Seeing Qi Wu's interest, the scar-faced captain's eyes flashed with an almost imperceptible cunning, and he lowered his voice further:
"Earlier, we risked venturing deeper and discovered an 'Exotic Treasure' on Lake Heart Island, deep within a swamp."
At the mention of an Exotic Treasure, both Jiang Qingyue and Gale turned their attention to him.
Exotic Treasures were treasures from another world that appeared alongside spatial quakes.
They were usually accompanied by powerful Demons.
If an Exotic Treasure had appeared here,
then the sheer number of Demon Wolves in the southern suburbs made sense.
It was precisely because of this Demon's influence.
Exotic Treasures were often priceless and possessed powerful effects.
The scar-faced captain's information was extremely valuable.
Qi Wu looked thoughtfully at Scarface and asked calmly, with a hint of interest:
"What kind of Exotic Treasure?"
Seeing Qi Wu's interest, the scar-faced captain's eyes flashed with an almost imperceptible cunning, and he lowered his voice further:
"Earlier, we risked venturing deeper in and stumbled upon an incredible treasure on Lake Heart Island, deep within a swamp."
"It was a 'gem' that gave off light. Anyone bathed in that light would find their spiritual power slowly increasing!"
The scar-faced captain licked his slightly chapped lips and continued describing it with burning eyes, as though he were seeing that dreamlike scene again:
"The gem floated above an altar in the middle of Lake Heart Island. It was perfectly round, like a miniature moon, and gave off a pure, gentle, silvery-white glow. Just getting a little closer made the spiritual power throughout our bodies more active, and our cultivation speed increased by at least thirty percent! We named it the 'Full Moon Heart'!"
An Exotic Treasure that increased cultivation speed?
That was enough to tempt any Psychic, even drive them mad. Qi Wu's gaze swept over Scarface and the few teammates behind him, their faces full of longing.
"If it's an Exotic Treasure, does it have a guardian?"
Qi Wu asked in an even tone.
The scar-faced captain showed just the right mixture of lingering fear and relief:
"Yes! Of course it does!"
"It was a goddess's apparition! She nearly killed us on the island. We were lucky to get out alive!"
"But your strength is unmatched, Brother Wu. It'll be different for you! However powerful that apparition is, she couldn't possibly be your match!"
He rubbed his hands together, his tone growing even more humble and eager:
"We're too weak to hold on to a treasure like that. Rather than leaving it buried here or letting someone else covet it, we'd rather offer it to you, Brother Wu! All we ask... all we ask is that you give us brothers a little help afterward, or... just let a few benefits slip through your fingers to us!"
The other members of the Blood Knife Team also looked earnestly at Qi Wu.
Qi Wu considered for a moment, then suddenly smiled at the scar-faced captain, his expression difficult to read:
"Sounds interesting. Lead the way. If it's really as you say, you'll be rewarded."
Uncontrollable delight instantly flooded the scar-faced captain's face, and he said repeatedly:
"Follow me, Brother Wu. It's not far at all! The place is really well hidden!"
With that, he went ahead to lead Qi Wu and the others.
Watching the Blood Knife Team gradually head out of the valley, Gale walked up beside Qi Wu, sounding hesitant.
"Mr. Wu, you're just going to trust them?"
Jiang Qingyue also came to Qi Wu's side and whispered worriedly:
"I think something's off, too."
Qi Wu chuckled and said quietly:
"I could tell from the start that he was hiding something."
"But that Exotic Treasure should be real."
"Stay close to me. I know how to handle whatever comes next."
Jiang Qingyue and Gale nodded slightly.
Since Qi Wu was their captain, they naturally chose to trust him as his teammates.
Led by the Blood Knife Team, Qi Wu and his two companions passed through the valley.
They were now in a swamp.
The farther they went, the denser the demonic energy in the air became, yet strangely, it was mingled with a trace of pure moonlight energy.
The howling of wolves had all but vanished. Their surroundings were terrifyingly quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps squelching through mud and puddles.
At last, an expanse of black water appeared before them.
A small island stood alone in its center, with an ancient, dilapidated altar clearly visible upon it.
Above the altar, a gem as round as the moon floated silently, emitting a soft, steady silvery-white glow that illuminated the surrounding area, both sacred and eerie!
"There it is! The Full Moon Heart!"
The scar-faced captain pointed excitedly, yet dared not speak loudly, as though afraid of disturbing something.
Qi Wu's sharp gaze swept over the lake and the island, but he did not immediately spot the supposed goddess's apparition.
Still, he could sense a powerful energy gathered around the altar.
After examining it with his Six Eyes, Qi Wu finally decided to act.
Confident in his abilities, he leaped forward first.
His toes touched the water several times, skimming across the lake like a dragonfly before he landed steadily on the island's shore.
Jiang Qingyue and Gale followed closely behind.
The three approached the altar cautiously in combat formation.
The light of the Full Moon Heart stirred their spiritual power, but Qi Wu remained entirely focused on sensing the dangers around them.
The instant they entered the altar's vicinity, something changed!
Light blazed from the altar. Countless streams of moonlight poured from the gem as if summoned, swiftly gathering in the air into a hazy, ethereal female figure who radiated immense majesty and an icy presence.
She wore a long veil woven from moonlight. Her features were indistinct, save for eyes like two cold moons, and she held a longbow formed entirely of light.
This was the goddess's apparition Scarface had described.
Qi Wu narrowed his eyes slightly.
The goddess's apparition radiated a powerful pressure that felt very familiar to him.
That pressure...
Without a doubt, this was the apparition of a true "god"!
Even after Spiritual Energy Revival, "gods" remained profoundly mysterious beings.
Rumor had it that all supernatural abilities and arts were connected to them.
Other rumors claimed that the Demons invading the human world were all their servants.
In the future, there had been many conjectures about the gods.
But they were little more than glimpses through the fog.
Only scraps of information about the gods had been unearthed from ruins.
Even in the future, humanity had known little about them.
The reason Qi Wu could immediately recognize this as a god's presence
was that he had accompanied scientific expeditions to explore divine ruins several times in the future.
Qi Wu had never expected that, before Spiritual Energy Revival,
he would encounter something connected to the gods.
This goddess's apparition,
if Qi Wu's guess was correct,
should belong to the deity known as the "Goddess of Night and Hunting."
The wolves were her servants.
"So it's actually a god."
"Now that's something else~"
Qi Wu looked serious, but his tone remained flippant.
Although what stood before him was a god's projection,
ultimately, it was only a projection without any life force.
With spiritual energy yet to truly revive, she could not cause much trouble.
Qi Wu was fully confident he could defeat her!
The moment the Goddess of Night's apparition appeared, a powerful mental pressure mixed with icy energy fluctuations enveloped the entire area, several times stronger than Scarface had described!
"Those who profane the Moon Sanctuary... must be purified!"
An ethereal, icy voice devoid of emotion rang directly through their minds, carrying a chill that made their souls tremble.
"What a terrifying presence."
Jiang Qingyue's pretty face shifted slightly, and the Curse Mark on her hand flared with red light.
"Hmph, all smoke and mirrors!"
Gale lowered into a slight crouch, like a cheetah poised to strike.
Qi Wu's gaze sharpened. Rather than retreating, he erupted with even stronger fighting spirit:
"You're only a projection, yet you dare act so high and mighty! Qingyue, disrupt and suppress her. Gale, keep moving and tie her down. I'll take the lead!"
Battle erupted in an instant!
The Goddess of Night's apparition drew her bow of light. She needed no physical arrows-with a mere thought, countless intensely condensed beams of moonlight poured down like a torrential rain!
These beams were not simple blasts of energy. Each contained the icy power of moonlight.
Wherever they passed, even the air seemed to freeze, leaving faint traces of frost.
The entire rain of arrows hurtled toward Qi Wu.
Clearly, the Goddess of Night's apparition could sense that Qi Wu was the strongest among these humans.
So she went for their leader first.
Arrows rained down, pouring toward Qi Wu.
The assault was blindingly swift!
The power of this arrow barrage far exceeded their expectations!
Jiang Qingyue's and Gale's hearts leaped into their throats.
"Mr. Wu! Watch out!"
Both shouted at once.
At that moment, standing beneath the dense rain of arrows, Qi Wu faced a terrifying attack capable of severely injuring or even instantly killing a seventh-tier expert, yet he merely gave an inscrutable chuckle.
"Quite a bag of tricks."
The instant before the devastating rain of moonlight arrows engulfed him-
"Limitless-automatic activation!"
Qi Wu did not even have to will it.
Every arrow was blocked!
An automatically activated Limitless really was handy!
Seeing this, Jiang Qingyue and Gale instantly relaxed, only to be overwhelmed by shock.
They knew Qi Wu's defense was strong, but for him to stop such a terrifying barrage so effortlessly
was simply inconceivable.
Could Mr. Wu truly have an absolute defense?
Before you continue