Chapter 116: The Little Thief Who Stole the Map

"Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord!"

Hearing Xiao Yang grant it permission to stay, the Demon Wolf immediately prostrated itself on the ground, speaking with pious devotion. It felt as though it had latched onto a powerful benefactor, and that better days were finally on the horizon.

Seeing this, the Profound Ice White Tiger also leaped down, walking slowly toward Xiao Yang.

Wei Tianyang, watching from the side, felt a surge of bitterness in his heart. They were both of similar cultivation levels, so why did Xiao Yang possess a spirit beast at the Demon King realm? Furthermore, realizing that he no longer had a chance of survival, a mad thought took hold of him.

He gathered all his remaining strength, stood up, and charged toward Xiao Yang. As he lunged, he used his inner energy to ignite his own inner core. Wei Tianyang’s plan was simple: as long as he was close enough, even a Demon King could not prevent him from detonating his core. With the power of a core explosion, even if Xiao Yang didn't die, he would at least be crippled.

"You piece of trash, go to hell!" he shrieked, charging forward like a madman.

Almost instantly, the Profound Ice White Tiger sensed that something was wrong with Wei Tianyang’s aura. A flicker of disdain flashed in its eyes.

"Heh! You dare to attempt self-detonation in front of this King?"

The tiger took a deep breath, then aimed directly at Wei Tianyang and unleashed a thunderous roar.

"ROAR!"

The terrifying sonic wave carried with it a piercing, bone-chilling frost. The moment it made contact, Wei Tianyang realized something was terribly wrong. A layer of frost began to coat his body, and he could feel his blood freezing in his veins. Simultaneously, his forward momentum was brought to a complete halt.

"A domain!!!"

In that instant, he understood that there was no longer any hope of a comeback. The Profound Ice White Tiger actually possessed a complete domain. Among spirit beasts, this was incredibly rare, unless the beast possessed a terrifying, innate talent.

"Hahaha!"

Knowing all was lost, Wei Tianyang let out a wild laugh. Slowly, he solidified into a sculpture of ice.

Watching this, Sun Xiaoya felt a pang of reluctance. After all, this was a senior brother who had once treated her with great care. She slowly turned her head away, unable to bear looking at him.

Boom!

With a sharp crack, the ice sculpture shattered into dust and dissipated into the air.

"Senior Brother, I hope you can be a better person in your next life," Sun Xiaoya whispered a prayer.

"Little sister, what do you plan to do now?" Xiao Yang asked, preparing to depart immediately for the location marked on the map.

He knew that this was the Beast Wilderness; the chance of a Martial Master surviving here alone was practically zero. Even for a Great Martial Master, the slightest mistake could cost them their lives.

"I..." Sun Xiaoya lowered her head. The fellow disciples she had come out with had all met with misfortune. Now, only one path lay before her: returning to the Green Mountain Sect. But they were deep within the Beast Wilderness; trying to make it out on her own was nothing more than a pipe dream. Any random beast, or a group of slightly stronger ones, could easily end her.

"I want to follow you, brother." After giving it some thought, she realized this was the only viable option. At the very least, being by Xiao Yang’s side made her feel safe.

"No!" Xiao Yang refused without the slightest hesitation. Although the girl was quite attractive, he was already burdened with Zhen Zhuang; there was no way he was taking on another dead weight.

"Why?" Being rejected, Sun Xiaoya’s eyes turned red instantly. Tears welled up, and her pitiful appearance was enough to stir even Xiao Yang’s heart.

"There is no 'why.' You simply cannot come with me."

Upon this second rejection, Sun Xiaoya could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed softly. Seeing this, Xiao Yang felt a twinge of guilt. Sun Xiaoya and Zhou Yan were of similar age, and at times, he could see the shadow of his own junior sister in her.

"Why not just take the little girl along? If you leave her here, she’ll have no choice but to die," the Profound Ice White Tiger suddenly interjected, though it wasn't clear what it was thinking.

Xiao Yang thought he had misheard and looked at the tiger with surprise.

"Ahem! Of course, whether you take her or not is up to you," the Profound Ice White Tiger added, feeling slightly unnerved by his stare.

Across the vast and boundless Beast Wilderness, there were rarely any people. Yet at this very moment, a group was trudging forward under the scorching sun.

"It’s all because of that thieving rat who stole the map. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to be in such a rush," a dark-skinned man grumbled. The middle-aged man beside him couldn't help but curse as well.

"Don't let me run into that guy, or I'll skin him alive."

Originally, they had planned to reach their destination in ten days, but they had been robbed midway. More importantly, the map was gone. The leader of the group, fearing that others might reach the location first, had ordered them to accelerate their pace. What was meant to be a ten-day journey had been forced into five.

Although the speed had increased, the group was exhausted. Traveling day and night had cost them many men; of the original hundred, only eighty or so remained.

Leading them was an elderly man. From his aura, one could sense he was a powerful Martial Marquis. Suddenly, the old man raised a hand, and the group came to a halt. At the same moment, the previously flat ground in front of them began to tremble violently.

A moment later, a massive turtle, over a hundred feet tall, rose up from the ground. The sudden appearance left everyone holding their breath, not daring to make a sound. Only after the giant turtle had wandered far away did the old man speak in a low voice.

"Little Chu, how far are we from our destination?"

Almost immediately, a youth produced a sketch from his robes and unfolded it, pointing to their current position.

"Elder Wu, there should be a large river not far ahead. Once we cross it and travel another thirty miles, we should reach our destination."

The old man nodded, his furrowed brows finally relaxing.

"Tell everyone to rest for a while before we set off again."

Five days of high-intensity travel, combined with constant raids by beasts, had left even a group of Great Martial Masters mentally and physically drained. In this state, they wouldn't dare take any rash actions upon arrival. That place was far more dangerous than the Beast Wilderness; they needed to be in peak condition to avoid unnecessary losses.

"Everyone, rest where you are. We continue in half an hour," the instructor, Little Zhao, stood up and announced to those behind him.

Hearing this, the others collapsed onto the ground, their bodies giving way. They had been craving a rest, and at the announcement, their entire spirits relaxed.

"Replenish your strength and recover your inner energy. A greater challenge awaits us soon."

"Understood, Instructor!"

"Understood, Instructor!"

The lethargic group immediately began to take out their supplies, focusing on recovering their energy.

"Elder Wu, do you think that person will come?" Little Zhao returned to the old man’s side and asked quietly.

"What person?"

"That thief who stole the map."

Hearing this, a dense murderous intent flared in Elder Wu’s eyes. He spoke with absolute certainty, "He will come. He definitely will. Who could possibly resist the temptation of a Martial King’s treasure?"

"That’s good. When the time comes, I’ll tear that little thief to pieces." Thinking of how that thief’s actions had forced them to march day and night, Little Zhao felt as though his lungs were about to burst with rage. If they truly encountered him, let alone himself, his entire team would tear the thief apart with their bare hands.

One could say that because of this, they had suffered a great deal. The resentment among them was profound.