After the incident at the 11th tower, Bai Qi took several extra precautions for approaching the next one. But seemingly, the trained senses and mind power senses were an exception, and not the usual, as, except that one time, Bai Qi met no trouble to approach while concealed.

A power Bai Qi was acquainted with, the [Earth's Demon Sons], controlled the 10th and 9th towers. But as Bai Qi had another objective in mind, and he was reluctant to risk the alarm of two nearby groups simultaneously, he chose to go around them.

Next, he reached the 6th and 7th towers, but Bai Qi did not act. He had no idea of either group, [Forest Lion Cult] and [Demon River Shore Sect], but they seemed weak, as all the cultivators outside were Sages and not at the peak even. Thus, in Bai Qi's opinion, he could safely leave them to the [Void Palace] next outing.

Close to two hours since he had left the 11th tower, Bai Qi reached the 8th tower, and as he did, he found the targets he had selected.

Bai Qi observed the six cultivators around the tower from a safe distance of five hundred feet for a quarter of an hour. He would have usually chosen to act already, but something felt wrong. Bai Qi wasn't sure what, but the cultivators were strangely alert as if something had transpired before his arrival.

Bai Qi thought about different options. But he could not find anything that would have forced a power, and one that looked undoubtedly strong, to put six Warrior Lords around the entrance, under orders to surround the entire grounds with senses, mind power scans. And not only survey, but actually stand guard with weapons out, and from what Bai Qi could sense with his minimal senses, even have a few skills at the ready.

With the guards being, at least, 3rd level Warrior Lords, as all of them were touching the formation's limit, Bai Qi decided to avoid risks. Thus, he started retreating to the tower he passed just a few minutes ago - The 7th one, under control of a power whose badges said [Demon River Shore Sect].

Bai Qi's suspicions about something happening weren't wrong. But if he did know what transpired, he would have acted differently, choosing to rush inside right away. Regretfully, he had no way to know, and the ones who did had no chance to convey the information.

After all, while the [Void Palace] leadership could observe his actions, they had no way to communicate with him, at least while he wasn't inside one of the tower's control rooms.

Three and half hours before the current time, events preceding the moment that Bai Qi attacked the 15th tower occupants, the [Zephyr Desert Company].

Gong Dong, Sun Ah, and Qiao Guiying, the three members of the [Brave Wolf Gang], sensed a presence a hundred feet from themselves, at that moment, standing near the 8th tower's entrance. The three reacted immediately, dropping the half-bickering chat they were engrossed in and turning towards the source.

While they did not see anything, and their senses did not point at anything either, the three knew they could not be mistaken.

*Sniff*

Gong Dong, a muscular and bearded cultivator, was an expert tracker. He sniffed at the air, concentrating on whatever traces he could find, and an instant later, he sent a single qi transmission, one that made the other two jump towards the entrance with their weapons drawn. {Void skipping!}

Their [Brave Wolf Gang] had fought members of the [Void Palace] both inside and outside a couple of towers. So, they had witnessed how the besieged cultivators operated. And while finding a way to counter the Void movement skills was impossible, they had at least an idea of how to react to them.

Sun Ah's and Qiao Guiying's auras contracted, forming a barrier at the entrance as their respective ax and sword rose in preparation.

*Shiver*

An almost unnoticeable shivering in the very fabric of the plane occurred, opening a passage into the void, from which a black-robed figure started to emerge.

*Swoosh* *Swoosh*

An ax and a sword immediately descended, stopping a mere hair from the figure's neck.

"Surrender or die."

*Swoosh*

And to prevent the cultivator from doing anything but surrendering, Gong Dong rushed from behind, his spear poking at the black-robed figure's spine.

"Surrender or die." Qiao Guiying, someone whose shrill voice and the entirely wrapped figure did not allow the genre to be determined, repeated.

A quarter of an hour since Bai Qi departed from the surroundings of the 8th tower.

"It seems that the Boss' wasn't wrong about this tower being different from the others." One of the six cultivators guarding outside voiced his thoughts.

"But when has the Boss' been wrong? While the others have not obtained almost anything, we already have two disciple bounties, and now even an elder's one!" The one to his right answered with a voice full of admiration.

"Yeah, but it's scary if you think he has not been here even once and still can plan so well. Can it be that he can see us from back there?" The first one commented, and both felt a shiver on their backs as they thought about the matter. Indeed, what if the Boss' could hear them now as well?

"You two, shut up! While they interrogate the catch, don't dare to slack. If one approached, what if a dozen pop-ups next? I personally don't want to fight three or four elders alone, at least without finding them first!" Qiao Guiying's shrill voice commanded, and the two gossiping guards complied.

Qiao Guiying's status had always been somewhat above others in the [Brave Wolf Gang], not only because of the blood relation to the Boss' but also thanks to the cunning mind that had served the gang well. And considering just who Qiao Guiying and the two others had caught, a famous Elder of the [Void Palace], that status had increased even more. To a point when nobody dared to question why Qiao Guiying decided to guard outside in place of interrogating his prize.

"Wait, what's that?" Suddenly a fourth voice broke up the silence that followed Qiao Guiying's command.

The latter probably would have lashed at the speaker. But all of Qiao Guiying's attention was on the firework signal coming from the tower next to this one, the 7th one.

"Alarm, huh? The weaklings of that tadpole sect, or whatever they call themselves, seem to be in problems again." Qiao Guiying said dismissively, aware that the [Demon River Shore Sect] only had two 2nd level Warrior Lords as their elite.

"Let us go! If it's an outing, we may get another bounty!" The burly man that had previously spoken about the Boss' terrifying ability almost pleaded.

Qiao Guiying was initially reluctant but was also aware of being unable to prevent them from rushing into battle. Thinking like that, Qiao Guiying instructed, "You, you and you, go. Tong, go inside and bring three replacements. Go!"

In a twisted situation, simple plans tend to work out best. Although not the kind of wisdom that someone like Bai Qi's original self considered accurate, it did apply to his current situation. And so, when he had found that the 8th tower would be a hard nut to crack, he chose to go with an easy target and use it as bait.

After all, cultivators strong as the wolf-fur-robed ones would definitively be called as reinforcements, and judging from their alert state, they would probably want to go.

So, acting on that, Bai Qi had approached the 7th tower surroundings, flared his aura, and rushed into battle.

Eleven cultivators were his opponents, but as neither of them was above the 8th level of the Sage realm, Bai Qi could have killed them in a single breath. Still, he did not, as he needed at least one of them to act as a witness and have enough time to send the signal.

***

A 4th-level Sage almost fainted as she witnessed the ease with which Bai Qi killed all of her companions. Still, her hand did reach for the signal stone, probably in wishful thinking that the reinforcements would save her, and she cracked it.

*Shatter*

"It's the [Black and White Terror]!!!" Her shriek would hardly reach the tower's insides, where the remaining 29 people of her Sect were, but she did shriek while bolting towards the entrance.

Regretfully, the signal she sent wasn't the one that Bai Qi wanted. Bai Qi thought while shifting right into the path of the panicked girl.

*Thump* *Plop*

There was no reason not to kill her, but Bai Qi still felt like not doing it. Thus after avoiding the panicked staff sweep, he punched her into the abdomen and used just enough force to knock her out, in place of the previous explosive attacks that left no intact corpse.

*Swoosh* *Boom* *Boom*

Bai Qi had caught on to several presences that left the tower even without turning around. And with a simple movement, he avoided the two stone fists flying at him.

"The surroundings and weather are nice around here. You should not disturb people admiring either." Without turning around, Bai Qi lectured. While he usually avoided acting overbearingly, the situation allowed and even merited it, so Bai Qi decided to give himself free rein.

A few curses, threats, and other usual things followed in response to his words, but Bai Qi ignored everything. He did not move or react, even as 29 cultivators started encircling him. Bai Qi was close to feeling bad for the young cultivators that had now become his prey, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

"Let's begin then." Bai Qi muttered under his breath, just as the most brave, or stupid, member of the [Demon River Shore Sect] slashed at him with a two-handed saber.

*Splatter* *Plop*

"AHHHH!!!" The young, not older than eighteen years, attacker crazily shrieked as he fell to the ground. Before his saber reached the target, he had somehow lost both legs.

"KILL THE BASTARD!" A furious roar followed Bai Qi's actions, although none had noticed how he actually did it. Following it, he was surrounded by a true storm of weapons, skills, techniques, and surprisingly, even a water element spell.

***

It took Bai Qi exactly six breaths to make 20 Sages of the [Demon River Shore Sect] fall on the ground, unconscious or dead.

Bai Qi's cold gaze fell on the remaining nine, and the nine instinctively stepped back, so glacial was the killing intent in his eyes.

"Do you have more reinforcements? Or should I deal with you alone?" Bai Qi's words were accompanied by an aura flare that made even the two 2nd-level Warrior Lords shiver.

*Sveeee*

A firework-like flare was tossed up by one of the enemies, and Bai Qi smiled as it exploded far above them. Still, the thoughts that accompanied that smile were anything but good, at least for the nine remaining enemies.

Bai Qi concluded, and his body launched towards them, green armor-like claws materializing on his arms.