Endless Surprises

Xiong Father and Son never expected this.

Even the Squad Leader himself had taken action, yet he was defeated!

Their clenched teeth and unwillingness were of no avail.

The Squad Leader now lay collapsed on the ground. Though his body bore no sword wounds, he was utterly drained, devoid of any strength to resist. His precious treasures had been taken from him and were now being presented with both hands to the Handsome Young Noble!

The noble cast a downward glance, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.

Gazing at the Squad Leader, who still glared at him with gritted teeth despite his defeat, the noble’s expression radiated the smug satisfaction of a victor, as if he relished such scenes.

After a brief inspection, the Handsome Young Noble chuckled softly.

"You… are passable."

"Your persistence has amused me."

"It seems you hold some standing in your sect. If you pledge loyalty to me, your future achievements could be boundless. Even as a mere pawn, you might witness sights beyond your wildest dreams."

The Squad Leader froze momentarily before erupting into furious laughter, spitting out curses!

"Spare me your nonsense!"

"You think you’re worthy of my allegiance? You ignorant fool! What’s so impressive about defeating me? How dare you spout such arrogance?"

"You’re nothing but a frog in a well!"

The moment his scathing words rang out, Xiong Father and Son, along with the other workers, echoed his fury with equal indignation!

"Ganging up on us, and you still have the gall to act high and mighty?!"

"Shameless bastard!"

"One victory and you’re already drunk on yourself. With that attitude, you’ll never amount to anything!"

"Who gave you the audacity to even try recruiting our Squad Leader?!"

They had lost, but they knew full well that while this noble was strong—and likely backed by formidable influence—he was, at best, only slightly above their own humble station.

In a true, fair fight…

A nobody like him wouldn’t even rank on Dark Shadow Island!

This was clearly someone accustomed to flaunting his superiority, expecting others to grovel at his every word.

The way he carried himself was like a petty landlord flaunting three measly coins, boasting about being the richest man alive while spouting nonsense about his greatness…

Utterly delusional.

Xiong Father and Son, along with the others, couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at such shameless arrogance.

Witnessing this bizarre scene—where captives dared to defy him without fear—the noble raised a hand to stop his subordinates from acting on their killing intent. He showed no immediate anger, his composure unshaken.

Narrowing his eyes, he swept his gaze over the confiscated treasures, his mind already calculating.

"It seems these men possess both courage and unusual confidence."

"As expected, their sect must be stronger than anticipated—perhaps far stronger."

"This just got more interesting."

"Which means… their sect likely harbors even greater power, possibly more treasures…"

After a brief pause, greed flickered in the noble’s eyes.

Slowly, he raised his right hand, fingers curling like claws!

The Squad Leader was yanked forward by an invisible, terrifying force. Strange, multicolored streams of light began seeping from his forehead, flowing like threads into the noble’s palm!

Instantly, Xiong Father and Son and the others erupted in horror and fury!

"Soul-searching?!"

"The Squad Leader is already gravely injured! This will destroy him!"

"Such a vile technique—no righteous faction would resort to this! How can someone of your standing stoop so low?!"

"To torture a wounded man’s soul… you’re despicable beyond words!"

"You fiend! We’ll never rest until you’re dead!"

Amid the uproar, the surrounding Heaven-tier experts swiftly moved to suppress them.

Xiong Father and Son and the others were struck down again, their bodies battered, but their furious curses never ceased. Their eyes burned with rage, veins bulging as they watched their Squad Leader’s soul being ravaged!

Helpless, they could only endure the humiliation, forced to witness their leader’s suffering.

In the depths of despair, tears of blood streaked down Xiong Fen’s face.

"We’ve doomed everyone!"

Guilt and fury intertwined in their minds. Xiong Zhong, too, struggled madly, summoning every ounce of strength to cry out for salvation—his thoughts consumed by the divine visage of the one they revered like a god!

"Sir…"

"Sir, save us!!!"

His desperate plea struck like thunder!

The others, even as they were pinned to the ground, devoid of strength, joined in the chorus of despairing cries!

"Sir!"

"We’ve failed you, brought shame upon your name! Our deaths wouldn’t atone for this, but we beg you—save our Squad Leader!!!"

Their voices grew increasingly frenzied, their resolve unshaken.

The Heaven-tier experts were stunned.

What kind of sect could inspire such unwavering loyalty? Even in the face of death, these men refused to yield or beg for mercy!

Even the half-conscious Squad Leader seemed to stir, resisting weakly!

"Si…r…"

The flowing light from his forehead dimmed abruptly, as if his consciousness had returned!

The Handsome Young Noble frowned, disbelief flashing across his face.

But no matter how tightly he clenched his fist, no more of the strange light emerged. The Squad Leader hung limp in the air, beyond his grasp.

Finally, with the Squad Leader barely clinging to life, the noble released him, letting his body slump to the ground.

Xiong Fen and the others seethed with grief and rage, but they were powerless to act.

Amid the chorus of curses, the noble remained indifferent—except for a flicker of surprise at the Squad Leader’s resilience. His curiosity about their sect only deepened, and he eagerly delved into the fragments of memory he had extracted.

Closing his eyes, fragmented scenes unfolded in his mind…

The Squad Leader directing his men as they hauled the carcasses of demonic beasts—evidence that someone had slain formidable creatures, proving their prowess.

Another scene:

The Squad Leader distributing treasures to his subordinates, murmuring instructions about a critical mission.

Then, a new vision:

The Squad Leader bowing before a young man, reporting on their progress in constructing a site of immense importance to the sect…

The fragmented memories faded as quickly as they came.

When the noble reopened his eyes, a glint of excitement shone in them.

This was even better than he’d anticipated.

From the memories, it was clear this Squad Leader held significant authority, overseeing crucial projects. Yet, he wasn’t the sect’s pinnacle—there were stronger figures above him.

Likely, he was a high-ranking elder or similar.

Recalling the demon beast carcasses and the composed young man, the noble’s anticipation grew.

Treasures beyond his expectations awaited!

Rarely did anything surprise him, let alone pique his interest in treasures. But ever since he’d glimpsed the "construction gear," his appetite for greater finds had been whetted.

With just these fragments, he had pieced together the truth:

This sect was extraordinary, far surpassing ordinary Heaven-tier factions. No wonder these men were so fiercely loyal—their methods and treasures were nothing short of astounding.

At last, a worthy prey!

"Destroy that so-called Dark Shadow Island, and the rewards will exceed all expectations," he mused. "Treasures keep falling into my lap… What a delightful twist of fate."

Rare excitement coursed through him as he rose and issued his command:

"Investigate the Waterfrost Star immediately—we’ll need answers for the elders. After that, we move elsewhere. Rest assured, you’ll all reap your share of spoils!"

If even the Young Noble considered it a worthy prize, it had to be an unimaginable treasure or opportunity!

The group of experts trembled with excitement upon hearing the news.

They immediately sprang into action, bustling about.

As for the grief-stricken and furious Xiong Father and Son, along with the wounded, they were no longer in the experts' sight. No matter how much they cursed and shouted, their words fell on deaf ears, dismissed as the tantrums of children, utterly powerless.

The entire flying vessel was filled with the thrill of an impending bountiful harvest.

Meanwhile,

on Dark Shadow Island, someone noticed the disappearance of the squad members. After waiting for two days with no sign of them—not even a response from the communication jade slips—questions were raised, and reports were filed up the chain of command.

Finally,

the matter reached the personal disciple in charge of transporting the demon corpses, Xiao Zhan.