The tiger-like beast continued pounding furiously on the golden palace's gates, each strike echoing with deep, thunderous booms. The gathered geniuses, however, stood still—unsure and grim-faced. After all the time and effort spent breaking into this hidden area, was this all there was? The uncertainty gnawed at them. With the beast failing to open the palace doors, the refined green-robed cultivator retrieved it. "Everyone," he addressed the crowd, "I believe we need to work together if we're to open the palace." But someone countered, "What if the palace is like those pavilions? Empty, or worse—full of black-armored puppets?" The green-robed cultivator gave him a glance but didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "And what if it isn't? What if it holds unimaginable treasure?" The man fell silent. He wasn't strong enough to argue. No one knew what was inside. The green-robed youth surveyed the crowd and said loudly, "If we walk away now, yes, we'll be safe—but we'll leave with nothing." "But you all must understand: cultivation is about struggle—against others, against the heavens. It's how we find our fortune and grow stronger." "If a little risk scares you off, then you might as well stop cultivating, settle down, and wait for old age." His words stirred something in the group. These weren't ordinary cultivators—they were proud, ambitious geniuses. How could they shrink from danger now? Voices quickly rose in agreement. "He's right! You don't get opportunities by playing it safe!" "Let's crack that palace open and see what's inside!" Soon, they united under his leadership and began examining the palace. When that failed to produce results, they resorted to what they knew best: brute force. All thirty-plus geniuses, under the green-robed cultivator's command, began bombarding the central golden palace. Fang Hao, unnoticed due to his "lower" cultivation, quietly joined the crowd and participated without saying a word. Under the relentless assault of over thirty powerhouses, even the mighty palace began to tremble. With an explosive crash, the palace collapsed into rubble. Everyone brightened with hope—but no one rushed forward. Caution held them in place; they didn't yet know whether treasure or death awaited inside. As the dust cleared, they saw it—a floating box, hovering above the center of the ruins. Although their divine sense couldn't penetrate it, they were certain: whatever it was, it had to be valuable. Everyone charged forward in an instant. The alliance dissolved in the blink of an eye. It was now a free-for-all. Allies became rivals, each desperate to claim the treasure first. The green-robed cultivator was the fastest. But just as he entered the ruins— A ripple of unseen energy exploded outward from the palace's core. Simultaneously, beams of light shot skyward from the surrounding pavilions and the four side halls. In an instant, the entire layout formed a massive formation, with the palace at the center. They realized it too late. It was a trap formation—a prison array. And worse, their dantian and divine sea were suddenly sealed. They couldn't circulate true essence, and even their divine sense was mostly suppressed. They had only one thing left: their physical strength. "A sealing formation!?" Stripped of power, panic overtook them. Without strength, they were helpless. Escape became their only instinct. But when they reached the palace entrance, they found it completely sealed by the formation. No amount of kicking or punching could shake it. "Anyone here a body cultivator?! Break it down!!" In this state, only pure body cultivators could retain most of their combat ability. Fang Hao remained in the crowd, silent. His Archaic Sacred Body made him completely immune to the formation's restrictions. He could still use both true essence and divine sense, and his physical body alone was monstrous. Right now, Fang Hao was terrifyingly powerful. Even if all thirty of them attacked him at once, he could crush them. But he didn't act yet. The formation's full effects weren't entirely clear, and Fang Hao preferred to wait. True body cultivators were rare—and among the thirty here, none existed except Fang Hao. As panic set in, the black-armored puppets in the pavilions began to stir. They moved like awakened beasts, weapons gleaming with killing intent, advancing steadily. Before, they only attacked when someone approached. But now, with the palace destroyed and the formation activated, they had been fully unleashed. Worse still—they weren't affected by the formation at all. Their power remained at full strength. When the crowd turned and saw a swarm of Fusion Realm puppets rushing toward them, their minds went blank. Even at full power, such a force would be terrifying. But now? With their essence sealed? They were nothing but prey. They couldn't fight. They couldn't flee. They were trapped rats in a burning cage. "Damn it! We should've left earlier!!" "Yeah! Why the hell did we even listen to that guy!?" Regret surged through them like a tide. And with it came hatred—especially toward the green-robed cultivator who had convinced them to stay and fight. But now wasn't the time for blame. The puppets were nearly upon them. One by one, the geniuses began pulling out emergency talismans and escape tokens. They were elites. Each had some kind of life-saving measure tucked away. With no other option, they activated them. As for the treasure? Forget it. Whoever wants it can have it. Silhouettes flickered and vanished. The prison formation sealed essence and movement—but it couldn't fully suppress spatial escape talismans. In just a few seconds, more than half of the geniuses vanished. Read complete version only at NoveI[F]ire.net The rest weren't lacking in such talismans—they were just reluctant. After all the time and effort they had poured into this place, it was hard to let go. But when they were forced into melee against the Fusion Realm puppets without using true essence… Their expressions changed in an instant. Without hesitation, they all used their own escape tokens and fled. In the blink of an eye, only Fang Hao and the green-robed youth remained. The green-robed cultivator released his tiger-shaped beast again. It fought valiantly, shielding him from the puppets as he pressed toward the floating box. But no matter how powerful it was, it was outnumbered. It quickly took wounds and began crying out in pain. Fang Hao watched, then calmly stepped forward—leading the remaining black-armored puppets straight toward them. "BASTARD!! GET LOST!!!" The green-robed cultivator roared in fury. Fang Hao ignored him and calmly lured every last puppet in his direction. The tiger beast was quickly surrounded and shredded to pieces. Its final cry was chilling. With his guardian slain and the box still out of reach, the green-robed cultivator was both furious and helpless. "I'll remember you!!" His eyes burned with hate as he stared at Fang Hao. With a clenched jaw, he pulled out a token and disappeared in a flash. Now, Fang Hao stood alone. And before him floated the mysterious box.