Chapter 1118: Surprises Keep Coming

The Xiong father and son never expected this.

Even the captain himself had personally intervened, yet he still ended up defeated!

They gritted their teeth in frustration, but it was no use.

The squad leader was already sprawled on the ground. Though there were no sword marks on his body, he was completely drained of energy, unable to resist any longer. Several treasures had been taken from him, and he had no choice but to offer them up to the handsome young master with both hands.

The young master glanced down, a smile flickering in his eyes.

Looking at the squad leader, who was lying on the ground yet still glaring at him with gritted teeth, the young master's eyes revealed the natural joy of a victor. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy this kind of scene.

After a few moments of contemplation, the young master chuckled softly.

"You're... not bad."

"To have held out until now, you've given me quite a bit of pleasure."

"It seems you're somewhat of a figure in your sect. If you were to pledge your loyalty to me, your future achievements would be limitless. Even as a pawn, you might witness sights beyond your wildest dreams."

The squad leader was stunned for a moment, then let out an angry laugh and spat out a curse.

"Bah!"

"You think you're worthy of my loyalty? You arrogant fool! Beating me means nothing, and yet you're so pleased with yourself, spouting such nonsense?"

"Frog in a well!"

As the squad leader's curses rang out, the Xiong father and son, along with the other workers, echoed his anger with bitter resentment.

"Ganging up on us with numbers, and you still have the nerve to act all high and mighty?!"

"Shameless bastard!"

"Winning against us has gone to your head. With that attitude, you'll never amount to anything!"

"And you dare try to recruit our captain? Who gave you the courage?!"

They had lost, but deep down, they knew. This person was strong, and his background was likely formidable. But in the grand scheme of things, he was only slightly better than small fries like them.

In a real, fair fight...

This kind of person wouldn't even rank on the island!

It was clear that he was used to putting on airs, thinking that a mix of threats and favors would make others cower and grovel at his feet.

The way he carried himself was like a local landlord waving around three coins, claiming to be the richest man in the world, boasting about how great he was...

Utterly ignorant.

The Xiong father and son, along with the others, couldn't help but laugh bitterly at such shameless words.

Seeing such an unusual scene, where the captives showed no fear, the young master raised his hand to stop his subordinates from acting on their killing intent. He didn't immediately lose his temper, showing a certain level of composure.

Narrowing his eyes, he glanced over the treasures, his mind beginning to work.

"It seems these people really do have some courage, and their confidence is extraordinary."

"As expected, their sect must be quite powerful, stronger than I initially thought."

"This is getting more interesting."

"Given this, their sect likely has even stronger figures, and probably more treasures..."

After a moment of contemplation, greed flickered in the young master's eyes.

He slowly raised his right hand, his fingers curling into a claw-like shape.

The squad leader was pulled toward him by a terrifying force, streams of multicolored light continuously flowing out from the top of his head, like threads, toward the young master's palm.

In an instant, the Xiong father and son, along with the others, were filled with grief and fury!

"Soul-searching?!"

"The captain is already severely injured. If his soul is searched now, he'll—!"

"Such a sinister method is not something a righteous person would do! For someone of your status to stoop so low!"

"To perform a soul search on a severely injured person—utterly despicable!"

"Bastard! We'll fight you to the death!"

Curses erupted from all sides, and the surrounding Heaven-tier experts quickly moved to suppress them.

The Xiong father and son, along with the others, were once again severely injured in the attacks, but they couldn't stop their furious curses. Their eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging in anger!

But they were powerless to help, forced to watch as their captain's soul was grievously injured.

In the midst of their overwhelming grief, tears of blood streamed down Xiong Fen's face.

"It's our fault! We've brought this upon everyone!"

Despair spread, mingling with guilt and rage in their minds. Xiong Zhong, too, struggled with all his might, shouting for help, his mind filled with the image of their god-like savior.

"Sir..."

"Sir, save us!"

A mournful cry, like a thunderclap, echoed out.

The others were also stirred. Even as they were pinned to the ground, their bodies devoid of strength, they cried out in despair.

"Sir!"

"We are incompetent, bringing shame to your name. We deserve death a thousand times over, but we beg you, save our captain!!!"

Their desperate cries grew increasingly frantic, their voices filled with unwavering determination.

The Heaven-tier experts were momentarily stunned.

It was hard to imagine what kind of sect could inspire such loyalty, to the point where even in the face of death, these people refused to beg for mercy or waver in their resolve.

Even the squad leader, whose vision was blurring, seemed to regain some consciousness and began to struggle.

"Sir..."

The multicolored light flowing from him suddenly dimmed, as if he had regained some awareness.

The young master frowned slightly, somewhat incredulous.

But his right hand remained clenched, and no more multicolored light flowed into it. He could only watch as the squad leader hung limply in mid-air, completely helpless.

Finally, when the squad leader's breathing grew faint, the young master released his grip, letting the man fall to the ground.

Seeing the squad leader on the brink of death, Xiong Fen and the others were consumed by grief and rage.

But they no longer had the strength to resist.

Amidst the curses and gnashing of teeth, the young master paid no attention, only showing a hint of surprise at the squad leader's resilience. At the same time, he grew even more curious about their sect, eager to delve into the memories he had extracted.

Closing his eyes, fragmented images began to surface in his mind.

In his vision...

The squad leader was directing the workers, moving the remains of demonic creatures. It seemed someone had slain these creatures, showing some skill.

The scene shifted.

The squad leader was distributing treasures to a few individuals, giving them vague instructions, as if preparing for a major operation.

Another new scene appeared before him...

The squad leader was bowing to a young man, reporting recent affairs. It seemed they were constructing something of immense importance to the entire sect.

...

The fragmented memories flashed by.

When the young master opened his eyes again, a look of pleasant surprise crossed his face.

Things had indeed turned out slightly better than expected.

From the memories, it was clear that this person was capable of commanding his subordinates and overseeing the construction of a critical project. His status was indeed significant, but there were even stronger figures above him. He was definitely not the top figure in this sect.

Most likely, this person was a sect elder or something similar.

Recalling the demonic remains and the dignified young man, the young master's eyes gleamed with even greater excitement, as if he could already see the more extraordinary treasures that awaited him.

It was rare for anything to surprise him, let alone treasures. In the past, he might not have been interested, but ever since he had seen the construction site equipment, his expectations for even greater treasures had grown immensely.

Just a few fragments of memory.

And yet, the young master had already grasped the situation with remarkable clarity.

This sect was indeed extraordinary, far surpassing ordinary Heaven-tier sects. No wonder these people were so fiercely loyal. The methods and treasures within this sect were truly remarkable.

Finally, a worthy prey!

Destroying that so-called Shadow Island would undoubtedly yield rewards beyond expectations. With treasures coming one after another, this was truly a heaven-sent opportunity, a significant surprise.

Feeling a rare surge of excitement, the young master sat up and issued a command.

"Investigate the Water Cold Star immediately. We need to give those old men something to chew on. Later, I'll be heading elsewhere, and you'll all reap considerable rewards as well!"

If even the young master considered it a reward, it had to be an extremely rare treasure or opportunity.

The experts were thrilled and immediately set to work.

As for the grief-stricken Xiong father and son, along with the other injured, they were no longer of any concern. No matter how much they cursed, their words fell on deaf ears, like the tantrums of children, utterly powerless.

The entire airship was filled with the excitement of an impending harvest.

Meanwhile, back on Shadow Island...

Someone had noticed the disappearance of the squad and its members. After waiting for two days with no news and no response from the communication jade slips, inquiries were made, and reports were sent up the chain of command.

Finally...

The matter reached Xiao Zhan, the direct disciple in charge of transporting the demonic remains.