At the Knoxs' Ranch, Seth, Kenneth, and Keith sat around the fire. Their expression was tight with worry."This time, most of the top experts from International Combat Units are showing up. Just one Flame Goddess-Halia back in the day, she utterly crushed the three of us. How the hell are we supposed to stop them from running wild in Edgemontale?" Kenneth's voice was heavy, rough around the edges.Even though they were all Transcendent Realm experts, the higher they went, the more painfully obvious the power gap became. With all their combined strength, they wouldn't even survive a single strike from the Flame Goddess. And that was before the people counted the others-warriors on par with them or even ranked among the top of the International Combat Units.Seth paused, mulling it over, then finally said, "I'm going to call Director Gardner. Maybe he can reach Galen and Jeff and see if they can swing by to help."Kenneth and Keith just shook their heads."Even if Galen and Jeff show up, with the lineup at the Knoxs' Ranch right now, once the artifact from Aorinth Peaks appears, there's no way we can stop them from taking it.""So what's the point of calling them?"Seth's hand froze in midair. He let out a long, heavy sigh.Yeah, Galen and Jeff are strong, no doubt, but one's ranked third and the other fifth in the International Combat Units. There's just no way they can take control of the situation. Honestly, even if we call in the Shadow Division's director and deputy right now, we'd still be stretched way too thin.Labron was sitting off to the side, watching the three Shadow Division heavyweights sigh and groan. He shook his head slightly, too.This time, are we really going to repeat the tragedy from over ten years ago in Southern Astria, letting the Westeria expert retake the treasure?A jeep tore through the side roads of Edgemontale, kicking up clouds of dust that trailed behind like smoke.Leander leaned back in the passenger seat, eyes narrowing as the Aorinth Peaks drew closer.Even though they were still a good dozen kilometers out, he could already make out the dazzling beams shooting up from the peaks. Every streak of light pulsed with raw spiritual energy, a clear sign that a rare treasure was about to appear."Last time you came to Aorinth Peaks, did it look like this?" He tilted his head slightly toward the back seat, where a veiled woman sat.It was Clara, founder of the Dual Meridian Sect. She stared at the radiant Aorinth Peaks, shaking her head in disbelief. "When I came here before, the peaks were no different from any other mountains in Edgemontale. I've never seen anything like this."Clara had grown up along the border of Edgemontale and the outside lands, the Shimmering Isle Royal Line of the Shadowrealm. She'd spent years gazing at Aorinth Peaks, but this kind of spectacle was utterly new to her."Interesting..." Leander turned his gaze back to the mountains. His eyes were clear and sharp.He wasn't particularly thrilled about whatever treasure was about to surface. At his level, divine weapons, precious materials, even ninety per cent of rare herbs and minerals could be ignored. Only magical beasts' ancestries or soul-enhancing herbs capable of boosting his cultivation would catch his attention.The jeep sped relentlessly, finally reaching the outer edges of Aorinth Peaks. From hundreds of meters away, they could already see the barricades. Every fifty meters,a sentry stood watch, each post operated by over a dozen guards.As the jeep drew near, a burly man stepped forward to block them.His expression was stern. "Aorinth Peaks is sealed from this day forward. No onemay enter without permission from the ranch master."He swung his jacket aside, revealing a handgun tucked inside.Leander didn't even glance at him. He tossed a stack of one hundred bills to the driver and stepped out alongside Clara.The driver turned the jeep around and left, while Leander lifted his head to focus on the spiritual energy surging from Aorinth Peaks. His spiritual strength seeped out, probing deep into the mountains.Moments later, his eyes snapped back. His spiritual strength retracted completely."Well, well, Aorinth Peaks. So it can block my senses." He grinned, waving at Clara. "Let's go in."Clara nodded, following him. The burly guard saw them casually stride toward the entrance instead of leaving, and his anger flared. He reached for his gun.Boom!The instant he moved, a deafening roar tore through the air. Sentries within a kilometer all toppled, torn skyward by a violent wind like a passing hurricane.noveldramaOver a hundred people stood frozen, mouths agape. Only after what felt like an eternity did they snap out of it, but Leander and Clara had already vanished into the foot of the mountain.Since the Qual Meridian Sect'sbattle, Leander had wiped out every top-tier warrior of the Shadowreatm Sect, including their leader, Reid. The greatest threat to the Dual Meridian Sect was gone. So when it ended, Clara had followed Leander northwest, guiding him.She walked ahead, following both her memory and the faint glow emanating from the jade, as they threaded their way through the sprawling peaks of Aorinth.After many twists and turns, they finally reached the core of Aorinth Peaks. This was the deepest, oldest, almost untouched part of the mountains.Throughout their journey, Leander felt the surging spiritual energy everywhere. Even the occasional animals gave off warnings far stronger than any normal creatures elsewhere.In the heart of the mountains, Clara stopped after ten steps.Ahead was a dense, vibrant forest. Everything looked clear and calm, yet she sensed an invisible barrier cutting off the space in front of her."What the..." She reached out, her hand hitting something solid and smooth. To the naked eye, it was invisible.Her eyes narrowed. Innate vitality surged through her palm as she struck. "Break!"A thunderous explosion shook the ground beneath them. The surrounding earth trembled, trees swayed, and birds and beasts scattered in all directions.She had poured eighty percent of her force into that strike, yet the invisible wall didn't budge."How is this possible?" She was shocked. Last time, this path had been clear. Now, there was an invisible barrier.Even after unleashing several more blows, churning the ground for dozens of meters around, the barrier remained untouched."Sovereign Ashcroft!" She turned to Leander, exasperated.Leander's expression stayed calm. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the barrier."This is a force shield. Whenever arare treasure surfaces, it generates a protective magnetic field. Invisible tothe eye but incredstrong.break it by brute force requiresunmatched destructive power.Otherwise, you wait for it to fade onits own." He had read about such shields in ancient texts. Only treasures of immense powercould trigger them.Depending on the treasure'sstrength, the shield's intensityvaried This one could withstand ahigh grade supernormal's full-for strike without a scratch, meaning whatever lay beyond was no trivial treasure. "Can you break it?" Clara asked."I can." Leander nodded decisively, then shook his head. "But it's not the best idea. The shield is self-generated by the treasure. Using brute force risks damaging it."Clara frowned. "Then what do we do? Wait here?"Leander chuckled lightly. "Just because others can't get in doesn't mean I can't."As he spoke, a blue glow spread across his palm. Clara's eyes flickered. Where his hand touched, ripples of energy radiated outward like a drop hitting a still lake."Devourer's Ninefold Path. The Power of Dissolution!"