Imperial Scepter

Night had fallen over the Southern Wilderness Forest, with only a few scattered Night-Shining Pearl Grasses emitting a faint glow, and the forest still carrying the faint smell of blood from a fierce battle.

After Liu Neng's team of five had been resting for half an incense stick's time, their profound energy had recovered to about 70-80%. They stood up and surrounded Gao Changhe, bowing respectfully in unison.

"Thank you so much, Village Chief Gao, for saving us! If you hadn't appeared in time, we would probably have already perished under the bandits' blades, our lives in grave danger!"

Liu Neng was the first to speak, his attitude extremely respectful, completely devoid of his previous arrogance and warlike nature, his eyes filled only with pure gratitude and awe.

"Thank you, Village Chief Gao! I, Liu Dafa, will forever remember your kindness! I will go through fire and water for you in the future!"

"I am deeply grateful for the great kindness and virtue shown by Village Chief Gao! I, Liu Erwang, will repay you for the rest of my life!"

The other two team members also expressed their gratitude.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it."

Gao Changhe's voice wasn't loud, but it was penetrating: "It's already commendable that you didn't abandon your teammates in this desperate situation."

Gao Changhe's gaze calmly fell on Liu Neng, a cold smile flashing across his mind.

He had heard of Liu Neng before, because there were only four three-color Daoist types in the entire Jiuyang Town: Gao Chun, Gao Chengzhi, Liu Neng, and Pan Changgui.

Liu Neng is the oldest among them, and he will be an adult in another year.

Liu Neng's arrogant and warlike demeanor was never his true nature, but rather a carefully crafted protective facade.

He used his belligerence as a pretext to test the talent and strength of his peers, and when he encountered someone with outstanding talent, he would try to win them over and befriend them.

He even deliberately created opportunities to make the other party owe him a favor. Such deep scheming and calculation appearing in a fifteen-year-old boy is truly shocking!

Even today's encounter with Gao Chun and the other three, their interactions, and the seemingly forged camaraderie, are all the result of scheming.

Upon their first meeting, after learning of Gao Chun and Gao Chengzhi's identities, he immediately adopted an arrogant and warlike attitude, challenging them to a duel.

The purpose was precisely to accurately determine whether Gao Chun and his group were worth his effort to win over.

Every step Liu Neng took paved the way for his own interests.

After confirming Gao Chun and the others' extraordinary potential during the competition, he decided to intensify his efforts to win them over, making them completely indebted to him.

That's why he took the initiative to attack when the black bulls launched their surprise attack. He had already calculated that the black bulls were no match for the nine of them working together.

In this way, he can not only secure the Xuan Niu resource, but also make Gao Chun owe a favor, and establish a righteous persona, achieving three goals at once.

When the bandit leader appeared, he acted with the same intention.

Because his team had easily defeated the bandit-cultivator squad that had been holding back during their previous encounter, he misjudged the opponent's true strength.

However, when he faced the bandit leader head-on and figured out his true strength, he feigned serious injury with just one move and collapsed to the ground.

In the ensuing battle, he lay motionless on the ground.

Even as he heard his teammates' urgent calls and saw the four of them fighting fiercely, he kept his eyes closed and watched coldly from the sidelines.

He only slowly "woke up" after Gao Changhe appeared and repelled the bandits, confirming that his surroundings were safe.

He put on a face that looked weak and exhausted, as if he had just survived a disaster, and his acting was flawless.

Gao Changhe was hiding in the shadows, observing Gao Chun and the other three's training process from the very beginning.

Liu Neng's series of reactions naturally did not fall into his notice.

His assessment of Liu Neng was now set: this young man was a born imposter.

His so-called arrogance was merely a protective shield.

His so-called belligerence was merely a test.

His apparent loyalty was nothing more than a fabricated persona he deliberately created to gain favor and win people's hearts.

This young man is a typical self-interested individual; in his world, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

Every action and every word is a calculated weighing of pros and cons, a calculation of whether it benefits him. Given enough leverage, he can easily betray anyone, including former comrades-in-arms.

Such a person is not worth getting close to, much less entrust your heart to.

Gao Changhe's gaze swept over Gao Chun, who was talking to his teammates not far away, and a complex look flashed in his eyes.

He could tell that after this life-or-death battle, Gao Chun had developed a mutual respect for Liu Neng and might even consider him a trustworthy ally.

But he did not enlighten Gao Chun.

He has to figure everything out for himself.

In the battle against the bandit leader, why was he able to get up even though he was only at the three-star bronze realm and was knocked down several times by the bandit leader's magic shield?

Liu Neng, with his cultivation at the fourth-star Bronze Realm, was on par with the bandit leader. Why did he fall to the ground and remain motionless after just one collision?

"If Gao Chun failed to notice and reflect on such unusual details, it only shows that his observation and judgment of people are still severely lacking."

Having lived most of his life, Gao Changhe had experienced many hardships and witnessed the wickedness of human nature. He knew that many truths could not be understood through mere preaching.

"If a person wants to truly grow, he must personally experience, feel, and encounter setbacks."

Only through the trials of reality, by personally experiencing betrayal and loyalty, wickedness and warmth, can one develop discerning eyes to see the complexities of human nature and understand the ways of the world.

Only in this way can one possess the discerning eye to recognize people and distinguish between true friends and passersby.

As for potentially suffering losses at the hands of Liu Neng in the future, that's simply a necessary part of growing up, a "tuition fee" that every young person has to pay before stepping into the world of Xuanzhe.

Wanting to grow without being willing to pay the price is impossible in reality; it only exists in mindless fiction.

"Alright, your profound energy has been mostly restored."

Gao Changhe snapped out of his thoughts, breaking the silence with a calm yet undeniably authoritative voice, "Take all the bandit cultivators' storage bags and their magical artifacts and divide them up."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bright light flashed in Liu Neng's eyes, and a hint of greed flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He knew that the bandit cultivator's storage bag must contain a large amount of mystic crystals, talismans, cultivation techniques, or rare and precious materials, all of which were excellent items that could greatly replenish one's cultivation foundation.

"This...this is too much trouble!"

Liu Neng hesitated just the right amount on his face, but his eyes were fixed on the storage bag. "This time it was all thanks to Village Chief Gao's help, so the spoils should rightfully belong to you."

These words were both humble and subtly reflected the image of "repaying kindness," leaving no room for error.

"I don't need these."

Gao Changhe waved his hand, "You all contributed, so you should get a share. These resources will be more helpful for your growth as young people, so take them and make good use of them."

"Then we'll accept without hesitation!"

Seeing Gao Changhe's resolute attitude, Liu Neng stopped feigning refusal and immediately smiled with delight, bowing again, "Thank you, Village Chief Gao!"

That smile seemed sincere, but in reality, it concealed a calculated scheme to succeed.

Not only did they gain practical benefits, but they also earned favors; this experience was incredibly rewarding.

"Liu Neng, the elders of your village have already set off to pick you up."

Gao Changhe added, glancing at the increasingly dark night, "It's already quite dark. The Southern Wilderness Forest isn't peaceful at night. This training trip ends here. Return to your villages, digest what you've learned, and dedicate yourselves to cultivation in the future, so as not to waste your talents."

"Yes, Village Chief Gao!" Liu Neng's team of five responded in unison.

Liu Neng's voice was particularly loud, and he conveyed the respect perfectly.

Not long after, the White Cloud Realm expert from Liu Family Village arrived as scheduled, landing steadily on the clearing in the forest. His gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on Liu Neng.

As they parted, Gao Chun and his three teammates exchanged smiles with Liu Neng's team.

There was a different kind of feeling in their eyes than before.

From the initial wary confrontation, to the brief alliance during the Xuan Niu's surprise attack, and then to sharing life and death under the siege of the bandit cultivators.

This experience transformed them from potential adversaries into comrades-in-arms who fought side by side.

The bond forged through life-and-death trials, though not particularly deep, was enough to make these young people cherish each other.

However, for Liu Neng, this mutual appreciation was still a carefully maintained calculation of interests.

"Captain Gao Chun," Liu Neng stepped forward, extended his right hand, and a sincere smile spread across his face, "It is an honor to fight alongside you today."

"When you have time in the future, you're welcome to bring your teammates to Liu Family Village to exchange cultivation techniques. We can then have a proper sparring session, how about it?"

His words sounded enthusiastic, but in reality, they were calculated step by step.

This maintained the facade of friendship between "comrades-in-arms" while laying the groundwork for future efforts to win over Gao Chun, always paving the way for his own interests.

Gao Chun looked at his outstretched hand, a frank smile flashing in his eyes, then reached out and grasped it tightly, his grip steady and sincere.

"Definitely! Captain Liu Neng, next time we meet, I won't hold back!"

"Haha, I couldn't be happier!" Liu Neng laughed heartily, a deliberately feigned competitive glint flashing in his eyes. "Then, we'll definitely settle this once and for all!"

"Okay! It's a deal!"

After a brief farewell, the two groups turned and went their separate ways.

As night deepened, the wind in the forest gradually cooled, rustling the leaves softly.

The scattered night-shining pearl grass emitted a faint glow, barely illuminating the boys' footsteps.

Gao Chun and his three companions followed closely behind Gao Changhe, steadily making their way towards Gaojia Village.

Gao Chun walked in the middle of the group, with three partners fighting side by side: Li Daoqiu, who was calm and collected and never panicked in the face of trouble; Gao Chengzhi, who seemed lazy but was actually intelligent and insightful; and Wang Hu, who was simple, resilient and always by his side.

He looked at the lingering smiles on the faces of his companions and felt the unspoken understanding and bond between them.

A warm current quietly surged into my heart, and an unwavering belief welled up within me.

During this training in the Southern Wilderness, he not only gained four black oxen and precious cultivation resources from the bandit cultivator's storage bag, but also significantly improved his own cultivation level.

More importantly, he deeply appreciated the power of teamwork and truly understood what responsibility and commitment mean.

With such like-minded brothers and nephews by my side, and with such pure and precious bonds and allies to help me.

His path as a mystic will surely lead him further and more steadily, and one day he will shine with his own dazzling light.

However, he was unaware at this moment that his seemingly sympathetic "ally" Liu Neng was...

But what he was planning was completely different from what he intended.

A contest between self-interest and sincerity, pretense and purity, has only just begun.