The rosy hue of dawn began to creep across the sky, as the nascent sun generously spilled its light upon the earth below.

It chased away the darkness, the chill, and the fear, bringing forth illumination and the very essence of life to the world.

Yet, at this precise moment, as the sun began to crest the horizon, a profound silence gripped the battlements. When Yi Zhongtian uttered the words, "Holy Beast," an expression of utter lifelessness froze upon every face.

In the Western Regions or the Eastern World, most ordinary folk would have no concept of what a Holy Beast truly was. But the Northern Frontier was different; for those who lived constantly under the shadow of monstrous threats, their understanding of these terrifying creatures ran deep.

A Holy Beast was a legendary entity among the monstrous horde.

A single Holy Beast was more dreadful than an entire swarm. While a swarm's numbers were vast, humanity could still rely on specialized city walls and weaponry to grind them down eventually. But if a Holy Beast arrived, the only prospect awaiting humanity was annihilation—the city broken, the people dead.

If ordinary people understood the terror of a Holy Beast, those in the Xiantian realm felt it exponentially more acutely.

Xu Jun’s hands gripped his divine weapon tightly, yet he realized with grim despair that this blade, which had once filled him with countless instances of confidence, now offered him not a shred of assurance.

Zhang Bailin and the other two looked even more ashen. They could never have imagined that among the beast tide, a spirit beast of the Holy Beast caliber would actually manifest.

“Impossible…” The muscles in Zhang Bailin’s face twitched slightly. For a veteran Xiantian expert to lose his composure like this spoke volumes about the shock he endured.

“Brother Zhang, aren't the Holy Beasts of the Northern Frontier supposed to possess unique traits and never accompany the main herds?” Chen Linxi asked with a bitter smile.

He and his wife were close associates of Zhang Bailin and vaguely understood that the situation wasn't his fault, so they showed him no displeasure.

Zhang Bailin took a deep breath. “I don’t know.” He emphasized his words sharply. “I truly do not know.”

Indeed, what transpired today exceeded the experience gleaned from his decades traversing the Northern Frontier, leaving him utterly unable to offer an explanation.

“Beast Tide,” He Yiming’s voice sounded slowly. “The spirit beasts of the North are currently influenced by a once-in-a-millennium Beast Tide. Their collective power is far greater than usual. It is not surprising that a Holy Beast has appeared within the swarm.”

Yi Zhongtian’s expression shifted wildly. He suddenly stepped forward and said with deep respect, “Venerable He, please save the sons and daughters of Pengcheng.” With that, he bent his knees, about to formally prostrate himself in public.

However, he was horrified to find his legs absolutely refusing to bend into a full kowtow.

The last time he had been made to bow in the room, it was because He Yiming had been unobservant and unaware of the lengths this man would go for the people of Pengcheng, even sacrificing the dignity of a Xiantian expert. Now, being forewarned, He Yiming naturally would not allow him to be disgraced before the crowd.

He turned his head and said with an ambiguous half-smile, “Brother Yi, do you truly believe I can slay this Holy Beast?”

Gazing into He Yiming’s eyes, Yi Zhongtian inexplicably felt a surge of confidence, and he declared loudly, “Venerable One will surely strike down this fiend.”

He Yiming burst into booming laughter, withdrawing his gaze, a flicker of approval crossing his eyes.

This fellow’s discernment was indeed sharp.

From ahead, that tremendous roar sounded again, and then, silhouetted against the sunlight, an extraordinarily tall giant bear emerged from the midst of the beast horde.

When this massive bear stood erect, its height was nearly double that of its ordinary kin. It was astonishing how it had managed to conceal itself within the swarm until this moment.

Its approach was not swift; rather, it advanced toward the wall step by measured step, showing no inclination to charge the fortifications with speed.

“Bad. Our walls cannot withstand a Holy Beast’s striking power,” Xu Jun’s face shifted slightly as he exclaimed in alarm.

He Yiming sighed lightly. Facing a Grizzly Holy Beast, he truly couldn't muster much enthusiasm. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't allow this bear to demolish the city wall.

Since this wall was constructed by the Ice Palace and possessed remarkable resilience—with countless humans and beasts fighting on it for ages without sustaining any visible damage—if the Holy Beast managed to destroy it, even he would feel a pang of heartache.

With a slight flicker of his form, He Yiming leaped down from the battlements.

His descent was not fast either; nearly everyone could observe it clearly. But what felt profoundly bizarre was that his body moved like a weightless feather, borne by the wind, heading directly toward the giant bear opposite.

Throughout his descent, strands of wind perpetually circled him, preventing him from landing.

Witnessing this, Yi Zhongtian and the others all sucked in a sharp, cool breath. A single thought flashed through their minds simultaneously: Could this person actually fly?

As He Yiming drifted down to the base of the wall, the advancing giant bear abruptly halted. It narrowed its small eyes, glaring at the strange human before it.

The intelligence of a thousand-year spirit beast already rivaled that of humans; the Holy Beast was even more pronounced.

Although this Holy Beast could not perceive the suppressed, immense aura radiating from He Yiming, it felt a subtle, indefinable unease. Perhaps He Yiming's excessively calm demeanor instilled caution, for the beast did not immediately attack, instead displaying a degree of hesitancy and restraint from the rear.

On the ramparts, Yi Zhongtian and the others stared with wide-open eyes, daring not to blink.

The Grizzly Holy Beast stood nearly four meters tall, more than twice He Yiming's height. Its massive form nearly obscured him completely when standing before him.

Yet, inexplicably, everyone atop the wall felt a peculiar sensation: the environment surrounding the man and the beast seemed inverted relative to their sizes.

It felt as if He Yiming was the monstrous, terrifying Holy Beast, while the towering giant bear resembled an insignificant clown, capable of being swatted away completely with a mere tap.

“Brother Yi, what exactly is the origin of Venerable He?” Zhang Bailin asked, his face etched with disbelief. “Is he an elder from the Ice Palace?”

Every sect possessed elders, but the martial cultivation levels of these elders varied widely.

Elders of branch sects like Hengshan merely needed to reach the ordinary Xiantian realm, but elders of massive sects like the Northern Frontier Ice Palace or the Lingxiao Treasure Hall required cultivation at the Saint level or higher.

Furthermore, after witnessing the confrontation between He Yiming and the Grizzly Holy Beast, Zhang Bailin understood that this individual, who outwardly appeared to be a youth, operated on a completely different tier than himself. This was why he now addressed him with the honorific "Venerable."

Before Yi Zhongtian could answer, Xu Jun shook his head. “Venerable He is not an elder of our sect.”

As an envoy of the Ice Palace, his intelligence was far superior to Yi Zhongtian’s, who was stationed in Pengcheng. Since he explicitly denied it, the others naturally accepted it without question.

“Venerable He is likely not from the Northern Frontier,” Yu Xueying suddenly interjected. “Judging by his attire, perhaps he also came North to hunt spirit beasts.”

The others nodded slightly; apart from this possibility, they truly could find no other explanation.

Zhang Bailin’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Venerable He once said he would take nothing unless it was the core of a Holy Beast. Then…”

Chen Linxi and his wife’s eyes immediately brightened. By now, a full seven Xiantian spirit beasts had been felled, including one thousand-year spirit beast.

If He Yiming genuinely relinquished his claim, according to their prior agreement, wouldn't those seven Xiantian cores belong entirely to them?

Yi Zhongtian and Xu Jun frowned slightly, but they remained silent. Such a matter was highly delicate, and they would under no circumstances interfere.

However, Zhang Bailin soon sighed deeply. “In truth, the slaying of these spirit beasts was not our accomplishment, but the result of Venerable He’s hidden efforts.”

Yi Zhongtian and the others were startled, then they understood. No wonder the spirit beasts they fought against had suddenly become so fragile—it turned out someone had secretly lent aid. This was the only logical explanation.

Zhang Bailin inhaled deeply. “Brother Chen, we cannot keep these cores to ourselves.”

Although a trace of reluctance lingered in the eyes of Chen Linxi and his wife, they nodded without hesitation, for they understood that even if He Yiming repeatedly stated he wanted nothing, if they shamelessly accepted everything, it might actually bring them the curse of death.

This was the nature of martial cultivation and the gap between realms.

If they possessed the peak strength of the Human Dao, they naturally wouldn't place such immense value on a few Xiantian cores. But for these ordinary Xiantian experts, these cores were too significant.

Suddenly, a piercing howl erupted from below the wall, drawing everyone’s attention back to the scene.

However, when they clearly perceived what was unfolding before them, every single person instinctively shook their heads or rubbed their eyes. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing.

That colossal Holy Beast was actually beginning to slowly retreat.

Despite its status as a Holy Beast, facing a single human, it not only refrained from a furious assault but showed signs of fear, preparing to withdraw without a fight.

Although the Grizzly Holy Beast’s movements were slow and it issued threatening roars, only a true fool would fail to grasp the beast’s intention at that moment.

Behind it, a ripple of chaos spread through the horde. The normally highly disciplined mass of beasts began to slowly fall back, and some of the more timid bears unhesitatingly turned tail and fled toward the distant unknown.

These immense beasts were not dull; they could clearly sense the Holy Beast’s terror. A being that even their powerful leader feared was certainly not something they could hope to withstand.

In an instant, this disturbance grew larger, spreading like a plague.

Within moments, more and more beasts were fleeing backward, as if triggered by a chain reaction. All the giant bears let out cries of terror and abandoned their king, desperately escaping into the inscrutable distance.

On the city wall, everyone watched the scene unfold, mouths agape. Their minds were subjected to an unprecedented, colossal shock.