Though I was confident I could handle the twenty-plus Beastmen outside, until the situation was clear, I dared not make a rash move. I could only calm my breath, conceal myself carefully, and wait!
Tuli frowned, scanning his surroundings! Yet, he discovered nothing out of the ordinary!
The presence vanished around here! Tuli mused to himself. This opponent was clearly no common foe, sensing their party's approach from such a distance! Therefore, they must have concealed themselves beforehand!
This area was dense with flora and timber; finding these individuals who were deliberately hiding would not be easy! Of course, all of this unfolded exactly as Tuli had anticipated!
He had long heard tales of human cunning! It seemed capturing these two would not be a simple task!
"Spread out and search," Tuli boomed, his voice carrying authority. "Once found, kill without question."
"Roar!" With a unified cry from the twenty-plus Demonic Dragon Warriors, the originally orderly twenty-man squad quickly split into three teams, fanning out in three different directions for the search!
"They've gone!" I quietly let out a breath of relief.
"What terrifying auras," Hoshino said, still visibly shaken. "Are all Demonic Dragon Warriors that frighteningly powerful?"
"And that werewolf," Xing Zhan added. "Besides the Demonic Dragon Cult Master and Old Man, I've never encountered such potent presences."
"Not all Beastmen and Demonic Dragon Warriors are this strong," I clarified. "At least those in the Demonic Dragon World aren't nearly as formidable as the ones we just saw."
"Just what is their background!" Hoshino gripped his head in distress. "I'm truly confused now."
"Regardless of their origin," I stated sternly, "they are enemies, not friends. And it's certain they are allied with the Demonic Dragon Cult Master."
"It seems our movements must be doubly cautious now," Xing Zhan remarked.
"En." I nodded instinctively, taking the opportunity to scrutinize the cave we were currently hidden within!
Clearly, this had once been the dwelling of some creature. Patches of dried, hardened residue still marked the floor, and scattered straw was piled inside, resembling a nest.
However, it was now abandoned!
"You two stay here and find a way to contact headquarters using the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission talisman."
"Old Man, what are you going to do?" Hoshino and Xing Zhan panicked immediately.
"Those Beastmen came from the north," I pondered briefly. "I want to scout that direction; perhaps we'll gain something."
"That's too dangerous," Hoshino protested. "Let the three of us move together."
"Absolutely not." I stated firmly. "The situation within the Sacred Domain of Heaven must be reported to headquarters immediately, or things will turn grave."
Ever since seeing the Demonic Dragon Cult Master, I had harbored a profoundly bad premonition! After then seeing that uniquely composed search squad, that feeling of impending doom intensified even more!
"I don't know what will happen next, but I'm sure the Beastmen clan is plotting something, and this time the Demonic Dragon Cult Master is involved. If things go poorly, it could trigger another Great War between Humans and Beasts!" I stressed. "Do you understand?"
"Yes." The two reluctantly nodded, though Hoshino was resolute. "Contact headquarters—let Xing Zhan do it. No matter what, I must follow Old Man."
"Exactly," Xing Zhan chimed in. "Didn't Old Man used to say, 'When fighting a tiger, brothers stand together; when going into battle, father and sons fight as one'? We've always wanted to move alongside you, Old Man."
"When fighting a tiger, brothers stand together; when going into battle, father and sons fight as one." I was momentarily taken aback. I seemed to recall saying that phrase to Jin Yaoming and the others. I hadn't expected these two to know it as well.
But upon reflection, I truly hadn't undertaken any serious missions with them. As father and children, perhaps we lacked a sense of shared involvement and tacit understanding.
Perhaps this was the fundamental reason Hoshino insisted on accompanying me! But the current situation was too critical; I wouldn't feel secure leaving only Xing Zhan behind.
"This place has already been searched," Xing Zhan added. "I'll seal the entrance later; they won't find us. Besides, I'll only be at ease if Old Man and Big Brother are moving together for mutual support."
"That's right!" Hoshino offered awkwardly. "Even if Old Man runs into trouble I can't help with, at least I can serve as a messenger. Though I might not be as strong as you, my skills in running away are excellent, and I certainly won't hold you back!"
"..." I couldn't help but stare, then replied testily, "Hold me back? At least you have some self-awareness." It seemed this boy was determined to follow. "Very well. Consider this trip your trial by fire. Let me see what you two have learned over these years."
"Yes!" Hoshino beamed with joy!
For some inexplicable reason, gazing at their faces alight with excited happiness...
I suddenly felt a wave of relief and security, coupled with an indescribable sense of closeness. Perhaps this was the feeling a father ought to possess. "Following me is fine, but you must obey my every command along the way, understood?"
"Yes," Hoshino replied seriously.
"From now on, our movements must suppress our auras as much as possible. We must absolutely not let the enemy discover our tracks," I stated gravely.
"En!" Hoshino nodded slightly and immediately began regulating his breathing. After a moment, the aura surrounding him had weakened considerably!
"Good heavens! You've grasped the fundamentals of the Turtle Breath, Dragon Slumber technique!" I carefully sensed the fluctuations in Hoshino's aura; it had become like a stagnant, perfectly calm pool of water.
"Of course, Old Man. We never stopped diligently practicing the mental cultivation method you taught us when you were on the Throne. We've finally achieved a small measure of success," Xing Zhan explained.
"But we can't completely internalize our auras as effortlessly as Old Man can. We need time to adjust our breathing, otherwise, how could those Beastmen have sensed our vital energies just now?"
"It should be fine now." If Hoshino could completely contain his aura, I believed that would be enough for self-preservation. "Let's move."
"Yes!"
Exiting the cave, the two of us unfurled our movements, gliding through the dense forest like a gentle breeze!
The surrounding scenery flashed by at incredible speed! I had already increased my speed to the sixth level, but to my astonishment, Hoshino was keeping pace with me! Although there were slight signs of aura instability, this in itself was remarkable!
This boy—not bad! Perhaps soon he could catch up to my cultivation level!
Soon, we had covered over fifty li! At this point, I sensed another strange fluctuation, seemingly moving rapidly.
"Strange, they are moving northeast," Hoshino also noticed the unusual nature of these auras!
"They are moving fast," I analyzed. "This suggests they have a very definite destination."
"Let's follow them and see," Hoshino suggested.
For the time that followed, we tracked the aura while carefully concealing our own!
Unconsciously, the surrounding trees and thickets gradually disappeared, replaced by barren, rocky slopes and sparse, stunted shrubs. The entire landscape presented an aberrant sense of decay and desolation.
Yet, strangely, we saw no living creatures along the way, as if all life in this world had vanished.
Although I had never entered the Sacred Domain of Heaven before, through explanations from Sui Yun, Xiang Tian, and others, I knew clearly that this domain was home to all manner of terrifying monsters! It should never be as bizarrely quiet as it was now!
Could this be because of the Demonic Dragon Cult Master's appearance? I pondered inwardly. Perhaps those creatures sensed the Cult Master's terrifying aura and retreated far away!
In the Mafa World, almost all living things possessed an innate instinct to sense danger. Perhaps that was the only way to explain why the Sacred Domain of Heaven was so unusually silent!
A full day later, the moving aura finally stopped its travel!
However, at that moment, I felt the situation had shifted again!
Because besides them, several other powerful auras had appeared, fluctuating greatly in intensity! One of them was even comparable to Ice Pool's! Another, though not as strong, gave me a very peculiar sensation!
"What is happening?" Hoshino exclaimed in surprise.
"Could there be a battle ahead?" Sensing the uneven fluctuations, I even felt a sense of familiarity with the energy!
"That's a battle qi fluctuation mixed with powerful mental force," Xing Zhan observed. "Damn it, that's You Yue, that kid."
"You Yue!" I realized instantly! Yes, that aura felt exactly like the one I had encountered when I fought You Yue before! No wonder it felt so distinct and familiar!
"It seems those Beastmen were tracking You Yue and his group," Xing Zhan said nervously. "What do we do now?"
"Let's go look," I stated firmly. "Since we've found them, the rest should be manageable."
We quickly reached the crest of a small hill! The source of the auras was on the other side of the slope!
We were now within visual range!
We had no choice but to lie flat among the low grasses on the hillside, carefully crawling over the crest!
Finally, through the gaps in the grass, we saw the large contingent of Beastmen we had been tracking for so long, gathered below the slope!
Even though we expected a group of Beastmen, we were still considerably shocked when we saw those perfectly arrayed, murderously intimidating rows of Demonic Dragon Warriors!
What shocked me even more was the presence of several seemingly unremarkable Beastmen figures standing before the ranks of the Demonic Dragon Warriors! Due to the distance, I couldn't hear what they were saying!
In the open space surrounded by the Demonic Dragon Warriors were several Human Knights mounted on Ice Wolves! Even from afar, I recognized one of them as You Yue, whom I had once fought below the Throne City! The others were similarly powerful, currently forming a defensive circle, intensely watching the Beastmen who had them completely surrounded!
Clearly, the battle had not yet begun—at least, not for now!
"They are in a tough spot," Xing Zhan judged. "These Beastmen are incredibly strong."
Those warriors from the Cold Ridge Tribe were strong, but looking at the few Werewolves, Minotaurs, and Apes, they seemed even stronger. Just by their auras, I could easily discern their power and predict the final outcome!
Strange! When did the Beastmen clan warriors become so formidable!
Could this be because of the Demonic Dragon Cult Master! I pondered, carefully observing the scene below the hill!
I soon noticed that among the Beastmen on the periphery, two were seated on an ornate carriage, while the surrounding Beastmen stood deferentially to the side, indicating the extraordinary status of these two individuals!
Looking closer, the Beastman on the left of the war chariot was tall, wearing a helmet adorned with strange, exotic plumes. His entire being exuded an intimidating aura!
This was an aura unique to those who have long held high office and command the power of life and death!
In my memory, only my father, Jiu Yao Chong Yang, possessed such an aura! Could this fellow be the Beast Emperor of the Beastmen!
Beside him was a Fox-person, presumably from the Beastmen ranks. Though the distance was great, the conspicuous fox tail and his slender, delicate build made his identity easy to discern!
However, I could sense absolutely no energy fluctuations from this Fox-person. Such an individual would either be a top-tier expert whose cultivation reached the heavens or simply a mortal with no cultivation whatsoever!
Yet, I couldn't believe the Fox-person clan could produce such an unparalleled master. This made the situation even stranger. The Beastmen clan, historically, valued strength above all else, yet this small Fox-person was permitted to sit in that chariot, indicating a status beyond the ordinary! Furthermore, I sensed a very peculiar mental fluctuation emanating from them!
It held a sensation of familiarity! I had only ever sensed this fluctuation when the little creature (Red Moon Demon) or the Sword Spirit of the Dragon Shadow Sword manifested! I never expected anyone other than them to possess such a unique mental wave!
This fluctuation seemed to possess a marvelous synchronization frequency with me!
What in the world was going on!
As if sensing my subtle energy, the Fox-person suddenly turned their head and gazed towards our hiding spot!
Bad timing!
I quickly pressed Hoshino's head down, flattening ourselves into the grass!
Down the slope!
"What's wrong, Daji?" Daron looked at his daughter, whose expression was odd, with some confusion.
"Could it just be my imagination!" Daji shook her large, expressive eyes, showing a flicker of perplexity. "I keep feeling like someone is watching us."
"How is that possible," Elder Tianmu, the Ape-man beside him, grew tense. "Tianmu hasn't sensed any strange fluctuations."
Tuman and Dawang, the other Beast Warrior elites beside Tianmu, also wore bewildered expressions!
"It was probably just my imagination," Daji chuckled self-deprecatingly. After all, she was merely a defenseless Fox-maiden; how could she possibly sense the approach of a high-level expert.
Especially with elites like Tianmu, Tuman, and Dawang protecting me, if anything truly approached, it certainly wouldn't escape their perception!
"With them guarding us, there's nothing to worry about," Daron said leisurely. "Now, let's see what our captives have to tell us."
The surroundings were filled with murderous Beastmen, yet You Yue and the others, encircled in the center, dared not make the slightest move! They desperately suppressed the fear and anxiety churning in their hearts!
None of them expected that upon entering the Sacred Domain of Heaven, they would encounter such terrifying adversaries!
Beastmen were not unknown in the Snow Domain Continent!
Just like the Snow Domain Savages, Snow Domain Hairy-men, or Snow Domain Sheep-men—strictly speaking, they were all branches of the Beastman clan. And further north on the continent lived the most primitive Beastman tribes, the Ape-men.
However, these Beastmen posed no threat to the continent's people; many even became enslaved, captured by slavers and sold to various mines and farms as forced labor!
For a thousand years, in the Snow Domain Continent, the Beastmen were merely a subjugated, weak race!
But the Beastmen before You Yue and his party completely shattered their understanding!
They possessed refined equipment, not inferior to their own group's. More terrifyingly, their unified consciousness and tactical proficiency were almost more perfect than a well-trained human army!
And the combat strength of every single Beastman warrior was astonishingly high; several of the leader-class Beastmen could easily defeat You Yue, one of the seven Great Spirit Pearl Masters of the continent!
This was sheer fantasy! You Yue and the others suspected they were dreaming, yet the cruel reality was that all of this was true, and currently, the elites of the Cold Ridge Tribe were surrounded by this terrifying group of Beastmen!
"Damn it, who exactly are you people?" Despite knowing they were outmatched, You Yue was forced to steel himself and ask.
"This Emperor is named Daron," Daron’s gloomy gaze from the war chariot was like that of a monstrous beast assessing its prey, sending a chilling dread through the observers. "I am the Beast Emperor of the Beastman clan from the Woma Forest on the Mafa Continent."
The Beast Emperor from the Mafa Continent! You Yue ground his teeth! Mafa Continent again.
Ever since people from the Mafa Continent set foot on the Snow Domain Continent two years ago, trouble had been incessant. First came several Phoenix Heaven War Gods, then the Demonic Dragon Qin King appeared. Now, the Demonic Dragon Cult Master and the Beast Emperor of the Beastmen had been drawn here too!
Did all these people think the people of the Snow Domain Continent were easy targets!
"Hand over the Night Luminescence Pearl, and your lives will be spared," Daron commanded.
"..." You Quan’s aged face showed a flicker of distress and despair, yet he remained outwardly composed!
You Yue and the younger tribal warriors stared fixedly at Daron. In truth, this was not their first encounter with Daron's group of Beastmen. In fact, on the fifth day after entering the Sacred Domain of Heaven, they had clashed with this contingent.
At that time, they were accompanied by a monstrously huge and terrifying creature—none other than the infamous Demonic Dragon Cult Master.
The result...
Those who hadn't witnessed it firsthand could never imagine what a terrifying entity the Demonic Dragon Cult Master truly was!
That could no longer be called a battle; it was a brutal slaughter. Five hundred elite masters were instantly shredded into pulp by the Demonic Dragon Cult Master’s black Demonic Dragon Spear!
Even the clan's foremost expert, You Quan, couldn't withstand a single move and fled after being defeated!
Although You Quan, You Yue, and the others managed to escape death, the immediate consequence was that the original force of over five hundred tribal elites was reduced to just ten survivors, and among them, You Quan was gravely wounded and had yet to recover fully even now!
The following month was an endless, wearying flight, until today, when they were finally caught up to by their pursuers!
"Interesting." Daji's voice carried an indescribable gloom and coldness. "Unwilling to yield, even in death. Very well, let us see how tough human resolve truly is." She then cast a faint glance at Tuman, who was stirring restlessly beside her.
Heh heh heh! Tuman and the others also grinned sinisterly; it seemed they were eager to test how rigidly these humans could hold out!
Insolent! These ugly wretches were pushing their luck too far! You Yue and the others seethed with the desire to rush forward and fight them to the death!
Yet, instinct firmly suppressed this impulse to act recklessly! Every single one who had survived thus far was a battle-hardened expert, and precisely because of this, they understood clearly that once their formation broke, the enemy would seize the opportunity!
Although they knew from the start they had no chance of winning individually, as warriors, regardless of the peril, they had to maintain calm judgment and adopt the most precise strategic course of action. In this regard, You Yue and his group were performing admirably.
Even if these Beastmen managed to kill them, they would certainly have to pay a price!