Northern Plains Forest.
Deep within the forest, inside a pitch-black cave.
Rumble...!
An earth-shaking crash carried far into the distance, accompanied by furious beastly roars.
A moment later.
Roar...!
With a final, anguished howl.
The violent commotion and energy fluctuations within the cave abruptly ceased.
Inside the cave was a young man dressed in black, his face masked, holding the Mountain-Splitting Great Axe.
With nimble hands, he cut open a giant python as thick as a bucket, with Three-Star Source Core Realm cultivation.
After taking its inner core and heart, he raced toward the cave entrance without a moment's pause.
Unexpectedly, just as he reached the entrance, he heard shouts outside.
"Quick, that masked bandit must be inside! Block his way!"
Outside the cave, three figures clad in silver armor and radiating the imposing aura of the Source Core Realm charged straight toward the entrance.
The person in the lead had a curvaceous figure and brandished a greatsword like a door plank.
It was none other than "Zuo Qianhu" of the Seventh Thousand-Household Battalion.
Behind her followed the thousand-household commanders of two other battalions.
Although the two were not as strong as she was, they both had Three-Star Source Core Realm cultivation.
The three of them hurtled forward to attack.
They ran headlong into the figure rushing out of the cave.
The black-clad, masked figure holding the Mountain-Splitting Great Axe.
"Hmph, you think I won't recognize you just because you've covered your face? I'm going to cleave you apart today!"
The three took up a triangular formation, blocking the Black-Clad Man's escape.
The two Three-Star Source Core Realm thousand-household commanders struck first.
They attacked the Black-Clad Man from either side.
One swung a long halberd while the other brought down a massive refined-iron club, both unleashing astonishing surges of Source