Hengshan, a secluded sect spanning millennia. During this time, all disciples from the outer peaks had been consolidated into the five mountains under the leadership of the main peak.

Not only that, but the number of Xiantian experts now gathered at Hengshan had reached a full ten, rivaling the Grand Hall of the Kaifeng Kingdom in sheer numbers.

Yet, despite such a concentration of Xiantian powerhouses, anxiety hung heavy in everyone's hearts.

Facing the Wolf Totem Clan, whose depth remained unknown, no one dared claim absolute certainty of victory.

If the Xiantian experts felt this way, the ordinary disciples were naturally even more tense. However, as disciples of Hengshan, their homes and roots were here; retreat was no longer an option, no matter what.

Before the main peak lay the straight avenue leading up to Hengshan, the smoothest path to ascend the five primary peaks.

Originally, only two guards were stationed here, but recently, the number had swelled to ten, including a peak master at the tenth layer of Neijin strength.

The guards at the entrance were no longer lethargic and scattered as before. Instead, they were fully alert, seemingly ready to spring into action at the slightest disturbance.

This tense atmosphere had been gradually thickening as time passed and the number of Xiantian experts on the mountain increased.

Until the alert was lifted, nothing could dissipate this pervasive feeling.

Suddenly, one of the guards in the pavilion called out loudly, "Someone approaches."

His voice acted like a catalyst, spiking the tension among the ten men.

Leading the group was Liu Chengyang, a disciple of Lianyi from Fenghuo Peak. He frowned sharply. "What are you shouting about?"

The observing disciple stammered, "Martial Uncle, there are over a hundred people heading this way. They are... the Totem Clan."

Had this been months ago, perhaps most people wouldn't know the origins of the Totem Clan. After all, they hadn't provoked the entire Northwest Kingdoms in the Realm of Life and Death for over a hundred years.

Their glorious deeds and formidable strength were known only to a select few; the vast majority remained unaware.

Even for He Yiming, the newly ascended Xiantian expert, he likely wouldn't have known unless he had been directly involved.

However, during this recent period, especially following the surprise attack by Yi Shibao, the history of the Totem Clan had been completely unearthed, becoming the most frequently mentioned term on Hengshan.

Thus, upon hearing those words, Liu Chengyang’s expression instantly shifted. He lunged towards the elevated platform in the pavilion used for observing distant sights.

His gaze swept across the area ahead, and his eyes immediately sharpened intensely.

Indeed, over a hundred people were approaching from the foot of the mountain. The sole common feature among them was the facial markings adorning every one of their faces.

This custom was utterly unique across the Northwest. Only the Totem Clan, hailing from the deep mountains, practiced such a tradition.

He waved his hand decisively. "Sound the signal!"

A long, drawn-out horn blast echoed from the pavilion. This was not a single blast, but three long and two short sounds, accompanied by a specific intonation to convey their message.

Almost the moment the horn sound ceased, an identical horn blast returned from the mountain. This time, however, after a slight pause in the sound, several figures descended from the various peaks, swift as flying birds.

Liu Chengyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With the elders from all peaks arriving, his worries eased.

Moments later, the ten Xiantian experts, including He Yiming, had gathered at the reception pavilion at the mountain path entrance. By this time, the Totem Clan members bearing the facial markings were drawing close to the pavilion.

He Yiming and the others possessed eyesight far superior to Liu Chengyang's. They discerned something amiss at a single glance.

Their expressions slowly grew grave; the strength of the approaching party far exceeded their initial expectations.

The simultaneous presence of ten Xiantian experts was already an exceedingly rare event on Hengshan. Yet, the enemy had openly displayed ten experts already at the Xiantian realm.

He Yiming's gaze flickered. His ears twitched slightly, as if he had detected something. It wasn't just him; Shui Xuanjin’s ears also trembled faintly.

No one noticed that Elder Shui Xuanjin’s ears had shrunk to a size nearly indistinguishable from a normal person’s.

This was the phenomenon accompanying the full mastery of the 'Shunfeng Er' (Wind-Following Ear) wondrous skill, yet under He Yiming’s brilliant spotlight, no one paid him heed.

Daoist Yao whispered, "Elder He, what did you discover?"

He Yiming shook his head slightly. "I seem to have heard a strange sound, but I can't pinpoint it immediately." His face was solemn. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be hidden strength behind these people."

The assembled Xiantian experts exchanged glances, unable to suppress a shiver of apprehension. However, faced with the situation, not a trace of cowardice was revealed.

The Totem Clan contingent numbered over a hundred. Near the pavilion, ninety-odd halted, while only ten individuals—strangers of various ages and genders, with distinct expressions—stepped forward.

They wore peculiar attire, and combined with their facial markings and the deferential attitude of the group behind them, their identity was made instantly clear.

He Yiming laughed heartily. "Yi Shibao, I didn't expect you to return so soon. Too bad, Hengshan does not welcome unwelcome guests like you."

Yi Shibao’s eyes flashed coldly. "Enough chatter. Where is our Spirit Wolf?"

"Spirit Wolf?" He Yiming’s smile vanished. "If you mean the black wolf that ate our Hengshan disciples, then I can tell you it has already been skinned, its tendons drawn, and is currently being cooked and eaten."

The ten Totem Emissaries reacted sharply, and a powerful surge of aura erupted from them. Even more startling was the perceptible trend of these auras merging together.

Among the Xiantian experts of the Northwest, unless they were from the same sect and shared deep bonds, other Xiantian experts would never allow their auras to blend with companions. This involved not only mutual trust but also the principle of mutual restriction between cultivation methods.

Thus, upon sensing the gradual integration of the ten Totem Emissaries’ auras, the faces of everyone present changed.

Several Xiantian experts from established great sects recalled the descriptions of the Totem Clan in ancient texts.

Their Totem Emissaries possessed a special method in group combat to converge individual strength, unleashing power far greater than the sum of its parts.

Xu Chengchang’s face remained unchanged, but his voice suddenly transmitted to the group. "Everyone, be careful. The more Totem Emissaries there are, the greater the power they can exert. We cannot engage them in a melee. Either find a way to fight them one-on-one, or hold a narrow position and prevent being encircled."

Daoist Yao offered no further word. He immediately turned and whispered a few instructions to Liu Chengyang.

Although Liu Chengyang was Lianyi's disciple, at this moment, he was bound to absolute obedience to the commands of all Xiantian experts present.

Consequently, he turned, waved his hand, and the ten disciples swiftly departed toward the rear with him, vanishing from sight in moments.

As for the departure of these disciples, let alone the Totem Clan members not caring, even Lian Chengfu and the others paid them no mind.

Yi Shibao’s eyes glinted fiercely. He spat, "You dare eat our great Spirit Wolf? You accursed outsiders..."

He Yiming laughed loudly. "Since your Spirit Wolf can devour humans, why can't we, the spiritual beings among all creatures, devour your Spirit Wolf?"

While speaking, the frequency of his ears’ vibration grew louder.

When the Shunfeng Er skill reached its zenith, every rustle of the wind within several li seemed to fall under his command.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he faintly captured a subtle sound. Injecting qi into his legs, he roared, "Show yourselves!"

As his voice rang out, his feet began to move. One foot planted firmly on the ground, like the deep roots of an old tree gripping the earth and stone, while the other shot out like lightning.

The mountain path was naturally scattered with rubble, including stones the size of fists. He Yiming's kicked foot struck one such stone.

Instantly, the stone shot forward like a lightning bolt, carrying an unbelievable, immense force, aimed toward the dozens of Totem Clan members behind the ten emissaries.

He Yiming’s action was incredibly fast and utterly unexpected.

No one imagined he would suddenly attack while engaging in conversation. The stone soared over the heads of the ten emissaries, and no one managed to intercept it.

Shui Xuanjin and the others behind He Yiming were bewildered, failing to understand why He Yiming would target ordinary Totem Clan members—it seemed beneath his stature.

Only Shui Xuanjin’s ears twitched slightly, his gaze locked tightly onto one specific individual within the group.

Indeed, just as most people formed that thought, one person suddenly stepped out from among the crowd. Although this person was tall, he would have been unremarkable blended with the masses. Yet, as he emerged, he commanded immediate awe.

He extended one hand, seemingly suspended in mid-air for eons, and forcefully caught the stone kicked by He Yiming.

Subsequently, a cascade of crushed fragments fell from his hand.

Had that stone remained intact after colliding with the zhenqi of two supreme masters, it would have been a miracle.

Shui Xuanjin and the others inwardly chastised themselves. Despite their numbers and advanced age, they had all misjudged the situation.

Fortunately, He Yiming was vigilant; otherwise, they might never have realized such a formidable hidden talent lurked among the Houtian experts following the enemy.

After this person stepped forward, he gave He Yiming a deep look, then strode purposefully forward.

As he advanced, the original ten Totem Emissaries immediately parted to either side, allowing him passage along the cleared center path to the front line.

Only then did everyone’s expression become truly solemn; it turned out this individual was the chief among the Totem Emissaries.

"My name is Suoge, Chief Totem Emissary of the Wolf Totem Clan. How did you discover me?" he asked directly.

He Yiming smiled slightly. "Too many of you entered the mountain."

Suoge frowned, clearly unable to grasp the connection between the number of entrants and his own hidden presence.

Xu Chengchang suddenly boomed with laughter. "Elder He is correct. Didn't you know that success in entering the mountain this time depends on the Xiantian experts? If so, what is the purpose of these people following along? Are they hoping to get entangled in our battle and die pointlessly?"

Everyone then understood. If the goal wasn't to keep Suoge concealed within the crowd, why would these Houtian warriors of the Wolf Totem Clan venture into the deep mountains? Relying on them to intervene in a Xiantian battle would mean the Totem Clan Emissaries were absolute fools.

Suoge gave a wry smile. "I see. I stand corrected."

He Yiming inwardly acknowledged his luck. He hadn't seen it; he had unintentionally heard it.

Had his Shunfeng Er skill not reached its peak, and had the news of the Spirit Wolf’s death not caused this person's heartbeat to quicken—allowing He Yiming to capture the sound of his circulating zhenqi—he would certainly have remained deceived.

Daoist Yao suddenly stepped forward, retrieving an object from his robes—the totem they had discovered in the treasury.

He waved his hand and tossed the totem over.

Suoge reached out and caught it smoothly.

A look of satisfaction surfaced on his face. Though he didn't know the other party's intentions, having the totem safe was certainly a good thing.

"Emissary Suoge, although the totem appeared within our Hengshan lineage, I guarantee that we were completely unaware of the matter, and the thief who stole the totem from your noble clan was absolutely not one of Hengshan's Supreme Elders," Daoist Yao stated solemnly.

Suoge paused briefly. He carefully folded the totem and placed it in his robes, then said, "Your Excellency returns my clan’s totem; Suoge is deeply grateful. However, do you truly expect us to believe what you just said?"

Daoist Yao gave a bitter smile and fell silent.

Since the situation had reached this point, further words were useless. Nevertheless, no one objected to Daoist Yao’s action of returning the totem.

After all, the object was like a hot potato; anyone possessing it would likely think first of returning it to its rightful owner.

Because any person understood that as long as this thing existed, it would draw the full might of the Wolf Totem Clan's attack.

Forget the Hengshan lineage; even Tianchi Mountain, the foremost sect in the Northwest, could hardly fend off such an enemy for long.

Suoge fixed his gaze on He Yiming and suddenly said, "This must be the Hengshan Elder, Master He Yiming, who is proficient in the fundamental forces of the Five Elements?"

He Yiming replied gravely, "Correct. I am He Yiming."

Suoge nodded slowly. He spoke deliberately, "You came to our Wolf Totem Clan, not only stealing the totem but also injuring Emissary Harry..."

He Yiming snorted angrily. "A pretext for condemnation; why bother with excuses? Where is your Emissary Harry?"

"Emissary Harry is severely injured and recuperating within the clan," Suoge stated calmly.

A cold sneer suddenly crossed He Yiming’s face. He felt an extremely subtle, yet certain, conviction: the other party absolutely intended to see him dead.

Even without the incident of someone framing him, Suoge would undoubtedly have employed every means to achieve this end.

"If I say I didn't do it, you certainly won't believe me," He Yiming said coldly.

"Naturally not. Therefore..." Suoge’s voice abruptly intensified: "I want you... dead!"

As his words fell, the ground beneath everyone’s feet shifted unnervingly.

Before anyone could react, a thick, intertwined red and yellow claw burst violently from the earth, aiming for He Yiming's leg with lightning speed.

This development was completely outside He Yiming’s expectations. His Shunfeng Er skill had reached perfection, but even if he were to die, he never imagined facing an attack rising from underground.

More terrifyingly, he hadn't detected anything strange beneath the ground before the owner of the sharp claw initiated the attack—this was what instilled the deepest dread.

As danger loomed, He Yiming’s spirit instantly became intensely focused.

This was a superhuman power automatically unleashed when his life was threatened.

In his perception, everything in the world seemed to slow down, even the claw nearly grasping his ankle appeared to move sluggishly.

In his eyes, he seemed to see a pathway of wind. He was confident he could traverse this straight line in that instant and evade the sudden strike.

Although doing so would expose one of his trump cards, in this situation, he could no longer afford restraint.

However, before he could actually execute this ability, he felt a similar force of wind.

This was a force he was intimately familiar with.

His mastery over the power of wind had begun precisely by learning this very force.

It was Shui Xuanjin...

This elder, nearing the end of his lifespan, had unleashed a power equal in caliber to He Yiming’s at this critical juncture.

Crossing between two points on a straight line with incomparable speed, he arrived.

"Whoosh..."

It was like a gentle breeze passing by, or perhaps as if nothing had happened at all.

Shui Xuanjin had grabbed He Yiming and pulled him away from his original spot, reappearing before a steep cliff face behind the group.

The giant red-yellow claw that erupted from the ground grasped empty air.

Then, the earth relaxed, and a massive red wolf sprang out. It glanced coldly at He Yiming and the others, showing no sign of frustration over the failed ambush. It merely swaggered, turned, and walked to the side of Suoge and his group.

Daoist Yao and the others had retreated the moment the claw appeared, but when they saw the eyes of the giant red wolf, they couldn't help but shudder internally.

A single thought arose in all their minds: What a terrifying spirit beast...

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