Chapter Ninety-Nine: Let the Treasure Hunt Begin!

The days passed in a flash, and by the time the day of the treasure hunt arrived, the mundane world of Dragon City remained as usual. In the martial arts community, however, undercurrents were already surging.

On this day, almost every martial artist in Dragon City flooded into the City Park. They possessed specialized channels and credentials for entry. To outsiders, the park was under strict martial law; not even a mosquito could fly in. The public assumed some high-ranking official was visiting, oblivious to the hidden mysteries concealed within.

The Wang family, being the weakest faction, failed to secure a good position despite arriving early. Almost every major family had personnel stationed to guard their chosen starting points. The minor factions that served as vassals to the three great families also set off near them, both to provide support and to ensure their own protection.

Seeing the sea of people, the countless experts at the peak of External Strength, and the many at the Internal Strength level, even Wang Xuening’s expression grew heavy. Her group was truly insignificant—bottom-tier, the kind of presence no one would spare a second glance.

Of course, near the main gate stood individuals in formal attire whose auras clearly set them apart. Even the major families kept their distance from them. Jiang Xiaotian knew better; these must be the people sent by the imperial court. He remained wary, sensing that things were not as simple as they seemed. If the authorities valued the treasure within this much, how could they rely solely on people like him? There was something fishy here, perhaps even a major problem.

For now, he decided not to overthink it and simply take things one step at a time. With so many eyes on them, who would dare to strike from the shadows? They would be exposed in an instant with nowhere to hide.

The Wang family was eventually relegated to a remote corner, where they could barely hear the announcements over the nearby loudspeakers. Wang Xuening and the others were satisfied enough, while Master Lin sat with his eyes closed, putting on airs. Jiang Xiaotian knew the old man had ill intentions, so he kept a close watch on him. If he dared to pull anything, Jiang would beat the living daylights out of him.

Before long, several more groups arrived. Some were acquaintances of Wang Xuening—small, obscure families with weak strength. Even the Wang family, with their Internal Strength mid-stage cultivation, seemed like a titan compared to them. Jiang Xiaotian found it laughable. To throw their lives away with such meager skills—if the Zhao family decided to go on a killing spree inside, these people wouldn't even have a chance to flee. He kept these thoughts to himself, sitting to the side with his legs crossed, waiting.

Given the importance of the event, almost no one was late. By the time the official start time arrived, all participants were present. Even though Jiang Xiaotian was tucked away in a corner and couldn't see the full scale of the crowd, the heavy pressure in the air told him that the number of experts far exceeded his expectations. No wonder Dragon City was called a "Martial City"; the combined strength of the martial artists in North Sea and Lin Sea probably didn't even amount to a fifth of what was gathered here.

As he pondered this, a booming voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing the day’s proceedings. And, as expected, the imperial court threw a wrench in the works.

They unilaterally announced that only martial artists at the mid-stage of Internal Strength and below could participate in this treasure hunt. Anyone above that level was forbidden from entering.

This announcement caused an uproar among the small families; for them, it was a pleasant surprise. Of course, this only mattered to families with Internal Strength practitioners. For families like the Wangs, it made little difference—they were outclassed regardless.

Jiang Xiaotian felt conflicted. The three great families had previously checked one another because they didn't know the full extent of their rivals' depth. Now, with high-level experts barred, the competition would come down to the strength of the younger generation. If the three families clashed, the final outcome would likely rest in the hands of their three heirs. It was no wonder they had courted other factions from the start; they must have anticipated the court playing dirty.

They had no choice but to comply. After all, officially, the government wasn't sending anyone to seize the treasure, but no one knew how many were working in the shadows. Jiang Xiaotian’s main concern was for the Ouyang sisters. He felt the Dragon City martial authorities were unreliable and likely harboring a hidden agenda or conspiracy.

By the time the rules were fully read, it was nearly noon. Most people were impatient, waiting for the gates to open. The court did issue a warning: the treasure would not appear easily. Though the event would last about half a month, it was possible that no one would find anything by the end. Jiang Xiaotian understood the subtext: the Ouyang family wouldn't let others profit easily. If they couldn't find it, no one would. It went without saying whose home turf this park was.

As the sound of electronic locks disengaging echoed, everyone knew the hunt had begun. The stronger families charged in, while the Wang family walked at a leisurely pace, treating it as a sightseeing tour.

In truth, they expected a peaceful start, but disputes broke out the moment they entered. It had been established that families with grievances could settle them inside. Some small families with no interest in the treasure planned to use this opportunity to settle scores.

Jiang Xiaotian and his group had barely taken a few steps when they saw two groups fighting. The strongest among them were only at the mid-stage of External Strength, so they couldn't cause much of a stir, but their "to-the-death" intensity meant casualties were inevitable. To prevent accidents, Wang Xuening quickly adjusted their route, steering clear of the battle zones.

"Alright, stay close to us," Wang Xuening warned. "If you fall behind and get caught by villains, you might lose your lives!"

Perhaps the sight of the bloodshed had shaken the inexperienced youngsters, as even Wang Lei stopped his antics and nodded, sticking close to the main group. Jiang Xiaotian walked at the back, sensing his surroundings. The City Park was a sea of spiritual energy, and since he could manipulate and command it, he was in his element. Anyone who approached or harbored ill intentions toward him would be discovered instantly.

As for the posturing Master Lin, he stood to the left of the group, occasionally glancing toward the side as if confirming a location. Seeing this, Jiang Xiaotian became even more certain that the man was up to something.

"By the way, Wang Xuening, didn't you say our main goal was to observe others and gain experience? The fight back there was quite interesting—should we go back and take a look?" Jiang Xiaotian asked, wanting to see how Master Lin would react.

Sure enough, the old man frowned and glared at him, while Wang Xuening looked annoyed. "You, please just be quiet. Was that a 'spar'? What if they went into a frenzy and caused trouble for us? I have to consider everyone's safety. Besides, with many real experts gone, we can watch from closer range."

If those above the mid-stage of Internal Strength had been allowed in, a single clash could have razed the entire park to the ground. That was a result no one wanted to see. Wang Xuening explained this and continued to lead the way.

They hadn't gone far when Master Lin suddenly stepped forward, blocking them. "Slow down! Do not move forward! There is a dangerous aura ahead; we must change course!"

The others turned pale, but Jiang Xiaotian sneered. *Dangerous my foot; there's nothing there!*

With his perception enhanced by the spiritual energy, he could cover most of the park. He knew the treasure wasn't on the surface, so he wasn't in a hurry. But the others didn't know that. Wang Xuening, who had been leading, panicked and stepped back. "Master Lin, please, you take the lead!"

The latter nodded calmly and led them to the left. Jiang Xiaotian sensed the change and realized this was bad. Had they followed Wang Xuening’s original route, they would have stayed on the outskirts where the families were of similar strength. But the direction Master Lin pointed toward was the center of the park—the "no-man's-land" mentioned earlier, the place most likely to hold the treasure. It was naturally the most dangerous place, swarming with experts.

The old bastard was definitely up to no good!

"We can't go that way. I think Wang Xuening’s original path was fine; I’ve scouted this area before." Jiang Xiaotian didn't want these people led into a trap, especially since he didn't know the purpose of Master Lin’s alliance with the Zhao family.

But clearly, no one wanted to listen to him. They even shot him looks of disdain. Wang Lei, who despised Jiang, lashed out, "Why do you talk so much? Are you stronger than Master Lin? He can sense danger in advance—what about you? All you do is flap your gums. We told you not to cause trouble, and here you are, nagging away! If you’re unhappy, go back to the original path yourself!"

The other Wang family members echoed their discontent, and Wang Xuening frowned, wishing Jiang would just shut up.

Master Lin looked at him without a trace of emotion. "If you don't trust me, then walk your own path. Stop following us!"

Jiang Xiaotian felt humiliated, his expression darkening. He considered following them to see what would happen, but Master Lin stopped walking and sat down. "My strength is too low to be responsible for this Jiang Dali. Either he goes, or I go! You either follow him or follow me—make him leave the group!"

Jiang Xiaotian’s expression turned grim. He realized Master Lin must have sensed something was wrong and was trying to force him out.