”

Sun Lingtong’s heart immediately tightened. Just as he was about to activate his theft technique to slip away, Jin Yangzi’s gaze swept over his position. “Not you, you short fellow.”

“Hehehe.” After a burst of cold laughter, a cultivator revealed his form.

Sun Lingtong’s head snapped back. He saw a person with a hunched back and stooped waist, whose skin was swollen and whose eye bags were a dark blue. His hair was wet, and water drops continuously dripped to the ground, as if he had just climbed out of a river.

Sun Lingtong’s hair stood on end. He was utterly startled!

He had not detected another person following behind him at all.

Jin Yangzi still stood with his hands behind his back, speaking proudly, “Who are you?”

The mysterious cultivator, his pupils filled with blood threads, locked onto Jin Yangzi. “The one who will take your life.”

Jin Yangzi burst into laughter. “A petty generation, a small fry who doesn’t even dare utter his name, can take my life? Do you not know that I discovered you long ago and deliberately led you to this place?”

His words had barely fallen when Jin Yangzi suddenly attacked, chopping out a golden saber light with a palm strike.

The moment he made his move, he instantly revealed his Golden Core stage aura, his momentum overwhelming.

However, the sharp golden saber light shrank the closer it got to the mysterious cultivator. By the time it reached the cultivator, it was only the size of a marble, its power reduced to the extreme.

The mysterious cultivator stretched out a finger and lightly flicked, shattering the saber light.

He opened his mouth with a sinister grin. “You think you discovered me? Of course, it was intentional.”

“Hehehe, I was certain your temperament would lead you to reveal yourself and make the first move.”

“Jin Yangzi, you are too proud. This is your path to death!”

Dao Field — Dragon Abyss Hidden Scales.

In an instant, the small alley vanished, transforming into a waterfall.

The waterfall continuously pounded into a deep pool, emitting a roaring sound, and water vapor spread.

Jin Yangzi’s pupils suddenly contracted. He immediately soared into the air.

Sun Lingtong, with a leap, jumped onto a rock in the pool. His position was extremely awkward, sandwiched between the two individuals.

Meanwhile, the mysterious cultivator, standing opposite Jin Yangzi at the edge of the pool, suddenly attacked.

He displayed a water-element spell, summoning dragon-shaped water waves from the pool.

The long dragon rose, rushing towards Jin Yangzi.

Jin Yangzi took out a long spear and lightly pointed it. The spear light was dazzling.

He shattered the long strip of water dragon.

Jin Yangzi coldly snorted with disdain. “Your Dao Field is surprising, do you believe in the Hidden Scales Dragon Monarch? But relying on such an offensive won’t even qualify as an itch for me!”

“Is that so?” The mysterious cultivator let out a sinister laugh and continuously cast spells.

But no matter what form the water waves condensed into, they were all easily shattered by Jin Yangzi.

*Strange indeed!* An ominous feeling surged in Sun Lingtong’s heart.

Fortunately, the other two had not yet attacked him, clearly regarding each other as their primary foe.

Jin Yangzi easily dissolved the mysterious cultivator’s several attacks but showed no trace of arrogance. Instead, his face was filled with discontent. “Are you looking down on me? Quickly display your true skill!”

The mysterious cultivator laughed sinisterly again. “I have already displayed my skill.”

Jin Yangzi said coldly, “If this is all you have, mere Foundation Establishment level, then I must shatter you into pieces to vent my rage!”

The mysterious cultivator coldly snorted. “Jin Yangzi, you are also just so. To this point, you still haven’t detected something amiss?”

“Something amiss?” Prompted by the mysterious cultivator, Jin Yangzi swept his divine sense up and down his entire body, failing to detect any trick.

But the next moment, his face dramatically changed.

This was because the mysterious cultivator attacked again, and this time, the spell directly confiscated Jin Yangzi’s magic tools and treasures.

His clothes, boots, and other items, all magic treasure level, were now enveloped in water vapor, directly stripped from Jin Yangzi’s body.

Jin Yangzi hastily infused divine sense and magic power, but his connection to his numerous magic treasures had vanished, rendering him utterly unable to mobilize them.

“What kind of technique is this?!” Jin Yangzi was a mix of shock and anger.

Sun Lingtong’s eyes, however, shone brightly. He blurted out, “Covering Water, this is Covering Water!”

The Water Attribute Sin Treasure — Covering Water! It severed the connection to the covered object. As the saying goes, “Covering Water is hard to retrieve!”

Most of the treasures on Jin Yangzi’s body were stained and eroded by the Covering Water, severing their connection to him.

One must know that these magic treasures all required refinement before they could be used.

Jin Yangzi’s reaction was too late.

With a sharp whistle of anger, he revealed his original form: a golden-feathered crow.

The crow soared into the sky, attempting to break through the Dao Field and escape.

But the next moment, the waterfall falling from the sky directly slapped it down.

Within the vast flow of water, dazzling golden light suddenly surged. The surface of the water abruptly bulged, then exploded.

Demon Technique — Red Blood Golden Light Chop!

This move had significant repercussions, but its power was formidable, often exceeding a cultivator’s limits.

Jin Yangzi was decisive, resolutely initiating a life-and-death struggle.

The mysterious cultivator grunted, the roaring sound of the Dao Field waterfall nearly as long and vast as a dragon’s roar.

The Red Blood Golden Light was influenced and eroded by the dragon’s roar, shrinking rapidly, its power plummeting.

Jin Yangzi gritted his teeth, yet was helpless.

*Not good, this is truly not good!* Sun Lingtong had originally pinned his hopes on Jin Yangzi, hoping the latter could break free from the Dao Field, thereby granting Sun Lingtong an opportunity to escape.

But the result was that Jin Yangzi was completely suppressed by the mysterious cultivator!

“Even within a Dao Field, I am acknowledged in White Paper Immortal City and not suppressed by the Immortal City’s great array!” Jin Yangzi glared at the mysterious cultivator. “You are also Golden Core and not suppressed. Just who are you?!”

The mysterious cultivator smiled coldly. “The one who kills you.”

Water waves surged, heavily submerging Jin Yangzi.

Jin Yangzi vibrated his wings with effort, breaking out with full force, rushing out of the water surface several times, but was soon slapped down by the waterfall head.

After several such rounds, Jin Yangzi gradually exhausted his strength. The golden light representing him finally disappeared into the pool water.

Theft Technique — Wear Empty!

Sun Lingtong desperately attempted to escape.

He didn’t even need the mysterious cultivator to make a move; this Dao Field alone rendered Sun Lingtong’s efforts futile, utterly failing.

*Within this Dao Field, as long as one is an enemy, any means displayed will be heavily weakened.*

*Little Zhuo, save me quickly!*

The next moment, power erupted from a life hanging by a thread, emitting dazzling mirror light.

The mirror light shone on Sun Lingtong, causing him to instantly vanish from his original position.

When he reappeared, he was back in the first-class room of Hidden Sun Separate Manor. Ning Zhuo, holding the life magic tool, the Spirit Mirror, had saved Sun Lingtong.

“What’s the matter, Eldest Brother?” Ning Zhuo had only heard the call for help and immediately made his move, not knowing the events that had transpired before.

Sun Lingtong patted his chest. “Too, too stimulating…”

For a moment, he couldn’t even speak clearly.

“Eh?” The mysterious cultivator was very surprised to see Sun Lingtong actually escape.

*That method just now was displayed from outside to inside, and casually wasn’t suppressed by the Dao Field. It seems to be some kind of summoning technique?*

*Never mind.*

*Jin Yangzi’s death was never meant to be hidden from others, nor did I intend to hide it.*

*White Paper Immortal City, hehe, is about to fall into turmoil.*

The mysterious cultivator took out a bone ball and threw it out, transforming it into a Ghost Gate Pass.

The Ghost Gate Pass opened, and countless water ghosts and Yin soldiers, already prepared, marched in together!

Not long after, the quiet small alley echoed with miserable cries, calls for help, utterly chaotic and without order.

The Yin soldiers attacked!

Clang, clang, clang…

The alarm bells of White Paper Immortal City rang accordingly, their sound echoing throughout the city.

The Immortal City’s great array activated, heavily suppressing the emerging water ghosts and Yin soldiers.

The city guard army was immediately dispatched.

However, as they were halfway there, they received a command from higher up, instructing a large portion of the cultivators to immediately rush to the city walls for defense.

The Ghost Tide was advancing!