Chapter 151: The Eerie Stone Carving

Having just parted ways with Daoist San-Tong, Xiang Nan bumped right into a menacing Golden Eyes.

Seeing Xiang Nan, Golden Eyes stopped, a provocative smirk playing on the corner of his lips: "I've finally caught you in my hands!"

Xiang Nan was dumbfounded: "..." What the hell kind of greeting was that?

Are we even that close? Do we have a blood feud?

He had never taken the people from the Supreme Lingwu Academy seriously. Although he had heard of Golden Eyes, they were practically strangers.

Looking behind him, his old acquaintance the High Mage and a completely green, bald-headed giant were following closely. One wore a complex expression, while the other looked utterly indifferent.

Yet the moment they laid eyes on him, a gleam flickered in both of their eyes.

It was the look of beasts spotting their prey, pregnant with dangerous signals.

Damn it! He hadn't even tangled with the fierce beasts yet, and now he was going to have to brawl with these guys first?

Xiang Nan wasn't afraid of a fight, even if it was three against one. The crux of the matter was that the Soul-Suppressing Stone hadn't been found yet, and his teammates were still waiting for him on Central Island. Weren't they just wasting time here?

Besides, Xiang Nan hadn't brought everyone here to brawl and scrap.

He straightened his back and looked straight at the High Mage: "High Mage, we've dealt with each other before. You know my temper—the thing you want is in my spatial ring. But I respond to reason, not coercion. If you try to snatch it by force, I guarantee I'd rather let that object vanish into thin air than ever hand it over."

Hearing this, the High Mage's expression noticeably softened: "I heard you put the word out that anyone who finds the Soul-Suppressing Stone will be granted a chance to observe that artifact. Does that still stand?"

Xiang Nan wanted to laugh, but his face remained dead serious: "That's right. I said it, and I will definitely honor it."

No matter what, he wanted to find the stone first.

As for the High Mage and the others, their reasoning was simple: as long as he was willing to bring out the magical treasure, they were confident they could snatch it from him.

Golden Eyes, however, did not see it that way. His murderous gaze swept over the High Mage: "So after all this time, you came here to help him find the Soul-Suppressing Stone!"

The High Mage did not deny it. With his level of cultivation, he wasn't afraid of Golden Eyes at all. Dragging one more person into the muddy waters simply increased the chances of finding the Soul-Suppressing Stone.

"Does it matter who we're helping find it? Right now, everyone shares the same goal—to dig up the Soul-Suppressing Stone first, don't they?"

Golden Eyes, however, remained unimpressed: "My goal is the championship! Whoever stands in my way, I'll wipe out!"

Mid-sentence, Golden Eyes already made his move, shooting his hand out with terrifying speed and reach.

This guy's special ability was truly formidable; his arms could stretch to any length he desired.

Watching a sharp claw lunge directly toward his face, Xiang Nan didn't dodge at all, standing his ground with absolute composure.

The High Mage was standing to the right of Golden Eyes and simply had no time to intervene.

Yet, Golden Eyes's claw stopped a mere five centimeters from Xiang Nan's face. His elongated wrist had been locked in an unshakeable grip by the Bald Crocodile.

"You! You're actually helping him?!" Rage and shock erupted in Golden Eyes's eyes.

For someone from his own side to turn traitor on the spot—this multiplied Golden Eyes's fury a hundredfold.

Recalling how he had invited the Bald Crocodile to assist him in the Spiritual Void Realm, it certainly did seem a bit suspicious now. The Bald Crocodile had practically volunteered himself.

Even though he had demanded a high price at the time, figures of that caliber usually required repeated invitations and entreaties. For one to approach you proactively was nearly unheard of.

So the bastard had his own agenda all along.

The Bald Crocodile still wore a blank expression: "I'm not helping him. I'm helping you."

"That's right, he really is helping you." Emerging briskly from the jungle behind them came a group of people—Yoshida, Alice, and their cohorts.

"Anyone here can die, but Xiang Nan cannot. Try laying a hand on him, and I guarantee you'll be chewed down to nothing, not even a hair left." Alice cast a bewitching glance at Xiang Nan, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Given this lineup, arrogant as Golden Eyes was, he knew he couldn't kill Xiang Nan. He could only sheepishly retract his claws, not daring to utter another syllable of nonsense.

Xiang Nan deliberately let out a breath of relief, chuckling as he said, "This is getting interesting. I finally get to experience what it feels like to be the center of attention. How exhilarating! But on second thought, once you guys get the item from me, are you going to chew me down to the bone and leave not a single hair behind?"

As he spoke, he even put on a theatrical look of extreme terror.

Alice was just about to speak when she was yanked back by the High Mage, who put on a placid facade and said, "How could that be? We have no enmity or grudge against you, and our only objective is the item you possess. Once we obtain it, our goal is achieved. Why would we invite trouble by murdering the young master of the Eagle Alliance?"

Heh, no enmity or grudge? These people spoke with honeyed words, yet which of them wasn't utterly ruthless when it came to action?

Still, since you're putting on such a sincere act, I suppose I'll reluctantly believe your punctuation marks.

He truly loved watching these peak experts yearn to murder him while being forced to humor him in such twisted fashion.

"Mm-hmm, sound logic!" Xiang Nan gave the High Mage a mocking thumbs-up. "Then I can rest easy. Everyone, hurry off and search for the Soul-Suppressing Stone. Whoever brings it to me first gets the first look at that artifact."

These individuals were not allies by nature; each harbored their own selfish motives, and every single one of them wanted to be the first to lay eyes on the magical treasure, as doing so maximized their chances of seizing it.

Though they harbored a bone-deep hatred for Xiang Nan, they had no choice but to swallow their wrath for now. Each of them unleashed their movement techniques, instantly vanishing in a flurry like startled birds scattering into the woods.

Only Golden Eyes lingered, casting a disdainful glare at Xiang Nan while grinding his back molars in secret.

Fearing the idiot might lose his mind again, the Bald Crocodile simply grabbed him by the shoulder and leaped away, disappearing into the thicket.

With everyone gone, Xiang Nan's mood lightened considerably. With so many powerhouses meddling, if the Soul-Suppressing Stone was truly here, they would undoubtedly find it.

What piqued Xiang Nan's curiosity even more, however, was why that centipede-scorpion was immune to the Mind-Clearing Mantra.

As he walked, he followed the trajectory he had deduced the centipede-scorpion might take to escape. Since he had no idea where the Soul-Suppressing Stone was anyway, trailing the beast might just lead him to some clues.

Strangely enough, as he tracked the scent along his path, he hadn't encountered a single formidable beast.

He had clearly heard numerous low roars earlier, sounds definitively made by fierce beasts. This place was definitely not this peaceful.

Lowering his head, out of the corner of his eye, Xiang Nan sensed something shift. In a patch overgrown with withered vines, there seemed to be an anomaly.

Xiang Nan slowly walked over, parting the dead vines, and abruptly laid eyes on a low, crude stone. It was elliptical, pitch-black, and covered in moss. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be carved with unintelligible patterns.

Xiang Nan reached out and touched it; the rough, sandy texture confirmed it was undeniably a stone.

No. No matter how he looked at it, this wasn't just an ordinary rock—was it some sort of sculpture?

Yet why would a sculpture move?

Or had his eyes simply played tricks on him a moment ago?

Furthermore, the deeper Xiang Nan probed with his perception, the more he could feel the vital life force contained within the stone.

Looking further ahead, beneath a vast canopy of withered vines, were rows upon rows of identical stone sculptures—easily several dozen of them. They were divided into two lines, seemingly forming a corridor.

That corridor extended all the way to the bend in the jungle, beyond which lay a valley.

Could there be something extraordinary hidden inside that valley?