The Great Wilderness was vast and indistinct, with mist swirling.
Majestic mountain ranges rose, Verdant Pines stood proudly, and the range of ten thousand ravines was covered by countless ancient, sky-reaching trees, like divine swords piercing straight into the firmament.
In the depths of the Great Wilderness, tigers roared and apes hooted, vicious birds shrieked, and Primeval exotic species ran rampant.
Suddenly, in the distant dense forest, a figure rushed forward. It was a handsome youth, approximately fourteen or fifteen years old, with a slender and sturdy build. His robe, however, was somewhat damaged and splattered with bloodstains.
His face was filled with worry. Though he ran at great speed, his internal energy was somewhat chaotic, causing his steps to be a little unsteady.
"Faster, a little faster! Just get past the mountain ahead, and that's the area where the Black Tortoise Camp is stationed. They absolutely wouldn't dare kill me there!"
The youth muttered to himself. He adjusted his breathing, suppressed the panic in his heart, and forced himself to calm down. This was a matter of life and death; he absolutely had to remain calm to seize a sliver of hope for survival.
"Click!"
The youth took out a zitan wooden box from his bosom. He gently opened it, and a fire-red elixir appeared, the size of a baby's fist. Its entire body glowed with a faint red mist, bearing the images of a dragon and a tiger, sparkling with magnificent radiance. Its fragrance assailed his nostrils.
He took several deep, eager breaths. His pale face gradually became rosy, and a warm current flowed through his limbs and bones. He felt his strength recover.
"Huang Tianhua, I foolishly considered you a sworn brother! For a single Dragon-Tiger Great Elixir, you want to take my life! And that hussy Qin Ruxue, who was engaged to me, yet colluded with Huang Tianhua to harm me! Just wait until I escape this calamity, then I will settle accounts with you both!"
The youth's face was a little twisted, filled with an expression of agony.
But he dared not delay even a moment. He tucked the Dragon-Tiger Great Elixir into his bosom and rushed towards the mountain ahead.
"Kree…"
Suddenly, clear eagle cries echoed from the sky.
"Damn it! They caught up so quickly!"
The youth's expression changed drastically. His entire body's blood-qi surged like a rainbow, and his speed immediately increased by another notch. His entire being exuded a kind of madness.
Ahead, the dense forest began to thin, and sunlight streamed down from overhead. The youth seemed to see some hope. His breathing became rapid, and his body burst forth with renewed vigor.
"Jiang Sinan, leave behind the Dragon-Tiger Great Elixir, and I can spare your life!"
The shout, like a clap of thunder, boomed from the sky. A figure immediately shot down from above Jiang Sinan's head, carrying an irresistible force that enveloped him like Mount Tai pressing down.
Jiang Sinan's expression changed drastically. Without time to think, his body moved with a strange trajectory, and he immediately dodged aside.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled. It was a foot that slammed fiercely into the earth, causing it to immediately crack and send scattered rocks flying. The surrounding ancient, sky-reaching trees all suddenly swayed, and countless leaves, swept up like a whirlwind, scattered and fell.
A youth wearing brocade robes appeared in front of Jiang Sinan. With a handsome face and a slender build, he exuded an incredibly violent power. He looked at Jiang Sinan with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"Huang Tianhua!"
As soon as Jiang Sinan saw this youth, his expression immediately turned ugly.
At this moment, eagle cries rang out, and a massive fierce eagle landed beside the youth. The eagle was covered in black scales, its eyes cold as ice.
A woman in a sky-blue long dress descended from the back of the black eagle. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her skin as white as snow, imbued with a captivating allure. Her light, continuous steps swayed with an enchanting grace.
At this moment, she calmly looked at Jiang Sinan and said:
"Sinan, this Dragon-Tiger Great Pill is not something you can possess. Hand it over, and we will give you other things to compensate for your loss."
"Compensate for my loss, hahahaha..."
Seeing the woman in blue, Jiang Sinan's heart was filled with immense bitterness, and his eyes revealed disdain and mockery.
"Qin Ruxue, not to mention that I was the one who originally discovered that treasure, and the brocade pouch inside was already snatched by you. Moreover, this Dragon-Tiger Great Pill is a supreme spirit pill that can swiftly elevate one to the Xiantian Grandmaster realm. What can you possibly offer to compensate me?"
Jiang Sinan was the grandson of Jiang Yuanshan, the Martial City King and Protector of the Great Qian Dynasty. He had been betrothed since childhood to Qin Ruxue, the granddaughter of Duke Ning, Qin Haoran. Huang Tianhua was the son of the current Imperial Grand Tutor and was on very good terms with Jiang Sinan.
Jiang Sinan began cultivating at the age of ten. Within a year, he broke through four levels, reaching the fourth level of the Houtian realm, and was hailed as a rare genius in Jade Capital City, seen only once in a hundred years. Everyone believed he would continue his momentum, breaking through all nine Houtian levels to reach Xiantian, becoming the youngest Xiantian Grandmaster in the Great Qian Dynasty. However, Jiang Sinan remained stuck at the fourth Houtian level, unable to break through for five consecutive years.
During these five years, no matter how hard he tried, how many spirit medicines he consumed, or even when his Xiantian Grandmaster grandfather personally expended Xiantian True Qi to perform a qi infusion for him, he still couldn't break through.
A month ago, he accidentally acquired a treasure map. After some deduction, he became convinced it was the treasure trove of a powerhouse beyond the Xiantian realm. This made him incredibly excited, thinking that he might find an opportunity to break through.
He didn't tell his grandfather, only wanting to give him a surprise later. He secretly arranged with his good friend Huang Tianhua and his fiancée Qin Ruxue to search for treasure in Great Desolate Mountain.
After overcoming numerous dangers, they finally found the treasure trove. Inside, they discovered a brocade pouch, like the legendary Storage Pouch, and a Zitan wood box containing the Dragon-Tiger Great Pill.
The Dragon-Tiger Great Pill – this was a spirit pill that, according to legend, only immortal dao sects could refine. It could instantly allow someone to reach the Xiantian realm. This immediately stirred the hearts of all three of them.
However, Jiang Sinan keenly noticed a hint of killing intent emanating from Huang Tianhua. Treasures stir human hearts, let alone an immortal spirit pill that could grant immense power. What shocked and angered Jiang Sinan the most was that Qin Ruxue actually tacitly approved of Huang Tianhua's actions.
Therefore, Jiang Sinan made a swift decision: he snatched the Dragon-Tiger Great Pill and, expending the immortal spirit talisman, the Divine Movement Talisman, that his grandfather had given him, he escaped from the treasure trove.
However, the Divine Movement Talisman could only grant a thousand li of range. Moreover, Huang Tianhua's black eagle was a wild beast of no low rank, and its speed was extremely fast. In the end, they still caught up to him.
– Khương Tư Nam, Như Tuyết is already at the Houtian Ninth Level. All she needs is to refine this Dragon-Tiger Grand Pill to reach the Xiantian Realm. You, on the other hand, have been stuck for five years, unable to break through. The Dragon-Tiger Grand Pill in your hands would only be wasted. Moreover, with your current cultivation, even if you consumed the Dragon-Tiger Grand Pill, its immense medicinal power would only cause you to explode. Hand over the Dragon-Tiger Grand Pill, and we guarantee you satisfactory compensation.
Hoàng Thiên Hoa said with a faint smile, an air of utter harmlessness about him. Standing beside Tần Như Tuyết, they looked like a perfect couple.
Khương Tư Nam felt a sharp pain in his heart. Looking at Tần Như Tuyết's indifferent expression, he felt the two people opposite him growing increasingly unfamiliar, as if he were meeting them for the first time today.
– Hand over the Dragon-Tiger Grand Pill? I fear the moment I hand it over will be my death! Khương Tư Nam said with a cold laugh.