The Solitary Path to Divinity

"Impossible. Junior Brother Sylas is ten times stronger than you. You could die ten times over, and he'd still be alive." Dime's voice trembled. The thought of facing Mist's fury outside the forbidden ground after Sylas's death terrified him. Remembering Leo's conflict with the Mists, he immediately decided to pin everything on Leo.

"What are you implying? That Captain Sylas, with his noble birth and superior strength, shouldn't die, but the rest of us are expendable?"

Leo stepped toward Dime, producing the Black Flood Dragon Shears, a hint of killing intent in his air.

"The Black Flood Dragon Shears! That's Junior Brother Sylas's artifact." Flint and the others gasped.

With such a crucial artifact lost, no one doubted Sylas's death.

"That artifact was given to Junior Brother Sylas by my master. Now that he's fallen, as his formal disciple, I should safeguard it and return it to Master Mist. Please hand it over, Junior Brother Leo." Flint, intimidated by Leo's presence but coveting the artifact, invoked Mist's name, hoping Leo would yield. With an artifact, his survival in the perilous forbidden ground would skyrocket.

"We're both safeguarding it. I'll return it to Master Mist myself when we leave. Besides, I risked my life retrieving it from that cave. Why should I hand it over? If you've got the guts, come and take it from me." Leo rolled his eyes.

"You!" Flint fumed but dared not act.

"Enough. As long as the shears stay with the team, it's fine. Since Senior Brother Leo retrieved them, he should keep them for now and return them to Master Mist later. But when we fled the cave, the Soul Nourishing Grass's scent seemed to vanish. Senior Brother Leo, did you see it?" Bally interjected.

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"In my storage pouch. About three hundred years old. I'll take sixty percent of its value. The rest goes to you. We'll face danger together and distribute rewards based on contributions. The biggest share won't exceed sixty percent. Agreed?" Leo's eyes flickered. Bally was sharp, noticing that detail in all the chaos.

"That's settled. Since Captain Sylas is gone, why not let Senior Brother Leo be our new captain?" Luna smiled brightly.

"I agree."

"Me too."

Nyx, Lucid, Zay, and Yak nodded in agreement. Compared to Sylas's greed and tyranny, Leo's willingness to share was a vast improvement. Worrying about Mist could wait. Inside the forbidden ground, their priority was survival and gain.

"Then it's decided." Leo ignored Flint and Dime's displeasure. Temporary control of the team eased his mind. Solo travel in the forbidden ground was suicide—beasts and enemy teams alike were deadly.

Flint and Dime, powerless without Sylas, could only seethe.

The team resumed their search. Leo spread them out for better coverage. He repeatedly warned them that once they encountered any signs of human activity, they were strictly forbidden from acting on their own, to avoid falling into an enemy ambush..

They found several valuable herbs. Leo even collected two secondary ingredients for Rejuvenation Pills.

Dime, scanning, spotted a corpse with precious Yellow Iron Essence and a storage pouch. After ensuring no immediate danger, he grinned and sprinted over, grabbing both.

But he missed the fine spider silk connecting the essence to a hidden trigger.

"Damn!" Dime paled. He had been so careful, ensuring no ambush nearby, with teammates close enough to reinforce. But the trap was cunning.

Before he could flee, a barbed net shot out, covering the area. Arrows followed. Dime, startled, raised a Water Spirit Shield. The net enveloped it. Before he could react, arrows pierced the shield.

He dodged, deflecting with his sword, but one struck his arm.

His shield collapsed. The net entangled him.

"Help! Save me!" Dime screamed.

"Serves him right." Nyx, a petite girl, spat angrily, then looked at Leo. "Senior Brother Leo, what do we do now?"

"Yak, you're quick and alert. Drag him back. Everyone else, prepare to fight." Leo's voice was calm. Dime was an idiot, but leaving him would demoralize the team.

"Haha, which fool fell for our trap? Palace disciples, eh?" A group in strange, vibrant clothes emerged. Their leader, a stocky youth in brown boots, laughed with his nine followers.

"Raksha Sect. Setting such vicious traps—what's your game? Our man's wounded. Compensate us with spiritual items and healing pills, and we'll call it even." Leo snorted. The Raksha Sect, on the border between Moonwatch and the Southern Wilderness, was easily recognized by their exotic attire.