The sound of footsteps approached from a distance, neither heavy nor light. The newcomers were cautious, not charging in a rush, their pace unhurried. Yet, from the rhythm of the steps, it was clear there was more than one person.

At the sound, the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur and the savage beasts of Poison Dragon Pool had their eyes flash with fierce light. Their bestial nature instantly roused, emitting low growls.

Ji Changkong stood beside the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur, his gaze equally cold toward the approaching direction. Zhou Miaoshan and the Ye family members retreated behind Ji Changkong, their expressions solemn as they silently waited.

Soon, a group of Tianshi clad in Southern Yi attire, bearing curved bows, began to emerge one by one. These Southern Yi Tianshi were covered in menacing tattoos on their arms, necks, and even cheeks. At a glance, these arrivals from the South looked as savage and ferocious as the beasts of Poison Dragon Pool.

A broad-shouldered young man, unmarked by any tattoos on his face, suddenly peered out from the shade of the trees. This was the same youth who had previously attempted to deal with Zhou Miaoshan. He glanced at Ji Changkong, his expression immediately shifting. He leaned toward a thin, small old man whose left cheek was marked with a scorpion tattoo, whispering urgently.

"Those are masters from the Qunyi Clan. The Qunyi are the strongest among the nine Southern Yi tribes. Their warriors often tattoo venomous insects and fierce beasts onto their bodies, believing themselves to be the tamers of such creatures..." Zhou Miaoshan frowned deeply, explaining softly to Ji Changkong.

"Is the youth who attacked you before also from the Qunyi Clan?" Ji Changkong asked, his face grim, watching the sturdy youth quietly.

Shaking her head, Zhou Miaoshan replied, "This man is not Qunyi. He should be from the Huangyi Clan. I don't know why he is allied with the Qunyi."

Hiss! Hiss! Howl!

As these Qunyi Tianshi appeared, the fierce beasts of Poison Dragon Pool began to rumble low growls, slowly scattering and gradually closing in on the Southern Yi warriors.

The Sky-Yuan Pterosaur’s monstrous eyes, the size of fists, stared unblinkingly at the thin old man with the scorpion tattoo on his left cheek, adopting a highly defensive posture.

There were fifty or sixty arrivals from the Qunyi Clan. Most were masters at or above the Fourth Cycle Heaven realm (Sixiang Tian), with a significant number at the Fifth Element Heaven (Wuxing Tian) and Sixth Star Heaven (Liuxing Tian) realms. The old man with the scorpion tattoo radiated an intensely cold and frigid aura. Judging by Ji Changkong’s perception of power, this man was undoubtedly an Eighth Trigram Heaven (Bagua Tian) expert.

The Qunyi contingent also displayed intense hostility toward the beasts of Poison Dragon Pool. Seeing the creatures slowly advance, they immediately raised their curved bows without a word, aiming their arrows directly at the approaching horde.

A fierce battle was imminent.

The sturdy youth from the Huangyi Clan stood beside the thin old man, murmuring ceaselessly. The old man, bearing the Eighth Trigram Heaven cultivation, swept his venomously cold, snake-like eyes across Ji Changkong, nodding slightly.

"Be careful, this man is likely the Second Priest of the Qunyi Clan, named Bage Jiu, an Eighth Trigram Tianshi. Though I haven't seen him before, I've heard rumors that the Qunyi Second Priest has a scorpion tattooed on his left cheek—an Eighth Trigram Tianshi. It must be him," Zhou Miaoshan whispered a warning.

Nodding indifferently, Ji Changkong stared coldly at the Southern Yi Tianshi opposite them, then suddenly spoke in a sharp voice, "Was the battle here at Poison Dragon Pool last time your doing?"

"It was us. Who are you?" Surprisingly, Bage Jiu replied, speaking fluent Middle Kingdom dialect.

Bage Jiu’s slender, triangular eyes gleamed with a chilling, sinister light like a viper’s. When his gaze swept over Zhou Miaoshan and the Ye family members, their faces grew unnaturally disturbed, as if licked by a serpent’s tongue, causing them indescribable discomfort.

Only Zhou Qiangwei, either truly unafraid or for some other reason, remained composed, her expression placid.

"Good, then that confirms it," Ji Changkong nodded impassively, then let out a sharp cry. With remarkable agility, he vaulted onto the back of the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur, patting its flank. "Dafeng, charge!"

Howl!

The Sky-Yuan Pterosaur threw back its head and roared, the sound shaking heaven and earth. As its wings unfurled, a violent gale swept up, swirling dust and stones, descending like a black cloud upon the Qunyi Tianshi.

At the Pterosaur’s roar, the surrounding beasts of Poison Dragon Pool surged forward recklessly, rushing toward the invaders.

"Loose the arrows!" Bage Jiu’s expression didn't waver. He made a downward slashing motion with his right hand.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Streaks of arrows, wreathed in raging fire, carrying chilling frost, or gleaming like distant stars, flew from the curved bows held by the Qunyi Tianshi. The shafts whistled through the air like the low wails of vengeful spirits.

The beasts charging toward the Qunyi warriors cried out amidst the swirling dust. Many could not evade the deadly shafts and were pierced. Some smaller beasts were actually sent flying by the sheer force of the arrows, pinned ruthlessly to large trees, dead beyond question.

These beasts of Poison Dragon Pool knew no fear. Under the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur’s command, they crashed forward heedlessly, determined to tear the disturbing Tianshi to pieces.

However, the Qunyi Tianshi clearly possessed formidable skills. Row upon row of arrows darkened the sky, flying densely toward the oncoming beasts, successfully killing many with gaping maws. These Qunyi Tianshi, who prided themselves as beast hunters, had their own established methods for dealing with savage creatures, executing their maneuvers with practiced precision, showing no sign of panic.

In the momentary gaps between volleys of arrows, the Qunyi Tianshi slowly retreated a short distance. Further back, another group of Southern Yi Tianshi appeared. These warriors had no tattoos; each carried a bundle of sharp, long spears.

As these men revealed themselves, the deadly whistle of spears erupted, mingling with the sound of flying arrows, instantly claiming the lives of many more Poison Dragon Pool beasts. They had clearly come prepared. Each man held a bundle of spears, launching them almost without pause toward the charging beasts. These spears were barbed; once embedded in a beast, they could not be shaken free. The potent venom they carried would easily permeate the creatures' bodies, causing swift death.

The insidious cruelty of humankind was something these beasts could not have imagined. Upon the first contact, numerous beasts were felled by spears and arrows. Fortunately, the Poison Dragon Pool beasts were numerous, and they seemed to know nothing of fear, continuing their reckless charge.

At this critical moment, Bage Jiu retrieved an oily, greenish curved bow from his back. The bow resembled a long, green serpent. Bage Jiu’s triangular eyes flashed green light. Withoutching an arrow, he aimed the empty bow at Ji Changkong from a distance and shot.

A beam of dark green light, faster than any arrow, instantly arrived before Ji Changkong. Even before the light struck, a pungent, noxious odor assaulted his nostrils.

The Sky-Yuan Pterosaur roared loudly, beating its wings furiously. A sudden, violent hurricane formed, effectively scattering the dark green beam, preventing it from remaining a focused line.

"Heh heh!" Bage Jiu suddenly sneered mysteriously.

The scattered dark green light instantaneously transformed into wisps of ethereal green smoke, mixing with the hurricane created by the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur, immediately enveloping Ji Changkong at the center.

Bage Jiu seemed to have anticipated the Pterosaur's move. The Pterosaur’s use of the hurricane to defend against his attack appeared entirely within his expectations. The Sky-Yuan Pterosaur, being a major venomous entity of the pool, was immune to the effects of the green toxic smoke. However, in Bage Jiu’s view, Ji Changkong was merely an ordinary man; once shrouded in that green haze, death was certain.

As Bage Jiu predicted, under the shroud of the dark green toxic smoke, Ji Changkong's body suddenly plummeted from the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur, falling directly toward the spot where Bage Jiu was waiting.

Bage Jiu looked up as Ji Changkong fell, a hideous grin spreading across his face. Without pausing to think, he shot a pillar of bright white light toward the sky, intending to utterly shatter Ji Changkong.

However, Ji Changkong, who was falling straight down, perhaps due to instability during the drop, swayed miraculously in mid-air, managing to evade the pillar of light Bage Jiu had launched. He dropped toward a position behind Bage Jiu instead. (Bage Jiu was stunned, thinking this kid, poisoned as he was, could miraculously dodge a fatal strike—what incredible luck.)

Just as he prepared to launch a follow-up attack, Bage Jiu felt an intense sense of crisis. His face changed drastically. He suddenly saw a five-colored halo descending from above, moving to envelop him.

In that instant, Bage Jiu’s soul was violently disoriented, his nerves seemingly knotted, and a tremendously powerful wave surged through his mind.

Rumble!

Extremely violent explosions erupted beside him, punctuated by the shrill screams of his subordinates. His Qunyi experts holding curved bows were being annihilated one after another, their flesh and blood exploding everywhere.

More than a dozen Qunyi Tianshi at the Fourth Cycle Heaven and Fifth Element Heaven realms were instantly reduced to sprays of blood rain, staining the ground. The young man who had fallen after being poisoned from the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur landed among them, circling them continuously. Wherever he passed, deafening rumbles echoed, and the Southern Yi Tianshi were utterly annihilated.

"Damn it!" Bage Jiu roared in fury. Ignoring the deaths of his subordinates nearby, he charged swiftly toward Ji Changkong. He suddenly realized he had fallen for the youth’s trick; only by killing Ji Changkong quickly could he ensure his own men's safety.

Howl!

At that moment, the Sky-Yuan Pterosaur let out an earth-shattering roar and dove into the ranks of the spear-wielding Southerners, spreading its razor-sharp wings and beginning to harvest their lives.

Hearing the Pterosaur’s roar, Ji Changkong’s expression remained cold and unmoved as he continued his assault. Bolts of Heavenly Thunder shot from his hands, inflicting unbearable, critical damage upon the Southern Yi warriors.