At almost the same moment, outside the Beast Tomb Valley, countless spirit beasts and restless ghosts suddenly went berserk, erupting into frenzy. With agitated expressions, they charged wildly toward the entrance of the gorge.

Thousands upon thousands, stretching as far as the eye could see, they were like waves crashing on the shore, seemingly endless, like the surging sea.

It was precisely at this moment that thousands more colossal warships appeared high in the sky, sweeping majestically over the area.

Yue Guanyun stood upon the deck of the Seven-Tusk Cloud Ship, his eyes wide with astonishment as he watched the surging tide of beasts below.

It was fortunate that this beast tide was on the ground and held no ill intent toward their fleet. Nevertheless, observing it from a distance evoked a profound sense of terror and dread.

"What is the fleet from Qiantian Mountain doing here? Have they come seeking death? A beast tide of this magnitude is something even we dare not provoke lightly."

The speaker was a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, clad in the attire of a second-rank official—one of Yue Guanyun's subordinates.

Although his words carried a tone of jest, not a single person present could muster a smile.

As the massive fleet continued its advance, countless bleached white beast bones emerged on the ground before them. The breathing of everyone aboard the ships hitched slightly.

"This is a Beast Tomb! The people of Qiantian Mountain have actually discovered a Beast Tomb!"

Following this exclamation, the source of which was unclear, the atmosphere on the entire deck grew increasingly heavy.

Yue Guanyun’s expression shifted. After taking a deep breath, his face appeared exceptionally pale. "It is indeed a Beast Tomb, without a doubt! By my estimation, this site spans no less than forty thousand zhang. In terms of age, Qiantian Mountain’s haul this time will surely exceed ten million fourth-tier beast crystals! What do the two of you think?"

"Forty thousand zhang? Perhaps even more?"

Feng Nu's gaze was incredibly grim, a storm brewing within his eyes. "I see fifty thousand zhang at least! This brat’s methods are insidious; most of the fourth-tier beast corpses involved have been ruined, their value entirely lost. Hmph, this Zong Shou, I don't know whether to call him cunning or simply too lucky. Now look at this—the three factions mobilized to come here, only to return empty-handed. Just the pursuit alone took us seven days! Qiantian Mountain, which was supposed to gain nothing, returns with ten million beast crystals. If the two of us return like this, we'll surely become a laughingstock!"

"Including the intact beast corpses, the earnings are estimated to be another twenty million fourth-tier beast crystals or more! And that gorge—though we don't know the exact situation inside, or why it attracts so many spirit beasts to attack. Still, I speculate the yield there is also in excess of ten million."

Xiong Ba’s tone was languid, seemingly indifferent. But the sight of his tightly clenched hands revealed the turbulent state of his mind.

"Twenty million. Just one-tenth of that sum could allow Qiantian Mountain to expand its army by several million! They could recruit countless Xiantian experts. As for the Xuanwu powerhouses already renowned in this world, I fear ninety-nine percent would be drawn under Qiantian Mountain’s banner. Within three years, in the East Lin Cloud Continent, the three of us might have no place left to stand."

A hush fell over the surrounding people again. Yue Guanyun’s face darkened as he scanned the crowd. Most of the onlookers appeared uneasy.

Especially the city lords and envoys who had previously been allied with Qiantian Mountain—they now showed visible signs of regret.

Xie Rong, the City Lord of West Boundary City, who had broken ties completely with Zong Shou just days ago, had his color entirely drained, his face ashen white.

A flicker of malice surfaced within Yue Guanyun. He knew this man was likely regretting his choice. Had he not been foolish enough to betray Zong Shou and follow Qiantian Mountain's fleet against his command, West Boundary City’s gains might have been ten times that of previous years, enough to elevate his city's strength by an entire tier!

However, despite his anger, he could not voice a reprimand now. Finally, he let out a cold snort: "Why worry? No matter how much Qiantian Mountain gains this time, they still need to transport the goods back before it's truly theirs!"

Feng Nu's eyes immediately brightened. "Then, according to Brother Feng's opinion, what should we do?"

Yue Guanyun inwardly sneered, knowing that the other two were waiting for him to suggest ambushing them halfway or silencing them permanently. Afterward, if other sects held them accountable, these two would at most be charged as accomplices.

He felt no irritation but stated calmly: "The sects of the Cloud Realm have long issued clear edicts: below the Cloud Sea, mutual killing is strictly forbidden. That Zong Shou is cunning; he invited disciples from Lingyun Sect onto his ship early, clearly prepared. Moreover, our military is large, and secrets rarely stay sealed in this world. However, this time, we need not act directly; don't we still have these spirit beasts to do our bidding? We only need to secure the exit of this gorge."

Xiong Ba was about to point out that a beast tide of this level would, at most, severely damage Qiantian Mountain's fleet, but might not be enough to annihilate them entirely. Immediately after, understanding dawned upon him, and an expression of admiration crossed his face.

"I see! The scale of this beast tide might be slightly insufficient, but we might be able to add fuel to the fire. If we arrange things well, we can even drive more spirit beasts inside. As long as we prevent their ingress and egress, there will eventually be a way to deal with them. City Lord Yue, truly quick-witted, an excellent strategy!"

Yue Guanyun gave a reserved smile and said no more. But the guards aboard the Seven-Tusk Cloud Ship seemed to shake off the gloom, and smiles returned to the faces of those around them, some already tinged with excitement.

Subsequently, without the three needing to give explicit orders, as most of the beast tide surged into the valley, the thousands of cloud ships spontaneously moved toward the gorge entrance. They then positioned themselves in an orderly fashion, almost completely sealing the exit of the canyon.

Yue Guanyun remained on the deck of the Seven-Tusk Cloud Ship, looking into the valley with a gaze that was complex yet brimming with self-assurance.

This Zong Shou was, in his experience, the most profoundly intelligent person among the younger generation he had ever encountered.

It was a pity that the youth was still too young, too inexperienced. He had made too many mistakes.

But precisely because of this, he could not be allowed to live.

Just then, he noticed Feng Nu beside him frowning deeply, as if something was troubling him.

Yue Guanyun raised an eyebrow, wondering if this man was already calculating the spoils after this event. Feeling disdain, he nonetheless offered a clear, bright smile. "Brother Feng, what is troubling you so deeply? Is there some flaw in my arrangement?"

Feng Nu shook his head slightly. After a moment, he spoke with uncertainty, "I am wondering if Zong Shou, after sinking beneath the Cloud Sea, rushed straight here because he already knew of this Beast Tomb’s existence? If he knew, why did he leave so many clues along the way to lead us here?"

At these words, not only did Yue Guanyun’s expression change again, but Xiong Ba’s pupils also contracted, his gaze shifting dramatically.

In the next instant, deep, imposing roars echoed from behind the valley entrance.

The earth shuddered, and the sound of countless hoofbeats thundered like lightning. It seemed countless spirit beasts were pouring in from all directions.

The sky, too, was overtaken by a dark cloud. Looking up, one could clearly see countless ferocious birds swooping down, plummeting toward the gorge entrance.

It was another beast tide! And its scale surpassed the previous one by several times!

Yue Guanyun felt an icy chill envelop his entire body. He suddenly raised his hand and sent out an amulet. It shot up over a thousand zhang before detonating abruptly, releasing a blinding golden light that illuminated the surroundings, instantly dispelling all the dense black mist nearby.

Then, the people aboard the ships saw countless colossal beasts charging in. The ones in the vanguard were the swiftest, some towering fifty or sixty zhang tall. Though they could not form battle arrays like humans, they moved in dense masses, their might still deafening.

Yue Guanyun’s eyelids twitched, a sense of foreboding surging within him. He looked closely into the black mist and glimpsed a faint, indistinct figure.

He felt several incredibly powerful and violent auras rush in, yet they stopped ten thousand zhang away, instead driving the countless spirit beasts to assault the gorge entrance.

"Seventh-tier! They are seventh-tier spirit beasts!"

The moment Yue Guanyun’s breath hitched, Feng Nu also could not suppress the shock in his heart, stumbling back several paces.

His heart sank to the bottom, feeling utterly cold. He felt that even hearing the news of his eldest son Feng Yu’s death was nowhere near as despairing as this day!

Then, everyone exchanged glances, their eyes filled with horror and confusion.

What kind of place was this Beast Tomb that compelled the beasts to gather?

What exactly had Zong Shou done to attract even these seventh-tier spirit beasts, creatures rarely seen?

Was this sudden change also within Zong Shou's calculations?

After a full minute, Xiong Ba’s heartbreaking roar finally erupted: "Make way! All of you, get out of the way!"

The tens of thousands of ship workers operating the vessels finally snapped back to reality. The several thousand cloud ships blocking the valley entrance quickly pulled aside, creating a chaotic mess as they bumped into one another.

The surging tide of beasts had already arrived, close to the entrance. The first hundred or so cloud ships blocked at the bottom were almost instantly smashed to smithereens by the countless sixth-tier spirit beasts!

※※※※

Inside the gorge, the moment a dozen spiritual talismans, each ten zhang large, drew near, the fiery red longsword suddenly trembled. Then, a sweeping arc of crimson light shot out, instantly shattering all the talismans in a matter of moments.

However, the sword body emitted a faint, mournful tremor, suggesting it had been significantly damaged by these spiritual talismans that specialized in wounding the soul. Infuriated, the sword shadow spun and soared toward the sky. Then, like a river of flames, it descended in a slashing arc.

Midway, a sharp clang resounded. A sword shadow, appearing both icy and misty, pierced through the dense clouds and mist, colliding head-on with the Phoenix-Patterned Longsword in mid-air.

In the next instant, the Jingyun Shenmie Sword, formed purely of spiritual energy and soul power, shattered spectacularly.

Ling Faku, who presided over the spirit array, merely let out a muffled groan. His face turned slightly pale before quickly returning to normal.

At the critical moment, the three hundred spirit masters had managed to sever their soul power connection in time, saving the core. Thus, although everyone suffered minor injuries, none were seriously harmed. (To be continued)