SWOOSH!!

Five figures leaped from the helicopter, plummeting toward the ground.

BZZZT!!

As they neared the ground, five magnetic fields flared to life simultaneously. The force of the fields churned the surrounding air, sending gusts of wind sweeping outward through the forest.

"Five at the Spirit Level?"

Seeing the power they displayed, Zuo Pu instantly gauged their approximate level of strength.

Five Spirit Level masters—even if they were only ordinary ones—represented a considerable force in Spirit Guardian circles.

’Who are these five? Only the great families could have so many Spirit Level masters. Could it be the Xuan Clan, second only to the Moon Race? But when did the Xuan Clan become so high-profile? They’re even using a helicopter?’

As these thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, the five figures landed on the ground.

BOOM!!

The violent impact gouged a large crater in the soft forest floor.

Only then did Zuo Pu and the other two get a clear look at the five individuals’ faces.

There was an old Daoist in a white Daoist robe and four very young-looking people.

"P-P-P-Principal Zhou!"

As Zuo Pu was trying to identify them, Zuo Xi, who was behind him, let out a soft gasp.

He turned to see his daughter staring at one of the five figures, her eyes shining brighter than lightbulbs.

"Principal Zhou? Zhou Yuanjue? Daoist Bailong and people from the Donghua Official side?"

Zuo Pu understood in an instant. Only people from the Donghua Official side would have no need to conceal their movements, free to use transportation like helicopters at will.

’So it really is this young man who’s come? And the others with him... they look to be about the same age. Could they be Spirit Level Martial Artists of the same generation? Since when did the Donghua Official side have so many young Spirit Level masters?’

The reality was almost the complete opposite of his assumptions, which surprised Zuo Pu somewhat.

"Ji Yunzhou, Zhang Zhizhen? Who’s the other one? I don’t recognize him."

Zuo Xi, however, recognized Ji Yunzhou and Zhang Zhizhen.

"You recognize the others?"

Zuo Pu asked.

"The recent international martial arts exchange competition was all over the internet. I’ve seen some data on these two. I never thought they’d have broken through to the Spirit Level as well. The oldest among them probably isn’t even thirty,"

Zuo Xi said.

"So young..."

Zuo Pu was slightly dazed. Even among Spirit Guardians, breaking through to the Spirit Level at this age made one a top-tier prodigy.

He thought he understood why Daoist Bailong had brought such young powerhouses to participate in this baptismal ceremony.

’It seems this baptismal ceremony won’t be so peaceful,’ he thought.

Meanwhile, after landing, Zhou Yuanjue and his group had also noticed the presence of Zuo Pu’s trio. But the magnetic field fluctuations from the three were weak, so they were quickly disregarded as the group turned their attention elsewhere.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The ground was vibrating slightly. The group looked toward the source of the tremors.

A behemoth was shuttling through the woods, rapidly approaching them.

It was a giant White Ape, nearly four meters tall.

Despite its large frame, the White Ape’s movements weren’t slow at all; on the contrary, it was incredibly agile.

A hint of vigilance appeared on the faces of Zhou Yuanjue and the others. They could feel the blazing Life Force burning like a furnace inside the White Ape—a power catalyzed by extremely immense physical strength.

The White Ape’s physical constitution was beyond imagination. Zhou Yuanjue even suspected that a direct hit from a tank’s main cannon would probably fail to injure its body.

"Relax. It’s ’Lan Yue,’ the old ape of Longyue Valley. I didn’t expect the Moon Race to send him to greet us. I wonder if this is a sign of respect or surveillance?"

Daoist Bailong said, shaking his head.

"Old ape?"

The group was a little confused.

"You could say he’s the strongest tamed Exotic Beast in Longyue Valley. And he possesses a high degree of intelligence."

Daoist Bailong explained. Just then, the giant White Ape arrived before them. At around four meters tall with a shoulder width of nearly three meters, it exuded an immense sense of pressure.

A human-like smile appeared on the old ape’s deeply-lined face. It extended a massive arm, made a "please" gesture toward the group, and then started running swiftly into the depths of the dense forest.

"Let’s go. Follow him into the valley."

With a light step, Daoist Bailong quickly followed. The others did the same.

"Uncle, what should we do?"

Zuo Xi said to Zuo Pu, looking at the now-empty mountain forest.

"We’ll enter the valley too."

With that, Zuo Pu also headed in the direction where the group had disappeared.

...

...

Led by the White Ape, they covered several kilometers of mountain trails in no time. It was only then that the group gradually began to feel a peculiar magnetic field.

It was like being veiled in thin gauze, dreamlike and illusory. Everything around them seemed to be blurring—no, rather, their consciousness was being affected.

If an ordinary person were to enter this magnetic field, their consciousness would gradually blur and they would fall into a Dream Realm, their body sleepwalking, making it impossible to venture any deeper.

The group used their own magnetic fields to dispel the influence and discovered that many of the plants and animals under the field’s cover were different from those in the outside world.

Most noticeably, the colors of these animals and plants were very pale, as if they had faded. As they went deeper, all the surrounding flora and fauna eventually showed signs of albinism, and some even seemed to be emitting a faint fluorescent glow.

This was a world unimaginable to outsiders.

"To think it has such a huge impact on the surrounding environment," Zhou Yuanjue said, amazed.

"The Moonlight Power is related to the moon, the Dream Realm, and so on. The magnetic field in Longyue Valley actually originates from a natural wonder within the valley called the ’Moon Pool.’ Its formation principle is similar to that of the Jasper Pool in the Kunlun Immortal Palace. It was established by the Ancient Hero ’Li’ and can naturally gather magnetic fields related to moonlight. This Moon Pool is the key location where members of the Moon Race undergo their baptismal rite to awaken their Bloodline. At the same time, with a certain degree of control, it can be converted into this vast, wide-ranging magnetic field."

"This magnetic field is controlled by the elders of the Moon Race. Without their permission, it would have probably taken us some effort to enter Longyue Valley," Daoist Bailong explained.

Hearing this, the group felt no particular awe or surprise at the Moon Race’s power. Instead, they became intensely curious about the clan’s ancestor.

’Just how strong were the Ancient Heroes? And why were they so strong?’

After being led by the old ape for about ten kilometers deeper, the group finally saw a crescent-shaped, ring-like valley. In the center of the valley stood a peculiar mountain peak. By now, dusk had passed, and the moon was gradually climbing high into the sky. A brilliant beam of moonlight descended from above, enveloping the peak.

They had arrived at Longyue Valley.